Ready For School

The kids and I are gearing up for a brand new school year and we couldn't be more excited! This year we decided to use a prepared curriculum instead of me writing lesson plans for all of them. This year I have four official students and preparing lessons four all of them is just getting to be a bit much for me to handle on my own. We opted to go with Oak Meadow and I couldn't be more thrilled. For the past few weeks since our books arrived I have been pouring over their lessons and doing additional research to add a few more enrichment activities to make it even more fun. I've been working on my own Main Lesson Books as examples for the kids and yesterday I spent several hours at the library gathering even more book for them to pour over. Tomorrow morning we will start easing back into a new rhythm for this school year. My hope is to start documenting some of the fun and exciting projects and activities that we experience here to share them with other families who are on a similar journey. I can't tell you how much the kids and I are all looking forward to this school year.

Dawn

Reinventing The Wheel...or Should I Say The Catapult....

Today the kids and I had an absolute blast creating our own homemade catapults using a few simple items...paint sticks, paper cups, ping pong balls, wooden blocks and good ole' duct tape. We have just started a new unit study on inventors and inventions and they are eating it up...no big surprise there, with their dad being and experimental nuclear physicist we were just bound to have one or two that just loved math/science. We talked about simple machines and they were all just mesmerized...even Henry was completely into it. Our first catapults were very basic but then after some further thought we devised a way to improve upon our first model and make it better. We conducted several experiments, took data and had lots of laughs. Afterwards, we read about Leonardo DaVinci and the boys were absolutely speechless and wanted to know more. I can't tell you how much I love that they are so curious and excited about learning, plus can I tell you how much fun it is that every day is pajama day at our school!!!

Dawn

Paper Crafting

Today I had the rare opportunity to take the day off and spend it with my dear friend Tiff for a fun-filled day of paper crafting. We had many projects on our list of things to try and this folded paper lantern was at the top of my list to figure out how to make. Tiff was also anxious to give this one a whirl as she loves anything having to do with paper. We had a tutorial that wasn't very good and we both struggled with it until we finally gave up and went on to the next project but as soon as I got home I tried again and this time I managed to get it right!!!! I love these little lanterns. This one is made from one of Henry's recycled watercolor paintings. Now, to put a little votive candle in there and it will be just gorgeous.

Then there are these....cool, aren't they!? They are actually part of a Geometry lesson I have planned for the boys so I was testing them out...and now I am addicted. Who knew that Math could be fun and look great too???

Dawn

A Visit To Our Classroom

Just for fun I thought I would give you a little peek into our classroom. After 4.5 years of living in this house we finally have figured out the perfect use for our loft....our classroom. Currently decked out in holiday finery complete with dozens of snowflakes falling from the sky. The kids and I just love our special space..now I just wish it were about 5 times bigger! We have everything we need tucked into this small space but I have so many ideas of wonderful additions I would love to add but there just isn't space to go with any of it, as this room is already overflowing. Anyway, hope you enjoy your visit.

Dawn

Needlefelting

Lately, I have been admiring so many beautiful things I have seen that have been made by needle felting, so I decided to give it a whirl. I purchased some supplies from Nova Natural Toys and Crafts and today I finally decided to try it out. Now, keep in mind I have never done anything like this before, but it was so much fun and pretty easy once you get the hang of it and keep your fingers out of the way so you don't stab yourself with the barbed felting needle....Ouch! My first little project was a cute little polka dot mushroom, then Abby and Henry insisted it needed to be on grass so I made a little patch of grass for the mushroom and then attached it...now the mushroom stands up on it's own and the kids can use it for their imaginative play. Abby was completely fascinated by the entire process and watched every move I made. I have a feeling I am going to have an avid needle-felter on my hands in a few more years, but currently she a bit to young to give this a try. So, instead she was happy to make suggestions of all the things I "Needed" to make for her and Henry to play with. Her first request was a little white rabbit...with pink in his ears...of course.... Well, Abby and Henry love the little guy and I am pretty impressed with myself for my very first attempt at this really fun new art form we have discovered. I wonder what the kids will have me make next????

Dawn

Here's a direct link to the needle felting supplies....

FYI there are tons of great books( I bought this one) on needle felting and loads of great tuts on Youtube.com to explain how to do this...

Tuesday's Beeswax

It's Tuesday morning which means beeswax at our house. The kids and I were anxious to open a new package of beeswax and start creating. This morning Abby and Henry decided it would be the perfect day to create snowmen due to the fact that it's soooo cold outside! No, we don't have any snow but it's certainly is cold enough for it. I opted to try my hand at trying to create a little gnome at Henry's request. He is currently obsessed with gnomes. I cannot tell you what a fun and relaxing activity this is. Warming the beeswax in your hands to make it soft enough to work with and then creating with it much like you would with clay but this is so much nicer. 

Oh, this would make the best stocking stuffer! In fact I am going to order some more for that exact reason.

Dawn

Santa Claus & Thor

This is afternoon the boys and I were working more on our Norse Mythology and working in our MLB's. Today's subject... Thor, the Thunder God! These stories are so wonderful and the boys are just eating it up, anyway we were all drawing our version of Thor in our books and at one point Oliver looked over at my drawing and said..."Mom, I hate to tell you, but your Thor looks more like a really angry Santa Claus than Thor." I looked at my drawing and you know what...he was right! Needless to say we had a really great laugh about this and then the boys were saying that instead of Thor's goats I could draw reindeer and so on...I thought to myself "Well, if my drawing and our laugh about it helps them remember then I guess it's a good thing.

After our lesson was over I was chatting with Tiffeni and telling her about our laugh and she was really impressed with Oliver and then began to share with me some information that I never knew. That the story of Santa Claus actually has deep roots in Norse Mythology...Who knew? Here is a great link that tells more about that. Of course, I won't share this info with them quite yet. With little ones in the house we are very protective of keeping the magic alive...but some day I will pull out my MLB and revisit today and our giggle and let them know that without even knowing they couldn't have been more correct!