Not That Cold

Practicing flute, even though it's difficult, builds character. 

Quarterly Reports for 4th and 5th Grade

We don't have report cards. That would be kinda too much like the classroom. But, the three Gs here each got a separate and personal discussion with me about how each are doing really well with school, but not so well with grammar lessons. They pursue math with a vengeance, and hang back until the last minute to try the grammar lessons even when the topic isn't that challenging.  Maybe my grammar aversions are rubbing off on them.  Spelling, History, Science, Forest Habitats, Asian Flags and Band are right on par with the schedule. Superb!

Latin with the Daddy is falling to the wayside maybe due to the swimming 3 times a week, 2 trips a week to Bible study or the Lego building projects. Any other foreign language gets left on the to-do list also.  Art is always fun when we get organized and don't let ANYTHING detour us, but focus wanes.

Microscope fun with fungi and ferns

Logic stage biology delved superficially into the discussion of fungi last week and ferns this week. The fungi came from pond water the kids collected at Busse Woods while sailing with the daddy.  We followed along one of the youtube video links and remembered the ferns we'd seen in Hawaii recently. 

Next we explore flowering plants with corn and bean seeds which will be fun as the trees loose their leaves and the temperature drops. I wonder if there will be time for a garden this next summer after the house changes are done. The yard is cleaned off for this winter and we're starting garden seeds for science.http://www.elementalscience.com/blog/

Sewing with G#2

I didn't best learn to sew from my mom.  We are very much alike.  I did value the time I spent with Dad's Aunt Ruth who patiently guided me through many of the 4H sewing projects I tried. When I waited too late and the county fair approached too soon, then I had to sew with my mom's supervision. That wasn't much fun for either of us. 

So, when our junior me decided she wanted to wear an outfit that resembled Ahsoka Tano from the Clone War episodes which occur somewhere in the Star Wars continuum before Anakin Skywalker turns rotten.  I offered her the opportunity to buy the costume on-line, but she asked if she could make it. Well, she picked out the fabric, the shirt, stockings and tapes. I found the face paint that helped finish it off. The one thing that didn't go as well as I'd tried was my first attempt at paper mache for the head piece. 

The paper mache head piece was pitched into oblivion on Monday the 31st at 3pm, and the muslin do-rag with blue paint tape and shiny beads was found an acceptable substitute.  After the face paint was applied, she was satisfied with the production and we commenced to visit the neighbors for treats. 

This will always be her first sewing project, and it was a memory for me of a cooperative, patient mommy. I hope she wants to sew again soon and that it becomes something she does with all her creativity and independence. 

I Love National Park Educators!

Volcanoes National Park at Kiluea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii was PRICELESS!

G#1 and Gilgamesh the Hero

Our oldest is a fifth grade student who is studying Logic Stage History along with his brother and sister, but to a different degree by reading materials and discussing questions that are aimed at his older capabilities.  Gilgamesh the Hero is one of those pieces that he studied.  Because we are covering the time before the Minoans and the Greeks, Gilgamesh was a wonderful story that he devoured.  The questions from Laura at Classical House of Learning covered vocabulary and literature aspects of the story.  He gladly completed a notebook page for this book and a sketch (best of all to me) and promised to compare this story aloud while reading Zeman's Gilgamesh the King Trilogy aloud with his siblings so they wouldn't miss out on the character's adventures.

Medieval Archery Birthday Party

Both boys thoroughly enjoyed a friend's birthday party because it involved sword play and archery with friends and the DuPage County Forest Preserve archery experts. Hereare pictures of each boy after only a few hours of rest and 5 days in Hawaii because Papa needed to see molten lava. What an ADVENTURE!

More about Hawaii soon.