Back to School: Week 2
In Which Miss M Makes Siapo Cloth

We survived our first week of school last week! Today was the beginning of our second week, and the only subject I added was Bible. I am too much of a wimp to add in Math or English. It is enough to try to get back into the routine of school for now. We are keeping our day pretty light and fluffy so far. : )

Our day today went fairly smoothly, although I overslept this morning and got started a bit later than I would have liked. Miss M got up fairly willingly, and that is always a good sign.

Here was our day ended up:

9-10:00 am - Sonlight 5 reading

10:00-10:15 - Memory Work and Poetry

10:15-10:30 - Copywork and Composer Study

10:30-10:45 - free time

10:45-11:00- Bible

11:00-11:30 - chores

11:30-12:00 - Sonlight 5 World Book reading on computer (2 days' worth)

LUNCH

Productive Free Time - (Miss M chose to make an art project, did science reading, did a paid chore, crafted a home-made bulletin board)

Our second week is feeling more 'normal.' We are slowly getting into the swing of things again. I am pretty satisfied. Maybe I will get up the nerve to start math next week? Gulp.

How is your week going?

It's been raining and cold here for a few days, so I guess it's time go break out the crock pot and make some soup! Last night's recipe was a hit --it was yummy and really easy to make. It is a creamy, hearty chowder that looks like it was a lot of work. Nobody has to know you didn't slave over the stove for hours, or that you used frozen vegetables...LOL!

Here's a pic of how my batch turned out - (I took a pic of it cold -- it is really thick and creamy when hot!):

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 t thyme
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 10 ounces frozen broccoli, green beans, pearl onions, and red peppers, thawed (or similar medley if your store diesn't have this one)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup half-and-half

In a skillet, heat olive oil oer medium-high heat. Add onion and chicken andcook til chicken starts to brown, salting and peppering as you cook. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute.

Empty the contents of the skillet into a Crock-Pot and add remaining ingredients except the half-and-half. Cook on LOW about 4-6 hours, depending on your slow cooker, or until chicken is cooked through and veggie tender.

Turn the Crock-Pot to high; add the half-and-half, stirring well. Leave the lid off the Crock-Pot and let cook and additional 15 minutes or so (just long enough to make your salad and set the table.)

Serve in bowls with a large salad and whole grain rolls.

4 servings. (195 calories, 9 grams fat, 17 grams protein, 11 grams carbs per serving)

Our Messy Art Cart

How do we make hands-on learning accessible to our children even when we are not available? How do we store all those artsy odds and ends? An art cart!

I am going to post pics of how my art cart looks at this very moment, resisting the urge to 'staighten up' before the photo. It is a bit embarrasing, but I am a self-admitted Messie. This a honest to goodness look at an art cart that gets used almost daily by a 10 year old! While not lovely to look at, our art cart is working for us. Hands-on learning is happening nearly daily during productive free time with or without Mom's involvement, and we are content!

Basically this was a cart I got from Office Max and it was, at one time, organized. : ) Instead of fixing it all up all the time and driving myself crazy, I just make sure all the hands-on materials get in, or on top of, the cart! It is in no way organized or neat...LOL!

Here are some items on top of the cart:

• Air dry clay
• colored pencils in pencil boxes
• Hands and Hearts kits
• Home Sciene Tools science kit

Some items in the drawers:

• glitter glue
• scrapbook paper
• decorative scissors
• tempera paint
• watercolor paint
• fabric paints
• watercolor pencils
• oil pastels
• watercolor paper
• pastel paper
• glue sticks
• craft glue
• construction paper
• colored Primo clay
• sequins and other embellishments
• different fabrics and odds and ends
• fabric scissors
• sewing kit
• different types of yarns
• ribbons
• crochet hooks
• colored beads and hemp
• stamp pads
• stickers
• spray sealant
• egg carton (for some project dd is planning?) - if there are cans, cartons etc to be saved for a future project, dd throws them in the art cart so she can retrieve them later.

The gallon bag hanging on the wall holds Dinah Zike-style mini-books and 3-D reports in progress.

I'm sure there are many other things I don't even know about that dd has collected in there!

It isn't pretty and organized, but it gets the job done. Somehow, by God's grace, dd can find anything she needs in our messy art cart. Someday, I will get around to organizing it.... Sigh.

So there it is, my 'real life' not-so-pretty art cart!

: )
Tami

Camp Grandma

Just returned from our yearly all girls family camp out! This is a newer tradition for our family, begun 4 years ago. We stay in a cabin (air conditioned!) near a state park and play all week. Our version of 'camp' is pretty cushy and comfy, but we love it that way!

Here's a page of us on top of the bluffs, riding horses, and swimming in the pool.

I can't wait until next year!

Fine Arts "Center" Idea

Fine Arts are an important part of any liberal arts education. And yet, they are always the FIRST thing to go in a busy week, aren't they! My dd loves to be able to work semi-independently, so I decided I wanted a Fine Arts Center this year. Great idea! But, alas and alack, we have no room for a dedicated space for a center.

To solve my problem, I created a Fine Arts "Center" in a Folder. It contains:

1. Schedule (See Start Exploring Masterpieces post below if you want to see it)
   
2. Custom CD of Classical, Folk, and Sacred music for the term
3. 'Start Exploring Masterpieces' Posters and Cards for the term
4. 'Start Exploring Masterpieces' Guide Book and Timeline Game
5. Edupress Activity Book Covers and Table of Contents copies with project choices highlighted

With our "Center," dd will be able to access her Fine Arts materials independently on days they are scheduled and also use them when she wishes. It takes almost no extra room and everything needed for the term is in one convenient space.

The Fine Arts folder gets tucked neatly away with her other daily school materials in a dish pan.

Fine Arts Schedule (PDF)

Start Exploring Masterpieces Kit

After finding the Masterpieces Deluxe Start Exploring Kit for $5.99 at our local Borders store, I decided to use it as our Western Art spine. Of course, the next step was to create a schedule so that it will actually get done! This kit has a card game, art timeline kit, full-color guide book, and posters/cards to paint. Since we have always studied one artist for an extended period of time, this should be a fun 'overview' year! Call your local Borders to see if they have any kits left -- these are steal. If you can't find them at Borders, I think this kit is well-worth the $15.99 price at CBD!

Here's my schedule:

Western Masterpieces

Resources: Start Exploring Masterpieces (SEM); Internet

Term 1 * SEM Poster: 'The Battle of Constantine' by Piero Della Francesca, 1466-Early Ren. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/p/piero/francesc/croce/battle_c/battle_c.html

* SEM Card: 'Queen of Sheba' by Piero Della Francesca (Early Ren) See also 'Duke of Urbino' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/piero.html#images

* SEM Poster: 'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Boticelli, 1489-(Early Ren.) Ren. See also 'Primavera' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/botticelli.html#images

* SEM Poster & card: 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo daVinci, 1503-(High Ren.) See also 'The Last Supper' http://www.artchive.com/artchive/L/leonardo.html#image

* SEM Card: Erasmus of Rotterdam by Hans Holbein the Younger-(Northern Ren.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/holbein.html#images

* SEM Poster: 'Henry VIII' by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539-(Northern Ren.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/holbein.html#images

Term 2 ** SEM Card 'Hunters in the Snow' by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder 1565 (Northern Land.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bruegel.html#images

** SEM Card 'The Wedding Dance' by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, 1568 (Northern Land.) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bruegel.html#images

** The Laughing Cavalier by Frans Halls, 1624 (Flemish Baroque) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hals/laughing_cavalier.jpg.html

** SEM Cards 'The Syndics of Drapers Guild' and 'Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph' by Rembrandt (Baroque)http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/rembrandt.html#images

** SEM Card 'Maidservant Pouring Milk' by Jan Vermeer, 1657 (Flemish Baroque) See also 'A Woman Asleep' http://artchive.com/artchive/V/vermeer.html#images

** SEM Card 'The Artist in his Studio' by Jan Vermeer, 1673 (Flemish Baroque) See also 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' http://artchive.com/artchive/V/vermeer.html#images

Term 3 *** SEM Poster 'The Oath of the Horatii' by Jacques-Louis David, 1784 (Neo-Classical) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/david.html#images See also 'Death of Scorates' and 'Napoleon Crossing the Alps'

*** SEM Poster 'Don Manuel Osorio de Zuniga' by de Goya, 1792 (Romantic) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/goya.html#images See also 'Execution of the Defenders of Madrid'

*** SEM Poster 'Snowy Heron' by John James Audobon, 1835 (Naturalist) See also Cardinal Grosbeak

*** SEM Cards 'Third Class Carriage' and 'The Laundress' by Honore Daumier, 1865 (Caricaturist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/daumier.html

*** SEM Poster 'La Grande Jatte' and SEM Card 'Bathers at Asnieres' by Georges-Pierre Seurat, 1886 (Post-Impressionist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/S/seurat.html#images

*** SEM Poster 'Starry Night' and SEM Card 'Sunflowers' by Vincent VanGogh, 1889 (Post-Impressionist) http://www.artchive.com/artchive/V/vangogh_arles.html