Sketch Tuesday - closet (wardrobe/cupboard)

Only just emailed the kids pictures across to Barb at Harmony FineArts for Sketch Tuesday so hoping they make it into the slideshow. If not they can be seen here anyway, both drew the same subject, a coat hanger!

Here is Annies.

Tom's


I'm not sure if we will continue Sketch Tuesday, not because we don't want to, but whether there will be time once the kids start school, suddenly feeling rather berift :-(

If we manage to do any it will be a bonus.

Sketch Tuesday - spring leaves

I nearly forgot Sketch Tuesday this week, and only remembered late yesterday afternoon.



That being the case, it caught Tom in a grumpy mood, so he didn't want to do it then, but Annie was quite happy to.

Here is her picture




I'm not sure whether it will be included, as I had computer problems last night, so couldn't send it across, I've sent it this morning, so hoping the time difference between us and the US will make it all right.

It's been a strange few days, mainly as I'm still 'resting' (even though I feel fine), I know the kids have done work, but for the life of me really can't remember what.

There has been feeble attempts at 'basics'. There has been lots of TV, now I don't mind TV in small doses, as treats, but I can tell they are TV'd out, they would argue they are not...but it does seem to change their moods, they get more irritable etc.

If anything, this has showed me, that to go completely autonomous is just not for us now. My children don't jump up and say they want to do something crafty, then proceed to make a replica boat out of matchsticks, as much as I would love them too...lol.

Some children are self motivating, others are not, mine unfortunately are the latter. That being said, when they get on with their work, after the odd grumble, they get on with it happily, they seem more inspired, more creative and then the ideas and self motivation starts to flow.

That's why mainly 'school' work is in the mornings and afternoons are left free to get on with what they want.

But TV hampers all that, as well as time on the PC. I'm seriously thinking of having a TV/PC free week, to see what happens.

The trouble is my own selfish side, I get things done when they zombie in front of which ever box they are looking at. Little Ruth keeps especially quiet for half an hour, other wise she is pestering the older two.

I do know the answer, it's being super organised, having activities/projects in place for them to do. But it means a lot of organising on my part, organisation is not my forte! That's why I started to put all my resources or anything I found of use in one place!

It's also the reason why I've started planning out their curriculum for September, if they know what they are doing, and I know what's to be done, everyone is a lot happier. By starting this early I'm hoping it will help me be more organised and motivated.

I don't like rigid schedules, and I like flexibility, I don't want it to be 'school' at home. So hoping to work something out that will make us all happy. Of course I'm not expecting it to be perfect, the best laid plans and all that!

Change of subject now and onto our caterpillars 13 days ago they looked like this


yesterday they looked like this


and now they are starting to turning into chrysalises




Unfortunately one of them has fallen to the bottom, so we shall have to wait and see, when they have all turned into chrysalises, we have to transfer them into the mesh pop up garden that was provided for them.

I read one book with Annie, and she learnt a lot from it. She was fascinated by caterpillars looking like twigs, and butterflies looking like leaves. It was an usborne beginner book


I wanted this week to go back to normal after the plasterers last week, but just had a phone call and we are having some new windows tomorrow!!! It's wonderful they are fitting us in, but of course workmen disrupt the routine, if only the constant cups of tea they want.

Oh well there is an extension to be built sometime in the early summer hopefully, I'd just better get used to the chaos around me...lol!

Sketch Tuesday - alive

Has a week passed already?


We have slowed down a little due to the holidays, we have been working on the house a renovation project! I've been to hospital, where I should have had a small op, but got sent home at 5:30pm, as they had run out of time, grrrr!!!

Due to go again this week, but now full of cold and I may have to cancel.

Anyway onto this weeks sketches, this weeks assignment was to draw something alive, the kids drew these with a friend, as I was hanging about the hospital for the day *rolls eyes*

Take a look at all the other sketches that entered barb's gallery this week here at Sketch Tuesday

There is no assignment for next week Tuesday April 8th, but there will be one for the Tuesday April 15th assignment is to draw a leaf.

So onto our sketches

This one is Tom's


and here is Annie's, note that she was thinking about me in hospital, although the subject matter was draw something 'alive', she was obviously hoping I still would be, that's me on the table looking dangerously pink !!! lol



Although not much work has been done, they have played, drawn, are learning to skate with the new roller blades. Much reading has been done too.

I think sometimes, the kids need to recharge and take a small break - too much of a break and they don't want to get going, but a small one does refresh them, and of course me.

My owl puke book arrived:
-----

Here are some pictures I've taken of it, these are what you get, the purple paper they are on is A4 size, so the book is just under that, you get a yellow flimsy plastic tray which has compartments to put the bones in. Plus the Owl Puke which is in foil.


This is the contents page



and here is the Bone Sorting chart


Even though the book is small, it's packed full of information. I'm going to see if I can find a downloadable bone sorting chart, so i can laminate it, to place the bones on. I don't know about the kids but I'm really looking forward to do in this one.

Sketch Tuesday Blue...experiment update

This weeks Sketch Tuesday was to draw something blue, so here are the pictures Tom and Annie drew

This one is Annie's



this is Tom's



Next weeks assignment is to sketch something alive.

Check out the other 29 sketch's at Heart of Harmony, there are some lovely hues of blue.

Now for the update of Stalactite and Stalagmite experiment, unfortunately it's not gone well, or I should say it's not gone as expected. (But that's often the case is it not with experiments!!!)
In this first picture, you will see we swapped the large white plate for a small saucer, on it you can see where the liquid has dripped causing white staining, the string had become rock hard, and had crystallised, but not was not showing the proper shapes of the stalactites and stalagmites.





We stirred the water, and changed the saucer for a toy saucer so the string was drooping more, it then went all soggy! You can see the drip of water in this one. There is a puddle in the toy saucer too! Although you probably can't see it around the edges of the saucer it is starting to crystallise.

Sketch Tuesday - legs!

This weeks assignment from Sketch Tuesday was draw something that had legs, Tom and Annie had a couple of friends stay over who joined them with this activity J and Y

Here are their pictures;
Annie's

Tom's

Y's

J's

If you want to see the rest of the pictures from all over, 36 in all, then check out *here*

Next weeks assignment is to draw something blue.


With having their friends sleepover the kids played mostly, but did all have to finish some English, Maths and Spellings.

Tom and J made their own board game which the girls then joined in with. Much fun was had.

Today was finished off with making jam tarts yet again!

I'm finishing up with a link to a HEer's recent post on dissecting Owl pellets, an excellent post, this is something I would like to do in the future. See *here*

Sketch Tuesday (dinner plate) and roundup

It's Sketch Tuesday again! That seems to have come quickly around.
The assignment this week was to either draw your dinner plate, with or without food on.

Tom wasn't happy with his, ( I thought it was fine) so respecting his wishes I didn't send his off, but Annie was happy with hers and I have to say I thought she did well for her age.


Here is her picture, sorry it's a bit dark



If you want to see the other sketches or join in, then go here
Next weeks assignment is to draw something with legs!

The last few days have been hit and miss, as OH is on holiday at home, so that always interferes with schooling, plus we are trying to renovate the house at the same time.

So mainly core subjects, Maths with Tom has been multiplication and a bit of division, this will continue for the next few days.

I want to get Maths 4b finished by the end of April, watch this space to see if it gets done!

I must concentrate more on Annie's maths, more about the understanding of it, it's become recently a little too much workbook, so I've got some ideas off Boyceview, that may help.

Tom is using My Spelling Workbook 'C' from Prime-ed Publishing book cover looks like this




although a little younger than his age group I wanted to start him off on something that would be achievable, we have got into a good pattern with it, and now do it weekly, rather than just being hit and miss. I like this spelling book, as it gives the spellings to learn, but then reemphasises them through pcrossword,s puzzles etc. There are sample pages to look at on prim-ed's site.
I have Spelling Workbook A for Annie, but we have yet to start it, hopefully it ill be soon.

Last summer Annie, wasn't bothered about reading, then she got interested, she started on Peter and Jane 1A, and is now on 4b,though she insists it's 5A, but I like to cover them properly, these are our base books, meaning that we use them as our main reading scheme, but not solely as it would be very boring. So we have a mixture of other early readers avaible for her to choose, but she must do whatever Peter and Jane book she is on first. It works well for us.

Since making the Roman Theatre Masks, Annie has been making her own out of paper, I must takes some photos of them. Finally Tom related the whole stroy of Boudicaa to MIL, she was mightyily impressed.:-)

Sketch Tuesday

This is the first time the kids will have participated in this. It's a great idea by Barb from the Heart of Harmony

Basically, Barb sets each week an assignment of what to sketch,then you email your finished drawing and Barb will then add it to the Sketch Tuesday Gallery I've always enjoyed seeing what others have drawn, so I asked T and A if they would like to join in, I had an enthusiastic YES!

This weeks assignment was to draw a piece of fruit, so I had different fruits and asked them t pick one, neither could just pick one so the drew what they wanted.

This A's drawing


and this is T's drawing


Why don't you go think about joining in