"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Friday, October 28, 2011

Joy Pockets and a Moment 10.28.11



Sharing Joy Pockets with Monica 

Something happened with the boy this week. He has found a love for writing:).
**insert wild happy happy-joy dance here **
See, for a long time, since we left the public school,
he had no interest in either reading or writing.
Inside, I had hoped that at the very least interest would return,
that old wounds of forced learning would heal and
that there would be joy for the magic of words and stories.

When we started using Rip the Page,
I let him know that he had full control of how we used the book.
 No lessons, his pace, and pure fun.
We read everyday together--stories like Peter Pan, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,
Moby Dick, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Treasure Island,
all from the Great Illustrated Classic Series
 that I mentioned a couple weeks ago.

Without the pressures of performance--without worrying if
your words and spelling are perfect, that you have to please someone
or that you might fail, there is freedom to get lost in the world
of fantastical stories and delicious words.
Without boundaries you can fly, and clumsy doesn't matter.
Now, this boy is writing about dragons, guitars, and his wildest dreams.
And even better, he believes.

Seeing A Little Shop of Horrors live at the local playhouse...

Vietnamese summer rolls with peanut sauce...

wispy autumn shadows


discovering and just watching the amazing tulip tree silk moth


Hearing this song and remembering 1984 :)


and This Moment with Amanda...

 Let loose, and have a crazy beautiful weekend friends!

xoxo

31 comments:

  1. oh i love when you leave them be and one day they just get it. my boy has recently done that with reading. no pushing and finally he picks up a book on his own. now i can't get him to stop reading :)

    your moment is beautiful. little girls in wispy dresses, one of my favorite things.

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  2. i admire the time you spent with your son! i enjoy sitting with mine and (he is soon 7) although he is very good at school he doen`t know what to write about... he thinks is borring. thank you for let me (us) into how you stimulated his fantasy...

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  3. awesome on the writing! and prince! and your boy’s eyelashes!!! and that cool marquee! and your thoughts the other day on my mood/ feelings were DEAD ON. I did the math and got to thinking. totally right you are....thanx!

    http://www.durangomom.com/

    have a great weekend!

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  4. Swoon...look at that boy with a pencil in his hand, dreams in his heart and eyelashes that could knock you out! So wonderful. And what a fun week...Prince AND the Rocky Horror Picture Show! can't beat it. Weekend blessings to you!

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  5. Super MJ that your boy has found a passion and is embracing it full force.
    Thanks for the spring roll link. I have some rice papers and think this would make a great lunch for the guys.
    Hope your weekend is filled with wonderful adventures.
    xx

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  6. oh that's awesome about E. i know all too much about the ways of forcing reading and writing instruction on children that aren't ready. how beautiful that you've given your little artist time to heal and now he's ready to create! i have read two more books on homeschooling in the last week, continue to be inspired by your homeschooling family and a few others, and just want to carry on! all i need now is the book that will help me with ezra's requests to go to school with other kids. i hope it all solves itself in our next move. i don't think he really knows what school he is. how can he? he's never been. i would rather he never had to deal with those early pressures.

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  7. I am not familiar with that book. I just clicked over to Amazon and will be adding it to my cart! My oldest daughter came out of school with a diminished love of reading and writing. The reading has come back but not the writing. Every now and then we will have moments of brilliance but she is not one to pour out her thoughts and creative energy through a pen and paper (or a keyboard and computer!). But we keep trying.

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  8. I can only imagine your joy at watching E catch the writing bug! If you think he's ever up for letting you share his work, I bet I'm not the only one who would love to read some :) It sounds like your patience with him has really paid off. I remember adoring the Great Illustrated Classics. Delicious words indeed!

    I love that picture of M at the end, too. She always appears to be fully present, embracing each passing moment of life. I hope you all have a "crazy beautiful weekend" too! <3

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  9. I'm happy with all the efforts these past ten years towards expanding the love of reading in homes, but it's so good to see a boy loving writing! Yay! And that moth is gorgeous!

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  10. I love the writing boy. Beautiful. Thanks for reminding me about Rip the Page. I need to find this book!

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  11. I love Rip The Page. As a former (well, I'll go back to it) teacher, I always believed in the value of ideas and practice and play over spelling and rules and grammar. LOVE how your boy is building a love through discovery. It's what it is all about.
    Crazy moth. Insane, really. Looks like something that escaped your show from the show at the theatre.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  12. I can't even pick a favorite photo! The bottom one is especially great. My boy loves to read, but doesn't have a big interest in writing, I've found printing comic paper and letting him write his own has been helpful as has Rip the Page.

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  13. MJ...I'm so glad your boy has rediscovered writing. It can be so freeing!! Rip the Page is awesome. We use it here too! Lovely shots as always :)

    Here's my moment:

    http://lifesbestdays.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-moment_28.html

    Happy Friday!!

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  14. lots of wonderful moments. smiling like crazy when i saw you linked to prince ;-)

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  15. How precious a moment to see your little one fall back in love with writing creatively!

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  16. I am thrilled your guy has found enjoyment in writing :) Both of my kiddos love to write, just about anything!!

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  17. we can let them be all we want, but that has no bearing on our desires for them! lol i can almost hear your relief and joy. i would be the same - leaving him alone but oh so wanting him to love it again. wonderful.

    love the shadow polaroid.

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  18. Words are so amazing and writing has been such a comfort to me throughout my life; I'm so happy that your boy has found the love of writing! Have fun at the show. Feed me Seymour!

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  19. Congrats to you and your boy.
    We've been addicted to the Brain Pop Jr.
    Very cool site whether kids are homeschooled or not.
    XO

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  20. Lots of lovely moments MJ. Glad your sweet boy is enjoying his writing experience. Have a beautiful weekend. Jacinta x

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  21. Love the writing news, MJ! I am SO happy for you both!! One of the things that makes my life sing is when kids suddenly start to fly with their writing. I've seen it now a number of times in my writing workshops and at home too, with my kids. I don't think there's a better feeling in the whole wild world :)

    LOVE the photos here, love the energy in them. Love your words and links. Thank you, MJ, for all this beauty and all this heart.

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  22. Sounds like a wonderful week for you. My youngest son didn't fall in love with reading until his 20s. Have a great weekend! :)

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  23. Yay, it wonderful to have the freedom to create!! No boundaries, woohoo! Lovely joys, may they keep on coming :) xo

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  24. Awww, totally awesomeness!! I just love how you get so excited and happy over the moments. Go you. Go him!! Maybe we can read a bit of what he's writing?

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  25. Those polaroids make me happy!

    I'm so excited to hear about E's new writing love!! Hooray! I love that. You've so got me in the mood for a good classic read. :)

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  26. love my mommy and son one on one - of course, that means I get to do it 3 times over - but, that works for me! Everyone gets a date w mommy-

    you know- I am digging that moth pic!!! I may even have to borrow that pic for our homeschool animal journal! awesomeness!

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  27. mj, you are the best mom. and can i say that your babies are gorgeous and talented, just like you? dreamy pics my friend.
    xox

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  28. Your description of how your son discovered a love of writing is so beautiful and inspiring. My son started writing in a similar way. It took a while to help him free himself from worrying about doing it "right" and express himself freely.

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  29. How fantastic to discover the joy of writing! To have the freedom to use his imagination and write the way HE wants to is so magical.

    Holy 1984! LOL!! Purple Rain was the first album I bought with my own money. :)

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  30. Oh MJ...this is fantastic, so inspiring!

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  31. Lovely words. How neat to see him explore and write.
    It's exciting to think about my son, now three, writing stories.
    He already tells the most magical tales. But I dare not push the river!

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw