Guess what? I have contributed to a new ebook titled Heart Centred Living with Intention, Grace and Growth edited by Deb Dane from Home Life Simplified. 19 essays, nearly 100 pages of mama essays about living the creative, self care filled, heart centered family life. You can download the free book here! Pop it on your reader and enjoy the essays when you have little bits of down time this season. Here is a peak at my submission On the Runway We are sitting by our neighborhood urban lake. There are as many birds, ducks and water fowl as there are cars rushing past and buildings full of dutiful workers. A feather captures my attention as it floats by on the surface of the water. The contrast of the natural unfolding beauty of this place with the hectic pace of human activity always makes my gut lurch. The distance is so wide. Suddenly, geese from just around the bend charge us! There are nearly twenty of them running like a derailed locomotive, honking, wings outstretched far. Eva grabs our tiny dog and dives to me for safety. We look at the onslaught with mouths agape as the geese go around us like a river around an ancient boulder. They head into the road squawking and sounding like a chaotic brass horn band playing a cabaret song that has been unwound and spills from the sheet music. The sound, the song is immense. "I wonder what they are doing?" I wonder out loud to no one in particular. "Mom, they are taking off and we are in their runway" my son answers. "We are in their runway." The words wash over me as powerfully as the birds had passed. As we all look at each other with eyes still wide, I thought, this is what I want for my kids. To always be on the runway, the place of action where dreams and ideas are taking flight. I want them to either bear witness to the luminous action and explosive ideas around them or better yet, to be in the thick, messy nidus of it. Always near the pulse of human (and animal) creative longing and making. The exhilaration of sitting near the flow of creative energy offers unparallelled motivation to engage and change the world. We need to be like dowsing rods, highly sensitive to the flow just beneath the surface. We have to look past the noise of the informational glut. To see under the celebrity and commercial crust that surrounds us and seems impenetrable. Listen closely! We can hear all that us underneath. And we connect with other diviners and become the creators, not the consumers of our lives. The thing is, the action is not always as cacophonous as a gaggle of geese. In fact, most times it is subtle and tiny and discreet. My job is to encourage them to stop, look and then find a way to make sense of the experience, through talking, writing or art/sense making . That is our curriculum. We spend our days lost in thought. Laying under trees. Reading. Looking under rocks. Wondering. Seeing shows. Asking. Making food. Talking to strangers. Getting lost. And then plotting our way back. After the geese, we spend time watching an ant who fell off a twig into the lake. Elliot says, "Oh no! My ant is drowning!" He scans the ground nearby looking for the materials to initiate a rescue. But then he sees that the ant is swimming. It is hard, slow work, but he is doing it. We all cheer for him as he climbs up onto a piece of floating duck weed. “I had no idea ants could swim.” he whispers to no one in particular. “Maybe we all have secret, hidden abilities that become accessible in certain situations.” I answer. Maybe. Maybe we do not know what we are capable of until we see others struggling against their own limits. Maybe the answers are always all around us. Our creative impetus is fueled when we stop and listen and look and record and play with the ideas. That is it. That is all it has always been. It is all quest. There is no destination when we are on the runway.

My kids book club just read Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan and once again I am so happy to augment my own reading with the awesome ...

Inspired by Steven Caney's book Kid's America, my daughter decided to make a life sized doll. Then my sons decided to make them too. This project took one evening and the following morning to complete - but it seems like the fun just might be starting. These dolls go everywhere with us now. They ride in the car and occupy the driver and passenger seats while we are in the grocery. They sit at the table and eat with us. The are danced with and fought with. So much fun, and so simple to make. Each kid needed 3 yards of white muslin (this cost us about $10 all together). We traced their bodies gingerbread man style, pinned them up and sewed them on the tracing line (leaving a whole in the head). Then we cut them out and turn them inside out. We filled the hands, feet and head with old pillow fluff and the bulk of the body with newspaper. We put extra stuffing along the belly to make it soft. My daughter drew her face on with sharpies. The alternative, that the boys took, was to print out a photograph of their faces on fabric and glue them on. The best part about these dolls is that they can fit into your child's clothes. Dress up is easy and fun. My daughter sewed yarn hair on to her doll, while my son had me take a picture of the back of his head and print it on fabric so he could glue it on the back of the head. This was well worth the work of making the dolls. They are taking creative play to a new level around here! Here is the link to the book we were inspired by. Despite the horrible cover, it is a gem and I highly recommend having this and all Caney's other books in your library. He takes kids play and design seriously and seems to have so much respect for the process and abilities of children. I am a huge fan.

Our homeschool co-op is learning about bones this month and my week was devoted to prosthetics. I wanted as much as the class to be an open tinker time as possible, so I kept the lecture to a minimum. In our co-op, the organizing parent shares resources with their kids before we meet. We post videos, animations, and other educational fodder on our group FB page. So the kids come to class already versed in the subject. I had also asked each of them to design a prosthetic in their journals. Meticulous models are made while getting fitted for a prosthetic, so we started by making plaster of paris models of their fingers.We used alginate in paper dixie cups. Your finger has to stay in the agnate for 3-5 minutes, so while I had them all still, I attempted to give a brief history of fake arms and legs. Remarkably, for most of time, prosthetics were simple and made of wood, leather and metal. It is only in recent history that so many advancements are being made, including the ability to move prosthetics with your brain! After our finger molds set, a volunteer removed them and filled them with plaster and let them set for the remainder of the class. Each kid shared their drawings which were varied and interesting. And then we built. My family had been been working on articulate hands using strings and straws. We shared this technique and many decided to use it in some variation like articulated tails and head dresses. My hope was that each kid learned one new technique for their builders toolbox. I can not wait to see how their new skills show up in their future work. Materials and tools we used: cardboard straws yard scissors and exacto knives hot glue guns and duct tape Oh! I made a pinterest page with a handful of resources. Share what you make in the Mama Scout Laboratory for Creative Living Facebook group.

We recently read Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai for my local homeschool book club. My goal for this book group is to expose the kids to stories of brave and heroic children from around the world in stories based on true life events (with a fantasy novel thrown in every now and then). This novel is written in short, precise poetry like prose. The protagonist Ha, recounts her life in Vietnam with her mother and brother, their frightening escape and subsequent settling in Alabama (where even more adventure awaits). Based on the author's real ice experience of fleeing Vietnam, we were immediately drawn in to the story and read through quickly. Both in my family and in the club meeting we talked about what it might be like to be a refugee, what we knew about the Vietnam War, the foods that are etched in our memories, and how we would tolerate the type of bullying Ha put up with. We located Vietnam on the map, watched documentaries about the current life of Vietnamese children and learned more about the war and our family connections to it. Ha longed for fresh papaya and in her honor we ate one as a group. My kids were given papaya seedling from a friend which they planted in the back yard. We also bought and tried dried papaya which figures in a disappointing episode of the story. My family took a field trip to the Vietnamese enclave in Orlando and spent time browsing the ethnic grocery store and having a Vietnamese lunch with noodles, pickled lemonade and bubble tea. We love reading novels together and find them to be a major source of learning and inspiration. Literature forms a substantial base of our homeschooling and learning together. The characters and their stories become like close friends to us and we find ourselves referring back to them often, as well as making really interesting connections between all the characters we have known. Does your family read aloud? What are some of your recent favorite books?

Grasper by Paul Owen Lewis might be my favorite kids' book ever. A picture book about a little crab who is curious about the world outside his little tidal pool, adults will cheer his adventure as much as kids. Despite warnings that the world is a scary place and you must stay in your small but safe area, Grasper yearns to explore. He is told that when he is molting he is so vulnerable that he must stay put. After a wave washes him out to sea, he realizes that he can only grow so big in his home. The crabs in the open sea are huge and full of life and color. He returns to tell his friends and family, but they can not believe him or his new ideas. When I briefly taught elementary school, I remember having similar discussions with my kids. The majority of them came from severely disadvantaged homes and literally had no idea of the possibilities of the world. Their goals were very low and adjusted based on what their parents (if they had them) or other kids had taught them. I so badly wanted to wash them sea for a peek at their potential. Prompt: We talked about what the world would seem like if we never left our house or neighborhood. We have been scared and vulnerable in our travels, but always appreciate the bigger world view - just like Grasper, and the risk is worth it. Each kid used a large piece of drawing paper divided into two. On one side they drew a creature in a small habitat and on the other side illustrated a big, wide world. Simple. As they drew, they talked about examples of constriction and freedom in their own life. And I internally thought of my own examples, both cultural and self imposed.

I witnessed something amazing this last week. Something that I never asked for or knowingly encouraged. A generosity from the Mama Scout tribe that blew me away and made me realize that I completely underestimated the power WE have (I thought I knew, but I had no idea). As registrations for Dream Lab were heating up, a few women offered to host giveaways and pay for other women to join the lab. I was so moved by the support and giving of these women. But, apparently I was not the only one. As the week progressed, I started getting emails and messages from other women who wanted to pay for dream sisters who were not able to afford the lab this year. One after another they came in. They asked specifically to sponsor women who they had come to know online over the last few years. They gifted women who had shared their brave dreams, their BIG leaps of faith and kind support to others. And they all wanted to remain anonymous. So, I spent time contacting unsuspecting women saying something like, "guess what? you were gifted a spot in Dream Lab by an anonymous woman. Someone who knows the lab will be better because YOU and your voice are in it." Each recipient was shocked and asked me to pass on to their patron messages of gratefulness and promises to pay it forward. And for many of them, this gift came at just the right time. They might have been struggling with something heavy or feeling world weary. An act of kindness turns around negativity, yes. But it also enlivens the spirit and encourages the recipient to offer the world something generous. It is exponential and contagious and good. Seeing how this generosity spread like a fire through our group makes me ever determined to figure out how to start sparks of goodness and harness that energy. And to fully stand in the power and support others who seek to do the same. And on that high note, I am offering a giveaway for a spot in BOTH Dream Lab and Feathering the Nest. Feathering the Nest is one of my favorite online classes (I have done it several times). Stephanie Perkinson and Leah Kent help participants explore the energy of their space, spruce up with simple makes, and create a home that is a reflection of their values and passions. It is the perfect companion class to Dream Lab. They work well together and would not compete or overwhelm each other. To enter this giveaway just leave a comment below telling me what you are dreaming about right now. Make sure that I am able to contact you, which I will do Sunday morning! Good luck!

Monday Missions: a simple idea to add a little magic to your week. Most parents are keenly aware of the affect of music on their children. When my daughter was new we had a cassette (!) tape that we just called, "magic." It was weird high pitched melodies that would calm her every time we were in the car. Now, as my kids are older we often go through phases where we forget to listen to music. Probably because the house is already sorta loud (hmm...). But reading times, dinners and Sunday mornings do all have their own soundtrack and I have started making sure we listen to more new music, outside our standards of classical, jazz and world. I have realized we are missing out on so much good pop music (classics like the Beatles, or Etta James or more modern stuff like Adele, Feist and even the Glee soundtrack). And what about Broadway soundtracks? My daughter is in love with the music from Wicked right now. I think Rent is next. Basically, I realized I can not stick to my comfort zone, we need to listen to a much bigger range. So, my mission for the week is to choose a new Pandora station each day, to check out some new CDs for the car and to listen to forgotten records from our collection (maybe they would like some RUSH). Do you want to join me? Tell me about your music habits? Have a suggestion for me to listen to? I am up for the challenge.

My background is in art history, so when I had kids, I thought they would be little art historians - enthralled with the stories of the great masters and highly sensitive to the formal elements of art. They would certainly be able to have conversations with me about how line affects mood. And they would never giggle at naked bodies in art. Yeah, so anyway - I had kids and of course our relationship with art turned out not to be so tidy. BUT, I have discovered how to enjoy experiencing art with children and we (usually) love spending an afternoon in a museum together. Here are some ideas that have made it all a bit more manageable. 1. Be prepared. Well, of course. It should go with out saying that kids should be well rested with full bellies. I have tried it otherwise and it was not worth it. It is good to remind them of the rules in a positive way (no running, yelling or touching). And it might be useful for you to brush up on the artist and time period, however that leads to the next point. Which is... 2. Lower your expectations. Do not expect to lecture your kids on what you know about the art. Do not expect to get to read each didactic label or even to see every piece of art. When museum going with kids, it is much better to have an open ended agenda. Wandering through the exhibits with out a definite plan allows for surprises and more immediate reactions and connections to the art work. Instead of looking for the famous pieces, adopt an attitude of adventure and discovery. Tell your kids (and yourself), "Let's see what we find." 3. But you can still check out any kid resources the museum has to offer. Sometimes they are simply awful - like worksheets that the kid would be so busy filling out they would not even get to interact with the art. Or, they lead the child around from piece to piece, not allowing the viewer to discover anything on their own. But every once in awhile you might just run across a real gem. For several summers, the Orlando Museum of Art has exhibited some great children's book illustrators and has set up a reading center with couches and bean bags and books right in the middle of the gallery. It encouraged us to look at the art, hangout, and look at the art some more. It was a great concept that served families well. Two summers ago, while in Washington, D.C. we visited the National Gallery Art. I thought my kids would not last long, but I really wanted to try to at least stroll through. The guard offered us some automated phone device guides. I was reluctant - because usually they are too wordy and work against the group dynamic by separating each person with their electronic device. But he insisted, saying they were new and really good for kids. So, we tried them and they were amazing. We were all so impressed we ended up staying for hours and it was one of the best museum trips of the entire vacation. (The short recordings would play the instruments that were featured in an art work or recreate the scene with background noise and a simple narrative. My kids were drawn in immediately.) 4. Learn how to ask big, open ended questions to get a conversation flowing. Which is your favorite? Why? (especially good in a room full of abstract art) What do you see? What story/feeling/idea do you think the artist is trying to communicate/tell us? How do you think this was made? (my kids love this question - especially with sculpture). Play ISPY to encourage close looking (my youngest son loves this and it works well with both abstract and representational art) How does this painting/sculpture make you feel? And do not be silent about sharing your feelings and thoughts on what you like or are confused about. Kids really benefit from listening to adults "think out loud" and demonstrate the process of figuring out complicated material. 5. To seal the deal of this great art adventure, if at all possible, have a drink or snack in the museum cafe. This is an important part of museum going. It allows your mind to soak in all you have seen, and very often in a nice surrounding. I usually have small journals with me, because my kids always want to draw immediately after they have been through an exhibition. Also, if you can, enjoy the museum store. You can buy cool little trinkets or postcards to remember the visit by. *bonus idea A membership to a local museum makes it easier to stop in for short visits so that going to see art becomes a normal part of your routine. Besides supporting the arts, usually a membership gives reciprocal benefits to other museums. We recently realized that when we upped our museum membership to a higher level, the reciprocals were amazing and paid for the membership quickly. It is definitely worth investigating. Do you go to museums with your kids? Any other tricks you have to make the experience fun for everyone?

I have no idea where to begin. This homemade deodorant kicks ass. It eliminates odor all day, and even in to the next day if you lounge around and don't get going for awhile (although that never happens around here). It takes about 1 minute to make and you probably have the supplies in your pantry already. I have heard you can use cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder, but I have not tried that. I have hiked in the humid Florida's woods, in August, for hours and emerged with no smell at all! My husband has worked on our house, on scaffolding all day, and NO ODOR! And to be clear, if either one of us engaged in those activities with drugstore deodorant, it would have worn off and we would have stunk. But the part that makes me so happy about this discovery is that my kids will NEVER have to use the crazy, chemical stuff. They get to start off with this all natural potion. Make it and let me know if you love it too! Also, make sure you do not glop it on, it really just takes a bit.

Have you invented your own board games? We made several a few years ago, and just recently remembered how fun it is. Since my children are older, they required much less adult assistance and the games are more inventive and creative because of it. suggested supplies: opened and trimmed cereal box sharpie markers/watercolors paper to make cards are scrolls dice small toys old cast off pieces from other games (pawns. spinners, timers) I helped my kids brainstorm a theme (which is Booble - their collective paracosm), offered supplies, wrote a few things and then backed off. The backing off is the important part, because their ideas for this game were so much more open ended than I could understand. They were playing the game and playing in the world of the game at the same time. Does that make sense? There was a fluidity between the rules of playing the game and the creation of the game - both of which were happening simultaneously. In this game there were monsters to battle, scrolls to choose and read, various die used at different times, coins to be collected and traded for arms and a wizard who when you finished the board would send the player on the next mission. The beauty of game making is that anything that your child is interested in can be translated into a game. And there are no rules - because they get to make them up and change and tweak them as needed. Have you done this with your kids? If you are having a screen free week - this just might be the project to capture everyone's imagination each evening.

As we headed to our neighborhood lake, we stayed open to what might happen. No expectations. Just time to wander and wonder. Tha...

Do your children love getting and sending mail? Mine have had a deep love of the postal system since they were old enough to understand what the mailman was bringing everyday. In fact, my daughter even went as a ballerina-mail lady one Halloween, because ballerinas and postal workers were the two coolest jobs she could think of. We have been having some mail time fun around here recently, so I thought I would share some of the different ways we have had played with the mail over the years. Reading and writing letters is particularly useful for reluctant writers, but more importantly, the open ended and imaginative qualities are spectacular. You can create any world or character with letters and maps. The possibilities are endless. Here are 7 ways to have fun with the mail. {add your own suggestions in the comments!} 1. Participate in a nature exchange Nature exchanges can be amazingly fun. Basically, you pair with someone from a different geographical region and swap a box full of nature items from your area. Leaves, shells, seed pods, rocks and pressed flowers are among the most popular bits. You can also send a little note, a regional folk tale, photo of your family, and handmade treats. I have done several of these and love them. You can sign up different places on line, but I have had the best luck organizing them one-on-one. You might send out a request to some of the Facebook groups you belong to or just email someone you "know" online to ask if they would be interested. I am considering running one through Mama Scout this spring, so make sure you are signed up for my newsletter and Facebook page to get the information. 2. Put a mailbox in the house (and the yard) One of the best things we ever did was install a real mailbox in our house (the photograph at the top of the page). It is positioned upstairs in the landing between all the bedrooms and receives mail year round. We have also had an outdoor one for children to leave messages to each other and the bigger outside world. These are magic making. And so easy you can do it NOW. And of course, be sure to use those mailboxes. I have had long conversations with my children through the mail. Something about writing the letters makes the communication different, more thoughtful and deeper. 3. Make your own address labels, stamps, supplies and more. This is so easy and obvious, but you would be surprised at how custom stickers and stamps add to the excitement. I just buy Avery labels in different sizes and make each kid their own return labels with fun fonts and pictures. You can also make stickers that have warnings or funny sayings on them. And of course, just coloring and drawing on the labels and turning them into stickers and stamps is fun too. We love making our envelopes from magazine pages. I use this template because it is little and cute. 4. See what you can mail Can you mail a soda bottle? A hula hoop? A ball? A Flip Flop? Try and see! While you are at the post office asking and finagling, set up a tour for you and your friends. This classic field trip is always educational and interesting. 5. Start a stamp collection Maybe it is only natural that our love of mail turned one kid into a budding philatelist. My daughter has a super cool collection handed down from her Great Grandfather. She is interested in the images and where the stamps are from instead of building a complete collection. She recently received this book and loves the creative ways it suggests collecting. 6. Sign up for Mariposa Forest letter service There are all sorts of subscription services for kids (magazines, craft kits...) but this is by far my very favorite. When you join, your child receives biweekly letters from the forest creatures of Mariposa Forest. The letters include a gorgeous photograph and maybe a even a map. My kids were instantly smitten when we first tried a few dispatches from the forest and begged to get it year round (which they will for Christmas). This is one of the best gifts I can think of this year. It is imaginative, lasts all year and supports creative women (which is huge in my book!) 7. Get a copy of JRR Tolkien's book Letters From Father Christmas (immediately!). I saw this recommended by Lori at Project-Based Homeschooling and fell in love as soon as it arrived. For over 20 years, Tolkien wrote his children a yearly letter Father Christmas. They included delicate drawings, hand-painted stamps, and hilarious tales of all the mischief happening at the North Pole. There are characters and languages you might now have know were up there. I promise, you will love this book. It is pure magic and a testament of the power of letters between parents and children. It might even spark your own creative project with your children.

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Inspired by this book, we learned a bit about Giotto and made our own egg tempera paint. I have labeled this an exploration lab, because once you have the basic - it really lends itself to inventiveness. The basic idea is that you grind up pigment and mix it with egg yolks whipped up with a bit of water. We used colored chalk, but in the past, artists would use mineral, plants, and even insects. The grinding was much harder work that we thought. This led into discussions about how useful the workshop/apprentice model was in the past when artists were responsible for manufacturing their own paints, brushes and other tools. We used shells and rocks to grind and immediately saw how hard it was to get a perfect, uniform powder. My son entertained us with stories of Leonardo Da Vinci and his many failed painting projects. My daughter decided to try to use just the egg wash to make a glaze. When the paintings were done (on paper and wood) and dry - it was amazing to see a completely different sheen than any other paint we have used. Later in the day, we talked about how learning about egg tempra might inform other experiments and listed the possible applications of our new skill, including using it for painting flying machines. While we painted, we listened to Palestrina, the Renaissance composer who came a few hundred years later and made music more three dimensional, just like Giotto did with human figures. The choral music was so relaxing and uplifting we listened to it all day. On a side note, I just finished reading The Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and really enjoyed it. It is based on the Dutch painter Vermeer and his maid and their relationship. One of her duties is to grind pigment and mix paint and the rich imagery from the novel were running through my head as I did this project with my children today. If this is your sort of thing - check it out. The movie based on the novel is good too.

Inspired by this book, we learned a bit about Giotto and made our own egg tempera paint. I have labeled this an exploration lab, because once you have the basic - it really lends itself to inventiveness. The basic idea is that you grind up pigment and mix it with egg yolks whipped up with a bit of water. We used colored chalk, but in the past, artists would use mineral, plants, and even insects. The grinding was much harder work that we thought. This led into discussions about how useful the workshop/apprentice model was in the past when artists were responsible for manufacturing their own paints, brushes and other tools. We used shells and rocks to grind and immediately saw how hard it was to get a perfect, uniform powder. My son entertained us with stories of Leonardo Da Vinci and his many failed painting projects. My daughter decided to try to use just the egg wash to make a glaze. When the paintings were done (on paper and wood) and dry - it was amazing to see a completely different sheen than any other paint we have used. Later in the day, we talked about how learning about egg tempra might inform other experiments and listed the possible applications of our new skill, including using it for painting flying machines. While we painted, we listened to Palestrina, the Renaissance composer who came a few hundred years later and made music more three dimensional, just like Giotto did with human figures. The choral music was so relaxing and uplifting we listened to it all day. On a side note, I just finished reading The Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and really enjoyed it. It is based on the Dutch painter Vermeer and his maid and their relationship. One of her duties is to grind pigment and mix paint and the rich imagery from the novel were running through my head as I did this project with my children today. If this is your sort of thing - check it out. The movie based on the novel is good too.

Grasper by Paul Owen Lewis might be my favorite kids' book ever. A picture book about a little crab who is curious about the world outside his little tidal pool, adults will cheer his adventure as much as kids. Despite warnings that the world is a scary place and you must stay in your small but safe area, Grasper yearns to explore. He is told that when he is molting he is so vulnerable that he must stay put. After a wave washes him out to sea, he realizes that he can only grow so big in his home. The crabs in the open sea are huge and full of life and color. He returns to tell his friends and family, but they can not believe him or his new ideas. When I briefly taught elementary school, I remember having similar discussions with my kids. The majority of them came from severely disadvantaged homes and literally had no idea of the possibilities of the world. Their goals were very low and adjusted based on what their parents (if they had them) or other kids had taught them. I so badly wanted to wash them sea for a peek at their potential. Prompt: We talked about what the world would seem like if we never left our house or neighborhood. We have been scared and vulnerable in our travels, but always appreciate the bigger world view - just like Grasper, and the risk is worth it. Each kid used a large piece of drawing paper divided into two. On one side they drew a creature in a small habitat and on the other side illustrated a big, wide world. Simple. As they drew, they talked about examples of constriction and freedom in their own life. And I internally thought of my own examples, both cultural and self imposed.

We are at the carwash. It is the awesome kind where you pay $3 for a robo-automatic scrubbing complete with colored bubbles and end up in a bay of vacuum cleaners. The prize is that you can vacuum your car as long as you like. You just keep pushing the button and get another cycle. This is brilliant for my kids who love to vacuum and for my wallet that cringes while feeding the machine $1 for every four minutes. So, we are busy tossing garbage, vacuuming, wiping, and navigating the chores. Together. My kids are singing and bubbling over with excitement about how fun this is. They love straightening their areas and spend a half an hour cleaning. Then I look over at the minivan next to me and see the complete opposite. A mom in sweatpants is working up a sweat while cleaning her car. Her two boys stay seated, ignore her and play on IPads with headphones. They lift their legs to allow her to vacuum under their sneakered feet and reluctantly move for her to pull out boosters to clean around. They are not engaged or interested in this meaningless task. Please do not think I am judging this mom. She could very well be me on any day when I feel the crunch of time and am trying to hurry to accomplish tasks. No. There is no judgement. Just recognition. I am her as much as I am the carefree, happy mom I am at this moment. But what a reminder. A reminder of all the things I profess to believe and fall short on many times. Kids want to do real work. Kids love to be engaged in family tasks. Kids will help when given the opportunity. Kids are capable of much more than one might think, given the chance. Chores are fun when shared. I have a better time when I am not trying to do things quickly and on my own. As she finished, she put all the magnets back on her car that she had removed for the car wash. Little circles announced which soccer league her kids played on, which private school they attended and how many miles she had run in a half marathon. All symbols of giving kids opportunities and privileges that will supposedly help them achieve more in life. To many, these are proof of good parenting. As our vacuums whirred for the 5th cycle, I wonder, where are the car magnets for just being (seriously - that is much harder for most than participating in an organized activity)? For looking at clouds? For throwing your own trash away and cleaning out your own seat? When we will we realize that kids who are fully integrated in daily life thrive. That the magnets are a diversion and a weak substitute for the real stuff? That our identities are much more nuanced and complex than logos on a shirt or the back of the car? I feel like I am making a choice. Everyday. Connection or efficiency? Deep, individualized success or societal membership and accolades? What about you? (Please know that I am not against soccer or school, marathons or IPads. I question myself as much as I throw the question out to you.)

For my young writers' workshop this week, I bought a roll of 2000 tickets to use to make word tickets. (I originally read about this idea for collection words in the awesome book Poem Crazy: Freeing Your Life with Words by Susan Wooldridge) We meet at the library, so I first asked the kids to go find a random book - any book to bring back to the table. We then spent about 20 minutes scanning pages for "big ticket" words. We wanted to find words that were exceptional, or funny or just sounded good. Each writer filled an envelope with words and took a long strip home to continue the hunt. The words can be used as prompts or kick starters before or during the writing process. Several of the kids really got into it and found so many great words; it will interesting to see how many make it into the writing they share next week.

In the Mama Scout e-lab I am facilitating this month (and next month too, if you want to register) we are working with ideas of parenting as performance art and doing little acts of public art. I live for this stuff. We have sent messages in bottles, left messages guerrilla style in public spaces, and tried to be open to situations were we could spread kindness. Many nights I walk my old dog down the moonlit alley behind my house. There is a tree with such huge leaves, that when I am standing there waiting for my dog to pee, I always stare at them, transfixed. They remind me of turning book pages when they blow in the breeze; they have such heft. And they beg to have poetry written on them. On a piece of vellum, I wrote out the poem, All Things Pass by Lao-Tzu for all those who pass, and sewed it gently onto a branch. It was a windy day, and as soon as it was attached it began blowing around and fluttering like a leaf. A leaf poem that had married itself into the being of the tree. This little, tiny act of art fueled me for the rest of the day. I am not sure what the affect on my son was other than he gets to grow up thinking it is normal to have a mom that sews beautiful words to her neighborhood.

I had not intended to post this project, but it was such a hit I had to share. A a group of homeschool friends got together for a ...

For this exploration lab, we had to field trip the first part. The kids loved going to the office supply store and photocopying their hands. If the copiers were not so high we could have done other parts of our bodies, but this time we focused on our hands. When we came home we used markers, stickers, crayons, colored chalk (the most vibrant) and water colors to decorate them. We made plenty of copies, so were able to try so many different ideas and techniques. We made maps of our hands. We decorated our hands. And we turned our hands into landscapes. This is such a great activity, and the variations are limitless. We are still experimenting and thinking up new ideas. Tomorrow, I will share our self portraits that we did using this technique. Have you done this with your kids? What was the experience like? Did you have a favorite art material?

I think I have mentioned here that we are a nature loving family. My son in particular has a keen eye when it comes to spotting little creatures in the wild. When he was not yet 5, we were in Costa Rica and our guide was trying in vain to find us some interesting invertebrates to look at - but it was Elliot who able to find the thinnest, wispiest stick bug. He spends hours just looking. He has caught a 1 inch seahorse in the Gulf and found and identified lady bug eggs in our orange tree when he was 4. When we hike, no rock goes unturned. His ability to focus his attention on the tiniest creatures astounds me. My favorite entomologist is now raising garden snails. This has turned out to be fascinating and rewarding. The set up was a cinch. We used a very large, not airtight canister, piled some pebbles in the bottom for drainage, topped with some good garden soil and a rock for climbing. We also threw in a cuttle bone which is good for the snail shells. We feed them a piece of fruit or vegetable every day or so and then remove it. They are thriving and have even laid some eggs which we got to see hatch. They burrow in the ground for most of the day and at night ease up the walls of the jar. It is quite meditative to watch them move. This is my sort of pet - low maintenance, high pleasurably. Have you raised snails? Would you? Would you let then crawl all over your arm and feed them:)?

If I was a more traditional homeschooler, I would call this a unit study on flowers. And I would have had it blocked into my calendar for spring. But, since we are more organic and interest led, we approach things differently. Our intention is to explore, discover and learn about the world together. Luckily, my kids (and I) are wildly curious - so we never run out of things to learn about and try. One topic usually leads to another and another and we end up with these beautiful threads of content that are real and deeply learned. I would hate to dampen the enthusiasm for learning they have. It is so easy to do and usually involves me taking over and demanding that they finish a project a particular way. As long as I remember that the goal is not fixed - that it is open ended, we will do amazing work. If I predetermine what I think they should learn, there will be no exploring or discovering and the learning will be really shallow. So, I leave my expectations out of the equation. I offer a little guidance and set up, but largely let them organize their own experiments (just as I am doing next to them as a co-learner). And I am so glad I do. In this project, each child came up with a completely unique approach to their work that I had not even considered. And because they were autonomous - they owned their experience and truly learned. And they learned from each other. It is a much richer experience when you have 3 or 4 or 5 engaged minds instead of just one. Sometimes, I journal about what we are working on and how it goes and flows and becomes and evolves... It is always rather organic and circuitous. This month our family has been delving deep into botany. It is spring. There are so many flowers blooming. Right now our Tababou tree is full of pink flowers, the azaleas have pretty much finished up their show, our loquats are perfect for picking and snacking on. And, the citrus trees! Wow - nothing like the smell of orange blossoms! When we were at Trader Joe's we picked up some daffodils. I had the idea of dissecting them after reading this book. My kids went to a worm dissection class last week and loved it. When I suggested cutting open flowers and learning how they worked, they were really excited. So, out came the scalpels, microscopes, paper, pens, camera, syringes, and reference books. We first did a classic dissection and tried to find all the flower parts and talked about what each part's function was. We discussed the evolution of plants and insects and their symbiotic relationships. And then the kids were off on their own. He figured out that water can collect in the flower and run down to the roots. We went to the yard and picked every other flower we could find and dissected them and compared them. We tried to use the proper scientific names when talking about each new discovery. One kid spent alot of time looking at the stem (something I had not even thought of) and made several hypotheses about the fibers running the length of the stem and what their functions might be used for. She also chopped bits up with water, smeared the goo on slides and looked at them under the microscope - something she had heard about doing. Another kid, dissected several flowers and then organized the same parts from each flower, putting all the pistils, petals, and ovaries together. He compared the different structures and parts. Making observations about the different ways pollen gets to the stamen. I reflected back on the last few weeks and realized how much of our time has been spent on studying plants. One big reason is that my son is really into botany right now. The other is simply that it is spring and we usually notice and become interested in what is happening around us. Other plant based projects have been: -In the yard, some broccoli had gone to flower, reminding us that when we eat broccoli, we are eating flower buds. - We have been planting all kinds of bulbs and watching them grow. Each time we are at the store, we look for new kinds to plant. My son has been spending his birthday money buying bulbs to plant in the yard. -My daughter has been working on her fairy garden on the side of the house, planting and replanting flowers. My husband or I will wander over there and be amazed at what she has going on. She even replants the ends of lettuce and resprouts them. -We have been sprouting seeds in wet paper towels and watching them "wake up." -We have been collecting epiphyte balls from our yard, the woods and plant shops. -We have done this classic experiment (I think we do it at least once a year). -We painted this cherry blossom tree after seeing it on Pinterest. The flowers are made by dipping the bottom of a 2 liter bottle in paint and printing with it. This reminded us that we really want to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC. -After spouting so many bean seeds recently, I felt compelled to make a little poster about what was inside the seed, to help me remember. -And we have watched some good documentaries. The Secret Life of Plants is old, weird and amazing. It is a definite must see for any nature loving kids. I can not even begin to describe it - but trust me, it will make you think! The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan explores plants' evolution and how they make certain aspects of themselves highly attractive to humans so that we become unwitting participants in their evolution and survival. Another one that will make you question what you thought you knew. And so it goes. This is how unschooling works in our family. Our "units" do not have clear beginnings and never really end. There are no rubrics or predictable outcomes. There is only a curious, passionate and excited group of people studying hard, asking big questions and having a whole lot of fun.

On my kids' list of experiences to have, dissecting a mattress was high up there. In particular, my son wanted to make spring loaded shoes and he knew he could get those from a mattress. But finding an old bed in the alley did not seem like a good idea to me. Luckily, when my brother moved, he left us his mattress which was in good shape but headed for the dump. The kids first drug it in and out of the garage for a month and used it to alternately jump and lounge on. After spending one afternoon laying in the yard on a mattress, I can attest to the decadence of this proposition. Finally, the day came they were ready to literally tear in to their project. It was amazing (as all these kid led projects are). They worked together, divided up the tasks, took turns and split the raw materials when they were done. My daughter constructed a little bean bag sofa for her club house, one son had plans for a knight costume and the other son, well, he just could not cut up the spring grid. He was fascinated by the construction and pattern and thought it would be a shame to destroy it. I agreed and we propped it up in the garden and might grown vines on it or use it as a nature display area. Or in a few months, he might be bouncing down the street in his new spring loaded shoes.

What you need : ~ nets (we have a selection that we have picked up at garage sales, pet stores and chain stores). ~ tubs (maybe some dishpans from the dollar store or other wide tubs) ~ camera ~ field guide (search online for printouts of the invertebrates in your area) ~ journal Dip netting is such a great way to see what is living in the bodies of water around you. I am always surprised at what shows up in the net. From leaches to huge blue crabs there is so much more to the world that what we easily see. It is a little like magic, if you ask me. We have dip netted in retention ponds, lakes, swamps and the ocean. It is one of our favorite things to do and something I hope to do much more of this year. Here are some tips and guidelines, but I think you will see it is easy and intriguing once you get started. (Obviously, be safe - whatever that means to the particular body of water you are exploring). Start by fill in a tub or two with the water from the source you will be dip netting from. Use your nets to gently scoop from the bottom of the water. Take your net to one of the tubs and empty your scoop. Look around, be careful and see what it in there. We have separated out the animals into a separate tub to observe them while dip netting. The best place to find creatures is at the edges, near vegetation and grasses and I would assume near rocks although we have very few of those in Florida. Always treat the creature with gentle hands and return them to their home shortly after logging and observing them. It is essential that kids are taught to treat these specimens with respect. Do not remove them from their natural habitat. A list or chart of the diversity you find turns this into a handy little science project, but really the exposure to these underground worlds is illuminating and inspiring to the dip netter. Have you dip netted? What is the most interesting thing you have brought up?

I had not intended to post this project, but it was such a hit I had to share. A a group of homeschool friends got together for a Harry Potter themed party at the park. I will admit, I was overwhelmed looking at party ideas on Pinterest. They seemed so intense and parent driven. So, remembering that kids actually have the most fun and create the most interesting projects when adults support instead of direct the play - we simplified the party. There was a wand making station, spell books, some fun food, and the best of all - a potion table. For the potion table each family brought ingredients to fill the table. The kids used empty jars, droppers and spoons and sticks to stir. There was not a lesson to be taught, the kids simply made their own potions in a glorious, messy afternoon. All the items came from our kitchens (and one great family who brought a few blocks of dry ice to kick it all up a notch). We had: splinters - stick tea snot - laundry starch ground up unicorn bones - baking soda unicorn blood - silver glitter mermaid tears - blue vinegar spider hairs - pencil shavings from the pencil sharpener dragon skin - sheets of sea weed slug blood - cherry juice micro creatures - yeast bat claws - colored rice mermaid hair - colored pasta stardust - salt vampire bile - red water live slime - gak that we had made earlier in the week giant's mustache hairs - long seaweed and more! you get the idea... find stuff in your kitchen, put it in a jar and come up with a fun (or gross) name. We had a ton of fun doing this together the night before. I could tell you some of the cool concoctions and reactions we made...but I think you should play and test and hypothesize and discover them yourself. (one tiny hint : bubble solution and dry ice)

1. go somewhere else, where you have no responsibility (it is good if you can walk there) 2. lay down your body, your agenda and your mind 3. stop doing and start being 4. settle in and do not leave. go further and stay longer than seems reasonable 5. look and listen, wonder and wander, jump and cart wheel, laugh and sing, wrestle and hug meet me on Facebook to share how your family "slows time." ___________________________ Looking for some creative family connection? I am offering 2 options in e-Labs this November. Both are registering now and beginning to fill up with some amazing women! My "master class" Family e-Lab is 30 full days of prompts and open ended creative invitations for your family that will carry you into the next year with your spark lit and ready to go! I am also offering a 10 day Holiday e-Lab that will help you set intentions and create the slow and creative holiday that is perfect for your family.

Wow. This book touched my heart and filled my head with beautiful imagery that I take to bed with me each night. We read together at bedtime were instantly smitten. The calm, attentive and at times, riveting account of distance swimmer Lynne Cox's encounter with a lost baby gray whale when she was a teenager training in the Pacific Ocean serves as a mediation of love, deep connection to nature, and the magic that surrounds us. Her vivid description of swimming through bioluminescent creatures in the dark early hours of morning made our heads spin with wonder. Highly recommended, this memoir would be a perfect gift for anyone who loves the ocean, swimming, the natural world, or just a good yarn. Have you read Grayson? What were your thoughts? Any other good memoirs to recommend?

I read this quote, "live above the details" in the ebook Mindset for Mom by Jaime Martin and it struck me. Hard. It is the perfect...

Building a collection is such a great activity to work on individually and as a family. We have enjoyed working on various collections over the years and have learned so much as they often spur new directions in our explorations. Here are a three ideas that have helped us in our collection of collections. my tiniest collection - 3 woodpecker feathers 1. A collection can be of anything. we currently have collections of: bottle caps smashed pennies from our travels rocks fossils seed pods my little pony figurines restaurant crayons (?) stamps golden books dolls and doll clothes coins sugar cubes from around the world records buttons feathers my feather collection is stuck in one of my found birds nests 2. Offer ways of both storage and display. A collection can easily become a junk pile if it does not have a useful way to be both stored and displayed. We often keep our collections in tin and cigar boxes, plastic bins, shoe boxes, entire drawers and tote bags. For display, think creatively. I like a series of glass fish bowls, a hanging banner or even a temporary table surface. Old letter press trays can be found at antique store rather cheap. Shadow boxes from the craft store can be painted or stained in any creative way. Ask your kids to make a museum or dinner centerpiece with their collection. And invite people to come over and share their collections or just enjoy yours. It is fun to bring things out of storage to enjoy. some collections are temporary 3. Allow collections to have a life cycle. Meaning, sometimes a collection might be short lived (like the one we had of silly bands). This is especially true of environmental collections you might make when spending a day at the beach or in the woods. Above, is a collection of interesting found objects my kids found when exploring an old windmill well. They set up a display, invited us over to look at it and then left it for the next hiker. It is important to let kids take charge of their collections on their own. There is no easier way to kill a kid's interest and passion than by trying to take control of the project by demanding limiting perimeters or even by being overly enthusiastic. When we took our daughter, a budding philatelist, to a local stamp shop to meet the owner, it was nearly soul crushing. Instead of encouraging her novice enthusiam, he immediately started explaining how she needed to focus her collection on only one country and should invest in a particular $100 album. There was no room for her interest or discovery. Thankfully, we all agreed his restrictions were unreasonable for the type of stamp collecting she was interested in. 4. Take the time to look at other collections. We love checking out other people's and institution's collections. Antique stores, yard sales, conventions, trade shows, car shows, museums and visitor centers are all great places to get inspired by what inspires others. We have enjoyed collections of citrus labels, Coca Cola memorabilia, gems and rocks, cigar bands, local shells, pins, marbles, doll furniture, historic costumes, old cars and more. It is always invigorating to be around enthusiasts and learn what intrigues them about their area of speciality and passion. Because, in the end, we are not only learning about a new subject matter, we are also learning about how to craft an engaged and curiosity driven life. In the comments, share with us about your collections... Want to work with me in boosting your family's creativity? check out the newest section of the Mama Scout Family e-Lab.

This exploration lab is so simple, but surprisingly engaging and fun for kids (and adults). By taping two mirrors (unbreakable ones are the best for this) together in the back, you can make a little kaleidoscope. We spent a good long time making patterns from paint stains on the art table, magazine and art book images and natural items. The closer you move the mirrors, the more reflections you can see and the more dynamic the pattern. By watching the mirrors while slowly opening and closing them, you can watch a beautiful morphing of color and shape. This is one of those little experiments that as soon as kids see what is happening they start exclaiming, "Wow! Awesome! Look at this!" This is a good one to leave out (maybe on your nature table or window ledge) for each kid to revisit on their own to try new combinations or experiments. My kids especially liked making "creepy" creatures from the faces in a book of portraiture we had laying around!

In exploration lab posts, I plan to share open ended activities that are suited for older children. I see so many great sensory experiences for younger kids all over the web (and many I remember doing with my kids when they were little). I want to highlight the ones that work with older kids too. Sometimes they are the same, and sometimes you can add a little something extra because the kids are older. A classic is vinegar and baking soda. My kids have loved this lab since they were really young. We love using muffin tins and baking sheets to pile on the baking soda. Droppers, syringes and straws are great for controlling the amount of vinegar. We like to color the vinegar and mix colors. Also, we add lots of glitter, colored sand, flowers, plastic animals and by the end, our hands to really feel the fizzing power. This is not a science lesson. The material are simply provided and the experiments change each time. If your kids want to know the WHY, you can read here. Do you play with vinegar and baking soda? Any new ideas that your explorations have led you to?

This post is a project I did with DailyBuzz Moms 9X9. I am so honored to be involved in the Fall into Autumn challenge! I become wistful when the autumn season arrives and the rest of the country seems to be busy picking apples, wearing sweaters and taking hayrides. Fall in Florida is a very subtle season; sometimes it seems as if we go straight from summer to winter in the blink of an eye. This year we started a tradition that I think we will carry with us into each season. We took a "Finding Fall" observational walk. With a simple twig journal, a camera, some squares of contact paper, tape, pencil and very good eyes, we tried to track down and record clues that fall was approaching. To make a twig journal, simply fold a small stack of paper in half, punch a few holes in the spine and run a rubber band down the inside. Poke the little rubber band ends out of the holes and loop them around a found twig, pencil or chopstick. We observed: -a very few leaves that had changed colors -acorns and other nuts dropping (to feed the small mammals) -beauty berry plants with ripened fruit (to feed all the migrating birds) -new birds at our neighborhood lake! it will be fun to see all the winter guests that arrive through out the rest of the year We also observed that the wet, cool weather is great mushroom weather. We traced some mushrooms and brought some back home to make spore prints. And it is starting to get dark earlier, so we are sometimes still outdoors at night and can see the bats emerge from chimneys and trees and we suspect that we might catch a glimpse of an owl swopping through the old live oaks in our neighborhood. I was amazed at all we noticed about this brief and nuanced season we often rush through. When we stopped and really looked and thought and wondered, we were able to read a previously unseen page in our natural landscape. This would be so great to do at the beginning of each season, and in any location. (we loved looking for squirrel teeth marks on the fallen nuts) What season might be overlooked in your corner of the world?

We raised snails last year and really loved it. This week, it has been overcast and raining - so we thought we might find some snails to watch again this year. We headed out to "snail alley" and they were there! Happily drinking up the water from the showers. So, we are setting up the habitat again. These are meditative and fascinating to watch. Here is my post from last year that shows how we did it.

Friday our lab starts! I wanted to send out a quick welcome post to get you ready for this adventure. It will take the better part of a year and can be really transformative if you fully engage. Woop! Each week you will receive a short essay, a writing prompt, a creative challenge and a link or two for some outside resources. We are a diverse group. I have included a lot of ideas, possibly more than you can tackle or have the inclination to. Please know that this is your journey and your experience. If there are ideas that do not speak to you, leave them out. Or better yet, change them to meet your family's needs. Please feel free to email me privately or ask the Facebook group for suggestions on how to make something work for you. Also, there is a possibility that you might feel overwhelmed or miss a few labs. That is OK. The information is not cumulative. Each week's ideas stand on their own, so if you miss a day, you are not behind. I want everyone to be engaged and for us to push ourselves just past our comfort zone if we need to, but I understand that life sometimes gets out of control. You never have to "catch up" or do an older lab before you can do the current one. If you need to, you can save some ideas for later. The goal for our time together is not necessarily to complete every "assignment." We want to fill our toolboxes with new ideas, new perspectives and new friends for support. A good motto might be: Do what you can as much as you can. That being said, it would be great if we all committed ourselves to being all in for the month. If we can try a little harder, invest 30 minutes or an hour a day, make an effort to connect with and support the other participants, I think we will reap the biggest benefits. This goes for me too. I am facilitating but will be participating as well. Doing the prompts and the creative activities is something I am really looking forward to. The last idea I want to suggest is that we think in terms of collaboration. I recently read Twyla Tharp's book The Collaboration Habit and loved so many of her ideas about the benefits of working with others. What she writes about dance and creative collaboration can certainly apply to the family organism. Please look at this year as a collaboration with your significant other and children. The information I share is not meant to be experienced as a top down model. It is meant to inspire you and get your mind loose and cranking out even more ideas (that I hope you will share). You might happily find your journal packed with maps of new worlds to explore with your kids. But don't forget to include your children in the process. Discuss with them what you are doing. Ask them if they would like to participate. Write down their ideas for creative adventures. Tharp writes about collaboration as a habit that has to be practiced in order for it to develop. Let's practice co-creating with our families this year.

I have a new favorite book this season! It is a field guide to NOW: notes on mindfulness and life in the present tense by Christina Rosalie. Christina offers meditations on cultivating attention and mindfulness through essays, beautiful art, and prompts. Her writing is sublime - the kind that is so sweet and clear you can not rush through. It demands to be savored, slowly. I found myself unable to read more than one short chapter at a time because when I was done, I had to just sit there and think. It is that powerful. My copy is so worn and underlined, it is beyond lending out. Which is okay with me. This is not the kind of book you lend, it is the kind you gift. To everyone of your friends; the ones who have felt the pain and the beauty of life as a creative mother. I was so honored and nervous when Christina told me I could interview her for this review. Below are the three questions I limited myself to, and her thoughtful and poignant responses. Read through to the end to learn how you can win a really great bit of art! Amy : Early in the book, you write about writing yourself a raft and oars to keep afloat, sane and maybe even to use for escape. How important is it for mothers to have a practice that not only allows creative expression, but a way out too? Christina : Writing is both a means of survival, and a way to find grace. It’s a means for paying attention: to what’s around me, and also to what’s within me. And though it can carry me beyond the moment, into beautiful or heart-wrenching or truthful fiction, I don’t think of writing as an escape, so much as I see it as a way to move forwards with intention. When I write, I’m forced to listen to myself, and to take notice of the patterns and choices and inklings and dreams that make up the undercurrent of my life, and beyond my life, the cultural undercurrents of human life at large. I think all women, but particularly mothers who literally give their bodies and their lives over to the process of birthing and nourishing and sustaining their children, benefit from having a creative practice that forces them to listen to their own wise voice. It’s easy, in the thick of things, to stop paying attention to that voice. It’s easy to move from one day to the next, just responding, and so much of what I explore in A Field Guide To Now is how to lean into those moments. Amy : Slowing down, looking and taking note are central tenets in the creative lifestyle I lead with my children. Whether we are looking under a leaf for a golden Monarch egg or watching water spread from paint brushes to the cement, we are always hyper focusing. You write, "This is what noticing always does: It fills me with wonder, and forces me beyond the ease of being unaffected by the world." You have recorded in such detail, the small and ordinary moments of your life; the way a bird's song transports you or the light of afternoon. I am wondering, how important is it to record the evidence of our days? Is it enough to just notice? Or must we write, paint, photograph, sing...? Christina : This is such an interesting question! I think it is really important to record these moments of noticing in some way—because it’s in the act of recording, choosing words or images, and bringing your own creative attention to bear, that one is transformed by what one observes. To see, and listen, and taste, and smell, and touch are all incredibly important. But to transform these impressions into meaning, that is the work that really alters us—and it’s that work that I live for. To take note, and to be altered by the wonder. Amy : I especially loved the chapter "Listing" where you write about changing expectations and settling - and your changing notion that settling does not necessarily mean settling for less. I was moved by the line "Regret is not my inheritance; choice is." It reminds me how frequently I compare my life to the women who came before me. You suggest that one way to choose is by list making. Writing a list is a way to move forward out of the "listless" state and manifest desires. What things are you personally listing now? Christina : Right now I’m listing for a more holistic work-life integration; more time to focus on my creative work, and less driving in between. This is the first time I’ve shared this inkling in an outward facing way: but I think we’re ready to move away from our home at the end of a long dirt road, and into town where we can be close to our community and friends and our son’s school. So right now I’m listing for a new home sometime next spring, with an arbor and a beautiful fenced back yard within walking distance to town and to the lake. I know that seems like a rather detailed thing to be listing for, but I take this process very earnestly actually. It’s like summoning the muses. The universe listens when we listen to ourselves. Thank you Christina for your time, your thoughtful answers and your amazing book. So much of what you write about is similar to what I feel, but have a hard time naming and clearly writing about. You have offered a powerful gift to women who are looking for ways to connect back to who they are and who they dream to be. You can win a gift of 12 gorgeous postcards featuring original artwork from Christina Rosalie’s book, A Field Guide To Now, delivered to you with a handwritten note from the author. Postcards are printed with archival inks on premium paper by Moo.com! All you have to do is: like A Field Guide to Now on Facebook here and Mama Scout here and leave me a comment with what sounds you can hear around you right now. I can not wait to see who wins. I will choose a winner on November 14th. Good luck!

We spend many afternoons at our neighborhood library. At one point our time switched from going to find particular books, to just hanging out. For hours. Reading, exploring, asking questions, sharing, talking.... I wanted to share a quick list of fun things you can do at the library other than just check out books. Any of these ideas would be a great boredom buster. Just tell your kid you have an adventure in mind and embrace the mission with verve. You will have a great time! Please share the interesting, fun or just odd things your family does at the library in the comments! You can download a copy to keep in your purse or journal here. 1. Look at microfilm from your birthday, or a hundred years ago, or when grandma was born. 2. Look for the biggest book in the library. Take your picture with it. 3. Browse the travel section, find a place you want to visit, make some plans. 4. Go to the cookbook area, choose a recipe, go the store, get the ingredients and cook it that day. 5. Everyone find a poem, read it out loud and then copy it into your journal. 6. Choose a random CD, listen to it all the way through. 7. Kind Bomb 8. Scan the books of quotes. Find a good one and write it outside on the sidewalk with chalk. 9. Bring paper and colored pencils. Draw from the easy I-Can-Draw-Books for an hour. 10. Take a present to the librarians. 11. Leave a thoughtful review on a post-it note in a book you really loved. 12. Find out what services your library offers. Ellison machine? Study prints? Study rooms? 13. Occupy! Have a meeting, writer’s group, books club, homeschool co op, adventure planning committee at the library. 14. Make photocopies of your hand, funny book titles, weird images.... 15. Make a list of suggested books and media for your library to buy. Make the library YOUR library. 16. Arrange a library tour. 17. Browse books on the flora and fauna of your area. Learn to identify something new. 18. Check out the corresponding children’s or adult section to your favorite area (reptiles, art, mystery...) 19. Ask about the special collections. 20. Read a biography from the children’s sections on someone you know very little about.(I choose Justin Beiber). 21. Find a baby name book, make a list of funny name combinations, choose a new name for the day. 22. Hunt for authors with your same last name. 23. Look in the reference section. What is the weirdest reference book you can find? 24. Buy old magazines, cut them up and make happy posters, rehang in the library. 25. Make sure each kid has their own library card and bag. Do not fuss about late fees. Ever. ______________________________________________ Are you interested in infusing your family life with more creativity and connection? Join us in the next Mama Scout Family e-Lab. We are signing up right....NOW! I would love to have you!

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. Miriam Beard ...

(See the woman in the photograph above? That is not me - it is my friend who I went to NYC with this summer (on a whim!). We went to the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe one night to soak in some poetry - and she ended up on stage! Unplanned, but game and awesome - she read on the same stage she had 20 years earlier. That is what this lab is about. Remembering, circling back and revisiting your voice and your story on your terms.) +This is the only time this lab will be offered until next year+ BAM is a huge class and emotional investment that I can best offer once, each fall. If you are interested - this in this lab, this is it! New this session :: 2 more weeks of labs. In the past, participants have always been not quite ready to end our 30 days together, so I have added 2 more weeks of labs! This is new material dealing with voice and place! Also, when you register for BAM Fall 2014, you will get a spot in my annual Holiday Lab - a 10 day reboot and intention setting lab I run each November. It is a good one, and I know you will love it! A 6 week Mama Scout e-lab for mamas looking for themselves. Through list making, memory mining, visual map making and attentive looking, we will clear the path back to who we are, noticing how we have changed and plotting who we want to be. This lab is only offered at the beginning of each fall as we naturally begin to turn inward. It is the prefect preparations for my spring offering, Dream Lab. _____________Who is this is for?_______________ This lab is primarily for mamas who have given so much to their children and families that they have lost a bit of themselves along the way. A virtual room of your own, but in the form of a self-ethnographic book/journal. I was inspired to do this project after I did something similar with my kids. Over the weeks that I helped them compile books all about themselves (with lists of favorites, recording of life stories, timelines, maps and charts and more), I kept thinking of how the format could be an amazing tool for self growth and exploration for women. So, I took notes, adapted and added adult themes to the project and this lab was born. However, the adult Book About Me program has taken on a life of its own and has become a standard Mama Scout lab. It is one of my favorites and I look forward to returning to the prompts (and the new ones) each year. By recording the details of our lives, both big and small, through word and image, we recover our lost selves and reconstruct stronger versions of the women we want to be. You might be looking for the forgotten you, the submerged self, a younger or different you than who you confront in the mirror each morning. This course is to help you uncover her, find her and also redefine her. Because chances are, she has been deep in the muck so long, she might have evolved into something a little different. __________What do I get + how does this work?_______ +Just before we gather you will get a little welcome package of goodies in the mail to get you inspired for the lab. + Each day, for 6 weeks you will receive an email lab from me. Each lab contains a short essay, a meaty journal prompt, a creative invitation, copy work and additional resources to help you on your journey. + We will have a giveaway each week! In the past these have included great books, CDs, art supplies, digital products and more! + NEW you will be enrolled in my Holiday Lab for free! This lab is offered each year in November and is a gentle and fun way to set intentions and prepare for the holidays. + NEW This lab will have 2 extra weeks of prompts delving deeper into the subjects of voice and place. + You will gain access to one of the most positive and friendly online groups. Not only have great friendships and collaborations been welded in mama scout groups - there is a genuine, non judgmental and supportive energy. I will not lie, it is a lot. I encourage all participants to write daily for 5-15 minutes. Seriously, that tiny amount can shift roadblocks and open doors. BUT even if you just read the lab material and THINK about it, you will benefit. Our secret FB group will allow you to witness and share stories that will shock, heal and amuse. The creative projects are for the most part simple and inexpensive, yet novel and meant to disrupt your (and my) default thinking. I hope they will inspire you to look deeper, think weirder, and explore your life in a creative way. As a full time, homeschooling mom, I have found online courses to be of great benefit to me. As a lifelong student, I am personally enriched and a much better parent when I am engaging my mind and creative spirit. My e-labs are the type of courses I had been searching for and could not find. So, I created them and learn next to the participants in each lab. Register here.

There is something simple yet elegant and effecient about haiku. The format of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables turns writing it into a game for kids and seems to draw in even the most reluctant writer. We had been studying Japan and wanted to make some haiku and art. Reading that haiku are usually about natural subjects, each kid choose an animal and wrote their poem with a Sharpie and then watercolored the page. Hanging them in the window for a week brought color and words into our eating area.

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. Miriam Beard ...

If I was a more traditional homeschooler, I would call this a unit study on flowers. And I would have had it blocked into my calendar for spring. But, since we are more organic and interest led, we approach things differently. Our intention is to explore, discover and learn about the world together. Luckily, my kids (and I) are wildly curious - so we never run out of things to learn about and try. One topic usually leads to another and another and we end up with these beautiful threads of content that are real and deeply learned. I would hate to dampen the enthusiasm for learning they have. It is so easy to do and usually involves me taking over and demanding that they finish a project a particular way. As long as I remember that the goal is not fixed - that it is open ended, we will do amazing work. If I predetermine what I think they should learn, there will be no exploring or discovering and the learning will be really shallow. So, I leave my expectations out of the equation. I offer a little guidance and set up, but largely let them organize their own experiments (just as I am doing next to them as a co-learner). And I am so glad I do. In this project, each child came up with a completely unique approach to their work that I had not even considered. And because they were autonomous - they owned their experience and truly learned. And they learned from each other. It is a much richer experience when you have 3 or 4 or 5 engaged minds instead of just one. Sometimes, I journal about what we are working on and how it goes and flows and becomes and evolves... It is always rather organic and circuitous. This month our family has been delving deep into botany. It is spring. There are so many flowers blooming. Right now our Tababou tree is full of pink flowers, the azaleas have pretty much finished up their show, our loquats are perfect for picking and snacking on. And, the citrus trees! Wow - nothing like the smell of orange blossoms! When we were at Trader Joe's we picked up some daffodils. I had the idea of dissecting them after reading this book. My kids went to a worm dissection class last week and loved it. When I suggested cutting open flowers and learning how they worked, they were really excited. So, out came the scalpels, microscopes, paper, pens, camera, syringes, and reference books. We first did a classic dissection and tried to find all the flower parts and talked about what each part's function was. We discussed the evolution of plants and insects and their symbiotic relationships. And then the kids were off on their own. He figured out that water can collect in the flower and run down to the roots. We went to the yard and picked every other flower we could find and dissected them and compared them. We tried to use the proper scientific names when talking about each new discovery. One kid spent alot of time looking at the stem (something I had not even thought of) and made several hypotheses about the fibers running the length of the stem and what their functions might be used for. She also chopped bits up with water, smeared the goo on slides and looked at them under the microscope - something she had heard about doing. Another kid, dissected several flowers and then organized the same parts from each flower, putting all the pistils, petals, and ovaries together. He compared the different structures and parts. Making observations about the different ways pollen gets to the stamen. I reflected back on the last few weeks and realized how much of our time has been spent on studying plants. One big reason is that my son is really into botany right now. The other is simply that it is spring and we usually notice and become interested in what is happening around us. Other plant based projects have been: -In the yard, some broccoli had gone to flower, reminding us that when we eat broccoli, we are eating flower buds. - We have been planting all kinds of bulbs and watching them grow. Each time we are at the store, we look for new kinds to plant. My son has been spending his birthday money buying bulbs to plant in the yard. -My daughter has been working on her fairy garden on the side of the house, planting and replanting flowers. My husband or I will wander over there and be amazed at what she has going on. She even replants the ends of lettuce and resprouts them. -We have been sprouting seeds in wet paper towels and watching them "wake up." -We have been collecting epiphyte balls from our yard, the woods and plant shops. -We have done this classic experiment (I think we do it at least once a year). -We painted this cherry blossom tree after seeing it on Pinterest. The flowers are made by dipping the bottom of a 2 liter bottle in paint and printing with it. This reminded us that we really want to see the cherry blossoms in Washington DC. -After spouting so many bean seeds recently, I felt compelled to make a little poster about what was inside the seed, to help me remember. -And we have watched some good documentaries. The Secret Life of Plants is old, weird and amazing. It is a definite must see for any nature loving kids. I can not even begin to describe it - but trust me, it will make you think! The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan explores plants' evolution and how they make certain aspects of themselves highly attractive to humans so that we become unwitting participants in their evolution and survival. Another one that will make you question what you thought you knew. And so it goes. This is how unschooling works in our family. Our "units" do not have clear beginnings and never really end. There are no rubrics or predictable outcomes. There is only a curious, passionate and excited group of people studying hard, asking big questions and having a whole lot of fun.

I do not really know where to start. This month has been an amazing personal journey for me. I have long harbored this idea of an e-lab for mamas to celebrate the mundane and embrace the wild creativity that comes with being a parent. The 30+ women who joined me were kind, open and so smart. They gave me so much hope for the future. There are some amazing kids on their way to change the world - just wait! I wanted to share a few reflections from the month, in hopes that they might be useful to you and your project too. Mainly, I think I have finally answered a question that I have asked myself many times over the years: How do I know I am on the right track with something (a project/ideology/idea)? I have decided the following: 1. If you quickly and easily enter flow while working on your project, that is the one! Don't stop - you found it! When you are in flow, time slows as you become completely absorbed in your work. You feel refreshed and energized when you are done. It is an optimal state to aim for when working/playing. You know you are doing the right thing if it gives you energy. While working on this lab, I would often work until 2 or 3 in the morning, relishing a quiet house and time to think and write. Amazingly enough, I still woke up refreshed and excited to do more. The more I did, the more energy I got! 2. Ideas beget ideas. Constantly being stuck for ideas or inspiration (beyond a short term funk) is a sign that you might not be on the right track. The more ideas I have, the more ideas I have. Does that make sense? It reminds me of the morning glory vine on my back porch. It struggled for a while, but as soon as it started blooming, it exploded. And each blossom turned to 5 seeds that fell into the soil below and then even more morning glories grew. It is exponential! 3. You stop caring what anyone else thinks. As soon as the fear of embarrassment has left the room with its friend perfectionism, you can focus on your work and not your perceived idea of how anyone else is judging you. Being true to your vision, bolsters your confidence and makes the people who do not support you melt away to the sea of their own discontent. They become so inconsequential. And lastly, the empowerment of purpose comes not from a successful project, but from simply embarking on the journey. Walking fully into your passion is where all your power is. It does not matter what happens after that, as long as you put yourself out there fully, you will reap the benefits and confidence. You will be changed.

Recently, my mom came over to teach us some basics of calligraphy and it intrigued everyone. She brought guides and tracing paper for us to try to make decent looking letters. It was so much harder than I expected. The letters are not drawn in the typical sequence, so you are unable to write quickly - you have to pay attention to so many little motions, constantly correcting your hold and angle. I imagine it would be very relaxing and mediative if not done with three kids swirling around. My kids love the story of Steve Jobs studying calligraphy and the lesson that you never know what interests will be useful later in life is a good one. A jar of ink and a few pens are pretty reasonable and can offer even the most reluctant writer to explore penmanship in a fun way. Even my 5 year old experimented and loved writing with the nibs. While, I do not think we have any passionate calligraphers among us, we really enjoyed learning about it and continue to use the supplies in writing letters, journalling and making treasure maps. If you like this, you might also want to try writing with quills and making your own ink!