Am I Crazy?

Yes, Charlotte got into the Annie play. Her part is a Choral Orphan. She is thrilled with this. And me? I am thrilled too, but I'm starting to feel a little anxiety over this decision. Mostly because I thought getting the kids to and from soccer felt overwhelming at times. We have entered a new frontier of craziness, but really, maybe it won't be all that bad. Bear with me as I talk myself into seeing the positive side of this decision.

First, we don't have a school schedule to worry about. This means, no getting to bed early, getting up early, no homework to worry about.

Second, we will rearrange our schedule so our errands are done during play practice. This means, we will not be doing story hour for a couple of months, which Charlotte was bummed about. But she doesn't really participate in that anymore. She independently goes off and checks out her own books and reads while the youngers sit and listen to stories. Thank god the library in Washburn is open on weeknights until 8:00pm.

Third, I have friends that said they will help me when I need it during the week. I'm pretty much single mom until the weekends.

Fourth, I've been told that play practices are interesting enough to hold the attention of the younger brother and sister. Sometimes, we will be staying to watch practice.

And last, everyone I have talked to has said "You just can't miss this opportunity." So, I'm talking myself into helping my daughter take this on. So, the positives are:

1) She will get free dance, singing and acting lessons. (Well, the cost is all the driving I'll be doing)
2) She will get to know a whole new group of girls, all participating in a very fun activity.
3) She'll be a part of something BIG!
4) She'll be taking direction and learning from adults other than her mom and dad.
5) This will give her a beginner experience, which can lead to other plays. She'll have a choral part in her back pocket.
6) It's ANNIE for cryin' out loud!

The Emergence of Talent

When does a child reveal their talent to you? Do you wake up one day and see it blooming like a spring flower in the morning? Or does it creep up on you like old age a little at a time.

Yesterday, my oldest was in the back yard at our duplex in Minneapolis, holding an apple up and playing with our first dog Lucky. Fast forward seven years, four moves, a new dog and the addition of two more children; I find myself sitting drinking coffee in Stagenorth waiting for my children to try out for their first community theater production of Annie.



The music flowed before our children came into our lives. As a couple we played music while they were in the womb, and continued paying while they grew up around us. Mini guitars were given as gifts; drama and story telling became routine. Our children put on their own production of the Hobbit and continued to re-enact the great dramas of our time often putting song and dance moves into the mix without any adult involvement. My wife and I would sit back and wonder where all this imagination and energy came from.

The homeschool life allows us to let the natural emergence of talent to appear, often in unexpected places.

So today I sit while Finn and Charlotte try out for Annie. I don't know what the outcome will be, it may be the beginning many nights of hanging out in theaters or it may just be one of the many things my children try as they make their way towards who they will become. As they chart their own course, my wife and I become passengers on their adventures.





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Hidden Treasures: Splitting Geodes

Have you ever just picked up a rock and thought, "Gee. I wonder what's inside there?" Well, when my kids found out they could split open a Geode, they were absolutely thrilled. Especially Charlotte. She's my little rock hound. Every time we go to the beach, she comes home with a huge bag of rocks. We recently joined the Penokee Mountain School ( the local Homeschool Co-op) back in early October. The kids have been waiting so patiently for the arrival of this day. Last Friday we had a local guest speaker from Marengo, Kathie Snyder, an avid rock hound, come share her buckets of knowledge (and Geodes) with our children. When I say buckets, I mean that each child was able to choose one Geode from three different states. I wish I could remember which Geode came from where. These were mostly from southern states and each had their own look about them. In this photo, the Geodes appear to be very round. When you pick them up, they seemed pretty light.The kids seemed to have the most luck with these Geodes called "Coconut Geodes" from Mexico.This bucket had what I would describe as "bubbly shaped" geodes called "Thundereggs" from New Mexico. They felt pretty dense and ended up to be hard to split.This bucket looked like it was filled with "mini brains." Also very dense and very hard to split. These came from Arizona and Tennessee.We walked away with from this experience learning how to choose a good Geode. One must pick up many and compare them to one another. Looks can be deceiving. You must go by weight. The bigger and lighter, the more space there may be inside. You want light and hollow, as they split easier. We found through trial and error, that small and dense were really hard to break. Mind you, this is done with a chisel and a hammer. And safety goggles of course. For those who could not break theirs open with the chisel, there was the option to take the Geode out to the sidewalk and just hit it with the hammer. If you have to do this, chances are you'll end up with more pieces. So, here are some samples of Charlotte and Finn pounding away.

Not only did she bring her Geodes, but a tray full of Agates, which this family is particularly fond of. She offered one to everyone.There was a table of her beautiful rock collection. Sometimes, I take pictures and I don't even know what I'm taking a picture of. I just know they are pretty and sparkly. That big thing in the front is a petrified cactus. (One of the kids told me.)I think this is a fossil of some kind.Ok. Look at this colorful beauty. So vivid!I've never seen anything quite like it. So, later I asked Kathie what kind of rock could have so much color in it. Well folks, it is NOT a rock. This is a slice from the floor of a car factory. Yes, this is layers upon layers of car paint.

Another station she had set up were animal skulls. This was a very popular display.It was a spectacular day. I have to give Kathie a ton of credit for her patience, bravery and very steady hand. She split Geodes with about twenty kids and walked away with all limbs attached.

Guest Post: How Does A School Foster Hope? | Education Innovating

Guest Post: How Does A School Foster Hope? | Education Innovating

Jamie was asked to guest blog on how his school focuses on growing hope with his students.