Picture Post!

Daddy on a rare day off

Rather than buying all the books on the Ambleside Online book list we're using for direction, we've been getting them from the library. We use the (simply fabulous) NB library app to order books at home, and pick them up at the library in one nice tidy stack. This keeps us safe from books with good pictures but bad plots (a serious hazard you face when your kids help choose books)! Clifford, anyone? 

E, adding glitter to her drawing. 

K's leaf to copy was green, but she painted her drawing red.

This week we combined nature study with art. Even baby O joined us, colouring away on his paper w enthusiasm.

Nanny

My leaf

You may be noticing that I love to post pictures from Drawing Monday. It's partly because I love it so much, and partly because math and reading are not nearly so photogenic!  Imagine it with me:
"Here is a photo of K showing which hand is her right hand." "And over here, we have K counting beans. Notice the pinto variety..."
And reading, well, we do our reading after naptime, on the bed. K is usually upside-down or backwards or underneath a pillow.  "And here is a picture of my unmade bed; notice K under the pillow on the left..."

The girls have been sewing a little bit, too. I find it is a very good way to keep them from exploring the sewing box while I do my mending! If I add handicrafts to our curriculum, we'll probably start with something like this.

drawing monday

We tried something simpler this week, to get E re-interested. And it worked! Her attention span is still shorter than I like, but she is only 3, after all.

 Top picture clockwise from top: Nanny's, E's, mine, Charlene's (Nanny's current home care).

Drawing Monday

We have been enjoying drawing for almost a year, now. Our first sketch book is filled - or, in K's case, used up, because she ripped out every drawing she liked to share with her public.
I am enjoying the fact that we all can do this together, including Nanny, and her home care worker.

We had gotten into some fairly complex drawing, using the step-by-step method recommended by Monart.(drawing by myself)

(d rawing by K, age 5)

We also played with watercolors and oil pastels, which was fun. 

However, I found that E (3yrs) was acting a bit defeatist about the whole drawing thing, so I stepped back to try easier pictures. Here is a recent caterpillar; first K's, then E's. 

 

It has been such a pleasure to do this together.   

      If you look closely, you will see that the caterpillar is smiling. 

Drawing Monday

I really like these kids. God is good.

Our drawing, using the Monart Method, has been progressing wonderfully.  We've been getting together with Nanny and her home-care worker every Monday and enjoying a drawing time.
Today, Katherine drew a fabulous parrot. Unfortunately for me, she gave it to Daddy to take to work.

The 'drawing tip' of the day was "Use the whole paper," because it looks more like art if you do that.

Days

We are a couple of weeks into this school year. I hadn't meant to keep track; I thought it would be inconsistent of me, since my philosophy is 'education is a life.' However, school start times, subjects, and finished accomplishments are so important to Kevin that I find myself noticing the days.
It's okay; they've been good days.

We practice reading, which is, at this juncture, practicing letter sounds. We try to put them together, but K just can't, yet. It will come.
Piano lessons are not going very well. Part of the problem is K's age, I suspect. The other part is K's mom. She hasn't figured out how to mix having authority and being exciting as she teaches. K is going to have to learn how to sit and work at it for at least 10 minutes, and how will she learn if I don't teach that? I've been focused on keeping her attention and enjoying the process, but am going to have to insist on obedience. K does like the music, and being able to play, but doesn't like the work it takes to get there.
We started our sketch books last week. I'm so pumped about those! I have to admit, this is more about me than the girls. Though, I think Charlotte Mason would approve of the drawing, because she's all about appreciating beauty, and drawing helps draw the attention to the beautiful.
I've been worrying myself about nature study, since I didn't have anything planned other than lots of time outside. However, I had a nice talk with Nelleke, who pointed out that K is only 4, after all, and perhaps, being outside is enough. She suggested starting with what I know myself (the plant and bird names, etc). Later on, I can add to that. It makes sense. And it's easy, which is what I need right now.
Why? Because Nanny is coming home today.