Progress & etc.

Life is crazy, isn't it? Just when you think you have everything together, you don't manage to show up to class...

BUT even if I can't get that straight, I do seem to be making more progress. Everywhere I turn I am finding more exciting sources to link my site to, and that is definitely going to be a little time consuming! (At least for me, as these processes still aren't intuitive). I've also been doing a lot of reading, so what I'm hoping to turn to this week is a little more of the actual writing.

I'm scared to admit this, but I'm scared to start posting on Next Child. It's such a clean slate right now. That is admittedly boring, but it is also rather flawless. I want it to be a better blog than this one, and I'm nervous about how to make it that way. So I've started practicing at home, on my non-internet-connected-computer (that way nothing sneaks online before I want it to!).

I want to be honest that I'm not a pro on this stuff, but I don't want to give so many disclaimers that no one thinks it is worth their time. I want to be a lot of things... but I've been enough of them for Tuesday.

Camping with Kids

I was reading through my old issues of Backpacker magazine (admittedly to do research on my upcoming September-long trip through the West...) when I found a section devoted to family issues. I'll blog a lot more of it on "Next Child..." but I wanted to share some highlights from their Sept '07 issue:

Age: 3-6 years:

"Unexpected challenge: getting your child to poop in the woods. Many kids this age will hold it as long as they can, rather than do their business without the cool, clean comfort of the porcelain throne. Obviously, this is not a good or healthy option...

Pack This: Headlamps for every child. If you don't, they'll beg for yours..."

I love the insight shared by people who have obviously been there and done that! With their help, the rest of the world can be a little more prepared.

BDS for Thursday

My "BDS" (read: Brief Daily Session) for today was not as productive as I would like for it to be. The internet is just so darned distracting... even when I'm trying to focus!

Be that as it may, I did find some good websites with directions for some of the projects that I want to blog about. I'd like to give directions during my blogs, too, but another resource is always helpful, and these sites will allow me to skimp on detailed descriptions when necessary. One in particular, on how to build a scale solar system is excellent- it does all of the necessary calculations for you. Even though I'd encourage older children to do these calculations themselves, or with help, it's nice to have a back up reference!

More Progress...

Today I've been working on topics to discuss. I'm excited to blog about different things that you can do outdoors with kids- a lot of these things are projects that my mother did with my sister and me, and some are new ones I've been finding. Eventually I hope to try most of them to give detailed reports on the blog about my tips and how they work, but obviously that won't be possible for all of them... here's a sneak preview of activities:

1. Gardening (of course!)
2. Learning about xylem and phloem by dying celery, Queen Anne's Lace, etc...
3. Making a solar system to scale in the backyard/ball field/wherever.
4. Making your own compass with only what you could find in the woods. (Dirt & sticks)
5. Camping, including kid-friendly backpacking food & gear.
6. Field identification.
7. Studying pond scum.

I'm aiming to provide lots of details to make these & other ideas as user-friendly as possible. Tips, criticism, and suggestions appreciated!