Jake's Sketches

I was just browsing on Jake's Photobucket account, looking at all the work he's been doing sketching, scanning and uploading his art to Photobucket. I asked him if I could show a couple off on the blog and he gave his consent!

Jake draws every day. He takes characters (pets) from his favorite website, subeta.org, and he sketches them w/human and animal characteristics. He'll be writing with his friends on-line, get inspired, leave the computer and head to his spot on the couch, next to the window, next to the view, and he'll go to work w/his sketchpad and pencil (and eraser!). He is highly discriminating about his art...he's always had those perfectionist tendencies...so this often causes frustration in his life. But he's usually able to work past his frustration (with the help of his biggest fan and yet most honest critic, his Mom! ;) and create really incredible pieces of art.

Right now he's exploring adding color to his sketches...again, his perfectionism, his *precise* vision in his head of how it *ought* to look, is getting in his way and he's not satisfied with it. I love it, though.

When I was in high school, I always thought the coolest kids were the ones that could draw. Everything was so compartmentalized in school...there were such definite lines that shouldn't ever be crossed. You were either a jock or an artist or a brain or a nerd. I wanted to be them all! And I'm thankful that in my children's *real* lives, lives not defined by school's standards, they DO get to think of themselves as being whatever they envision themselves as being. They are exactly Who They Are...and have always been celebrated for being just that.

The Sun is Shining and All is Well...

(Note: This photo is of sweet, glorious children who have been
coming to my program for years...what I write about below does not apply to these children! )

I have been extremely frustrated lately with my library program lately. I have new people attending and it's been crazy...some of the new children are destructive and disruptive and the parent does nothing about it. I've also had to keep reminding the adults to be quiet while I read the stories to the children. It's been so defeating and exhausting and I've been coming home the past three weeks and just crying and I even thought that it was a sign that I shouldn't be doing it anymore...

But then when I get home and I talk to Dave about the highlights of my *show*, as he calls it (always my biggest fan, my sweet man), I realize over and over again: I Love My Job.

So I knew I had to walk through this challenge and as uncomfortable as it is at this time, it's in front of me for a reason...to grow, to learn. I have spent many hours on the phone with the library director and with my friends, helping me to get my heart in the right place about it all. I asked assistance from my ShineWithUnschooling list and they pulled through for me, as always, with wonderful ideas and sage advice.

Today I sent out a letter to everyone who attends...a friendly letter with information about how I am re-structuring the program to better suit our growing community.

I also listed what people could expect from me every week...and in return, I listed what I feel I should be able to expect from them (things that are obvious to my children and I, but that don't seem so obvious to all parents, I guess)...things like "It’s important to let your child know that it’s not the appropriate place to run or climb or swing or hide or to find secret places away from everyone else" and "If your child chooses to not participate in the Storytime portion of the program, it is important that you, the parent, communicate to the child that he/she needs to stay quiet during that time, out of respect for those who *are* there for the stories. It is also absolutely necessary for you, the parent, to show by example that this is the appropriate and respectful thing to do."

Here's what I wrote that they could expect from me every week:

· A program director who values the child’s perspective of the world…a place where children are heard, respected and celebrated.

· A positive, joyful and solid community atmosphere.

· Lots of really good books read by someone (me!) who is passionate and yet highly discriminating about children’s books. There are SO MANY children’s books out there, and I spend a lot of time reading through them to bring the ones I feel are the most enlightening, joyful, thought-provoking, interactive and appropriate for the children who attend my program. This is a challenge, given the wide age range of the participants! But I know each child will define each book experience according to his/her own perspective, and get out of it what he/she needs/wants to get out of it…and that’s what I really love about it.

· Craft materials and ideas carefully selected to give children the chance to work with various art and craft mediums, perhaps inspiring further exploration with the items after the child leaves the library.

· A musical experience integrating various musical instruments that the children get to play themselves and music CD’s, varying from well-known children’s songs to a wider range of music from around the world.

· A glorious assortment of books for you to check out of the Franklin Free Library. For such a small, rural library, Linda does a wonderful job of staying current with both children and adult titles. So please take advantage of this and check out some really great books for yourself and to read at home with your child.

· Puzzles, blocks, puppets and computer programs for your child to explore and play with.

I received incredible support today when I made phone calls to gather people's addresses so that I could send them the letter. So much good has come out of this challenging time, and people who have been coming to the program for years (this is my 5th year of doing the program) have spoken up and told me how much they value it and how thankful they are for my hard work week after week.

My friend, Lynn, who has been coming for 3 years, and whose children I have watched grow and blossom right before my eyes wrote a note to *me* before she even knew that I was sending a letter to *her* because she saw that I was less-than-my-typical-joyful-Self on Monday. I'd like to share her note:

Dear Anne,
This is just a little note of thanks for all you do to make the library program so special. I don't say often enough how much we have benefited and enjoyed the programs you put together each week. From the crafts that inspire unique creativity, to the music that adds joy, to the stories that match the children's interests and humor...you are wonderful!

Things have seemed to be a little *crazier* than usual lately and I'm sure it is difficult to put so much effort into the program when it is not being respected. I'll try harder to keep my kids under control. Thank you again for all you do. Love, Lynn
P.S. ~ Hugs sent from Abby & Nate!

We picked up our mail on the way to get our pizza and I cried all the way to the pizza place! I LOVE how the Universe works and how you get what you need when you put forth your intent and desire...

So, I'm trusting that all will be well on Monday. I'm not sure if it will be well with the one family, but I know I have more support now and I know that I've stated how it needs to be, so if things are still crazy, I can ask this one person to perhaps stay at home where her children can be Free without the limitations of being at the library.

It's a glorious Spring sunset tonight...the bluebirds are busy with their nest-building, Jake and I saw a male and female cardinal yesterday at our feeder, the sun is warming my soul and nurturing my spirit...all feels good...all is truly well.

Sam, "L'il Jeff"

When Sam was very little, he spent much time finding creative ways to communicate with his family, as we couldn't always understand his words. Jake was great at being Sam's translator, but sometimes that didn't even work. Sam wouldn't get frustrated, though, when we didn't understand what he was saying. His mind would just keep on working as he came up with new ways to effectively get his message across. I remember several times when I was trying to understand his words, he would stop using words, put my hand in his and take me somewhere, pointing out something that would help explain what he was saying.

One day I was making pancakes and he climbed up on a chair next to me, excited to help. He kept saying something over and over and I couldn't quite understand what he was saying. He kept saying, "L'il Jeff." I apologized for my limited thinking and my inability to understand his beautiful language...and we moved on.

Weeks later, we were watching PBS when the show *Little Bear* came on ~ one of Sam's favorites back then. We watched the episode, and it started to look very familiar. Little Bear's Dad was making pancakes and Little Bear was right by him, helping out. And all the connections that I had missed on our pancake-making day were made in the moment I heard Little Bear say that he wanted to be Papa Bear's "Little Chef."

"L'il Jeff."

"Little Chef."

My Little Chef Sam.

Sam has since then spent many hours in the kitchen, always creating, always cooking, making, offering to make for others...

He's a natural and you can tell he loves what he's doing.

Lately we've been watching a lot of shows on Food Network, particularly our favorite, *Iron Chef America*. This has renewed Sam's interest in being a chef. He's even talked about going to culinary school and is looking into those (as he said in his newspaper interview, posted below, when asked if he was going to college: "I don't really know at this point. Well, yeah, I'll probably want to go to college. Maybe culinary school some day...maybe when I'm 15 or 16. I've been interested in cooking since I was about two."). One of our favorite chefs on the show is Mario Batali, and we had a chance to eat in one of his restaurants, Otto, when we visited New York City.

One night while recently watching Iron Chef, Sam had a revelation. He decided right then that he wanted to open a Brew Pub and be the chef. The ideas were flowing out of him, as his dream was being woven into something that felt real and completely within his reach. Dave and I love brewpubs and have taken our children to them since they were very little. Whenever we travel, we seek out the microbewery restaurants and make sure we go to do some sampling!

So this was very cool, and Sam now has a more specific direction to his dream.

This week, he made his first complete dinner. He's been drawn to scallops, even though he's never tried them. So he wanted to make a scallop dinner. We looked through recipes and found a scallops and pasta recipe with garlic and white wine and sugar snap peas. Sam decided to do that one. When we went shopping for the ingredients, I had Sam smell the fresh herbs to decide which one he wanted to use in his recipe. He decided on dill. We headed to the seafood department to get the scallops, picked up the rest of the ingredients and more groceries, then headed home.

And at about 4:00, my little chef emerged from his gaming room after playing Halo 2 with his friends on-line to cook dinner for his family.

What a wonderful dinner! We all loved it ~ it was Jake and Sam's first time eating scallops and they couldn't get enough. It was a beautiful evening, as you can see in the photos (check out the sunset) and we were thankful that Sam shared his talent and his passion with his family for us to enjoy.

Jake O ~ Professional Gaming Writer ~ Reporting on the new Zelda game

The following was written by Jake, age 15:

Given Nintendo's track record for last year, with Twilight Princess being pushed farther and farther away, you would think the last thing Nintendo would want to do was title Satoru Iwata's GDC (Game Developers Conference) speech, 'Disrupting Development', right?

Oddly enough that is exactly what the Nintendo Vice-President's speech was named.

Thankfully though he was there to talk about moving forward, DS sales, Brain age, and even a bit more about the Revolution's 'Download Library', instead of telling us that the Zelda we've been waiting on for years has been pushed back until 2011 (I don't think he would have survived the massive fanboy outrage if he had done that anyway. @_@ -Can't help imagining Iwata being trampled by hundreds of people-).

And this announcement should quell the angriest of Fanboys/girls, about a New Zelda game.

That's to be released by the end of the year.

On the DS.

YES, miracle of Miracles it seems that the wait for Twilight Princess has not been in vain, as the announcement of a - get this - 'Fully 3D Zelda game, in the cartoony style of Wind Waker' is going to be out before years end.

-Falls to his knees in utter Nintendo reverance-

Titled 'The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass', Nintendo actually showed footage of this game at their GDC conference, and I've just seen it.

I honestly wouldn't have believed this was for the DS, besides the whole double-screen thing, if I hadn't been told. Nintendo seems to have somehow blended the traditional Top-down 2D Zelda format, with the Wind Waker's 3D engine, AND the Touch screen. This is one of the reasons Nintendo is amazing.

Seriously, drooling here.

OKAY, LINKS.

Link to the Article on Phantom Hourglass, you can find a link to the video on here too:

GDC 2006: Zelda for DS Announced

Link to the overview of Nintendo's GDC speech:

GDC 2006: Nintendo Conference Report

It is a great time to be a Zelda junkie my friends.

An in awe of all of this,

-Jake

Sam's Enlightening Thoughts

Last night, Sam and I were closed up in my room, cutting and gluing to make Art Trading Cards and he was talking. I love doing things like this with my children because it's when we really talk...when I get to hear what's deep in their hearts.

Sam was talking about a friend of his whose parents both died. He said he doesn't know how they live. I asked, "What is the other option?" He said, "That's true." I said, "Do you think those who have passed on want those who are left on earth to live a sad life...or do you think they want them to find as much Joy as possible."

He knew the answer.

And then as we were working more, he said, "I know how they are so happy!"

He went on, "They've already lost the thing that we are so afraid of losing. They have nothing else to lose. The big thing that we worry about has happened to them, so they have nothing to fear."

Wow.

Growing can be painful at times...I'm so thankful that my children are able to learn and grow in the safety of their own minds and hearts, without accepting what is just handed to them as being Fact, as being *This is the way it is*. My kids think, explore, examine, dissect, and without fear, they look at those things that make other people so uncomfortable and they turn them and turn them and turn them until they fit comfortably within the big puzzle of Who They Are and Who They Want to Be.

Sam's at an age where he has a lot of fears. And the biggest one is losing his parents. But in a joyful moment last night, with his mother at his side, he examined that fear and came up with an amazing perspective that enlightened my life, too.

This is the Blessing of my weekend...

Just as I was reading about Hannah's days before she passed, once again consuming my heart with confusion and pain, my brother sent me an e-mail asking if I wanted to play with my sweet niece this weekend. Oh, how I love how the Universe works...I love how *love* works.

Marlo Is Amazing. I love her so much. I give her the gift of listening to her...really listening. Letting her mind and heart take our conversations into several directions...seeing the world through her eyes is wonderful, especially when my own children were three years old several years ago! She is so much like Jake was at that age ~ so wise beyond her years, so *right*, so enlightening (so exhausting!).

My world was opened up immensely this weekend, being blessed to see it through the eyes of this wonderful child...and stay tuned, as I'm writing an article about it for the new unshcooling e-zine for which I will be writing a regular column!

Thanks for being my best friend this weekend, Marlo. I love you!

Through the Eyes of our Children...

Yesterday, as Jake and I were doing our first *Japanese* conversation lesson and having a great time doing it, laughing, connecting, learning...I was thinking of how my world has been so incredibly expanded and blessed from nurturing and encouraging what my CHILDREN love to do...because I *choose* to JOIN them in their world, in their interests...and I allow my life to be blessed because I am open to learning from *them*.

In fact, that's what my children can be found doing most every single day ~ the things that THEIR hearts were drawn to. Sure, I do my job as an unschooling parent of expanding their worlds, putting as much as I can in front of them and letting them choose from it.

But the things that their hearts are drawn to doing day in and day out are the things that came from within themSelves. Directions that I could never have foreseen, predicted, nor planned.

I am learning to speak Japanese. I am playing video games and I see the incredible value in playing video games. I am watching anime. I am having the most thought-provoking, intelligent conversations that I have ever had in my entire 43 years ~ with my CHILDREN. BECAUSE of *their* questions, insights, thoughts, observations, perspectives of the world.

Being always open to growing and learning more is the best gift I have been given from my children. To question all that was put before me during all of my yesterdays...and to see more infinite potential in *this moment* than I have ever been able to see before. There has been no greater gift than this one of knowing how to truly live a rich and full life that has real meaning in the scope of the Universe.

I will always continue to walk in the direction of my own heart...and I also will always be thankful for those paths that my children have shown me, that I have chosen to walk with them, beside them, letting them lead the way so that my world can be expanded and blessed...all because of the Shine coming from their Light.

Good-bye Hannah Lea...You are Incredibly Loved...

I haven't cried this much...I don't think *ever*. I certainly didn't cry this much after 9/11. This child's life has touched my heart so...and my sadness over her loss is deep and painful. Sadness for her mother, my friend Diana (who wrote "My womb is empty and my breasts are full..."), her brother, Hayden, the world...
*******************************

Hannah Lea Jenner left this life peacefully, in her mother's arms, early on February 24, 2006. She was exactly 1/2 of 19 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 infection too quickly claimed her body.

Hannah was an amazing human being, who reveled in the freedom of her environment. Experiences great and small were greeted head on and recounted with joy and gratitude. She has left behind a trail of inspiration and gifts of appreciation. May all who have been blessed with her presence revel in the smiles she gave and the love she shared.

Survivors, grateful for having loved her, are her mother Diana (Lambert) Jenner; her brother, Hayden Jenner, 7; 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 all the others who have gone before her.

In memory of Hannah, the family requests outpourings of love and tender regard to every child, and gratitude on the parts of parents of living children everywhere. ~~~~~~~~~~~

Hannah's last words were: "Don't worry about me, Mom, I'm a rock."