Tuesday, January 27, 2009





I have to sneak in my updates on tuesdays since Ben is always out with his RPG group then and I can hijack his compy to post pics. Angelica has taken to using our camera latley ever since I taught her how to use it and the last two pictures are taken by her!!! Josepha has been coming over almost every Friday and Saturday which is really nice. I have gotten myself into a weekly menu and weekly chore schedule so as to organize the new year. I am finding that the secret of unschooling at least in this family is hyper organizing everything else so that there is time for learning and not me chasing a pile of laundry around the house all week long with a spear. The cat has also gotten fatter since Angelica has assumed feeding responsbilities. And the girls still are really lazy about toy clean up but the HUGEST breakthrough has come with the "if you want your breakfast you must make your bed and get dressed rule." Almost all battles on that front have ceased like magic. There are still days but I no longer feel like half my day is spent having motivational talks or randomly yelling to get three little people changed out of pajamas and the morning chores done.
And I bought a beco, which is like an ergo, but with cute patterns, and it rocks. I love it. My back no longer aches and Julia likes it too and I feel like I am free to jet out the door at a moments notice again. Last week I carried ALL my groceries out of the car all by myself with Julia on my back and was pain free even after carrying her and groceries and putting them all away. Hurray!!!

10 comments:

Hummingbirder said...

Wow! Great pics and post :) I love the idea of no breakfast until bed made and they are dressed. I'm pretty late on implementing this since we've been married 20 years but I guess, better late than never!
P.S. Come by and see the baby goats if you can. We have them in the basement and we sold the boys who will be leaving next week.

Sarah said...

I am jealous of your beco . . . I've been drooling over them for a while now.

Anonymous said...

hey anna, it's been a long time since we have seen each other, so i hope you even remember me!, mary grace (fallon) slocum, i was at christendom and then worked at mountain laurel montessori school,, i have two girls and we have been going to a waldorf toddler program,, it's awesome but i read some books by rudolf steiner and decided not to get into the theory. i still am an advocate for montessori but i like some ideas from waldorf too (which may be a big combination no no!) i'd love to hear what you think about mixing the two and i'd love to talk about unschooling with you!, could you send me an email at mrgfallon7@Hotmail.com thanks!

j'aime said...

angelica looks so grown up i could cry. i am looking into the front-carriers; i really like the idea of having the bean where i can see. also, i meant to ask you what kind of diapers you liked best. i knew at one point, but since it was not critical knowledge it left my brain.

Ben Hatke said...

I like the part where Anna has Julia on her back while she hauls in the groceries, but she left out the part where I'm sitting in a lawn chair nearby and sipping some kind of drink from a coconut with a little paper umbrella.

Ben Hatke said...

Paper umbrellas I love them SO HARD.

Anonymous said...

Anna,
I discovered your blog a year or so or more ago from houseartjournal and frequent your blog when you post. Sometimes it seems wierd to be following total strangers' blogs especially when you share similar interests etc. However, why I am leaving a comment is to tell you that I really like your blog. Thanks for doing it! It is unique in that it is an ascetic/artistic experience and few blogs are like that.
Written by, a homeschooling mother of 4 young ones in PA.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anna--the new look for your blog is very nice! Glad to hear that breakfast is a good motivator for your girls! If I tried that with my two, they'd be like, "Hooray! we don't have to eat breakfast!" They hate to eat. Weird. Most mornings are really consumed by just eating breakfast and getting dressed. Oh well. I just try to remember that this stage won't last forever.

--Elizabeth Butina

Ana Wambeke said...

Count me in as a blog follower who you have never met before nor never knew existed. Found your blog about a year ago after searching for disana soakers on google. your blog came up, and I was delighted to find a lot of inspiration on your site as to raising my own two tiny ones. Thanks for keeping the blog up, and don't mind me!

Margaret E. Perry said...

i can't stand it anymore: i have to see you guys! Zita is big and has brown hair! I still haven't met Julia! And Angelica is taking pictures!!! AMAZING!

(and I like to new header, etc!)

Come visit me!!!