The healing journey of a widowed, unschooling badass in Delaware.
Six years ago, my elder son, Westen, earned his first belt after white.
This week, he was gifted a katana as a thank you for helping with a promotional video.
Elevated Studios has blessed us innumerable times over these six years. We try hard not to take for granted this space that is only second to home for us.
There is value in fighting even the smallest conformity.
We don’t get a choice whether or not we have government up our butts. We each have to make personal decisions about what costs we are willing to incur for rebellion. I accept property taxes as mob-style protection from coercive schooling for my sons. If I didn’t, I would go to jail and I would lose them.
As far as attendance reporting for home educators in Delaware, it is a farce on its face. There is no definition of what a school “day” constitutes. They dare not dictate, nor define, instructional hours since attention could then be turned to how few instructional hours are present in schools.
Many of us use 180 days and 100% attendance. It’s a lie because there is no truthful answer. There is rebellion in lying to the government, even if they are asking for a lie.
Don’t believe the lie. Highlight the absurdity. Laugh out loud when you tell people how you’ve escaped the system, even in a tiny way that some will call insignificant.
It is not insignificant. Each rebellion has value. Sharing it has value. Freedom is gained on the individual level. When enough people see through the lies that are necessary to prop up the system, the system ceases to have power.
Only you can judge whether you want to bear the consequences of your actions, but know that you are not alone in believing the government has no legitimate place in our lives.
In this podcast episode, Lex Fridman and Michael Malice cover a wide variety of topics, including the small, heroic deeds of regular people.
Lex Fridman Interviews Michael Malice: Totalitarianism and Anarchy
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Around 50 minutes in, Peterson starts referencing John Taylor Gatto. It’s exciting to witness a lifelong academic see the failings of modern schooling and evolve his thinking to reflect this new knowledge.
We goofed off today.
These friends are becoming family.
Westen, my older son, stole the iPad from my room last night and stayed up with videos and games.
This morning he missed jiu-jitsu because of his late night. I missed out on yoga because I was trying to get him up and didn’t yet know about his deception. Neither of us had a top morning.
A friend needed a favor, so I was blessed with the chance to put some space between me and my son. I don’t handle these situations well and needed the productive cool-off time.
By the time I returned, I was ready to ignore the fiasco as long as it would buy me a quiet house. Our plan was to attend a Delaware Shakespeare performance this evening and that offered enough complications on its own.
My younger son, Isaac, hasn’t been game for getting out of the house as of late. None of my plans seem to please him until the car door opens at our destination, then, maybe, he’ll be the happy little kid I know.
He never used to put up a fight about Shakespeare, but I was expecting one today. With my patience thinned out before noon, I was not optimistic about my plans.
I ordered pizza from Claymont Steak Shop for a picnic before the outdoor show and crossed my fingers. Isaac put up no fight and we got out the door on time. Things seemed to be turning in my direction.
As we got to the park, I looked for the email with our tickets. What I found was a cancellation notice due to inclement weather. I thought, “Here we go. Questions about why I didn’t check sooner and ‘Was this a trick?’ were sure to come.”
But they didn’t come. We discussed where to find cover to eat and got ourselves set up. I often carry a camp table and it came in handy with the other picnic preparations.
We filled our bellies, played a little in the rain, and calmly discussed which movie to watch before bed.
The whole day teetered at the edge of disaster, but cool heads and reluctant forgiveness kept us together.
Disclosure:
In small, strange ways, the items linked below kept our day moving in a positive manner. They are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange (Music From the Soundtrack)
We all have doubt when we start home educating and, unfortunately, that doubt returns in many forms again and again. It is not an easy endeavor, but you are not alone.
My first advice is to change “I have to do it” to “I am choosing to do this.” It is a huge responsibility, but you will find an amazing freedom in owning it.
As I was trying to save this spider and her egg sacks, one broke and her babies scattered. I tried to get them all outside safely.
My sons have been anticipating tonight for a full week.
We kept it simple with sparklers, smoke bombs, a fountain, a 29-shot repeater, and a couple of noise makers.
There was just enough fear to keep everyone careful. No one was hurt and only fireworks were destroyed. The children did all the lighting and discovered a new level of bravery.
I don’t understand the game, or the collecting, or the other game.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I don’t know how my son was able to edit two video feeds into his own pack opening video. I don’t get the appeal of much of the Pokémon phenomenon.
I love the motivation my sons have found to dig into this passion. The relationships, skills, and strategies they are exploring enrich their lives.
We are grateful to Born to Game for a place to meet, play, and learn more about these strange cards.
Three out of four soccer games were losses this week. I’m highly competitive and that’s not easy. This much soccer is also keeping me from returning to jiu-jitsu training, but I can only blame myself for committing my time in this way.
I’m grateful to God for the ability and opportunity to compete in various places with diverse groups of players. I feel valued in these communities and I continue to improve within winning and losing scenarios.