Natural Playground Part II:I Didn't Know Kids Still Climbed Trees

A while back, a lady walked by and saw our children sitting in a tree. She stopped and watched them play for a short bit. "I didn't know kids still climbed trees", she said.

There is a new "disorder". I don't like all of the labels we smack on children, but this one is interesting. It is called "Nature Deficit Disorder"

Richard Louv first introduced this new disorder in his book, "Last Child in the Woods". He says,"Nature Deficit Disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses."

He also writes, "Not too many years ago, a child's experience was limited by how far he or she could ride a bicycle or by the physical boundaries that parents set. Today ... the real boundaries of a child's life are set more by the number of available cable channels and videotapes, by the simulated reality of videogames, by the number of megabytes of memory in the home computer. Now kids can go anywhere, as long as they stay inside the electronic bubble."

You already know how I feel about children being exposed to too much technology, so I won't get on my soapbox about that again. Being a nature lover, I could go on and on about the joys of being outdoors and the importance of children having unstructured playtime outside.

As I wrote a few days ago, we are working to create a natural playground in our backyard. It is a project that has taken on a life of it's own and I can't wait until it is finished!

Our backyard is being transformed. What once was a land of plastic and metal is becoming a natural play space for our family. There are still plenty of man-made toys, but we are trying to incorporate more natural elements.

The swing set is gone. I had nothing against that wonderful play structure, but it was getting dangerous, rusty, and was taking up too much space. There was no room for a trampoline, so we decided to go another direction.

We now have a butterfly garden, or at least a raised bed full of tiny seedlings, ready to grow into plants that attract butterflies. There is a new raised bed for vegatables and a rock garden.

The sandbox went the way of the swing set. Why? Well, because, as Zack says, "You can't dig up worms in a sandbox. What I really want is dirt." He now has a beautiful, raised, "Dirt Box"; a designated spot for him to dig a hole to China.

We found a beautiful log that is being used as a balance beam and a huge tub of water for floating, splashing, and filling cups to take over the the "Dirt/Mud Box".

The treehouse is still a favorite with it's pulley bucket. It is getting a new rock wall and birdfeeders to hang from the side.

Our backyard is far from perfect and far from finished, but we are enjoying it. As Zack says, "I wish we had done this years ago."

Thursday Ramblings

I love teaching violin lessons. I love hearing sweet, squeeky sounds coming from tiny violins and I love hearing beautiful classical pieces flowing freely from the larger instruments. I love sharing the joy of music with young musicians. It is a gift.

I only teach 3 evenings a week. Yet, those 3 make for very long days. There is the job of homeschooling in the mornings and then I am off to the string studio. I return hours later, tired and hungry. Sometimes Kris has dinner waiting, sometimes I cook a simple meal. Then, I fall into bed with strians of suzuki pieces running through my brain. There are times I have dreamt of "Twinkles" and I have to laugh.

While I love teaching violin lessons, it is nice to take a break now and then. My "now and thens" happen to fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are the days I am "Twinkle-free" and I can just relax with my family.

Today we finshed school before lunch. That gave us the entire afternoon together to just stay home and play. And play we did. We spent time outside, enjoying this warm, windy day. Then we went inside for some art time.

We started by planning our projects, then decided to eat a snack before the "messy" began. We couldn't decide on a snack, so we made kool-aid popsicles. While they were freezing, we started making mosiac paper weights, but what to do with the left over clay? Sculptures of course! Should we paint them? Maybe. Oh, wait, let's paint pictures instead! The sculptures need to dry, anyway. So, out came the water colors and beautiful, thick white paper. Oh, the popsicles - are they ready? Maybe, but it's too close to dinner time, so they will have to wait for dessert.

It's been a fun day and tomorrow I will make my way back to the string studio and teach a Bach minuet to some sweet little violinists.

I love my life.

Natural Playground Part I

The kids have outgrown the swingset.

It's funny how a little thing like a growth spurt can start such a mammoth chain of reaction. Something as simple as a growth spurt has changed my way of thinking and has taken over every waking moment.

My poor husband has the patience of a saint. He just smiles and nods when I tell him about my latest project.

The kids grew too big for the swingset. Oh, they still played on it, but it was getting dangerous and I was afraid they were going to tip it over. "So, let get a trampoline!" I said. But, yikes, our backyard is tiny! There is no room for a trampoline.

I sat the kids down and said, "What do you want to do with the backyard?" Ideas started flying and the next thing I know, we have a list a mile long of things they want to do in the backyard.

I started researching and discovered a wonderful new trend called "natural playgrounds". To my amazement, the kids were already on the road to creating a natural playground in our backyard. We put our heads together and came up with a plan.

Our homeschool curriculum took a backseat yesterday as we enjoyed a day of planning and working in the yard. Our natural playground is far from being finished, but it is well on it's way!

Today, however, we have to get caught up on math and history. I will post more details tomorrow!

Striving for Excellence

"Excellence" is a popular word. It is a "buzz word". Churches, schools, businesses - everyone is "striving for excellence". The word is over-used and getting somewhat annoying. But, who am I kidding? I have bought into the whole "striving for excellence" thing. I want to be the best and I "strive for excellence" everyday. I want to be the prettiest and the smartest. I want to be the best.

Of, course this is nothing new for me. I have always been secretly competing with everyone around me, but my biggest competitor has always been myself. I have a ferocious, brutal inner critic who tells me I will never be pretty, I will never be smart, I will never be the best. So, I continue to "strive for excellence", knowing I will never be good enough. I will never win.

I have set up a reward system for myself. I have a virtual sticker chart in my head and this is how it works: If I get my endless list of daily tasks completed with perfection, I will reward myself with something I love to do. Sounds innocent enough, right? The problem is, I am a perfectionist and over-ambitous when it comes to my "to-do" list and the reward never comes. I have earned my reward exactly 0 times.

So, what happens if I cheat and give myself my reward even if I haven't earned it? I am plagued with a viciously knawing guilt.

I don't think I am the only one who does this. I am not the only one who feels this way. It is a "girl thing". Girls are mean and the people we lash out at the most are ourselves. We all have that bloodthirsty inner critic telling us we will never be good enough, we will never earn our reward.

Yesterday, a friend suggested I read Mark 12:29 and I Corinithins 13.

It is easy to love my neighbor. I don't have to work at loving everyone else. I am patient and kind with others. I am not easily angered towards others. I do not dishonor others. So, I am doing great, right?

I don't think so. I am looking at my reward system and my persuit of excellence and asking myself, "Do I love my neighbor as I love myself? Am I patient with myself? Am I being kind? Am I keeping no record of wrongs?" The answer is "no".

Today, I am going to homeschool my children, clean our home, run a few errands, teach violin lessons, cook a yummy dinner. I will chip away at my endless to-do list, but I won't get it all done. I may not have a good hair day. I may feel a little frumpy in my jeans. I may drive a dirty car around town. But this evening, when I all is said and done, I am going to spend some time, doing something I love.

Today I am throwing my sticker chart out the window - the window that needs to be cleaned, the blinds replaced, the drapes dropped off at the cleaners . . . . .

Mark 12:29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

I Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

Video Games

OK, OK, I admit it. I am one of "those" moms - one of those horrible mothers who will not buy video games for her children. I am mean, unfair, dorky, and old fashioned. I am in the minority. You know what? My children are surviving just fine. While I am making unpopular confessions, I may as well tell you we do not have satellite TV or even old fashioned cable. We have rabbit ears and a DVD player. I DO let them play games on the computer - more on that later.

Now, before you get offended, let me also tell you that I do NOT think families with video games are bad or evil! I am just defneding myself against parents who think I am bad or evil for not letting my children have them! Every family has it's own ideas. I am just telling you why my family doesn't do the video game thing.

It struck me last night as I was cooking dinner. Kris had taken Zack to basketball practice. Bailey was sitting at the kitchen table, painting a picture. The house was quiet. The only sounds were dinner sizzling on the stove and Bailey's soft voice, telling me about her day. It was peaceful. It was perfect.

The house is not always so quiet, but I prefer the sounds of children's voices to the sounds of TV or video games. Speaking of the house, it is not always clean, either. There is paint on the table, clay in the floor, some kind of contraption hanging from the door frame of Zack's room, a science experiment growing in a bowl in the bathroom sink.

Yesterday at lunch, Bailey and Zack were telling me about their plans for the afternoon. They listed off all the things they enjoy doing.

Bailey paints, weaves pot holders, sews little heart-shaped pillows, designs fashions for her dolls, writes stories, and reads - a lot. It is not unusual for her to finished 7-8 chapter books a week. She writes songs and plays them on her violin. She also enjoys interior decorating, scrapbooking, riding her bike, and cooking.

Zack invents things with lego bricks and tinker toys. He writes comic books. He researches all kinds of subjects and draws pictures about what he has learned. He read a book about juggling and is learning to juggle socks, oranges - whatever he can find. He is training the dog to do tricks. He builds solar ovens and grows flowers in a tiny garden.

Do they miss having video games? I don't think so. Remember? I let them play games on the computer. I tried using computer time as a reward instead of candy or allowance. They each have over an hour of computer time accumlated and they haven't used it. Why? They just don't have time. They are busy with other things.

They are busy going to figure skating lessons, basketball games, and making countless trips to the library. Zack spends a couple of hours each week in Pa Pa's shop, learning woodworking. Bailey takes violin lessons, Zack takes piano lessons. They both enjoy going to the park, Palo Duro Canyon, the Botanical Gardens, the Discovery Center - we make outings a priority!

We also love to travel. Our scheudle is flexible enough that we can get away for family trips to the mountains, or Dallas, or even just to Lubbock for a day trip.

In the evenings, we play board games, maybe watch TV together if there is something good on (which is rare), Kris reads "The Hardy Boys" to them (they have finished 17 books in the series), we eat dinner together, and talk. We listen to their adventures and the story lines of their books. We listen to their long monologues about things like friendship, God, war, forgivness, boogers, how cool it is to be double jointed, why pink and black are the perfect color combination for evening gowns, and the ultimate gross-ness of boys. Zack entertains us with his latest barrage of knock-knock jokes. Bailey gives concerts on her violin.

Our lifestyle requires an amazing amount of work. I am always cleaning up messes, driving Bailey and Zack to lessons, outings, and practices. I am always playing games, finding art supplies, maneuvering through the obastacle course that is Zack's "inventing studio", racing to keep Bailey stocked up on books, or planning our next family trip. Kris doesn't sit on the couch and watch TV when he gets home from work. He doesn't "veg out" on the computer or take a nap. He and Zack sit in the floor and play with legos, or he takes the kids around the block on their bikes, or plays chess, or visits with Bailey about figure skating and American Girl dolls. We are very busy parents and yes, we are always tired! Is it worth it? Yes, of course it is!

There may come a time in their lives when Bailey & Zack beg for video games and we may have to re-visit the issue. I have done a lot of things I said I would "never" do. But for now, I am enjoying our video game - free lifestyle - even if it makes me one of those horrible, mean, unfair, dorky, old fashioned moms.

Plan B

Several years ago, during a particularly difficult time in my life, my friend, Judy, gave me a book called "God Always has a Plan B". It's fun to look back at life and see all of the B plans with which god has blessed me.

The most recent Plan B is my little violin studio. It started out as a hobby. There were two little girls who wanted to learn to play and couldn't find an affordable teacher. "I can do that", I thought. Plan B? I now have 31 students and waiting list.

Bailey and Zack are B plans and that makes me laugh! Two of the greatest joys of my life were not planned, not expected. Their births were surprises - amazing little gifts dropped into my life.

Speaking of amazing gifts, not many people know that even Kris was a Plan B. You see, I was stubborn and spoiled and had absolutely no interest in meeting him. I refused to meet him face-to-face, so my friend, Grace arranged a phone call - on my birhtday - at 6:30am - live, on the air. What a beautifully funny and romantic birthday gift!

Another B Plan? Let's see.... our home, our church, even our beagle - all B plans.

So today, I am thankful for all of the B Plans and looking forward to how God is going to push my plans aside.

We can make our plans,
but the LORD determines our steps.
Proverbs 16:9

3rd Grade Curriculum

We are getting ready to start school again. This summer has been a flurry of activity and it is not quite over. I have come to the conclusion, however, that homeschool mamas don't get a summer vacation. Before we even finished 2nd grade, I was planning 3rd grade. I have worked and shopped all summer and I think I finally have everything ready!

This year, we are using Bob Jones. The exceptions are spelling (we are using Spelling Power) and math (we are continuing with Saxon). I think I am finally going to be satisfied with our curriculum choices. I have tried several different approaches, but after researching our choices, I think this is what is going to work best for us.

I am excited about the new curriculum, but I am even more excited about our "No-Curriculum Fridays" aka "Charlotte Mason Days". I am not ready to jump into the Charlotte Mason method with both feet, so this year I am just going to dip my toe in and see how I like it. I have blocked off Fridays for literature, music and art appreciation, and nature studies. We are starting with Swiss Family Robinson, Vivaldi, and Degas.

Other books on our reading list are: The Hundred Dresses, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Black Beauty, Pollyanna, Winnie the Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Anne of Green Gables. I am sure we will add to the list. I also have several poems I want to share.

Our artists for the year are Degas, Cezanne, Monet, Rodin, Moore, Vermeer, da Vinci, Grandma Moses, and Goya.

Our composers are Vivaldi, Handel, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Williams.

I also purchased "The Bumper Book of Nature" for our nature study. I am hoping you will find us at the park, Palo Duro Canyon, Wildcat Bluff, or Lake McClellan on Fridays, sitting on my grandmother's quilt, reading, sketching, and enjoying life.

If you know our little family, then you know we are always on the go! This year Bailey will continue with suzuki violin, ballet at the Landance Conservatory, and Keepers of the Faith. Zack will be continuing with flag football, Lego Club, piano lessons, and basketball.

This is going to be a great school year!