We all have them....right? Sometimes they just last longer than others. You know, moments when you have a hundred things you'd like to share, but when you sit down to put them to words....they all vanish!?! Well, I've had a summer full of those. I quit my day job to be able to spend more time with my kids...but am still in search for that extra time that was promised:)...
We spent the summer "growing up"...the kids went through their rooms, and their mutual areas of the house...they got rid of everything that seemed to "babyish" for them right now...It was GGGRRREEAATT! But exhausting. We then were able to go out searching for things to fill that space back up...things at their current levels and a little above. So the next few months will be a bit of a transition time, as they explore their new things, figure out things that are too easy, too hard, and search for things to bridge the gaps.
This should give me ample ideas to blog about. One regular topic you can look for is "Today in the life of an unschooling family". A day in the life of an unschooler can be drastically different from day to day. So I figured I would periodically journal an entire day...then post it here...I hope to include the very eventful days, days of social interaction, days of solitude, uneventful days...and everything in between. This should help those out there still investigating the philosophy get a clear understanding of it...However, we are just one family, with only four kids at home...each family's days will look different than another's. So....
If you are an unschooling family, a relaxed homeschool family, and eclectic bunch of learners....PLEASE feel free to drop a line in the comments to share your stories, experiences, and questions.
If you are an investigating family, PLEASE feel free to drop a line as well...give us a peek into why you are considering homeschooling, unschooling, or anything in between...ask questions, share your concerns...and come back regularly to see what others have to say.
Don't forget to "Take a Tour"...when you see this link on the lower right-hand side of the blog, you have two choices...1) You can Subscribe to all posts, OR 2) all comments...this will send you an email when new posts/comments are posted on the site. You can also share us on Twitter or Facebook! And we love to share others' blogs in the blog roll, if you have one you'd like us to link to, just enter the addy in your comment.
As always, thank you for stopping by, we hope to see you again soon!
With a little help from our friends at the United States Department of Agriculture, we have discovered that we have 2 samples from 2 different types of basil. This throws our little experiment in a different direction. But the kids want to follow through with modifying their procedure and analysis.
Plant C has a sample from both types, and shares a commonality with each of Plant A and B.
Plant A and C1 are both sweet basil and they are both in medium sized containers. C1 has no drainage, while A has drainage. Therefore we can compare the growth, harvest, and flavor between these two samples.
Plant B and C2 are both wild basil, and are both in containers with no drainage. They are in different sized pots, however; therefore, we can compare the growth, harvest, and flavor between life in a small pot versus life in a medium pot.
Sorry folks...I'm 2 weeks behind on uploading pictures from my camera and getting them on here. This is week 3 in the Science Experiment with growing basil indoors. We took the pictures and measurements on Thursday the 14th.....
The kids really had fun this time. We re-assessed the original hypothesis and re-evaluated what will constitute the "better" growth. Seeing how very different each plant looks, the kids started to wonder if there aren't different types of basil growing. One plant's leaf buds resembled flower buds...even though the kids looked at them with the magnifying glasses, they still think they are leaves....you will have to wait to find out though....
If any one out there reading this knows anything about basil plants, please email me!!! I think for sure we have different types, so would be interested to here if their care is any different. As I do some more research, I will post it.
Here are the pics and measurements:
I told ya, they were having altogether, too much fun!!!
Allen was in deep thought about the big leaves on Plant A.
Not sure if that is camera goofy, or pleasure in seeing the fruits of his labor.....
The plants here are in order, A, B, then C. I tried to get a better picture of how different Plant B's leaves look. The are coming in differently than Plant A. The bunches on each stem are closer together, and come in groups of 6 instead of 4. Plant C has what appears to be both types of the plant. One with the big leaves growing in groups of 4 and one with the larger branches with more sets of 6 leaves.
Plant A: Has 24 leaves total with 4 full sets, and is 6 1/4 inches tall.
Plant B: Has roughly 190 leaves with at least 30 full sets, and is 5 1/2 inches tall.
Plant C1: Had 10 leaves and still no full sets, standing 3 1/2 inches tall.
Plant C2: The leaves were no longer "countable" by normal means...so we estimated roughly 200 leaves and at least 40 full sets.
Unfortunately, we still hadn't gotten to harvesting any of the leaves....and still haven't...But I've got plans for spaghetti and chicken this next week....so there's no a need for the yummy herbs!!!
I asked the kids some questions to help them re-evaluate their original thoughts on the outcome of this experiment. I explained that this is the part of the scientific process we call evaluating the data. Here they are:
If we were in the garden store, which plant would you want us to buy?
Kassy responded the one with big fat leaves because she thinks they will taste better.
Allen said plant C because its so tall...it must be growing better.
Alexa made a great observation. She also chose plant C, but her reasoning was that there were both types of plant, one with tall growth and smaller leaves and the shorter one with bigger leaves...she thinks they will taste differently, so having both makes it a better plant.
All of the kids also noticed that the shorter plants with the bigger leaves have a stronger smell, so they should have a better taste.
We haven't taken any measurements since this update. So the next update will be the last. The plants are now obviously different strands at least, if not completely different breeds. And they have all gotten too big for their current pots...We are now on a mission to find the next experiment....
It's amazing the amount we can learn about ourselves by talking with our kids...isn't it?
As you know, I was a little down in the dumps the last couple of weeks. After much thought, consideration, and preparation...I figured out a way to give my kids the time they need....only to have them tall me they no longer desire it.
Well....of course that wasn't the case at all. My kids had just given up on empty promises. I kept telling them, time and time again, that things would get better. We'd figure out a schedule that works for everyone...next semester would be easier because there were fewer/more night classes...things would get better with time...and all of that. But nothing changed. Over and over again, my schedule kept getting fuller and fuller. And there was less and less time for the kids.
Lexa doesn't really want to go to public school. She just feels like she's missing out. She didn't realize all of the opportunities that surround her, because we simply haven't had the time to explore them. She loves her freedom, and thrives when she can devote her energies to enjoyable things...what kid doesn't? She doesn't want to give that up for a couple more friends. She also felt like she was missing out on field trips, since we haven't done much this year. A trip to the safety train in the fall, and one to the earth fair this spring was nothing compared to our "normal" yearly activities. A gentle reminder of the trips to the water treatment plant, the hospital, the fire station, and the bat presentation last year, as well as the week we spent down in Virginia and Pennsylvania two years ago...all sparked tons of ideas for later this year... That is, once she realized I wouldn't be working next school year.
She's now saying that perhaps 7th or 8th grade she'll go check out what public school is all about. But for now, she's happy with where she is.
Allen has recently begun to make some friends in the neighborhood. He's finally at the age where he can walk a block or two with his sisters. And this week we let him ride his bike down to the park!!!(only three blocks away :).) He's getting that feeling of independence that is so necessary for a 6 year old little man! He's still talking about school...and that's ok!! We'll just play it week by week...instead of going head over heals and getting ourselves in a tizzy:)
Kassy is still not much more than a baby. I know...four years old is almost all grow' up...but you parents know what I mean.... She's going to mimic whatever her older sibs are doing/saying at the time. I can't expect her to be gung-ho for unschooling when all of her sibs are either in school or talking about it, now can I? She loves her time with her momma, and wouldn't trade it for a backstage Hanna Montana pass....er would she???? I'm not so sure about that one, but she does love it.
She and Allen have just started this reading games thing. (It's a Kindergarten assessment tool, but they have no idea it anything related to "school". They just know it's fun and they feel good about themselves after playing!) Allen is getting the hang of the sounds letters make, and Kassy is right on his toes!!! YEAH!! They both love library day too. They go searching for treasures on their own, and then come and ask me or the librarian for help finding what they're looking for. They come home with everything from Goosebumps movies to I Spy books to Science Fair Project books. And they love exploring them on their own and with an older person to read to them.
Anyway. I just wanted to share with you all, that I am no longer as depressed as I was a week ago. My kids do love me, and they don't want to leave me. They just want more OF me.....they don't know what their asking for, do they???
Mwahahaha
Sometimes overwhelmed, stressed, stretched, and confused don't even begin to explain the way I feel about being a parent, a student, a teacher, an employee, and a friend. Ever felt that way?
As a homeschooling mom who also works outside the house and is a college student as well, it can be very difficult to keep up with everything. The last year of our lives has been extremely hectic, chaotic, and stagnant all at the same time. I've felt invigorated, exhausted, bored, overwhelmed, enriched, and yet still at square one.
When we began our journey as unschoolers the house was filled with energy, excitement, and joy at the possibilities that were before us. Now, a little over a year later, we have become...er, um...a little less than all of that. We've sent one off into the public school system, and dropped the ball with the others. As the end of the conventional school year approaches, I can't help but reflect on the past 9 months. Without all of the markers of achievement encompassed in a boxed homeschool world, the unschooler needs a regular time to sit and reflect on the things that have come to pass.
Where were we a year ago?
Kassy, age 3, was a little more than a mumbling, bumbling, baby. She still needed pullups, her meat cut for her, and a helping hand getting dressed in the morning. Reading was just something the big kids did, and math wasn't even a real word. "School" was a game that was played by the big kids, and never involved her.
Allen was a 5 year old little man not sure of who he was, what he was interested in, or if he really wanted to learn how to read....EVER. Numbers were his thing, he counted anything and everything. He loved getting into his sister's things, and thought he might like makeup and silly dress up clothes, and was very jealous of all of the clothes and shoes options his sisters had.
Taylor was an 8 year old preschool teacher. Yes, that's right. Taylor helped me plan an prepare preschool lessons for our co-op. Then during our time, she lead sing-song time, lended a helping hand during crafts, and took the little ones outside for play time so I could clean up. She was struggling with her reading, and feeling left out of all other "schooly" type projects.
Alexa, age 9, was feeling very behind her peers (not because she really was:)) Numbers freaked her out, animals were all she could think about, and cooperation was not in her vocabulary. Little kids irritated her and older kids scared her. She was very, VERY shy and introverted and we couldn't encourage her at all to step out and make some friends.
I had just given up a very stressful, yet flexible, part-time job as a chore provider to take on a full time babysitting job for a friend. I had worked for this friend before and knew full and well what I was getting into. But our family needed more money than house cleaning and running errands was providing; and I was perhaps a little blinded by naivety. I was also embarking on my second year in college, and finally finding balance between my studies and the explorations of my children.
*Here's a little mid-story lesson. Our expectations are rarely based on reality, even less often come into reality.
Where did we (I) expect us to be today? (get ready to laugh)
I expected my babysitting job to turn into an in-home daycare where I could employ 1 to 2 other people. I hoped to watch our tiny little co-op grow to incorporate at least 3 new families, and have at least 1 monthly meet up, and several weekly gatherings. I expected to maintain my 3.7 GPA and take on a couple extra classes to earn my degree a few months early.
As for my kids....
I had hoped Kassy would be catching the bug. Seeing her older siblings exploring and creating, and a growing desire within her. I also hoped that through this she would be able to name all of the ABCs and possibly learn to write her name and a few other words, and so on. You know, all of those traditional preschool achievements (even though I was supposed to be deschoolng myself on all of this stuff, it still stalked my mind).
For Allen, I had hoped he would be reading by now, maybe starting to explore a little on his own, and possibly nailing down some form of interests through which I could build a nice little program for him. He started gymnastics last fall, and showed extreme potential. I had hoped this would be his "outing," a place for him to cut loose, make some friends, and explore his options.
Taylor had always been by tough one. She's always been very hard to reach on an "educational" level and very self absorbed on a social level. I had hoped our time together working with preschoolers would create a bond that we could otherwise not forge. I had also hoped that a miracle would strike her and things would just begin to click, that her reading would improve and she would develop the love for learning that I have always had. She too began gymnastics, even though she's never been very spatially aware or coordinated. I had hopes that this two hour time once a week would be a great additional social setting for her and a way for her to learn to use her muscles together, and gracefully.
Alexa was the one I knew would thrive in this "unschooling" environment. She's always been a self starter, an individual, one who could go off exploring and come back with a ton of questions and even more answers. I expected her to move on some of her interests. I thought our house would be smothered in her artwork, and there would be a few new files designed by her in our science resources. Her newly discovered love of computers and technology made me think that by this time next year she would have an active blog and possibly be making some money through her creativity and abilities.
What does all of this mean in my mind? It meant Kassy would be ready and excited for Kindergarten level learning, Allen would be reading on his own and doing simple math and be ready for first grade work. Taylor would finally find that niche she needed to get excited about learning. This would mean she would catch up to other 3rd graders. For Alexa, all of this meant she would zoom through all that boring elementary work and step into the tween scene.
*Do you see the irony here? This was to be our first year unschooling. Stepping out of the educational box created by society, and embarking on a new journey of freedom from restraints and expectations, and exploring through life all of the things that interest us. Instead of doing this, we crammed ourselves back into the box, and continued to measure ourselves up to the rest of the world. We never omitted all of the schooly words, as you can see. We never gave ourselves the freedom necessary to truly embrace the art of unschooling.
Because mom was so busy with work and her own school (and then on her days off catching up on the house and family responsibilities) our family never had a chance. Instead of that bond I desired with my Taylor, a wide divide is forming. She is in the public schools now and cares more about her friends and social activities than hanging with mom. She's doing great, by the way, made honor roll her first semester and last month she was student of the month. She's also earned a citizenship award and is a roll model for her classmates. She has found a niche, I guess you could say, at least her drive to achieve. That would be peer competition. She is doing well in gymnastics, and will be advancing to team in a couple months. But I no longer get the joy of watching her break throughs and discoveries, that is shared instead with her teacher and classmates.
Allen has decided he wants to learn to read, but is fully convinced that it will just come to him with no effort or work, "When he gets old enough" (his words).He's still all number happy, and thinks he wants to be an engineer when he grows up. He's also become fascinated with creepy crawly things and anything that will gross his sisters out. He got his first library card this year and enjoys sending the librarians on scavenger hunts for him. He always has a new curiosity each week for them to help him explore.
Kassy is a work of art! She is all on the heals of her older siblings. She counts out everything she can find, including words in sentences and now syllables in words. She loves to "spell her ABCs" and asks everyone to spell them with her. (spell= sing from the ABC song). She now loves to play school with her big sibs, and even sometimes ends up learning something while she's playing.
Alexa has recently launched into that tween scene, and now I'm not so sure why I hoped for it. One day she's climbing mountains and the next she's cowering in the valleys. She has flown by all of that boring elementary stuff, but I fear she's moving too fast. She's stuck somewhere between a little kid and a teenager and thinks the only way to find her balance is to enter the public schools next year. She sees all of the friends and social activities her younger sister gets to do, and she feels jealous. Instead of taking the opportunities she has to branch out and make her own friends, she wants to do it the school way. She too recently began gymnastics and has been doing great. She talks to people, and performs along with everyone else. She's coming out of her shell in an encouraging way. But its not satisfying her. She wants to throw away all of the freedom she has right now, and fold herself up into the box of public education.
Because I have always said I want to involve my children in the decisions about their own education, I can't keep them from experiencing PS. But it breaks my heart non the less. And since the older two are either in school or talking about it, they too are now expressing their desire to "go to school". What's a mom to do?
All of this after I made the decision to give up my job. My fiance and I have been talking about it, and I bounced it off of my mom, and I put in my notice. Come this fall I will no longer be working outside of the home. I saw that my family couldn't continue down this mad road, so I made the change necessary. But now I fear it was all too little too late.
So here are some questions for all of our readers to answer...and please do!
1. Do I let my kids check out the public school system, allowing them to pull out if it doesn't work for them?
2. If they do all enter the system next year, what will I do with all of the time? And how can I continue down the path I've charted without them with me?
3. Is there anything I can do over the next 4 months to encourage them to stay home?
Here we are, a week later. Well, actually its been 9 days since we first planted the specimens. This week we focused on the next step of the scientific process; collecting data to test the hpothesis. This week's data is informative, and suggests that the small pot without drainage probably wont make it.
Here's a picture of the basil plants.
Ok, so here's the data:
Plant A: is 3 inches tall, with 8 leaves and 1 full set.
Plant B: is 3 1/2 inches tall, with 21 leaves and 3 full sets.
Plant C: Sprout 1: is 2 1/4 inches tall, with 8 leaves and 1 full set.
Sprout 2: is 8 3/4 inches tall, with 46 leaves and 6 full sets.
It's time to harvest plant C!!! Yippee!!
Plant B's leaves are turning brown on the edges and a few have died off. It is still growing, but not very well.
Plant C hasn't grown much in height, but the leaves are sprouting like crazy.
Plant A isn't doing much.
From this first week we assume that the basil plants grow in spurts, either growing in height or producing leaves.
To keep the soil saturated, we have to water at least every other day. They remain in a south facing window 24 hours a day, and when it is warm we open the window for fresh air.
A short series of questions helped the kids identify the question (the first step to the scientific process), which is: Which pot will grow basil better, a small pot with no drainage, a medium pot with no drainage, or a medium pot with a drain hole?
Working with a 10 year old and a 6 year old can be fun and exhausting!! The hypothesis wasn't reached as easily. I asked questions like:
1. Which one do you think will grow taller?
2. Which one do you think will grow the most number of leaves?
3. Which will grow the most complete sets of leaves (groups of four for basil plants)?
4. Which will produce the largest harvest (anything over 2-4 full sets)?
5. And which will taste the best?
I'm not going to share their answers quite yet. I'd like to read what some of our readers think first. thought it would be fun to include you all in the experiment. We are going to measure and count growth once a week, and we'll post pictures at that time as well.
At the point of planting here are the data:
Plant A: 2 inches tall, 0 full sets of leaves, and a total leaf count of 7.
Plant B: 3 inches tall, 3 full sets of leaves, with a total leaf count of 36 leaves.
Plant C has two sprouts. sprout 1: 1 inch tall, 0 full sets, and a total leaf count of 6 leaves.
Plant C, sprout 2: 8 1/2 inches tall, 3 sets of full leaves; and a total leaf count of 35.
Plant A is in the medium pot with a drain hole. Plant B is in the pot with no hole and the smaller size. Plant C is in the same size pot as plant A, but with no drainage.
Stay tuned, and please let us know which plant)s) you think will do the best, and why!!:)
P.S. The title of this entry will take you to a site with information on indoor basil growing.
My mom is the most incredible resource scout I've ever known. Every once in a while she'll be in a curious mood and go searching for new places for my kids and I to explore. A couple weeks ago she found the Discount School Supply store. And now I will be forever indebted to her!!! I spent hours "shopping" and ended up finding a bag full of treasures.
I know this sounds a bit like an advertisement, so don't take my word for it, check 'em out. If I did it right, the title of this post should take to the storefront. We found a few things that my kids have been having a blast with. One of their favorites is this building kit. Check 'em out:
My fashionista had to impress us with her gown! She's now thinking of using these as a frame to design some dresses.
The hot air balloon never left the ground, but the kids excitment was sure soaring:)
It took the whole crew to build this house, but I finally got 'em all caged!!! lol
Keep up the scouting!! I'll be adding a valuable resource link list in the near future so if you have any to share, please email them to me so we can share them!!
After a year of being active in the online world, writing and publishing, blogging and networking; I recently had an old friend contact me via this here blog!!! I had just decided to step up my activity, post my blogs to search engines, and start building a name for myself in the cyber world. At the same time, I was convercing with my mom about old friends. I was positive that noone out there in the real world was searching me out. Since we moved around so much while growing up, I figured I had not ever had the time to make an impact on anyone. Even though, admitingly, I named off a few people who had an impact on me and would really love to reconnect.
Well, less than 1 full week later I wake up to this message in my inbox:
"Hi my name is Meri Hopkins, and I am looking for a lost friend of mine who shares your name...I am not sure if you are her or not, but if you are...well HOORAY! and please shoot me a line at m*******s@comcast.net if the name sounds familiar...if not, sorry to have bothered you!"
My response: OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH. Is that her? Is that the one friend I was just talking about with my mom? It couldn't be. This has got to be someone who has me confused with someone else. Right?
So I shoot her an email, and within a couple hours I had a reply.
IT WAS HER!!
Can you feel my excitement? I couldn't believe it. We emailed back and forth a few times o catch up on old times. Then she called me and we talked as if we'd never missed a beat. How cool is that?
I'd love to hear some more stories of reconnections over the internet. Do you have one to share?
If your kids are, or were, anything like mine, they are full of why's. Why is the sky green, grey, or blue? Why do cows live in fields? Why can I see my breath when it's cold? Sometimes all of these why's can become a nuisance....right? WRONG! Asking why is one of a child's first tools of learning. If we push these why's aside and treat them as a bother, we are teaching our children the exact opposite of life-learning.
Instead of teaching our children that learning happens at all times and places, and sometimes in the most peculiar ways; we are teaching our children that there is a time and place for learning, a time and place for questions and answers, a time and place for exploration and discovery. If we want to truly help our children develop a love of life and learning, and a character of openness and understanding, we must encourage these why's and provide an environment of inquisitiveness.
This transfers into adult lives as well. If you'd like to learn something new, or expand your knowledge in a specific area, there is a wealth of how to articles and books out there to help you along the way. Our push button, instant gratification society has made sure that all of this information is readily available to all who seek it at any given time. Authors ask how to get published, how to improve SEO, etc...Homeowners ask how to fix a leaky faucet, unclog a drain, or re-roof their homes. Laborers look for how to find a better position, how to improve their craft, or how to connect with others in their fields. These articles all have two things in common.
1. They explain how to do something. This is a very valuable tool when you are the one in search of the information.
2. They fail to meet the seekers' real needs. Type in how to fix a leaky faucet and count how many different resources you'll find. All with a different perspective or advice, all written by people from every different culture/society you can imagine. If there are 15,000 articles out there with the same focus...what is missing? Why do people keep writing the same thing?
There you have it...they are missing the why's. Why do you want to fix a leaky faucet? Wouldn't it be easier to hire a plumber? Would it be cheaper to replace the pipes? What if you follow the how to article step by step and the faucet continues to leak? If the why is addressed before the how, you will have a more direct route to the information you seek.
Likewise, if you address the why's your children before getting to the how tos, you will be harvesting a great reward. Your children's questions will become more focused and centralized, making your job of answering or pointing the direction that much simpler.
As always, remember to have fun with your kids, and give them all the attention they deserve!
A recently added group at the professional networking site, LinkedIn, sparked a particularly interesting discussion between me and my 9 year old daughter. The initials of the group are IF, so it got me thinking outside of the box.
We were getting ready to head out for a visit with my mom. While in the shower I began thinking about my life and all that is in it. (I do this on a regular basis. The shower is my reflection/meditation safe place). I thought about my new drive and motivation to become a published author. When thoughts of all the things holding me back and blocking the way, I discarded them. When thoughts of time restraints, the unknown, and possible rejection crept up on me, I washed them off. I re framed my thoughts on all of this with a new perspective. One of will, determination, and a can't fail attitude. I stepped out of the shower with bold confidence, and about 15 ideas to write about. I thought, man I've got to get a tape recorder.
I knew we had to get out of the house, and I wouldn't have time to type or write my thoughts, since I would be driving. So, I gathered up the kids and set out. The drive is about an hour. I thought, I'll just keep rehashing these thoughts, and when I get to mom's I'll write 'em down...We all know how well that worked for me:)
About 15-20 minutes into our drive my oldest daughter made a comment on my old boring music. SO I shut the radio off and we started talking. Talking about fun things she wants to do, her asking me about ways she can make money to do them, and a whole lot of what if's. I told her about a place I had visited on the web that day, lulu.com. It's a self-publishing site that has two different programs for kids to get in on the action.
Earlier in the week my 6 year old son sparked a new idea for a reading program. I told him that we would work on it together, and when I get ready for publishing, all the proceeds would go toward his learning. Alexa, my oldest daughter, had recently completed a file folder project on President Bill Clinton, and we began talking about it. I told her that I gave her a review of her work, just like an editor would, so she could see where her strong areas were and where she could work to improve. She then began asking questions about our new president. "Obama's our first black pres. right?" Things like that, then she proceeded to tell me she wanted to do a file folder project on him. I knew how hard it had been for her to get her mind into the researching and writing involved in the one she had just finished, so I told her she didn't have to stick to that template. Sure it was in a book that we bought at a teacher store, but she didn't have to limit herself.
She then began brainstorming all the different ways she would design a file folder project. A light went off in my head!! I told her that if she comes up with a few really good ideas, we could work together to make a book out of them. I explained that the book we had used was in stores everywhere, and someone was making money off it. She loves money (what 9 year old girls doesn't?) so this brought bells to her ears. I said, "Hey, I told Allen any profit made from his inspired book would go to his interests, same goes for you Chicky."
HA. I thought she was going to wake up the three other kids with her squeals of excitement. "Really?" Of course, this sparked some money figuring talk and some talk on the writing industry.
**Now before I finish this story, all of you writers, editors, and publishers out there. I realize the picture I am about to paint is VERY optimistic at the least, and probably unrealistic at the most. But you must understand that when you are trying to encourage and excite a child, embellishments and exaggerations are almost required. Especially when this child is very opposed to the entire writing process, and really needs some motivation. So it is known, after this whole discussion, I explained that the numbers I used and the rate I used were in reality a lot bigger than we should expect, but that it was easier to use nice round numbers, and think about all the possibilities.**
Back to the story:)
So, I painted a picture. I gave the values, she did the figuring. Say we publish this file folder project book, and it is received well. We put a price tag of $10 on it with our cut 10%. Now, our publisher does a great job of promoting to bookstores across the nation, and 100 stores order a case of 20 books each. That would be $1 per book and $20 per case, at 100 stores, that's a (cover your ears cuz now the little ones did wake up) $2,000!!!!
"Oh my gosh....really??? and it would be mine? Fer real?" "Yuppers, for real, I said it would all go towards the thing you want to do, sculpture classes, piano classes, your gymnastics, you said you wanted to join Girl Scouts and 4H, right?"
I didn't stop there. I said ok, real it in let's continue this. Say the next year we think up a new idea, a different kind of idea book, or another file folder project book, whatever. We use the same publisher who had such a good return last year, so most of the bookstores who bought our books last year want to buy again this year, and a few different ones decide they want some too. To make it easy, let's assume it's another 100, but half of them want last years book as well. It didn't take her long to figure the $3,000 potential. (Forgot to cover your ears that time, huh?)
Now she went off on the what ifs of that much money all for her interests. She began talking about our dream trip to DC, and then California, Mount Rushmore, and on and on.
Of course, my thoughts hadn't stopped here. I kept it going. Our third year, we come up with two fresh ideas sparked from the first two. So this year we put out two new books, and a few places want reprints of the older books, a couple more ask if we've updated the first one, and we build a website. We've got our hands full, but we've developed a system and routine. This time we have 200 hundred orders of an average of two boxes each. (yup, this screech was much louder than the first two, good job catching it.:) That's a nice $8,000. She added, that's more than you make in a year now!!! I had to admit it was nice dreaming about things like this. And all of the possibilities that could be there for us. We talked about taking a cruise, and visiting a rain forest, and the fact that she would be three years older, with new ideas, aspirations, and abilities. Maybe this next yer she would want to break away from me, or maybe not.
Yes, I kept it going. It was too fun for me to stop. I said, now over this next year, we are taking our older books off the print market. We've built a name for ourselves in the homeschool community, and we have a brand. Regular visitors to our site give us new ideas for many new books, they request prints of our older books, and they spread the word to their friends and homeschooling cohorts. We make available all of our previously published work in digital format, tagged with a nice little deal. We decide to increase the price tag on our newest books to $15. (This came along with a nice little discussion on supply and demand.) And for every buyer on our site who orders a new print book, they get an ebook for $5, or an ebook alone for its original price tag. And we are putting out 4 new books that year. Now libraries are ordering books, bookstores, homeschool co-op groups, and individual parents. She came up with an estimate around $13,000.
I had to stop the dollar signs here, that kind of success in that short amount of times is nice to dream about. But I didn't want her to get a big head and feel the instant pangs of defeat when it doesn't happen quite like that. So, I transferred the conversation from money, to personal growth and using our knowledge to help and inspire others. I told her that as a part of the website, she could have her own little area where her readers could contact her, share ideas and what not. She then says, yeah I could help them write their own books, and tell them how we did it. Sounded to me like she was thinking like a pro!
Anything is possible in the writing world. I told her that this dreaming was great and fun, but it doesn't mean a thing unless we put it to work. That writing i more than just putting words on paper, its sharing knowledge and ideas. When I sold Mary Kay Cosmetics I was limited by people wanting beauty supplies. And when I tried to start a Quixtar business I was dependant on people paying more than they could afford for products they could get at Walmart. But in the writing world it is different. Everyday someone has a new idea. And everyday someone shares a new idea. Ideas never go out of style, they never run out, and everyone is always hungry for them. Even people who say they hate reading, writing, school, whatever, there's still ideas out there that they are hungry for. Writing is one of the only businesses out there that is timeless, evergreen, indispensable.
The only thing that put limits on your writing is your own imagination. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen. Want to go to the Everglades? Take a trip around the world? Witness a surgery on a cat? Just pick up a book and it'll take you there. In the same way, you have a really awesome dream about fairies who save the world, just write down, polish it up, publish it, and every other kid in the world can have that dream with you. You get an idea about an awesome kid hangout with pool tables in the front, swimming pool in the basement, an arts center on one floor, and an arcade on another, and a skate park on the roof? Write about and every kid can hang out there with you. Ya never know, some developer's kid might buy the book and end up building it. (She breaks in with, then I could really go there and hang out with the kids who read about it!) I loved that!!!!
The point of all of this is this, we limit ourselves and our children everyday with the what ifs of life. We think what if the stock market never returns to normal, what if I lose my job, what if my hubby gets hurt at work, what if she fails, what if, what if, what if.
Stop thinking of the what ifs as negative things.Turn them around and think, what if she become a doctor, what if I become published, what if he grows up and loves his life, what if, what if, what if.
I knew when I started this, that it would be a new challenge for me to keep up with everything life throws at me. I didn't think that a whole year would go by, and only 4 or so posts added. My bad!!
I've spent a year adjusting to many of life's curve balls.
My second oldest daughter is now experiencing public education. And to my surprise, it has been a wonderful experience for her. Just goes to show ya that each child has different needs and those needs must be met individually. My three others are still at home with me all day, and wouldn't change it for the world.
The blogging didn't seem to cure my need for sharing my thoughts, so I ventured into some freelance writing opportunities. I am now a published writer at Associated Content, http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/196889/stefany_holloway.html as as Helium (I shared the link in a previous posts). I only have 52 articles collectively between the two sites, but I guess that's not too bad for just experimenting...right? My focus, of course, has been on education. But I've ventured out of comfort zone a couple of times with some plays, poems, and religious meanderings.
My fiance lost his job last spring, so I've been pushed out into the work world. I've just been babysitting for a friend...for pennies...but it helps keept the roof over our heads. It has been a struggle to find new ways to save here and still survive. But somehow we are doing it. Maybe breaking into print...or html...will help us in this area.
My new focus, and perhaps the one I've been looking for all along, is writing for children. Since I've never really bought into the whole curriculum packages, and instead have always developed my own for my children. And now experiencing one of my children in ps, without missing a beat. I'm sure that what I've been doing works and will be successful. I just have to find that extra hour or two in the day to gather all my thoughts, pull them together, and place them into a workable format. Who knows, in a decade or two, homeschoolers everywhere could be quoting me and posting my face on their blogs????
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