Live Free Learn Free Blog » 2005 » April <title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-content/themes/thirteen/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml" title="RSS .92" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/rss/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom 0.3" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/atom/" /> <link rel="pingback" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php" /> <style type="text/css"> </style> <link rel='archives' title='August 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='February 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/' /> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> </head> <body> <div id="headwrapper"> <div id="header"> <h1 id="title"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog">Live Free Learn Free Blog</a></h1> </div> </div> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="content"> <div class="post" id="post-29"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/27/tennis-anyone/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Tennis, Anyone?">Tennis, Anyone?</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 27th, 2005 at 11:29 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Kenzie and I walked to one of our neighborhood parks today, armed with tennis rackets and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He’s been aching to play on the courts since we bought the rackets and balls at a local thrift store, and the weather today was simply gorgeous - not a cloud in the sky. We were prepared to find the courts locked, as they often are (if the door closes, it automatically locks - you’d think the city didn’t want anyone playing there! But, of course, this is the same city that keeps water in the pool at this park all year long, even during the winter. By springtime, the ripples are just calling to you to jump in, but it’s all locked up). Luckily, the last people to use the courts had wedged a brick in the door, so we were able to play.</p> <p>For the next few hours, we hit the ball back and forth to each other, sometimes across the net, sometimes not, sometimes with a normal tennis stance, sometimes using the rackets like golf clubs. We chased the balls around the court and bounced them on our rackets. We ate our sandwiches, bananas, and apples, drank our water, and kept on playing. And kept on playing. And…. Well, you get the idea.</p> <p>My joints ache and my face is still bright pink. Kenzie fared a bit better than I did, but he’s still got more than a healthy glow. I need to put the sunscreen next to the door so we’ll remember it next time. No hurry, though. My muscles need to heal a bit, first.</p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/27/tennis-anyone/#respond" title="Comment on Tennis, Anyone?">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-28"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/27/handcuffing-children/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Handcuffing Children">Handcuffing Children</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 27th, 2005 at 2:58 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />I’ve been watching the <a href="http://www.sptimesphotos.com/video/classroom.html">unedited videos</a> of the five-year-old girl who was handcuffed at a Florida school after a tantrum. I’d seen snippets, but decided I needed to find a more complete version. I don’t trust the media to edit the tape fairly.</p> <p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/5-year-old.jpg"><img border="0" alt="5yearold" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/5yearold.jpg" /></a></p> <p>Initially, I saw very little in the child’s behavior that should cause much concern. She simply tore up paper, pulled a few pictures off the wall, stood on a table, and, with very little force or passion, tried to hit the assistant principal. I saw nothing I would consider out of the ordinary behavior for a five-year-old. She was upset, and she was showing it the way many children that age do.</p> <p>When I watched the longer, unedited videos, I began to sympathize with the girl even more. No one took her seriously. No one asked her what was wrong, how she was feeling, what she needed, what would help calm her down. No one. Over and over, she was told, “That’s not acceptable,” and “Clean up your mess,” and “Don’t touch me,” and “That makes me sad,” and “No.”</p> <p>Nobody ever tried to understand this child. Instead, they spoke down to her, patronizingly.</p> <p>It’s no wonder she finally spun a little out of control.</p> <p>But really, being the mother of an intense child who has a food allergy that caused pure, unadulterated rages for three years until we discovered the source (a topic for a later blog entry and possible article), I know that this tantrum, on a tantrum spectrum, so to speak, was slight. It barely registered. This child was not raging. She was wanting someone to listen to her, plain and simple. And no one did. Instead, they cleared the classroom of other children and videotaped themselves berating her.</p> <p>And from many of the polls I’ve seen, a good number of people are in favor of handcuffing children who “misbehave” in school. It boggles my mind. Instead of drug counseling, we should send addicts to jail. Instead of setting up programs for teens, we should throw them in juvie. Instead of talking to small children, finding out what’s wrong, and fixing it, we should have three uniformed police officers who are not trained to work with children slap handcuffs on them and push them into a patrol car. Our society is degrading faster than I had imagined.</p> <p>Children deserve respect. They deserve to be surrounded by people who will listen to them. They deserve to be treated with kindness. This child will, undoubtedly, have a lot to work through. I hope she is strong. After watching her on these tapes, I suspect she is.</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/27/handcuffing-children/#respond" title="Comment on Handcuffing Children">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-27"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/26/taking-back-the-hood/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Taking Back the ‘Hood">Taking Back the ‘Hood</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 26th, 2005 at 2:30 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Kenzie is sleeping. We <a href="http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/articles/co-sleeping-and-the-family-bed.htm">co-sleep</a>. Always have. So, he’s sprawled across Grandma Chapman’s old iron bed under a giant patchwork velvet bedspread we picked up at a yardsale for $3.00. There’s something about a sleeping child that infuses me with a sense of calmness that I don’t always feel. He’s safe.</p> <p><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/sleeping_with_blackie.jpg" alt="Sleeping_with_blackie" /></p> <p> Crashed out with Blackie</p> <p> We know most of the people on our block, but not overly well. I make it a point to say hello to everyone I see, to spend a lot of time outside, and to initiate conversations with other neighborhood parents. I want to make this neighborhood safe for everyone. Is it too 1950s-ish to want my neighborhood to be a small, close-knit community of people who genuinely care about each other? Maybe. But I refuse to get with the times. I want every child to know that my home is open to her/him in any emergency, and I want other homes to be open, as well. </p> <p> I want a neighborhood where Kenzie can simply ride around on his bike, out of my sight, and play with different friends for a few hours, without me having to worry. I want a neighborhood where I can say, "Be back before it gets dark," knowing that someone on the block, sweeping out his driveway, will tell Kenzie he’d better be getting home when the sun starts to set.</p> <p>I don’t often contemplate the worst, but when I do, I comfort myself by thinking about making this neighborhood one in which everyone watches out for the children. Of course, shouldn’t they all be like that?</p> <p>A good source for learning how to change the way adults view and participate with children in neighborhoods and other communities is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/014100150X/ref%3Dnosim/porfessionalp5-20/002-4814343-7950464">Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand</a> by James R. Vollbracht. I haven’t read it in several months, so it’s probably time to delve in again.</p> <p>We must take back our neighborhoods. Yes, there are still people around me who drive into their garages after work and never venture out, and there are a few who ignore cheerful hellos, but there are others who do lots of yardwork, or who tinker on cars with the garage door up, or who like to sit on their porches to drink iced tea during the summer months. We can get to know these people, and we can make sure they know our children. We can welcome new neighbors. We can visit elderly ones. We can offer snacks to our children’s friends and ask them to take some home to their parents.</p> <p>I say these things, but being the introvert that I am, I have to admit to finding it difficult to actually do them. I have to make myself look people in the eye and smile, or ask how their day has been, or let them know they’re welcome in my home any time. These things are hard for me. But, I make myself approach, and the words do come out, somehow. I’m working on it.</p> <p>Tonight, in bed, we counted up all the people Kenzie knows on our block. There are quite a few. Now, if we can just get to know the others. Perhaps I should bake some cookies. </p> </p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/26/taking-back-the-hood/#respond" title="Comment on Taking Back the 'Hood">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-26"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/25/working-from-home/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Working from Home">Working from Home</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 25th, 2005 at 12:29 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/the-magazine/" title="View all posts in The Magazine" rel="category tag">The Magazine</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />The <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/current.htm">current issue</a> is at the printers’. I can sleep, again. Mostly, I’ve been lying awake at night thinking of things I need to change, things that I should do (or not do), people I need to write back, notes I need to jot down. And Kenzie has learned how best to put up with me when deadlines near - he simply repeats things over and over until I finally hear him. Eventually, I’ll say, “What? You want to do what?” and he’ll have my full attention. Then, I’ll take a break and go with him to do this or that.</p> <p>I tried to work at home a few years ago. Ignoring everything I know to be true about learning, silencing my moral side, I took a job as a senior essay grader for a New Jersey 4th grade standardized test. Yes, I did it. I’m not proud of it, but I did it. The money was good (I was a poor grad. student), and I could stay home with Kenzie. It sounded perfect - except for that whole going-against-everything-I-believe-in thing.</p> <p>After the first few days, it made me physically ill to start grading every morning at 7:00 am. The papers were heart-wrenching. There were children who could barely speak English, but I had to grade them the same as the native English speakers. There were children who wrote horrible things about their home lives. There were children who wrote about how scared they were to take the test, how stressed out it made them, how they were worried because they didn’t get a good breakfast that morning like Teacher told them to. There were children who wrote about being poor, living with angry uncles, and going home to an empty house. There were children who wrote about their horse riding lessons - these were the children who wrote on-topic, five-sentence paragraphs, the right number of details, the perfect length, and who used those English-class buzz words.</p> <p>I graded them all: 1-5.</p> <p>And Kenzie hated it. I was unavailable to him for eight hours, though I was in the same room only a few feet from him. Instead, I was making phone calls to other graders, reviewing their work, grading the “ungrade-able” essays. I was deciphering 4th grade handwriting. I was looking up song lyrics that a child had written in lieu of his essay, or Southpark quotes, or a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and secretly thinking, “Good for you!”</p> <p>And then, I quit. Or rather, I didn’t sign on for any more sessions. I’d had all I could take.</p> <p>Quite different from my current job as editor/publisher of an unschooling magazine. I can walk away from the computer whenever I like to go to the park, bake muffins, play board games, or watch my son ride around the neighborhood on his bicycle. I surround myself with people who realize that standardized tests are a sham and a misery. I read and print articles about kids being kids and learning amazing things in the process. And, I don’t have to ignore my moral side; I let her shine forth. She’s happy.</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/25/working-from-home/#respond" title="Comment on Working from Home">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-25"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/22/cats-cats-and-more-cats/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Cats, Cats, and More Cats">Cats, Cats, and More Cats</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 22nd, 2005 at 1:23 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />I’m allergic to cats.</p> <p>Yes, it’s true. And we have three (along with two mixed breed dogs who live indoors and five bettas, who, admittedly, are quiet and quite content to swim around their large fishbowls). Hep is named after Audrey Hepburn because she’s small, and cute, and black&white. She arrived on our doorstep, emaciated, a year ago with her tiny nursing daughters in tow. Though we found a home for one, we still have Blackie, the fearless kitty. Cars do not scare her, and this worries me. Both Hep and Blackie stay inside during the day. And, we have Incredible Cat who began living on our porch even before Hep and Blackie found us. He had lived a rough life, being kicked out of several neighborhood homes for one reason or another and getting into terrible cat fights (apparently, his eye once came out of its socket, and someone popped it back in; it’s never been quite right since). I’ve decided, though, that deep down, he’s a lover - not a fighter. He tested positive for FIV and FelV, so we keep him inside. Hep and Blackie seem immune to both, somehow.</p> <p>Well, we’re in the process of being adopted by another stray. This poor guy has been wandering the neighborhood for weeks. He’s afraid of everything - cars, people, movement of any sort, and any cat he encounters, male or female. He’s bony and hollow. He howls for food, but is afraid to come near enough to eat. He’s finally become attached to me, but everything else is too frightening. I’m still thinking of a name for him, but I’m worried that we’re getting in over our heads. I feel overwhelmed, sometimes, as it is. The bettas are simple, the dogs are fun, though challenging, but the cats…. Well, sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, chin, and back, wheezing, sniffling…. These things I could do without.</p> <p>Of course, when I think it over, I know I can’t do without them, and I worry that they can’t do without me. Well, perhaps Blackie and Hep could live with another owner, but Incredible can’t. No one wants a cat this ill. The vets were astounded that I didn’t want to have this “diseased” stray put down. But he’s enjoying life, and he’s happy and playful. And this new guy…. At the moment, I don’t think he’ll get along so well without me. So, there you have it. I’ll be sniffling and scratching for quite a long time, by the looks of it. Truthfully, I can’t envision life without them - any of them. Am I a sucker, or what?</p> <p><img border="0" alt="Armful_of_hep_1" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/armful_of_hep_1.jpg" /></p> <p>Armful of Hep</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/22/cats-cats-and-more-cats/#respond" title="Comment on Cats, Cats, and More Cats">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-24"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/18/book-sale/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Book Sale">Book Sale</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 18th, 2005 at 1:44 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>I wrote this Sunday evening, but mistakenly saved it as a draft instead of posting it. The wine, perhaps?<br /> ___________________________________________________________</p> <p>Listening to the <a href="http://ebni.com/byrds/spfbb1.html">Flying Burrito Brothers</a> and editing old poems has taken its toll on me. Or maybe it’s the glass of cheap wine I’ve had. Or possibly the unschooling project I’m working on (for some reason, very draining).</p> <p>Kenzie has been fighting a cold for the past few days, and has been spending most of his time indoors, recuperating. Luckily, we went to our library’s used book sale yesterday morning. Of course, that’s a story in itself. I have never actually gotten to a book sale the moment it opened before, and I assumed (stupidly) that we would be one of the first families there. Nope. There were thirty or forty other people waiting in a line that stretched through the parking lot. When we were finally let in and made our way to the children’s section, I wasn’t prepared for the intensity that greeted me. I’ve never seen so many women fighting over used books, scrapping and scrounging for reading material for their children. Is this a good sign, or a bad sign? I’m not sure. Silly me, I tried talking to the women around me. When I saw a book we already owned and enjoyed, I told whomever I was standing beside that it was a wonderful book if your child is interested in such-and-such. None of the women answered me. One woman, as I was going through a pile of books, waited behind me and pulled out every good book I uncovered before I could grab it. Frightening.</p> <p>We spent $19.00, and Kenzie ended up with a pile of great books. He’s been reading them all day. He lost his voice early this morning, and it’s been driving him crazy (he’s a very vocal child). Reading is something he can do without feeling the need to speak (or sing). He’s made his way through the first Harry Potter book. I wonder what he’ll decide on next (for some reason, this cold hasn’t made him tired, and he’s up up up at almost midnight).</p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/18/book-sale/#respond" title="Comment on Book Sale">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-23"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/16/return-of-the-muse/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Return of the Muse">Return of the Muse</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 16th, 2005 at 1:03 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />I felt inspired tonight. It happens every so often, and I rush for paper and pencil, or I search for old poems I’ve abandoned. But mostly, for the past two years, I haven’t felt the urge to write the way I once did.</p> <p>After finishing college a few years ago, I went straight to graduate school, working toward an MFA in poetry. I had a bit of raw talent and a passion for learning to craft beautiful, delicate poems. For the first few months, I was excited to be around so many published poets, so many women and men who could critique my work and whom I admired. I taught my classes, studied the big name poets, and wrote like crazy. I fell in love with the work of several female poets who used images of domesticity extensively, and I delved into the implications of elevating the everyday to the realm of the poetic. Had I been working toward a PhD, this would have been my focus. The voice of my poems was becoming more and more refined. When he wasn’t with his father, Kenzie often followed me to work, hung out with me on campus, and charmed the college kids. It was great for a while.</p> <p>But soon, the pressure of being creative under a deadline took over much of my life and my energy. Sure, I could write academic papers under deadlines, and these served me well, but poems were another matter, entirely. It became more and more difficult to churn out the number of poems necessary for classes, and I felt increasingly dissatisfied with their quality. I began to dread writing.</p> <p>So, I quit.</p> <p>I enrolled in graduate school in order to surround myself with poems and poets and a genuine enthusiasm for poetry. Instead, I ended up having to force the writing out of me, feeling guilty and inadequate. And, I racked up quite a large debt in the process.</p> <p>I finished one year of a three-year program. I would have graduated next month. I haven’t written more than one or two pieces in the past two years.</p> <p>But tonight, I felt that spark - that wonderful, exciting, rushing spark of energy that makes me want to write. Will it come more often, now? Perhaps my muse was on an extended vacation from which she’s finally returned. Maybe a welcome back party is in order…. I’ll get the champagne.</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/16/return-of-the-muse/#respond" title="Comment on Return of the Muse">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-22"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/11/a-trip-to-the-museum/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to A Trip to the Museum">A Trip to the Museum</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 11th, 2005 at 1:50 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/Kenzie%20the%20Texan.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/kenzie_the_texan.jpg" alt="Kenzie_the_texan" /></p> <p></a></p> <p>Yesterday, we planned to use Kenzie’s Imax tickets to watch <a href="http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/imax/films/forcesofnature.shtm">Forces of Nature</a>, a film that covered volcanoes, earthquakes, and tornados. I hadn’t been to an Imax in years, so this was definitely a treat. When we got there, though, we realized we had forgotten the four tickets Kenzie had won. Oops. We decided to watch the movie, anyway, and keep Kenzie’s prize for another time.</p> <p>We also visited the <a href="http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/index.shtm">Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum</a> to which the Imax is attached - three floors filled with exhibits on American Indians, </p> <p>pioneers, Santa Anna, the Alamo, annexation, the oil boom, Texas music, etc. Kenzie was especially drawn in by the maps. It was the first time he slowed down enough to wonder about things and ask questions. He lingered in the map exhibit for quite a while, and, since his father and uncle were off looking at holographic images of Texas towns, I tried to answer as many of his questions as I could. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about Texas history. I vaguely remember sitting through TX history class in seventh grade, but it certainly wasn’t very interesting. According to the maps, Texas was, at one time, much smaller than it is today, and at another time stretched much further west and north. We talked about why this was and why Texas eventually took the shape it is now. We looked at county maps and discovered Wichita county, where we used to live, was once part of Cooke county. We looked at early maps that showed North and South America as a shifting, ubiquitous land mass as explorers and map makers slowly discovered more about it. Here are a few interesting links on Texas maps: <a href="http://texinfo.library.unt.edu/annexation/contents.html#Maps">From Republic to Statehood</a> and the <a href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/texas.html#state">Perry Castaneda Library Map Collection</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/P0002417.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/us_map.jpg" alt="Us_map" /></p> <p></a></p> <p> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/P0002412.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/map_reading.jpg" alt="Map_reading" /></p> <p></a></p> <p> We also talked a lot about the <a href="http://www.texasalmanac.com/history/highlights/oil/">history of Texas oil exploration</a>. My father is a geophysicist in the oil industry, an industry that has seen very high highs and very low lows. So, we discussed where and how oil was found in Texas, why there was so much in the beginning, and why there’s little left, today. We talked about the way oil is formed (and why there have been companies who used <a href="http://www.jukeland.de/deco/globes.html">shells and dinosaurs</a> as their logos), and what people are doing to prepare for a time when oil is too scarce to support society’s current rates of consumption.</p> <p>After the museum and the Imax, we went to <a href="http://www.halfpricebooks.com/">Half Price Books</a>, one of my all-time favorite stores. We hadn’t been on a book-buying escapade in some time, so we went a little nuts. Kenzie ended up with books on the Greek alphabet, haunted places, and natural disasters, as well as another Magic School Bus book, three history quiz books, and the Life Science <a href="http://www.lyricallearning.com/">Lyrical Learning</a> set. Don’t know what we’ll do with the workbook that came with it, but the cassette is wonderful! Then, we visited my parents where he watched cartoons and fell asleep reading his new books. Quite a day.</p> <p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/P0002418.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/newspaper.jpg" alt="Newspaper" /></p> <p></a></p> <p> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/200/1410/640/P0002421.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/revolutionary_kenzie.jpg" alt="Revolutionary_kenzie" /></p> <p></a></p> </p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/11/a-trip-to-the-museum/#respond" title="Comment on A Trip to the Museum">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-21"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/07/dr-demento-day/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Dr. Demento Day">Dr. Demento Day</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 7th, 2005 at 3:17 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Kenzie won four tickets to the Imax theater in Austin in a local “Forces of Nature” drawing contest. He’s excited beyond belief and is already planning out our trip to the movie and the attached Texas history museum. He hasn’t been before, so he’s counting down the days. </p> <p>We spent a good part of the day listening to old <a href="http://www.thedoctordementoshow.com/index.php">Dr. Demento shows</a>. If you’re a fan, this is the site for you. A very dedicated fanatic has digitized almost 1300 shows - lots of Tom Leher, They Might Be Giants, Animaniacs, etc. I was elated to find a copy of the December 13, 1987 show. My father taped that particular show off the radio when I was eleven, and I’ve listened to it during Christmas time, ever since. While other people sing “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night,” I get in the Christmas mood by singing “Christmas at Ground-Zero,” “Star Wars vs. Santa Claus,” and “Let’s Have a Drug-Free Christmas.” For the past few years, I’ve worried about the tape slowly degrading, and I’ve wondered how to digitize it. Thank goodness someone has already done it for me! My only problem with the website is that each download contains three or four songs. Novelty songs aren’t always a good fit for a seven-year-old, so we proceeded carefully. Still, he’s been singing a few songs some of our relatives would shake their heads over. Oh, well.</p> <p>I also came across an amazing <a href="http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/">Lego site</a> this evening. Kenzie hasn’t seen it yet, so I’ll leave it on the computer for him to find in the morning. Wow.</p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/07/dr-demento-day/#comments" title="Comment on Dr. Demento Day">1 Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-20"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/06/procrastination/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Procrastination">Procrastination</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> April 6th, 2005 at 3:06 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>, <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/the-magazine/" title="View all posts in The Magazine" rel="category tag">The Magazine</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />I’m listening to Gillian Welch, steeped to my ears in editing. It’s amazing the problems that arise for which I can find no answers. Should the names of video games be itallicized? They’re like software titles, and those are itallicized…. Hmm….</p> <p>I’ll admit, I’ve been putting off the editing. I should have started transferring my paper edits to computer last night, but I couldn’t bear it. I needed to be outside. I spent quite a long time last night sitting under the tree that dominates our front lawn, barefoot, talking to the neighborhood cats and staring at the sky. 1:30 in the morning is the perfect time to pretend I’m not surrounded by neighbors who don’t wave to one another when they happen outside at the same time.</p> <p>Earlier this evening, it stormed. There was no rain predicted for today, but such is Texas weather. Kenzie and I watched the small hailstones bouce off the cars and asphalt, and we discussed how and why they form. Some days, I just can’t get enough of the rain; I sit out on my too-small porch and watch for hours. Tonight, though, the rain ended too soon, and I was back inside the house, cleaning, reading email, editing.</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/06/procrastination/#respond" title="Comment on Procrastination">Comments</a> </p> </div> <p> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/page/2/">« Previous entries</a> · <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/page/2/"></a> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/page/2/"></a> </p> </div> <div id="sidebar"> <ul> <li id="meta"> <h2>Meta</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-login.php">Login</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" title="Syndicate this site using RSS">Entries <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/comments/feed/" title="The latest comments to all posts in RSS">Comments <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="search"> <form method="get" id="searchform" action="/blog/index.php"> <p> <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" /> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" class="submit" value="Search" /> </p> </form> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer"> <p> <a href="http://wordpress.org" title="Powered by Wordpress, state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform.">Powered by Wordpress</a> · Design by <a href="http://beccary.com" title="Theme designed by Beccary">Beccary</a> and <a href="http://weblogs.us" title="Theme sponsored by Weblogs.us">Weblogs.us</a> · <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer" title="This page validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional"><abbr title="eXtensible HyperText Markup Language">XHTML</abbr></a> · <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer" title="This page validates as CSS"><abbr title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr></a> </p> </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> var sc_project=605365; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=4; var sc_security="d224bf47"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://c5.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=605365&java=0&security=d224bf47&invisible=1" alt="free stats" border="0"></a> </noscript>  </body> </html>