Knights and Kings

I suppose I should be a bit more organized with our "studies". However, I think learning about things sporadically kind of works for our kids. Right now they are very interested in Greek Myths, knights/kings/castles, and the Stone Age.

I swear he was a lot happier about the whole "you be the queen and I'm the king" thing.

The book was terribly cute.  There  were a lot of drawing ideas, versus craft ideas.  And if you don't have more than construction paper at home, you're not doing a whole heck of a lot.  There was a great sword and castle activities, but they required cardboard.  We didn't have cardboard.  There were 2 very sad faces for a little while.  Note to self:  save cardboard. 

Fun with Clay

Our lovely friend, Miss J, has put together a series of open-ended art classes for our kids.  It's a mixed media class.  One week there was finger painting.  Another week there was tempera paints.  The most recent was clay.  Not Playdoh, but clay.  How fun!
We utilize the local library for these classes...for free.  As long as we clean up and behave appropriately, we are welcomed back with open arms.  We're really fortunate to have such a valuable resource.

The Art of the Brick

This exhibit was amazing.  We decided to bring the kids on a day the center was closed.  For a fee, we were allowed uninterrupted access to the exhibit.  Uninterrupted meaning no other patrons.  The works of art are made entirely of Legos.  The kids were amazed.  They wanted to touch.  We got spoken to a lot because of the very handsy children.  Oh well.  They're kids.  Outside from my own personal issue with the attendants, they were very thorough.  There was a 45-minute tour on the pieces themselves.  It was a little too intensive for the under 5 crowd, but the older kids really took away a lot.  On any other day, the exhibit is free to the public.  If you can go see one like it. 

My kids did not come home and try to build amazing things out of Legos.  They wrestled with their dad.



Nathan Sawaya's signature piece.




Standing just far enough behind the "line" as not to disrupt the exhibit...





Gorgeous.  And that's a man and boy, not a man and woman.




Eli's favorite piece.





In the play center before the tour. 





Grammy.



November 2011

Again, where has the time gone?  Between the holidays and the kids and well, life, the days have flown by.  Now it's the last day of the month.  I still need an inspection sticker.  Is it really 55 degrees out??? 

Highlights from this month:

First time with Fimo clay



"We're going to make you cupcakes for your birthday, but you need to know it's going to come from a box and a jar and a tube", says my husband to me.




Birthday pizzas




Halloween Odin




Halloween Eli




Day before Halloween Silas




Inside the house Long Jump for cold days.




Personal bests




Cold days + boys = owning an exercise bar.




Climbing the walls




November fishing did not yield fish.




Spooky Halloween children.




The family.



New Things

I decided my blog needed a new look.  Something a bit simpler. 

My home, however, is getting a more complicated look.  I'm redecorating.  Uh-oh. 

I now have a yellow and gold wall instead of orange and copper.  My kitchen walls are brownish instead of blue.  Our front door is reddish.  Our back door is reddish.  I have some curtains. 


Our old house is low on outlets.  We have extension cords everywhere.  On the list: hire an electrician



Next on the list: stripping.

No, not that kind of stripping.  I'm just not that kind of girl.

Paint stripping.  Off the cabinets.  Oh boy.

I have a sink full of dishes or else I'd take a picture and show you the cabinet situation. 

We no longer have a toaster or microwave.  Yay!

I had to stand the husband in front of the microwave and ask him what he uses it for.  He said, "Um, well, to heat things up.  I just used it...the other week.  Oh, well.  To boil water?"  He brought it in to work so other people can kill themselves slowly by using it.  I Freecycled the toaster.



Baking with my kids = cake without baking soda and with a bloody army guy scene.

My oldest turned 6...*tear*...where has the time gone?!

I Freecycled toys and other kitchen gadgets.  Get out of my house!

I received a wooden cabinet from another Freecycler. 



Isn't it gorgeous???

Wait.  That was when I received it.  An 8-year-old girl used it for storing her toys.
Hmmm...where did that picture go?  Ah, here it is:


After a few coats of paint.

I should have taken these photos during the day, but I'm not that organized.  Have the kids learned a thing this week?  Not a whole heck of a lot.  Consider this physical education week.




Painting with Your Feet...

...turns into a game of Slip-and-Slide...

As for homeschooling...this is an art class utilizing paint and feet...it totally counts.