I was blindsided by motherhood. I had no idea how much it would change my life. Before my oldest child was born, I was committed to keeping my life as it was whether children were a part of it or not. I held fast to my commitment to read, work, keep up with the house,…
Adjusting to Two Children: I Cried
It was 7:00 on Friday and both kids were asleep. I came downstairs, sat down and I cried. I cried like my high school boyfriend had just dumped me. I knew that it was going to happen. As soon as I felt my son drift off to sleep, emotion overtook me. My husband had been…
Deciding to Homeschool and a Marriage
This piece was originally published on a different blog by the same author in 2012. Deciding to Homeschool and a Marriage My husband and I have so much to work on in our relationship. Here though, is the commonality that keeps us moving forward: Owen (almost 6) did a very short stint in preschool. On…
Homeschool Fall: Moving Beyond Old Expectations to Unschooling
This piece was published on a different blog by the same author in 2016. It happens every year. Fall rolls around and kids go back to school. Many of my fellow homeschool families are busy forming schedules and registering for classes. For us though, Fall is just like Summer, which is just like Spring, which…
Moving Away from Family
Note: this piece was published on a different blog by the same author in 2013. Moving away from family is sad- no matter how exciting the prospects. It’s not that I don’t want to go. It’s just that I don’t want to leave. I have spent most of my life in a 60 mile radius….
Weight Loss as a Tool Instead of a Cultural Demand, Maybe.
When I was in my late twenties a specialist told me my knees were not capable of being a runner. So I ran a marathon. My knees had been problematic from my early teens. Running the marathon, fortunately, did not make them worse. I didn’t even start running until adulthood. I had not realized how…
In the Interest of Learning: Changing My Perspective About How Much to Leave the House
A few Halloweens ago my two kids were ready to head out the door about 30 minutes before we were scheduled to leave for trick or treat, just like they are every year. As we were walking around that night I said to my husband “well, I guess it’s not true that they never want…
What is Unschooling and Unschooling Resources
I am often asked how we started Unschooling, what Unschooling is, and how one can get started with Unschooling. It’s a complex question with a reaaaallllly long answer. It has taken me years to get to a place where I feel like we are Unschooling well. It has taken reading, watching, listening, trying, and debunking…
Aging? Who, Me?
Aging is strange. I hear that word and immediately think of people older than me- like, much older. I feel like the word “aging” does not even apply to me. Same with middle age. I mean, we are all aging right? Somehow though it doesn’t feel the same when talking about a 24 year old…
Play: It All Starts with Yes!
It starts with saying yes. Yes to jumping on the trampoline even though everything jiggles. Yes to the zip line even though the harness accentuates all the “wrong” places. Yes to putting on a suit and going for that swim. Even though our self-talk is telling us that we are a beached whale. Yes to…