Simon and I and Todd are now super interested in identifying the tracks around our house since we now know that we have opposums, raccoons, and skunks. We have seen them, of couse, at our chicken coop. We were able to identify some skunk tracks today, really close together, with a pad and toes and the claws. We could even make out the brush in the snow. Simon and I followed them around our house and to the pasture. I think we will be sad when the snow is gone and we can't see our animal tracks as easily. He calls our house the "track house" now because he just loves it that there are always tracks to follow.
This weekend, we house-sat for friends while they were away from home. Our job was to take care of their chickens, cow, horses, sheep, donkeys, and dogs. Simon always did chores with Todd, sticking right with him and asking questions all the time. He especially loved Puzzle, the new baby donkey. I wish I had taken pictures!
For the Community Stones Into Schools Discussion, our church invited 2 men to speak about their Islam faith today. Incredibly fascinating and inspiring to Simon and I in different ways. When one of them mentioned that he has lived in India and Indonesia, Simon leans over to me to say "Mom, he has lived in 2 places where there are tigers...2 different tigers, Mom!" Simon loves big cats so much, he can show anybody on the map places where big cats live, and he could even show you the country where the most cheetahs live. He knows what their favorite meals are, when they hunt, where they live, and he really enjoys being a big cat to "fight" with his dad. I love to find new books on big cats at the library for him.
Just some tidbits about Simon these days...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Crazy Things
Recent Crazy and Unbelievable Things at our House:
1. Found in our living room: a live caterpillar that Clara has now placed on my computer to crawl around. (The children have now found a home for it and are researching what we can feed it during the winter)
2. Still sweeping up at least 10 flys per day dead under windows.
3. A puddle on the road! A REAL puddle of water!
4. 2 "Green Days" in a row (see Thermometer Post).
5. Simon asked for a haircut AND wore a different shirt.
6. Woodchuck has ceased attacking me! It seems he knows he was doomed. Clara made a sign with a chicken upside down in a "killing cone" with a slash through it. Todd took the hint, and we will try hard to keep him alive and not on our plates.
Fun day, and now I'm going outside to enjoy it further!
1. Found in our living room: a live caterpillar that Clara has now placed on my computer to crawl around. (The children have now found a home for it and are researching what we can feed it during the winter)
2. Still sweeping up at least 10 flys per day dead under windows.
3. A puddle on the road! A REAL puddle of water!
4. 2 "Green Days" in a row (see Thermometer Post).
5. Simon asked for a haircut AND wore a different shirt.
6. Woodchuck has ceased attacking me! It seems he knows he was doomed. Clara made a sign with a chicken upside down in a "killing cone" with a slash through it. Todd took the hint, and we will try hard to keep him alive and not on our plates.
Fun day, and now I'm going outside to enjoy it further!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Country Studies...and other fun
We have really been interested in countries at our house this winter. Our first pick was Egypt. Clara became interested in Cleopatra when we were reading about influential women in history. Simon is always reading about big cats, so we, therefore, are always reading about Africa. This turned into a unit for us. We checked out lots of books from the library on Ancient Egypt and learned all about what life was like forAncient Egyptians (their dress, make-up, etc.) We have learned about the Nile River, and we even painted our faces to look like Ancient Egyptians one day. We became fascinated with the pyramids and read more about Cleopatra. We soon found ourselves moving into Africa as a whole and borrowing books from friends. The kids became obsessed with a Geo Puzzle of Africa (I was always afraid we would lose Tunisia!) and we made a topographical map of Africa that you can see in the background of this pic of Simon. We cut out pictures of animals from old magazines and pasted them in the appropriate regions. The kids really know about the desert, rainforest and grassland areas of Africa now and will talk about them as we are reading about where certain big cats live.
We are still reading African folk tales occasionally (The Girl Who Spun Gold by Virginia Hamilton and others) but mostly, we have decided to move on to China (We meaning Clara).
China has been a lot of fun, and our study has been timely. We were invited to a Chinese New Year-themed Birthday Party and then attended the Chinese New Year Celebration at UW-Platteville.
China has been a lot of fun, and our study has been timely. We were invited to a Chinese New Year-themed Birthday Party and then attended the Chinese New Year Celebration at UW-Platteville.
The Handkerchief Dance
working on calligraphy
the costumes
the dragon
There was also knot-tying, drum-making, singing, learning Chinese words and songs (Gong Xi), and traditional food. This event was amazing!
We have studied the Chinese Horoscope, and it is a favorite activity to discuss the meaning behind our years. Simon, being born in the Year of the Rooster, is supposed to be a flashy dresser (our favorite). We have also made red envelopes, the traditional Chinese New Year gift to children, checked out beautiful books on Chinese folktales from the library, and written in Chinese Calligraphy. There are more events this winter and spring that the Confucious Institute is hosting. I'm sure we will attend some of them, as they are always so well done.
Moving on to England...We are always sort of studying England because I am always reading a book about English history. The kids are always interested in what I am reading, and so they have learned quite a bit simply by that route. One evening, Clara came up with this masterpiece at the dinner table.
For those who may not know, this is Queen Elizabeth I. The picture does not do it justice. I knew right away who she had created by the high collar, typical of the time period. Aluminum Foil Art History!
When we aren't studying countries (we have moved on recently to Mozart...found a great book at the library entitled "Young Mozart" that the kids are enthralled with and have begun listening to Mozart as well), we are trying to figure out how to live with a rooster who is now attacking us (me especially), knitting, designing codes, building massive living room forts, and playing on our incredibly tall mounds of snow.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Birds and Ballet
So, for my first post in well over a month, I will tell about the 2 most important "B's" in our life as a family right now.
The first is the birdfeeder that Simon received for a Christmas present. That birdfeeder is home to regular "songbird feed." Soon after, we received from my grandparents another birdfeeder, that holds oiled black sunflower seeds, and a suet feeder. The birds are now at our house! We watch them everyday, from the time we wake up in the morning until the birds themselves go to bed at night. We have now 11 different varieties (not counting the Kestrel that is perched high in the trees by the road at times, waiting to spot a mouse)! We have counted into the 20's many times as we watch them at the feeders. We watch the Blue Jays come in pairs, the Juncos and Sparrows come in families, and the Flicker come alone. We watch the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers peck at the suet, now totally able to tell the difference between the 2 woodpeckers that look so much alike. We watch until we can tell whether it is a male or a female we see, waiting for the glimpse of the rod spot on the nape. We watch the Nuthatch eat upside down every time it lands on the feeder. We wait for the House Finches and Doves that come more often now, and we wait anxiously for the Cardinal to return. We LOVE watching birds, and it is so fun to hear Simon holler to us that he has spotted a new bird. It is always Simon. He is watching all of the time. Twas the perfect gift for him.
The other, newer, "B" is for the "Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories." What a fabulous book! It contains a handful of the most well-known ballet stories, and my children (and I) are enchanted! We have learned about Russian ballets (Swan Lake being the favorite), a Polish ballet (Coppelia), and the Greek ballet that is so different from the others (Daphnis and Chloe). The illustrations are amazing, the stories are captivating, and we are entranced. We look up the countries where they were written, we dance to Swan Lake music, and we read them again and again, sitting on the couch for hours.
We are loving the "B's."
The first is the birdfeeder that Simon received for a Christmas present. That birdfeeder is home to regular "songbird feed." Soon after, we received from my grandparents another birdfeeder, that holds oiled black sunflower seeds, and a suet feeder. The birds are now at our house! We watch them everyday, from the time we wake up in the morning until the birds themselves go to bed at night. We have now 11 different varieties (not counting the Kestrel that is perched high in the trees by the road at times, waiting to spot a mouse)! We have counted into the 20's many times as we watch them at the feeders. We watch the Blue Jays come in pairs, the Juncos and Sparrows come in families, and the Flicker come alone. We watch the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers peck at the suet, now totally able to tell the difference between the 2 woodpeckers that look so much alike. We watch until we can tell whether it is a male or a female we see, waiting for the glimpse of the rod spot on the nape. We watch the Nuthatch eat upside down every time it lands on the feeder. We wait for the House Finches and Doves that come more often now, and we wait anxiously for the Cardinal to return. We LOVE watching birds, and it is so fun to hear Simon holler to us that he has spotted a new bird. It is always Simon. He is watching all of the time. Twas the perfect gift for him.
The other, newer, "B" is for the "Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories." What a fabulous book! It contains a handful of the most well-known ballet stories, and my children (and I) are enchanted! We have learned about Russian ballets (Swan Lake being the favorite), a Polish ballet (Coppelia), and the Greek ballet that is so different from the others (Daphnis and Chloe). The illustrations are amazing, the stories are captivating, and we are entranced. We look up the countries where they were written, we dance to Swan Lake music, and we read them again and again, sitting on the couch for hours.
We are loving the "B's."
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