Ladakh

I'm taking an online college class right now called International Foundations. We just watched a video about Ladakh. I've been trying for the last several days to embed it on my blog but I just haven't figured it out. I loved the traditional Ladakh culture. The video shows how technology and modernization aren’t necessarily helping everyone. It was interesting and sad to watch. Based on the book by Helena Norberg-Hodge.

Since I can’t embed it apparently, I’ll just include the link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7846941319183318053&ei=-BP5Sbj2MqD-qAPb3e0f&q=Ancient+Futures:+Learning+From+Ladakh&hl=en# . I’m not sure if it works, but googling Helena Norberg-Hodge Ancient Futures will take you to the same (hour long) video.

Really though, my husband assures me that it doesn’t have to be that the more technology a country has the more its values deteriorate. I realize that I’m blessed to have the technology available to me that I do, and that I’m really more productive and know more than I would, but sometimes the simple life seems…well, so much less complicated. I love learning new things, but mourn the downsides of “progress.” Oh well, in all things there must be opposition.

Homeschooling progress report, or, How am I doing so far?

Well- so far our homeschooling is going pretty well. We aren't using any particular curriculum at the moment, and I haven't started reading out of the classics yet either, because I don't have any of my things here- including books. Except A Tale of Two Cities which I think I'll save for later. What we have been doing is writing letters to people every morning (short ones, which I have yet to mail), doing some math problems and then getting to play multiplication computer games, tons of reading and some singing. My 7 yr old is very good about reading to his younger brothers, and all of us like singing time. In the works are a garden and some cooking lessons, more art lessons, and he's asked if he can please study history. Hey, who am I to deprive him of history? Science is a bonus on the weekends because his Dad has a BA in chemistry...the only class I ever failed. They love doing science projects together.

Writing is our biggest struggle because he's convinced that he hates it, as well as spelling. So I'm going to back off and buy a few games I love to play. Some of my very favorite games are Scrabble, Bananagrams, Boggle, and Scattergories. I love word games. My son loves to do anything I'm doing, including word games, and he's not half bad at it :). Maybe we can foster a love of words, writing, and spelling (and confidence) through games. It's at least worth a try. Besides, the awesome thing is that I can use these games as a reward for getting chores done quickly or as a bribe.

We're slowly getting started and establishing a schooling routine.

Weekend Fun

So, this weekend was interesting. I’ve been learning about the fine art of yardsaling. I don’t know if it’s a real word, but it is a real art. The trick is balance. You have to be able to recognize good deals while not going overboard and becoming a pack rat- or in the case of already being one, supporting your pack rat habit J. But making a list of the things you need and sticking just to that doesn’t work so well either, mostly because you need to be able to recognize a worthy buy when you see one. A worthy buy= something you need and will use + a good deal + you can afford it. If affording it means you have to trim a little somewhere else and it’s worth it to you to do so, go for it. But you can only do that so much. Anyway, this weekend was spent trying to save money, and we did pretty well, but I still need to learn when I don’t really need something.

I’m also working on cutting my food budget in half. My husband says it’s not possible, making it an all-the-more-attractive goal. That would make it $275 per month for a family of 5. If I have a garden it should be relatively easy (and I can have one year round here!) as we generally spend $50 a week on produce, but I don’t have one yet. I’ve been looking through a couple of my favorite sites, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com and www.5dollardinners.com. So one of my mini projects this year is crockpot cooking. That is, cooking dinner in the crockpot at least 3 nights a week. For the moment, it’s every night. I don’t have my pots and pans yet. So I’m getting a good start :).

We liked fajitas in the crockpot- very easy. And we liked the 16-bean soup. The pasta in artichoke sauce didn’t turn out so well, but the kids loved it. And, of course, I had to try refried beans because I have 25 lbs. of dried pinto beans in the pantry. They turned out okay, but need more salt. Then I wanted some rice to go with it…that didn’t work. The brown rice cooked so long it started to go bad. But I’m a glutton for punishment- I’m trying it again on high instead of low.

I know, I know, what a very interesting weekend eh. But I’m learning and progressing and the kids had fun. Writing actually does help me keep myself more organized. Now, why I’m posting my writing on a blog I have no idea. Maybe it keeps me more accountable- even though no one really sees it. :)

A Family picture- because I'm a visual person :)

Our most recent family picture, courtesy of my awesome photographer-sister, Jeri.

Technology

Good Morning.

Okay, I just wanted to say that you don’t have to be an expert in everything, but it is nice to know a little bit about a few things! When I want to buy a smartphone it is so annoying to not have any idea which phones do what and which are worth the money you’re about to pay for them. So what do I do about it? Educate myself. This, by the way, causes me to become pickier. I don’t even want to buy the Evo anymore; I’m holding out for a dual-core processor on my phone. Why, you may ask? Easy. People who keep up with the pace of advancing technology have an advantage in the business world and at home. What would your life be like without a computer? Without the internet? Mine wouldn’t be horrible, but I know so much more and can do so much more with it than without. But there are people who don’t know how to navigate the web, or use excel, or any other number of relatively simple software. They’re still awesome people, it’s just cramping their style- even if they don’t know it. :)

It also gives my children an advantage to know how to use the most modern tech (part of the advantage at home). I do get off topic. I was going to say that a dual-core processor phone is the next step to phones becoming personal computers, and a rather big step at that. I may keep my laptop around for a while, but the day will come when you go to the library, pull out your phone and plug it into a monitor. Then you’ll do all your typing on a full-size laser-projected virtual keyboard.

Okay, done with my rant about technology. For now. But everyone should really be required to read The World Is Flat, or at least the CliffsNotes, if only to get a snapshot of the up and coming business world. The more we know the more able we are to teach our kids.

Getting Started

Okay, so I'm new to the blogging world and slightly technologically challenged. We'll see how this works out. At the moment, this blog is mostly for myself :). I need to organize my thoughts, and I like the way a blog looks. I've seen quite a few blogs lately- some about a specific subject and some about life in general. I like both. I was inspired to blog by two people, my sister Jeri, and a lady whose blog I happened upon today- Lani. Here goes.

I have officially decided to homeschool- again. We homeschooled a bit, then did public school, and my son has asked if we could please be homeschooled again. We just moved and the schools here took out music, art, and (rumored) P.E. because of budget problems. To me, that's like keeping a budget for cable tv and cutting out the budget for gas. Haha- okay, not quite, but pretty close. We like TJed the best.

We are also a military family. My husband just finished basic training, and he's at the DLI learning Chinese...we'll be here(Monterey, CA) a while. :) As I have spent the last couple of years living with parents I am once again learning how to run a household, cook, and be out on my own. So far:
1. The house is very clean (how could it help but be clean when there's nothing in it?)
2. I've made a brand new recipe every night (thanks to the thrift store crockpot I picked up on the way here and a crockpot blog- the oven is broken, and I'm not all that enterprising in my cooking adventures in the first place)
3. The kids are happy (they haven't grown tired of the playground in the backyard yet)
4. I have read to my children for at least an hour every day, as well as had some "singing time."

So far I'm proud of myself. We'll see if I can keep it up. My husband wishes I would learn how to drive here. I promise to be able to leave the subdivision by myself within the next 6 months. How's that.

A friend and I are researching starting a business. I'll let you know how it goes.