July 27, 2026

Year: 2014

A Mind Wide Open, Abstract Comprehension, Geometry, Lils, Math Discoveries, Physics

Intuitive Guide to Angles, Degrees and Radians

Intuitive Guide to Angles, Degrees and Radians http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grad_(angle) It’s an obvious fact that circles should have 360 degrees. Right? Wrong. Most of us have no idea why there’s 360 degrees in a circle. We memorize a magic number as the “size of a circle” and set ourselves up for confusion when studying advanced math or physics, with […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Lils, Playing

7th Time Around the Sun

This is the first post of a few, I imagine, in the series of our trip to Ontario, New England, the Midwest, and WV & KY.  The first three weeks of October this year were spent traveling through our country and Canada. We covered over 5000 miles in two weeks.  We made new friends, experienced cultural […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Developing Self, Lils, Self Awareness, Self Esteem

Barbie?

From Bethany Sells, FB – Whole Life Unschooling: “People with daughters, discuss barbies, monster high, bratz, etc and body image. Thank you.” A tough and significant topic for me… Lily and I have had many conversations about this one.. I had barbies. I had good examples. I had supportive parents and friends. I didn’t start to look […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Artistry, CDE Standards Reference, Confidence, Construction, Creative Solution Generation, Culture Appreciation, Developing Self, Drawing, Engineering, Exploration, Fine Motor Skills, Global History, History, Lils, Questions from Lily's Brain, Responsibility, Science Discoveries, Sculpture, Self Awareness, Societal Studies

The Year She's Carved Out

This is the first year Lils has had refined enough motor skills to manage the various tools necessary to carve a pumpkin independently.  How excited she was yesterday, and again today, as she got to tell her friend all about her carving adventure. Last night she came bopping down the stairs, pumpkin in arms, lit and […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Beautiful Curiosity, Confidence, Creative Solution Generation, How We Learn Best, Knowledge Base Expansion, Lils, Look for Learning, Neurological Development

Relevance in Learning

A friend posted the following (segment) on his FB page, and it generated an enjoyable conversation between Cecily and I this morning. Thierry Billette “Yesterday, I went to Savers, and bought a TI-84 Plus–a graphing calculator. $5.99. New, it costs around $125… Just now I am updating it with the latest OS, which the previous […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Art, Artistry, Beautiful Curiosity, Botany, Bugz & Her Explorations, Chemistry, Construction, Creative Solution Generation, Culture Appreciation, Engineering, Geography, Geometry, Lils, Playing, Sculpture, Simply Nature, Society & Culture, Storytelling / Recollection, Thought Process & Development

On Electronic Media and the Jicarilla Apache

Perhaps I’m in the current trend minority, but I don’t see any benefit to limiting electronics access. Here’s my experience: By 14 months old, as a result of the screen, various devices, and my engaged involvement with my daughter, she was fluent in ASL, had 700+ signs, and the words (verbally) to go with them. […]

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A Mind Wide Open, Art, Artistry, CDE Standards Reference, Confidence, Developing Self, Drawing, Engineering, Fine Motor Skills, Imagination, Language, Lils, Literacy, Playing, Self Awareness, Self Esteem, Storytelling / Recollection, Writing

Cecily, the Author

Watch out MO!! Lily’s on the trail! – Rebecca Lily decided yesterday, after playing the Stickman game (browser version), to write her first book, “A Big Hotdog”! Today, she wrote her second book, “A Mermaid”.  Both are of her “Stickman” series.      

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A Mind Wide Open, Art, CDE Standards Reference, Confidence, Creative Solution Generation, Developing Self, Economics, Empathic Awareness, Fine Motor Skills, Imagination, Kindness, Lils, Literacy, Self Esteem, Social Development, Writing

First Tangible Letter – Mailed

Lils brought this picture she created for her grandma to me today, folded in an envelope, hoping to send it off to Denver (where Grandma lives).  I worked with her to create a second envelope for mailing, as her first had her image folded into a fully 4 dimensional object. I explained the machines, sorting, […]

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