[Kylix]

I mean, what are you "living and learning" currently? We all hear and write (well not me, specifically) great accounts of how the children are doing and what they are learning through unschooling and/or relaxed homeschooling. But what about you? What are your current interests and projects?

Right now, I've suddenly become really interested in crafts and artistic endeavors. I've always liked art but didn't think I could be any good at it. Currently, I'm making my very first quilt and it's coming out really well if I do say so myself. I've had little experience with sewing (my mother sews alot and showed me some simple stitches when I was younger, I made a apron in home economics in middle school, and I started a cross-stitch project as a pre-teen that I never finished

) But even with that little bit of experience, I've delved right into quilt making just using a couple books from the library to make a template and asking my mother for some guidance when I saw her a few days ago (rather than following what one book said to do which was start with a couple small projects and work your way up) It's not the school way, if there ever was one. But it's my way and I'm enjoying it.

I also am taking a pottery class. I had my first class the other night and I LOVED it.

One of my best friends in college took a pottery class for school credit and I so wanted to too but get this...I was afraid that if I took it, I wouldn't get an A so I didn't. That's what school (and grades) does for you. I was afraid of ruining my GPA by taking a gamble on pottery even though I really wanted to learn it. Instead, I would just go with her to the studio and help her as much as I could without her getting in trouble. Now I'm taking an adult pottery class through the city's parks and recreation program (NO GRADING, lol) and wish I had done it sooner.

So what about you? What are you currently diving right into? I really believe that by watching children following their interests naturally and learning through living (or for me hearing about it on this forum), we free ourselves as adults to do the same. Have you found that to be true to? If so, what are your current interests and endeavors?

Kylix

 

[dharmamama]

My current projects are our second adoption in 12 months and setting up the childcare program at the NEW dharma center. We just moved from a rented, one-room facility in a strip mall to an old church that has a CHILDCARE ROOM!

Namaste!

 

[saphire]

Great discussion idea! So many adults seem to stop learning after formal education. My kids see me with tons of books and projects. Currently they are; learning to sew better, waldorf education and anthropsophy, biodiesel and engines, and raw food nutrition. Recently I have considered keeping a record of what I do, as I don't have a college degree I am thinking of doing some sort of higher education for myself. Is it totally nuts of me to think of me giving myself a college like education?

 

[FroNuff]

.

 

[Angierae]

Right now my BIG learning is gardening. With dd helping me look through the books and go to the nursery and pick out seeds, we are having a blast and EVERYTHING is growing. I am also working on a couple of quilts.

What I SHOULD be be doing is finishing my law degree. Only 3 credits

: and its just a paper--I've finished all my classes. But I do think it is equally valuable for my children to know that it is ok to put some things on hold when you have children.

DH and I are also exploring and venturing down a new spiritual path. But that is a little hard to share with dd right now b/c I don't have it worked out very well in my own head yet!

And of course I am learning a lot about education/homeschooling!

(I think she is a little sick of going to the library!)

 

[RyvreWillow]

Cooking is a big one; i've always liked to cook, but i'm experimenting more with things i had no interest in before, like tofu and bean sprouts, hehe. I'm more likely these days to try a recipe for anything that i have ingredients for, instead of saying to myself "oh, noone would like that anyway" Besides, how can the kids learn to embrace variety if i never offer it?

I've been *trying* to garden a bit too, but that's not going so well. I had a little herb garden going on the back porch, but a hail storm and several heavy rains pretty much destroyed everything i had. And i think what's left is getting too much sun...but i guess i'll learn that one with experience!

The other thing i've immersed myself in is Kindergarten stuff. I'm trying to figure out how to teach all the subjects and everything. We did a year of preschool, but i think this will be alot different.

 

[MrsMoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kylix I also am taking a pottery class. I had my first class the other night and I LOVED it. Kylix

Oh, I always wanted to take one of those! Are the classes and the supplies expensive?

 

[Amy in NH]

I'm learning a ton along with the kids.

I am also finishing my bachelor's degree so I can go on to law school eventually to become a policy writer (education of course) when the kids grow up, so I'm currently taking Constitutional Law and Foundations of Education.

 

[RedWine]

Gentle Discipline. I am reading tons on GD so I can nip my instincts and parent the way I want to parent. So I guess I'm in a self-help/therapy stage at the moment.

 

[Lillian J]

As my son got older and ready to move on, I started back into painting. I had once majored in art, but had't really learned much in the college setting. Then, within the last five years, I started taking workshops from a number of individual artists who teach in their spare time, but in fun and supportive environments so different from those ridiculous college classes with their assignments and grades and critiques (yuk).

I've gone off and taken workshops with wonderful artists all over the place, and I feel at this point that I can paint just about anything that can enter my imagination - which is a pretty amazing feeling.

But right at the moment, I'm feeling in a kind of limbo, because I've just exhausted myself on a lot of levels getting my house ready to put on the market. It's now sold, so I'm chomping at the bit till next month when I can move to downtown Seattle, where there are sidewalks and cafes and galleries and theater and opera and crowds and ferry boats and all manner of city life! Been out in the country for 19 years, and it's time! That's why I'm on the computer so much right now - just sort of biding time till I move on, while finishing up some writing and work on my website.

My husband is spending much of his time now on his sailboat; our son is off to college this fall, and he's also really looking forward to our summer in Seattle. Then I'll do some traveling and painting while visiting friends in widespread places. There is life after homeschooling.

Lillian

 

[User101]

What an awesome question!

Michael is taking cello. Since I have a music ed degree I am really learning to step back and trust someone else to use a system completely out of my experience (Suzuki) to teach him.

I am learning alot about writing and publishing.

I am starting yoga.

 

[SagMom]

I'd been learning to play the dulcimer, but put it aside last fall. Recently, I picked it up again and was pleased to see that I hadn't forgotten everything! So, I'm working on that.

Also--gardening (one of the two good things about summer!) Previously, I planted what looked nice and let nature take its course. Now I'm finally trying to learn what the heck I'm doing out there.

My knitting is getting better, but I'm not doing as much of it since it's been hot.

I just joined a book club (We're reading Winter Solstic which is a pleasant book, but really not much "meat" to discuss.) I've also been doing a lot of other reading--True Nature and Great Misunderstandings, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Unconditional Parenting, Ready or Not, Here Life Comes.

Dd is taking ice skating lessons, which put ME on the ice as well. I can now go forward, cross over and stop...all by my self.

I'm training our puppy and learning lots about dog behavior.

Oh, and I made a new friend this week. (Not a small thing for this introvert.)

Kylix, I definately agree that watching my kids explore the world has freed me to learn things just "because." Before homeschooling, I set out to learn things because I had to, not simply because I wanted to. It feels indulgent.

 

[StillForest]

Great thread! I've been working on brushing up my Chinese. I studied Chinese in college 25 years ago and now have Chinese in-laws who speak very minimal English. My "Chinglish" is functional but embarrassing...though also often amusing for MIL and FIL. I really want to be able to converse with them.

I'm also:

* reading books on GD and parenting
* learning how to make my own yogurt
* learning more about nutrition and using diet for health and healing.
* starting to study a new type of yoga.

I just finished an extremely absorbing and demanding academic program and am thrilled to finally have the time and energy to pursue my own interests again. I'd like to take some sort of an art class....but think that I may need to hold off for a while. Have been trying to do more crafts projects with my DDs.

 

[Brisen]

Working on crochet; learning about learning (hsing books); cooking; thunder storms; fossils; history; poetry; Spanish; playing the piano; sustainable farming/homesteading.

I want to start a nature journal this summer.

 

[Kylix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsMoe Oh, I always wanted to take one of those! Are the classes and the supplies expensive?

MrsMoe, it's not too bad. It was 70 bucks for six sessions through my city's park and recreations program. This fee includes all the supplies you need--a 25 lb bag of clay, access to knives, cutting wire, glazes, a kiln, etc. I made two pieces my first night and if I keep that up I can probably end up with around 10 pieces total (presentable or not is still up for debate). Really for me it is the process and learning that I can do and having fun while doing it than the product though...

I'm also taking a swim class this summer (I went a little crazy with my summer plans). I've been trying to learn how to swim since I was a kid. I took lessons when I was about seven or eight and just didnt progress. I'm just really afraid of the water but I'm more afraid of going my whole life and never learning because it's just something that I want to accomplish. I had my first class tonight and it did not go as well as I would have liked, so I'm a bit bummed. But I'm trying to remind myself that like the pottery thing, it's a process and learning comes at different paces for each individual.

Cool to see what everyone else is up to!

Kylix

 

[Kylix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom2AliKat Kylix! It's so good to "see" you! I've missed your posts. Congrats on the crafty stuff, do you have pics to share?

Hi!!! Good to see you too!! I was lurking over at FYT and see that the MOC thread is still thriving. It's so hard for me to keep up on threads (I was surprised to come back and see this many replies to my question). I like to rip around MDC and read a little here and a little there. I think I have ADHD, Inattentive type

...no really....

I'll try to drop in though cuz I miss you ladies. Y'all are the best!!!

Sorry no pics, lol! Even if I dare say that I'm getting better at the crafty stuff, I still KNOW that photography is not my thing. I don't own nor know how to work a digital camera (upload the pictures on a computer) unfortunately.

I know what you mean about life goals...Good luck with learning French! It's my favorite language, btw.

Kylix