magna girl

more magna
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

This is one of the little drawings I copied. There are some magna books in the library stack below.

This Week's Library Stack

I found myself in the library alone yesterday. Whoa. This should shock you, it did me.
I had dropped the oldest off for an event, and left the two youngest at home with dad. I had planned on returning some items and suddenly realised I had no one to check on, tag along, to whine, who wasn't interested in what I wanted to look at.....
So I perused. First I ended up at the computer looking for the dvd of Miss Potter. My 6yog is a HUGE Beatrix Potter fan. We've read many/all of her books and biographies. She can't wait to see the movie, but alas they were all check out. Every single branch and they all had a tag of "no holds". Bummer.
But there was a paperback available based on the movie. So I picked that up and figured it would tide us over until the dvd was available.
Next I meandered to the education section. I don't check there often, but seeing I had all this solitude it was worth it. I have checked out the "what your .... grader needs to know" several times, so picked up the sixth grade book. I don't follow anything to a "t", but I like checking books like this or a scope and sequence every-once-in-a-while.
I also picked up some Scholastic math and vocab books. These usually have fun little games or worksheets in them. We might just pick out a few activities that we like, make copies and put them in a folder. They are good to keep for records also.
My oldest and I have talked about schooling many times this year. We've got friends in all phases of schooling, unschooling, schooling at home, public schooled, private schooled....lots to compare and contrast.
We decided that a little bit of school daily is just right for us. As a rule, I try to stick with the 3Rs. That way we have time to explore what the kids would like to investigate.
Our 3Rs schooling also allows time for the kids to be in music lessons (and pratice) and take classes at the library or co-op, etc. All optional. Though if they are going to take an instrument they are required to pratice. Hey, I play guitar and if I don't pratice it is not a joyful noise to anyone! :-)
The next section I went to was art. I was happy to find the Drawing People book and a couple of the Magna books that I heard about in Episode 51 of cmp

I have a couple of magna sketches that I will post too. They are pretty simple, but cute.
Dh is still on a Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe) kick, so found a hardback and some dvds for him. I did find a biography by the way. Rex Stout: A Biography: A Majesty's Life by John J. McAleer
Of course it is out of print, but I found one for around 20.00. That will make a nice birthday gift for him.
Then I finally made my way to the children's section. I picked up a couple of picture books, and
Elizabeth Taylor's Nibbles and Me for the oldest. Elizabeth Taylor wrote this when she was 14. The drawings are adorable and though my dd won't know who she is, I know that she will love this sweet book about a girl and her pet.
I also picked up Benjamin Franklin by the D'Aulaires. A few weeks ago we lost our power during a storm. The little ones and I watched, from our kitchen window, a lightening bolt strike the transformer in our neighbors yard and watched balls (at least 5) of lightening travel down the wires. Thankfully they went away from our house, and did no damage but knock out the line. It was pretty scary at the time! Anyway, I told them about Franklin then and we picked up another small biography. This one though has beautiful illustrations, like the rest of their books.
The Avatar dvd was on the new release shelf,
and I couldn't walk by without picking it up for the little guys.
As I left the library I took advantage of the time I had left and drove over to
Dick Blick to pick up some watercolor pages. Then I figured I had better head home.
The quiet was nice while it lasted.
The kids were ready for me to show them the goods I had
picked up and we started reading right away.

Potter Parties!

Luna, Luna, Hagrid and Ron (year 2)
The crowned folks had won a costume contest.

Ginny and Molly Weasley

Making some tastey wands with pretzel sticks, frosting and sprinkles! YUM

And, the party's over! I made these two go home at
9:00! I think they would have tried to make it until midnight.
Oldest dd and I did! Woot - ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"You can draw me Mommy."

lu 7-14-07
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

6yodd plopped on the porch sofa and made the request. I had
a crappy week of drawings, so I wasn't sure I wanted to take on the task.
Anne Lamott says in Bird by Bird, "Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of shitty first drafts. All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts."
That is how I've felt this week, all drawings were shitty first drafts. The seconds were not good, nor the third terrific, but remembering her take on first drafts helped me survive the week.
What I like about this, her toes and her eyes looking off at her brother. I don't like the nose, it was really partically hidden by her dress but I was hasty with the pen and made it showing and big.
Ah well.
I took a picture of it to post on the flickr group for creative mom podcast, and I liked all the greens jumping out from the dress, ipod and magazine cover.

My dd took this picture of my grandmother the other day.
This woman is incredible, and has supported me so many times in my life.
Even now she sticks up for our homeschooling choices and completely debates with
anyone who "brings it on". She will bash standardized testing! Gotta love that in a great-grandma!
She's been known to come over on Friday and just hang out with us, doing art projects, listening to the
children read, explain to the middle one how to borrow and carry when adding and subtracting.
She's so patient. She's so intelligent. She's so beautiful.
Honestly, she is the one reason I was happy to move back here after dh's job changed again.
My grandmother is a true blessing in our lives.

~ My art workspace~
This has grown in the last few months,
as it should. I've graduated to a basketfull
of goodies!
I was working on bookmarks for another swapbot project. I suppose I am a glutten. I thought that after my first atc exchange there I would not return. Several reasons really, one being I couldn't stand sending 9 cards that I'd created out to total strangers. (unlike a swap between friends in the cmp group) But I soon found myself checking to see what swaps were occuring, and finding several that sounded like fun.

For this bookmark I borrowed ideas from my out of hand friend.
Check out the link to see some really awesome art journal pages!
I did the lettering and painted them, then added layers and layers of tissue paper. Then I brushed over all of it with a light green brushpen and over the letters and peace sign with darker green.
I really like the way it all came together with color and texture.
And lastly, one little doodle to share. This is in my new pocket size watercolor Moleskine. This is a little sketch of my boy in trouble, sitting on a step and his sis checking on him. A frequent occurance in our home! (the checking, not the trouble!!) These two are really peas in a pod. They are 14 months apart, but really I think they think they are twins. We just moved bedrooms around so they are now sharing a room (which makes older sister a very happy person!). I pray that they will all be close as they grow up.

My messy house montage!






My Room~ read on.........


There is a discussion out there in homeschooling land about the state of our homes. Are they messy? Clean? How do you get it all done??
My daughter got into the act this morning and thought we should add pictures of the picking up process. So you have me doing my morning dishes chore, and my ds picking up his soldiers. There are also a couple of clutter areas, where books, mail and such collect. (oh and my steeping tea! you'll read about that below)
Yet, our house is not nearly as bad as it used to be. I contribute most of that to purging. We have gotten rid of so much crap it is unbelievable. Balance is a wonderful thing. I know that when we started embracing the less is more metality I pulled nearly 30 dresses out of one of my daughter's closets. Freaking THIRTY. Many hand-me-downs, many from a loving grandma who shops way too much. We kept seven. Clothes are the worst, tee shirts multiply like crazy! My kids all have six or seven pairs of shorts and that is plenty. The girls do their own wash now once a week (11 and 6) and believe it or not they like it. The 6yo thinks it is cool and the 11 yo is glad that I'm not harping on her for the disaster area her dresser usually was. Now that she is doing most of it, she seems to want it a tad bit more organized. huh, imagine.

Toys.....we bought those cloth organizers at Target. Asking the kids to pick up when they are done playing really works. There has only been once or twice that I have had to grab a trash bag to enforce "if you don't pick up I will throw it out".

The thing I hate worst is dishes and I do let them go overnight most of the time. It is my first chore of the morning, as the tea is steeping I unload the clean, reload the dirty, handwash what wont' fit and start the day. Meanwhile the kids are playing or watching t.v. and everyone is happy.

My husband adds, "Homeschooling is a huge commitment and it takes both partners to make it work." And this is true for us. I know it is different in every household and I do not mean to imply that everyone's partner will do this or want to, but mine does. He cleans on Saturday, he mops, vaccums, does his laundry (I guess I'm a laundry Nazi! LOL) and will even make dinner occasionally while I skip out to Starbucks.

One last thought. For the last three years or so I have kept the living room as my room. That is just what I call it, but it is actually for everyone. There is currently this computer but that wasn't always the case, musical instruments, sterio, couch and chair. That's it. No toys, no t.v., no books , no food allowed ever, no junk. It is where guests may come and visit at any time, it is clean always. (Perhaps dusty, but no clutter). That helps loads. I try to do the same with the kitchen, but that isnt' a guarentee. If you have the space, try it!

OUR FOURTH

was actually pretty simple (which I love).
My mother in law was over,
we ate well,
played two descent games of scrabble (I won one),
had plenty of fireworks (mostly fountains and sparklers)
and ice cream! What else can you ask for?

~Happy Independence Day to you all~