We went from swimming to stocking caps this week… crazy August!
You need to find a place to store your sword and cape when swinging.
Mermaids give the best pushes.
Math games are even more fun with gnome cards.
Fairy has finally gotten the hang of pumping and has spent hours on the swing this week.
We had to pull out coats and caps for our nature walk.
Finger painting is a great way to spend a cold, rainy afternoon.
Last year while completing our Harvest Activities we made 10" square batik quilt blocks each month (September, October, November) with the intent to make a quilt showcasing the kids artwork. This project got buried in the craft cabinet during the holidays and never resurfaced. Recently, I’ve been working on another quilt project and all of the kids have been begging to help. That project is not one that I can have the kids help on but I remembered the lost harvest blocks. Today has been a rainy day and it seemed like a good time to pull the Harvest Quilt.
I cut out some additional 10" squares of fabric that seemed to go with the harvest theme. Then we laid out the pieces in a random manner. The only thing I planned was that the kids blocks stayed in one row so they could each sew up their row.
The kids took turns pinning and then sewing up their rows (with mommy’s help of course). They love getting to use my sewing machine ;).
I then sewed all the rows together to form the quilt top and ironed the seams.
During nap/quiet time, I found a piece of muslin (the only fabric I had large enough laying around for the backing) and some batting. I sewed up the quilt (layer it batting, backing right side up, top right side down… I messed up this order once in high school and still have a quilt mocking me in my closet that is finished with the batting on the outside. I’ve never had the energy to seam rip all the way around that queen sized quilt. LOL) leaving a 6" opening.
I trimmed the edges, flipped the quilt right side out, hand stitched the opening closed, and then iron the side seams for a finish edge. I pinned the quilt and then tied the corners with a thick cotten thread.
And we now have a Harvest Quilt that showcases some of the kids art work. It makes a fun lap quilt/play mat that the kids are very proud to say they made.
Daddy had to work this weekend so we snuck in an extra project for the week on Saturday morning. We completed the "Me Project" from our ARTistic Pursuits They Way They See It Book. This also tied into the Unplugged Challenge theme of the week which was "People." We haven’t participated in so long and this made for a great way to jump back in.
The kids started by drawing pictures of themselves. Then I had them go through our fabric scraps and pick out some fabrics. They each picked out fabrics from their own favorite clothes I have made them. I cut them up for the kids and they used them to decorate their portraits.
As usual Fairy stuck pretty close to the project as assigned and dressed herself (note the crown). Like Mama, she likes to see results and is a bit of a perfectionist.
Bug on the other hand, who doesn’t have a clue where "the box" is (and if he did he would probably just turn it into a castle or something 😉 ), used his fabric as rug for his room and included images of some of his favorite things. He so works on his own adjenda. I’m not sure what the glitter glue was for… but I guess everything is better with some glitter.
Pixie, well as you will see I don’t have anything to show you for Pixie. She is my all about the process child and ended up cutting up her whole project into tiny bits, completely unfazed that she had nothing to hang on the fridge when she was done. 🙂
This site is still in the works as I move my stuff over from Natures Way Learning. Pardon the dust and please let me know if you are having any issues.
Pixie has recently discovered Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? and it has become a must read every night at bedtime. For something fun for her we used this book as the basis for our art project this week. We read the book, talked about how Eric Carle made the pictures and then created our own cut paper pictures of animals. My kids love anything that lets them use scissors and a glue stick. They sat around the table quite content for some time 🙂 .
Cut out the main shapes to build the animals (lol – take note of the floor 😉 ). We used construction paper because it is what I had on hand but tissue paper would be nice as well… although it might be harder for little kids to use to cut shapes.
Glue everything onto a large sheet of white paper forming your animal. For the older kiddos, have them pay attention to the order you paste the pieces down. What you place on top will seem closer in the picture.
Add details with crayons or markers.
I love Usborne Encyclopedias… if for no other reason than the Internet Links. I have found many wonderful sites that I might never have stumbled upon through their quick-links.
While reading Usborne IL First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life here are a few of the recommended sites that have helped Bug with his Independent Project on Dinosaurs…
I just down loaded all the photos from the last several days and am a bit over whelmed…
1: by trying to decide what to share.
2: by my sheer frustration of how many photos are far less than perfect (I’m still fighting with my fairly nice camera for decent low light shots… especially with speedy kiddos).
3: by the thought that another Christmas has gone from anticipation to memory. I just can’t believe how quickly that happens.
4: how blessed I feel for such a wonderful time we have had with family.
Rather than a full on montage of holiday photos I’m going to leave you with a little Rolly, Polly Homemade, Puppy Love! This little fellow (which some of you may remember) has already gotten lots of love.
I was reading in my little Advent book our church handed out, about a German Tradition that includes 12 specific ornaments to ensure a happy marriage. I thought it would be fun to create these 12 themed ornaments with the kids.
Angel (symbol of God’s guidance)
Fish (symbol of Christ’s blessing and of fertility)
Teapot (hospitality)
Bird (joy, happiness and the Holy Spirit)
Rabbit (hope and peace with nature)
Fruit Basket (generosity and plenty)
Heart (love in the home)
Pine Cone (fruitfulness, motherhood)
Flower Basket (good wishes in the home)
Rose (symbol of affection and the Virgin Mary)
House (protection)
Santa (goodwill, giving and sharing)
This is a fun collection of poems by Palmer Cox.
JANUARY
Throughout the year the Brownie Band
For pleasure travels o’er the land:
In January, when the snow
Lies on the hills and valleys low,
And from the north the chilly breeze
Comes whistling through the naked trees,
Upon toboggans long they ride
For hours down the mountain side,
Until the broadening light of day
Compels them all to quit their play.
FEBRUARY
When ice has coated
lake and stream,
And skating is
the common theme
Of which the youthful
people speak
By night and day
from week to week;
The Brownies
are not left behind
But manage well
their sport to find.
MARCH
When March arrives
with sweeping gales
That bend the trees
and split the sails,
And people have
a lively chase
For hats that will not
keep their place.
Then to the field
the Brownies bring
Their home-made kites
and balls of string.
APRIL
When fall the drenching
April showers
To start the grass
and bud the flowers,
Each cunning Brownie
must be spry
To keep this scanty
garments dry;
For they know where
in wood or field
The friendly tree
will shelter yield.
MAY
When flowers spring
on every side,
In gardens fair,
and meadows wide,
The Brownies quickly
take the chance
That’s offered
for a merry dance.
They place the tapering
pole upright
To which they fasten
ribbons bright.
JUNE
In sunny June when skies are bright,
And woods and water do invite
The people from their tasks away
To sport themselves by night and day,
The Brownies are not slow to take
A ride upon a pleasant lake,
Or follow fast by rock and tree
A stream that hastens to the sea;
Through dangers may the band surround
Before the night has circled round.
JULY
When July has
its visits paid,
And trees afford
a grateful shade,
And stretched across
from tree to tree
The hammocks swing
above the lea,
The Brownies
are not slow to find
Where people
through the day reclined.
AUGUST
To swim and sport
in August mild
Though water may be calm or wild,
Gives pleasure
to the Brownie band
Who haste at night
to reach teh strand,
That they may plunge
into the wave
To swim and dive,
or like a stave,
To float on water,
to and fro.
SEPTEMBER
When fish in lake
and river bright
At tempting bait
are prone to bite,
And people from
the rock or boat,
Watch bobbing corks
that drifting float;
The Brownies
also take delight,
And spend the mild
September night
In landing fish
of every kind.
OCTOBER
When woods are tinged
with all the glow
October on the woods
can throw,
And game is plenty
on the tree
And every kind
of weapon free;
The Brownies
imitate the way
Mankind does creep
upon the prey.
NOVEMBER
November’s winds
are keen and cold,
As Brownies know
who roam the wold
And have no home
to which to run
When they have had
their night of fun,
But cunning hands
are never slow
To build a fire
of ruddy glow.
DECEMBER
When comes the month
that calls to mind
The day so dear
to all mankind,
The people living,
West or East,
Begin to talk
about the feast
That will be spread
for young and old,
While songs are sung
and stories told.
This book was published in the late 1800s so I believe it is ok for me to share the poems and the illustrations. If there happens to be a copyright issue, please let me know.
To go along with The Emperor’s New Clothes illustrated by Alison Jay, I sketched this parading Lion Emperor Coloring Page based on the cover art work so that the kids could dress the emperor in what they imagined his new clothes should have looked like… you know, if they were really there. Have fun coloring it!
I absolutely adore the illustrations in this re-telling of the Emperor’s New Clothes by Marcus Sedgwick.