We are back! We got back from vacation on Monday. We went to Orlando and Tampa, Florida. While in Tampa we went to Busch Gardens, it was a great time. And in Orlando we went to Sea World. I took some great pics with my new camera. I will post some once I get them off my camera. It was a great vacation. It was an animal centered vacation. Now that I am a docent at our zoo, it was really neat to be able to see all the animals so up close and personal at Busch Gardens and at Sea World. I will have to write up a summary of all the things we did and post it.

So today is halloween, H is a little bouncy off the walls. He's so excited about trick or treating tonight. Luckily he has decided to spend most of the afternoon outside playing.

I sat down today to write out the things I really want to learn and do. I got a good little list going. I think most of the things I can do, there's a long term project or two on the list. I just need to figure out how to approach those and I will get them done. I hoped that by sharing my list with H, it would help him to get focused on what he might want to be learning about. Not that he has to pick anything, but just encouraging him that the whole wide world is open to him.

Here's a cool blur, and an alert kitty and a dog with a weird blurry head!

Yipppeee! I got my new camera today. It's not new but it's new to me, it's a pentax dslr! its so keewwwwllll! here are some pics that I took this evening, I am loving just taking pics of the animals. I am not sure they appreciate it much. I had fun! Thanks boys!

There he is H as Jango Fett having a little lunch before some trick or treating! Hopefully on halloween he will let me take a good one of him.

Today we had a halloween party to go to. While we were there we found a walking stick. It was really cool. A lot of the kids wanted it to climb on them. It seemed to really like hair because it seemed to climb up every kid towards their hair. H didn't really want to have it on him. He put on his Jango Fett gloves and picked it up and then someone else had a turn with the walking stick. I only got one pic of H and of course he turned his head just as I snapped the pic! I will post that next.

I just seem to get so busy and forget to post. I have been slipping a little bit in my unschooling mindset. I am anxious about our upcoming vacation and am a little stressed so I think I am partially reverting back to the old ways. I try to note in my nightly journal the changes I see in H since I started this unschooling journey. He seems more confident, he is definetely more willing to help others. Last week H and I went to get our hair cut at Great Clips, we always go there. I have always let H do what he wants with his hair, he's not as daring as I am, yet, so he normally just wants a trim. He is really tall for his age, he's only 8 but he looks almost 12. The hair stylist calls his name and without even really acknowledging him looks my direction and asks how to cut his hair. I looked at H and asked him if he just wanted a trim, he said yes, so I turned back to the stylist and told her that he just wants a trim and that he knows what he wants. I was amazed at how rude it was of her to not even ask him considering he was by then standing right next to her. I didn't talk to H about it, but he must have felt so small standing there, like a 2 year old having adults talk over him. I tried to bring him into the conversation to give him a voice but I think I could have done a better job. But if I hadn't started being a more mindful parent I don't think I would have even noticed how she treated him. This is definetely a learning journey for me.

Here is Maliha itching her back side on the stump. At one point she got too close to the electric fence and it sounded like it shocked her. Her mom didn't take too much notice. Ellie is a great mom, she figured Maliha needs to learn.

This is beautiful Maliha with her mom Ellie. I can't remember how much Maliha weighs but she is doing very well for a 14 month old elephant. She had the worst itch while I was watching her. I will have to post some pics of her scratching herself on the tree stump. She was a joy to watch. I had a great day interacting with the public last Sunday!

Here is a picture of part of our wonderful greek feast that H helped to make to celebrate ancient greece. We have been studying ancient greece and so we made lamb skewers, dolmades, and a delicious orange yogurt cake. It was a yummy feast. H got really good at rolling up grape leaves. We invited my mom and dad over to share our feast. I wish I would have gotten pictures of us feasting but it just wasn't in the cards.