The curent artwork by the Princess

So I came home from school yesterday to see that the Princess had been busy with watercolor paints…..she is learning so much at her art lessons and getting to be a better artist every day….although her topic leaves a bit to be desired on my part……I’m not ready for S*** just yet

You may not hear much from me for a bit, I’m very swamped with school for the next 4 weeks and then I can finally write the posts that are circling in my mind and they will have photos for you. I’m hoping to keep A’s in Latin and Clinical and Counseling 1 and my B in Experimental Psy. (that class is kicking my behind).

Kids 4 Christ

I’ve been trying to resurrect our youth group for kids between 9-12. Last sunday I had them making V-day Cards for the homebound. Then I took them to the gym and used rolled up socks to illustrate who when we try to do too much in our lives things get dropped. After that the boys had a sock war which was fun for them. I enjoy working with this age group, they are perfect for me for the moment.

On a side note the Princess starts back to her art lessons on Jan. 26, so be on the watch for photos starting the first week of Feb. She is very excited.

The Princess Artwork

So the Princess has been taking art lessons for the last 4 weeks and I just had to show off her talent. She was 6 in January and really wants to be an Art Teacher when she grows up. I think it is great and hope she does, then if she homeschools her children she can make extra $$$ by teaching other homeschoolers. Yes, I’m trying to control part of her life, but I so want for my children what I never had. So the first project was a fur seal and background.

The next week she tie-dyed but I haven’t taken that photo yet. So on to the 3 rd. week’s project:

Then she tie dyed yet again….no photo of that one either, only to finish with:

Her Rainbow Fish chalk drawing. Her 16 year old sister was quite impressed by her artwork and that is saying a lot since Jassy is quite the artist herself.  We will be continuing with her lessons for next session.

Art Plans

So today instead of studying for my history class I got distracted by planning art lessons for The Ark who will be in 6th grade this fall.  I’m very blessed because I know of this really cool blog that has lessons already planned for you. Most of the lessons are for 5th grade and under, but since we haven’t done much art we are doing the 5th grades ones that we like. so here are our plans:

• August~ An Eye for Magritte
• September~ How to draw King Tut
• October~ Positive/Negative Pumpkin
• November~ The Scream Painting
• December~ Tinted Christmas Tree Painting
• January~ Snow Man Drawing
• February~ Paper Chain using Valentine paper
• March~Cut-n-Tear City Scapes Collage
• April~ Marker Drawing of Squires Castle
• May~1point perspective drawing
• June~Handpainted Etchings

We have Abeka’s  Art Projects for third grade and plan to use that for Ace. While the Princess will be taking art lessons with the lady down the street, once a week. While my boys tolerate art, they do not enjoy it enough for me to pay someone for lessons, however my Princess LOVES art. She is forever talking about becoming an art teacher, possibly for the deaf community as she also loves sign language.

We only planned one project a month for The Ark, he will be drawing almost daily for the rest of his art. School starts on August 17!!!! I”m so not ready.

The boys meeting with the Teacher.

So today we met with our favorite teacher to go over our school year with the boys. We have always used her and love her so much, she can’t quit until my kids are grown!!!! I’m not sure I’ve told her that yet though

As always she was impressed with how much we did this year. In spite of all the personal chaos going on in our lives for the last 10 months. My personal opinion of our year is both positive and negative. We truly did do a great deal of work, the boys were exposed to a great deal and a few things did stay with them. On the negative side of things, we were very stressed out, didn’t really enjoy our days, forgot much of what we covered and we didn’t have as much to show for everything we did do. After awhile the boys didn’t want to write or color or document anything of what we read for school. We took field trips but didn’t document them at all.

The teacher~ Diane, suggested we go back to writing one or two words on our daily calendar, we talked about how I’m concerned about the boys decoding abilities and she suggested using sequential spelling so we will be switching to this and see if that helps us. A plus is that both boys can do it at the same time. Another suggestion she had was only focusing on a few things this year until we get to some sort of mastery. Giving us a much needed reprieve from trying to do it all and then suffering from major guilt because we didn’t get it all accomplished. So I have some major thinking to do. We are taking off for the month of July to regroup. I’m hoping to take a trip to visit friends in Va and NC in early Aug. providing we have the funds, giving us a much needed break from the stress here. She also suggested covering something only once a month! I’m thinking that poetry might be that once a month thing.  We are supposed to go back to the Ancients in history using MOH this fall but I’m seriously thinking of covering it over a two year period and really taking the time to delve deeper into it. Plus we have so many great fiction books that go with this time period that it would be a shame not to be able to read them.

She told me in front of the boys that the only thing she really requires on a daily basis is reading!!! Yea!!! Diane!!! So with that in mind, the boys won’t be allowed to not read daily and I can use her as my reason. I know evil mom, but we do what we must. Another suggestion was to go back to requiring the boys to write a bit more. She wants the Ark to write at least 1 paragraph with a topic sentence 3 supporting sentences and a closing sentence. At whatever frequency I decide, while Ace is to start learning that process this upcoming year.

So, my tentative plan is focusing on reading, writing, spelling, math on a daily basis, with a much reduced history and science. One thing I’m not sure I’m ready to let go is the boys Latin studies, I really want them to learn it, so that might be on our daily list. Another item I want is daily drawing, I think the boys like to draw and I want to encourage them in it. My only problem is that they don’t want to have any instruction, just draw. I would like to see their drawing improve.ONe thing I did this year was i had a self evaluation and had the boys look at it, the Ark filled his out and it was interesting to see what he felt he did. I think we will do one at the end of each semester to help evaluate us and hopefully keep us on track. Another thing Diane suggested was to make sure I write down our goals so I don’t forget them and freak out mid year. Which I definitely plan to do.

She loved our lapbooks but suggested that we only do a few minibooks and that the boys be able to pick out the minibooks that they want to do, so that they each are invested in what they are learning and giving them each a different look to their work but still learning about the same subject.

So that is the end of the year evaluation. We have some educational videos that we borrowed, I want the boys to watch and then notebook what they feel is important. So in August when we start again I will have a 6th grader, 3rd grader, 1st. grader and a preschooler.  I need to make up certificates for them.

Check back for the schedule….

Next Years schoolbooks

Mystery of History Vol. 1 Reproducibles CD
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Harmony Fine Arts
Mystery of History Volume 1 Audio
Birds
Meet the Great Composers Book 1 with CD
Meet the Great Composers Book 2 with CD
Adam and His Kin
Writing Strands 1 Book and CD
Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Cre
Reason for Handwriting C Student Workbook
Mind Benders Beginning 1
Mystery of History Vol. 1 Creation-Resurrecti
Latin for Children Primer A Activity Book
Veritas Phonics Grade 1 Student
Mind Benders A1/A2 Software
Mind Benders A3/A4 Software
Latin for Children: Primer A Text
Horizons Health Teacher’s Guide Grade 2
Horizons Health Teacher’s Guide Grade 5
Horizons Health Teacher’s Guide Grade K
Greek Town – Qty:1
Here Comes Silent E
Mystery of History & Enrichment4You.com Vol.
Draw and Write Through History Greece & Rome
Big Screen Microscope Prepared Slides
“Stellaluna”
“Aesop’s Fables Coloring Book (Colouring Books)”
“Favorite Poems for Children Coloring Book”
“How to Draw Birds (How to Draw (Dover))”
“Stonehenge Complete, Third Edition
“Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of ‘The Iliad’
“The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy”
“Build Your Own Stonehenge (Running Press Mini Kits)”
“Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry”
“Tirzah”
“The Last Quest of Gilgamesh (The Gilgamesh Trilogy)
“The Revenge of Ishtar (The Gilgamesh Trilogy)”
“Gilgamesh the King (The Gilgamesh Trilogy)”
“Jonathan Park: The Hunt for Beowulf (Jonathan Park Radio Drama)”
“What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure”
“Jonathan Park: No Looking Back (Jonathan Park Radio Drama)”
FEELY BUGS
CHILDREN’S BIBLE FIELD GUIDE
KINGDOM STRIKES BACK, THE
INSIDE, OUTSIDE, UPSIDE DOWN
GOONEY BIRD GREENE
MATHTACULAR PRIMARY A
1+2 TIME LINE FIGURES
AUGUSTUS CAESAR’S WORLD
6 TIME LINE FIGURES
MATHTACULAR 2
MATHTACULAR 3
SONLIGHTER CLASSIC MEMBERSHIP
GOLDEN GOBLET, THE
WESTING GAME, THE
OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND
TROJAN WAR
MASTER CORNHILL
FAVORITE POEMS OLD & NEW
I, JUAN DE PAREJA
EAGLE OF THE NINTH
SECOND MRS. GIACONDA, THE
SINGLE SHARD, A
BEYOND THE DESERT GATE
GOD KING: KING HEZEKIAH
FLAME OVER TARA
SHAKESPEARE STEALER
SAMURAI’S TALE, THE
BRONZE BOW, THE
ADAM OF THE ROAD
SHADOW OF A BULL
PHANTOM.TOLLBOOTH, THE
GREAT & TERRIBLE QUEST, THE
MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE
BEDUINS’ GAZELLE, THE
GREEK MYTHS, D’AULAIRES
MYSTERY OF ROMAN RANSOM
LEONARDO DA VINCI – LANDMARK
HITTITE WARRIOR
ARCHIMEDES.& THE DOOR SCIENCE
IDES OF APRIL, THE
MARY BLOODY MARY
LUTHER
PROUD TASTE SCARLET & MINIVER
BLACK HORSES FOR THE KING
CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY
THERAS AND HIS TOWN

The only thing I need to add is their math from Math U See, I will probably buy that tomorrow. There are a few books on this list we won’t cover this upcoming year as they are geared for the medieval ages but Sonlight covers ancients and medieval in one year and I don’t. But it is cheaper to buy the books all at once and save them for the following year if need be. This list does not count the books I will read with Ace and the Princess, they were too young the first time through the ancients and will be hearing it for the first time. As I get a plan together I will add in the other books. But first I need to see how things flow with what is coming.

Oh my goodness

We are part way through our school year and working steadily if a bit behind still. This week we spent time working on the Louisiana Purchase, Harriet Tubman, French Revolution as well as Simon Bolivar and the revolution of South America. I think before we move on we will do a few projects on the above subjects. Probably coloring pages, lapbooking, some mapwork etc. I did get movies from the library on many of the subjects even a cartoon of Harriet Tubman.
The boys watched the inauguration, even though I dislike Obama, I’m glad that we have finally elected a black president. Although I’m not naive enough to believe that racism is dead in our society. They will do some lapbooking on that as well. Noah even wrote a paragraph for me of things he saw on tv.

Since tax time is close, I need to research our curriculum for next year. I feel like Ace and the Princess need more hands on with their math, so we will be switching to MUS until they are older. The Ark will also be taking a year off from Saxon to do MUS until he really understands the concepts of fractions. We are only going to be using the readers and the read alouds from Sonlight next year. For science we will study Zoology 1. History is going to be a bit rough, as The Ark has already done SOW 1 and we are back to ancient history. So he will be using Mystery of History and the others will be using SOW1. We have lots of great books to supplement, so that will be fun. We love our history. Ace will be staying on with First Lang. Lessons, but for 3rd grade and the Princess will be starting with FLL gr. 1. The Ark is probably going to be using Shurley Grammar but I’m not sure what grade as of yet, it only goes to 7th grade and he is weak there so I might use 5th grade next year to give him an extra year with it. We will still be using Artistic Pursuits for art as well as adding in Harmony Fine Arts. I’m looking into Bagpipe lessons for the Ark. hmmm gotta find those numbers again. if we can afford them he will take them, he really wants to learn how to play. I’m kind of looking forward to a bit of a change with our schooling, it has been a bit dry lately. I think we need a few more projects or hands on thing to liven us up.

Ace received his bible today, in our lutheran church when the children hit 2nd grade they receive a bible in front of the congregation. Yesterday he went to a brief fun day and learned more about the bible he would be getting and spent time with the other 2nd graders. The Ark has played 4 basketball games and his team has won 3 lost 1. So we are quite proud of all of them and the coach for all their hardwork.

Well that is all for now. I will keep you posted on any events.

Paper Snowflakes

So it is freezing here and we had to stay home, I read out of Landmark History of the American People to the boys, did math with Camryn and Adrien, phonics with Camryn and then read the first book out of the Berenstain Bears Big Book of Science to all of the kids, read quite a few Can You Find Me Puzzles to Camryn, the taught the kids how to make paper snowflakes out of origami paper. I hadn’t taught them this before. 

The Ark

ACE

The Princess who had just had a snack, she used leftover wrapping paper.

The decorated balcony door.

My budding Artist

The art lesson/writing

So today I finally got around to teaching the first art lesson in Art Adventures at Home. It was about lines and shapes. Afterwards I had to do some gesture drawings for my art drawing 1 class for college, so I showed Noah the difference between gesture and contour drawings as well as had him do one of each. He thinks it is cool to watch mom do gesture drawings. Then we had to work on his “the thing” story for SL 3 . He actually really got into story telling today. He even drew a picture for the story. We will be working on adding to it, correcting mistakes for awhile I think. When he feels it is done I will post it here for everyone to enjoy. I’m hoping to be able to do his writing and art on saturdays when there is less stress for us. It was nice to see him so excited aobut drawing and writing for a change.