2, 4, 6, 8 Who do we appreciate?

Okay, so no, that's a little off topic. ;) but...we are working on our multiplication tables here.

We made some bean bags last night to help with the multiplication tables. The kids are taking turns with their respective tables (Corbin 4's and 6's, Liv 2's, 5's, and 10's...)...they are tossing the bags back and forth and when you catch, you call out the next number in your sequence...they are doing well with remembering, and I'm sure it's because they are viewing this more as 'fun' and less as a 'learning exercise' haha.

We made 3 sets of 3...one for each of the kids and then an extra set Liv wanted to make for her best friend...that's what is pictured.

On another note...we are moving across the country in December. From California back to Kentucky, where I grew up. I'm super excited, and scared at the same time :P

More on that as details come ;)

It's chilly here, and supposed to rain all weekend...and I'm so excited about that ;)

Marie-Th�r�se Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

I see the magnificent creations that Kathleen gives away on her site, but this one is absolutely STUNNING....just made me let out a little *sigh* of amazement when I saw it.

Marie-Th�r�se Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Corners of My Home 10.18.2008

People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet.

~~Sa'Di

Saturday thoughts...

Today I spent the better part of the day organizing the 'school closet'. It's the large closet off the living room where we store all the books/school stuff/art supplies, etc. While I was cleaning out all the items we have accumulated over the years and now don't use or need, I started thinking about where we are in this journey. This school year, after having toured the local Waldorf School over the summer...I knew we'd found the style that we'd been searching for the last 4 years. Each year, I would try to fit into some kind of mold...I knew we didn't fit into classical/traditional learning, but I didn't think that we would ever find a style to fit us...until that tour. There were aspects of Waldorf that Nick and I didn't agree with, but the overall philosophy...the teaching style, the learning style...it clicked!

Obviously, we let go of our spots that were pulled in the lottery to get into the school, since we are still homeschooling....

We decided to use Oak Meadow and are in love.

The line between 'learning' and just 'enjoying living life' is starting to disappear...and I LOVE THAT! The kids love reading, which is a huge accomplishment for Corbin...the focus on art is something that I value and Olivia is thriving in. I decided to take a few pictures of the things that I enjoy seeing during school time. The focus on natural materials in play, creative play, using nature to learn and teach, even down to the beeswax crayons...I'd seen them before and thought...why on EARTH would I pay 14.00 for 8 crayons?? Seeing the kids use them, the simple act of using a couple of colors to create something brilliant...no 'bubble gum pink', no 'yikes yellow', no 'gimme-a-break green'...just natural, pure colors... it's simple, but it fits in SO well with the whole learning process we are going through right now.

Homeschooling can be tough, for sure...but this is the first time I have felt like I have it all together...Since Kindergarten, all the way until now, oldest in 3rd grade...each year I have felt like there's that "one thing" missing. Not this year. This year I have felt like "We found it".

If you read this, thanks for bearing with me ;)

Just something I wanted to share today.

Corners of My Home 10.17.2008

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains..."

~~Diane Ackerman

Modeling Beeswax , a Basket of Kittens and Pippi.

The kids are working with modeling beeswax today...

So, Corbin is continuing in his love of Pippi...apparently in the chapter he read today, she wrestled the strongest man at the circus...and that's precisely what Corbin wanted to capture with his models LOL. I think he did great!

Olivia read a story in her book Animal Friends about some kittens that find a new home...and they are all in a basket at some point...so she chose to model that. (I'm thinking the gal in the story wasn't bald, but, I could be wrong tee hee) Again, I think she did great, since this is the first time they have worked with modeling beeswax and it is VERY fickle, imo ROFL.

And, now they are outside, breaking open rocks to see what they look like inside...surprisingly, some of them are pretty darn beautiful!!

Time is getting away from me today, and I still haven't organized the school closet or thrown the roast from last night into the crock pot with bbq sauce for "BBQ Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Sliders"...must do that too ;)

ahhhhhhh Friday.

Musings....

Ahhh, so this is the kind of perfect day I love. The kids have been reading quietly and without complaint...it's our 'easy day' for school and right now they are making beeswax models from something in their books. I'll post details and pictures of that later...

It's starting to feel like Fall more and more each day, and I ADORE it...it makes my heart warm. Today I have made a full on breakfast (which never seems to happen as much as I wish it did)...did some knitting, hung out with the kids...and made a latte.

I quit drinking coffee a while back and have been loving my tea...but occasionally nothing else works like a latte' for warming you up and making you feel all cuddly inside.

I am never going to own the espresso machine I want, and that's fine, I'm trying to keep it simple ;) so until then, I'll use the laborious method...

it's okay

I kind of like the process.

On the agenda today?
Organize the school closet (SOOOO much unused stuff there that needs a new home)
Start a blanket

I hope everyone is having a great Friday

The Omnivore's Hundred

I found this great list through MTBar Farm, and thought I'd copy and give it a try also :D

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Below is a list of 100 things that every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/uncategorised/the-omnivores-hundred/ linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42.Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

I have some stuff to search out and try, it seems :D

Please link me to your results if you do your own list :)

wet paper painting and joy about reading....

So today the kids worked on some wet paper watercolor paintings, as backdrops for the pictures they were drawing to go along with the portions of the books they each read. The way they can manipulate the paints, the use of water to move it, removing water and color to make layers, it just amazes me.

They read from their books, Olivia with Angelina Ballerina and Corbin with Pippi Longstocking

Corbin chose to create a picture combining his favorite parts of Chapter 6, Pippi Arranges a Picnic...Involving Pippi, a mad bull, Mr. Nelson in a tree, and his favorite, Pippi being picked up by flies ;) He painted the background and after it dried, added the details...I'm so proud of, not just his picture, but the fact that he is so excited about this book! This time last year he would be in tears if I asked him to read anything, but this book has grabbed his attention and he pours over it, completely engrossed in her shenannigans. It makes my heart warm :)



Olivia chose to do one picture that illustrates her favorite part of the book she read. She adores Angelina Ballerina, and while it's not really in the 'realm' of the reading suggestions we are using...I love the classic, gentle, CLEAN and thoughtful stories. This little gal has a knack for anything that his art, and consistently improves in her drawing abilities. I'm proud of her. Aso for reading...she could read in her bed all day long and be completely content.

Love that.
Tomorrow we have a trip to the library because she has literally read every age appropriate book in the house at least twice, and it's time to rotate all the library books now :) Nick is leaving for a backpacking trip in Kentucky tomorrow night...so I'm trying to plan some fun things for us to do while he's gone. I'll update with that as ideas come to me :P

Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Oregon Caves

So, I mentioned earlier that we went to the Oregon Caves, and it was a really neat experience. I was a little apprehensive about the whole enclosed spaces...and felt slightly panicky when he said "we are now 225 feet below the surface...but I tried to suck it up and deal, and it was fine. Tons of cool pictures were taken, here are a few that really capture how the whole thing looked, how amazing it was to see the different formations, etc.




No school for us today, since it's Columbus Day...but we are going to do some arts and crafts later. I may work some more on my latest knitting project. :D

Candlemaking

So, Liv and I made candles yesterday. We used 100% pure beeswax, it couldn't have been easier!! We didn't add any scents because the natural odor of the beeswax is just so yummy to the both of us.

It was quite easy, and was perfect for the neat day we were having. We spent a lot of time outside under the pine tree, on a blanket. Drawing, gathering acorn caps that we STILL don't know where they came from because we don't have any oak trees near by ;).

Today, the air is pretty crisp! In fact, it nearly feels like autumn, and I'm so super happy about this. I'm dressed in layers, and that is just how I like it ;).

We went to the Oregon Caves this past weekend, and I hope to put up some pictures and experiences from that. The kids loved it...as did Nick.
I was just happy to see it end and be out of there ;)

Have a great weekend world :D