Dancing Chickens

Listening In the Library

2010-11-20T07:12:00.001-08:00

By Alex Haworth

I learned that at the library being "Quiet" is completely optional.

The building itself makes plenty of noise:

Some of the natural things in the library are loud (the doors and the A/C frequently creak and hum).
Even though it's surrounded by bricks and solid wood I could still hear the toilets flushing in the bathroom down the hall.
When someone checks something out, a little scanner makes a "Bip" sound.

People make sounds too:

Whenever someone would walk by, their pant legs would rub against each other.
I think everyone in there coughed at least once, no surprise though, everyone does it and lots of people seem to have colds. And then there are the "Talkers", the people who just can't help it. They will talk quietly, loudly and even try and just make sounds to get someone's attention.

Things you don't expect to make sounds, make sounds:

A popular one is a book-bag. Anything on that can be noisy. You can jingle the zippers, rub the straps and have the contents shake.
Shoes are interesting because everyone has a different style and walk, so no pair ever sounds the same.
Also the computers make noise; not the monitors, but the key pads. They are constantly making a clickety-clack, clackety-click sound.

I heard a metal cart go by, and if that wasn't loud enough, it was a bit rusty.
Also someone was fooling with a food wrapper somewhere that was making plenty of noise.
With all the lockers at school everyone is carrying at least two keys, and all it takes are two keys to be heard from the other side of the room.

And of course I had set an alarm to tell me when my 30 min was up, so that was a great big shock when it was the wrong ring and echoed through the quiet library.

I was surprised to not once hear the sound of someone flipping through the pages of a book.

And so I think the library might be one of the most subtly loud places we have made; quiet enough so we never notice how loud it can be.

Going to the Ballgame

2010-09-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Blacksmithing At Stephen Foster

2010-08-04T06:03:00.001-07:00

Awesome pictures compliments of Juzer Bannister...Thank you!

Olympic Inspiration

2010-03-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the Olympics, the kids came up with their own version of ice hockey....Garage Roller Broom Hockey.

Emerging from Hibernation

2010-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Attending Cameron Lovejoy's Autodidact Symposium has awaken something in us. Although only Alex and I attended, what we brought back has touched all of our lives.

Blake Boles and Wes Beach both inspired us as we move toward the young adult stage of our kids' unschooling lives.

Wes helped us to see that navigating the "high school transcript" is much easier than we anticipated, and Blake affirmed that highlighting the uniqueness of our kids' non-traditional schooling is actual preferable to potential colleges than trying to fit their lives into the schooling box.

In addition, exposure to Blake's Homeschool Leadership Retreats has inspired not only Alex, but Sophie and Max as well.

Alex has begun translating his "freshman year" into a narrative transcript. He has also begun research into several potential internships with locally owned businesses. He has already secured himself a student assistantship with the Chattanooga Theater Center as Assistant Manager for the production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Max is over the moon excited about Blake's Winter Snowboarding Retreat. We're working on the details, and hope Max will be able to attend in Dec.

After hearing about Blake's Novel Writing Retreat, Sophie began her own version of the NaNoWriMo event. She set herself the goal of writing a 50, 000 word novel in 31 days. She's 10,000 words in, and doing extraordinary well.

Everybody seems to be following their bliss. I'm just trying to provide encouragement, strew their paths, and stay out of their way.

Following Passions....

2010-03-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

And Shining Brightly!

Lovin' Gymnastics

2010-02-16T10:31:00.001-08:00

In addition to the incredibly hard work Ella puts in to be a competitive gymnast, she has also developed incredibly strong friendships with some amazing girls. We had so much fun at this meet in Nashville, with Sophie acting as the team's biggest supporter and team photographer.

She's Got a Basketball Jones...

2010-02-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

This is Sophie's second season playing basketball. I am amazed at how much confidence she has gained on the court. I love basketball, and I love sharing this passion with Sophie.

Making Movies with Friends

2010-02-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Shanna

2010-01-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

I laughed like I haven't in a really long time. Thanks, Shanna. I'm so thankful you're in my life.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

These are the only pictures I took on Christmas morning.

Some of the rather important things I missed....
-Rock Band (Oh Yeah!)
-Chef's Knife
-Balance Beam
-Unicycle

Snow

2010-01-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

Pictures compliments of Sophie...

Another New "Do"

2009-11-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

A long hiatus.
Another new do.
Beautiful Sophie, looking very much the emerging young woman

New Hair

2009-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ella decided to go short. No more online hair fixing tutorials for me...woo-hoo :)

First Meet

2009-09-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ella had her first competitive meet as a level 4 gymnast. I thought I'd be a wreck, watching her and her teammates, especially on the beam and bars. Thanks to Madeline's recommendation for some homeopathics, I was fine. It might have helped that this was a meet strictly for the judges to get their ducks in a row, and the gymnasts weren't officially scored. We did get their results at the end, and Ella did fantastic. I was so surprised by how calm and confident she was, and at her skill level. It blows me away all that she has learned in this past year. It's interesting to me how she needs me even more in daily life lately, but goes out there on her own and does her thing. Maybe that's why she's been needing me so much. I'm glad I can be here for her everyday, as much as is needed.

More Inspiration From Sophie

2009-09-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Sophie being inspired by Food Network.

Again.

The muse?

Broccoli.

In particuar, Spicy Broccoli. A creation by Todd English , chef at Olives in the W Hotel, New York City.

Our Newest Neighbor

2009-08-31T07:53:00.001-07:00

Licorice, Christy's calf, at about 3 hours old

Making Sushi

2009-08-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the kids have passions that are easy to facilitate. Other times, it can be more of a challenge finding ways to explore and expand upon something they love. Alex and Sophie both love cooking, and we are all huge fans of the Food Network and its myriad of great cooking shows. Sophie has mentioned wanting to attend culinary school, and we try to present her with as many opportunities as possible to cook and create in the kitchen. Last weekend, the Chattanooga Market was having it's own version of "Iron Chef" where local chefs were presented with a mystery ingredient and had to create an entre. This allowed us to follow her passion, and see professional chefs in action. Yesterday Alex and Sophie had the opportunity to learn how to make sushi at a local restaurant. They had a blast and learned a lot about sushi. They both tried new things and brought a smorgasbord home for the rest of us. It seems like opportunities are presenting themselves more and more when we open ourselves up to new experiences. While Alex and Sophie were busy with their class, Max, Ella, and I played around North Shore. We discovered a few new sights and had fun revisiting Coolidge Park.

Haworth Homestead is on...Etsy!

2009-08-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Finally :)
After much more work than I originally anticipated, our little shop is up and running on Etsy. I've been making backdrops, white boxes, light boxes, ordering dress forms, editing photos, writing descriptions, and getting everything in order. Whew! In addition to my stuff, Alex and Ella both have items in the shop. We're anxiously awaiting our first sale. Very exciting stuff :)

We're also preparing for our next market day as vendors at the Chattanooga Market. We've been researching displays, racks, etc. to try to make our booth fabulous.

We are at www.howiff.etsy.com. Come check us out!

TELLUS

2009-08-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

We finally made a visit to the TELLUS Museum in Cartersville, GA. It has been on our list of things to do for quite a while now. We had a great time. I was pleasantly surprised by my willingness to just go with the flow, not concern myself with making sure we saw everything there, and rushing to get it all done. After my performance at Disney in January, this was a big step. I think we had the best time setting up shots like the kids were escaping the dinosaur bones. Well, that and the mining for gems and hunting for fossils!

Treasure

2009-08-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

I came home from a fabulous trip to Madeline's and a visit with other GA Unschoolers to find this treasure waiting for me...

It's my growing Brenna stoneware collection!

I'm so happy :)

It's 11:34. Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?

2009-08-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

What are the kids, ages 14, 12, 10 and 7 doing after John and I go to bed?

Watching tv.

And what are they staying up late to watch?

You guessed it. Angelina Ballerina.

Fabulous Florida

2009-08-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

We were extremely fortunate and grateful for a trip down to Florida to visit our old haunts. First we met up with a whole slew of fabulous unschoolers at the most awesome Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center. We ate, drank, and were very merry. Then we headed over to the incredible Ichetucknee Springs to swim and float the day away. As if that wasn't enough, we proceeded to the rope swing of all rope swings and played in the Swanee River. The rope swing was the only adventure I captured on film, so that will have to suffice as far as recording our memories. Bar none, one of my favorite get-a-ways of all time :)

New Skills

2009-07-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

When an obviously sick raccoon appeared near the house the other day, I couldn't even figure out how to load our shotgun. After having to call our neighbor over to shoot it, I decided I needed to know how to load and shoot the shotgun. John gave me a quick primer, I hit my intended target, and that was it. Until yesterday. Another raccoon appeared, this one not looking sick at all. She was at the compost pile, right by all of our chickens and our back deck. For those of you who don't know, raccoons are notorious chicken killers and egg stealers. After nary a moments thought, I called for Max to bring me the shotgun. I took aim, and sacked my first coon. We did some research to decide if we thought the raccoon might have rabies. Other than being out in the daylight, it showed no other signs of being rabid. Deciding it was safe to preserve the hide, Alex got busy with his new found camp skills. He gutted and skinned the raccoon. We spent the afternoon discussing various aspects of anatomy, hunting vs. killing, etc. while we watched Alex work. And work he did. He's going to tan the hide when we get back from Florida.

Busy Being Me

2009-07-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Ella's gymnastics class, she and I had the following conversation:

Ella: "Mom, why haven't we done our alone time yet?"
Mom: "Well, we've been pretty busy lately...Max and Sophie were busy with Nature Camp, Alex has been busy with WoW, you've been busy with gymnastics..."
Ella: Mom, I've been busy being me."

Yes indeed.

Some of our wonderful busy-ness:

1).The Coulters came for a visit. As usual, Shanna inspired me beyond belief and we worked diligently researching and testing all natural ways to make my aprons water repellent, with bees wax :)
2). Sophie injuring herself, having to get a tetanus shot, reacting VERY badly to the tetanus shot(her first ever immunization), then having minor surgery to remove pieces of wood from her foot
3). Alex leaving on his very first ever trip ALONE to Hawk Circle, in upstate NY, where he had to fly by himself
4). Losing computer and email function for several days, on ALL our home computers
5). Getting tickets, through Madeline, for So You Think You Can Dance
6). Having our neighbor come shoot a sick, possibly rabid raccoon
7). Making bread
8). Gardening
9). Eating tomatoes
10). Eating more tomatoes

The Screamin' Serpent

2009-07-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Max decided to try his hand at this very difficult K'Nex building project, generously given to us by the Traaseths. With Alex away and not able to help, I was a bit concerned that Max would struggle and end up getting frustrated. I needn't have bothered. After 3 long days of constant work and a complete taking apart and starting over incident, Max succeeded. He did it. All by himself :)

Getting started

Taking it all apart

Rebuilding

Ah...Sweet Success!

"U" is for You and Me....

2009-07-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

"N" is for Anywhere and Anytime at All,
Hanging with Our Buddies!

Seeing the World Through Rose Colored Glasses

2009-07-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

....Or through the lens of an underwater camera.

"F" is for Friends that do stuff together....

2009-07-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

I love friends :)
We had the best weekend with Madeline and Nicolas and Gillan and Jesse. Just absolutely perfect, if not quite long enough!

Madeline captured our trip to the Falls on her blog. I wanted to wait to get back the waterproof camera pictures from the camera she brought me just for that purpose. It was WAY harder than I imagined, with the water pummeling down on me as I tried to look up. We all had a go, with some very interesting results, to be put in a later blog post.

In addition to our trip to the Falls, we also went to our favorite pizza and ice cream spot in St. Elmo, and the cool playground with the giant horse penis zip line. We fooled around with my new digital Rebel (hehehe..my surprise bday present from Juan Miguel!) trying to capture night pictures at the park. I'm not sure how successful we were at the photos, but I'm fairly certain I blinded several children in the process with the crazy flash.

Celebrating Sophie

2009-06-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Sophie, enjoying her gifts :)

Totoro...Finally!

WoW Guild Shirts

37 Years....A retrospective

2009-06-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

My mom brought me a bunch of old pictures recently, which led me down a path of revisiting my life. As we went through the pictures, the kids and I compared how different I looked from myself of today, but how similar, at different stages in my life, I looked like one of my children or another. I started thinking about who I was during these different times in my life. I decided to get all the pictures in one place...the good, the bad, and the ugly... to remind myself of the path I took to become who I am today. 3 years Old
5 Years Old
6 years Old
7 Years Old
8 Years Old
11 Years Old
12 Years Old

Evans Middle School Dance- 12 years old

Valentines Dance - 1986 -14 years old

Lakeside Basketball Lady Panthers - 15 years old

Prom - 16 Years Old

70's Day at Lakeside High School - 17 years Old

Big Damn Hair - 17 years old

Senior Portrait - 17 years old

High School Graduation - 18 years oldAugusta Crew - 18 years old

Wedding Day - 19 years old

My first home birth - 22 years old

My second home birth - 25 years old

My 3rd home birth - 27 years old

My last home birth - 29 years old

Getting heavy - 31 years

Getting fit - 33 years old

Being a dancer - 35 years old

Being an unschooler - 36 years old

Being me

2009 Inaugural Visit to the Falls

2009-06-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh! It's been a long time coming. The kids and I made our first trip of the year to our all-time favorite swimming hole and water fall. It was about 100 degrees out, so the cool water was a welcome refuge from the heat. I wish I had a water proof camera. Hanging out under the waterfall looking up through the water dropping was indescribably beautiful.

Fun after a hiatus

2009-06-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

After a very long hiatus, we finally got to hang out with some very cool people and one of our favorite families :)

How Does My Garden Grow?

2009-06-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

I love flowers. They make me happy :)

I grew everything from seeds saved from last year, or from divisions from friends and family.

Woo-Hoo! I'm a seed-saver:)

And growing things we can actually eat? Forget about it!

'Maters
Crazy cantaloupe aka "Audrey II"

Jalapenos!

OMG! I can't wait!

Facesuck...errrr, I mean Facebook

2009-06-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finally bit the bullet and joined Facebook. I was waxing nostalgic as I looked through old photographs for a birthday blog I'm working on for next week, and decided to look up a few old friends. As soon as I joined I was pleasantly surprised to see Shanna, hilarious as ever, refer to the whole Facebook thing as Facesuck, which I LOVE!!!! I resisted joining because I felt it would take away from the blogging world. I know it already has, because some of my favorite bloggers have been less than prolific in their blogging since they became Facesuckers. Sigh. Oh well. I will try my hardest to not let it blindside my efforts to record our life here in blog-land.

On that note :)

We had mussels last night. Need I say more? Oh yeah...homemade ice cream too :)

Living Large

2009-06-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

We began our week long family vacation at Madeline's. We celebrated Alex's 14th birthday there with an absolutely incredible meal. Although that is par for the course at their house, this was extra special because we dined on one of Gillan's turkeys. I have never eaten turkey like that in my life. I love that kid, and that family! Thanks guys! However, my kids took out my sd card so I was not able to capture any images of the beginning of our holiday. I took loads after we arrived at the beach, just to make up for the prior lack!

Edisto Beach is charming. We had a blast sharing our holiday with my parents, John's parents, and John's sister and her husband. More great food, lots of beautiful weather, and more fun than you can shake a stick at.

Sophie's Detritus

The preferred activity of the week
Cool rainbow
Old farts watching the kids play in the surf
Playing games with Nina

My Parents

Me and Ella

Playing in the surf with Grandpa Mike

My beautiful children

John and Max

Sorting things out in the kitchen

Running from big storm waves

Alex in his favorite spot all week

Water spout during the big storm

Secrets

Sophie's pure joy

Ella riding the waves

Sophie

Ray and Nina

Me with my mom and dad

Max chillin'

John's parents

Ella with her constant companion

Alex with John's parents

The kids with Nina

Playing in the surf

Ella and Max

Grandmas..with the apron I made for Mother's Day

The motley crew celebrating Alex's 14th Birthday

Alex with the cool butterflies from G.Mike and G.Midge

Alex with me and John

Alex with my parents

Final Fantasy Passion

2009-05-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

The kids have been engrossed in Final Fantasy these past few weeks. Thanks to the Traaseths for setting us up and letting us borrow their game and gameboys. It's been fascinating, really. Alex, Sophie, and Max will spend hours working together to beat the "boss" and songs of exclamation and joy ring throughout the house as they celebrate their joint victory. I have truly never seen anything like it. Max will wake up and anxiously wait for hours for Alex and Sophie to get up so they can continue the game. It is way cool to see them working together so passionately.

The Biggest Damn Spider EVER

2009-05-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

I was weeding in my day lilybed and reached down to pick up what I thought was a pine cone. NOT!!! It was the biggest damn spider I have ever seen that was not behind glass at the zoo. And all those yellow things on it's back are BABIES! Which means potentially MORE of these things lurking in my garden, or gasp, what if they get in the house???!!!! I'm not particularly squeamish about such things, but I definitely wanted this bad boy OUT of circulation. I know it's hard to tell, and we're all too freaked out to let it out of the jar it's in to place a size comparison next to it, but this spider is almost 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. sssshhhiiiiivverrrr

Mother's Day at the Haworth Homestead

2009-05-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

We spent Mother's Day at the Chattanooga Market. This time we were vendors and had our own booth, Haworth Homestead. It was awesome! It was all Alex's idea, and the plan grew from his desire to share and sell his amazing embroidered pillows. Ella joined in the creating, and made the cutest little decorative button pillows. I sold my crafts...retro aprons, hand painted note cards, and reusable cloth gift bags. Sophie was the accountant, tracking sales, revenue and costs through spreadsheets, and Max was our main salesperson, working his charm and magic to talk to attendees and get them interested in our work. John was the driving force behind getting everything loaded and food prepared for our long day. As I sipped my mimosa, watching these amazing children shine, I was truly the happiest mom in the world.

Birthday Fun

2009-05-08T07:09:00.001-07:00

We went to TN to celebrate a bunch of May unschooler birthdays. A joint birthday party for 5 fabulous unschoolers. How could it get any better? We love seeing lots of friends and reconnecting with a group that is like extended family. Spending time with friends has become pretty important in the kids' lives. As unschoolers, it's our job to help the kids get what they need. Right now, it seems being with other kids is tres importante, so that's what I'm trying to incorporate into our lives. It is a balance though. Money, time, differing kids' needs. Fortunately, gatherings like this met all our needs and filled us up until the next time.

Tagged

2009-05-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Madeline tagged me. For a picture. Of me. Immediately. No primping. Grrreeeaaatttt.

Fortunately I took care of a little personal hygiene this morning. I thought I was going to have to go out and do errands, so I managed to do a little something with myself....like wash my face and hair. I did not however get out of my soft clothes, as John volunteered to do all said errands. So, taking this tag literally, I snapped a picture just as soon as I read the tag.

Me in all my crafting glory...at the ironing board.

Thanks Madeline :)

I am too utterly lazy to tag anyone else.

Wedding Bliss

2009-04-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

We ventured down to Montgomery, AL for my cousin's wedding last weekend. In addition to witnessing the nuptials, it was also a time to reconnect with extended family. It was like a mini family reunion. The kids were all asked to do a job for the ceremony, and they took their part very seriously. We spent the last two weeks shopping for appropriate clothing for the event, because as most of you know, my kids are more the "life clothes" kind of people than the "fancy clothes" kind. In the end, and after too many hours at the mall, they all found attire they were happy with. I had to shop in the men's department for Alex. His pant size is a 30 x 32! I absolutely cannot believe that! And Sophie ended up picking out an outfit from the ladies section. Another whammy! My kids are growing and doing and being and I love it!

The kids loved the wedding. Quite a departure from last year's viewing of my wedding video! Sophie said she wasn't sure any wedding could match this one. Pretty tall shoes to fill. I didn't include them, but Max took about 50 pictures of the food at the reception. It was incredible.

We convinced my cousin Joey, his wife, and 2 children to stop by our house on their way home to Rhode Island. We had a little down time hanging out with them. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous weekend.

The Rehearsal Dinner

Me with my cousin Becky (The bride -to -be)

John and Ella

My cousin James with his girlfriend Celina

Cousins Heather and Joey; Uncle John

Second cousins Charissa and James (Joey's kids)

Adorable Alex

Uncle Dave (father of the bride), Becky, and Dean (groom-to be)

Uncle Jerry (my mom's bother) giving one of his famously heart-felt speeches

Heather (sister of the bride)...laughing and being her beautiful self

My parents with John and the boys

The view from the balcony at The Capital City Club

My sister Molly with Sophie

Ella and James playing on the balcony

Mindy, Molly(my sister), Judy (my mom), Megan (my sister), and Mary( my aunt)

Molly, Aunt Mamie (mother of the bride), Megan, and Uncle Al

My mom and her sister Mamie

The Wedding

Max waiting to greet guests

Molly and Megan with the girls at their post...the guest book

Alex and John looking dapper and in charge of the music

The Bride and Groom

Checking Off Items On My Vision Board

2009-04-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

We were anticipating a visit from a wonderful family this weekend, but at the last minute it didn't happen. We know these people are meant to be in our lives, so we'll keep that revolving door open hoping to catch them another time :)

Instead of moping about, we decided to get to work and scratch some things off our Vision Board...namely, flower and vegetable gardens. Yay Us!!!!

We (re: John) hauled 2 loads of Black Gold organic bulk planting mix to put in the gardens. Our neighbor generously let us use his pick-up pretty much the whole weekend. That my friends, was a lot of dirt!

We also decided to make the front of the raised bed stacked stone that we (re: Alex and Max) gathered from around our property.

The work was hard and very rewarding. We had a fabulous day. It ended with a bonfire, a little cold beer, music, and s'mores

Student Showcase

2009-04-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have found the perfect place to teach and dance. I love being part of this vibrant community of dancers, artists and musicians sharing our passions and supporting our community. At the end of each session, we hold a showcase where the students are the performers. Every session, it grows and grows. We were at standing room only this time, and had a fabulous show. Cornelius started the show with his Lyrical Jazz Class, Hip Hop I and Hip Hop II; My classes followed with a combination performance of both level I and II; then Kofi finished the evening with his African Drumming class and follow up performance with some of his professional drumming group. Afterward, we celebrated with a potluck meal. I was too entranced to get any photos during the various performances, and had to make do with this photo after the show of some of my wonderful ladies.

Easter

2009-04-17T06:01:00.001-07:00

We had the most fabulous Easter, spent with several families and a slew of kids. We did henna, hunted for eggs, ate incredible food, and drank incredible wine. I look forward to many more gatherings with this group of folks.

The Spread

The awesomeness of kids

The hostess with the mostess

More of the awesomely awesome kids

The grown-ups hanging out in the kitchen

Double Digits

2009-04-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

Max turned 10 on April 8th. What an amazing child. I am so glad to be his mom and have him in my life.

Max's birth was different from all the rest. He's always been a mover.My midwives had moved from Augusta, GA to Asheville, NC. Even though it was over 4 hours away, we figured all would be well if they attended my birth. This would be my third birth with them, and none of my labors were less than 4 hours, so we were confident they would arrive and be present for the birth.

I had about one week left before my official 40 week mark of the pregnancy. I woke up in the middle of the night (around 1:00am) having had a dream I was punched in the stomach. I realized it might have been a contraction, and confirmed my suspicions with a bit of the cervical plug appearing. I woke John and told him I might be in labor. It never fails to amaze me that I could question whether or not I was in labor. But I did. I hadn't had another contraction. I was worried about calling the midwives and having them drive over 4 hours, and then it not be actual labor. John made me call anyway. When I called, they were up. They somehow knew I would be calling that night and had stayed up late to watch a movie and wait for my call. Have I mentioned how much I love my midwives? I told them I wasn't sure, and that I didn't want them to drive all that way for nothing, blah, blah, blah. Whapio said, "Mindy, our bags are already packed. We're leaving right now." As soon as she said they were leaving right then, I had another contraction, and it was a doosie. I knew I was in labor. Somehow, knowing they were on their way let my body relax enough to continue having contractions.

Labor set in pretty hard at that point. I was in my favorite gliding rocker, rocking with the contractions. Alex and Sophie were asleep in the next room. We didn't have a camera at that point, and I wanted to have pictures of the birth. I tried to persuade John to run down to the 24 hour drugstore and get a disposable camera. He kept gently trying to talk me out of it, reasoning that he was the only person in the house...what if the other kids woke up and needed someone? I relented and forgot about the camera. John was busy getting the crock pot filled with water and compresses. I began laboring heavily and told him to stop with the crock pot and join me. A couple more contractions, and I was in my usual birthing position on the floor, leaning over the sofa. At this point, an almost 4 year old Alex woke up and joined us. He was so sweet. It was amazing having him there. He kept saying, "Good job pushing that baby out Mommy." Max came quickly,and the midwives did not make it. He was born at 2:50, which means my entire labor lasted under 2 hours. Whew! As I said, he's always been a mover! We paged the midwives and they talked us through the immediates and continued on their way to us. When the arrived, all was well. Max weighed 9 lbs 10oz. He also suffered from a cephalahematoma, which sounds scary, looks scary, but is essentially a big ole' bruise on his head. He looked like ET for while, as it takes about 3 months to eventually go away. I remember always covering his head with blankets and what not so people wouldn't ask what was wrong with him. The hematoma faded, and his curls, sprinkles, and amazing personality emerged in it's wake.

1 year old Max with curls and his lamby

2 Year old Max with his favorite hand me down pink galoshes

3 year old Max with his new hair cut, his pokemon hat, and yes, he's still wearing the pink galoshes

5 year old Max...and his hat passion comes to life with this Greek fisherman's hat he found at a yard sale

6 year old Max with Mommy

8 year old Max hunting crystals with Madeline & Co.

9 year old Max

The newly 10 year old Max showing off his newest passion in the form of T-shirts...WoW

Doing the pinata with some neighbor friends

Max's Carrot Birthday Cake

Making Wishes

Happy Birthday John

2009-04-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we celebrated John turning 41. This year's celebration was very different from last year's...the difference feels like a hint of changes in our lives

This year, it was just us: me, John, and the kids. We spent the day doing a whole lot of little things. It was so beautiful, I moved all my sewing stuff out onto the back deck so I could work while watching John and the kids on the trampoline. John asked the kids to help him cut, move and stack wood for a birthday present. They all worked pretty merrily, while I watched from my spot on the deck, listening to some new cd's I got John for his birthday.

When the work was done and the weather grew a bit chilly, we headed inside and watched

Mad Max The Road Warrior . John loves this movie, and we had it dvr'd. Oh, Happy Day!

Then John made his own birthday dinner...I know... that sounds awful! But, he knew what he wanted (croque-monsier), and how to make it. So, we just tried to help out where we could. I did make him a fabulous bittersweet chocolate tart and cleaned the dishes after :)

It was laid back and extremely enjoyable. I love spending days together in our little piece of paradise.

Finally!

2009-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

We finally got a trampoline!!!! We have been wanting one for quite a while, and we finally made it happen.

John and the kids, after they all worked to put it together

Ella and I attended the Tennessee State Girls Optional Meet. As soon as we got home, she put the new trampoline to use...even on a slightly sprained ankle.

Straddle Jump

Split Jump
Another Split Jump

All Caught Up

2009-03-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

17 years

Our engagement photo for the paper

John and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on March 21st. 17 years. Wow. That's a really, really long time. I always questioned adults who said time flew by, especially when they talked about years. When I was a kid, especially in high school, one single year seemed to take forever to get through. Now, it seems almost impossible that 17 years have gone by. I love who we have blossomed into, and that our relationship continues to grow stronger.

Our love story is pretty cool. I met John when I was 12 years old. He was dating my older sister. Our parents met and became friends. John and my sister only dated for a couple of months, but our parents' continuing friendship led to John being at several of family parties and get togethers over the years. The first time I remember having a connection was at my other sister and twin brothers' high school graduation party. I had just finished my Junior year, so was 16. John came to the party and we ended up talking for over two hours in the front yard. All of our friends at the party wanted to know who the cute guy was that I was hanging out with. I replied, "That's my sister's old boyfriend." I really didn't think much of it, other than I was surprised we had held such a long conversation. I can't remember what we talked about, just that we talked forever.

Our next connection was a couple of years later. Several of us were going to Athens, GA to hang out. John and my other sister Molly and several friends all went to UGA. I rode all the way to Athens from Augusta with John in his Jeep. Once again, we talked the whole way. I have no idea about what, just that we talked and talked. We went our separate ways in Athens, and I didn't see John again until a few years later. This time, it was on campus at Augusta State University. I was working on my Bachelor's Degree while John was working on his Master's. We bumped into each other several times, and started mountain biking together. John came water skiing with my family several times, and they all started insinuating that something was going on. As far as I was concerned, we were just friends. He asked me to get dinner with him after one of our bike rides and took me to his favorite restaurant. He proceeded to kiss me when we got back to my apartment. I stopped him, thinking, "This is Megan's old boyfriend, I can't do this!" Then I thought, "What if this is the person I'm meant to spend my life with, and I choose not to be with him because he dated my sister when they were 16?" Needless to say, I chose to jump in with both feet. We got married 8 months later.

Our Celebration

Sophie enjoying the cheese plate

Ella and Max working on their dance

Alex making Spring Rolls

Playing Catch Up - Part Four

2009-03-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Box Sledding

Max doing his thing

Hanging out with friends on the beautiful Tennessee River

Sharing sushi and Krispy Kreme's in downtown Chattanooga

We looove going box sledding. We wanted to do some at ARGH, but the weather had alternate plans. We got our fix with some of our local friends. We spent the day sledding, chatting, eating, having fun. We all ended up with sunburns because the weather so beautiful. Ahhhh, the good life :)

Playing Catch Up - Part Three

2009-03-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

ARGH!!!!

The Nerf Wars

The teens hanging out...awesomely awesome

Sophie and Livia became friends; Ella and Lexi reconnected

Max and Jesse with their amazing Henna

Broc was the henna hero...who knew?

It's all freehand...pretty impressive!
More henna, more beautiful girls

Friends...
Alec and Alex...I love these guys

We attended our second ARGH gathering and once again it was fabulous. Roan Mountain is beautiful, and the park/cabins are awesome.

As much as we love the natural beauty and setting, we go for the camaraderie and friendship. There is something special about the relaxed nature of ARGH...not a conference, but a little more than just hanging out. There is always something interesting popping up, passions shared.

Many people who go, we would not get to see otherwise. But it's also a place to meet up with dear friends who we do get to see more regularly.

My kids are in their element at ARGH. They enjoy not having to explain their lives to friends. They love the freedom this particular setting provides, and the whole group hanging out sort of thing.

We'll be back. Keep it coming..I've already got the next dates in my planner :)

Playing Catch Up - Part Two

2009-03-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

When the kids are away....

Nina took the kids, yes, all four of them, with her when we left Atlanta. That gave John and I four days of just us.

I have to say, I sure missed my tv companions! The kids and I love watching tv together. John...not so much. The only thing he watches on tv is soccer, not my thing, and the occasional old b&w movie, not the kids' thing.

I worked on some sewing projects. Uninterrupted. I still did not get as much done as I thought I would.

And John took one day off from work. We spent the morning lounging around the house. John watched one of those old movies and I did more sewing, all the while sipping coffee together. We ventured out on a fabulous hike at Cloudland Canyon. It's a gorgeous state park 20 minutes from our house. After the hike, we went to the YMCA where they have a pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room all connected and communal. We spent the better part of 3 hours soaking and steaming before heading off to dinner out at a local eatery. There is just about nothin' better than soaking and steaming and sweating. I felt like I was at my favorite Japanese bath house and spa in Sante Fe, NM...Ten Thousand Waves. Luxury. And at the Y, it only cost $2.

I met back up with the kids at Madeline's. The kids had a blast seeing each other. Madeline and I had more great conversation and of course fabulous food.

It was great to have the kids home. I realized that my life and what I choose to do was very much the same while they were gone. It demonstrated to me that I am living the life of my dreams. I am doing exactly what fills me with the most joy and happiness.

Playing Catch Up - Part One

2009-03-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've been put to task about my lack of blogging lately. Nina really likes to keep up with us, and the blog lets her see our lives. So, as I'm feeling a bit humbled, I thought I would do a quick run through of all the fabulous, incredible adventures we have been on lately.
Thanks for the kick in the ass Nina :) Here's part one.

Doing Hot-Lanta with John's family:
(I know you were there Nina, so this one doesn't count as far as you're concerned!)

John's parents organised an incredible trip to Atlanta for us all to be together and see both the King Tut exhibit and the Terracotta Soldiers. We loved both. It was fascinating that these artifacts were not only constructed so many thousands of years ago, but that they remained intact. Too freakin' cool! We are fans of "The Mummy" movies, which all have a little something to do with both exhibits. The kids were familiar with many aspects of the both the Chinese Emperor and various Egyptian Pharaoh history just from watching the movies. Connections are everywhere.

The hotel brought it's own enjoyment

Dining out at ECCO was also a highlight

Sophie and Max, seeing if the kitchen was run anything like Chef Ramsey's

Our crowd enjoying a good meal

Auntie Nina and Ella

Alex, thoroughly impressed with G. Mike's I-Phone

John and Ella, having fun, as usual

We emerged from King Tut's tomb to a heavy snowfall

Hunting Fossils

2009-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Mindy and Ella digging

Max, digging, from the root ball of a tree , dangling himself from a precipice. I guess that whole "falling out of the tree incident" didn't go to his head

Archaeopteris, far upper left; True fern leaf, lower right

Another Archaeopteris

Alex with his finds

We went on a fossil hunt with the Chattanooga Nature Center. The Nature Center is another one of those little gems nestled here in Chattanooga. This is where Sophie and Max go to Nature Camp in the Summer.

We were to be hunting fern fossils in a giant scrap pile left over from when there was a coal mine in the area. This is one of the best places to find fossil ferns in Georgia.

We weren't disappointed! I bent down, picked up a rock, and lo and behold, I'd found a perfect specimen of an archaeopteris. On the very same rock, there was a true fern leaf imprint. It was awesome...you couldn't not find a fossil!

When I first mentioned the idea of a fossil hunt, Max didn't want to go. He thought it would be boring. On the day of the trip, he seemed up for it, but not very enthusiastic. At the end of the day, he stayed longer than the rest of us because he was having such a blast. He said, "This was a lot different than I thought it was going to be. I'm glad I came."

Strewing the path.

Happy

2009-02-19T08:44:00.002-08:00

Beautiful, peaceful, tranquil Gail tagged me with this most awesomely awesome tag. I love happy. Six things that add to my joy and happiness...

1. Waking up to the pot of french press coffee, with a love note next to it, from John.

2. Dancing...and teaching my dance classes

3. Watching Max dance

4. Watching Ella do gymnastics

5. Snuggling with Sophie watching our "stories"

6. Sharing good food with Alex

I have more too. It's so cool to realize how many things I have in my life that make me happy...hiking on our ridge, grass sledding, being with my girl friends, drinking coffee, drinking wine, our wood stove and the cozy fire we have all winter, my massages, my marriage.... I love my life. I am very happy and content.

Laura...I l.o.v.e. your blog and you intrigue me...what makes you happy?

Shanna...because I love you and you add to my happiness :)

Alex...because I love your honesty on peaceful partnerships, and don't always comment on your blog, but I do enjoy reading it.

So I didn't tag 5 people, but who the hell cares!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Again, no pictures :(
Blogging is so much better with a visual, but I am sorely lacking in that arena lately.
We spent a wonderful Valentine's Day with the Traaseths. We shared good food, coffee, games, and conversation.
Abbi's chocolate chip cookies have to go in the annals of the best ever! Thank goodness for little baking mishaps...they lead to masterpieces.
Alec was as generous as ever with his time and patience...Ella adores him, and the boys have a blast gaming with him.
As always, I leave inspired by Kelli and Tim and their "presentness" with their kids and as a family. I am grateful for the pockets of time we are able to carve out of our lives to share with other unschooling families.

Grass Sledding

2009-02-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

Once again, me without my camera :)
Ella and I have longingly watched people grass sledding by the river every time we drive to gymnastics.

Shanna and the kids came for a couple of days, so we decided to make it happen. Shanna found the most amazing cardboard boxes ever, and we headed downtown.

What a freakin' blast! I haven't gone grass sledding since I was 5 or 6 and lived in Texas. It was so much fun. The kids were way more adventurous than me. The were surfing, going on their bellies, etc. I just sat on my butt and rode down.

Shanna took some great pictures with her phone, which would definitely give a better picture of the afternoon, but we couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to a computer...sigh...

I'm way more sore than I thought I would be. Who knew grass sledding would be a great glutteal workout?

Remembering

2009-02-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with Grandmother Payne at our family reunion in 2006

Grandmother Payne with her 7 children...my mom is on the far left.

My grandmother died on Monday. She was just shy of 91. She lived a very eventful life, filled with amazing accomplishments as well as very difficult rough spots. I believe she was ready to die, and was lucky enough to have my mom and aunt with her.

Two plus years ago, my mom and aunt brought my grandmother down South from the Chicago area. They were hoping to help make what might be her last years more comfortable. They found a great retirement home in the same town as my aunt lives, and close enough to my mom that she could visit often.

Before she moved into the retirement home, my grandmother lived with my mom and dad for a couple of months. During this time, the kids and I also lived with my mom and dad while we were in the process of moving and selling our house. John had already relocated to start his job. I am very thankful for this funky situation that found us all together for a couple of weeks. My grandmother was really smart. She was a voracious reader and huge sports fan. I loved talking with her about little things...like how she used to make vegetable soup and what her life was like growing up. We discussed the merits of owning a cow rather than a goat, and she shared her memories of having both as a child.

While we were there, Grandmother Payne and Ella forged a bond that rather defies explanation. My grandmother is known for being extraordinarily stubborn. For example, she had always insisted that everyone call her Grandmother Payne. No grandma, no granny, etc. Just Grandmother Payne, or she wouldn't answer. Ella has also always marched to own beat, challenging those around her to hear her. They took to one another almost instantly. Ella always wanted to sit next to her at dinner. It was really cool.

I remember feeling a similar bond with Grandmother Payne, even though we didn't really see her much growing up. One of my clearest memories of her when I was a kid was when we lived in Colorado. I was about 9 years old. Being the youngest of 5 kids, many times I felt left out, ignored, and not heard. Grandmother Payne was visiting us, and I got really upset and my feelings were really hurt by my siblings. Grandmother Payne came down to my room and asked if she could come in. I let her in, we locked the door, and stayed in there for what felt like hours. She helped me clean my room, and refused to talk to any of the other kids when they came knocking on my door trying to find out what we were doing. It was our little conspiracy, and it made me feel very special that she was there only with me. That feeling is what I sensed she had with Ella.

I will always remember that special time we had, and the special bond she and Ella shared at the end of her life. Here's to you Grandmother Payne...you will always be remembered.

Finally...a Picture!

2009-02-08T10:06:00.001-08:00

I forgot my camera for Ella's first gymnastics competition last Fall. I just received this picture from another mom. It shows Ella on the podium accepting her Gold Medal for floor exercises. Can you see that grin? Proud doesn't even begin to describe how she felt, and what this picture captures, about that moment.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

2009-02-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Ella was invited to be a member of the Level 4 competitive team at TAG. It is quite a commitment of time, energy, and of course, finances, but all oh so worth it. Ella has been walking on clouds waiting until today, her official first practice as a Level 4 team member. There is a great deal of training required, and Ella just keeps wanting more. She is quite determined and thrives on the whole experience. I am so happy we have been able to support her efforts and find ways to follow her passion. Oh, the places she'll go :)

Whoosh

2009-02-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

SOPHIE SCORED!!!!!!
I love basketball. Sophie and I are going to check out the local high school teams play a little round ball next weekend. I can not wait!

Australia

2009-01-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

I finally got to see Australia! I have wanted to see this film....well...forever. I thought I would have to await dvd viewing, but it made to our $1 movie!!!! I had to ask the kids to give me the gift of watching it with me, as they weren't all thrilled with the description I had provided. Oh man, it was fabulous. I love being swept away into a story, into characters, into a landscape. This movie did all of that for me. I am a huge fan of the director, Baz Luhrmann , and am blown away by his vision and ability for making movies. The kids' reaction was mixed. They liked it more than they thought they would, but always have a hard time when a character they have grown to love or identify with dies. I am at a loss as to how to explain that the sadness of losing someone (even a beloved fictional character) can still lead to enjoyment, understanding, awareness, and in the end, even happiness. The story provoked a wide range of discussions, which will weave themselves in and out of our lives for years to come. This is one of the glories of being open to beauty, learning, passion, and art in all of the varied formats available to us.

This Game is So Much Fun

2009-01-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

These are the words spoken by my kids regarding World of Warcraft. Thanks to some extreme tutelage from the Traaseth family, all 4 of the kids are happily creating characters, leveling up, going on quests, exploring new territories, battling beings, and having a blast. This game has brought so much into our lives, it's hard to describe how many areas it has touched: percentages, problem solving, orienteering, budgeting, language arts, keyboarding, leadership, arithmetic, patience, time management, cooperation, gratitude, etc....and we've only just begun. The kids have only been playing for about a month, and they continue to expand their world everyday through this game.

Best and Worst

2009-01-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

My sister introduced us to a dinner-time concept of listing our best and worst of the day. As we ate our last lunch at Disney, we all shared our best and worst regarding this much anticipated family vacation. My best and worst were very closely related. I wanted the kids to see and do EVERYTHING possible on what will most likely be our one and only family trip to Disney. In order for them to get to see and do everything, I had to do some major planning, and we all had to do some major scrambling to fit it all in. Everyone in my family was really sick of my very fast walking pace, and by the end wanted to slow things down. I was able to slow it down here and there, but my control issues were rearing their head on this trip. So, my best was that we went all out and truly got to experience all that Disney had to offer. My worst was that I rushed us all a bit too much in order to get it all in.

As for our favorite and least favorite aspects of Disney....here goes:
-The most unexpected delight was the musical water fountain at Epcot. It was incredible. All in all, Epcot was our favorite park.
-Sophie's favorite experience was the World Showcase at Epcot.
-Alex's favorite rides were Space Mountain and Rock n Roller Coaster.
-Ella's favorite was Test Track, Soarin' and Expedition Everest.
-Max's favorite ride was Rock n Roller Coaster and his favorite experience was World Showcase at Epcot.
-My favorite rides were Expedition Everest, Test Track, and Tower of Terror.
-John's favorite was getting to hang out with us all just playing...and the roller coasters.
-Our collective least favorite outing was going to Disney Quest. Our biggest disappointment was that the Hayao Miyazaki kiosk was no longer at the Japan showcase.
-Sophie's least favorite attraction was the Finding Nemo musical theatre show at Wild Kingdom.
-Alex's least favorite attraction was Honey I Shrunk the Audience at Epcot.
-Max's least favorite attraction was Finding Nemo at Wild Kingdom and all the walking.
-Ella's least favorite attraction was Honey I Shrunk the Audience at Epcot.

Hollywood Studios

Sci Fi Dinner Theater

" Manhattan"

Virtual Suckiness at Disney Quest

Future Idols

"Tibet" in Animal Kingdom

Ella in "Japan"

Chip n Dale

Ella with the Amazing Chinese Acrobats

English Mideval Swords

Getting our Star Wars fix

We will never forget this experience and I am so glad we were able to make this vacation happen.

Where Dreams Come True

2009-01-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

It's true...Disney is Magical! We LOVE it!
>

A Quick Visit

2009-01-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

We dashed over for a quick visit with the Traaseths and Smiths. What a peaceful loving home...we always just sort of float when we're there. Time flies and hours will have passed when it seems like minutes. It was a great way to divert our attention as we get all riled up and excited for....DISNEY WORLD!!!!! We leave tomorrow and are beside ourselves with joy. Happy mouse pictures will surely be soon to follow.

Kick Starting the New Year

2009-01-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Our friends from out of town cancelled their plans to visit us for New Years because they had the stomach flu...yuck...with a capital Y! We settled in to a wonderful family New Year's Eve...we watched a movie, had some champagne, and were going to watch the ball drop. You know what they say about the best laid plans???? I fell asleep on the sofa around 10:00, which is very unusual for me. I begged forgiveness and hobbled into bed. I awoke sometime around midnight with the worst stomach ache ever. After suffering for about 20 minutes, I began vomiting. I threw up for nearly 7 hours!!!! Did I mention how much I hate to throw up, and how I very rarely do? Eee gads. I was finally through around 7:00am. I thought I would be feeling a bit better to have it over and done with, when the 102 degree fever hit, and then hung around for 24 hours. Man, I was totally out of commission. I've decided that this was a literal take on the idea of purging out the old toxins I was holding onto from 2008 to make way for a cleansing new 2009. I think I like the figurative purging better.
I am on my feet again, the fever is long gone, but I am still treading very lightly with what I eat. Did I mention I hate to throw up????? Yuck. With a capital Y.

So This is Christmas

2008-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. John's parents got the kids a slot-car racing track. We stayed up until 2:30 setting it up and getting it ready for Christmas morning. It is waaaaay cool! I spent an inordinate amount of time as a child with my brothers and sisters putting together tracks and racing our cars in the basement. This new track far exceeds the ones we had as kids, and we are lovin' it. We also got MarioKart, which we are so happy to finally get! It's also just as much fun as expected. I, however, officially suck.

We traveled the day after Christmas to see family and friends. As my parents are trying to downsize their very large house, we felt this might be the last hurrah at their place. My sister came from New Mexico, and we had a great time catching up and spending time together. Of course, we also got to spend time with Auntie Nina. She and G. Midge planned a huge day with the kids, ending at one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook the food at the table. We had just watched a program on the food network about one of those places, and it was pretty cool for the kids to get to go.

We ended up at the Coulters....where it's always a good time! There were about 400 kids running around, playing, having a blast. We all had a go at Dance Dance Revolution, and Max brought out his new nerf gun...the Vulcan.

We're happy to be back home, enjoying all of our new toys, looking forward to ringing in 2009.

Our Awesome Scalectric Racetracks

Christmas Crackers

John's Fabulous Christmas Dinner
My Fabulous New Apron

PARTY HATS!

Presents at G. Judy's

Playing Skittles

The "Shann-Wich"

Nerf Wars

Dance Dance Revoltion

Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

John and the kids went searching in the woods for a little bit of mistletoe...they ended up up chopping down a dead tree, harvesting more firewood to heat our home, and coming home with several sprigs of mistletoe placed strategically throughout the house....

I have no pictures, but the rest of the day was spent merrily in WoW land. It has been our passion of choice of late, thanks to the Traaseths and their extraordinarily generous selves :)

And what better way to spend Christmas Eve, than in the company of Ralphie, pining away for that Red Rider BB Gun...can you say Fra-gi-ley?

Pursuing Happiness

2008-12-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

One really cool thing that I have noticed with my kids is their willingness to try something totally outside their comfort zone, just because it sounds like fun. They are not worried if it's cool to try it, or if they'll look stupid because they've never done it before. I think it has something to do with their freedom to choose how they spend their time. Everything they choose to do, they choose to do it because it is meaningful to them, or they get great joy out of it, or it helps them on their journey to do something else. They aren't so much worried about others' perceptions of them... just pursuing happiness.

Sophie Pursuing Happiness...in the form of Recreational Basketball

Braggin'

2008-12-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

I was asked by some friends to be in a variety show they were producing. They wanted me and several of my students to be in a belly dance number. I declined on the grounds that the vision they had for the piece conflicted with my philosophy of ATS(American Tribal Style Belly dance). However, I told them Max and I did a duet, combining hip-hop and tribal belly dance. They liked it and a Pinocchio-themed piece was created! Max is most definitely the star. I am simply the back-up dancer. He steals the show anyway...I mean, how could he not? Lo and behold, they discovered Ella could do gymnastics, and asked her to be in the show as well.

At one of our rehearsals, an incredible videographer filmed the proceedings. He made this promo video and now it's on YouTube. Yup, we're famous :)

Much to be thankful for

2008-12-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

We hosted Thanksgiving year. My parents came, as well as one of my brothers, his wife, and their two daughters.
Thanksgiving has always held a very special place in our family. My parents (my mom and step dad) met on Thanksgiving 32 years ago. I was 4 years old. See, my sister went to kindergarten with these twin boys whose mother had died shortly after giving birth. She invited them with their dad to our house to celebrate the holiday. 4 months later my parents got married. It was truly a fairytale romance.
We had a wonderful time cooking, eating, hiking, climbing, and playing games. We really do have so much to be thankful for... our family, our home, our lifestyle which allows us all to shine... I love my life.

Uno, good coffee, hot chocolate, and cinnamon rolls

Littlest Pet Shop resurrects itself..along with Dora's House

Cooking and drinking beer around the kitchen...c'mon!

Another trip to Rock Town

Ella's Birthday

2008-11-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Beautiful Ella!
I love you with all of my heart. You have added so much joy and love to my life. You have challenged me to be not only a better parent, but a better person.

Sharing the birthday shine

The anticipation....

Hallelujah.... a DS Lite!

Birthday Bowling

Sharing a love of DS-ing

Cold Autumn Days

2008-11-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

John's parents came up for a visit this weekend. Alex, Sophie and I collected colorful leaves from our woods to fill the house with some Fall color. It was cold all weekend and we enjoyed having a warm fire. We had an incredible meal out at The Meeting Place. We played some board games and introduced G. Midge and G. Mike to some of our favorite television. Oh, and the boys have just about convinced G. Mike to join Runescape so they can meet up and play together on-line.

Alex's Arrangement #1

Alex's Arrangement #2

Sophie's Arrangement

Mindy's Arrangement

So You Think You Can Dance

2008-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

We finally got to go. After 2 years of loving the passion that exudes off the small screen, we went to see the top 10 dancers from the 2008 season of So You Think You Can Dance.

Even though we had arguable the crappiest seats in the house (thanks to my unwitting trust in Ticketmaster), it was still fantastic. We fell in love again with some of our favorite dances, and I was blown away by things I saw live that did not impress me so much on TV. Mia Michael's holds a place in my heart as my favorite choreographer, but Napoleon and Tabitha are a close second. No Air, Bleeding Heart, and the whole group black and white circus number were my favorites of the night.

As great as the show was, the prelude and the company were even better. We have not seen these guys since L&L in September, so we were needing a serious fix. We met Madeline, Gillan, and Jesse at the mall to hang out for a couple of hours before the show. We decided on the mall so the kids could be excited around each other, have plenty of space to move, we could be inside, and Madeline and I could get a coffee. We also wanted space to make our giant posters with the names of our favorite dancers displayed on them. The mall was a blast. We made our posters, the kids wandered into a few shops, and then Gillan went in search of prices for a giant bungee thingy. It was only $5! Gillen, Max, Jesse, Alex, and Ella were sold immediately, but Sophie needed a bit more convincing before she would part with her cold, hard cash. It was hilarious, and the kids had a blast! When Max, got off from his first time, I heard him say to Gillan, "Dude, I'm so glad you checked the prices!" After everyone had a go, Max, Gillen and Jesse decided to have another run....I think it was too much of a good thing. They all were really tired and feeling a bit sick and sore after that second go round.

We left the mall for a pizza joint and had the best New York style pizza ever. It was the perfect place for more time together before the show.

The show was crazy! There were so many people there and it was truly exciting. We got to our seats, realized our fabulous posters were not going to work, and proceeded to strain and squirm in order to see the stage. Note to self....never, ever buy floor seats....even if Ticketmaster is trying to tell you they are the best available. Floor seats suck!

The second half of the show was phenomenal. I'm so glad we went and that we got to share something so special, that we love so much, with some of our favorite people in the whole wide world.

ARGH!

2008-11-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous time this past weekend in East Tennessee. Thank you Ren, for organizing a great gathering of unschoolers. It was really relaxing, and we were all able to connect a bit more with old friends and new. I love these smaller get-togethers for that reason. While some of our favorite friends were greatly missed, we got to know some other really awesome people that I know we'll keep in touch with in the months to come. I didn't get many pictures, and wish I had some to commemorate the following moments... the ladies who came to dance with me; Elisabeth and Marissa who took Ella under their wings; Lexie, Kat, Livie and Ella swinging and hiking and playing together; Gail and her amazing art project; Kass and her sister and their paraffin hand wax; all the fairy god parents and children; Max C. hanging with my Max; Sophie, Sierra, Kiera, and Sadie hanging out together; Alex finally getting to experience WoW under Alec's tutelage; doing the dollar store with Kelli, Abby and Olivia; the great cabins with the front porch swings and rocking chairs...especially with a few of us rocking away, sipping wine, chatting it up.

At the top of Roan Mountain

Ella and Livia palying on the rocks
The last night

Max ready to melt down after a day of hard playing

Rock Town

2008-11-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

We went to Rock Town a while back with some new friends. Rock Town is so cool. It's a little-known bouldering paradise about 45 minutes from our house. You walk on a trail until you find yourself among some of the largest rock outcroppings ever! As opposed to the more famous Rock City, at Rock Town, it is as nature left it...wild. You can climb, scramble, boulder, get a running start, etc. The rocks are gorgeous and provide never ending exploration opportunities. We can't wait to go back...

Happy Halloweeny!

2008-11-01T07:20:00.001-07:00

We watched the best show on the history of Halloween. We all learned some really cool things, including:

Sophie: Originally, giving out candy was a bribe to stop vandalism in the 1920's;

Ella: What to expect in a haunted house...as in, what the designers were doing to elicit fear;

Alex: Halloween is one day where you can just go crazy and express that hidden side of yourself;

Max: What it takes to grow the world's largest pumpkin which was 1450 lbs;

Mindy: Being scared of the dark is a primordial fear, based on things in the night (predators) being likely to kill our ancestors

Alex's Jack-O-Lantern with Voldermort eyes

Ella's Jack-O-Lantern...you can't see it, but hers had ears

Sophie's Jack-O-Lantern

Max's Jack-O-Lantern with cute little freckles

There was a great deal of time spent organizing, seperating, and catagorizing the candy stash. The kids have an elaborate rating system for each type of candy.

The best part of Halloween, at least in my kids' opinion....Bargaining...Trading...Working a deal

Ella Shining Brightly

2008-10-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

Huge Mom mistake....I left the camera at home and could not take pictures of Ella's first gymnastics competition. A friend took some of her for me, but I have yet to receive them :-(

So I'm posting without pictures.

All I can say is WOW! It was my first time watching a live gymnastics competition, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so exciting. Ella positively glowed she was shining so bright. This, for now, is her element. She can't wait to go to the gym for practice, and does her stuff pretty much every waking hour at home. It showed during her competition, and she did great...no, fabulous....no, absolutely awesome! She's not hardcore, she's super hardcore!

Who knows where this path will lead her. She has so much drive and so much passion, I am incredibly happy that she found something she loves so much and is so good at.

Now, where do I get Valium before the next competition??!!!

Strewing the Path

2008-10-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

A local community theater, The Chattanooga Theatre Center, put on High School Musical. Sophie, Max, Ella and I loved the movie, so I thought it would be fun to go see the theatrical version.

Alex and John joined us, although neither one of them really loved the movie. It was definitely one of those times when they decided to do stuff that might not be their particular cup of tea, just so we can all be together and they can share in something the rest of us really enjoy. A gift to us to share in our passion.

I loved the show. The set was awesome and some of the actors were really good. They did a great job with the production and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Max and Ella both had a hard time with the fact that the actors playing the roles didn't look like the actors from the movie.

I remember feeling the same way about Grease. It was my all time favorite childhood movie, and I was a bit disappointed when I saw a live version as a child, and it did not include Olivia and John!

All in all, they both ended up liking it, but Ella was better able to get over the actor thing than Max.

Sophie also enjoyed it, but the big surprise of the evening was Alex. He absolutely loved the show and was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement. He stayed and asked the actor who played the kid who likes to bake for his autograph.

It was so cool, to see him so jazzed and full of enjoying the moment. It was more confirmation to all of us to step outside ourselves and give the gift of doing things for each other. He did not go expecting to love musical theatre, he went to hang out with us. How wonderful that by strewing his path, and him being open to the experience, he discovered a love of something new.

3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival

2008-10-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

We went to the 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival this past weekend. It is an awesome, free, outdoor, on the Tennessee River, concert.

John and the kids picked up some picnic things: a bottle of wine, bread, cheese, tomatoes, hummus, sushi. Sophie had made chocolate chip cookies earlier in the day, so we had a feast.

We listened to some incredible music while we hula hooped, threw the Frisbee, hung out together, and played with a myriad of little kids who were drawn to our blanket, toys, and of course, the kids.

Max was drawn to the stage area, and couldn't help but dance. He drew a crowd. Some asked him to teach them how to dance, and eventually admirers gave him money in appreciation of his passion. He was so proud and happy. He earned $10 and loved sharing his dance with people.

Ella made a friend who gave her the chance to be the big sister for a change. They played together for a long time and Ella simply glowed.

Hunter Education

2008-10-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Alex has expressed an interest in hunting over the past year or two, so we have been looking for ways to feed that interest. While we were looking up information on what season it was okay to hunt certain animals that we see on our property...wild turkey, deer, rabbit, etc., we came across a hunter education class. This is a necessary class in order to get his actual licence. John and Alex signed up for the class last week. It was from 6-10 pm Tuesday and Thursday. The first class was soooo boring. It made for interesting conversation about what it would be like to have to do that 5 days a week....as in, going to school. Even though he was interested in the content, he said so much of it was common sense that it was truly boring. We also talked about doing things we might not love, in order to get to do the things we do love. So although it was boring, it held importance for Alex. I told him he didn't have to go back on Thursday. The reply to that was an enthusiastic "no way". He reasoned he had sat through 4 hours, there was no way he wasn't going to get that certificate in order to get his licence. John and Alex both had to complete "homework", and had to take a test on Thursday in order to complete the class. Alex has never had to do anything like homework, nor has he ever taken a test. We went to Rock City all day Thursday, and literally as soon as we walked in the door, Alex rushed upstairs to finish his homework. Then, John told him he could just copy the rest from his completed work, and Alex was adamant that he was going to do it himself. Since we've never really had reason to, we've never talked about tests and how certain types of questions are meant to "trick" you into thinking logically. This turned out to be one of those tests...it was a mixture of multiple choice and true/false...both of which can cause confusion in the uninitiated. While I wasn't worried, I was curious how Alex, always unschooled, would do on such a mainstream schooly type thing. Would he be able to reason through the questions, especially those darned T/F? Out of 50 questions, he only missed 4. When they need it, or want it, they will learn it.

My Camera

2008-10-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

We've had a bit of a financial setback recently, so when I broke my camera the other day, I was pretty upset. John and I have committed to sticking to our budget and not spend a penny more than we planned. We have been doing so well, and it feels like little bounties have been falling in my lap since consciously making the effort to spend less. So, a new camera was not what I wanted to spend money on right now. We went to bed with no clear plan one way or another for a new camera. When I woke up the next morning, John had left one of his little notes for me by the pot of hot coffee he makes for me in the morning. The note said, "I think I fixed it?"

Woo-Hoo! He did! He did fix my camera! And it cost us nothing!!!!!

Thank you, John. I love you.

Rock City with Friends

2008-10-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

Alex and Ella at overlook...our house would be somewhere way over to the right

Max and Ella at Overlook

The kids with James at the Needle's Eye

Chris, Andrew and Micheal

Scary Garden Gnomes

The infamous "See Rock City" birdhouses....made into hats

The whole gang

The kids at Mushroom Rock

The swing bridge

We finally made it to Rock City. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I dropped my camera while trying to take pictures at the overlook and it busted. Oh how sad I was. I tried to let it go and enjoy the rest of the day with some really great people. We feel really lucky to count this family as friends. After our sightseeing, we had a picnic and the kids played hard and climbed some fabulous trees. We then made our way to our favorite local ice cream spot and on to to Coolidge Park for more games, lounging in the incredibly soft grass, rides on the beautiful carousel, and finally home. What a day. As the kids and I reflected on our two-year anniversary of having moved here, we all discussed how lucky we feel to live in such beauty and to have made such great friends.

The Creative Vibe

2008-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my piece for the Dia de los Meurtos Art Trade at ARGH.

I love how this day is a celebration of those who have died. It's not mourning, but celebration. How wonderful to spend a day celebrating the wonderful lives of people we have loved that are now dead.

My only experience with death was 4 years ago. A close friend, who was my age, died from cancer. I remember one night talking to her, when the latest chemo treatment had failed and she was struggling to figure out what to do next, she told me she just wanted her life to have meant something. She wanted to know there was a reason for her suffering and ultimately her death.

Her life did mean something. Her life was a beacon for those of us who were too busy getting stuff done to notice another day had passed. She is a constant reminder to me to live my life in love with every day, to take advantage of my health, my children, my husband, my life...to take advantage of all that I have.

Elizabeth was a chef, an artist, a professional snowboarder, and an inspiration to all of us who were privileged to know her. I can't wait to celebrate all that she was, and all that she still means to me on Nov. 2.

So my art for the trade is a celebration of her. I had so much fun and was so inspired, I created several pieces instead of just the one for the trade. Thankfully, a couple of my kids have already staked their claim on the remaining pieces!

New Passions

2008-09-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

We tend to walk away with some powerful things after a L&L conference. Sometimes it's a new passion, sometimes it's life-changing awareness.

Both happened this year. I'm working on quieting my "chatter" and being fully present with the kids. Thanks to Anne Ohman, over at Shine with Unschooling, I'm learning how to tell myself to be quiet...a very hard thing for me to do!

I also got to reconnect with Christina, or Auntie Nina. Although we see each other on a pretty regular basis, this weekend at L&L allowed us to share so much more and revisit a close friendship we shared years ago. Nina inspires me with her incredible optimism and deep love for my kids. We all feel extremely lucky to have her in our lives.

Ella went home with the cake decorating passion basket...so we have made several batches of icing, colored some very crazy colors. She decorated sheets of wax paper first, to get the hang of things. Then she decorated her first cake. She immediately asked anyone else if they wanted to have a go...to use the bag and decorate. It was so sweet, and showed her very generous heart.

Sophie loved basking in all her friends at L&L. She has had nothing but soft-clothes days since getting back home. Soft clothes are also affectionately known as life clothes...or pajamas to the uninspired! Her soft clothes included the gorgeous wool socks Pam G. gave her at the L&L good bye picnic. Pam had been knitting these socks throughout the conference, so it was an extra special gift to Sophie, as it is a reminder of our wonderful time there. Sophie also won a dragon ocarina in the raffle, and has been trying to learn Zelda tunes on it. She spent all day yesterday, in her soft clothes, working on a supply list for an arctic expedition...Swallows and Amazons style. She's reading Winter Holiday, and is inspired by the cooling temps.

Max won Pokemon Pearl in the raffle and has been gloriously achieving great things in his game. I think one of Max's highlights at L&L was meeting Amy Steinberg and then grooving to her tunes at the concert. During the concert, Amy called Max out because of his amazing dancing. He was shining so bright! The next day, as Amy was leaving, she told Max she had a crush on him. The boy is positively floating!

Alex has been sleeping in late and constantly glorifying in all our good food. He made some new friends at the conference and has been emailing one of them since setting up his own email account. He is loving learning the texting lingo...of which I am no great help. After the conference, Eli Gerzon, who was a speaker, posted about a wilderness camp in upstate New York called Hawk Circle. I remembered looking into Hawk Circle over a year ago, but nothing ever came of it. Anyway, with the reminder from Eli, I checked out the website and lo and behold they are having a Teen Homeschooler Retreat...this October! Well, things fell in place rather quickly, and Alex is going to get to go. I can't even describe what this trip means to him. He has wanted to explore wilderness training, hunting, shelter building, tracking, for a long time. He does it on a small scale around our home, but he has expressed an interest in taking it further. Well, this is it. I am so happy to be able to help him follow his passions. In addition, this will be the first time he has ever traveled alone, or done anything really without us, his family, around for support. This is huge, as Alex really loves being with his family and all of us doing things together. I think this is an incredible opportunity for him to grow and gain a bit of the independence he has started wanting in a safe, caring environment.

And we still have ARGH to look forward to....more passions shared, more friendships strengthened, more unschoolers to connect with and gain inspiration from.

Absolutely can't wait!

Post Live and Learn

2008-09-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

This conference was amazing in so many ways. I felt so peaceful, exactly where I needed to be. As I looked at my last post, I was struck by the fact that everything I mentioned as being really important to us, happened. What I was not expecting was to fall in love with more beautiful souls than I ever felt was possible. I was touched by the kindness, generosity, and sheer joy I felt in such plentitude at the conference. I did not capture everything I wanted in pictures. I wish I had. I was so busy enjoying the moment, I forgot to capture it. Then, I would remember, take a flurry of pictures for a particular event, and promptly forget again. I am so grateful for Kelly Lovejoy and her family for making this event such a huge part of our lives. I am thankful for the amazing people I have been introduced to and have become such dear friends with. I am most especially and powerfully thankful for the amazing voices in this unschooling community that have helped me be a better parent.

Amy Steinburg Concert

The Time-Space Warp Elevator

Icing Funshop

Maria's Amazing Henna

Make Up Funshop -Ms. Vania,(kmmm...Kyra) I did not reveal your secret with a picture!

Talent Show Pictures...I was way too entrasnced to capture all the talent that I was honored to witness. Truly, a highlight of any Live and Learn for me is the Talent Show. Sadly, I only snapped out of my rapture momentarily to capture a few acts.

The talent show would not be possible without the audience...

I wasn't able to capture her during her act, so I took this after, in the room, where she was still doing gymnastics!

Friends..but only a token sample of the amazing friends I know because of L&L!

The Masquerade Ball

The Coffee House

Live and Learn Bound

2008-09-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

We've been busy getting all organized and packed up for our trip to the last Live and Learn Unschooling Conference. The kids have been working on embroidered pillows to sell at the Untrepreneurial Fair. I know I am biased, but they are gorgeous. The caught the embroidery bug about 2 weeks ago, and have been at it ever since.

Alex did mainly dragons, but designed a Japanese Bonsai Tree for the big one

Sophie's did all hearts with either initials, names, or L&L 08 inside

Max designed all flowers, with really cool swirl leaves

Of the many things we are looking forward to at this year's conference:

Talent Show (Max and I are doing a duet-hip hop and belly dance; Ella is doing a contemporary dance solo; Alex will be the MC; and Sophie has plans to play the fiddle and dance with some friends.)

Masquerade Ball - Our costumes are top secret...will post pictures later

Funshops: Henna Tattoos, Embroidery, Bionicles, Cake Decorating, DS, Friendship Bracelets, Cootie Catchers, Mask Decorating, Games, ATCs, etc.

Being with Friends

Having Auntie Nina with us this year

Things we've been doing...

2008-08-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from Wendy and Shelby recently. We were introduced to MarioKart for the Wii. The kids loved it and have added it to their vision list. We also took them to our favorite swimming hole...twice! (Thanks to Shelby's persistence, the second day the kids had so much more fun than the first!)

Alex has been wanting to make soft pretzels for... forever! I don't know why, but we kept putting it off. I finally got around to getting things organized for him, and he was able to try his hand at his very first yeast dough. They were a smashing success. We decided to make half savory and half sweet.

Ella came up with ...rug surfing!

Snakes have been dining on our chicken eggs. John captured this one and released it about 3 miles away in a huge wild blackberry thicket.

A little daddy pile-up before we head off to L&L. John can't make it this year, and we're anticipating missing him next week. We're very happy he has a three day weekend to spend with us before we go.

Paddle faster boys, I think I heard a banjo!

2008-08-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Somehow, we got to talking about Deliverance, and how it had been filmed relatively close by in the North GA mountains. I love it! I think we should use it as our slogan for any future North GA unschooling get-togethers!

We had a blast with or little conglomerate of unschoolers. We feel so lucky to have the opportunity to hang out with such fabulous people. The kids (and I) were so sad to leave, comforted only with the fact that we'll be seeing everybody next week at L&L.

I hope, as we see the final days of L&L, we have more of these little gatherings.

Alec, Alex, Max, and Wendy

Wendy, sporting her new fierce "do", the always lovely Abbi, and the newly arrived Nic!

Okay, okay, Shelby's "do" is pretty darn fierce as well!

Some of my favorite people!

The brave ones...

Those who became totally submerged

Once again, Sophie and Gillan having a blast

Still more of my favorite people!

Boys Falling From Tees

2008-08-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes as whole-life unschooling parents, we tread a fine line between giving the kids freedom to explore and making sure they are safe. There is no better example of this than yesterday. We went to the swimming hole and sliding rocks at Pooles Mill Bridge Park. We love this place and the kids had a blast last time we went. As a group of us parents were hanging out and chatting, Max fell out of a tree onto big rocks below. It happened right before my eyes. I saw his face as the branch he was on broke and he unexpectedly fell from what I consider a scary height. His sweet little face showed surprise and fear. My heart went out to him and I was silently hoping with all of my being that he was okay. After he landed, I yelled out, "Oh My God. Max just fell from that tree!" He moved a bit, but immediately began crying. He was hurt and scared and it was hard to comfort him. Later, he told me his thoughts. He told me he was really scared that he had done something that would have changed his life forever. When he fell, he was scared he was going to die. It broke my heart.

So rewind a bit. Max has always been a climber. He has always had a very keen sense of his body and an amazing sense of balance. I have always, since he was very little, "briefed" him about different aspects of climbing. Instead of just telling him "no", and not letting him climb, we always talked about how high he was, if he felt safe, was the branch strong enough to hold him, and if he fell, what was below him. We had these talks all the time when he was little, because he was always climbing. He has never fallen, nor has he ever been stuck somewhere he couldn't get down from.

We haven't done many of those talks lately, the past few years even, because he has become very adept at knowing his limits, and never really pushing past what he is comfortable doing. I think I grew complacent and trusted he could make these decisions without guidance anymore. I think Max forgot to ask himself these questions. As we spent some time going over his fall, we talked about these things again, and how to ascertain what would be safe conditions to climb, etc. Max said he never wanted to climb a tree again. I hope he changes his mind, and trusts himself again. I do know that I'm glad I walked the line and Max has always had the freedom to climb. He will come to his own conclusions about climbing trees, and he will have lots of experience, support, information, and love from which to base his decisions. Though I trust him implicitly and he will continue to have freedom to make choices, I will be more present in my guidance and will go back to my "safety briefings".

Room Makeover-Alex Edition

2008-08-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Before...

The first rendering...

The coolest dragon ever!

Shanna working on antiquing the dragon wall

Shanna's finished dragon with the antiqued wall

The refinished desk ...and the computer the Kelli gave us!

Close up of the desk...does it meet with your approval Shanna?

My very first recovered chair!

The light fixture we found at a salvage yard called "Estate of Confusion"

The light fixture, Shanna's crackled cabinet, and Alex's art work

Working on the furniture

Alex's art work

Artist and client...very happy indeed!

It all started with me asking Shanna to help us decide paint colors. It turned into late nights with dragon drawings, fevered second-hand shopping excursions, and finally the painting we can't believe we have in our home! Shanna is a force of nature. We worked really well together and inspired each other to make this room exactly what Alex wanted and so much deserves. Our greatest find was the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. We totally scored with the amazing cabinet to house Alex's tv and Gamecube, as well as the headboard Shanna found in the scrap trim pile. We found more inspiration at "Estate of Confusion". It's as close to Sanford and Son as you can get. There we found the light fixture that brought the room together. Then we framed some of Alex's paintings of dragons, which made the room his own. Put that together with Shanna's incredible artistic talent and vision, and you have a masterpiece. Thanks Shanna! We love you.