The Love Tree

I saw this Love Tree on The Sparkling Martin's blog and I just had to make one with Finny.

You simply find a tree branch and strip the leaves off. Then you make little hearts and write the names of those you love on them and hang them in the tree. We had a little stuffed bird that we added to ours. This project was so cute that Finny even worked on it for, oh, about 10 minutes which is a crafting record for him. He thought that folding the paper and then cutting half-hearts out (which unfold into full hearts) was the coolest thing ever. I think Dayna and her babe, Ivy, made the hearts out of felt and stuffed them. I had to go for quickie hearts cuz my boy wanted me to jump jump jump on our new trampoline with him. But, really, it's the sweetest little thing ever. I just love it. I think we'll make them for Valentine's Day too. It will be hard to top the Love Boxes I made last year, but the Love Trees just might do it.

Here's who Finny put on his Love Tree:

Finn

Mama

Daddy

Grandmary

Meema

Uncle Roo

Aunt Mara

Mimi

Bridget

Bowie

Coston and Braeden

Gus

I'm SO grateful he could think of so many people that he loves. His life is just full of love.

I have been feeling so close and tender with my family of late. We had good, good friends who lost their homes in hurricane Ike. They lost everything, really. Every little thing. I am so grateful that they are safe and sound, but my heart is so raw for them. I hope they know how much we love them. Maybe a Love Tree is in order for them too?

We sure love y'all,

Michele, Jack and Finnigan the Curious

Oh, Bridget, I love you.

What's better than spending a Friday afternoon taking a mud bath with your best pal? Spending it in a warm, outdoor shower with your best pal! Oh my, I will miss these moments of pure, muddy joy. As hard as they seem some days, I know they are absolutely perfect in every way. When I think what I would have missed had I not had a child...gulp.

When Bridge got out of the shower Finny sighed, "Oh, Bridget, I love you." And he really does.

And we really love y'all,

Michele, Jack and Finnigan the Curious

Rethinking Education Conference

We just got home from the Rethinking Education Conference in Dallas and WOW! I don't even know how to begin to convey what a magical and meaningful week this was for us. Connecting with people who are living consentually, peacefully, lovingly and joyfully with their children (and grandparents! Oh, the lovely grandparents there) was simply awe-inspiring! We were able to hear speakers such as Dayna Martin and Sunday Cote talk about trusting the Universe, peaceful partnerships, finding the "YES" in everything, following your passions, etc., etc. Jack got to connect with some Dads and he also got to hear some unschooled children who were kind enough to answer adult questions in a panel format. Amazing! We all came home peaceful, loving, excited, enthusiastic...downright changed, really.

Even though Finny didn't attend any sessions with us it is clear that he feels the shift that took place. Jack and I are calmer, kinder, centered. We know that Radical Unschooling is right for us, but what an amazing gift to spend a week with other families who feel the same way. Finny had the MOST marvelous time running wild with new friends - Levii, Coston and Braeden, to name just a few. The hotel was gorgeous and so tolerant of the free children.

Choosing a path that is so unconventional can be hard. Over and over again people would ask each other, "How did you come to unschooling?" Many people come to it through homeschooling; a natural progression for lots of families who begin with a strict curriculum and find it just doesn't "work." I know for me, and then from me to Jack, it was just a matter of knowing that compulsory schooling was not what I wanted for my child (I thought this long before we had Finnigan). I read and read and read and asked question after question after question. As much as I find the computer to be an akward medium for me I just cannot fathom where I would be today, on this path, without it. SO many wise and thoughtful and brilliant people who shared their journeys with me so that I could begin mine. I am so grateful to each and every one of them. And now here we are - further along the path that I ever imagined and happier than I ever thought possible. And just when I thought things were fine the way they were, along comes this conference and we get riccocheted into a new paradigm altogether. Jack got turned on to (and I got more turned on to) the Law of Attraction and that is really, really working for us.

One of the most meaningful messages that I got from the conference was one of gratitude and acceptance. Where we are right now is perfect and I totally trust that wherever we go from here will be perfect too. We're a team and our goal is love and trust and enjoy one another as much as humanly possible. Jack and I feel that our job is not to make Finn obey, but to bring him joy and happiness whenever possible. And we wish to offer that to each other as well. And to you!

Thanks for being on our journey with us.

We love y'all,

Michele, Jack and Finnigan the Curious

Naked Tree Climbing

Need I say more?

The Unwinner

We played Old Maid for the first time a couple of nights ago. Finn was AMAZING! He got it right away and really enjoyed playing. I LOVE card games and board games. I just can't believe he's old enough for us to start doing these things. Anyway, while I was explaining the game I used the word loser. As in, the person who had the Old Maid card at the end of the game is the loser. Finn told me not to say loser as that was a "mean word." He has heard it in movies and was using it for a time. We talked a lot about how calling someone a loser might hurt feelings. If someone loses, that's one thing, but to call someone a loser could make them feel bad as most people like to be complimented on winning or just trying hard. Well, Finn didn't like me using the word loser and he said "the person holding the Old Maid card at the end of the game is the UNWINNER." Isn't that just a marvelous word? And so clever. Then, later, Finn was waiting for his turn and he said to me, "I just can't stop looking at your beautiful face." Could you just melt? I did. Jack did too. Our lovely boy.
We love y'all,
Michele,
Jack,
and Finnigan the Curious

Roo Roo Rassenfelder!

Uncle Roo was kind enough to drive all the way from Denver, Colorado to come visit his favorite nephew (and his favorite sister and mama). Finn was absolutely hysterical to see him and we sat on the front porch for almost 2! hours waiting for him. It also prompted us to spend some time in front of the map. Finn really liked seeing where Uncle started from and how far it was down to us. His point of reference for driving is "is it as far as it is to Grandmary's house?" That, to him, is the max amount of time that one could possibly drive. When I told him it was like driving to Grandmary's 5 or 6 times he almost blew a gasket. He immediately said that Uncle should take a jet airliner next time and "NEVER drive that far ever again." He's not a big fan of the car, as you can tell.
Uncle Roo was wonderful as ever. He played endlessly with Finn; let him crawl all over him; played batman and guns and swords and who-knows-what-all. I came in the house and found the bedroom door closed - they were hiding guns in the closet so no one could find them.
Poor Roo was exhausted upon arrival and just played his heart out. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful uncle. I'm also so grateful that Roo has a nephew to love.
Whenever we're all together I can't help but feel a bit of loss that Daddy is not living down the street as planned. I always hoped that him living close to a real family would make him feel better about life. He was so lonely. I think the next time Roo is here we could sit together with Finn and look at pictures of Daddy and talk about him. I will make a little photo album for us to sit with. Maybe we can bake a cake in honor of him - that man LOVED sweets JUST like his grandson. To me, Finn is like Daddy in lots of ways. Just little things, but I definitely see it.
We love y'all,
Michele,
Jack,
and Finnigan the Curious

FINNY CAN SWIM!!!

Today, August 5, 2008 is the day Finny started swimming!

Just a few days ago he still didn't like getting his face wet and now, voila, swimming! He told me that he just kept watching other people and thinking about it and then he just told himself, I KNOW I can, I KNOW I can and he did. We never did swim lessons because he didn't want to. We never pushed him to try anything - not even to blow bubbles or get his hair wet because he never liked it. I was really reluctant to get him floaties or even a float because I think children learn to depend on them instead of themselves, but he wanted them and so I did. He LOVED them and I now believe they were exactly what he needed to feel comfortable.

He and I were at Brentwood Pool (our neighborhood pool across the street from our house) and we were playing and having a great time. He said he was going to go all the way under water (which he never likes to do) and he did! He did that several times, staying under longer and longer. Then he said he felt like he was just going to swim. He asked me if I thought he could. Of course, I replied, "OF COURSE!" He then started doing a kind of dog paddle thingee. He asked me if that was real swimming. I said that I thought real swimming was when your legs were out straight behind. He said, "Oh, yea, that's right." He then lifted his chin, kind of threw himself out and started swimming! It still looks like a burro swimming, but, bgosh bgolly it's real swimming. He was absolutely delirious with joy as was I. He wanted to surprise Jack so when Jack got home (in record time because I told him there was something really important to see at home) we were waiting on the porch for him with his bathing suit and a towel. He was a little confused because Finn told him that he had learned a new Jedi trick but that he had to show it to him at the pool. We ran over (NO ONE else there) to the pool and Finn and I went into our previously rehearsed dialog. I acted bummed out that I had forgotten his floaties. I said I would go home and get them. Finn then said, no, no that he could go in without them. I had strict instructions to act worried and tell him he could NOT go in without his floaties (which I would never really say). At that point he jumped in and started swimming! Jack was so surprised. The pool closed just a few minutes after we got there so, in Holt family fashion, we hopped in the car and drove to another pool that stayed open until 9. Jack and Finn swam and swam and swam. Then we got cheapo Mexican food and went to bed on full bellies. Well, poor Jack had to go to the lab and check on some equipment, but Finn and I passed out.

Our boy can swim!

We love y'all,

Michele

Jack and

Finnigan the swimmer