Monster Art

For art last week we just did a simple - but fun - monster activity.  I just took regular paint and watered it down quite a bit.  The kids dabbed different colours here and there on their page and then blew through a straw to make their monster shapes.  I got the idea from this website.  I realized after I took these pictures that I forgot to have the kids put mouths on their monsters . . . we might still have to do that or it's gonna drive me crazy!  

Here are the finished works of art:  

Denver's masterpiece

Victoria's masterpiece

Samara's masterpiece

Austin's masterpiece

Op Art

Wow . . . has it already been a month??  I have a good excuse . . . more on that in another post.  

Here is an art project we did a few weeks ago.  I can't find the link to give credit where credit is due so I apologize in advance.  This was another op art project that the kids worked on while we did our read aloud.  

It was a relatively simple project.  They started with drawing a circle in the middle of the page and then all the lines.  

They each picked two colours and starting filling in the squares . . . every other colour.  Here are the results.  Another job well done.  

Samara's masterpiece

Austin's masterpiece

Victoria's masterpiece

Blog post randomness . . .

Nothing in particular.  Just a bit of this and that.  

Two weeks ago, Samara and Denver came downstairs just before bedtime and exclaimed, "Ta da!  We're the backwards pj twins!!!"  WAY too cute.  

Three out of four kids were watching a movie on a laptop crashed out on Victoria's bed.  They didn't even notice me come in to take the picture.  Great memories!  

Beautiful cardinal spotted in the cedars in the backyard.  There are so many of them around our place.  Their beautiful red colour just stands out so much at this time of year.  

Can you guess what these are?  If you're thinking flowers, you're so wrong.  They're neurons.  Yep, that's right.  Part of our anatomy study for science.  Made with clay by Austin and Victoria.  

And that's it . . . just some bloggy randomness . . . 

Book Review: The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society

This was a nice light read . . . exactly what I needed.  It’s the story of a few women that got together once a month to discuss a book and share their knitting project.  The group is a combination of a knitting group and book club.  Every month they would read a book and the knitting project they worked on would have to go with the book.  What a cool idea.  As you read through the book, you learned about the lives of each of the women . . . all dealing with some specific issue.  Partway through the story, a young troubled teen ends up joining their group and they help her out in a variety of ways.  But as you get further into the book you realize that through this troubled teen, they are each seeing things in their own lives that they need to deal with.  Like I said, it wasn't too deep or overly thought provoking . . . just  a simple enjoyable story.  

Finish that Picture

For art this past week, the kids each got a picture from a magazine . . . cut in half.  All they had to do was glue it on a plain white piece of paper and complete the picture.  I have to admit, I forgot about our Friday art time and so I was scrambling a bit.  However, the kids had a really good time and were up for the challenge.  We discussed symmetry and whether or not they thought their picture was symmetrical before it was cut in half.  And we talked about ways they could complete the picture so it was either symmetrical or not symmetrical.   The only requirement was that they fill up the whole page . . . no white paper showing.  I have to say, they did a really great job!  

This was Austin's.  He actually picked this picture and I was surprised he chose such a challenging one.  People aren't always easy to draw.  I love the way he added a present onto her other hand and the stack of presents at the bottom is great!  

I chose a picture that had a whole bunch of wrapped presents on it for Denver. However, he decided to pick his own picture and chose this one of a closet full of tea.  It was challenging and he really wasn't very interested in it.  But he participated and what more can I ask right??  

Samara picked a picture of cutlery.  I thought she did an excellent job.  She even made sure she completed the bottoms and tops of each piece of cutlery at the right angle.  So well done.  

I chose this one for Victoria because of her love of dogs.  I love the way she perked his one ear up.  She did a really good job too.  

 Considering it was a "let's just wing it" kind of art project, I was pleased with the outcome.  Good job guys!  

Another Bookstore Outing

I took the kids back to the bookstore on Wednesday for another program.  This one was a Lego program.  They loved it.  They sat and listened to a story first.  It was called "The Black Rabbit" about a rabbit who was always followed by a black rabbit that he was scared of.  One day a fox came along but was scared off by the black rabbit . . . which turned out to be the white rabbit's shadow.  So cute.  

Then they each got their own little Lego set . . . all the pieces to put together a little Easter chick.  It came in a little gift bag with the instructions to put it all together.  They also got their own VIP Ninjago badge so Samara is planning to work at the bookstore when she gets a little bigger . . . just like the lady!  

The kids had taken along some of their own money and since the Lego mini figures were on sale, they each picked  one out and bought it.  

And the whole outing was topped off by visiting Daddy at work and taking him out for lunch.  Fun!  

Book Review: Wild

I picked up this book at the library after seeing it on Oprah’s Book Club list.  I was intrigued. 

Finding herself at a low point in her life after having lost her mother to cancer and her marriage ending in divorce, the author decides to get away from it all.  But instead of just moving away, she packs up a (huge) backpack and sets out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) for a few months . . . might I add alone!  I know I could never do it.  Reading about her encounters with rattle snakes, bear sightings, coyotes howling at night . . . those that know me know I prefer the comfort of my own home rather than roughing it.  If I could hike all day in the beautiful mountains and forests and then be back in my own bed at night, I’d be all for it! 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the book.  There was some language in it that I would prefer not to read but I was able to look past it.  I loved reading about all the people she met along the way.  Everyone (okay, almost everyone) was so kind to her and no one could believe a woman was out hiking the PCT all by herself.  She proved to others and to herself that she could do what she put her mind to and along the way, healing took place.  She came to terms with things in her life and was able to deal with them and come out stronger on the other end (physically and emotionally!) 

All in all, an interesting read.