fullofstitches.com Blog

Did you know that it wasn’t until our 39th president that we elected someone who was born in a hospital? The first 38 presidents were all born at home. As a teenager, I visited the then-new Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA, and was amazed to discover he was born in a cabin in the hills not far from the museum/library. Many of the presidents were also educated at home or self-taught.

One of the best ways to learn is to follow an example. In early schools, the students were taught to memorize their books: history was taught by reading the subject matter until the student was able to recite lengthy passages from memory. English was taught by copying sentences and breaking them down into the individual parts of speech. Mathematics were learned by rote and applied in class and at the general store. P.E. was taken care of with the morning chores, walk to school and games at recess.

In the last couple centuries (longer in Europe), school and birth have been removed from the home. No longer are children taught to sit and listen at Father or Mother’s knee -they ‘learn’ in school.. And, learn they do. Just as their ancestors did, by rote and recitation: they learn the morals of the peers, teacher or state, they learn their games, but they don’t learn much of the actual work.

Children will be children, teachers will be teachers, and parents must be parents. The very attitude that “it’s not my job” can easily be ingrained in the minds and hearts of our children. To affect a situation, there is only one person that you or I can control to bring about change. I can only take control of me. But, my actions, and my attitude can be infectious and bring about change.

Not everyone is able or willing, but I have chosen homebirth and homeschool. Midwifery is choosing me. What is it that moves your heart and life?

It’s been a while since I posted - a month today! I’ve been busy with class these last couple months and today was the end of the beginning class. Next month is advanced class - hands-on workshop, really.

I’ve been getting up early with TJ for homeschool. I can concentrate better in the morning (especially if I actually slept, so I’m going to bed after this post), and we actually get schoolwork done. I’m going to have to set little goals through the year to get work done on a good schedule! Especially as I’m adding MissA to ‘regular’ school -she’ll be in first grade. He only has two more weeks (4 days) left of his co-op classes! This semester has just flown by!

I bought a baby seat for my bike this week. Tonight, TJ and I rode over to the store and I used the seat for the groceries to practice the high center of gravity. It worked out fine and the 2 minutes to the store really flew. Usually, we walk over there and it’s more like 10-20 minutes (even when they roll down the little grassy knolls). It was nice to have that little bit of freedom - light breeze, powered by me, blood flowing, so much nicer than being cooped up in the car or super slow walking to the store! I’m looking forward to riding the bike to the library on Thursday!

We’re looking forward to a visit from the children’s Grandparent’s and Uncle in early June! I’m finishing off tasks and trying to get the house in semi-order. It’s refreshing to see the counter regularly again!

We’ve been having a lovely heat wave this week. Thursday it hit 103F near TJ’s class. We went swimming when we got home. Friday the children and I went to the beach and left when we felt chilly there, it was only 101F when we got home. Saturday was a planned trip to Big Basin. Beautiful. Next time, I’m planning on going earlier (I prefer to hike in the morning or evening rather than midday). We were a little late and missed the group hike, but were able to enjoy a family hike. There’s lots of campgrounds there, so we may try that later in the year.

I can’t find most of my size 2 DPNs, something tells me the wee little one had a trash run with them (she’s at that age where everything goes in the container, especially the garbage container!). I’ve started TJ’s gloves on the size 2s, so I’m thinking I’m stuck buying more to finish the task!

For several weeks it’s been sunny, warm, beautiful. Yesterday I decided it was about time that I found ‘our’ beach.

The beach was windy and overcast. The rare glimpse of sun blanketed the sand with warmth. The intrepid explorers eager to face the mighty onslaught of nature while I watched and knit.

I looked down at MissC, “See the water?” She looked toward the lapping, bubbling waves and ran. As she reached the edge, she dropped to her bottom to watch the bubbly water swish by, inches from her feet. I hurried behind and scooped her up as the second wave came crashing, soaking me past the knees. I carried her out as the waves ran back to gather force. A glimmer rolling with the tide, now left on the beach, caught my eye:

What is it? It’s a sphere, perfectly clear but for a couple/few lines of white banded between what could be openings on the axis (the darker stuff is just sand). Within it was something difficult to see, grayish, shaped almost like a leaf, with a couple tiny bubbles. I found someone else’s photos of something like this.. Any clues, I’d love to know.

Sometimes you have to stay up late to make it happen in the morning. I had hoped to skip out Saturday morning to plan my school week. Instead, we stayed up late Friday night till about 5AM Saturday morning watching Netflix. Needless to say, he had some good sleep. I was so tired Saturday night that I went to bed about 7PM! Sunday, as usual, we scrambled to church. After, we wandered about the mall for the longest time. When it was getting toward bedtime, I went quietly off to get Cow to sleep. Soon after there were the strangest sounds.. Ben had the children tidying up! When I had Cow to bed, the work began for me.

I wanted to head to bed with a) a game plan or basic schedule and b) having read the teacher’s material so that I at least had an idea what I’m supposed to be doing.

This morning, I got up late, but went for the basic schedule outline. Feed baby, see if she’ll sleep more (no), get dressed (hurrah, I’m dressed!), get TJ started, help girls get started, clean something (the girls had colored their closet doors..), eat breakfast, feed baby, start school.

The piano teacher should be here shortly and I’m happy to say we’ve done our Latin work for today and figured out where we are in Math (he took 2 tests today) and the girls have been working on their “handwriting skills.” Well, they flipped the papers over and drew on the back..