How a Unit Study Happened

So I was never interested in Robin Hood as a little girl.  I don't know why exactly, but I just wasn't.  But my children are, and I am now as well, and this is how it happened.

I became interested in European royalty.  I began reading books on Isabella, Eleanor, Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, "Bloody Mary", Henry VIII, etc. 

Clara noticed this and also wanted to read about royalty.  So, we checked out "To Be a Princess," "Extraordinary Women," and many others.

 In one of these books, King Richard and the Crusades was mentioned, and Robin Hood.  Simon, especially, found the short story and pictures interesting. 

Then in one of those American Girls movies (they really are great!), the one about Kitt and The Great Depression, there was talk about taking from the rich and giving to the poor.  This became a topic of conversation, the idea of it was fascinating to us (why would someone do that?  how could there even be a need to do that?  what would that time look like?  is it like that now?, etc. etc. etc.)

We soon found ourselves looking for books on Robin Hood from the library.

We have read these stories over and over this fall, looking at the pictures, learning about the characters, learning about items from that period of time, when these stories took place in relation to Elizabeth I and where, begun practicing British accents, etc.  We found a kids' version of Robin Hood on video just recently.  It was somewhat different in the storytelling, so we enjoyed discussing the differences in the versions of the story.

There has been so much study of Robin Hood that the kids' play often consists of pretending to be Robin Hood of Loxley, Maid Marion, Prince John, Little John, etc., acting out the story with cosumes and props and storylines, and adding to the story as well.  There has even been some piano playing background music that has been added to the play for dramatic effect.  I see the making of bows and arrows in our future possibly.

So we have ended up in the middle of a Robin Hood unit study without ever planning it.  It just happened.  Because one thing of interest led to another.

Made From Scratch

So we've been in full creation mode!  Even I have been reviving my crocheting and have been making "hats," although I'm just finally getting it right on my 4th hat.  Maybe it would help if I followed a pattern...

Here's Clara's finished marionette project (spelling...I guess I should have looked at that before).  She created a fairy, making the gown, face, hair, crown, arms, and wand. 

And here was her next project at Shake Rag: a totem pole from recycled wood!

And then there was the party "streamers" that we decided to make after seeing something like it at one of our churches.  I had originally seen the idea in Amanda Blake Soule's "The Creative Family."  This was one of the easiest and coolest projects we've done.  The kids love the colors and are already excited about putting it up for each birthday!

Here are the kids working on fairy house furniture after reading fairy books one day this week.  They made the sweetest little beds and used the cupcakes we made out of felt as cute little pillows.  We also walked around outside picking out materials for fairy houses.  We found the most wonderful stump, but need some help with the lifting yet.  This has also led to making shoes for Clara's tooth fairy, Rainbow Sparkle.

More recent creations:  a fairy elevator (complete with toad stool), pillows and a sleeping bag sewn for Simon's koala bear, and one of the beds with the cupcake pillow.

And I couldn't leave out the soup we made tonight with our salmon and sweet potato fries.  I never would have tried this soup before our new nutritional plan.  It is called "Garlic Spinach Soup" straight out of the Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook.  Eighteen garlic cloves are used with this recipe, so it is a super candida-fighter. I didn't know if anyone would eat it, and Simon asked for a 2nd bowl!  (I did puree it because I knew there would be NO CHANCE that it would have been consumed if I didn't.)  But, he is also the boy who demands broccoli now.  His tastes have really changed since beginning the Candida Diet just as the book says they do. 

This is a little bit of what we have been making from scratch these days.

Girls Day Out

Clara and I spent the day together in Madison yesterday, and what a day it was!  There were new boots, new light blue eyeglasses, Uno's Pizza for lunch (where Clara got to make her own pizza!), the biggest and most beautiful cupcakes from Gigi's Cupcakes at Hilldale for a snack (I wish I had taken pictures of those cupcakes...they were so beautiful and HUGE).  And then there was the Chazen Museum, where we took in some Warhol, an interesting display of different depictions of Mary and Jesus, and tons of college kids all texting with heads down or listening to their itunes (is that what you call it?). 

The day's finale was a spectacular performace by the Radio City Rockettes at the Alliant Energy Center!  This was Clara's requested birthday present.  We were both giddy and glued to those high kicks for the whole 1 1/2 hours, our favorite parts being the shiny outfits and when they all fell down on each other in a line while dressed as toy soldiers.  Did anyone know that the Rockettes used to be called the Roxyettes, that thousands of girls try out each year to be in their precision dance line, and that they have been famous for 75 years?

Once we were home, all three kids put on a spectacular "line dance" of their own for Todd and I, complete with some choreography.  What a wonderful ending to a marvelous day.  Ahhh, so much talking and sharing and laughing, and being mother and daughter.  We both learned so much today, about so many things and about each other...a special day for sure. 

Our Adventures With The New Gals and other news

We've been spending a lot of time with the ladies we have borrowed for the winter to keep Woodchuck/Acorn company.  Have I mentioned that Woodchuck has a new name because "he" is probably a "she" and most certainly can't be "Woodchuck" anymore?  She must have a more feminine name, per the children!  I still tend to call her "Woodchuck" though.  Anyhow, I'm introducing "Miss Honey" and "Miss Eleven."  Miss Honey is a Buff Orphington and Miss Eleven is a Rhode Island Red.  They are definitely the bosses and have let Woodchuck/Acorn know this important detail with pecking and chasing.  This has been rather interesting to watch. 

What has been even more interesting to watch has been the "laying of the eggs." We weren't prepared for egg-laying, but we were able to put together a pretty nice makeshift nesting box from a drawer we found in the run-down chicken coop on our property, an old laundry basket, a blanket, and some wood shavings. 

The ladies seem to like it and have already been taking turns laying eggs in it.  When Miss Honey is laying, Miss Eleven patrols the door of the chicken tractor, clucking LOUDLY until she has finished.  When Miss  Eleven is laying, Miss Honey stands at the door like a sentinel until she has finished.  We have become fascinated with this behavior, to say the least.  If we aren't outside with them, we are inside watching through the window.

We are also completely fascinated with comparing their eggs... looking at the size, color, specks, and shape. 

The one on the left is from Miss Eleven, the RI Red.  The one on the right is from Miss Honey, the BO.  This has led us to research breeds.  We have found that Woodchuck/Acorn is an Ameraucana and will lay blue/green eggs someday.  We are also learning about temperaments, which ones are good layers, which ones are good mothers, etc.  We are pretty obsessed with chickens right now.

  Ruthie's favorite, however, still is Woodchuck/Acorn.  She loves to hold her on her lap.  Who needs dogs or cats, huh?:)

When we aren't with the chickens we are building forts, building and painting shelves from scrap wood, reading more Magic Tree House books, and lots of other stuff.  More later on our Hungarian Day today and tomorrow's day with The Rockettes!

Enjoying Each Other

So, we've just been at home mostly for the last few days (except for a Shake Rag class and a Gymnastics class), which is quite unusual for us.  And I think we were all ready for some quiet home togetherness.  I love being out and about, seeing friends, playing at different places, and field-tripping, but I also have a special place in my heart for extended days spent just at home doing whatever fancies us.  So this is what we have been doing...

We have become obsessed with The Magic Tree House series and have already read the 1st four books.  Clara and I decided to make a chart to keep track of all of them, complete with theme, what we learned, what saved Annie and Jack, and a picture.  Amazingly, all of that fits into a super small space on our chart.  Clara liked the mummies, and Simon liked the dinosaurs.  (The chart was inspired by the chart Todd made with the kids for the election results...a big hit as well.  This, by the way, obviously made an impression on Simon who is telling people who we voted for and why.)

There have also been:
*Shows (where Clara performed the "Fog Dance" and Simon, the "Dog Dance")
*Note-writing to friends, family, and each other
*All kinds of math work with little notes with numbers all over the living room for the cars and marbles
*Sliding around on coats and sleeping bags
*Studying Helen Keller
*Family Drawing Time
*Broche-making (spelling???)
*More learning to read
*Singing to the max
*more that I can't remember right now

And, today we brought home a couple of friends for Woodchuck (who now, apparently, is a girl, and we must re-name her "Acorn").  Her new pals are "Honey" and "Miss Eleven" who are being borrowed from friends to keep Woodchuck/Acorn company during the winter.  They have been introduced and done some pecking at each other.  But they cuddled together to sleep tonight, and we are thrilled that they are here.  I'm sure I'll have pictures very soon.  It's been a good few days..