Po Moyemu--In My Opinion

Harness for the Hen

2009-07-04T15:19:00.004-04:00

This was fun! Emily figured it would be a really smart idea to have a harness for the hen that would be in the parade with her.Originally, she thought the hen would walk with her, but we didn't really think a hen would "get" the idea of following on a leash. :) Still, the harness allowed Emily to attach a leash and gave her something to hold onto in case the chicken went nutso. They're known to

4th of July Parade in Earlysville

2009-07-04T15:17:00.003-04:00

We always enjoy our small-town parade!This year, Emily decided to carry a hen with her (this one is a light Brahma and her name is Jordan), instead of pulling them behind in a cage-and-wagon combo of years past.

Enjoy Life Unschooling Conference

2009-07-02T07:49:00.004-04:00

I'm posting info on this upcoming unschooling conference.Everyone is Invited to:Enjoy Life Unschooling Conference21-22 September 2009in Frederick, MDat the beautiful Mar Lu Conference CenterSpeakers include:Danielle CongerKelly LovejoyElissa CleaevelandHeather BurdittErika Davis-PitreZoa ConnorandTJ Phillips leading the SSUDsFunshops galore!Hula hopping and hula hoop makingButton makingVideo

Link to Homeschool Showcase #26

2009-07-01T11:17:00.001-04:00

Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers: Homeschool Showcase #26Welcome to the (delayed) June 29, 2009 edition of Homeschool Showcase, where we spotlight all the the encouraging, inspiring, hands-on, and just plain fun ways that homeschooling families live, learn and enjoy life together.Check it out!

What's Wrong with Expert Advice?

2009-06-30T12:00:00.005-04:00

The latest Discover Magazine (June 2009) has an interesting little snippet on pg 16, under their Good News/Bad News column. Under The Bad News:Expert advice inhibited parts of the brain [emphasis theirs] important for decision-making in a financial game as participants shifted responsibility to the expert, a brain imaging study by economists and psychiatrists found at Emory University found.This

Calvin and Hobbes at schooool's out for-evaaa...come on everybody, let all ya hairs hang out!!!

2009-06-19T16:50:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite people posted one of the greatest Calvin and Hobbes comic strips on her blog:schooool's out for-evaaa...come on everybody, let all ya hairs hang out!!!: calvin & hobbes and unschoolingWho doesn't love Calvin and Hobbes?This particular strip was published first on July 16, 1995, then later in It's a Magical World on page 69. This site lets you search for a specific strip.

Sugar Cookie Tarts Recipe

2009-06-19T11:04:00.007-04:00

Sugar Cookie Tartsmakes about 2 ½ dozen cookiesEmily baked these cookies--my only assistance was in helping pick the black raspberries from our sprawling, out-of-control raspberry patch.This picture was just taken 4 days earlier--we've been picking ever since and most are turning black now. They ripen really quickly.To prevent fresh fruit from browning, toss fruit in a little lemon juice before

Bill Nye Videos

2009-06-13T13:23:00.003-04:00

Thomas and Emily love to watch the Bill Nye the Science Guy dvds from the library. Just in the last two weeks, they've seen:DesertsBiodiversityLakes & pondsEarth's crustInsectsInventionsRight now we have checked out:EarthquakesDo-it-yourself scienceBalance BrainElectrical currentHuman transportationEach episode is only about 24 minutes long, and I'm pretty sure we've checked out every single one

Clean the Bay Day Acitivities

2009-06-13T12:55:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday, Thomas and I went to our area's first annual Clean the Bay Day event, sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Thomas has wanted to do something to help save sea turtles for about a year or so now, and this event was the first thing I've found that we could do without traveling for hours.From the organizer:I think it was a very productive day and everyone that participated

Are You Raising Free-Range Kids?

2009-06-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

This article from The Star, in Toronto, is a great read. It's titled Why free-range kids are on the rise: Amid recession, there are signs the status-obsessed helicopter parent is under threat, by Andrea GordonFrom the beginning of the article:Elizabeth Sloss and Kari Svenneby live at opposite ends of Toronto. They are mothers at different stages of childrearing. One has sons, the other a

New Photos of the Scorpions

2009-06-12T11:14:00.004-04:00

The babies are over a month old now. We're finding molted exoskeletons, so that means they're growing! This is probably the second molting--the first one happens pretty soon after they are born. They will molt between 5 and 7 times before they reach maturity, and for these guys, that will probably take up to 8 months or longer. I really wish we had realized that the mother was pregnant when we

QOTD--Nietzsche

2009-06-12T08:35:00.005-04:00

There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. -- Friedrich NietzscheThis is the photo of the day at National Geographic. It really looks like a painting to me. I don't know why I included it in this post, but this is possibly a long-married couple. Let's hope they are a bit mad as well. :)Ok, here's another Nietzsche quote:The individual has always had to

Appreciate the Wondrous

2009-06-10T10:38:00.006-04:00

This came across an email list I'm on and I wanted to pass it on. Maybe you've seen it before, but I hadn't.The 7 Wonders of the World...A group of Geography students studied the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of that section, the students were asked to list that they considered to be Seven Wonders of the Modern World.Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:1.

Survey - how many boys and girls do you homeschool?

2009-05-29T13:45:00.001-04:00

Read this today over at Why Homeschool. If you homeschool, maybe you'd be interested in participating in the survey--just two buttons to click!Why Homeschool: Survey - how many boys and girls do you homeschool?

Why Homeschool: Only 19 minutes of free play in Kindergarten

2009-05-28T09:09:00.003-04:00

I just read a sad article at Why Homeschool: Only 19 minutes of free play in Kindergarten.That just sounds pathetic, doesn't it?? And I especially appreciated the comment by "The Conservative Homeschooler."Isn't this what it's supposed to be about at that age?

Dance Barn Offers Irish Step Dance This Summer

2009-05-26T11:29:00.001-04:00

From Kelly:Hello!In addition to the Summer Dance Camps being offered in June and July at The Dance Barn (visit http://www.dancebarn.net/classes/ for details), we are also lucky to have Lori Madden of Blue Ridge Irish Music School offering a six week session in Irish Dance. Details are below, please check it out and forward this e-mail to anyone you know who might be interested!All the best,

Free Boys: A Dad's Unschooling Journey: "Yield Means To Give Way"

2009-05-22T12:11:00.000-04:00

This is a really nice article written by unschooling dad Jeff. He has such great insight, and what he says can apply to anyone's life: it's not just for unschoolers.Free Boys: A Dad's Unschooling Journey: "Yield Means To Give Way"

Our New Favorite Game

2009-05-22T11:45:00.005-04:00

Bananagrams! I saw it at Target a while ago, but since I'm not a huge fan of Scrabble, I just didn't think I'd enjoy this game because it seemed similar. I was soooooo wrong! When we were in TN for a big birthday bash with our tribe of unschoolers, my friend Abbi and I got into a conversation about languages, among other things. Then she mentioned Bananagrams and said I had to try it, at least

Empty Nest Syndrome

2009-05-19T08:42:00.003-04:00

I've been mopey since yesterday morning when I saw that all the baby wrens had fledged. But on the very bright side, all five survived. I was expecting one to be the runt, but they all looked good to me whenever I checked in on them.

Article: Why Students Don't Like School

2009-05-15T09:14:00.003-04:00

Researcher Sheds Light on Why Students Don't Like SchoolCognitive scientist argues that the mind is designed to avoid thinking.By Fariss SamarraiPosted 04/29/09"The mind is actually designed to avoid thinking," Willingham said. "Thinking is a slow process; it's effortful and even uncertain. People naturally want to avoid that process, and instead rely on memory, the things we already

Baby Scorpions

2009-05-14T20:31:00.006-04:00

Well, this gets filed under bizarre things that happen at our house! We bought this scorpion back in September. We were told she was female, but further inspection on our part led us to believe she might be male. Looks like we were wrong. Did you know that a female scorpion's gestation period can last from 2 to 18 months? We didn't.For reference, the cage is 10 inches across, so the adult is

Horrible Books Order Due May 31

2009-05-09T22:10:00.003-04:00

I received this email from Ray:Just a Horrible FYI :I'll be doing another Horrible UK Order on May 31, 2009 for Late-June Delivery, with all the gory details at www.horriblebooks.comTop 6 Horrible Highlights :1) Everything is 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax at Scholastic UK, Galore Park Books, or Prufrock Press, including, of course, all of the Horrible Books and Magazines listed at :

Trying out new Templates

2009-05-09T09:59:00.002-04:00

Just bear with me. And if you like this one, let me know!

Toads in the Window-well

2009-05-08T21:08:00.004-04:00

We've had toads show up in the window-well before, and we're never sure if we should get them out or not. There doesn't seem to be a way for them to get out--can they jump that high? I think they like the garden gnome. :)I'm pretty sure we've just got the common American toad here. It says here that they breed in shallow pools, so I might put a shallow container in there for them.They always seem

The Autodidact Symposium

2009-05-04T08:15:00.003-04:00

I wanted to help spread the word about this new unschooling conference:The Autodidact Symposiuma gathering for self-directed learnersDowntown Columbia, South CarolinaMarch 12-14 2010au·to·di·dact (ô'tō-dī'dākt') n. A self-taught person.sym·po·si·um (sĭm-pō'zē-əm) n. A conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject.What's The Focus?The Autodidact Symposium is a different take on the average