What’s been keeping me busy

We decided about this time last year to make the commitment to homeschool our kids.  We started slowly, letting Boy go to half-day Kindergarten at our local public school, and keeping Girl home.  We do plan to homeschool both of them, but I thought it might be easier to start out with just one at home.  The jury is still out on whether Boy will continue at school through first grade (since his Sissy did).  His main motivation for continuing at public school next year seems to be that he’d get to ride the bus in both directions.  Doesn’t seem like enough of a reason to me.  :-)

So anyway, I’m going to TRY to post at least weekly now, so I can let friends and family know what we’re up to, schoolwise.  (And as soon as I can figure out how to make my new camera talk to my old computer, I’ll be posting pictures, too.)

So here’s what our week of April 9-13, 2012, looked like:

-       In Math, we covered two concepts from Saxon (from Lesson 110 and 111 – right angles), did several IXL.com skills (money, patterns, congruency, place values), and some multiplication/division fact-practice worksheets.

-       In Latin, we got through Lesson 19 of Prima Latina and did a lot of review.

-       In Vocabulary/Spelling, Girl finished Lesson 10 in Vocabulary from Classical Roots, and we did a little review of roots from previous lessons.

-       In Music, Girl had Harp Group on Monday, Lesson on Thursday, and practiced all the other days of the week but Sunday.  In addition, this week we started a bit of composer study, focusing on Johann Sebastian Bach.  She filled out a biography notebook page of Bach and a music appreciation page after listening to “Air for the G String.”

-       In History/Geography, we focused on the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, the Maya, Inca and Aztec empires.  We watched a couple of videos on the Maya, and a National Geographic video called “Incan Mummies.”  Girl worked on (and didn’t quite finish yet) a lapbook on Mexico.  We also read a book on Ferdinand Magellan and she completed an explorer biography notebook page.

-       Art and Science got short shrift this week, thanks to a Parent Advisory Committee meeting for the homeschool program we are involved in, and a volunteer appreciation lunch at Boy’s school.  We’ll have to double up next week!

-      We did fit in a little bit of Grammar/Writing/Copywork, with some Writing With Ease, and a little report on a story of Girl’s choice from a book of Mexican folk tales.

Other stuff we (the family) are working on includes making plans for turning our new property into a little arctic “urban” farm and gearing up for the Tanana Valley Farmers’ Market (which opens Saturday, May 12th, from 9-4! Come see it!)

Am I forgiven for not posting in forever??

To Do Lists

Ok, I should just never make promises to do anything weekly.  Maybe if my to do list looked like one I found recently in my 7-year old daughter’s notebook, I’d be better at getting everything done.  Here is her list:

1. Wake up.
2. Eat breakfast.
3. Get dressed.
4. Play with dolls.
12. Go to bed.

I think she’s got a really good sense of what is important in life.

I will try to post more often, but only after I play with my dolls.

Dysthymia

I am writing an article for my writing class on dysthymia, and I am stumped!  Dysthymia is  a type of depression that lasts at least two years (sometimes much longer), and in which the sufferer can have many of the same symptoms that people with so-called “major” depression face.  I’ve seen it described as “mild,” “less severe,” and even “minor.”  The thing is, people with dysthymia (dis-THIGH-me-a) have often been depressed for so long, they’ve forgotten what it feels like not to be depressed.  Depression becomes their “normal” state.  Everything seems hopeless; they have no motivation; they have no energy.  They get by, but they have no joy, and they feel they have no worth.  And this is what normal feels like.

My article started out as a list article – you know, like “57 ways to cut your grocery bill” or “16 Green Crafts Using Your Old Milk Jug Lids!”  Mine was “Get a Handle on the Blahs.”  I really want to write this article – I was dysthymic myself, for many years, and if I hadn’t come across the term somewhere, I never would have gotten the help I needed.  The thing is, I’m getting caught up in the futility of writing a self-help article for people who don’t recognize their own need for help.  Also, I only have 1000 words to work with.

 

Any ideas?

Some New Dollies

So, here is part of what has kept me from my keyboard the last month or so…these dolls were supposed to be Christmas presents, but they just would NOT cooperate.  Fortunately the lady who ordered them is very, very nice.  She told me she wanted happy dolls, with no stress sewn in to them.  At last they are done and delivered. (Actually, they’ve been delivered for a week or two…I’ve not been on the ball with uploading photos, either.  Sigh.)

 

It always amazes me how they come out with their own personalities, even if I’m using the same pattern!  I used the same basic pattern for the three smaller ones, and they couldn’t be more different.  The two henna dolls started out the same, too – but the blond is definitely sassier than the brunette, don’t you agree?

The Wisdom of Preschoolers

My friend, Tammi, and I were attempting to figure out how to get her daughter’s toy to work, to show my son.  The toy in question is a hobby horse with a chip in its ear that makes galloping and neighing noises when pressed.  The chip is apparently broken.  Tammi squeezed the ear for awhile, then I gave it a go.  Finally, her nearly-three-year old came over and said, “I can show him how it works, Mommy.”  She took the hobby horse, straddled it and skipped off across the room.

“This is how you make it gallop, Frederich!”

Then she added, “And you can make it neigh, too – Neigh!  Neigh!“

My 4 1/2-year old said, “Cool!”

 

Sometimes grown-ups can be really idiotic.

Post-A-Week 2011

Hi there!  Long time no write, I know.  But I’m determined to do better – and I’m participating in WordPress’s “Post-A-Week 2011″ challenge (they have a “Post-A-Day” challenge, too, but let’s be realistic….).  I’ve also signed up for an online writing class.  (That means the class is online, not that the writing is necessarily for online use!)  I am looking forward to a busy and productive year.  I hope you are, too!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Computer Issues and the Summer Busy-ness

I’ll be back to posting regularly soon!!

Smooshers Thursday – CNewcomb

This week’s Smoosher is Chris Newcomb, aka EagleHawk.  Chris lives in Cypress, Texas (the 2nd largest state…;) ), with his wife (“the most wonderful woman I know” he says! Isn’t that sweet?) and two daughters. He is primarily a woodworker.  Something I love from his Art Fire shop‘s Artisan Gallery is this wonderful decorative violin:

More representative of Chris’s work is this gorgeous little scrollsaw ornament, which he says is “perfect for little hands to hang on the tree.”  Living as I do only a few miles from the North Pole, I had to include this one!

How does this work make Mr. Newcomb a Smoosher, you ask?  Well, although Chris is relatively new to polymer clay, he has come up the great idea of inlaying some of his woodwork with polyclay, which has resulted in some very cute keychains. 

Using wood and polymer clay together can be problematic, because of wood’s tendency to shrink and expand.  It is nice to see someone experimenting with the combination, though, because there is wonderful potential for creating beautiful items.  This is my favorite of Chris’s keychains – I love the combination of the poplar with the pearl polymer clay:

I hope you’ll have fun browsing at Chris’s Art Fire shop!

Smooshers Thursday – Crafty Baby Hope

This week, the Smooshers spotlight lands on Jennifer, of Crafty Baby Hope.

Jennifer uses her Art Fire profits to fund treatments for secondary infertility – hence the name of her shop.  You can read about her story at her blogs, Jewelry for Hope, which is where she shows her creative side, and A Look Into My Life which is her forum for discussing her hopeful, if frustrating, experiences with MTHFR, PCOS, and endometriosis…and an active little Boy Scout called “Boober.”

She does lovely wirework, as well as polymer clay work.  I love this little bird’s nest pendant:

And this bracelet is just stunning:

Of the many adorable polymer clay items in her shop, I think my favorites are the “kawaii” things.  I had to look up what that means – “kawaii” is the Japanese word for “cute” and refers to the culture of cuteness that has developed in Japan since the 1980s.  This is the trend responsible for Hello Kitty and Pokemon, though even everyday items and food can be kawaii.  Here are some of Jennifer’s kawaii items:

I hope you’ll take the time to visit Jennifer’s shop and blog.  She is a strong lady with a lot of hope, and she makes really cute stuff!

Smooshers Thursday – Sassy Clay Creations

This week, the guild spotlight is on Dori, of Sassy Clay Creations.  Dori has perfected the trick of layering clay to build up lovely and fun textures on her jewelry and home decor items.

This mirror would cheer me up on the worst bad hair day!

I love this little glittery white bowl.  Working with white clay is a HUGE challenge for me – mine always ends up mainly white with flecks and smears of other colors and fuzzy with dust.  This little bowl shows Dori’s meticulousness and patience.

And just look at this pretty little pin! Reminds me of childhood vacations at the ocean. (Sigh – the nearest ocean to me now is the Arctic! Br!)

Dori’s blog is Sassy Clay Creations – check out the wonderful tutorial on making Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) from polymer clay.  Her Art Fire shop is SassyClayCreations.  I hope you’ll spend a little time browsing through her lovely products and admiring her creativity.