Weeky Wrap Up 6/28/19 Wrapping up the school year

Whew due to a bump in our year we fell behind but with lots of hard work we have caught up in every area but History.  MarioFan finished his algebra program, bio 1, literature, and electronics program today! We only have one more artist to do and I have decided we will work on World history up to the end of the 1800's and then call it quits for the year.  I am hoping to be done with History by the end of July if not sooner:)

Currently we are working on the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon.

Some of our resources

For art we just finished looking at Dada and surrealist art.  We learned about Salvador Dali.  For the art projects I chose 3 different but simple projects.

some of our resources

Our family has been to the Salvador Dali museum in St Petersburg, FLA a few years back so I had some prints of his works for us to view 

We also touched on the DADA movement which was a precursor to the surrealist movement

this first activity I chose (this is my example)

This activity required a lot of patients from the boys which proved hard for them.  So they ended up having some homework to do to finish up the project

Final works:)

second project (this was my example)

this one was a challenge but after the first project they boys had a bit more patience and did pretty well using their rulers and getting the spacing just right

Finished works--again homework was required as it took a lot of coloring to  finish the project.

The last project is actually taken from Renee Magritte who is also a surrealist artist

My very poor example-- goal was to draw an eye and in the pupil draw something you are looking at:)  My mom was visiting during this lesson so I did a quick drawing and didn't have much time to redraw it:)

I have to say by the third week of projects they were much more enthusiastic with the work and this one was relativity painless for them and they worked quickly.  

Their finished works

MarioFan had gone to a baseball game the night before so he incorporated that into his eye.  I thought he did really well

His friend drew a octopus as the pupil and then added a fish for the tear duct:)

The last artist we are going to do for the year is Chihuly.  I am going to get the boys down into my glass studio:)

Weekly wrap up 6/21/19 Coming home from camps

Both kids completed their camps and returned home this week.  Both had a very successful experience and were so excited to share their stories.  I was a nervous wreck for most of their time away worrying about anything and everything.  When your kids are with you all the time it is hard to let go but it was a good step for all of us.  The kids will be leaving the home in just a few years with college just around the corner for Firedrake and in a couple of years for MarioFan.

My Mom and Husband will tell you if I didn't hear from the kids every evening I worried but with every note or phone call from them and just hearing how happy they were, I soon relax (a little).  Firedrake was gone for two week, while MarioFan was gone for a week.  The day we picked them up I was so exited to see them again:)

At the end of the 2 weeks they had a ceremony

Firedrake will have earned 3 college credits after attending this course:)

Her roommate--She has never had a room mate before !

Her RA whom FIREDRAKE thought very highly off and whom was also homeschooled:)

Her certificate of completion.  She has until the 1st of July to submit a paper on her experience in order to receive college credit:)  she will be working on this right away while the experience is still fresh:)

A very proud DAD-- I was unfortunate in that I could not attend as I was busy picking up my son at his camp both ended on the same day and at the same time but a hundred miles apart.

MarioFan went to a Science and adventure camp for a week and had a great time.  Here are just a few of the of the pictures.  I bought a disc with over 4000 pictures taken at camp.  I am still going though them finding all the ones of MarioFan.  It looked amazing there was cave spelunking, helping a vet participate in animal surgery, pottery, cooking, animal husbandry, science experiments and so many other classes.  Seriously there needs to be an adult camp cause I want to do some of those things:)

My Mom was there to help me pick MarioFan up

He showed us around the place and was very informed of all the animals and very excited to tell us about all the things he tried while at camp 

One of his camp guides

His favorite camp guides who was from the UK and said so many nice things about MarioFan

MarioFan loved the zip line, archery and rifle classes.  He won first place at the end of the week for his accuracy on the shooting range.  He wants to go again next year!!

Weekly Wrap UP 6/14/19 - Mom's visit, Science Camp and Birthday

This week I sent off MarioFan for a sleep away camp.  I had a week with no kids!  My mother came out to visit so we did a few activities together which I will post about a bit later:)

But first camp photos:) from drop off  this Sunday.  The kids can get mail everyday so I prearranged mail to arrive every day for MarioFan.

I put together five envelopes and put in a little note and some snacks that I know he enjoys.  I labeled the envelopes so they will be delivered on the correct day when he is in camp!

This was the first time MarioFan went away to a camp so he was very excited and a bit nervous

This camp was both a science camp and an animal camp and their  activities list was amazing, almost wished I could be a camper:)

before we left we helped get his bed ready and unpack his suitcase

Mom and Dad were a bit apprehensive to leave him behind but knew he was in good hands:)

This week is my Birthday but it is also my Dad's who just passed away in April.  We share the same birthday, so it was a bit hard this year.  My mother came out to spend my birthday with me because  we needed to share it together to remember my Dad.

This is the last pictureI have of my Dad before he got very ill.

We miss you Dad -- Happy Birthday and lots of love


I will be taking a short break from blogging to spend time with my Mother:).

Weekly Wrap Up 6/7/19 -- Birthday, College camp, and painting class

Happy Birthday to MarioFan, who turns 15 this week!! My oh my time flies past.  MarioFan is over 6 feet tall and towers over all of us now:)   Next week he is going to his first sleep away camp!

MarioFan got a drone for his birthday and was pretty good at flying it around the house.  Unfortunately  our dog did not like the drone and tried to attack it.  I think it was making a noise that only she could hear as she was howling and quite upset at the drone:(.  

We sent Firedrake off to college camp this week for two weeks.  She was accepted into the Creative Arts academy this spring.  This is the first time she has been away from home so it was a nerve wrecking send off for all of us.  While Firedrake is excited to be at college she is nervous about not knowing anyone and being away from us.  My husband and I feel the same way but it is time for her to expand her wings and begin to fly away from us.

Checking in at the college 

Getting her dorm room all set up for her two week stay.  She was very nervous to meet her roommate.  We also checked out the jam packed schedule for the next two weeks.  She is going to be very, very busy.  I promised her that the week she gets home she can take off to recuperate before looking for a summer job:)

Once her room mate arrived they hit it off brilliantly and found out they like very similar things. 

A picture of the college mascot the Bear:)

The college had a bar-be-que and opening ceremony and then we had to leave her behind.  It was hard to drive away but I know she will love it and have a great time.  She will be earning 3 college credits in Fine arts after the two weeks is over.  

For Art,  MarioFan and his friend have been learning about a Missouri artist named Benton.  We had planned to drive up to the Capital of Missouri this week to visit his gallery and mural painted at the state capital, however a tornado ripped though the night before we were to go and we decided not to go due to the damaged in the area.

For the art project I signed the boys up for a painting class at Painting with a Twist.

This was the painting the kids were to recreate

Firedrake joined us for this outing as she was off school.  We were the only ones signed up so we had the whole studio to ourselves

Kids paying attention to the directions

Everyone had a different interpretation of the painting

I thought they did great and it was good for them to have a different instructor to listen too for art:). Everyone had a different interpretation of the trees which was fun:)

Next style of art we will be working on is the surrealist movement and looking at Salvador Dalli.