Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Creativity flows Freely!
Today Jacob drew this...

and Hama'd this...


I thought both were brilliant!

In fact there has been quite a lot of Hama-ing going on around here. Joel has really got into it and spent ages yesterday making the 'rocket' from the space set. The day before he made the astronaut. I've said I'm going to make some kind of mural with it to put in their space-themed bedroom. I want them to have a go at making the different planets too - maybe even to scale. Anyone fancy making some patterns for them? I think maybe come September we might start the 'Exploring Creation with Astronomy@ book I bought a couple of years ago and spend as long as it takes working through that for science this year. Together with the 'Space' lapbook project I bought, we should be able to learn heaps and have lot of fun with it too :-)

Phoebe has also been busy and although she predominantly does random beads on a 'frame' she did actually use a clear frame over a pattern and make the 'red heart in a star' one from last years christmas set. She gave it away to Helen today - bless her :-)

Abbie made a rather pretty heart - semi random, semi-planned and it looks pretty. (pic another day)

Other than masses of beads on my dining table there has been a fair amount of 'other stuff' happening too. Ellie, Phoebe and Boo have spent some time on educationcity today and yesterday. Phoebe loves it and is pretty switched on once she learns to listen to what it is asking. Ellie LOVES the singing on the nursery level - although it gets a little tedious for me. I'd like to see a few more 'games' there for her age. Abbie quite enjoyed some of it, but was frustrated at one game where she had to click on the girls/boys names. She couldn't read them fast enough and as she lacks that photograhic memory she was trying to read them from scratch every time they popped up (instead of remembering what she had only just read a few seconds ago). But I think that will be good practice for her if she can past the frustration. I signed up Phoebe and Abbie for the year and once I had done that the other kid's 'free-trial' disappeared - pants - I'd hoped they would stay free for a bit, but alas! Anyway, I shall sign them up one at a time (one a fortnight probably) because I simply can't afford all five (excluding caleb for now!) at once, but I do think it is an excellent site.

What else..? Joel has decided to do a bug-study! This has involved capturing two spiders and a number of woodlice in small plastic tubs and repeatedly removing the lids to take a look! I've said we could do it properly, but he doesn't seem to really want to do that, so I'll just let him have fun with it and see what he learns - most likely that bugs can't survive long in small plastic tubs without much of a food supply!!

Jacob has decided (and I quote)

"school holidays are all about watching TV and playing on the playstation - and going in holiday, which we aren't, so that doesn't count!"

So - I guess that means lots of fresh air and playing out with friends is out of the question then - sigh !!

On Sunday mornings the girls have now decided they have to do the whole 'dressing up' thing really well. So, not only do their wear their Sunday best clothes, but now I have to paint their fingernails (sparkly lilac), adorn them with necklaces and bracelets and apply pretty tattoos! They look gorgeous, but I didn't think I was in for teenage girls in the house for another 6 years yet!!

Abbie has also decided she wants to learn how to plait hair, so that's a must for tommorrow. Might have a go at shoe-laces too!

Today and yesterday I have been clearing out the study to make it inhabitable my P's M&D this weekend - it was a tip! It still looks too cluttered for my liking really, but it's getting there. Sometime I need to get to the rest of the house too though, so it might just have to suffice for now. They have abed and a little floor space and they are only here two nights, so that should be OK.

We have had various 'educational' discussions too, but I always forget to make a note of them and then I've forgotten by the time I come to blogging.

4 comments:

Jax Blunt said...

I agree :)

Deb said...

Very creative! As for the forgetting-the-conversations bit, yeah, I do that all the time *sigh*

lucy said...

So much learning takes place with HE it's impossible to document it all - you would have to carry round a notebook and take notes all the time - how sad that would be!! Love the racing car - most impressive :)

Caroline said...

I'm not sure I could afford it all in one go even if they gave me one free! Do you have a 'recommend a friend' code by any chance? I understand that might get me a discount!
cx