A full house

So here I am, writing at midnight, because my day has been so full with fun and family that my "private time" literally doesn't exist....but guess what.... I just love it...

The last time I was in Chile was almost 3 years ago, this is my first time in the US for so long.. I was traveling there every year. (Like I said before, we have been living in USA for 6 years now)

I love and miss my family so much and I also admire and love my in laws in a really profound way... I have learned so much from them.. about parenting, freedom, ecology ...relationships ....well, kindness in general. and now I'm lucky enough to have them here with us....My MIL got here 2 weeks ago, bringing with her a breeze of pure mountain air. When I look at her I can see Los Andes mountain....I love to feel the wisdom she brings into my life...

And now my husband's grandparents and aunt (yes, he has grandma and grandpa alive..), are also visiting from SC... They also are Chileans, and really traditional ones, so the house has been full with great food and lots of people, (4 generations) talking and laughing in Spanish.... A great total of 10 people in the house!!

I like to see my kids dealing with this change.. Vincent is practicing talking more in Spanish , ( he is fluent but with a "gringo accent".. so cute! ) and the 2 little ones are just listening all day long to "mama's language"... I accept I don't talk 100% in Spanish to them... well... because it is a bit hard for me... everybody speaks English and I am the only one "hablando espanol"... with my husband we speak in spanish, but he speaks English to the kids... so yes.. we have a mess... but I know they understand EVERYTHING... but the 2 little ones don't speak it... and I feel bad for that...but here are some of my reasons for this to happen...

* we started having my husband talk to them in English, because I didn't speak it and we wanted our kids to be fluent in English ...(for obvious reasons... we live in US and they are creating relationships here)... and now he can't stop talking to them in English.!!

* then, most of the books we own are in English.. (I have a small collection of spanish ones)

* 80 % of the TV they watch is also in English...

* when we are with other people and friends I switch to English so my kids or the other people don't feel "weird"..

* sometimes when we are alone at home I just forget , and I find myself talking in English to them!!... and all the people that know me out there, know I have a "nice accent" .. so what the hell I do talking to them in English??!! I seriously have no idea...habits are just hard to break...and now I am realizing that I need to change this.. I need to help the little ones to SPEAK SPANISH... how?? I don;t have a plan yet... but I will just be more conscious about it..

And also I decided that I'll start saving money and I want go back to Chile.. for at least 6 months... maybe just me and the kids, but I need to bring them there, experience our family, our roots...to finally just talk and play in Spanish! I want to stay in my house by the mountain there... enjoy the simple life that made me who I am now... Our little house that we both built with my husband with our own hands... just mud and rocks... no electricity for 7 months...We lived in that house for 4 years, and while building it, we were also building our relationship...our first son was born there... so YES I MISS IT... and yes I need to go back... With all the family here I realized that I am getting to comfortable here... I am losing a bit of my traditions ad most important my language!.. I need to go back...(cross fingers for next year!)

Our Tepee

(click onthe picture to go to the album)

This are some of the pictures of our tepee.. we play there, we read there, and when a storm is coming , we run to the tepee to feel the storm closer.. we just love it!

and some of the pictures of Willowbrook wild life center, where they do rehabilitation to different animals that people bring there, or they find in the wild.. The boys were so excited and they learned so much that day!

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Estas son algunas fotos de nuestro tepee, nosotros jugamos ahi, leemos ahi, la pasamos super bien!, incluso aveces cuando una tormenta fuerte esta llegando, nos metemos todos en el tepee para disfrutar y sentir la tomenta de una manera mas intensa. . Y las otras fotos son de un centro de rehabilitacion y vida salvaje, donde acepta animales heridos ue la gente lleva o que encuantran en el bosque. Los ninos disfrutaron tanto ese dia y aprendieron mucho!..

Valedictorian speech

Great speech given by Erica Goldson..

Thanks to my friend Cathy ! you are always so inspiring !

This is the exact thing I needed to read tonight..

I wish I was a super woman

I have been so busy lately, that I hardy took pictures ofthe last field trips we have done..
and so much has been going on at home, my life, the kids... but well ...I'm doing my best! That's life right?
We are trying to go to different forest preserves every week... It is so much fun, we get together with friends and we come back home full with ideas to investigate or just talk about new animals with dad. Sadly the truth is that sometimes I am so tired , or just so busy with cooking and cleaning the mess we left behind before going out that I can say 50% of the time, I don't help them do their research about animals.. or whatever questions they have.. I answer with my knowledge and then.. off I go to cook! .. of course when we have time again I go back to those questions and try to go deeper. (or go to the library and look at books about those subjects.),but sometimes it is too late.!!.they are interested in something new....I wish I was a super woman... one that can capture those moments, and also keep the house clean AND go to field trips with the kids AND (really important for me), cook nourishing foods AND take the time to study every night...
Somehow our kids keep growing and learning... we made again our tepee and they have been playing a lot in there...Vincent, (maybe because we haven't done much "research") has been totally into the mood of "making his own things with wood".. so he has been working hard in his never ending boat project and a couple of days ago he hired his dad and grandpa to make their own wooden swords... and those have been the best toy ever....So at this point I am totally trusting : "Kids learn through play".. because my kids have been doing just that lately...

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Hemos estado yendo una vez a la semana a distintas reservas forestales , siguiendo nuestro goal de aprender sobre la naturaleza... a los ninos les encanta y es super entretenido., nos juntamos con amigos y volvemos a la casa llenos de ideas para investigar o super entusiasmados de llegar a contarle al papa todo lo que hemos visto... El problema es que cuando llegamos aveces no tengo el tiempo de investigar mas profundamente sobre esos temas que los han apasionado durante el dia, porque 50% del tiempo tengo que ponerme a cocinar o limpiar el desastre que dejamos detras cuando salimos . Porsupuesto cuando tengo el tiempo trato de traer de vuelta esas inquietudes , o vamos a la biblioteca a ver libros sobre esos temas, pero aveces es demasiado tarde porque ya estan interesados en algo nuevo... y me siento super culpable..!.. Me encantaria ser una "super woman", una super mujer, una que puede capturar esos momentos magicos llenos de curiosidad, y tener la casa limpia todo el tiempo, de poder cocinarles comidas nutritivas, y darme el tiempo de estudiar todas las noches..( aspiro a dos horas diarias de aprender sobre medicina herbalica)

Pero de alguna manera, nuestros ninos siguen creciendo, hicimos denuevo el tepee y han estado jugando mucho ahi, y ahora Vincent, (tal vez porque no hemos tenido tiempo de hacer mucha investigacion o tareas), esta totalmente en la onda de hacer sus porpios juguetes de madera.. ha seguido trabajando super duro en su bote y hace un par de dias contrato a su papa y abuelo para que hicieran unas espadas medievales de madera.. Esos han sido los mejores juguetes!!

Bueno.. en este punto estoy tratando de confiar en el dicho de que : "Los ninos aprenden atraves del juego", porque sinceramente los mios han estado puro jugando!!

Geography Fair

(Click in the picture to go to an album)

Here are some pics from the Geography Fair that was organized by a coop group of homeschoolers, It was really nice because the kids got passports that were stamped when visiting each country, they had there about 10 countries, and they gave us some questions and we had to discover the answers.. It was really fun, specially because they had food testing ;0)... The kids loved it! and we learned a lot that day...

I also "had" to post some pictures of Vincent's boat.. he has been working in this project since last summer...(yes, ONE year ), and he keeps adding new things... started as a piece of wood, the he realized it would be better if hallow, then put a sail on it..Then it went to the side when it was in the water so he added a weight in the bottom, and like that, every time, he thinks :"it could work better "if""..... so there goes a new addition to the boat.. now in a garage sell , he found a really big book of boats, so he has been looking at it every day... figuring out how to improve his own.. I will keep posting pictures about this.. I am really intrigued about how this will end, ( I'm pretty sure he will want to add some kind of remote control to this.. LOL)

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Aca hay algunas fotos de una feria de Geografia que fue organizada por un grupo de homeschoolers al que pertenezco, fue bien entretenido porque al llegar alla, a cada nino le daban un pasaporte que era estampado al visitar cada pais.. tenian un total de 10 o 12 paises mas o menos, y tambien teniamos que responder unas preguntas de cada pais y si las respondias todas al final te daban un premio... muy bello e interesante todo... me gusto mucho ver la dedicacion con la que presentaron cada uno de los paises, y en cada pais tenian degustacion de comidas tipicas!.. que rico todo! comimos desde Sushi, a Paella y hasta unas sopas frias de Lituania... Vimos como hicieron explotar un volcan en Islandia, etc, etc...

Ademas aca quise poner unas fotos del barco en el que Vincent ha estado trabajando desde el ano pasado... ( si, un ano ya), es increible.. comenzo como un pedazo de madera al que le puso una vela, de ahi se dio cuenta de que mejor lo ahuecaba asi que lo tallo por dentro.. despues , que en el agua se iba hacia un lado, asi que le puso un peso en el fondo.. y asi, poco a poco lo ha ido arreglando para que flote como un campeon!... Seguire poniendo fotos de este projecto de Vincent, porque estoy super intrigada en que ira a terminar todo esto...Me imagino que en algun momento le va a querer poner un motor a control remoto!

Awesome article...

This is just what I needed to read tonight....I see how my kids are in a stage of trying everything!.. how much discovery is on life for them right now, (7, 4 and 2 yrs old)... Everything is new and exciting.....I wander which of this passions will last in their lives...

Thanks to my friends Dawn and Cathy who shared this article on FB.

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/9612/deschoolpath.htm.

Perdon a mis lectores de habla hispana.. pero el articulo solo estaba en ingles... es una adolescente que comparte reflexiones de su vida siendo educada siguiendo esta filosofia libre de educacion...o "No- formal- educacion"... (ni se como traducirlo.). ;0)... Habla de la libertad en la que pudo encontrar diferentes pasiones en su vida y como descubrio que ningun aprendizaje real ocurria hasta que ella mismo tomaba las riendas en el asunto, hasta que realmente empezo a tomar sus suenos seriamente...Ojala puedan leerlo o que el computador se los traduzca..!!

Red Clover day

( Click in the picture to see the album)

The other day in one of our Nature walks I realized that we have A LOT of Red Clover blooming around the house.. silently mother nature is giving us all this colorful presents for us to enjoy..I was so happy and excited to be able to harvest this flowers with the kids ...specially because I was getting ready to place an order and buy it online... and it was right here!!

Red Clover,(Trifolium pratense),is one of this herbs or bad called weeds that you want to have around.. Reading about the great benefits that you can get just by consuming them, makes it totally worth it to try it in different ways..(Red clover rice, red clover honey, red clover in soups , in teas, in breads, salads, etc, etc) it is one of those nourishing herbs, that more than healing a specific illness, help you to stay healthy.

Here are a few facts that I got from Herb Mentor:

*The National Cancer Institute found anti-tumour properties in red clover. Dozens of cultures around the world use it when cancer is expected.

*High in antioxidants, especially vitamin E.

*Red clover is nourishing, vitamin rich, mineral rich, containing vitamin B complex, vitamin C, calcium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, and protein.

*Nourishes hormones. Ten times more phytoestrogens than soy. An unexcelled tonic for menopausal women.

*Nourishes the Blood. Builds strength.

*An amazing fertility herb. Also regulates the menstrual cycle.

*Use infusion liberally for congestion and coughs.

Red clover blossoms has been used as an expectorant. Russian folk healers
recommend it for asthma. Other cultures have used it externally in salves for skin sores and eye problems and internally as a diuretic to treat water retention and as a sedative, anti inflammatory, cough medicine, and cancer treatment.

So we went with the kids one day and collected a basket of Red Clover and today we went again with some friends to collect more... all the kids were so excited in help me collect the blossoms.. they were so respectful with the plants and we had a great time!!

I made some yummy brown and wild rice with the petals of the flowers, and the kids couldn't get enough of it!
I just made the rice normally ,(2 cups) and at the end, I added 1 cup of the petals of the flowers, with 1 TBS of butter and salt.
Today I added some petals to our salad ... it was a colorful table!.

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El otro dia en una de nuestras caminatas con los ninos, me di cuenta de que habia un monton de Trebol morado totalmente florecido alrededor de nuetra propiedad!. La Pacha mama nos tenia este bello y colorido regalo listo para nosotros> Me puse tan contenta! especialmente porque estaba lista para ordenar en internet esta hierba y al final la tenia al alcace de mi mano..

Tebol morado (Trifolium pratense), es una de esas hierbas, o mal llamadas malezas que uno quiere tener en su casa, ( como la ortiga), porque mas que sanar una enfermedad especifica , te ayuda a mantenerte sano.

Aca hay unos datos sobre el trebol morado:

*El Instituto nacional de cancer encontro propiedades "anti tumor" en el trebol. Docenas de culturas en el mundo lo usan como tratamiento preventivo contra el cancer cuando piensan que son propensos a contraer esta enfermedad.

* alto en antioxidantes, especialmente en Vitamina E.

*Trebol morado es nutritivo, alto en vitaminas y minerales, contiene complejo vitaminico B, vitamina C, calcio, etc, etc.

*Alimenta la sagre, y promueve fortaleza.

* Hierba excelente para la fertilidad, regula el ciclo menstrual.

*Usa la infusion libremente para tratar congestion y la tos.

Las flores del trebol han sido usadas como un expectorante. Algunos sanadores Rusos lo usan para el asma, otras colturas lo han usado externamente como pomadas para la piel y en problemas en los ojos, tambien como un diuretico y un sedativo, antiinflmatorio, remedio para la tos

Entonces nos fuimos con los ninos un dia a recolectar esta super hierba y hoy fuimos con otros amigos a recolectar mas. Todos los ninos estaban tan contentos ayudandome a recolectar las flores... fueron muy respetuosos con las plantas y la pasamos super bien

*Hice un arroz integral con petalos de trebol tan rico que los ninos no podian parar de comerlo..:
Haces el arroz normal, (2 tazas) y al final cuando esta listo le agregas una taza de los petalos de las flores, 1 cucharadas de mantequilla y sal.

Hoy agregue petalos a nuestra ensalada y quedo tan bella llena de colores!... me encanta comer asi, he aprendido mucho sobre "comidas salvajes", osea agregar e tu mesa todas estas hierbas que crecen salvajes a tu alrededor..