One more picture

I almost forgot to put this one up, but I just had to. It really was the tastiest cotton candy I think I've ever had. Cherry flavored. Makes for a great bloody vampire photo!

And right this very second...

I'm blogging while in motion. Heading to my mama's house in Reno, NV.

130 miles to go...

Blessings One and All!

Our favorite Utah people! We love you guys, thanks for a rockin' (or should I say 'rollin'?) good time! I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much.

Yep, here we are at yet another skate rink; this one in Layton, UT. I told you we were into it! We're considering doing the 'roller rink' circuit. We may be coming to one near *You*! The boys each invested in a nice pair of roller blades, but I sorta dig the old school, scrappy looking roller skates for rent at each rink. I'm sticking with those. It's great exercise and all around goodness for the soul. Have you been lately? You should! I giggle the whole time I'm out there. Good Stuff! Rita's behind the camera; she couldn't skate - injured rib. Next time, girl!
The old man and the ding dong (Rita's words!) Brothers...aren't they sweet?
Aunt Rita chillin' with the boys. (in a quiet moment between laughing her a** off at above mentioned brothers)
Uncle George...

Unschooling Moms Extraodinairre

Always a beautiful thing when spending time with other gentle, respectful, lovely mama's! Meet Jill, Sue, and yours truly...

Sue (center) was our host for a few days in Fort Collins, along with her man Steve and darling kiddos, Maddie and Harry. The weather was cold, so it inspired us to spend snuggly time indoors, drinking lots of coffee, and playing games I'd never heard of. Saylor and John constructed a couple of guillotines (one from lego's, another from wood and a real razor) after Sue and I played a game of the same name.

We had the Wii and PS2 plugged in for all to enjoy, and the boys had such fun playing WoW with other kids. We also did a round of roller skating at a local rink for the homeschool skate day. WHAT FUN!!! I used to skate *all* the time when I was a kid; now I get to watch my boys get into it. And getting into it, they are! We enjoyed our FoCo time; even ventured out to check out the downtown area and grabbed us up a mini set of prayer flags for the inside of the bus, along with a Bob Marley bumper sticker. And we supported a downtown coffee shop while enjoying a cup of coffee, some hot chocolate and a panini. Tasty Memories all around...

The weather warmed slightly while we were in Fort Collins, so we ventured out to enjoy the fresh air. We saw a fox on our walk, strutting along the frozen canal, keeping a close eye on us. The kids then discovered what had to have been a fox den; a hole within a large stand of bushes, complete with fox poop a-plenty.
John and Steve singing...can't remember which song now, but trust me when I say, they were groovin' baby!

Eagle really, really wanted to light a whole bunch of candles and then dance around the glow...so we did. She orchestrated us all by having us gather in a circle around the table, hold hands, and then do the little foot thing as we danced around. WONDERFUL!!! It was our early Solstice celebration of Light! :)
The boys spent lots of time playing Heroscape. They all especially enjoyed John's participation. He is a fun guy, after all.

The Grandest of Grand houses...a kid's dream, I tell you! And this house just happens to be stocked very well to keep children of any age entertained for a long, long time!

Preparing the water rockets.

Adding the pressure necessary to make it FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!


I wasn't quick enough to get the bottle leaving the launch pad, but I did get this cool shot of the water escaping. Can you see it?

Still in Sturgis

We have had the best time here with the family we're parked with. Their 4 children are sweet and fun, and our boys are just enjoying their time with them. They've been very busy and involved in a wide array of activities; from water rockets to Heroscape; from playing duets on the piano to sledding and fort building. The boys would stay here two weeks more, if only the weather would hold for them. It's going to hit single digits on Sunday, so our plan is to roll westward Saturday morning. Fort Collins will be chilly, but still in the 30's. We can do that.

It's been such a wonderful thing to just be here. I love that our trip is much more about the *journey* rather than the *destination*. We aren't (for maybe the first time, ever) in a big rush, or under some strict schedule to get where we're going. Instead, we get to spend time with friends and family along the way. Don't get me wrong, we're all ready to see the ocean and run on the beach, no doubt about it. But, we're not missing the goodness that's in front of us right now in a haste to make it there.

Last night, it was the five of us sleeping in the bus, and two of the house children; Bear (14yo boy), and Eagle (5yo girl). Eagle loves the bus, and really thinks they ought to live in one someday. Timo (8yo boy) has spent a couple of nights out here, as well, but prefers his own bed. He's just a sweet enough kid to humor Saylor's request...or pleaaaa...to sleep out here. Wind (2yo boy) has spent time out here reading with me or munching popcorn, but sleep time happens with mama and papa. The first night we got here, though, he said he was going to sleep with us, so we all crawled the many flights of stairs leading to the attic and got into bed (he and Eagle and Saylor were sharing a bed) but then after the lights were out, he got to thinking it maybe wasn't such a good idea. He's SO DARN cute...and he likes me! Bonus! :) So, I've been spending most of my time with Sage (who is trying his very best to share his mama Graciously), Eagle and Wind. Three of my favorite people!

Right now, Bear is reading _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ to Saylor, Stone, Sage and Eagle. I'm sure they've got snow time planned for today. There was talk last night of working more on their snow forts.

Enjoy your day!

We're Free!

Goodbye, House...
Hello, Home...

Stress Relief

This is mine! :)


We're chugging right along. Most of our things are in our rented storage unit, other things are finding their way into the bus. Emma spent the night last night, so the kids have been playing today. I cried last night, thinking of leaving her, even if it is for an extended travel. I've so loved having her be such a part of our lives, and I'm feeling bummed about the memories we won't be making for a while. I'm feeling better about it today.

John has been working incredibly hard for the last two weeks. He amazes me at how efficiently he gets things done and doesn't even complain at all. I'm a lucky girl!

Ok, break's over!

Back at it...

Photos as of late...

Mama got a new do. I was ready for some bang action, so I finally just made the darn appointment (nervous, I was!) but I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with something different finally! I think some salt water and sea air will be helpful, too!
Self-explanatory!

The cutest little 4-year-old (girl) in the Whole Wide World!!!

Sage and Emma watching one of our current faves. You should have heard these two singing along. Cuteness!!!

Saylor was trying to get Stone 'in motion'. I think he got it!
My baby sisser. I think we're watching the Will.I.Am video here. I love my sister! (no matter who she voted for!!! ;)
Saylor requested a lock-pick set. We ordered one up and here is his first try at it. It'll take some practice, but he's determined.
Bust a move!

Landon and Stone snuggling Ruka. We had the pleasure of 2 nights with this terrific little guy! So Much Fun!

The boys searching for their dream Triker.
Have you ever seen Benny & Joon? (One of our ALL-TIME favorites, btw!) This is how *they* make grilled cheese sandwiches, so we had to try it for ourselves! The result, you ask? They don't sizzle and crackle like on the movie, and although they tasted fine, they really didn't get all that grilled. But, our goal wasn't really simply to make edible sandwiches, it was way more about the Craziness of it all. (but, all the sandwiches did, indeed, get eaten!)

We've also purchased a Proclaimers CD, just so we can have this song. We blast it loud and sing our fool hearts out!


We also did some ironing of crayon shavings between waxed paper. Pretty!

My Therapy

This is what helps me, writing it down. It's in my brain, it won't go away. This helps me to feel some sort of a release.

I'm meeting with an attorney in the morning. I'll post what comes of our visit. He's hopeful that we can show that we have been homeschooling the boys, and that it's a simple case of poor record keeping. I have friends from across the state and country writing statements for me, confirming that we have been homeschooling since the beginning.

We spent some time this afternoon at the park, it was a wonderful 60 degrees here. The boys were peeling sheets of ice from the edge of the lake and stacking, crushing, tossing, carving and inspecting them. They were careful not to lick them (though they really wanted to!) because of the goose poop that was certainly part of their composition!

We stopped by Albertson's to grab a movie from the Redbox and a candy for each kiddo. Sage wanted what he chose, then didn't, so Saylor traded with him, then Sage decided he really did not want Saylor's, but wanted his back. Saylor was upset because he was being yelled at by his little brother, so I held Saylor until his tears dried. And, it was a tough time for Sage. I held him and loved him and reassured him. I carried him upstairs to our quiet, dark bedroom where he nursed and fell quickly to sleep. I talked to my mom and felt near tears just hearing her reassuring voice.

I'm sure we are all feeling the stress of what's going on. I know my back physically feels like it's about to break, but I'm hoping a call to a massage therapist friend tomorrow will remedy that.

And in the midst of it all, I will count my Blessings, for they are many.

An Update

Some of you know the history behind the following update, others may not. E-mail me off-list if you want the digg.
*************************************************************************************
Well,

Court was uneventful, really. I got there at 8 and at around 9:35 the judge called me. He read me the 'charge' (failure to send child to school) and asked me what I would like to do about this? I said I'd like to plead not guilty, because I homeschool my children. He said, "ok, then, let's schedule a dispositional conference for a couple weeks from now that you can come to and explain your position and allow the prosecution to ask questions". I explained that we were selling our house, closing on Dec. 4 at which time we were moving away, so I *get* to go to court again on December 3.

That's where it's at right now. I'm trying SO very hard to put it out of my mind so I can be present for my kids and helpful during all of our other things we've got to do until then. I do plan to do some research as to what to expect during a 'dispositional conference' so I can prepare accordingly for that. I really, really think that at that time, I'll show my exemption (of which I should have a copy back, approved from the school district) and that should be case closed.

I am disgruntled at the "charge", though. The only charge I should be having was that I didn't exempt, not "failure to send...". That charge is a class 2 misdemeanor, which can mean a fine and jail time, not that I foresee that happening. I just think it's ludicrous that that was the charge used. It's simply not accurate. Part of me right now is wishing I was a member of HSLDA or something with some legal clout. If I were, it may be that they could have sent a simple letter to the powers that be, and this whole situation would have disappeared.

So, doing my best to let the stress flow out of me and treat my boys with kindness (and myself, too!)

More later!

Peace, Love, Free,
Karen

Preparing for Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day I go in front of a judge to explain "why my kids aren't in school". I'm feeling very peaceful and confident about the whole deal. It will all go as I've manifested it to go. Certainly!

We've been busy knocking our to-do list down, checking things off as we go...that's always so gratifying! I sold some books today and upgraded our cell phones (we now have Smartphones! Yay!!!) while John and the boys worked on projects around the house. Our wonderful neighbor, Sam (the one who likes to toss spaghetti to the ceiling...ya, he's *that* cool!) was here helping out some, too, and even ran to buy some KFC for lunch for all of us. He's the sweetest! There are so many people I'll miss from our life here. I know they'll never leave us, just as we're not leaving them. Friends are forever. The real ones are, anyway!

So for right now, I'm focusing only on my task scheduled for 8:00am. Once I've checked that off my list of things to do, we'll be sailing onward to getting more boxes packed, preparing for the moving sale we're having this weekend, and loading up the bus.

The clock is a'tickin!

Sending love to the Universe...

Gummi-Bear

A catchy little tune we dug up tonight...

Enjoy ;)

Thursday

We had an overnight guest last night, and the boys insisted that he spend another night, so of course, we made it happen! He's a great homeschooler, with a GREAT family! He's the oldest of four children, and I was his mama's doula at her last birth. We spent most of yesterday playing at his house and then brought him home with us. We watched Wall-E last night, in between the other things they did until midnight...yawn! ;o

They've each crafted themselves some sort of a gun with an 'added on with duct tape' light. There's this little space you can access through one of our closets that they've claimed as their fort. Saylor even hard wired the space today with a functioning lamp, so they've got lightness in the dark now (we're all looking for that). He figured out how to go through one of the phone jacks by taking the plate off the wall, stringing through an extension cord, replacing the plate and Ta-Da! Light!!! Very clever, my son. Of course, my first instinct was to say something like, "well, you probably shouldn't have done that...blah, blah, blah", but thankfully, I was able to really share in his excitement and see what an accomplishment it was (i'm pretty sure i never would have thought of such a thing!) My boy was so proud and he came to share it with *me*. I'm so lucky!

We went swimming today, they've spent some time on the internet, we played the Wii for a bit. They enjoyed winding down last night by watching some pre-recorded Mythbusters. And tonight, we watched a program on Animal Planet about the vanishing frogs. We learned all about a parasitic fungus called amphibian chytrid and how it's killing thousands of frogs all over the world. We also learned why that matters to us, as human beings. It's been a great couple of days. We're watching Napoleon Dynamite right now. Why, yes! I can watch a movie and blog at the same time!!! :) Can *You*???

Except for the farting dogs laying at my feet in front of the fireplace (peee-eeeew!) everything is peachy! Hoping the same for you...

Techno Talk

The boys discovered the game, Dinosaur World a couple years ago, and have played it a lot. It's on our desk-top, so Sage spent a little time last night exploring there.

Another of our favorites at the moment is Bloxorz (from the Miniclip Games site). Sage can get to level 4 by himself, and then he starts recruiting people to help him. Before you know it, we're all sucked in working together to get the block to fall. It's addicting! :)

Oh, and another bit of *EXCITING* news...

We got the Wii!!! So, yes, there's been bowling, tennis, boxing. All that good stuff is a happenin' here! We picked up 'Super Smash Brothers: Brawl' at a pawn shop, too, so that's keeping us all busy. And Sage chose a Simpson's game for the PS2. He enjoys running Homer around and having him kick things and speak his Homer-ese, which entertains fully!

Sunny and Warm

It's forecast to be 68 degrees here today, so we're heading to the parky-park! We'll grab some Q-doba and Jimmy John's and have a picnic and some friend time.

We're looking at 15 days before we need to be O.U.T. of this house! Wow. I'll be getting my calendar out and start mapping out our strategy...later today. Yes, after we soak up some Vitamin D.

Have a Groovy Day!

It's Just for Fun!

We all laughed our butts off while we played at PhotoFunia the other day. Check it out if you're up for some Fun!!!

It's a New Day!

This is so how I was feeling the day after the election, and still am so excited!

No matter who your vote went to, you can't deny the power of this movement and the possibility this guy inspires in all of us. The pictures from the video remind me of someplace else, another country, perhaps, the kind of country that fights and demands to be heard FINALLY. I'm proud that this time, it's us!

to Peace & Healing...

Birthday Dinner

I had dinner with my mom and sister tonight. It was a combined birthday celebration dinner for all of our birthdays, which fall in September, November and December. We had to get it in this week because my sweet, sweet Mama is moving to Reno on Friday. ...sniffle, sniffle...

BUT, it's all good. As long as I don't think too much about her actual absence, I'm really quite fine. I'm sure when Saturday morning rolls around and then Saturday afternoon, and she still hasn't come through our front door like she so often does, it'll hit me. And of course this has to go down while John is away. BUT, I'll be ok. Yes, I'll be ok. If I just keep telling myself that, it has to be true, right?

Anyway, back to dinner. We had a great couple hours tonight, eating too much, laughing together, and just really enjoying each other so completely. I'll cherish the feeling I had sitting there with them both for as long as I live.

In this picture, Barb said something that got us all laughing, and then it was contagious and we just couldn't stop. Y'know, the kind of laughing that you know you *must* contain, but you just CAN'T!!! Yep, that kind of laughing. So, although we took a couple other normal looking photos, this is my favorite of the evening! Gotta love it, baby!

Sage is 4!

Our baby is 4. We celebrated yesterday (his actual birthday) with a small gathering of family and friends. He's an awesome 4 year-old and I can't wait to see what the coming year brings for him. He still rules the roost and he's still nursing, very occasionally. He's a whole lot of fun and if he's not happy with the way things are going, never fear, you'll know about it! He's a ball full of energy and he loves to do whatever his brothers are doing. Happy, Happy Birthday, my Son!

Here are a few shots from yesterday:

Stoney Boy

Missing something?
The other one is very loose, too.
"All I want for Christmas...!"
We had a non-functioning electronic that Stone was delighted to dis-assemble. He spent 2 hours working on this, very seriously, I might add.
Some stuff from the inside, all laid out so the master technician could keep track of his progress.

What do you do in *your* backyard?

Saylor has a love affair with fire. After this, he rigged up a water boiling contraption. Studying to be the next Bear Gryls or Survivorman, I do believe.
Fire on a shovel
Happiness...
Max watching over the activities, seeing that we're all safe.

Catching up

CHEESE!!!!



We were invited to Isaac's 10th birthday party. He was a weekend camper at the campground we stayed at, and we struck up quite a relationship with him. He's a very kind little boy, so patient with Sage and loves anything I happen to be cooking...adding his sweet little..."mmm, that smells good" even when it was nothing but a huge pan of vegetables sauteeing in olive oil to be served over scrambled eggs. We'll miss him, but will keep in touch, no doubt.

My birthday was spent in Aitken, MN (john was working there, so we followed along). John returned to the room with a pizza and a cake and a funny card for me. Sage enjoyed the cake! (so did I...it was marble truffle something or other. Veddy goooood!)
Sage's bridge contruction and a safe crossing for his wooden mouse.
More friends from the campground.