FAQ
I have a few FAQ's that I thought I could cover here:
*What kind of camera do I use? I take all of my photos with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (also known as the 400D). I have several lenses for the camera, including a 30mm prime lens, a 100mm telephoto lens, and a 60mm macro lens. I am not an especially experienced photographer, but I know that photos taken in natural light tend to look the best and I avoid using the in-camera flash if at all possible.
*What sewing machine do I use? I bought a Bernina aurora 430 in August of 2007. It replaced a mechanical Brother machine that I'd been using since I started sewing "again" as a mother. I learned to sew as a girl on the machine my mom has had since she was 13. I also have a Baby Lock Imagine serger which I use for finishing seams on garments and doll clothes. I probably use the sewing machine more than the serger, although they are both useful and special in different ways.
*Can I share my experiences about having grown up as a homeschooler? I would be happy to engage in a one-on-one discussion with anyone interested in hearing about my experiences. I do not wish to scare anyone off, but I am open to answering any questions you may have. I can briefly summarize my experience here as follows: Although I wasn't aware of the term "unschooling" until I was an adult, my parents definitely used an unschooling approach and were followers of John Holt. I was very happy with my homeschooling experience, although my three younger siblings all have varying levels of satisfaction with the experience. Were I to do anything differently than my own parents, it would be to seek more support for parents as well as children, use an educational philosophy (for me, it's Waldorf) to inform our exploration, and use public high school when the time comes in order to avoid many of the issues (mostly around extracurricular activities, not so much social opportunities or academics) that my sisters in particular felt regarding having been homeschooled.
*My reading lists: Although I think this is self-explanatory, I also kind of feel a need to clarify the difference between my two reading lists, if only in my own mind! I have one reading list (which I try to keep updated) featuring books that are in heavy rotation in our house or on my mind a lot at the current time. I will always have a book of poetry on this list. I also have a list of "favorites" which contains books that are -- well, favorites, for one reason or another.
