The Video Game Post

At our house there has been an on-going battle for years. It is called "Who's turn is it?!" It's usual battle cries include, "I'm not done!", "You've been playing for hours!", and "Let me finish this one thing.".

Let me start by voicing my frustration about this. The battles get nasty mean and usually end up with me stepping in and trying to figure it out. I don't like listening to two of my favorite people hate on each other like that. It gets on my nerves. It's like listening having the TV on "Jerry Springer" all day long. It's not like this all the time though. It's just that we have a new game that both are very interested in playing right now.

I didn't want to step in and force a playing time schedule. I really wanted them to work it out between the two of them. In fact, I have helped them set up such a schedule, but it ended in more battles because our life is not scheduled that much. One would get up early and play before the other got up. That time wasn't on the schedule they planned and so it didn't count. Or one would think the other was playing on his time. Or one didn't really want to play at that hour because he was doing something else. On and on it goes.

We've spent a lot of time working out who's turn it is and it's never satisfactory for either of them. One person goes away angry every time and it's sometimes me. And then I through the gauntlet down and turn it off the rest of the day, which breeds anger and resentment on all three sides. Ugg.

So yesterday, my step-mom (in her infinite wisdom) suggests a timer. I scoff at that, of course. My infinite wisdom of "mom extraordinaire" is way beyond such simple ideas as a timer! But then I slept on it and woke up with the brilliant idea of a timer.

Today we will try it. When one starts playing, we will start a timer. If the other comes into the room and wants to play and it has been more than an hour since the other started playing, then we will immediately get to the next save point and surrender the controller. If it's less than an hour, then they can continue to play until that point and then surrender the controller. I will be more involved because I need to be sure the timer is started and I'll be there watching for the save because they do tend to try "one more thing", not out of maliciousness but curiosity. It's really hard not to turn the page of my book at a really good part, even though I promised myself one more chapter and then I would finish the dishes and start dinner. I understand. But we made a commitment and we have to honor that. 

My unschooling friends may suggest two TVs and XBoxes, but that just can't happen in our little house. We just need to learn to share politely and kindly and look forward to the day we have a house of our own and don't have to share a single thing...until we get married and have children of our own who hog the XBox all day and won't let you get a single level of "Michael Jackson Experience" in edgewise! 

Reality TV

A major topic the past few days on Facebook has been the latest episode of WifeSwap on ABC in which an radically unschooling family is featured. I have a few thoughts about this and I thought I'd write them here.

First of all, I have a friend that was on the show before and we have watched several episodes of it before, so I knew what was going to happen. I wasn't shocked and I knew it would be heavily edited for sensationalism. That is what the show is about, isn't it? Everyone I know is fully aware that what you see on these types of shows is as far from reality as humanly possible and if they put reality on tv no one would watch it. But why is that? Why are we not interested in seeing another way of life and learning from it? Why does "reality" not sell? Personally, I'd love to see more real reality instead of what the producers call reality. I'd like to see that Amish family and how they live day to day. I'd like to see how a family in the deep south and working parents deals with getting their kids to school. I'd like to see how a family in Korea does the laundry and entertains friends. That would be entertaining to me, but apparently not to the rest of the country.

This episode specifically was upsetting to me because one of the families is living a similar lifestyle to our family and I feel like it was wholly misrepresented. Don't get me wrong. I don't think that family misrepresented the unschooling ways. I think the producers deliberately misrepresented the unschooling lifestyle all together. And they did the same thing to the other family as well.

They showed the "mainstream" lifestyle family as well ordered and well behaved. And they showed the "alternative" lifestyle as wild and unruly. I can bet that anyone's family on any given day could be portrayed either way. They won't show how the alternative family decides what time to go to bed, or why they are allowed to play on the trampoline at 1am. And they don't show the grudging way the kids in the mainstream family do their assigned chores.

I'll go into one detail of an unschooling life that they mentioned and made a big deal about. Rules. "There are no rules.", they kept saying. Of course there are rules, but they are based on principles and discussed with equal input from all family members in a radically unschooling family. "We need to respect our housemates need for sleep, so we are quiet or in bed by 9pm because Dad needs to be up early to work." is a principle. "You go to bed at 9pm" is a rule. It's arbitrary and can be changed at any time. I'd say that is a problem. If you teach kids to only follow rules given from an authority and not the principles behind those rules, as adults they do the same thing and the authority can change those rules as they see fit. It doesn't work out well in a free society. That's how we lose our freedoms.

And what does this "radically unschooling" stuff mean anyway? Unschooling basically means that we let our children decide what they want to learn and when. That sounds crazy, I know. I still don't fully understand it, but I read a lot, I discuss ideas with others trying this lifestyle, and I learn new ideas and ways of doing things every day. It's a long and drawn out process that hinges on trusting that children have an innate desire to learn new things. We trust that they will be the best human they can be and we don't attempt to mold them into the person we want them to be. To us, the school system is insane. The idea that you can give a child all the information they will need to pass on to the next level is strange. You can't possibly know what information you will need ten years from now. But we can instill a love of lifelong learning in our kids by never making the learning process dull. The best way to make it dull is for the subject to have no interest for you. We wait until that interest arises and then give them the tools they will need to learn. It's extremely complex and can't be summed up in a 45 minutes tv show, mostly because it is different for every family, as it should be.

Radical unschooling is moving beyond education and into an entire lifestyle. It's treating children as full fledged members of the human race the minute they are born. It's making every attempt to live together in peace. It's not always peaceful. It's not always pleasant. But we feel we are learning right along with our kids and by the time they are adults, maybe they will have a better grasp on this whole cooperation thing than we do. I know many adults that were raised this way and they are awesome people. Again, it's not something you can spit out and explain. It's like trying to explain Christianity to someone who's never heard of it. It just sounds wacky when you try!

I am me!

Many times, I don't want to post the annoying things my family does because I'm afraid someone will read it and think that I don't have things under control. We live a strange (to most) lifestyle and I'm afraid that if life is not all sunshine and rainbows on my blog then those lifestyle choices will be questioned. When I read on some other persons blog that their kids are being obnoxious I think to myself, "Well, life is just sucky sometimes. Just keep swimming! Tomorrow is another day." But I wonder what people think when I write that my sons have spent all day playing Skyrim and it's making me crazy. They probably think "Maybe you shouldn't let them play all day and send them to school!?"

I shouldn't worry so much about what people think and write what is really on my mind. The point of writing here anyway is for me to get things off my chest, order my thoughts, and hopefully encourage others. 

Knott's Berry Farm!

We went to Knott's Berry Farm yesterday! I know, you're thinking, didn't you just get home from a long road trip? Yes, but I had some business to attending in the city, so I thought I'd make it a positive ending by taking my boys along and having some fun at the park.

First of all, I solved a problem right out of the gate this morning. Tom came out, putting his shoes, on and told me that he wanted breakfast burgers (a tradition of ours) but he wasn't hungry just yet. I answer, then we'll just get something  when we get down the road a bit. I also proudly announce that I have solved a problem! Yes, I'm strange that way.

So we jump in the truck and head down to Orange County. It's about a two hour drive for us, but we enjoy our car rides. First we had to listen to Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood. Tom looked up the lyrics for these songs and is now the resident expert on what all these songs are about.

We stopped to drop off some things for the homeschool network I am no longer affiliated with (long, ugly story, not for print). And then we had to listen the Beatles, in chronological order, of course.

There was a billboard for a new car that said you could get from Palm Springs to Los Angeles for $20, but Tom calculated the gas mileage and doesn't believe it. Besides, the cost of that vehicle verses another cheaper one with worse gas mileage didn't add us either. We had to hear about that for quite some time.

Breakfast burgers and Carl's Jr. and on to Knott's!

It looked a little busier than it was last time went, but wasn't bad at all. Last time, we kept running into the same people on rides...it was that empty. We ran into several friends of mine from when I worked there. That was fun. Like stepping back in time, except everyone is older too. Sometimes I think people from my past lives are still sitting there frozen in time. I'm the only one still living in the world and aging. But no. They are there, living their own lives just like the rest of the world. It's a weird feeling.




We watched the stunt show. Sorry guys, but the one we saw in Arizona was much better. They really need a new show.





Then we went on the Ghost Rider. That ride kills me. It's so stinkin' bumpy. All I do is close my eyes and hold on, praying for a quick death if the whole thing falls apart! It about shakes my eyeballs out!
While in line, I predicted a 30 minute wait. And it was 25! I win! The boys didn't believe me, but we calculated the capacity while we waited and then tried to figure out how they could make it better. I told them that Knott's has no interest in uping the capacity though. I've worked for both parks. It about made me crazy going from rides at Disney to rides at Knott's. Wow!

Here's something that has changed since I've been gone. The peek-in's like this one have been cleaned up and repaired! These things were pretty nasty looking when I worked here.






We watched a pretty good "gun-fight" in Ghost Town.








Got some ice cream and some real lemonade. Really! I watched her squeeze the lemon! But they really need to stop skimping on the sugar. It was pretty darn sour, but we liked it anyway!







Then we went on the Silver Bullet, the Boomerang, and the Excellerator. Jake skipped the Excellerator though. I would have, but Tom really wanted to on that thing. He loves it. Jake and I have stuffy noses which was wreaking havoc on our heads and equilibrium. We had to take a long break between rides.

The new stuff they are building on the west side of the park.

I convinced the boys to go on the Sky Cabin! It's slow and quiet and relaxing. It's not because I'm old that I like this thing. I've always liked it. You can see the whole world from up there. They loved it!

Southeast.

Northeast.

We spent some time in the museum in Ghost Town and found this picture.








So I went and took one of my own!









Tom really can't stand to leave anything if he hasn't figured out how it works.












And we took this picture again! Had to take you down memory lane a bit...

This one is the latest, just in case you can't tell.

Then we said hello to this dumb trash eating bear. We quote him very often at our house. "Don't throw that on the floor! Give it to me! I'm so hungry."

Our spot.

Jake and I were exhausted, so we left early, but everyone was hungry, so we decided to get "Chicken-to-go" and have a picnic at Independence Hall by the parking lot, just like old times. We had so much fun relaxing there all by ourselves. We found ducks, chickens, and fish at the pond. The boys were disappointed that Independence Hall was closed. We'll have to see that first, next time we come.

A mommy chicken with all her sweet hatchlings!

Lunch

Tom feeding a slider turtle. It pushed the ducks out of the way!

Then we headed home. The drive wasn't bad, even for rush hour. The boys are infatuated with motorcycles and sports cars, so we had to hear about every one that passed by. We got home around 7pm and had time to watch a Doomsday Preppers with Dad before bed. Long day, but well worth it. Jake reminded me several times that I am the best Mom. He even thanked me for "going through the pain of childbirth AND the pain of raising him". That kid is a nut. Tom says this is the best month ever because we went on a long road trip, had lemon meringue pie last night, AND went to Knott's. I hope they remember this feeling forever.

Planting a Cherry Tree

We planted a cherry tree today. Tom went to Walmart with me and I had to walk through the garden area. He wanted the tree and said he'd help me plant it. So I bought it and he did. Next thing you know, we're out there looking at all the flowers and leaves. We talked about planting things, how they grow, what you can do to help. Then Jake came out. We talked about our apple tree and how old it is. It finally has blossoms. We watched the bees work on the apple blossoms, found the flowers of the little pine tree, wondered about why the Cottonwood doesn't have flowers. Jake told us about a VSauce video he watched about energy. Tom told us that mass isn't created when you grow. Then we got to falafel sizing about it. It got hot in the sun. We went inside to find something to take energy from that used to be someone else a thousand years ago. 

Oh! Some weeds have been pulled, dirt bikes have been ridden, neighbors have been talked to, laundry is caught up. I took the down comforter off our bed and hung it out to air a few days. Jake and I both have a stuffy nose. It is a good day to be alive.

We're Home!

This is why Jake is tired of sleeping next to Tom.

That was a long and seriously fun trip! I'm so glad that we went and I'm glad to be home too. Nothing makes me appreciate my home and my town more than a long trip in the camper!

Yesterday, the boys and I went to the movies and saw GI Joe. I really liked that movie. It's been a long time since I watched a movie at the theater and didn't think "Oh, man! Why did they do that?". We saw a trailer for the Lone Ranger and we all looked at each other like "Why?" We were happy to spend the time at the theater. It was small but nice and the lady working there was super cool.

They were making it roll on down the road.

Afterwards we went to Walmart and picked up a few things for dinner. We wanted to use our new BBQ! Came home, played some pool, and then Dad was done with work, so we had dinner and played poker. 

This morning we got up early and took the bug to have our farewell breakfast at the Kingman Steakhouse like we did last time. We pulled up and it said it wasn't open until 11am! I swear it was way earlier than that last time. We kept driving to see what else was there and decided to go back and eat at the Cracker Barrel. We turned around...and ran out of gas. Luckily we were across the street from the gas station. Unluckily, it was uphill across four lanes. Dan and Tom walked over and got a gas can and some gas. On the way back to Cracker Barrel we passed the steakhouse again and now they had a sign out "Now open for breakfast!" Yay! So we got go after all. That place is great!

The drive home was long and uneventful and we were all ready to stop driving! But here are some pictures:

Colorado River with lots o' water in it!

Jake doing a "time skip".

Desert.

My view.

More desert.

How cool is this? These are all along the road. Some are pretty fancy. I call that ART!

Amboy Crater! Almost home!

Surprises for us when we got home, it's cool and windy and my yard got all green and flowery while we were away. Spring has sprung! 

Irises and Strawberries!

Mulberry and Lilacs

My little apple tree!

Apple Blossoms!

Camper is unloaded, showers are being had, pizza is ordered. The animals and the family are happy to see us. It's good to be home!

Oh! And Gandalf loves his present!

Uni-Kitty!

Day Sixteen - Still in Kingman

There are no pictures for today! All of us are ready to be home. Jake has a cold and he is complaining about his bed. He doesn't like sleeping next to Tom and he has to climb over him to get out and go to the bathroom. He won't switch sides though! Tom is being a grump. They are trying to be cool though, but their frustration is showing through. It's got me too.

We went to Big 5 and the boys got their own pool cues. They were happy to come back to camp and try them out. We also got a little gas BBQ to keep with the RV. We went to the Mohave Museum in town, but Jake was feeling so sick that he didn't enjoy it much. On the way home, we stopped at In-and-out for lunch. Everyone was happy!

We had Mac n cheese with spam for dinner, not Jake though, he had a sandwich. And then we played some poker and went to bed. Tomorrow will be much better. I'm going to make some pancakes!