Day Forty Eight

A mother who posts on some of the unschooling boards I visit lost her daughter to cancer the other night. The little girl was only 9 years old and was recently diagnosed. The following is what will become her obituary and it’s so powerful that I wanted to not only share it but keep it here so I can go back and read it.
For those wanting to help, please click here.

Hannah Lea Jenner left this life peacefully, in her mother’s arms, early on February 24, 2006. She was 9.5 years old and had a smile on her face, as she so often did. Chemotherapy had just begun for her recently diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, but the infection too quickly claimed her body. Hannah was a life long learner for whom all experiences came with joy and love. Survivors,
grateful for having loved her, are her mother, Diana (Lambert) Jenner; her brother, Hayden Jenner; her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends-who-should-be-family. She is embraced on the other side by her father, Mitch Jenner, and others who have gone before her. In lieu of flowers, the family requests outpourings of love and tender regard to every child, and gratitude on the part of parents of living children everywhere.

Day Forty Seven

Jacqueline, my mother & I went to Barnes & Noble today, after dropping Cimion off at the Yu-Gi-Oh duelist league. I decided to join their members program for $25 a year, after thinking about it for a while. I already have their educators discount card, but the member card is good for anything in the store, including Starbucks.

I actually got a good deal in there today. They had the Shrek Totally Tangled Tales TV/DVD game for 75% off. The original price was $29.99. Then I used the member card and got another 10% off bringing the total to $6 and some change.

I also picked up 100 Things you should know about science. It’s a nice book, lots of information and illustrations….but I don’t like the title. LOL! 100 things I should know, according to who?
I think to much.

Day Forty Six

Something really nice happened today.

The kids, my mom and myself went shopping in the dollar store today. I had to pick up a few odds and ends and the kids wanted to buy some valentine candy for each other. They each took a few dollars from their money, picked out what they wanted and I took them, one at a time so the other two wouldn’t see, to the register. They usually do all the paying and checking out by themselves but they like me there just in case they need me.

Cimion went first and I stood back while he was waiting on line. As he got closer, the woman standing behind him asked if that was all he was buying, to which he replied yes. She told the cashier that she would be paying for his purchase and to put it on her bill. I was kinda speechless, this woman was a total stranger.

I told her that he had his own money and that she didn’t have to do that. She just smilied and said that she wanted to. Cimion & I both thanked her and told her that it was a very nice thing that she did.

I mean, granted it was only $1.07 but the fact that she did it was very cool!
I spoke to the cashier about it later when I was helping Jacqueline check out. She said that the woman had done that 2 other times, both times with kids that had one item.

It really made my day.

Day Forty Four

The 3rd Unschooling Carnival is up and ready to read. Andrea & Ron did a great job.
A carnival is a collection of blog posts on a particular topic. this one being unschooling.
The unschooling carnival is held the 2nd Thursday of each month and submissions can be sent to submissions@atypicalhomeschool.net

Everyday Blessings

I borrowed Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon & Myla Kabat-Zinn from the library yesterday. Cimion & Shawna have a Storytelling Club there on Tuesday and Jacqueline & I use that time to take out books.

In the back of the book, they list 12 exercises for mindful parenting. The first one is:
Try to imagine the world from your child’s point of view, purposefully letting go of your own. Do this everyday for at least a few moments to remind you of who this child is and what he or she faces in the world.

Another one is:
Imagine how you appear and sound from your child’s point of view, i.e., having you as a parent today, in this moment. How might this modify how you carry yourself in your body and in space, how you speak, what you say. How do you want to relate to your child in this moment?

When Billy & I took our 10 week MAPP class, as part of our homestudy to adopt through the foster care system, the instructor visually and mentally helped us put ourselves in the place of a foster child. It was quite scary and most of us were affected, one even had to leave the room.

I keep that with me and I use that tool with my children now. It helps me to see past the behavior and see the child instead. It helps me when I’m getting angry and feel like yelling, to see myself as they see me.

Putting yourself in your childs shoes, will show you the world in a whole new way. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to find a new way of parenting their blessings.