Art History at the Museum

The Detroit Institute of Arts was our field trip yesterday! David, Emily, James and I spent several hours exploring the newly redesigned and far more child-friendly museum. Accompanying us was my good friend Debbie and 3 of her children - some of my children's favorite companions. (We both left our youngest children home as we were not so brave as to take five year olds along this time.) It takes about 75 minutes to drive to the DIA and then about 30 minutes to find a place to park since the parking lot was full. Evidently the museum is free to Detroit residents on Fridays, a fact we were unaware of when making our plans. (This Sunday is also free, if you are so inclined!)

It was the first time for James to visit the art museum. He liked the Egyptian mummy the most as well as the mummy cases. He also liked the suits of armor - big surprise! lol He wanted to explore the Native American section more but we ran out of time and attention span.

Emily had been to this museum before. She also liked the mummy a lot. The giant painting of The Last Supper made a big impression on her because Jesus had light shining from him. She thought Judas looked suspicious because of the way his body was positioned. She bought a mood ring in the gift shop.

David also had visited the DIA previously a couple of times. A large crocodile headdress from the African collection made a big impression on him. The armor was also a favorite. David thought this triptych was "cool" because he "likes to carve".

I always love the Egyptian collection and wish I could spend a lot of time just staring at each object. Sadly, children's attention spans are not that long. I would have liked to examine more closely this page from The Book of the Dead.

I have little patience for African "art" or Native American items, although the latter is far preferable in my view. Some of the things I liked were the triptych David admired, a stone effigy of a knight, the intricately designed ceilings, some very beautifully and skillfully done portraits by Rembrandt Peale including one of George Washington, and some lovely Greek and Roman jewelry. One pair of earrings reminded me of a pair I made at a workshop given by my friend Penny, except that the museum earrings were gold, pearl and amethyst and mine are just glass beads. lol A painting with symbols of immortality was also quite intriguing.

We were all pretty impressed by a section of mosaic flooring from ancient Rome (pictured above). The kids all liked going up and down the spiral staircase. Also one of their favorite things to do was to attempt to lean over the railings and look down into the 'courtyard' inside the building. We had to go up to the 3rd floor merely to attempt this, although the adults did not realize this goal until after the 3rd floor had been reached. They also loved riding in the elevator. Simple pleasures! The "Eye Spy" puzzles placed in many rooms were a big hit with the kids as well.

There was a lot we did not get to - Asian art, the 3rd floor (British, Dutch, Fashionable Living, etc..), Modern, Rivera Court, and much much more. Plans for going again were discussed vaguely and I am sure we'll make another visit.

I'd also like to go with just ADULTS so I don't have to repeat ad nauseum things like, "Don't point so close to the painting" , "Don't get so close to the statue" , "Remember, no touching" , "Quit leaning over the railing" , "Didn't we just go to the bathroom" and more. lol Then I could just look and read and browse to my heart's content. Someday..... Anyone up for a Mom's Night Out? Or Mom's Sunday Afternoon?

Pride & Prejudice Reactions

I asked David and Emily to write just a short reaction to the Pride and Prejudice movie we watched last week. (If you watch, get the LONG version from A&E!) Anyway, I thought the reviews showed so very clearly the reactions of men and women to this story. See if you can guess whose is whose. LOL

Btw, I left the spelling intact, in the interest of being "real".

Review 1
This is the story of 5 girles and there famaly. It is a romance book and movie. I guess it's a classic novel.

This movie is about 6 hours long. Not much happened in the story. I guess it didn't captivate my intrists. The way everyone talked was odd. It's like they wanted to complicate everything.

Review 2
I liked the whole movie especially when they loved each other at the end and he smiled. I cannot believe it. Lydia married Mr. Wickcamm and visited them (the family) and at the end two girls got married.

Did you guess whose was whose? lol

Prayer Time Struggles

The description of my blog says "struggles and successes." Time to post a struggle.

I think prayer time is important for a family. My husband agrees. So we have implemented a family prayer time that is held fairly regularly - several times a week, anyway - since fall at least. That ought to be enough time for the kids to get used to it, right?

Prayer time starts with taking requests. My husband often does this but lately the kids have wanted a turn at writing them out. We keep them in a notebook. So there are spelling questions and suchlike. This part takes FAR too long, in my opinion.

Then we usually sit in a circle on the living room floor for the prayers. We sometimes hold hands, but that usually causes more troubles than it's worth. "I don't want to hold HIS hand," or kids scooting around the circle once they realize who they're sitting by to avoid hand holding.

One of the kids begins and prays and we pass the notebook around to help us to remember the requests. Bob always ends up, so that none of the requests are missed.

Sounds straightforward, right? Well, it's almost always a struggle. Bad attitudes, wiggly kids, opened eyes, distractions, etc. etc. etc.

Today I got so frustrated that I got up and left in the middle of it.

Yep, I thought I'd be honest and share our struggles. No preaching, please!

Jane Austen Day

I have declared today Jane Austen Day - which is really just an occasion for me to watch Pride and Prejudice.

Ah wait, did I just say that? I MEANT it was an opportunity to introduce my children to the writing of Jane Austen and the British culture of the early 1800's.

We have watched about half of the 6 hours, so it looks like tomorrow will be Jane Austen Day Continued.

Pilgrims Progress Book and Video

Emily (age 10) read the A Beka Book version of Pilgrim's Progress recently. (Yes, I know it's a 3rd grade reader, but I don't care. I don't think she would have enjoyed as much in 3rd grade. Besides I forgot to have her read it then! lol)

David had read it a few years ago, as well. (Yeah, probably in 3rd grade. Back then I was a little more anal about stuff like that.)

ANYWAY. When I taught school, I taught in a Christian school that used A Beka. (And yeah, I had third graders.) So we did Pilgrim's Progress. And then we watched the video afterwards. It was an animated video and I don't have access to it now. I think I saw it in the CBD catalog the other day, however!

But on Netflix, I found an older live action movie version. It even starred Liam Neeson, in what I found out was his first movie role! So, I got it for the kids and we watched it today.

It was pretty good, even considering the special effects circa 1979 and the obvious low budget. My kids all enjoyed it, even 5yo Suzy, and I think they got the concept of the story and could follow the plot. Before the movie started, there was a short overview of the life of John Bunyan, the author. George Beverly Shea, the famous hymn singer, was the narrator.

And yes, they all recognized Liam Neeson. After all, he plays Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars movies AND he does the voice of Aslan in the Narnia movies.

David asked me if Liam Neeson was a Christian. I had to say I don't think so, based on his movie roles, although I don't know for sure. He sure would have to know the truth as his main role in this film was Evangelist, and he also played several other characters including Jesus.

Becoming a Reader

Today I began teaching Suzy to READ! Whee! Well, she's been learning letter sounds all year, but today we began the section of Alphabet Island Phonics that teaches the student to decode short vowel words. YAY!

It struck me that soon I will have FOUR reading children and I will have taught all of them to read! How cool is that!

Books in the Mail

I thought it would be cool to post a list of books I have received free from paperbackswap.com. Over two hundred books have come my way through PBS since I joined, but I'm just going to list the ones specifically for homeschooling over the last few months.

• Explode the Code, Bk 6
• History Pockets, Ancient Civilizations, Grade 1-3
• Literature Pockets, Folktales Fairytales, Grades K-1
• A Guide for Using The Cricket in Times Square in the Classroom
• The Cricket in Times Square
• 100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style
• Nitty-Gritty Grammar : A Not-So-Serious Guide to Clear Communication
• Seascapes (Looking at Paintings Series)
• Draw Fantasy: Dragons, Centaurs, and Other Mythological Characters
• History Pockets, Ancient Egypt, Grades 4-6
• Pyramids: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt (Kaleidoscope Kids)
• 6,000 Years of Earth History (CD) (Vision Forum)
  
• Alternatives to Worksheets: Motivational Reading and Writing Activities Across the Curriculum
• Gonzo Gizmos: Projects Devices to Channel Your Inner Geek
• Storytime Crafts for Kids
• Making God's Word Stick
• Backyard Ballistics
• History Pockets, Ancient Greece, Grades 4-6 (History Pockets)
• Ancient Greece!: 40 Hands-On Activities to Experience This Wondrous Age (Kaleidoscope Kids)
• The Enormous Egg
• DK Readers: Going for Gold (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
• DK Readers: Robin Hood (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
• Literature Pockets, Fiction (Literature Pockets)
• Johann Sebastian Bach (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers)
• Twizzlers Percentages Book
• The Bronze Bow
• A Coloring Book of Tutankhamun
• A Coloring Book of Ancient Egypt
• Steven Caney's Invention Book
• Child's Play (6-12) : 160 Instant Activities, Crafts, and Science Projects for Grade Schoolers
• Life in Ancient Egypt Coloring Book
• Honestly, Katie John

That's a nice list, isn't it? Now, to use paperbackswap, one lists books she no longer wants and mails them out to people who request them, earning a credit per book. You pay for the books you mail out - an average of $2 per book. You can use your credits to request other books you want and the sender pays for the shipping. It is AWESOME!!

Wanna try it out? Link in my sidebar!

Co-op Starts Friday

Homeschool co-op starts on Friday. I am on the leadership team, but I have been less involved this semester than ever before. I did handle the class enrollment and some of the scheduling. Next year, I will be even less involved if I am still working full time.

So these are my children's classes. We meet every other week through the end of April, for a total of 8 sessions. It's the highlight of the kids' lives, I think!

David

1 – Open Gym

2 – Build it Better Lego (David is teaching and I am assisting.)

Bring your uncompleted Lego sets to class and have a Lego master help you build. After you've completed the model, David will show you ways to modify and improve your models to make new and better models. We may order pieces online to add to your set to create exciting ships, vehicles, sculptures, and other cool stuff. You bring your own Legos and pay for any extra pieces (.07-.35 per piece). No supply fee.

3 – Lego Robotics 4

Students will build a racing robotic devise and then program it to race on a variety of racing courses.

4 – PE 10+

This gym class will continue with a 15-20 minute warm-up, followed by a team sport.

5 – More Flight and Space

Each week 1 or 2 "milestones" in Aerospace will be discussed (and reviewed at the end of the 8 weeks)

Emily

1 – Cricket in Times Square

This literature class is from Beyond Five in a Row unit-study! It's for ages 8-12. Each week your student will get a rock solid hour of rich information and hand's on lessons that will enhance his/her homeschool journey....from science to reading a classic book, to history, art and music to Newspaper and Dictionary Treasure Hunts and even eating Chinese food or at least cooking it!

2 – Grooming for Girls

I hope to make the girls aware of the need to care for their hair skin nails and feet. Their bodies are changing now and some families have a hard time with young girls paying attention to hygiene. I plan to have fun with this class as grooming can be fun (Skin care, french braids, hair wraps)

3 – Choir

If you love to sing and enjoy learning new music, then this is the place to be. Learn songs, basic music theory and proper breathing techniques in a class that definitely hits a high note!

4 – Drama

We will practice reading with expression, reciting scripture & poetry, practicing presentation (enunciating, facial expression, voice) the class will choose their own readings and contribute short dramas for the class to learn. A performance is possible but not mandatory.

5 – PE for Girls

This is a physical education class for girls only in which we do weekly warm-ups, running, and a variety of games and sports.

James

1 – Karate

Style of karate: Tang Soo Do. Students will learn: basic actions (kicks, punches, blocks), one-steps (practice against an opponent), self-defense, 1st basic form, and also respect for others and obedience of parents/teachers.

2 – Build It Better

Bring your uncompleted Lego sets to class and have a Lego master help you build. After you've completed the model, David will show you ways to modify and improve your models to make new and better models. We may order pieces online to add to your set to create exciting ships, vehicles, sculptures, and other cool stuff. You bring your own Legos and pay for any extra pieces (.07-.35 per piece).

3 – PE ages 6-9

Kids have lots of energy. This class attempts to burn off some of that energy in a fun way. Calisthenics, old favorites as well as new games will be introduced. Sportsmanship and cooperation emphasized.

4 – Making Wooden Toys

Students will assemble and paint wooden toys, such as boats, planes, cars, etc...

5 – Creatures Creatures

Using Leo Lionni books, this class of 6-8 year olds will explore the life of fish, snails, worms, and frogs. We will learn using art, science, and literature. Creatures will share our time together at co-op and become your pet by going home with you.

Suzy

1 – Open Gym

2 – Puppet Theatre

Through familiar fairy tales, students will learn sequencing and story retelling, using stick puppets.

3 – PE for ages 4-5

In general, we are starting off with warm ups, doing an organized games (duck, duck, goose, or hot potato, ect) and then letting the kids have some free play. If Ann can find the music tapes, we will work with music and movement. No Fee.

4 – Kiddie Krafts

Each week, we’ll do a craft related to a holiday theme. We’ll also be reading a book or two related to that theme as well!

5 – Phonemic Fun

Children who are not aware of phonemes are at serious risk of struggling to learn to read. Some kids pick this up automatically, but roughly 25% of first graders need direct instruction and many reading programs do not include enough. The great news is that phonemic awareness can be built using games, poems, songs, and fun books!! We'll have a lot of fun being silly and learning at the same time!

Dirty Bread

Judges 13
2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines."

ME, to the kids:
What foods did the angel of the Lord instruct Manoah's wife not to eat?

James (age 8), waving hand:
Ooh, ooh, I know! Wine, and ummmm..... DIRTY BREAD!

The rest of us, looking confused:
????.... OH! (realization dawns) Unclean food!

Art

OK, I have like 5 minutes, but I wanted to post the stuff I got planned for Art. Sorry, there weren't any links in last night's post and there won't be here either.

David is doing art by himself. He asked if he could be excused from doing cutesy craft projects and I agreed. If we do a project he is interested in, he joins in. He is working on the book Draw Real People by Lee Hammond. He also takes art classes once a month from Don West - christianartforkids.com. Emily takes those lessons too.

The other kids will be doing art twice a week, if I can handle that frequency. Once will be a drawing lesson from Creative Thinking Through Art: Drawing (Evan-Moor). The other art lesson will be more involved - either a seasonal art project (NEED some ideas, got any?), a project from Creative Thinking Through Art: Mixed Media (also Evan-Moor) or The Usborne Book of Art Ideas. I'll probably add in some other art too. Sometimes they just like to paint.

I have yet to do James and Suzy's language arts plans. They're fairly easy though, since they are both doing Alphabet Island Phonics and the book is all laid out for me. Will post more on that later, I hope.

Also planning to post my kids' new job chart. David and I collaborated on it and I am pretty pleased with it. He's photographing it right now.