Lionden Landing

We painted with shaving cream today.   We had tons of fun and the school room still smells like shaving cream.  We painted the bags we will fill for our Mishlach Manot.   Froggy picked four sparkly paints; red, gold, purple and blue.  I filled a tray with shaving cream and then we swirled the colors in it.  Then we laid the bags carefully down and viola.  Painted bags. I got the idea from Little Wonders.  She uses it with her crew frequently.  Here she gives great step by step directions on how to do it.  Unfortunately I did not have these directions while we were actually doing the project. Without the directions, I missed a step.  We did not squeegee our bags.  I am not sure what kind of difference that will make.    Here is our bag collection drying.    I think the colors would be more vivid if we had sqeegeed.  It was so  much fun though.  I am sure we will do it again for other occasions.

I think we have finally turned a corner with our Chumash study.  Abou t two months ago , I ordered flashcards for Froggy and a real workbook. We backtracked a bit and redid several passukim to get a better handle on them. We took some break due to illness and chaos but we also changed how we work on our Chumash focusing on the flashcards and on fluency. We just finished Passuk ט and Froggy was able to read it fluenly and with confidence match all the vocabulary words up to this point.  I made her a new color worksheet to go with the new Passuk for the week.  Froggy loves it when I make these worksheets for her.  They are all possible thanks to the guidance of Adventures in Mamaland .  Her worksheets are much better but mine are improving.   Looking ahead, the new "required" vocabulary becomes less as many of the words are already familiar. As of this week, we have already learned 24 out of the possible 35 flashcards.  Yet we have not even finished the first (of se

I think I have convinced the family that soup can be a good thing.  Last week's recipe was minnestone.   I think this week it will be beef barley Monday -Fish ala Jenn, Green Beans, Rice Tuesday - Chicken Curry (crock pot)  Naan, broccoli Wednesday - Salad and Kasha Varnishka Thursday  - Beef Barley Soup and Biscuits. Shabbat - Challah, spinach and stawberry salad, Roast chicken, butternut squash, broccoli,

Froggy's cousin, DaBean, came over for the day.  It was such a joy having him spend the day.  He is the only child other than Froggy who makes me laugh by just being himself. Even children who play well and creatively together sometimes need a focus for their play.  So we made Zombie Barf.  DaBean had been gifted with a Zombie Lab for the winter holiday.  :He had already tried some of the experiments but not the Zombie Barf. Rule #1 of Parenthood to remember - Kids like Gross. They were so excited just from the word "barf."  I insisted we take the activity outside not so much as a concern about mess but because it was too beautiful a day to be trapped inside. One of the neighbor girls joined us and everyone took turns creating the barf. This is the Zombie that comes with the kit.   And this is Zombie Barf.  It was very authentic with gelatinous bits and a different color liquid.     And since it is supposed to be candy.  Each of the kids took a taste.  Froggy w

So today was unseasonably beautiful.  So Froggy and I opted for a trip to the garden store and an afternoon spent planting.  We placed a border of pansies around our main front planting bed.  The bed itself is largelyy empty still but some day I will decide the perennials to live there.  We also put some pansies beside the side bed. And I put two new ground cover plants in.  The ground is awful and I am concerned they wont thrive but since nothing else has either there is no loss.  It was glorious just to be outside in the sun.  I worked a good lather which I did not know you could do in February. 

So we are in wk 17 of the 36 week curriculum.  We have taken a great deal more time off then I had intended so are not as far along as I had hoped.  Froggy loves the stories but is still very reluctant to narrate.  We are working on that and it is coming along. We are both learning lots.  I don't know how much of the history sticks long term but I know some does and for year one that is ok for me.  We are laying a foundation for later learning Dictation and copywork is probably Froggy's part and she is learning tons of spelling and grammar from it.  We still are not doing well with either music or art but we are working on it and getting better.

Aunt Petal ran today's science lesson.  Froggy and her cousin built their own volcano and then made it explode.  They got all dressed like real scientists, with lab coats and goggles.  Then they got to experiment.  How does the shape affect how the volcano erupts?  How do slight changes in the "lava" effect the eruption?

Due to illness and other chaos, I did a crummy job making Tu B'Shevat fun for the kids.  I need to be organized to ensure I get Purim done right. Here is a video to get you in the mood Eric Reads "The Story of Esther." from Eric Kimmel on Vimeo . Froggy said she wants to be Queen Esther again.  She is totally in charge of her costume this year.  The only rule is that she has to pull it together and show it to me within one week.  No one else is even close to an idea. Froggy is going to make a Megillah with paper towel rolls. Everyone is going to make groggers . I am working on our Mishlach Manot recipient list.  The baskets will contain Hamentashen ofcourse as well as Purim chocolates, clementines and spiced nuts .  I am not sure what we are going to use for containers yet.

Our lemon tree is finally ready to produce fruit.  We got our first blossoms in 2010.  And today I saw the first little beginnings of fruit on the tree.  The tree has been a big pain in the tush, needing to be brought inside every winter.  But it smells so wonderful and looks so pretty even with its giant thorns.  It is the first serious plant I have ever kept alive long term.  Today is a very very special day.   This is the baby lemon.  There are two of them.  I showed Froggy.  She was as thrilled as I was.  We hugged and sais Shehecianu.