Bermuda the Beautiful!

It was around 7am and I woke up on the ship and looked out of my window to see land in front of us. I quietly woke up Joe and he and I both gazed out of the window in amazment as we approached Bermuda. It was exquisite and I had a tear in my eye as my heart filled with Gratitude that we were on this adventure together. Bermuda was the highlight of our trip and to step off the ship with the families in our group and see all of the kids so excited was a better feeling than Christmas morning to me. It was just awesome....
Everyone had a great time snorkling, shopping and just being together as an Unschooling Community in a far away place.

As part of our first day in Bermuda, I spoke at a community center to a dozen or so families about Unschooling and respectful, peaceful parenting. One of the Bermuda residents invited me to come speak months before the cruise when they heard I was coming. I signed books and gave hugs. It felt so good to be there sharing my passion with others. It was a great experience!

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Birds Fly, Fish Swim, Unschoolers Cruise!

Here is one of the bands playing on board the ship throughout our cruise. They were so fun and loved to see Orion dancing and clapping to their music!


Here we are dressed up on Formal Night of the cruise. It was so touching to see all of the Unschooling families part of our group so excited about this night. Everyone looked amazing! It was one of my favorite nights of the cruise.


Here is Franklin, our room attendant. He cleaned our room several times a day, whenever we would leave. When we returned there was some kind of cute towel animal waiting for the kids on their beds. Such a special touch to the cruise experience! One day he left a towel bat hanging from the ceiling! We laughed so hard coming into our room that night!

Rockin' the Boat with Unschoolers!

The Unschooling Adventure Cruise was a big success and so much fun! Planning and organizing our first conference was exciting and challenging, but worth the last 18 months of preparation.
The food was amazing! We all had lobster and shrimp on the final night, as well as desserts that our waiter brought without end. The ship itself took my breath away.

I remember talking to a few people last month about the cruise and they shared that they had no interest on being in such an "Unnatural" setting. I thought about what they said when we were on board. I have to say that I have never been so close to nature in the way we were on the Explorer of the Seas ship. There is no other feeling like being in the middle of the ocean with the wind in your hair. It was awe-inspiring. I felt one with the power of nature at every turn. I was changed after this cruise and my children were moved and inspired and so grateful for the experience!

The trip was the perfect combination of being in nature and being pampered. Cruising Rocks! I'm officially a Cruise Diva!

This April we will be hosting our second Unschooling cruise. This time it will be bigger and better! It will be a 7 night cruise with three ports of call. We will be cruising out of Texas and hitting the islands of Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico. Look out Caribbean! Here we come!

The Pace Car

Growing up my father was a mechanic and a weekend race car driver. For many years of my life I grew up on the race track and hung with the "Pit Crew" Being a race car driver is something I wanted to be as a child. I still get excited hearing loud engines and screaming fans.

Before every race the Pace Car limits the speed of the other cars. With few exceptions, competitors do not pass the pace car or other competitors during the period where the pace car is on the track. At the end of this period, the pace car leaves the track and the competitors resume racing.

As I was laying nursing Ivy this morning, I thought of how the pace of life with my children is very much like the race track. We all take turns being the pace car and setting the speed and tone of each moment that comes our way. It is a give and take that when we recognize how important it is to allow one another the role of being the "pace person", life goes much more smoothly.

As I was nursing her I was feeling anxious because I wanted to get back downstairs to have my coffee and check my email and pick up the house before everyone woke up. I was cranked up energetically, but she was desiring a pace that was quite the opposite. She wanted to lay, cuddle and stay in this slow pace for her moment of time with me before she dozed off again. I began thinking about how important it was on my motherhood path to surrender to and embrace others being the Pace Car and allow myself to be guided by the speed in which they need to live in the moment.

As I lay with her this morning I realized how this was all part of my Mothering Responsibility. It was my responsiblity to meet my children's needs, not just physically and emotionally, but in every ounce of who I am. Switching gears and shifting down is such an important part of my responsibility to my children. There are also times when I have to shift upward, but those seem to come much easier to me in who I am as a person.

Sharing the role of the Pace-Car is so important as a mother. Enjoying the pace at which my children set our moments, rather than just going through the motions has kicked it up a notch in my fulfilment as a parent too. Taking a deep breath, and knowing that we are *Here, Now* and nothing has to get done, there is no where I need to be but with them at whatever pace they choose in that moment.

When I notice that I need to down-shift to be fully present with my children, I take a deep breath and kiss their skin, or smell their hair. I smile at them and feel their energy and the pace at which they need me to be with them in the moment and I let go...

When they have the steering wheel and gearstick in their hands I enjoy the ride around the track. It's their turn to be the Pace Car. I crank my seat back and enjoy the wind in my hair...

Chemistry Play

Devin loves to do experiments. He always has. I can't tell you how many gallons of vinegar and boxes of baking soda we've gone through over the years! Our kitchen cabinets are not only for sustenance, but also everything is fair game for experimentation!

We took Devin's interest to the next level and bought him a truly cool Chemistry kit called, Chem2000! We've been doing some very interesting experiments this week!

Devin rocks Chemistry and Physics... I've learned so much myself exploring this passion of his together.

Outgrown Intensity

For years now I have written about Tiff's intense nature. She is turning 8 years old next Monday! I have to share that her sensitivity and intensity has faded so much as she has grown. She is so much like me and we are both very sensitive people.

I remember when she was only 2 years old, she used to scream for everything. She wouldn't let me brush her teeth and finding clothes that didn't annoy her was challenging. Everything seemed to be such a struggle. I never thought that I could have any other children with the intensity of her needs. It was more than I ever thought parenting could ever be...

I honestly could cry thinking about how hard it was to parent a child like Tiff was for years. Now, I am proud to say that Tiff can not be considered "Sensitive" or "Intense" anymore. I thought that I would be always parenting a child with unique needs, but not anymore.. The qualities that made her intense in the past have made her so helpful and focused on getting whatever it is she wants in life.

After 8 years with a child who screamed and cried and yelled to voice her needs, I realize that it was only such a short season in her life. We never punished her for the way she voiced her needs. We talked, explained, discussed, shared and connected. Tiff has grown to be the most incredible human being. When we honor our kids, wherever they are, and parent them respectfully and lovingly they learn that they can always count on us to love them unconditionally! Tiff, my darling, sensitive daughter is my best friend, and such a little advocate for respectful, peaceful parenting. She is truly the most kind, loving person that I know to others.

We were told by others that if we didn't punish her she would never grow out of it, or learn that the way she was communicating wasn't "appropriate". Well those *others* were wrong... You never need to punish a child for them to learn these things in life.

Tiff has an incredible altruistic quality and understanding of others needs.. I know in my heart that this is because we have always respected and met her needs as a person, as hard as it was to stay centered in the midst of her intensity. Tiff... my intense daughter has now outgrown the label of "intense" and "sensitive" and has come out on the other side.

Tiff is a Whole, Perfect, Beautiful Girl inside and out.

I love you little girl! I have always trusted *Who You Were*. It was all worth it.. You are the most amazing human being that I have ever met. I can't imagine who you would be today if I would have listened to others who told me to put you in school, and medicate you into compliance and obedience for the last few years. I am so glad that I listened to my inner knowing that All Would Be Well.

This is the last post that I will write about Tiff's former Intense nature. We are moving forward and leaving it behind. Her sensitivity is a gift and something I am so grateful for.