Warm, sunny, flip-flops......aaahhhh...Heaven!

We arrived in Florida the other night. Wow, I forgot how warm it is here in December!

I spent some time with my girlfriend, Leslie, last night and her baby Evan. He's 7 months old already. The last time I held him was immediately after his birth, in their apartment in the Bronx!!! So it was great catching up with her. We'll be able to spend more quality time together after the holidays. Just like to old days, when we didn't have kids!! haha

Today we're going to the beach and the broadwalk. When Rick and I were full-time musicians, we used to gig on this beach at the ampitheater. Talk about flash-backs!

I'll post pics as soon as I can! Gotta go work on my tan:)

Pre-school Christmas Pageant

Our sweet little B was chosen to be Mary in her pre-school Christmas pageant. All the children did a fantastic job!

We were very proud:)

Homeschool PE

Wanted to post some pix of our latest ( and coolest) "PE class".

One of the Dads has a HUGE parachute from his military days. This one happens to be the large size that they use to drop tanks and trucks out of planes!!

Despite the very soggy field from the rainy day before, we all had a great time!

Crafty day

Today we spent the majority of the day being 'crafty'.
I'm totally stressing out about all the things I haven't packed for our trip, so to take my mind off it (instead of packing!) I decided to get the kids and make ornaments. We made paper trees, paper snowmen, bells, popsicle stick stars and snow flakes.
LOTS & LOTS of beads and glitter glue!!! We're very sparkley around here:)
I'll post pix when everything is dry!

Thanksgiving has come and gone. The leftovers have finally been thrown out! I have to admit, I tried to get as many meals out of that 11 lb. bird as humanly possible!

Now it's on to preparing for our next trip. We're going back to Florida for the holidays. The Grandparents aren't as mobile as they used to be. So we're taking the kiddos to them!
Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually excited about going back to my old stomping ground.
We wanted so badly to get out of South Florida, the craziness, the humidity, the traffic, the over-progress!!! We've been gone for 2 years already. How the time flies. But honestly, there were SO many cool places we used to go. Amazing restraunts, the beach, the entertainment, the sheer accessability to things!! We walked or rode our bikes to many places.

We traded all that for quite, country-living and a sense of community. I wouldn't change a thing. But vacationing in SoFlo will be and blast. Not to mention -- WARM!!!!! :)

Officially Birthday-ed Out!

2 birthdays and 3 parties later! What a whirlwind of festivites, baking, wrapping, cooking, hiding gifts and phone calls! And it's not even Christmas yet!!! lol

Now my babies are 9 & 5.

Were does the time go?

Birthday Treats DONE!!!

OK -- please tell me how cute these are!!!!

They actually turned out as good in real life as they did in my head!!!

Facebook is SO cool!!!

I've re-connected with so many old friends. What a blast!

In between blogging and Facebooking we've been homeschooling......haha just kidding!
A is doing great with our learning time. We've been working on the first Thanksgiving and Native Americans.
We work on math everyday. Although I'm leaning toward backing off on the times tables. I don't think its sticking! Until I'm sure he has the basics of addition and subtraction, and all the concepts that involve that, I don't want to push him forward. Whats the point?
Rocks are a big thing right now. We lugged home BAGS of rocks from different parts of the country during our road trip. Since then he is still so fascinated with them. He displays them, he counts how many he has, he organizes then into different groups. So what better subject to incorporate into our curriculum than All Things Rocks!!
We're even having their (A & B) birthday party this Sunday at a gem mine/gold panning place!

Right now I have to start making rice crispie treats for B's class tomorrow. We're going to make fairy sceptors. Star rice crispies, on a stick with ribbons! Adorable. I'll post pics once they're finished.

Flylady

I consider myself to be fairly organized, my house is not in CHAOS, I'm pretty on-top of things. OK -- I'm completely OCD about a lot of stuff!!! haha
But thank GOD for this website!!!! I'm serious!!I recently found out about Flylady.com and what a gem I've found!
I signed up for the yahoo groups, I started a "control journal" (love that title by the way) and I've started what's called the "Baby Steps". Simple things like shining your sink. I kind of already did this, but not consistently. The idea is that it's so much nicer to wake up to a clean, shiny sink! I agree.
Today, I completed one of the tasks in this weeks "ZONE". The zone is the kitchen. Todays task, wipe down the cabinet doors. MAN, did they NEED it!!!
So, for being as "anal" as I am about many things, there is ALWAYS room for improvement.
Tomorrow, it's the fridge:)

Fantastic Home Learning Day!

We had such a great day today.

We accomplished our morning routine, A & B played really well together, they spent time with our awesome neighbor - sewing of all things!!!
While they were occupied over there, I was able to make phones calls and start laying out the plans for their birthday party.
When they came home, A helped me chop pears for our delicious Pear Cake. He loves using the chopper thingy we have - great invention by the way!!!
And all the while, B kept us entertained with dancing, singing and rhymes that she has learned at pre-school!
As I cleaned the kitchen A asked if he could rake up the leaves in the backyard so they could jump in them!!!!! They did this until it got dark and I called them in for dinner.

WOW, were did these kids come from? OK, just kidding, they're mine!
It's just that some days they absolutley amaze me!

OH HAPPY DAY!

I actually cried last night. Tears of joy. Tears of hope. Tears of pride.

On so many levels, this election means so much.
I feel that we as a nation, have crossed the threshold. Crossed over into a new era of peace, diplomacy, tolerance, understanding, and patriotism.

I'm proud of US.

Whatever will BE will BE

Tonight we shall see which path this country has chosen.

I'm hopeful.

Get Out and VOTE!!!

WOO HOO!!!!!

VOTE VOTE VOTE!!! Whoever it may be for - DO IT! - It's powerful!

Halloween Update

The evening of Trick-or-Treating went better than expected!!!

My concern came when A opted for a mask instead of just face make-up!!! POOR B is very visually sensitive to a lot of things. This amazing little person can go on rollercoasters without flinching, but can't stand the sight of a goblin mask! I do understand, I'm kind of the same way.

So anyway, A suggested that while trick-or-treating that him and his friend would walk in front of B and her friend, so she would only see the back of his head! Great suggestion!

It worked very well for the most part. Except the times that A would turn around after getting candy and look B straight in the face! She DIDN'T like that at all. So (eventually!) after A would get his candy he'd flip up his mask to show B that it was him!

We all had a really great time!

Where does the time go?

Man, it's already October 31st!!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

We have been really busy with trying to stick to a Learning Schedule. I'm incorporating many of the suggestions that A's Grandma has given, at the same time trying to be flexible. Last week was actually very difficult! We were experiencing A LOT of resistance. There were many tears. Poor A was really struggling. I'm still trying to figure out why. But I think we are still DE-schooling.

Anyway, today we are going to concentrate on enjoying Halloween festivities. We are going to do crafts, we're carving our jack-o-lanterns, working on their costumes, and then trick-or-treating tonight with our friends!

A little break in the action is a great thing!

Why I LOVE HSing

One of the many reasons. We get to spend time, as a family, doing really fun things!

Today, our little HS group went to a local farm - The Berry Patch. Each kid got to pick any pumpkin they wanted, they took us on a hayride, explained how and when they plant the crops, let us feed the goats, pigs and chickens, let the kiddos jump into a HUGE pile of hay, played with the "potato-sling"(picture a big sling-shot overlooking a field), and then they topped it off with free home-made ice cream!!!

What a super way to spend a beautiful (but HOT) day with our friends and families. It honestly makes me wonder why we waited so long to do it. Homeschooling that is.

I often think about the kids that are in public school and feel really sad for them. Especially when the school buses drive by. I know that for most families, public school has it's purpose. I was one of those parents at one time that had no other options. I wasn't in a situation that made it possible for me to stay home. It had always been a desire though to HS. Since A was an infant, it was something we discussed a lot! It just took me 8 years to make it happen.

Anyway, on a day like today, I count my blessings. I'm thankful that I'm the one who gets to experience these things with them. I'm grateful that they aren't sitting in a mobile classroom with 30 other kids. I'm glad that they can learn through living, through being out in the real world, meeting real people.

I know I'm still really new to all of this, I'm trying to figure out what works best for us, but the fact still remains...being together, learning together, cherishing our time together, is what matters most to my family.

Wow, all that from a trip to a farm! haha

The support of Grandma

How great is it that A's Grandma is a teacher? Well, a retired teacher from the U.K. (Thumbs up).

I was very nervous when the whole HS thing came up last year. A little background, this is my ex-husbands mother! We have maintained a very close relationship regardless of the circumstances. A has always been everyones first priority!

So, they come to the US a few times a year and A visits them every summer in England. They actually just finished building a second home in S.C., about 2 hours away from us. A just spent the last week and a half "helping" them move in, decorating HIS room, watching the cement trucks lay the cement around the back of the house. He also explored the woods, found a waterfall and went fishing in the lake with his cousins!

Grandma also spent every morning doing his lessons with him! She brought some really awesome books over from England. They are not like the school books that are used over here, by any means!! They are so engaging and comprehensive! They are colorful and logical!
The best part is, he really enjoys doing them!!

I want to really be more UNschooly, but when I see him responding to these sort of approaches it's very exciting! And also, Grandma was explaining (which I already KNEW), "one on one is so much more intense" and "you can be so much more flexible because it's one on one" - my sentiments EXACTLY:) I really love the flexible part! haha

I'm just so pleased that coming from a life in public education, Grandma can appreciate and support what our family is doing! She is a wonderful resource.
It means a lot.

War....

The economic crisis is worsening. Families are losing their jobs and their homes. Some even losing their lives, i.e. the father who shot his entire family and then himself because he couldn't find a job! Retirees are losing life savings. And the war(s) continue.

Thank God the election is right around the corner.

Here a some quotes I came across:

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948), "Non-Violence in Peace and War"


One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.
Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976), Autobiography


Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
Mao Tse-Tung (1893 - 1976)

Sorry to be so gloomy today... it's gloomy outside as well.

Bumpersticker of the Day!

Jesus was a community organizer.
Pilate was a governor.

Day at the Zoo

Yesterday was Girls Day Out!!! B & I along with a new mommy-friend and her 2 girls spent the day at the zoo. It was a beautiful Autumn day. We took a wagon and pulled the girls around to all the animals. They were so cute. Standing up in the wagon to scream out "HI" to the zebras!

The elephant area was amazing! They have a huge pool for them to play in. As we got there, that's exactly what one of them was doing. This massive creature was swimming & splashing, going under and blowing water out of it's trunk. All this was going on only about 20 feet away from us! It was like watching my kids in the pool. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Hanging out with my new friend was cool too. She was one of the moms that came to our HS meet & greet bbq. Our girls really hit it off that day. And so did we. Its not that easy in this area to find like-minded people. So I think we have maybe found a kindred spirit.

Creating your own community

Often times if you want something done you need to do it yourself!
Today it was proven that taking the bull by the horns can really pay off.

My friend and I have been trying all summer to put a support group together for other HSing families in our area. It's been a bit rough. No shows to playdates, no interest in other activities, etc. It can be discouraging, but we felt there was a real need in our community for a secular group that includes everyone.

We sent and e-vite to everyone who had previously signed up on our group.
Well, we had a great turn out. About 6 families came, about 15 kids, all ages. They played, we bbq'd, they played, we talked, they played...

As of todays shindig, we now have planned and on the books: A Fall Festival Themed/Halloween party, a farm visit, park days, and lookin into 4-H.
We exchanged phone numbers and now we have faces to go with the e-mail addresses!

I have been trying to find my own little "niche" ever since I moved to NC. It's been difficult to find like-minded people.

I think I'm finally starting to feel that sense of "community".

DE/UNschooling myself is...

HARD!!!! I believe in the philosophy SO much, but this is proving to be quite a struggle.

I was a pretty good student during my time in school. Thinking back though, I played the "game" really well. I usually did what was required, without too much effort. I have one of those brains that remembers A LOT, usually the first time I hear or see something. I hardly "studied". I found if I paid attention in class, I'd do very well on the tests. School was not a nightmare for me - in the academic sense.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out in my head is the academic (if any) approach I want to take with A. He is so smart and capable of almost anything. What he lacks is the motivation!
I'm trying to let him decompress. I'm trying not to impose my OC personality on him. And that's where the conflict tends to come in. I have a huge need to accomplish certain things in a day. I want A to accomplish certain things in a day! What wrong with that?

Granted, we haven't been doing this all that long. And we've been traveling almost constantly since we pulled him out of school. So maybe I need to lighten up on us.

I'm probably just going throught one of those phases I've read about. Wondering if I'm doing enough. Fearful of falling behind. Wanting so badly to give my DS the environment to learn whatever his heart desires! Without my hang-ups getting in the way!

So here's what we've been working on the last few days:
Times Tables as well as other math facts.
Grammar, including adverbs, homophones, plural & singular verbs, adjectives & pronouns.
Our Time Line for our trip. We kept track of all the states we traveled through, when we entered and left each state and the interesting things we did and saw along the way.
Joural writing and spelling words.
History - researching the Alamo and it's prominent figures.
Science - we have a couple monarch butterfly catapillars that we're observing and tracking it's phases.
Guitar practise.
Plus all the other cool things we do. We bake bread, we take walks, we pick our fruit in our garden.

Maybe the freedom of HSing is still trying to sink in! haha
I'll continue to remind myself the reasons we decided to follow this path! FREEDOM

POW-WOW!!!

Today we went to an Indian pow-wow. Near our home is a national historical site called Town Creek Indian Mound. It was so fun. There was dancing, weapons demonstrations and fire-making! A got a pea-shooter(oh no, look out!), B got an Indian doll and I got a totem charm necklace. It was such a cool experience to see these people expressing their heritage. I got chills when they were chanting, drumming and dancing. We were invited to join the dancing, but B was a little intimidated by all the "big Indians" with all the feathers and face-paint. It's not every day you get to see something like that!!!
Being part Cherokee myself, I found it very inspirational. At some point I want to try and trace my Indian heritage. BUT...one thing at a time, right?

Grapes, glorious grapes!

We got home just in time to start picking our muscadines. It's really unbelievable how many there are.

I'm going to make our first pie of the season tomorrow. If you've never had muscadine pie before, you a really missing out. It tastes similar to cherry pie. And the color of the filling is so beautiful. It's a stunning hot pink!!!

HS: A started his times tables today.
Also worked on adverbs & pronouns.

Our neighbor Ms. Helen, a master gardener, grows specific plants to attract certain critters, like butterflies, catapillars and birds. She has given us a couple of monarch butterfly catapillars to observe. As of tonight they have attached themselves to the top of the container lid. Next they will curl into a "J" shape and start to form the crysalis. Then we'll wait for our butterflies to emerge!!!! Keep ya posted.

SOOOO glad to be HOME!

We arrived home Sat. night after a long, but enjoyable trip!!
We have since unloaded the u-haul, finished 5 loads of laundry(ugh!) and started to get back into a routine. B started pre-school today. She was so excited. She really enjoys "school" right now. It's fun and the teachers let the kids be kids. The program is very child-led.

It also gives me a chance to focus on A and his HSing projects. Lately we've been reviewing a lot of language and grammar. He read a whole Capt. Underpants book in one sitting! He is SO into his guitar right now too. He practices all the time and asks Rick to teach him new chords. He's so proud of himself when he masters a new song! We are too:)


TRIP UPDATE:
One of the projects we wanted to accomplish during our roadtrip was to document our itinerary. A wanted to keep track of each state we entered and exited, how long it took to get through each state, etc.
So since the trip was too chaotic to actually post every day, here it is now that we've been home for like 2 months!!!! haha

8/17/08 Sun. - 9:15am Left our house in NC
10:00an Entered SC
1:00pm Entered Georgia
4:15pm Entered Alabama
6:30pm Entered Mississippi
9:30pm checked into hotel WOW what a day!!!!Sleep well!

8/18/08 Mon. - 9:15am Checked out of hotel
9:20am crossed the Mississippi River in Louisiana
12:00noon Entered Texas
5:00pm Arrived in Austin to meet with our friend Marcus.
8/19/08 Tues. - Spent the day in Austin TX
Went to see a band with Marcus
9:00pm Left for San Antonio TX
8/20/08 Wed. - Day in San Antonio Tx
Went to our friend John's art gallery
Alamo and Riverwalk then dinner at ChaCha's with John and Yulia.

8/21/08 Thur. - Day playing music at John's house. A & B both had some guitar lessons and John gave each of them one of his paintings!
4:45pm Left San Antonio
11:15pm checked into hotel
8/22/08 Fri. - 9:00am left hotel
10:30am Entered New Mexico
1:30pm Entered Arizona
7:00pm Entered California
9:45pm Arrived at Mom & Dad's in Upland!!!!! YAY we made it!!!!!
8/23/08 Sat. -
8/24/08 Sun. - Taking it EASY!!!! RESTING!!!!
8/25/08 Mon. - DISNEYLAND!!! Our NOT-Back-To-School Celebration!!!
8/27/08 Wed.- Pool Party at Uncle Jim's house. Meet a bunch of new relatives.
8/28/08 Thur.- Visited Auntie Evelyn at her assisted living facility.
8/30/08 Sat. - VENICE BEACH!!! Hollywood, Guitar Center, sightseeing!
8/31/08 Sun. - Went to Grandma Marina's house to meet more new relatives
9/1/08 Mon. - Party at Christopher's house. AWESOME pool with waterslide!!!
9/2/08 Tue. - Hollywood to go see Uncle Sam and have Indian food.
9/4/08 Thur. - Dinner with Nanny and Poppy with Grandma Marina and Great-Grandpa Del!
9/5/08 Fri. - Say goodbye to Nanny and Poppy, left Upland at 12:30pm.
4:30pm entered Arizona
10:30pm checked into hotel
9/6/08 Sat. - Met Great-Grandma Polly for the first time!
We had a cookout.
9/7/08 Sun. - 9:00 left hotel
11:00 entered New Mexico
6:40 entered Colorado
6:45 saw deer eating on the side of the road.
10:00 Arrived at Monique and Christian's
9/8/08 Mon. - Day of resting! Then we went to downtown Colorado Springs.
Monique made dinner
9/9/08 Tues.- Trip to Garden of the Gods and Old Colorado City and out to dinner.
9/10/08 Wed. - Ghost town, wild west museum and panning for GOLD!
Ate Vietmanese food for the first time. Yummy!
9/11/08 Thur. - 9:30am left Co. Springs
12:00noon Entered Kansas
8:45pm entered Missouri
10:30pm checked into hotel.
9/12/08 Fri. - 10:00am left hotel
11:58am saw Gateway Arch
12:00noon entered Illinois
2:25pm entered Indiana
6:30pm entered Ohio
10:30pm checked into hotel and met Ross & Cherie
9/13/08Sat. - 11:30am Brunch with Ross and his family.
1:00pm left Ohio
2:30pm entered West Virginia
5:30pm entered Virginia
6:45pm entered North Carolina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9:30pm ARRIVED HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!
Whew!!!!

OK, I also want to write a little bit about the learning that went on during our trip. Of course there really is TOO TOO much to write about, but here is a sampling:
Map Skills
Time Zones
Geography
History
Geneology
Music
Art
Physical Ed.
Reading
Geology
As well as many workbook pages, and journal writing!

The world is our classroom!

Sunny Colorado

While having my morning cup 'o coffee thought I'd catch up on some writing.

Home/UnSchooling has been going really well! Dispite the crazy travel schedule A has been accomplishing quite a bit of "school". haha
That sounds so funny to me. Anyway, as for 3rd grade, we've been reviewing grammar, parts of speech like irregular verbs and past and present. Also reviewing more math facts before jumping into multiplication tables.

I bought 2 great books at a thrift store in CA. A ChildCraft book and also 1001 Q & A's World of Knowledge. A loves them. So whenever he starts to get a little stir-crazy, he just gets his new books and starts reading. The other day as we were driving through AZ and NM we went through a big storm with lots of lightning. A wanted to know how lightning happens, so he looked it up in his book!

Today, we're going to a Ghost Town in Old Colorado City. We're going to pan for gold!!!! Should be fun. UPDATE: It was so fun!!!! We struck GOLD!!! Found 4 little pieces. Could have stayed there all day. I think this is a really great activity for someone with OCD!!! haha

So much for blogging

It's already the second week of Sept. and I haven't written a single entry!!!
I'm finding the whole blogging thing much harder than I thought it would be.
Between the actual driving and getting from place to place, and all the outtings and festivities we've been attending - it's been pretty exhausting.

We're in CO right now and really enjoying being with our niece and her fiance in their new home.
Today we went to the Garden of the Gods. What a wonder of nature!! The visitor and nature center has a really cool, totally intact, dinosaur skull fossil, that was unearthed in 1878.
Then we went to Old Colorado City and the nice, little museum there. Old Colorado City was the next city to be established and platted after Denver. That was in 1859!
Garden of the Gods. One of the most beautiful places we've ever seen!

As far as updating the whole birth-family thing: It's been totally overwhelming, exciting, crazy, weird, confusing, etc...etc...etc.
I think it's going to take some time for me to process all the information I've aquired over the last couple weeks. When I can start to do that, I'm sure I'll have to get it out in writing. Quite a few people have even told me I should write a book or a screen-play. Stuff like this, you can't make up.

Truth IS stranger than fiction!

"Not-Back-To-School" Celebration

What better way to celebrate NOT going back to school than to go to
DISNEYLAND!!!!
What a blast! A & B are both tall enough now to go on all the rides!

We had just gone to DisneyWorld about 2 years ago and poor B was still too small to do much of anything. She's also a little speed-demon, so "It's a Small World" was not cuttin' it!
Amazing what a couple years will do! Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Splash Mountain...even the Haunted Mansion. She covered her eyes through much of it, but at least she conquered her fear!!!

My "new" Uncle Jim (birth-family) works there. He does a show and we started the day by seeing that. He even got A & B to go up on stage and be part of the show! We took pictures with Mickey and Cinderella afterwards. It was really a special moment to see the kids on stage at Disney, where I used to work! WITH MY BIRTH-UNCLE!!! It almost brought me to tears.

It's been strange, but in a good way, how things are coming full circle. This has been quite the "trip" so far:)

HomeSchool Update: Yesterday we read a chapter in a Childcraft book, Places to Know.
We also watched the movie, National Treasure. What a great movie!!! It's totally sparked an interest in American History! I see a unit study in our future.

"California, here I come..."

Friday, Aug. 22nd.
We decided to try and get to the parents house by tonight. We left the hotel at 9am and arrived in Upland, CA at 9:45pm. YEAH, we did it!!! Happy to be home.

Oh, and on the road, A worked on map skills, did math-fact cards, wrote in his journal, did some workbook pages that included synonymns, nouns, math review & place values. We played UNO and Pairs.

Whoever said learning can only take place in a classroom is crazy!!!

"0 Miles to E"

Just a quick public service announcement. When driving through Texas in the middle of the night, remember that Texas is REALLY big and things are REALLY spread out. Make sure you have enough gas to get to the next BIG town!!!
As we came round the bend, the very last possible bend before "E", a Chevron magically appeared!!!
Thank you GOD:)

The Alamo & the Riverwalk

Today we went to the Alamo. We saw cannons, cannonballs, bowie knives, a letter written by Davie Crockett and a buck skin vest that he wore.
After strolling around the beautiful gardens and looking at all the artifacts we went to the Riverwalk for lunch. We took a boat tour around the River and learned alot. The architecture is amazing. The river also has a very complex flood-gate system so as not to flood the entire downtown area! It happened before, 1928 the river rose 8 feet above street level! They really don't want that to happen again.
The 1968 World's Fair was here in San Antonio so we learned about the World's Fair tower and the hotels that were built specifically for the Fair. The Palacio del Rio was finished 2 days before the opening of the Fair and it was built 8 miles from downtown and transported, piece by piece and assembled where it stands today.
A & B loved seeing all the ducks in the river. And to top it off, we actually saw someone fall in the river!!! It was very funny, and she was a good sport about it!LOL

TEXAS

We made it to Texas!!! We slammed through NC, SC, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in 2 days!!! We hooked up with our friend Marcus in Austin TX, ate, drank, and listened to some great music! Austin is such a cool city!
Now we're in San Antonio. Meeting up with another friend tomorrow. He has an art gallery on the River Walk. So maybe we'll even come home with a beautiful painting!

As far as the family reunion goes, it keeps getting more interesting by the hour. Long story short, a guy I did a show with in college ended up being my birth-step-uncle!!! Is that confusing?Didn't know it at the time, of course. But we did Evita together and my birth-mom came to see him (her step-brother) in the show. Little did she know, she was also seeing her daughter in the same show!!! I know, crazy, huh?
Well he's having a party for me and he's invited some other college friends!! I haven't seen these people in like 20 years. It's going to be a total trip.

We're STILL here!

We decided to stay in town one more day to tie up loose ends. It's been raining so much lately, so we really have to mow the lawn. If we don't, by the time we get back it's going to be a jungle!

Oh, and the fact that I haven't started packing!! Spent most of yesterday in town with the kids, running errands and then a get-together with our HS group friends.

I've been talking with M (birth-mom in CA) and it looks like 2 parties are already in the works. They were pre-exsisting gatherings, but now our "meeting" has been incorporated!!! It's pretty incredible to think about. All the pieces of the puzzle have started to fit together. 39 years of questions, searching for my heritage, wonderinging where I come from. The door has finally opened and I'm about to walk in! WOW!

So I better get my butt in gear and start packin'!!! LOL

I finally took pics of the latest projects. The vintage tea-towel purse. You can't see the shoulder strap that well, but it's black. And then there's the Indian pillow cover purse. I love that one.

I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT...

It rained all night and has continued all day! Man I love it! I don't think it's been this cool since early last spring. I have all the windows open and we're airing out all the rooms.Ah, Fresh air!!!

It's also forced us to be indoors getting stuff done for our trip. I actually finished a couple sewing projects that have been sitting around for weeks! I finished a purse. It turned out really cute. It's made from vintage tea-towels that my Aunt gave me. One has a butler serving drinks, the other has a maid drying a dish. I sewed them together, attached a strap, put on a button and loop for a closure and -Voila! A one of a kind creation.

I also made a cool purse out of pillow covers from India. Tassles and all. I was on a shopping bag making kick for a long time too. Using only repurposed fabrics such as old clothes, tablecloths, anything I could get my hands on. Actually successful enough to sell at some local craft fairs.
I get very gung-ho about my projects. Then my motivation wanes and I'm on to something else. I'm never lacking enthusiasm, only hours in the day!

Tick, tick, tick...

OK, I told myself I was not going to start freaking out. But the clock is ticking and I feel like I'm never going to get everything done. Of course, I know that I WILL get everything done. This is just something I do with every trip. I want to be totally prepared for anything. Which really is ridiculous. It's not like we're going to a deserted island. If I forget anything or if someone needs something, all we have to do is go buy it, right?

I remember a road trip we took when I was about 7. From California to Michigan! The parents and 3 kids in the back of a station wagon. Talk about lack of comfort!!! We all survived and I have a lot of great memories from that trip.

We didn't have a dvd player in the car or a laptop computer. We didn't stop for kid's meals with toys. We didn't stay in fancy hotels. For our entertainment on the road, we had hang-man, tic-tac-toe and cross-word puzzles. Mom packed a cooler and we had picnics at rest-stops or even the side of a country road. And most nights we pulled into a little motor-lodge. Sometimes we were lucky enough to stay at one that had a pool!!!

As of this post, I'm officially done freaking out! Our kids got it pretty good these days! LOL
The suitcases and cooler will get packed. Who cares if we forget something. The point is to have a have a great time, see some cool stuff, spend some much needed time with family, and create memories that we'll have forever.

Lovely way to start the day.

I love mornings like this. Putting my coffee on, opening all the curtains, seeing that it's not 90degrees out!!! - Yeah, I can have my coffee out on the patio!!!
I'm trying to make this a morning ritual. I have a tendency to go straight to the computer, answer emails and read some news. Sometimes not alway the most positive way to begin the day.

On the other hand, getting some fresh air, admiring my garden, watching the squirrels and the birds, oh and sipping my freshly brewed coffee, now that's a very positive way to begin the day!

Then little B joined me and we chatted about the woodpeckers and the clouds. She informed me that when the clouds are sad and they cry that's when it rains. When the clouds are happy, that's when a rainbow appears! What a beautiful idea. Thanks B.

Countdown to the Family Road Trip '08

In one week we are off on a month long trip, cross-country to California!!! We did it back in 2005 and I vowed that I would NEVER do it again!!! Never say never, right?!!! Somehow, my brave husband talked me into it. "The kids are older", "We'll take our time", "It'll be educational"...

I was born and raised in CA and all of my family still lives there. My parents are at that age where traveling is much more difficult. So if we're going to spend any amount of time with them, we're the ones who are gonna have to get there. Although Rick is not from there, he spent SO much time in CA that we're both surprised we never ran into eachother. We had to wait till I moved to FL to fall in love! He really enjoys the west coast, so any opportunity to go, he's all for it.

There's actually a lot to accomplish on this trip. First and foremost, see my parents. But there's a little twist to the situation. I'm adopted and I found my birth-family about 2 years ago! My birth-mom lives only 20 minutes from the house I grew up in! She has been dying for me to come out and meet the rest of the "family". Looks like there may be a big reunion, of sorts, to look forward too while there. Could get interesting. Ya think?

So besides the packing, I'm going to try and prepare myself mentally to meet my relatives for the very first time, in person! WOW.

Here goes nothin'! OR maybe somethin'!

So we figured since we do actually have a pretty cool life (well, we think so) that it'd be fun to write about it. We travel a lot, we're musicians and our kids are totally wonderful.

We're trying to live by example and not buy into the whole consumeristic mentality that has such a strangle-hold on so many families. We grow much of our own food. We recycle everything possible. We compost everything else. We dream (well at least I do-haha) of one day having our own little homestead with chickens, some goats and a pig! Our goal is to be totally off-the-grid. Complete with geo-thermal, solar and wind power. Oh, and an electric car! I know, those of you who know us think we must be totally nutso, but hey, we've evolved. We're not the same people we used to be. I don't think it's possible for any of us to be the same.

We homeschool, because frankly, we think we can do a better job and have a heck of a lot more fun doing it. Our son A is 9 and our daughter B is 4. We have a blast and we all learn, together.

So, this is the beginning of what we hope is a fun, surprising, not-too-exhausting adventure!