Sunday, February 26, 2012

Goodbye February!

I saved the last post to edit and add pics and then I never got around to it. So, I thought I would fill you in on our exciting February. We have done a lot with the kids that I wanted to document. Of course we have been doing our daily studies, but a few days this month, we took time out of our regular schedule to do some "fun" school stuff!

First up was working in the garden. Our little seeds are now all pretty large plants! I really need to plant my sugar snap peas and cucumbers quickly, (like this week...) or else they may be too large for their tiny space. Good thing I live in Zone 8 and can actually plant these now!!

Another fun event was going to support Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate. He came to Atlanta in one of the northern suburbs about 20 minutes from my house. I decided to take the kids to see him. As a last minute idea, I had Jenna make a poster for him that we could take to the rally. Good thing I did, because Mitt Romney actually came over and shook hands with me and just as his Secret Service agents were trying to escort him away, he said, "Wait..." and came over and grabbed Jenna's poster and signed it for her. It was so sweet and awesome. He talked about being Bishop in our church for 10+ years, which I didn't previously know. It was a great speech and I truly think he will be an asset to America. Go Mitt!!

We also started a co-op with a few neighbors who also homeschool. We just started last Friday, but the project we are working on is super exciting! The kids are paired up with a sweet girl (that is constantly surrounded by the boys in the group. This group is seriously lacking girls!) who is their partner in creating their own country. There was a super cool book that prompted this assignment that one of the moms got from the local library. I don't remember what it is called, but I'm sure you could google "Create Your Own Country" and it would probably pull up. The kids found an unclaimed island off of China where they are going to "claim" and create their country there. More research on Wednesday! So exciting for them.

Another cool experience was going to the local art studio, "Masterpiece Mixers" which is like 5 minutes from my house. (Awesome!) The kids learned about Georges Seurat from the 1800's who worked on a portrait of the Eiffel Tower using Pointillism- a style of painting using dots to create a larger picture. Then the kids were able to paint their own version of the Eiffel Tower using the same technique of Pointillism. It was such a great class! The kids each have a canvas of their own artwork to display in their rooms now! The best part was the low cost. Each kid costs $12 for the class, materials, studio space, and instruction! They offer this class once a month and I definitely see us doing this again in the future. (In all honesty- it has even inspired me to try a painting for my dad using the same technique the kids learned.)

So- there you have February. So much for updating the blog weekly, huh?! Let's just say, we've been quite busy. Rob received a new calling at church in the Elders Quorum. We are excited for the blessings to come from serving the Lord. Also- I have been having lots of doctor's appointments. We find out this week a game plan to get my health back on track. Unfortunately, this will probably include another surgery in March. I'll keep you updated! For now- we are happy and content with life. I love the feeling of contentment. The Lord is blessing us with peace and knowledge that we are a forever family!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Bring On February!

This last week was full of surprises. I took on a Superbowl party, a baby shower in March, and of course still being the "secretary" for book club. Also- my calling at church is being put into full effect and I will be the speaker at our next Relief Society event in one week! Lots of things to do, but honestly.... it is nice.

For school this week, we learned on Tuesday that Wednesday was Groundhog's Day. I was tempted to throw in the movie, "Groundhog's Day" with Bill Murray, but decided that it was probably not appropriate for the kids to watch. It did lead me on to think about how great other movies are though...such as "Multiplicity" also starring Andie McDowell. LOVE THAT MOVIE!!

Back to school... The biggest thing we did this week was to plan our family garden. a "FAMILY GARDEN" implies that not only MOM will do the work, but also the entire FAMILY! This is the first time ever that I have ever had to start from red clay and try to create a viable environment for these veggies to grow in.