false start?

I started this blog yesterday, and that first post was almost the last. Today I couldn't for the life of me figure out my account name and password. But using my highly honed problem solving skills I prevailed. Ok...what I did..and it's served me well in this circumstance before is go through the initial steps of creating a new account. Sometimes that holds a clue as to what the constraints of the password are, and that helps to figure out what the password most likely is.
Now....since I have found that kind of thinking to be of such value now and at other times, do I have an obligation to pass that skill on to my children? An interesting thought.
As a courtesy I think I should at least make it available to them...or at least the opportunity to witness such thinking. So I get frustrated that I can't get in...and I share my frustration with them. And I say the things I've tried so far. And then they see me continue to work on the problem after it appears that solutions are exhausted. They hear my jubilent shout! My Eureka moment! They share in the satisfaction of a puzzle solved.
Did I "teach" them a lesson? No. Not really. But I've seen them approach problems that others would walk away from in frustration. A cultivated patience. Thinking outside the box. Would they do that without my example? Maybe. Maybe not. What I do know is that sharing these little moments with them is fun. It's precious. It's where we want to be and it shapes us all.

why the cage?

How many times I've needed to create an account somewhere and put in some simple thing that would easily mean something to me... "MLewis", "MaryLewis", "MaryMath" are a few I've tried. And the dreaded message comes: "We're sorry, that name is not available". Arghhhh. Anyone else know that frustration?
My lovely son Connor got so worn down a few years ago trying to come up with an email address that wasn't already taken that in his frustration he saddled himself with "killer_of_men2001". He was just joking when he typed in "killer_of_men" and he gathered the "2001" portion meant that "killer_of_men" was already taken and he finally gave in. It's still his account to this day.
So....what about the cage? Well, I wanted something that meant something to me. And nothing means more to me than my children (and my husband, of course.) For ten years I had three children and I used Acemom for many things (another name that is usually taken already!) Get it? Aiden, Connor and Elina = ACE mom. Ah! But now we have Gage...what to do?!!?!? Ok...so they're not in order by age anymore but Connor, Aiden, Gage and Elina = CAGE mom!!
Kind of ironic I suppose for a radical unschooler to identify herself as CageMom. But I find it to be a reminder that I get to define things the way I want them. And being Mom to C.A.G. and E. is what my unschooling journey is about. Without them I wouldn't BE unschooling! So CageMom it is. And it's the bestest, most beautiful cage ever.