Awesome Writing

I found this today while reading the yahoo list for the L&L conference. The author is a woman named Gillian, who I had the pleasure to meet this year at the conference. There was some discussion about what radical unschooling was and she had such an awesome response that I had to save it, with permission, for all eternity here on my blog. For your reading pleasure:

What is Radical Unschooling?

The term "unschooling" was conceived to describe the idea that given a supportive and interesting environment we can trust people to learn all they need to know, that if we don't mess with it, their innate sense of curiousity and wonder will settle for nothing less than exploring a constant stream of fascinating interests and passions, that learning is natural, that we can trust that being supported in following one's passions will lead people to a complete repertoire of skills and information, that we can trust each person to choose that repertoire for themselves, follow it with great enthusiasm, and so lead a full and learned life.

The term "radical unschooling" simply expands that idea beyond education to one's whole life: that we can trust people, all people not just adult people, to know what is right for them in their lives.

To me the term "radical unschooling" has nothing whatesoever to do with school and isn't really all that radical or in-your-face either. It is just living life in equal partnership with every member of my immediate family no matter what their size or age, free from mandated learning or mandated just about anything else. Within the sweet-yet-complex balance of the needs of all our family members, we trust each other to decide for ourselves when to sleep, when and what to eat, what to do with our day, what our passions are and how best to follow them. We trust that embracing those passions with our full hearts will lead us down amazing paths and fill us with all we might ever need to feel, know, do and be. We question and think and respect and choose our own paths, fully supported by one another, encouraged to be our best selves, our wholest beings. We don't bow to convention or do what we "should" or what we think others think we "should". We try to choose feeling good over the righteousness of being right, we try not to knee-jerk "wrong" when one of us wants to pursue something unconventional, we try to think outside the box and find ways to explore together believing that there is something worth learning down even the most unlikely of paths. We strive each day, each moment, to suck the maximum joy out of every second - we believe that joy is something we can fully achieve regardless of the outward circumstances in our lives, that we can "choose" to open ourselves to creative ways of being joyful despite, or perhaps because of, the specific conditions of today. We believe that when we live in harmony with ourselves we can find an infinite number of ways to live in harmony with all those we hold dear, and that our lives can forever hold peace, joy, freedom, and wonder.

The RU parents I know don't just love their kids, they love to be with their kids, and their kids love to be with them. These parents have held connection and relationship with their kids, and each other, above all else. Regardless of their kids' passions and unique personalities, these parents have opened themselves to the myriad ways there always are to connect with one another, they have followed those opportunities for connection no matter what, and they have built amazing life-long trusting relationships with their kids as a result. To us, "radical unschooling" or "whole life unschooling" has nothing to do with schooling at all, it is a way of life that centers on respect and trust and love, giving fully and trusting that small people raised in the embrace of people who give generously, serve with love, and give respect before expecting to receive it, will find the freedom and support to grow into adults who know their own needs and feelings, are able to meet them without hurting others, and who embody great generousity, expansive love, and respect for all souls.

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I couldn't have said it better myself!! Thank you, Gillian!

Red Rock

Here are a few shots from a Life Learner day at Red Rock. Enjoy!

Video on Blogger!!

Yipee! I am so excited we can put video on Blogger without using an outside host server. In honor of the occasion, here is a little something from our trip to San Diego:

A and E and Flo's daughters had a blast together. Here, they are all dancing to the music in their own heads, I guess! Enjoy.

The Trip Phase II

The saga continues...

Tuesday dawned bright and early for us. We had breakfast with C's parents and bid them farewell to begin our drive to the conference. We took the northern route through Tennessee. We had to stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch, of course. No road trip is complete without that, especially one in TN! I had a little detour planned for us before we got to the conference site. We passed through Asheville, NC and I wanted to make a stop at the Deltec Homes model home. I really want a round house! C agreed it would be nice after walking around inside one. Yea!

The kids were anxious to get to the conference, even though we were a day early, so we made it a quick stop and got back on the road to head to Black Mountain. As it was getting late, we got some dinner at a chinese restaurant before making our way to the Blue Ridge Assembly. This was a big change for the conference, moving out of a hotel and onto a mountainside, but as we drove up the road taking us to the heart of the grounds, we were excited for the new adventure to begin. It was so beautiful and serene and so many things about that place reminded C and I of places we had been before. Even the color of the porch floors (blue) reminded me of home (my mother always painted our porch floor blue)! It felt like HOME.

We checked in and unpacked the car and started seeing friends who had arrived early as well. We walked around the grounds and explored a bit, and hung out in the lobby of the main hotel where we were staying, talking with people and getting acquainted. A was determined to meet some new friends and she got off to a great start! The next day our friends, Flo and family, were due to arrive, but A did not want to stay safe and hang with only people she already knew.

Wednesday morning we got up to go out for breakfast, since the meals for the conference did not begin until lunch. When we got back, Flo had arrived and we showed them around and helped them get settled. Then it was time for lunch in the cafeteria. We joked that our kids don't need to go to school to know how to navigate a cafeteria now! It was an adventure to find food the girls would fill up on, but they survived the weekend. Next year we will have more snacks and stuff in our room, but I was proud of how the girls handled the limited food choices. A really surprised me with how willing she was to try new things!

That afternoon was spent playing around with tie-dye, henna, balloons, and temp tattoos, meeting and greeting folks, playing in the stream, and listening to great music on the porch of Lee Hall. After dinner there was the bonfire down by the lake. It was just Flo, A and I who went. E and Flo's daughter C wanted to play Hannah Montana in our room, so my dear husband volunteered to stay close by (he was not allowed in the room). We had a nice time singing campfire songs, eating marshmallows, and listening to ghost stories with our "tribe".

After a morning of cheerleading and beading for the kids, my dad and step mom were due to arrive sometime Thursday afternoon. The kids were loath to leave the hotel area because they wanted to meet them when they arrived. So, they set up in the Untreprenerial fair area and sold their wares. E had made four pairs of earrings at the bead funshop that morning and wanted to sell them. Talk about an opportunist! She made 100% profit on those earrings! Course she did turn right around and buy a pair of earrings from another lady later with that money.

My dad arrived and we helped them get settled in. There was to be a group photo taken that afternoon on the steps of Lee Hall. So, as an intro to the wonderful unschooling community, my dad and step mom got an eyeful of the colorful crowd when we gathered on the steps for the picture. That night after dinner was the first talent show. No one from our group was to perform that night, but E was signed up for the next night. It was the best Live and Learn talent show I have seen so far! Everyone was awesome and the support and love from the crowd was as palpable as ever.

I realize now that I can't remember all the details well enough to continue this play-by-play account. So, I'll turn this account over to the pictures and add comments to fill in the rest.

E pumping up a balloon at the Balloon Madness funshop.

A's elegant balloon hat.

Tie Dye extravaganza : Holly Dodd sharing a little of her green dye with A when the bottle of green was scarce.

Squeezing out the dye.

A's sunburst henna tattoo.

My pretty henna design.

After Jon Kream's speech, he invited us all to paint outside the box on this canvass. The finished work of art was auctioned off in the raffle.

E and a new friend entered the talent show Friday night, singing and dancing to a Hannah Montana song. This is a shot from the practice session earlier. I got video of the actual act. Talk about a proud mama. Need I say she was great?!!

C and I after my speech on Saturday. Don't I look happy? Everything went well and I actually enjoyed the experience, no matter what my stomach said that morning!

The beautiful Smoky Mountains as seen from the porch of Lee Hall.

Saturday afternoon beading in Lee Hall with my step mom.

One last shot of the girls, before Flo and crew headed out Sunday. Such a colorful bunch!

The end of conference picnic would not be complete without Nitrogen Ice Cream ala James.

The infamous Marty Dodd, dueling cameras with me down by the lake at the picnic. Who got the first shot? I think it was a draw!

A, second from right, hanging around with new friends.

And so ends another L&L. As my henna tattoo fades, I hope for the experience of being together with my tribe to not fade too much until we can be together once again! North Carolina, here we come in 2008...

The Trip Phase I

And now, for all you patient readers, I will recount the details of our big trip. We left on the first of the month, which happens to be my birthday and our wedding anniversary, flying to Alabama to visit with C's family and attend a family wedding. It was a party as soon as we arrived, with dinner planned with the whole family. C and I were encouraged to go out alone after dinner to celebrate our anniversary, so we did. Before we left, I arranged for the girls to give their cousin her birthday gift, which we had brought with us to give to her a little early. I love the picture below. A was sooo excited to give her cousin her present, she had to sit on her hands while waiting for her cousin to finish eating something. Her cousin did not even know that the gift bag was for her yet! A looks like the cat who swallowed the mouse!

The next day was the wedding. The girls looked so grown up and beautiful all dolled up for the festivities.

Our last day in AL was spent playing on the river. C's brother and his family were with us and the kids had a great time swimming in the river and jumping off the boat and being towed on the big inner tube thingy. C and I even tried our hands at knee boarding. Not too shabby after all these years!

I love this shot as the sun was setting and we were heading back to the house for the day. It was time to pack up and be ready to hit the road the next morning for our drive to Black Mountain NC for the conference.

To be continued....

Weeeere Outta Here

We leave early tomorrow morning for the conference and a family wedding, so I will probably be out of the blogging thang for the duration. I might surprise you though, we will have the laptop with us. See you all after the 10th!