Mother’s Day Weekend

We spent the weekend with family, out in Buena and down at the Sand Dunes.

So sunny around here

It’s been so nice lately that we’ve been spending so much of our time outside. We spend most Fridays with our friends in one of the Denver parks (there are literally hundreds of them). It’s always nice when it’s one we can walk, or scoot to, like last week.

These families have basically become our “class” our kids get along on all different levels and share different interests. No two weeks are the same, in terms of parks or who plays with whom. When there are fights or disagreements they usually work them out on their own. But mainly they play and talk for hours on end, creating bonds that are so wonderful to watch grow. To me the greatest moments are when one or another of the kids just decide to pause for a moment and come flop in their parent’s lap. Just like that they want a break, or a snack, and then off they go again. While the kids play we get to hangout and talk and eat. It is a part of the week that nurtures me so much. These are all amazing women who are choosing to follow their own instincts when it comes to learning, we’re all unschooling but all in different fashions. These women have become my greatest support group.

this moment

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Amanda Soule

What a Busy Season

Ha! I need to stop making plans in this space, whenever I do life gets in the way. Which is a good thing, it does remind me that that I have so many ideas and a lot less time to realize them than I think they need. There’s been lots of hiking and climbing, gardening and cooking, spending time with friends and being just us, and a seasonally appropriate amount of cleaning. I haven’t even had a chance to take the pictures off the camera yet.

I hope all of you are taking advantage of the spring time and getting outside for every sun soaking moment.

Life beckons…again, I’ll be back when the rain comes this week.

Ahhh…….

Jury Duty. See you when it’s done.

A Little Adventure

I’m a little slow this week. Fine a whole week slow, last Saturday the three of us decided to avoid the St. Patrick’s Day craziness that invades Denver and head up to the mountains for the day. With this unusual warm weather we packed up our bags for the first hike of the Summer, Spring.…Winter?

The hiking was great, not too many miles but lots of elevation gain. And there nothing like the excitement of getting to the top of the mountain to make Alder happy. He loves to be outside, he likes to hike, but to actually get to the top of a mountain that we saw driving towards it made him so happy. Even the few sections of snow that we hiked across added to the adventure.

But the days excitement wasn’t over.

We were in the edges of Boulder County, near the town of Nederland. Nederland may be most famous for their Dead Guy, but we were a week late for his party, instead we were there for Happiness. That is the Carousel of Happiness.

While Alder may have thought the rides were the second best part of the day I was seduced by a much simpler and sweeter treat.

What Do We Give Them?

(most days this is my child)

It all started with a fight, the first real us against him situation. Until now any disagreement we’ve had has been one parent and him getting frustrated with each other. But the other night we came up to a big stumbling block, something that we weren’t going to let go of. We try to live as consensual as we can as a family. But there are points where we as parents we have to make choices for our son, because we can understand things that he doesn’t. Regardless of what we fought about it was one of those moments that crystallized a lot of things for me as a mother.

There was one moment when he  scooted himself into a corner, his bangs in his eyes, and was telling us how he wasn’t okay with the change we were making. In that moment I saw the next thirteen years worth of disagreements. I could see in him a little bit of who he will be in the future. I also realized that no matter how hard we try he and I will always butt heads occasionally. We’re too much a like, both to determined to create the worlds that we see as right. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t work hard at creating a relationship of love more than discord, just that I want him to have ways to deal with his emotions, ones that I am still learning.

In seeing this I also realized that there was something so important I have to give him. I need to teach him tools for dealing with his emotions. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about what would be useful and reasonable. I think there are three categories that I should focus on: general calmness (to help avoid fights), ability to say what he feels and means (in hope that he will learn to disagree with out fighting), and outlets for dealing with the emotions that come from disagreeing with people (especially parents). As soon as I started thinking about these things I realized that while I want to help him to find these things I need to do it in a way that they are truly of his own discovery. I may have ideas about things that I think might work for him, but none of them will work without him making his own connection.

I think I am going to go into more detail over the next week about each of these categories because I think that in many ways these can be the most important gift I could give him.

An Interview

I did an interview with Kelly over at Homeschooling Co-op about our learning life, go check it out!

Spring-ness

Spring comes to Denver all at once. There is no creeping in of the weather, there is just one day when you know that it is here, and so does everyone else. We all also know that the snow isn’t finished for the year but until it snows again everyone will spend all the time we can outside, or near open windows.

Early carrots, lettuce, and spinach have been planted (beets and chard soon to follow). The shift effects us, tears away the grim mask of February, the dirt and sun a balm for the bruised psyche of winter. Plans of tomatoes and basil fill our conversations. As well as the annual corn disagreement (though I think we’ve finally agreed that after this dry winter corn, that produces so little, isn’t good for us our our region).

The real sign of Spring so far was an afternoon picnic by the lake with friends. A mellow afternoon filled with good food. Nothing too fancy or extraordinary, but it’s goodness coming from that simpleness. A reminder that picnics are fun, easy, and needed. There is nothing better than a pretty blanket and thought out food to turn a common afternoon into a memorable one.

Another Spring sighting around this parts are all the restaurants and cafes who are opening up their windows and walls. Denver expands in this season, everyone seems to be sitting outside somewhere, smiling, talking with friends, neighbors, and strangers. By July we’ll be missing shoes and socks, but for now our feet are enjoying the freedom of sandals.

Of course my boots are still sitting by there door, there is still almost two months left for snow storms. Thus is Denver.

 

A little Political Humor

Garfunkel and Oates doing what they do best.