Our Week

This past week has been busy for us (do we ever not say that?). We started our week with some fun art projects. This first fall project was one where we started by rubbing leaves with crayons on a large roll of paper. This was a nice project because all of the kids got great results no matter their age. Here is a picture of the kiddos working on it.

Everyone rubbing away.

After we had filled the page with our rubbings we mixed some food coloring and painted in the blank spaces. The final results was beautiful and hangs in our dinning room. Here are some close-up shots.

Todd worked with the kids on another leaf project that came out great. Here are some shots of step one in the project...



OK now for the whining portion of this post....my week has been less than ideal and I just need to vent about it.

Shannen spent a good portion of the week and weekend with my parents getting some much needed one-on-one time (which was great thank-you mom and dad!). She is really starting to start to need her space and exert her own identity lately. I know it is natural and good I just wish she could express her needs in a less emotionally volatile way....but I guess that comes with age. I have been trying all week to express my needs/frustrations in a calm and balanced way and if it is hard for me at 30-something I guess it is ok that it is hard for her at 9....I will just keep telling myself that.

Moving on....Todd and I had a conference planned this week in Boston. This is one we have been going to for years and we were both really looking forward to it. We have not had much time to work together lately with homeschooling and the economy issues making child-care help non-existent. I was really looking forward to some "work time". On our way to Boston however all (really all) the lights came on on the dash of my van....it seems to be a minor repair (thank goodness) but it freaked me out anyway. We decided to keep going (spoke to a friend who works on these vans....he said it would not blow up) anyway we were not 2 mins. down the road when a tire blew....ok universe I get it head home. So I missed the conference (Todd did go and ran into some important people in the evening he would have missed during the day) and I was really bummed.

Now to health portion of the post....Instead of making it to our conference I took my 3 year old to the doctors for his SECOND dose of antibiotics since he got his ear tubes put in a month ago. I really feel bad for the little guy...and I feel bad for me because he was whinny and grumpy all week. I thought we had everything under control with the $50 antibiotic (thank-you health care reform) and breathing treatments but I was wrong. On Wednesday we got a call from Collin's school....ran to get him and waited until 10 pm to decide that the extreme pain he was in (stomach) really did not seem normal. We (ok I) took him to the E.R. (until 1am). He of course stopped screaming as soon as we hit the E.R. He had been screaming for at least 5 hrs...no food, laying like dead on the couch in between screaming like a banshee, and nothing made him feel better...even T.V. We finally came out (did I telly you at 1 am?) with NO appendicitis thank-you thank-you thank-you (I am jumping up and down for no surgery....really). It seems that all is well with everyone now (knock on wood).

Now to the patience portion of the post (mine not the kids). On Friday I missed out on my one-on-one time with Morgan (long story...and I was able to make the day up) and my night out by myself (which I kind of needed). So my patience has been thin and things seemed to be thwarting me all week. So today I spent 2 hrs deep breathing trying to get Tristan to sit or a 3 minute time out all the while he is screaming, kicking, and alternately saying "no I wont sit", "this is lame" (thanks sisters), and "I will be done NOW". We have been having a huge problem with him screaming no at everything asked of him....and I had had enough. The whole thing was draining on both of us and exactly what needed to happen but it took all my meditation techniques not to kill him :) I thought I had exhausted all my patience but no....Shannen came home and reacted emotionally to the change of scenery and I spent about 30 mins. outside of our church's Thanksgiving dinner (in the freezing cold....no jacket) waiting for her get control so we could go back in....I am exhausted and in need of a re-charge.

I have been posting on Facebook something I am Thankful for it was an exercise a friend of mine introduced me to and I am really glad I had to do this this past week. It really kept things in perspective. Did we have a bad week....yes but was I able to still find things to be thankful for yes....it was hard at times....but I don't think that is always a bad thing. Sometimes it is necessary to look hard at what we have so we can really see it. So thank-you Bev for introducing me to the exercise, thank-you to the kids for making me a better person by testing me (even when I don't like it), and thank-you to my family and friends for giving me strength and support when I need it. I am looking forward to next week....hoping it will be a little less eventful but if it is not I will get more deep breathing practice.

P.E. and Sewing

The girls are really keeping the faith that this quilt will be done soon. The last thing we did was adding on the stars. The girls found the extra material that they had to move around a bit overwhelming and it took all day to get the stars on but they did it! We have only binding left. So one more day and we will be reading under the quilt. Here are some more update photos...

Shannen setting the stars.

Morgan finishing up.

Sewing on the stars.

There is so much material to turn around!

We have been trying to get outside while the weather around here is still nice. We have had some really nice days and we found a trail near the house that we had never been on. I think we will be doing that walk more.

The girls loved the long bridges over the marshy areas.
We can't wait till spring to capture some little animals from the marsh.

We found a great hollow tree that the kids tried to crawl into :)

Morgan didn't fit.

Neither did Shannen.

Collin loved being squeezed by the tree.

Tristan could almost turn around.

On Thursdays when we head over to my parents house we have been having our "P.E." classes....wish I could have counted this as P.E. - no showers, silly shorts, and running for (from) the ball. Shannen and Collin have been doing Karate. They love it and have been doing a great job....must be in the blood. They have both been working hard at the studio and with me. Here is a great picture I stole from the studio's website (thanks).

Uncle Richie, me, Collin, and Shannen

While Shannen and Collin have been doing Karate Morgan has been ice skating. We have really lucked out with the rink. The open skate starts before school lets out so the place is empty. We have been able to skate all over the place and are having a blast.

She is getting so good!

We are all so glad to be feeling better so that we can get out and have some fun and we hope this good weather holds out for a bit longer!

Random Fun Pictures #3

We have been really busy over the last few weeks....what with the flu (for everyone but Todd) and trying to keep life together but I am finally trying to catch up on my posts.

Here are some new fun photos from the past few weeks.....

Collin has gotten so good at his letters

Working hard.

Shannen would like everyone to know she hates math!

Collin and Tristan loves there new bunk beds.

I love when they read to the boys.

Morgan learns her times tables
the best with candy...hmmmm

They all want in on that action.

I will get that car.

I think this is a train...maybe a boat?

I promise I am being very gentle.

We did a few things for Veteran's day with the kids....watched some videos about veterans, talked about war, and talked about family members. Here are some pictures of a mini-book we did Flander's Fields. The girls did a good job analyzing the poem.

Tristan's Book

Shannen's Book

Morgan's Book

Collin's Book

Music and Art Project

The kids and I did a great projects the other day that I found on LessonPlansPage. The kids like music a lot (Collin really loves it...especially rock and roll) and we have not been doing nearly enough with music. So we started to talk about how music can make you feel differently. I said that sometimes people will express these different emotions through art.

The lesson was to play 2 songs (with no words) and to produce 2 different pictures. The songs were Brick in the Wall Part 2 and Money by Pink Floyd....great songs. Here is the website where the lesson is...

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MusicFeelingsMood.htm

The results were great.

Brick in the Wall Part 2
Shannen: "Just craziness"


Money
Shannen: "A thief sneaking through the neighborhood"


Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
Collin: "A boat and fisherman with sharks chasing them."

Money
Collin: "A man at a wishing well"


Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
Morgan: "An electric guitar"

Money
Morgan: "I like the ringing bells in the beginning."

Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
Tristan is having fun.


Money
Tristan really went crazy.

I thought it was great that they all had such different views of the songs and that the pictures between one song and another were so unique. The kids liked listening to the songs with the words after we were done.

So Close to Being Done!

The girls have been working hard on their American Flag Quilt....and we are almost there. They have done almost all the work on it themselves. My mom and I have helped with cutting (not ready for them to have a rotary cutter) and some of the ironing but they have done all the sewing...and cut out the starts. It has been a big project for them. Here are some pictures to update that project.

Putting the quilt together.

Shannen quilting her stripes.


Morgan quilting her stripes.


Paying such attention.


Not as easy as this looks.

Well the girls only have to sew the stars on and finish the binding....I think I am just as (more) anxious to see this done as the girls....one more solid day and we should have it.

Modigliani Portrait

Today the girls and I worked on Modigliani Portraits. I found this project on a great blog:


http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2008/09/modigliana-portraits.html


Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (July 12, 1884 – January 24, 1920) was an Italian artist who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form. He died in Paris of tubercular meningitis, exacerbated by poverty, overwork, and addiction to alcohol and narcotics.

Morgan keeps calling him spaghetti (she says his name sounds like it) but other than that they seem to remember a bit about him. Here are their self portrait attempts:


Step 1: Measure the Paper

Step 2: Draw the Face

Step 3: Use Oil Pastel to Fill in Picture




Final Product:



The girls really had a blast with this project...and we had another art project hat worked out!