Splendid

A Homeschool field trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences

McKaylah has been interested in history for awhile now.  We've studied different eras or periods depending on her interest in it at the time.  We both decided about a month ago that we should start at the beginning, at the beginning of man, so to speak. 

We went on a homeschool field trip with some good friends yesterday to Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences.  We've been members now since we moved to the east last year.  We go about every 2 months and enjoy it immensely.  It's a wonderful resource for learning about so many different things in the world.  Amazing exhibits include the Dinosaur Hall with fossil digs, physical experiments like walking like an alligator, molds of dinosaur foot impressions that you can sit in, etc.  Really fun.  Other areas of the museum include a beautiful live butterfly exhibit, fantastic dioramas of animal habitats from around the world, an Amazon exhibit with good hands-on learning. Mummies, insects and a small petting zoo, aquariums, artifacts and more make it a day of fun for a field trip.

Big T Rex                                                        Dioramas               

               

   Digging for fossils            

Walking like an alligator      

Notice the yellow "owl" eye mark on the wing of this butterfly.  It uses this mark to ward off predators.

Now notice if the yellow owl eye is covered up, that it also has another secondary defense with the appearance of a snake.  See the bottom of the wings?  It looks like a snake with scales, mouth and two black eyes.  Crazy, huh?

little pixie

big sister

dancing to S.American music in the Amazon exhibit

fossil crayon rubbings

petting zoo

Happy Birthday Bear!

My hubby turned 33 this weekend (on the first day of Autumn actually!)  He's been working a ton lately (well, he's always been a workaholic), so we let him sleep in, made him a huge breakfast, let him relax for a few hours watching shows he never gets to watch because he's always working, or off working out, and then had a few friends over for a BBQ. I made him a chocolate cake with fresh strawberries for dessert. The girls made him a sweet book on the things they love about their Dad.

1. He loves us.

2. He plays Uno with us.

3. He brings us home surprises.

4. He plays tennis with us.

5. He makes us feel happy and protected.

They drew pictures and stapled it together.  I wanted to make it into a book with ribbons and handmade paper cover, but they wanted to do it all on their own. I think it turned out great and Dave loved it.  We also got him all the candy from his childhood he loves. Mike and Ike's and Big League Chew gum.  He's been complaining he's getting old...("Uummmm...I'm older than you, sweetie, so watch it...") so I thought giving him the candy from his youth, he'd get a kick out of it.

The girls sang and danced for him as well.  They love their Dad so much.  He is a pretty cool guy if I do say so myself.   Happy birthday Bear! 

I know, there's more pics of my girls than him, what can I say...

 

Oak Meadow Clay Art

We did a bit of clay work today for our Oak Meadow curriculum. As I've said before, we don't strictly follow the curriculum, but enjoy the gentle, earthy elements it possesses. Today for our art time McKaylah and Ava worked on clay sculptures.  They had a great time rolling out the clay, molding it, using tools to draw lines or hair, give texture.  I think they're pretty cute.

McKaylah's animals and below Ava's sheep and dog

The Golden Spitball Machine by McKaylah

This was a writing lesson from McKaylah the other day.  She picked a topic (spitballs, she's 7, go figure...) and was encouraged to write a short story about it. She was inspired by a fellow young writer, her good friend Sam ( ourlearningproject.blogspot.com/ ) whom she admires most dearly. ;)

This is her short story.  Prepare to be captivated!

The Golden Spitball Machine by McKaylah

     There once was a Spitball Monster.  He had big, green teeth and he stunk like rotten garbage. He had horns and claws. He had a golden spitball machine.  He used it to make many gross, wet spitballs.  He would spit the spitballs, all wet and smelly, at the children walking to school. The kids would scream and cry. The monster would laugh and run away back to his cave and make more gross spitballs with his golden spitball machine.  When will he ever grow up?

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

We had a fun day of reliving history at the Wrightstown Renaissance Festival.  It was great to see all the costumes and the participants reenacting jousts, sword fights, belly dancing and enjoy the lively mood of the grounds.  My girls loved seeing the dancing especially, and found the theatrical shows fun like The Living Chess and the Public Punishment where shoe thieves had to endure itching powder and tickle punishment to their feet while locked in the stalks.  We loved the Queen's dress and the knights walking around as well.  Ava wore her Renaissance dress, but McKaylah opted for her regular 21st   century garb.  I'd like to dress up next time, perhaps a bar wench?

 

 

What I found in my purse...

I dumped my purse out recently and was astonished at how my purse seems to accumulate everyone else's personal things.  I have my wallet/dayplanner, a felt makeup bag, a pair of sunglasses, and then about 52 other miscellaneous items which don't belong to me.  A small fairy doll, barrettes, a softie camel, ABC flashcards (actually only a partial set since the rest have been lost here and there), a crayon, a beaded ring, etc., etc. I thought it would be interesting in a few years to look into some sort of a treasure box for  a backwards glimpse into my daughters lives.  These "things" that represent them, what stages they were going through, what they wore, activities we obviously did while waiting for our food at a restaurant or at an appointment.  I decoupaged a box with a variety of patterned papers, trinkets, ribbons, paint, buttons, knitted pieces.  Inside I added the items I'd found hiding in the abyss that is the bottom of my bag.  See for yourself. M for McKaylah and A for Ava. A mushroom barrette.  A wooden painted bracelet. A tiny fairy doll. A small doll dress. A crinkled bird feather. A fairy trinket box (inside was a rock and a penny.) A green crayon. The softie camel toy. They grow so fast, in a few years what will the items be?   

 

  A trinket box, a window into the days and times of my wee ones  ;)

Places I've been, people I've seen...

The states in red are the states I've been to.  Thanks, Tara for the fun map!

To do your own map, click on the below website:

http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates

Ava's Fairy Birthday Party

We celebrated Ava's fourth birthday with a Fairy themed birthday at the Winterthur Estate in Delaware.  It's a gorgeous estate with huge woodlands, top-notch art and quilt museum, flowering meadows and an adorable area called the Enchanted Woods.  It's the perfect setting for a Fairy birthday party! She loved having her closest friends join her for an afternoon of games and eating mushroom cupcakes!  We did a fun scavenger hunt through the Enchanted W oods with each new clue leading them to another area like the Frog Hollow, Tulip Tree House, Labyrinth, Troll Bridge, etc.  The weather was spectacular, the food was yumilicious and the company of good friends even better! 

The birthday girl (AKA Fairy Princess)

The food and tablescape

Mom (AKA Fairy Queen)

Ava at the Wishing Well              Running

the Tulip Tree House, friends on a scavenger hunt, cupcakes, fairy rings, enchanting...

Welcome back: School is in Session!

We started school last week.  I'm a homeschooler to my seven year-old daughter McKaylah.  She is doing Oak Meadow second grade, as well as other curriculum we have picked through.  She loves art and history, so we do a bit of that each week as well.  She jumped right in her studies, I was so pleasantly surprised.

Ava also wanted to start school.  She just turned four so she's doing a very lackadaisical preschool curriculum.  I have a couple workbooks she does ABC's and 123's with, but I try to make her "studies" more hands on and playful.  She does playdough (homemade and store bought if you were wondering...depends on if we remember to put it away so it doesn't dry out) A's, B's, 0, 1, 2, etc.  We also do finger-play and songs.  She's also making her own ABC book.  After we go over a letter for a few days, we'll draw pictures of things that start with that letter.  When we're all done with all 26 letters, we'll bind it for her. I do a lot of imaginative play with her as well.

I think it's important to have kids help out with life stuff, too.  School lessons are great, but life lessons are even more vital to someone's abilities and well-roundedness. I encourage both girls help me bake, prepare lunch and dinner, water the plants/garden, pick out food at the grocery store, fold laundry, etc.  McKaylah also has 3 kids cookbooks with great illustrations that we use weekly for her to pick one food to make.  I help her, but she gets to pick it out (and yes, it's almost always a dessert or baked item-Girl's No Dummy!) and she gets to measure out ingredients, mix the batter or whatnot.  I think it's teaching her cooking and baking of course, but also math and science as well.

I'd love to hear from other Homeschooling moms out there!

Lil' Gardener

Ava really loves gardening, and what's even better, she loves grunt work!  At the tender age of four, she takes it upon herself to deadhead flowers (and she actually does a good job) and picks up after herself.  Notice in this picture, we were weeding and dead heading together (it was sundown, however it looks much darker out) and she was so enthusiastic about it, I had to take her picture.  Of course, her new "Avril Lavigne" wristbands she got from her Auntie Lainie for her b-day helps with all her gardening good times.  She loves to look rockin'! Even in the garden!

In stitches

I

I just got these new Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns last week in the mail.  I really love the new ones by Kurt Halsey, too, sweet birdies and fairies.  Amy Hart's designs are awesome as well.  I haven't done much embroidery, but am lucky enough to have a super crafty mom who is great at just about everything, including embroidery (sewing, painting(watercolors and oils), baking, cooking, floral arranging, etc., believe me the list goes on and I have a lot to learn!) and a good friend named Julie who embroiders daily and is super talented! I am inspired by her work all the time.  Anyways, I'm working on embroidery projects, pillow cases and tea towels, so stay tuned folks...

I also recently made this frame for a new mommy.  She just had another daughter and her older daughter is a real girly-girl with a real girly-girl room.  I found these scrapbook embellishments in my PILES of scrapbook supplies and made her this frame.  I distressed the frame with paint and sewed paper together, added ribbon and fabric photo mats, and other trinkets from my stash. It only took about 20 minutes and I think with pictures added, it will make a nice present.   

Happy Birthday Ava!

Today Ava turns four!  I can't believe it!  She's getting so big!  We celebrated with pancakes for breakfast and I made a cake for later tonight. We'll go swimming today and have her party next week.  I am so proud of her and how wonderful she is! Happy Birthday little LuLu!

Wanted: Lost Tooth

McKaylah lost her first top tooth yesterday.  I know it's like a Rite of Passage for her, but I feel oddly saddened by her third lost tooth.  I suppose it's because it means she's growing up.  Although I'm thrilled to witness every stage of my children's lives, I also feel somewhere, not even so deep down, almost cheerless, heartbreakingly down about it.  I know it seems somewhat selfish or absurd to some, but that mother-child connection I feel with them, seems broken, or broken off a bit, by those lost teeth. I hug her and act happy for her, for her dollars given magically by the Tooth Fairy, or the next step into being a full fledged member of the Big Kids Club she sees in keeping score in the world of lost teeth.  I am happy for her, but also a wee bit sad for me.

Better (Fairy) Homes and Gardens

 

Ava's fairy home she built at the Treehouse's F airy Homes class.

McKaylah and friends Fairy outdoor cafe from the Fairy Homes class.

My girls with Dad after completing their fairy gardens. As you can tell, this summer has been a big fairy Summer. We've always been into fairies, gnomes and anything magical. This Fairy Garden class was held at Rosemary's House, one of the oldest herb stores in America. It's located in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

I have had gardens at all my homes, and I think the outdoors, gardening, reverence for nature, exploration, etc. is so healthy for kids. Both my girls help me water and plant new green babies, they help me pick out new plants we'll add to our garden, and I've encouraged them to come up with their own garden designs or potted plant themes.

McKaylah and Ava loved the Herbolgy lessons from the Hogwarts Summer School. McKaylah planted a large Moon Garden. Night Blooming Jasmine, Nicitiana, white Alysium, Feverfew, 4 o'clocks and white Petunias. The Jasmine smells awesome once the sun goes down. Ava did a smaller garden with many of the same plants. They also made herbal teas,compresses and an aromatherapy blend, along with more Harry Potterish assignments.

I used to be a Massage Therapist on the west coast, and worked PT at an herb store and taught herb and aromatherapy classes. I think they have the Herbology bug as well.

My girls at the Enchanted Woods at Winterthur Gardens in Delaware.

Our new family additions

Well, after a day at the Philadelphia Zoo, we purchased from a little salesman on the street, two baby (and I mean baby) turtles.  My daughters were so excited.  Little did I realize from not much forethought, how much it would entail to get these little guys set up with an adequate living environment.  After my 4th trip to PetSmart, I think I have it....They are very sweet and although they don't run and fetch, or snuggle up with you and a good book, they are cute to look at.  For the next 60 years, as my friend pointed out.  Turtles live a LONG time...Again, some forethought might have been nice...