We have been so busy enjoying the coming of spring that I have not felt compelled to sit down and write!
Since my last post more than two weeks ago we have had many adventures including NT's last basketball game of the season followed by lunch and medals, the Ballare Rhythm Festival, the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, Mad Science classes, ceramics classes, and lots of dance classes.
NT and I attended a fabulous music and dance performance of "Carnival of the Animals" at Orchestra Hall with our play group, and we all attended the (modified) winter picnic at Grampy's. We have been to the Minnesota Zoo and the Como Conservatory with friends, and the kids have gone swimming at the indoor beach and out for treats with Grampy and Maria.
We walked with Kiki and learned about reptiles and amphibians (and even touched them!) with other homeschoolers at Wescott Library. NT went to an Irish music concert with Grandpa Alan & Minna (it turned out to be a trio including Lizzy's Irish step teacher and her husband--small world!).
We've watched PBS's Cyberchase and PBS's Reading Rainbow DVDs on birds and manatees and transportation, and a 3-part NOVA series on evolution called Becoming Human. We've researched chicken breeds and brooding methods, collected supplies, met another urban homesteading family with chickens, and ordered our chicks.
We've seen bald eagles and wild turkeys and built tons of stuff out of Magna Tiles, the Zoobmobile set, and toothpicks and marshmallows. We've read books on birds, tropical fish (of course!), planets, and guacamole. We've drawn pictures and written letters and cut up stuff (including pajamas--oops!). We've been digging in the dirt and playing outside a LOT and doing lots of running.
And, finally, yesterday we went to see NT's artwork hanging at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with Minna & Grandpa Alan, followed by lunch outside on the patio at The Black Forest Inn. Afterward the kids went bird watching at Becketwood and saw the resident owl (and a crow) with binoculars before walking all the way home. The kids played in the yard until it was time for Cub Scouts.
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
First thing this morning NT and I worked on time telling--digital clocks vs. clocks with hands. He attempted to teach Lizzy how to play Go Fish and then tried to get her to play football with him in the living room. She is getting weary of being tackled, so she wasn't a very willing player.
NT decided to build a ski gondola from the kitchen to the living room. He used what seemed like miles of red Christmas ribbon and did quite a few experiments to figure out how to get whatever object he wanted to move to slide on the ribbon. Meanwhile Lizzy was building a home for her purple pony with Magna Tiles. I have never seen her build 3-dimensionally with them before (just do flat patterns on the floor), so I was really excited to see that all by herself she had built a structure with a floor, four walls (2 tiles high) and a ceiling!
We played several rounds of Go Fish and Lizzy helped me play my hand by helping me determine if we had the cards that NT asked for and asking him for cards that we had. I shared with NT my strategy of remembering cards that he asked for that I didn't have at the time, so that if I did get the card in the future, I would remember to ask for them. He picked up on that very quickly and won two of the games!
After lunch we went to Leonardo's Basement for their first homeschool workshop. Of course, NT loved it just as he did the last time. He got to use paints, a hot glue gun, a hack saw and power tools all by himself--he can't get enough of that place! Lizzy stayed with me in the parents' meeting and busied herself for almost two hours "writing", coloring, and drawing.
We stopped by the co-op afterward and NT wanted to try something new for his co-op treat so he tried cardamom angel food cake. The frosting was a bit strong for him (and me!), but we were both glad he tried it!
At ceramics class NT got his first lesson in changing a tire. The instructor had a flat tire when he arrived, so he was showing the kids how to jack up the car, get the lug nuts off (they got to take a turn doing this if they wanted to), and change the tire!
NT decided to build a ski gondola from the kitchen to the living room. He used what seemed like miles of red Christmas ribbon and did quite a few experiments to figure out how to get whatever object he wanted to move to slide on the ribbon. Meanwhile Lizzy was building a home for her purple pony with Magna Tiles. I have never seen her build 3-dimensionally with them before (just do flat patterns on the floor), so I was really excited to see that all by herself she had built a structure with a floor, four walls (2 tiles high) and a ceiling!
We played several rounds of Go Fish and Lizzy helped me play my hand by helping me determine if we had the cards that NT asked for and asking him for cards that we had. I shared with NT my strategy of remembering cards that he asked for that I didn't have at the time, so that if I did get the card in the future, I would remember to ask for them. He picked up on that very quickly and won two of the games!
After lunch we went to Leonardo's Basement for their first homeschool workshop. Of course, NT loved it just as he did the last time. He got to use paints, a hot glue gun, a hack saw and power tools all by himself--he can't get enough of that place! Lizzy stayed with me in the parents' meeting and busied herself for almost two hours "writing", coloring, and drawing.
We stopped by the co-op afterward and NT wanted to try something new for his co-op treat so he tried cardamom angel food cake. The frosting was a bit strong for him (and me!), but we were both glad he tried it!
At ceramics class NT got his first lesson in changing a tire. The instructor had a flat tire when he arrived, so he was showing the kids how to jack up the car, get the lug nuts off (they got to take a turn doing this if they wanted to), and change the tire!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
NT watched PBS's Cyberchase this morning on dew points.
We had a blissful day off, for the most part. We made a big pancake breakfast and ate it leisurely.
The kids brought a bunch of their invention materials up to the living room where they spent much of the day inventing things. They tried out some of their inventions in the tub early afternoon. They "played" chess and some tackle football and made a pink and white feather boa nest for the dog under the dining room table. He loved it and was curled up in it for most of the day.
We spent a good amount of time out shoveling and playing in the snow. Lizzy helped me shovel the neighbors' walk. NT and I talked about how sometimes the neighbors shovel for us and sometimes we shovel for them--we all try to help each other out when we are able.
Late afternoon we took NT to ceramics class. We were early so NT showed me how he works the foot-powered pottery wheel. It was really neat to see how adept he has become at working the wheel!
Tonight NT got to bring home his fired projects. He proudly displayed each item for John and I just before bed. He made a lot of cool stuff!
We had a blissful day off, for the most part. We made a big pancake breakfast and ate it leisurely.
The kids brought a bunch of their invention materials up to the living room where they spent much of the day inventing things. They tried out some of their inventions in the tub early afternoon. They "played" chess and some tackle football and made a pink and white feather boa nest for the dog under the dining room table. He loved it and was curled up in it for most of the day.
We spent a good amount of time out shoveling and playing in the snow. Lizzy helped me shovel the neighbors' walk. NT and I talked about how sometimes the neighbors shovel for us and sometimes we shovel for them--we all try to help each other out when we are able.
Late afternoon we took NT to ceramics class. We were early so NT showed me how he works the foot-powered pottery wheel. It was really neat to see how adept he has become at working the wheel!
Tonight NT got to bring home his fired projects. He proudly displayed each item for John and I just before bed. He made a lot of cool stuff!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday we had a much needed at-home morning to sleep in (until 7 a.m.), catch up on housework and laundry, and build pillow forts in the living room.
In the afternoon, we joined some new homeschooling friends at the History Center where NT showed us around the Ben Franklin exhibit. We checked out the MN 150 exhibit, and finally ended up in the granary play area where the kids got all rosy-cheeked climbing up and down, running through tunnels, and "driving" the grain wagon.
NT had ceramics class in the late afternoon and then he and John had a Cub Scouts den meeting in the evening where it was a craft extravaganza!!
Yesterday started out bright and early with PBS's Cyberchase and then it was time to take NT to his weekly MN Science Museum class, which he is really enjoying.
The kids built a fort in the living room/dining room after lunch and then we took an impromptu trip to the Como Park Conservatory to meet some other new homeschooling friends. We saw all kind of tropical fish and plants, lots of cool koi, and even an up-close sloth that we watched for quite a while and learned quite a bit about! We really enjoyed the warm, humid air--NT pretended he was back in Lamanai!
NT had basketball practice and one of the other parents approached me to tell me what a great game she thought he had on Saturday!
Today the kids did some more fort-building and then we were off to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts where we waited in line for an hour with hundreds of other artists so NT could register his artwork to be shown in the Foot in the Door exhibit starting later this month. He is really excited--he has been asking to show his work in the "Minneapolis Substitute of Arts" since he was 3-years-old!
After lunch we headed over to the library where we picked up a bunch of lacrosse books and a lacrosse DVD that NT had requested, and Grampy picked NT up to take him to practice basketball at the gym for the afternoon.
In the afternoon, we joined some new homeschooling friends at the History Center where NT showed us around the Ben Franklin exhibit. We checked out the MN 150 exhibit, and finally ended up in the granary play area where the kids got all rosy-cheeked climbing up and down, running through tunnels, and "driving" the grain wagon.
NT had ceramics class in the late afternoon and then he and John had a Cub Scouts den meeting in the evening where it was a craft extravaganza!!
Yesterday started out bright and early with PBS's Cyberchase and then it was time to take NT to his weekly MN Science Museum class, which he is really enjoying.
The kids built a fort in the living room/dining room after lunch and then we took an impromptu trip to the Como Park Conservatory to meet some other new homeschooling friends. We saw all kind of tropical fish and plants, lots of cool koi, and even an up-close sloth that we watched for quite a while and learned quite a bit about! We really enjoyed the warm, humid air--NT pretended he was back in Lamanai!
NT had basketball practice and one of the other parents approached me to tell me what a great game she thought he had on Saturday!
Today the kids did some more fort-building and then we were off to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts where we waited in line for an hour with hundreds of other artists so NT could register his artwork to be shown in the Foot in the Door exhibit starting later this month. He is really excited--he has been asking to show his work in the "Minneapolis Substitute of Arts" since he was 3-years-old!
After lunch we headed over to the library where we picked up a bunch of lacrosse books and a lacrosse DVD that NT had requested, and Grampy picked NT up to take him to practice basketball at the gym for the afternoon.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
This morning NT watched PBS's Cyberchase on counter examples.
Lizzy had a make-up gymnastics class today and NT wrote several thank-you notes-turned-art-projects while we waited.
The kids asked to go the IKEA play area for a while on the way home from gymnastics and then they played together at home for the rest of the afternoon. Lizzy did some artwork with water colors and markers and showed me a some new Irish Step dance moves that she learned from watching a video clip.
NT had ceramics this evening and was excited to have been able to use the pottery wheel to make a cup in class.
This evening NT put together a fish mobile from Grampy and Maria all by himself.
Lizzy had a make-up gymnastics class today and NT wrote several thank-you notes-turned-art-projects while we waited.
The kids asked to go the IKEA play area for a while on the way home from gymnastics and then they played together at home for the rest of the afternoon. Lizzy did some artwork with water colors and markers and showed me a some new Irish Step dance moves that she learned from watching a video clip.
NT had ceramics this evening and was excited to have been able to use the pottery wheel to make a cup in class.
This evening NT put together a fish mobile from Grampy and Maria all by himself.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The last few days have been packed full of activities!
NT has been keeping up with PBS's Cyberchase in the mornings.
Tuesday we went to Northrup Auditorium on the U of MN campus for a "physics circus" with a group of homeschoolers. NT loved it just as I had expected he would.
Tuesday evening NT had ceramics class and then toured a local fire station with his Cub Scout den.
Wednesday NT and I read about Benjamin Franklin and then he went with Grandpa Alan & Minna to the History Center to see the Benjamin Franklin exhibit and then they met Auntie Em for lunch.
Wednesday evening NT had basketball practice. He is really excited for the first game coming up on Saturday!
Thursday we went to check out a local homeschool co-op's open house. We stayed for over 5 hours. The kids each got to sit in on a class and they both loved it. There was a big social room where the kids got to play with other kids of all ages and they had a blast.
While we were there we ran into people with whom we were in Little Sprouts at the Waldorf school when NT was just two. They now have a little girl Lizzy's age as well. They invited us to go out to dinner and play. The kids all hit it off and we are so happy to have found some great new homeschool friends to hang out with!
This morning Lizzy had gymnastics and, while waiting, NT read made out his first-round birthday list and read one of his 28 library books on football. Later we stopped at the library and he checked out about 10 books on basketball.
NT has been keeping up with PBS's Cyberchase in the mornings.
Tuesday we went to Northrup Auditorium on the U of MN campus for a "physics circus" with a group of homeschoolers. NT loved it just as I had expected he would.
Tuesday evening NT had ceramics class and then toured a local fire station with his Cub Scout den.
Wednesday NT and I read about Benjamin Franklin and then he went with Grandpa Alan & Minna to the History Center to see the Benjamin Franklin exhibit and then they met Auntie Em for lunch.
Wednesday evening NT had basketball practice. He is really excited for the first game coming up on Saturday!
Thursday we went to check out a local homeschool co-op's open house. We stayed for over 5 hours. The kids each got to sit in on a class and they both loved it. There was a big social room where the kids got to play with other kids of all ages and they had a blast.
While we were there we ran into people with whom we were in Little Sprouts at the Waldorf school when NT was just two. They now have a little girl Lizzy's age as well. They invited us to go out to dinner and play. The kids all hit it off and we are so happy to have found some great new homeschool friends to hang out with!
This morning Lizzy had gymnastics and, while waiting, NT read made out his first-round birthday list and read one of his 28 library books on football. Later we stopped at the library and he checked out about 10 books on basketball.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
This weekend was full of fun activities.
Saturday morning NT had an art class where he worked with both pastels and modeling clay. This particular art class offers the opportunity to have artwork displayed in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, so he is really excited.
As a follow-up to Friday's conversation about Elvis Presley, NT asked if we could listen to the XM Radio station that plays ONLY Elvis music. He liked it very much.
Saturday afternoon Minna, Grandpa Alan, & Auntie Em took the kids to the Lake Harriet Kite Festival where they saw lots of really cool and colorful kites, and the warmed up afterward with hot chocolate at the Riverview. Lizzy wasn't feeling well so she stayed back to rest and watch the original Muppet Movie with John.
Sunday John took the kids sledding and then NT went out to play with the neighbor in the snow. Both kids went to bed on time for the first time in days. There have been so many activities, everyone needs to catch up on sleep!
Saturday morning NT had an art class where he worked with both pastels and modeling clay. This particular art class offers the opportunity to have artwork displayed in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, so he is really excited.
As a follow-up to Friday's conversation about Elvis Presley, NT asked if we could listen to the XM Radio station that plays ONLY Elvis music. He liked it very much.
Saturday afternoon Minna, Grandpa Alan, & Auntie Em took the kids to the Lake Harriet Kite Festival where they saw lots of really cool and colorful kites, and the warmed up afterward with hot chocolate at the Riverview. Lizzy wasn't feeling well so she stayed back to rest and watch the original Muppet Movie with John.
Sunday John took the kids sledding and then NT went out to play with the neighbor in the snow. Both kids went to bed on time for the first time in days. There have been so many activities, everyone needs to catch up on sleep!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Today was a big day.
The kids spent much of the morning playing beautifully together with the Princess Castle, though for a bit NT was heavily engaged in making and testing paper airplanes by following the instructions in a couple of books we got from the library. He also spent some time drawing in his room with his little sister snuggled next to him watching.
This afternoon and evening we attended two holiday parties--one at a neighborhood bowling alley where the kids got to bowl with friends Auggie and Louisa, and one at the neighbors' house where they got to catch up with all their neighborhood buddies and get a little crazy.
Tonight NT and John are watching the Vikings game together, though NT is likely to be asleep well before the first quarter ends!
The kids spent much of the morning playing beautifully together with the Princess Castle, though for a bit NT was heavily engaged in making and testing paper airplanes by following the instructions in a couple of books we got from the library. He also spent some time drawing in his room with his little sister snuggled next to him watching.
This afternoon and evening we attended two holiday parties--one at a neighborhood bowling alley where the kids got to bowl with friends Auggie and Louisa, and one at the neighbors' house where they got to catch up with all their neighborhood buddies and get a little crazy.
Tonight NT and John are watching the Vikings game together, though NT is likely to be asleep well before the first quarter ends!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Today was our first "official" day trying out the unschooling life. Of course, it wasn't any different than any other day, except that I was much more aware of what the kids were learning and absorbing as we went about our business.
NT started the morning bright and early watching Cyberchase on PBS, where he learned about measuring the passage of time.
Later, we picked Minna up and went downtown to see the 8th floor Macy's holiday story, A Day in the Life of an Elf. We arrived just as it opened so we almost had the place to ourselves, giving the kids as much time and space as they liked to check out each animated scene.
Afterward, the kids burned off some energy running around in the skyway while we tracked John down and then walked over to Peter's Grill--the "oldest continually operating restaurant in the city" (94 years!)--where Minna treated us to brunch.
This afternoon NT spent several hours building and rebuilding structures with his new Marbulous set from Gramma Ruth. He talked about gravity and angles as he re-engineered his designs to make the marbles go faster or take different paths. For a little while he had some help from Grandpa Alan.
We read Hardy Boys' Secret of the Old Mill out loud for about an hour. NT asked if he could stop me if he heard a word he didn't understand so I could explain it to him. Today he learned what "genuine" means.
NT also spent quite a bit of time in his basement "studio" working on various crafts, including some pretty cool monsters he fashioned out of sparkly pipe cleaners.
After LL's nap we watched a DVD of Swan Lake from the library so she could see real ballerinas perform. Interestingly, her brother seemed much more interested in the performance than she was!
NT read a book about the Titanic to himself at bedtime. He is really fascinated by shipwrecks. We talked about how scary it must have been for the people who were on the ship when it went down.
NT started the morning bright and early watching Cyberchase on PBS, where he learned about measuring the passage of time.
Later, we picked Minna up and went downtown to see the 8th floor Macy's holiday story, A Day in the Life of an Elf. We arrived just as it opened so we almost had the place to ourselves, giving the kids as much time and space as they liked to check out each animated scene.
Afterward, the kids burned off some energy running around in the skyway while we tracked John down and then walked over to Peter's Grill--the "oldest continually operating restaurant in the city" (94 years!)--where Minna treated us to brunch.
This afternoon NT spent several hours building and rebuilding structures with his new Marbulous set from Gramma Ruth. He talked about gravity and angles as he re-engineered his designs to make the marbles go faster or take different paths. For a little while he had some help from Grandpa Alan.
We read Hardy Boys' Secret of the Old Mill out loud for about an hour. NT asked if he could stop me if he heard a word he didn't understand so I could explain it to him. Today he learned what "genuine" means.
NT also spent quite a bit of time in his basement "studio" working on various crafts, including some pretty cool monsters he fashioned out of sparkly pipe cleaners.
After LL's nap we watched a DVD of Swan Lake from the library so she could see real ballerinas perform. Interestingly, her brother seemed much more interested in the performance than she was!
NT read a book about the Titanic to himself at bedtime. He is really fascinated by shipwrecks. We talked about how scary it must have been for the people who were on the ship when it went down.
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