Weekly wrap up 11/30/18 -- Donatello and a snow day!

For art MarioFan and his friend are learning about Donatello.  It was pretty hard to find any art projects for this particular artist that I thought the boys could do or would be interested in.  Since neither boy is going to into the art field and mine in particular is not a fan of art I struggled to come up with a project but in the end I found one that I like and would stretch the boys creativity:)

Our local library didn't have any books on this artist so my friend had to do an interlibrary loan to get books.  We never did find a picture of the actual artist--many there isn't one?  

We always try to give the boys a brief history of the artist before our lessons.  We also like the boys to examine the art work

One of his famous pieces

We spent a little time understand how he created his sculptures.  Donatello was one of the first artist to understand perspective and attempted it in his various sculptures.

What Donatello thought was his greatest statue

I decided I wanted the boys to create a sculpture but they could be a little more creative with it.
I bought a dry foam sphere and wrapped it in foil and then we hot glued it to a terra cotta pot.  (Need to wrap the foam in foil otherwise the clay gets dried out to fast and it creates creaks in the clay--I learned this the hard way when doing my sample piece)

Next we added air dry clay to the form and I asked the boys to create a face of their choice.  My only instruction was there had to be a nose, mouth, ears, and at least one eye.  

Other then obsession about their hands being dirty they did a pretty good job!

It took about a week for  the clay to dry.   By the next lesson the sculptures were ready to paint.  We had a little bit of cracking in the clay but we made do and glue things as needed;)

boys had free range of their painting choices

hard at work 

final work

My sample -- kids thought mine was rather creepy looking....I have to agree:)

We got our first snow day this year already!  Firedrake was thrilled to have her first ever public school snow day called.  We got about 5 inches in all.

MarioFan measuring the snow on the deck!

Kids put to work on shoveling the driveway and side walk.  For payment they demanded hot chocolate and freshly made pumpkin bread-- I think my husband also paid them:)

Dad supervising the work!

Elvis is settling in more in the house and we have even got the old boy playing a little.

Dog and Cat still aren't friends but at least the ignore each other for the most part.  Luna the dog is super jealous if we play with the cat.  

Weekly Wrap up 11/23/18 -- Comic Con and Meals by the kids

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  

We are spending a quiet dinner at home just the immediate family and enjoying a little down time!


Every year I say the kids are going to do more meal prep and every year due to the evening schedule our well intentioned plans fall apart.  However this year my schedule is even worse and my husband has a new job in which he is working even longer hours, and I am trying hard to lose weight so eating out is not an option.  I have had to get super serious about meal planning (not my strong point) and everyone has now been assigned an evening in which they are responsible for a meal.  I have told the kids if you don't plan a meal and put the ingredients on the shopping list than it will be breakfast cereal for dinner.  I am still nagging to get ingredients on the shopping list by Sunday but at least the kids are doing their assigned dinners.

Firedrake making quiche one evening--this is a family favorite but she has even gotten out my old cook books and made few new to us dishes.  Everything she has attempted has turned out yummy!!!  

MarioFan is still learning the basics of cooking and I am teaching him the family favorites first then I will let him find things in a cook box to try.  

His favorite dish Enchilada's:)

We went to a small local Comic Con and spent the day exploring and couple of weeks ago.  Firedrake loves anime and when she heard that a voice actor would be there that is in one of her favorite shows she wanted to go and her her speak.

Firedrake dressed up as Taako

This is the voice actor for Pearl on Steven universe.  It was fun to hear how her speak I will say .  I have watched this show with the kids so I could actually follow along most of the time. lol

Firedrake paying rapt attention 

MarioFan found out their is going to be a star trek convention this summer in the city.  He knows all the star ships in the all the series.  There is even a local club to join.  

Seeing a 3D printed this one is only $160 dollars and can print small pieces.  The price is sure dropping on these things!!!

MarioFan messing about with light sabers:)

He stood in line for 45 minutes just so he could play a virtual reality game!!!

The TV screen shows what he is seeing, they told me.   He loved it!!

I made him wait till the afternoon before allowing him to play in the video game area.  He thought I was so mean lol!!!  I  think he played the exact games he has at home--I just don't understand the allure  sigh

 Next are just some photos of some of the customers we saw.  I haven't a clue who or what they are!!

School is going okay, nothing exciting to write about.  We took the week of Thanksgiving off of school as everyone needed a mini break.

Weekly Wrap UP 11/16/18--Couple's get away, Elvis the Cat and Stain glass lantern

Our Anniversary was in early October but due to kids activities and my husband job we weren't really able to celebrate until a bit later in the month and I am just getting around to posting about it.  Since the kids are older we decided to do a mini stay vacation locally but that meant leaving the kids at home, gulp our first time.  They has emergency numbers and contacts hold they needed them:) and we were less than 45 minutes away should we need to get home quickly.

My husband and I booked a hotel room and headed to the city to explore a little night life and visit a museum that had been on our bucket list for sometime.

The St Louis Blues museum opened up just a couple years ago and we have been meaning to visit but  never seem to get around to it.  We spent the day exploring this museum.

The Ngoni West African instrument which is widely consider the precursor to the banjo

learning the difference between the trumpet and the cornet.

old time self play piano

A wall of harmonica's 

Chuck Berry is famous in this city!!!

 I won't bore you with too many pictures of the museum but it is worth a visit if you are in our city.  Lots of great information about the rise of blue music.

To end our day we went to a jazz/blues club for dinner and listened to two different artist.  Both were very good.  We splurge a bit on dinner and had a real southern meal:).

Since my husband is taking guitar lessons he was very interested in learning and watching how they musicians played their guitars.

 The next day we drove home.  It was a short but nice trip away for just the two of us.  The kids managed just fine and wondered why we didn't stay out longer, lol...might have to plan a larger trip next year:)

While my husband fell in love with the cat at the sanctuary and Elvis appeared to like him more than anyone else.  The cat   seems to now prefer to be around our kids.  This development has not gone unnoticed by my husband.  Occasionally my husband  is able to convince the cat to come sit on his lap but only if the kids are not around!!  lol. I think the cat did a bait and switch on him lol

Elvis the cat is certainly settling in around the house.  The dog and cat appear to have decided who is the alpha animal and who gets what family member and territory.  LOL

This is the position the cat takes when MarioFan is working on his computer for school 

The closest the dog and cat will get to each other lol.  At least the hissing has stopped.  Firedrake says they will both lay on her bed (opposite ends) for short periods.  I haven't seen that yet:)

This is Elvis attempting his luck at sitting on a chair at the kitchen table.  I am sitting across from him letting him know cat paws are absolutely not allowed on the table or counters in the kitchen.  I swear he looks like he wants to challenge that rule, sigh, another thing in this house that doesn't listen to me ;)

I have been working on a stain glass lantern for a while.  I finally got it done.  I am not exactly happy with it as I made a few errors.  I hope my next one turns out better.  

 side 1

side 2

Side 3

side 4--

 I am not happy with the lightening I choose for it so I will be looking around trying to find different internal battery operated lights so the glass shows better.