Sad Passport Photos

Have you ever been told not to smile for a photo? Well, this is just what we had to deal with taking our passport pictures. The passport agency was very specific about not smiling. I am not sure why. All I know is, we had a blast trying to get some photos with serious looks on our faces. It was really funny. We had to take so many to get one without a smirk, or smile. Ivy just couldn't look serious, as much as we tried to explain it to her. Hopefully they take it anyway.

I told Joe his looks like it should be on a "Wanted" poster. How sad looking, huh? We

Bye-Bye Shoes!

The snow has finally melted. The flowers are blooming and my kids shoes are no where to be seen.

Who can resist those adorable little toes?! Call me weird, but I love my children's little dirty feet at the end of the day.

I wanted to share this interesting website about the *Truth* of allowing children to go barefoot.

"Your feet walk upon the Earth and through this your spirit is connected to the universe. Our feet are our contact with the Earth and the energies that flow through it. " Cherokee "Moonmaiden" Jenny Wallace

The Sparkling Road-Less-Traveled

The other night I was talking with Devin as he was playing his new game on the PS3. I asked if he wanted to bring it with us on our upcoming trip to NJ and Canada. He said, "No, thanks." When I asked if he was worried something would happen to it and he said, "No. I just know I wouldn't play it. When we travel I love to meet new people, learn the language, try new foods and do new things. I can play games anytime. When we go somewhere new, I have to soak it all in."

As a speaker and writer, we travel a lot. We are traveling once a month for the next six months in fact. Sometimes I am asked, "Do you ever travel without your kids?" I respectfully reply, "No. We are a package deal." Joe calls us a "6-Pack!"

I am so grateful that our children love to travel as much a we do. The girls have been packed for 3 days and Tiff was so excited that she vacuumed the car out yesterday to help get ready to leave.

Our kids learn so much from traveling. I love to look in their eyes as we drive through a huge city, or try new foods, or visit a cool museum or little shop. They get excited about statues, and bodies of water, new insects and animals. They are passionate little people and I am so grateful that my dreams in life involve my children's dreams and interests. It is the perfect merging of desires.

Our next adventure... The Great Big Happy Life Conference, then Montreal, Canada.

Our Orion

Here is a picture of Orion at 15 months enjoying chips and salsa, one of his favorites....

He is so loving and sweet, I just had to share a cute picture with family and friends to see how big he has grown!

I wish I could keep my little man bald forever!

The Decade of Devin

Today was Devin's 10th Birthday!

It was an exciting day which included a visit from his two buddies from Vermont, Xan & Elliot. They arrived last night and spent the night with their Mom & one of my best friends, Josha.

They woke up this morning, complete with wild-boy-bed-heads, and ran downstairs to watch Devin open his presents, which included a Playstation 3!

Every time I looked at Devin today, I remembered ten years ago, when I became a Mother for the first time. I'll never forget touching his warm, wet head as I was pushing him out. It was a profound moment. My life had such purpose and I felt a wholeness that I had never felt before. The love I have for him is indescribable.

Life has only got better and better every day, every month and every year since that moment.

Today was not only Devin's birthday, but the Anniversary of the day I was born a Mother.

What a day to celebrate!

Rockin' the World with Charlie Turtle!

Last year, at the Rethinking Education Conference, they had an area where you could take apart and rebuild new toys. I thought this was genius and such a creative way to recycle old toys!

At the Conference, Joe created our family mascot happily named, "Charlie Turtle". (He is made from two toys, a Ninja Turtle and a Charlie Brown figure.) He has been with us on every trip in the last year and Joe takes great delight in documenting Charlie's adventures.

If you ever see us on location, you can ask for Charlie's autograph.. He'll be happy to give it to you...

My favorite is at the Japanese restaurant. Our chef, Tom (yes Tom!) laughed at Charlie as he prepared our meal. You get a few looks when you are travelling and place a toy down in front of something to take a photo.

Yes, Joe has a twisted sense of humor and this is one of the many things we love about him.

So Ya Wanna Be a Rock Superstar?

Today I am very pumped, because I have learned that Guitar Hero has released....Guitar Hero Metallica!

I am so excited to get this and rock out to my old and new favorites from the most incredible band that ever walked this Earth.

I was 14 when I first heard them, from that moment, I was introduced to something to incredible, so powerful, my life would never be the same. Metallica was my intro into a whole new World of music. They were my jumping off point for learning to play guitar and for my passion for Heavy Metal music.

I want to thank them for always being true to themselves. They are the perfect example of how when something is new, it is rejected and blamed for the evil's in the World. In time, they have become cherished as a rock legend.

James, Kirk, Lars and Rob, (and Cliff & Jason), thank you. I know you had something to do with who I have become in life. Rock on my brothers!


















Dayna - Age 18

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potatoes where on sale this week for .49 cents a pound! I bought about three dozen of them. It was fun to get creative and try out some new recipes.

This soup was so easy and delicious that I just had to share! My kids loved it and I've been sharing it with friends who stop by to visit.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, chopped

4 or 5 large sweet potatoes peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth or 4 boullion cubes (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Celery leaves for garnish

Method

1 Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.

2 Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon, and nutmeg; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes

3 Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot.

4 Add half and half and maple syrup and stir over medium-low heat to heat through. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Reality Blogging

When I add blog posts, it is often done in stages.
I usually wait until Joe is here, because I usually do not have much time during the day to add anything because we are busy living our fabulous lives.

Orion is usually on my lap, nursing while I blog. All of the kids help by picking out or taking the pictures to add along with my entries. Our "Sparkling" blog often turns into a family activity.
The reality of blogging with four kids, living an Unschooled life, is that I never know when my next blog post will be and that is okay with me. I trust that I will add more when I can, and when I have the inspiration to. My blog posts are never consistent, or something I get stressed about. I never plan what I am going to add. It is an organic, joyful process for me.

This blog is a sacred place for me to share my life with my family and friends. Thank you to those who continue to support and inspire me. The comments that I receive daily mean so much to us.

~In Gratitude, Dayna

Karate Gratitude

Last week I posted about our families "negative" experience with a karate class. I received an outpouring of support and love which I am so grateful for. It felt so nice to realize how many people care about us.

Since that time, my awareness of the situation has shifted. My inner process has led to reevaluate the experience and see it with new eyes.

I feel that I was riding low on the vibrational scale that week. I manifested the experience, which my sweet friend Elizabeth pointed out to me. I was fearing the situation and fearing that my kids wouldn't be respected and that is exactly what I experienced.

Today, I feel that I could have seen the whole thing so differently. Bringing my kids to a karate class with a karate teacher who was in the military for 7 years, was maybe not the best choice. It would have been like me bringing my kids to school and getting upset that they were being asked to do school work while they were there and feeling a victim for that.

The karate teacher called to me to apologize for singling Devin out and making him feel bad. She was having a hard day herself and was also riding low vibrationally. I know that she was volunteering her time to offer the class to the parents in the group. She also had very specific training to teach kids a certain way. It was a "tough love" kind of approach and this was the only way she knew how to lead the class. She did the best she could with what she knew. I still do not feel that the way to create kind, loving beings is through demmanding obedience, but I know that not everyone shares my belief about this.

The other mothers talking were just blown away that I would not force my child to stay in class. It wasn't about me. It was about them. I was showing an option that maybe they didn't consider before. Maybe because of my actions, they will have the courage one day to do the same for their child.

Sometimes we have what I call, "back-steps" on this Journey. It is easy to sometimes find yourself in the cultural mindset of victimization, especially living a life like this, because so few people parent this way. Our "back-steps" however, are usually followed by enormous leaps forward.

I am still very grateful to have respected my kids choice to leave. I will always support them in ensuring they receive respect. I am grateful for another opportunity to grow, learn and realize that the only person who can make me feel like a victim is myself.

Manifesting Travel

The combined intentions of my family are powerful!

We all love to travel. It is such an exciting part of our lives and something we can do anytime learning and working in Freedom.

The law of attraction is pretty mind-blowing even to me at times. Here is a little peek into what is possible when you set the intention and live a Joyful life...

We are speaking at the Great Big Happy Life Conference in NJ in two weeks. The conference is from the 28th-May 1st. Two nights ago, I received an email from a Doula client and friend, who invited us to come to Montreal, Canada for a week and stay in a fabulous furnished apartment! They rented it for the month for family, who aren't arriving their until the 10th.

Now, here's the incredible part, she offered it to us for.... May 1st! There are no coincidences! The very day we are leaving NJ! This blew my mind how seamlessly this who trip will flow. We will leave NJ and drive straight to Montreal where we will stay for a week in the most amazingly gorgeous apartment right in the heart of the city.

Our whole family is so excited to travel to Canada. We have never been and what an opportunity! The language the culture, the learning and growing and expansion that travel offers is like nothing else.

So, thank you to my friend, Bea and thank you Universe for another incredible travel opportunity!

Just when think that life couldn't get any better, BAM! The Universe kicks it up a notch!

Look out Canada... The Martin's are on their way!

Easter Joy

We had such a wonderful Easter. We woke up at 10am and followed the kids downstairs for and basked in the Joy of a sleepy-eyed egg hunt. Orion didn't really know what was going on, he just followed everyone around screeching happily.

We had a lovely turkey dinner, took naps ate turkey again.... It was a great day.

Here is what is left of the Easter Basket Cupcakes that I made for everyone.

Learning Clapping Games

I remember being on the playground at school and we had 20 minutes to do whatever we wanted for recess. One of my favorite activities were clapping games. I so enjoyed connecting with other girls in this way. It was great fun to see how fast we could get going while chanting clapping rhymes.

Devin, Tiff and Ivy have shown interest in learning the games I played as a child. I found a few websites which bring me back to the day when we were let free, outside in the sunshine after sitting at a desk for hours. I love passing these childhood rhymes down to my kids.

Here Ivy and I are sitting on the kitchen table clapping and chanting to "Miss Mary Mack".

Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack

All dressed in black, black, black

With silver buttons, buttons, buttons

All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother

For 50 cents, cents, cents

To see the elephants, elephants, elephants

Jump over the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high

They reached the sky, sky, sky

And they didn't come back, back, back

'Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!

Late Night Easter Eggs

Coloring Easter eggs is a yearly tradition. I hard boiled 48 eggs and we created some beauties at 10:30 the other night. I love being able to do things together as a family into the wee hours living this Joyful, Free life and then sleeping in together until 11am...

The Sparkling Skydivers

To mute my blog background song, scroll down to the purple playlist on the right and mute.

Goodbye - In Arms Phase

Orion is the newest member of our family. He has been "in-arms" for a year now, and such a part of my body.. He hasn't ventured off on his own very often. The other day when we went to the Museum of Maine, it was so fun to see him interested and excited about so many things! He loved the water exhibit and the "Touch Tank" where he got to touch sea weed and star fish..

I can't belive how fast he is growing! Being my 4th child, the time is flying. Here is Orion checking out the water exhibit..

He had so much fun. I was so in awe of him as I watched him run from exhibit to exhibit.

We have plans for the kids to swim with the dolphins in Bermuda in a few months. Orion will be part of that excitement and Joy... I love that he is old enough to do so many new things.. He has began to separate from being in observing mode in the sling.. He is living and learning and growing... An incredible time for an Attached Mama!

Lockers!

Living this life with our kids, the only thing that they know about school is what they see on TV. Terms like, "Detention", "Recess" and "Test" are not part of their lives, so seeing this in real life is really interesting to them.

The other day we went to the University of Maine to visit their Planetarium. We walked around with our friends checking out all of the cool displays.. As parents we were all excited about the ocean life and solar system exhibits.. We looked into the glass cases in awe checking out the amazing specimens...

Where were our kids? Looking at Lockers with the same awe... and the same interest, because they are so far removed from an institutionalized life. Devin asked, "Do kids really put their stuff in there?". It was so intriguing to observe our kids.....observing school.... something so foreign to anything they know.

Passions of the Universe

I have so many interests as a woman and as a Mother. Most people know me as an Unschooling and Birth Advocate, but I have many other things that I am passionate about.

I love Astronomy and Science and I am a self-proclaimed sky junkie. I love anything to do with the stars and the Universe. It is such a part of Who I Am and my roots of becoming a Mother and Wife. I even won an award in college for my work in an Astronomy. It's funny because back in those days I was petrified of public speaking and almost passed out on stage accepting the award. I couldn't manage to say much of anything except quickly thanking Joe for helping with the housework while I studied.

I am in an utterly Blissful Place when I am exploring the Universe and I love hearing about the vastness of space and I get goosebumps when I hear about light years, or space time.

Tonight our family visited the Planetarium... We saw a special film on Black Holes.. Devin and Dakota enjoyed it, but the narration was a little complicated to follow. I was glued to the screens as I listened to the booming voice sharing about how black holes are formed, from dying stars. They collapse upon themselves and bend light. Amazing. One of my dreams and I have it on my vision board, is to visit the Very Large Aray in New Mexico.

Here I am in front of the am in front of the Incredible Star Projector at the University of Maine's Planetarium.

I loved being there, honoring my inner geek.

Here is a site that I love to visit if anyone is interested. It is the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Free Time

Today Joe and Devin went for haircuts. (Yes, they still have long hair, but got their dead ends trimmed.. )

While they were there, they asked the hairdresser is her kids knew about Webkinz, (one of my kids current passion). She told them that her kids knew about it, but didn't have any "Free Time" to be able

explore what it was all about.

When they came home and told me about this, it got me thinking... Isn't the term, "Free time", contrasting to restricted or controlled time?

How has "Free Time" become a luxury?

Shouldn't we all have time to ourselves to do what we want and pursue or interests?

The idea that this 9 year old didn't have any "free time" was so interesting to me.

Our kids do not know the concept of "Free Time". There time is always, inarguable Free.... Their lives are their own, without having living someone else's agenda...

I am so proud that the term, "Free Time" isn't part of our vocabulary....

Life is Free Time...

Here is an image of what Devin does with his "Free Time", which is every waking hour of his life.