Book Club - Pippi Goes on Board

We get to participate in a book club with one of our home school groups.  Along with a discussion about the author and the book, we learned about some of the Christmas traditions from Sweden.



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Happy Thanksgiving!

I was inspired by an article in a member's mailing from the Huntington Library called, "An Artwork Blooms in the Garden."  Using materials from nature, they used the lawns at the library as their canvas to create their artwork.  Hannah is always collecting leaves, rocks, sticks, etc.  She is also very creative and I thought this would be a wonderful outlet for her.  I must admit, she wasn't that interested in this activity when I first suggested it.  She squabbled with me as I tried to talk her through some basic elements of layout and design.  When she finally ran off to play, I busied myself with the vision of what I could see coming out of the materials we gathered.  After noticing me taking the time to make a picture, Hannah came over and became inspired.  She loved my turkey and suggested to make the other twigs we found trees.  Alyssa then wanted to help, so I directed her to put pine needles down for grass.   

I am curious to see how Hannah uses this experience...

Counting Pepitas

Daddy helped the girls clean out the insides of this pumpkin so that we could roast the seeds.  Hannah and Gramma counted pumpkins a few weeks ago, so I thought it would be fun to extend that learning activity.  

Gramma and Hannah counted 393 seeds.

We counted 567 (three more were found later, but were not used in our math exercise).  Hannah began by counting one at a time, but putting odd numbers in one bowl and even in another.  VERY confusing way of counting , at least for mommy!  Then when we recounted after she reached 100, we found that she had 44 in one bowl and 46 in the other.

I introduced the symbols of < and > as we compared which count was greater.

Arachnids at Kidspace

We spent the afternoon at Kidspace and got to meet a Rose Colored Tarantula and an Emperor Scorpion.  I wasn't able to get a picture of the scorpion in the black light, but that was super cool as it turned from black to white! 

Quiltmaking

 

As Elle's birthday was approaching, I asked Hannah what we should do for her fieind's birthday present.  Part of home schooling is doing handicrafts... hands on skills that she can use as she grows up... much more than just gluing and painting crafts.  For Alyssa's birthday Hannah made a tote bag for her dance class attire.  But for Elle, she thought that a blanket would be fun.  She picked out the materials, decided on a pattern after measuring out the material.  Once she figured out the number of squares needed, she helped pin and sew it all together.  There were aspects of this project she lost interest in, but she was able to do enough that she was willing to make a second blanket for another friend.

Having fun with Math

Hannah like to collect things.  On our way to and from walking Alyssa to preschool, Hannah collected these leaves and pine cones.  The big seed pod the teacher can take credit for.  Much to Hannah's amazement, the teacher reached up from a neighbors tree to yank it off the branch where it hung just above the teachers head.  Her eyes were wide with surprise as she watched her teacher, the one who says not to pick things because we should leave nature as it is, do this from a neighbor we don't even know! 

With these found treasures, we did math... we measured in both inches and centimeters.

Home School Co-op

Part of our home schooling experience is being shared with the Wongs and Wolterbeek families.  On Tuesdays when we get together, Beverly teaches music, I teach art and Lisa heads up science.  The younger siblings also get their own activities as well. 

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Harvest Moon

Ryan sent an article to me from The Miami Herald, titled, " 'Super Harvest Moon' light show expected at sunset tonight."  It had been an overcast day and it didn't look good for viewing the skies tonight.  But by the time bath time was over, the skies had cleared up and this is what we saw:

A full moon starting the beginning of autumn for the first time in 20 years, making an extremely bright moon.

Jupiter just below the moon, the first time in 47 years that it has been this close to our moon (about every 12 years they are on the same side of the sun).

Three of the four moons of Jupiter, with the telescope that daddy had gotten when he was twelve.

The reaction Alyssa had when she first saw Jupiter and the moons was priceless... she literally gasped when she finally figured out how to look into the telescope to see it and proceeded to say and she smiled broadly in amazement, "It's amazing!"

First Day of School

Today was Hannah first day of Kindergarten at the Jaffe Schoolhouse..  Dressed even before breakfast, she prepared her desk for school.  She has been looking forward to this day and so was Mommy.  The first order of business was to explain to the girls why their mommy wanted to home school.  I told them that if I wasn't a mommy, the job I would want to have would be to teach children.  Since I am a mommy, I wanted to be able to teach my own children and to spend time learning with them.  Today we began an adventure of learning together... at least on a more official basis than what were were doing before!