Well, this is another of my two week Wrap-Up posts. I have been very distracted with our spring-like weather. Our whole family has been outdoors quite a bit this week and away from all technology, sort of like we are emerging from a cocoon.Mr. A's artist for the last six weeks has been Caspar David Friedrich. He wanted to make a reproduction of this painting:
The Abbey in the Oakwood
He started off with some watercolors and then finished it with some acrylics because he thought the watercolors just weren't vibrant enough to do justice to the painting.
Mr. B received his new computer program for his afternoon project time. Now we shall see how he flies with this new creative outlet. HT to Kristen.
We had a Groundnut Stew as part of our African studies and this week we are going to try some Sweet Potato Fritters. The stew was delicious and even though it seemed odd to put peanut butter into the pot, it was a hit with all of us. Loving this cookbook: Eat Your Way Around the World.
The boys are working a few robotics projects from THIS website. They made a very cool lawn mower and the blade actually goes around underneath. This was a fun project for them and easy to build.
We are into our second week of reading Shakespeare's Macbeth. The boys really didn't like it to start with, but now they are starting to get into this bloody plot. This the first real tragedy play that we have read since hitting high school....interesting to hear their comments on Lady Macbeth.
We have gone on several really long hikes this week since the weather has been nice. The boys also got in one day of snowboarding which almost turned into a disaster. Mr. B had a fall...a really big fall, directly onto his face which smashed his goggles into his nose and cheek. He bit his lips with his braces and that caused a lot of blood. The ski patrol just happened to be right there and they made sure he was just scratched up before they let him go. This is why moms worry. :)
Everything else has been pretty routine: Math, science, auto shop (brakes this week), writing (finishing up an essay where they practiced using multiple sources and a bibliography), and geography of South Africa, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. Poetry memorization is chugging along as well as Spanish and trumpet/violin playing.
That wraps up this Wrap-Up post. Week 25 done!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
Just as a note: I found this gadget linked on someone's blog not too long ago:
It is my new best friend. I can make the best hot cocoa with lots of foam on top thanks to this little tool. I also have made a few really good homemade mochas using coffee and cocoa along with this gadget. I highly recommend it!
10 comments:
We've been reading Macbeth for the past couple of weeks in Lamb's. Anna Rose is intrigued by the story but thinks it is quite bizarre. The witches and the cauldron really grossed her out. LOL All the blood and violence are things she has not really been exposed to, so she is shocked by many of the scenes. I guess I'm glad that she still has such a tender and sensitive heart that it can be pierced by wrongdoing.
I am really glad that we kept this one for high school. I don't normally go in for things with such violence or spiritism but in the light of comparing the story with its wickedness to the light of truth from our Bible based beliefs, it works. I think once we finish this play we will go back to some lighter fair.
Thanks for the comment.
Barb
I'm so glad your son likes the software! Even though I write reviews ALL the time, I get a little nervous when I give a specific recommendation to someone I know (sorta). Kind of weird. Thanks for the link:)
I've never heard of David Friedrich, what an amazing painting! I can hardly wait until our weather is nice enough to take hikes.
http://crispy-not-crunchy.blogspot.com/2010/02/weekly-wrap-up.html
As usual, your week makes me look forward to all the fun learning I will get to do with my kiddos when they are teens!
Looks like things are going well for you guys. You've peeked my interest about your boys comments about Lady MacBeth. It does get rather bloody and I think that we will save it for high school, too.
I really enjoy your blog! I have been learking in cyber space for awhile now! You have sorts of little nuggets of wisdom on here. :)
Sounds like a good couple of weeks.
Thanks for the link to the NXT projects. The boys have been playing around with the one we have, but I think I might challenge them to build the lawnmower and see how they do.
We did a reading of MacBeth a couple of years ago. We used a book by Adam McKeown called "The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Macbeth". My kids loved it. I had originally been very much of a "purist" in that I wanted my kids to do just the original works, but I have since decided that giving them a children's version of some of the great literature will help them when they get to the original. At least that's my hope.
I hope your son is doing all right. Ouch.
Sarah
Great post! I loved the paintings. And the milk frother looks fabulous, too!
Sounds like a typical busy two weeks in your family! I can't wait to show that Freidrich painting to my son--it's eery and he'll love it!
Post a Comment