Weekly Wrap Up 7/25/19-- Chuhily art lesson

We have completed our artist study the end of June.  We studied Chihuly while it was hard to do a glass blowing project I decided to introduce the boys to a few other glass art work.  These projects went over a 2 week period due to how long each one took:)

First we looked at some of his work and watched a video on this artist

We were lucky that a few years ago Chihuly had an exhibition at our local botanical gardens which we saw and the boys still remembered 

 On our first week we worked on 2 projects Glass mosaic and glass etching

I had the boys pick out a Letter (both choose B for their reasons) and painted the background with a thin coat of white gesso.   

 I bought a ton of glass nuggets at the dollar store and the boys glue them down to fill up the Letter.

I tried to get them to think about colors and be unique with their choices but they were more interested in getting it done than being creative:(

Once all the beads were glue down we had to put it aside until the following week when we would add white grout to the  project.

Once that was done we worked on glass etching (I didn't get as many pictures of this for some reason)

I had some old glass Christmas ornaments in my cabinet that I pulled out and found some  old Christmas  etching stencils that we used.  First step was to get the stencil onto the glass.  Then we added the chemical to etch the glass (no picture of that, I am afraid)

We added ribbons and now the boys have a etched glass Christmas ornment to add to their trees this year:)
The boys actually like this project:)

The second week we finished up the mosaic the following way

Adding the tile grout which is a very messy part, neither boy likes getting their hands dirty

wiping away excess grout 

Using a wooden skewer to remove additional grout t o clean up the glass nuggets 

Finished pieces

Then we also headed down into my glass studio where each boy choose their own project to complete.  But first I had them practice how to cut glass

cutting out the pattern they selected.  I gave them a few simple patterns to choose from 

Then they had to select their glass colors 

Learn to cut glass using proper tools.  

Learn to break glass properly and safely.

Learn to grind glass down as needed

Learn to copper foil their projects 

and the scariest part for them was to learn to solder the glass together.  

MarioFan's finished piece

His friend chose to make dragon wings which I added to a premed mold that I had in my studio:)

I don't think I converted anyone to my beloved stained glass hobby as both boys found it a lot of work and overall it took about 3 hours from start to finish which they thought was too long:).

We talked about going to a glass blowing studio as a field trip but decided against it as both boys have done it before on their own and frankly we are worn out and all needed a break.

That is our art finished fort the year for 9th grade.  We covered 16 different artist this year as well as made over 32 art projects investigating different mediums, materials and learning different art terminology.  We are thinking of maybe doing a Jackson Pollock piece just to used up all the paint I have left over in a fun way but that means I got to plan it and I am all out of energy...so we shall see.

Weekly Wrap UP 7/19/19--Summer activities

We are now on our summer schedule.  MarioFan is officially done with his 9 grade work (although I do have one more art post to write to wrap it all up:).  I plan on keeping it very light for the next 4 weeks because I am burning out and need a break, so does MarioFan!

MarioFan is taking this month off from most things except for the following activities:

I signed him up for a Spanish class with outschool to keep what he learned last year fresh in his mind.  It is only a week long for an hour a day.  I will probably consider doing a Spanish online tutor weekly to help him stay fresh with last years class so he is ready to enter into Spanish two in September.

A local tech school is offering a free computer security camp for a week for 4 hours a day this month.  MarioFan decided he wanted to check it out and see if it would interest him as a possible career.

MarioFan will continue with Piano lesson through the summer this year and that will be one night a week.

I am very busy working on next year plans and putting together his 10th grade curriculum.  We will probably gradually get started by mid August so we are in full swing by the time Co-op begins.


Firedrake had three goals to accomplish during the last 5-6 weeks of summer.  One is the pass her driving test.  She is working very hard and has well surpassed her needed 45 hours on the road driving (including 10 hours night time) so we just need to schedule a date to take the driving portion of the test.  Second we are getting her enrolled in the local community college.  We are making an appt to meet with a admission coordinator next week.  My Husband and I are scrambling to make a high school transcript. She then needs to decide which two classes she wants to take next  semester.  She is only 4 classes away from graduating!!!  Lastly Firedrake will be looking for a job, hopefully one that she can continue to have after school begins in September.  She has narrowed down the sites she doesn't want to work for in our little town, which doesn't leave many opportunities but we will see what happens. She has already filled out an application online for two places so now we wait to see if she is called up for an interview.    We are very late looking for jobs due to a busy month of June, but we are hopeful something will turn up.  We are only looking for her to work 15 to 20 hours a week since she will need to balance her college classes.

In addition to the above goals Firedrake is continuing with her private tutoring for piano and Japanese weekly!

We are also having some fun days where we are going to six flags amusement park!

Haven't gotten in as many trips here as we usually do by this time of the year due to the constant storms in our area.

Also finding a few movies to see on a rainy days:)

Spending some time at the pool 

I have also had a little bit of time working in my glass studio completing a few new pieces

New garden art displayed

Working on a new window art pieces.  My husband says we are running out of windows to display my work,  I say there is no such thing as too much stained glass:)

I got to get MarioFan signed up for his Co-op Spanish class this week, They also have martial arts and a psychology class that I am considering but the times those classes are offered  are not convenient so not sure yet if we will enrolled.

Weekly Wrap Up 7/12/19-- Visiting my Mom Part 2

My Mom and I drove back to her house and I spent a week with her helping around the house as I could.  She is trying to decide if she wants to sell the house and move (I am hoping closer to me).  We worked in her garden, visited with my niece and sister and found some time to go on a trip to Longwood gardens and Winthru (A Dupont home on the scale of Biltmore we were told)

I made this stain glass lantern for my parents and was planning on giving it to them when I visited in March but with my Dad getting very ill very quickly I left it at home and forgot about it.  When my Mom stayed with us I found it in the stain glass room and give it to her and we took it to her house and lite it up one night.  Such a shame my dad couldn't see it:(

We visited a Dupont home called Winterthru--It is a home with over 175 rooms, we saw about ten or twelve of them.

View of the house from the trolley to the front door 

Dupont was forced to open his home to the public due to how he was financing his collection he built a smaller house with about 15 rooms across the road where he lived out his last years.

 While there there was an exhibit on the costumes for the series the Crown.

Coronation dress

Another dress worn by the actress for the series.

 Dupont's museum was very interesting and the overwhelming wealth exhibited is breath taking.  He would often find old homes getting ready to be demolished or sold and buy it and then bring it piece by piece home and rebuild the house or rooms onto his mansion.

This old wooden Eagle was found in an old tavern and was once housed near the swimming pool.  Due to weathering it was brought into the conservatory

There are over 50 sets of dinner ware within the house, one is George Washington's dinning set.  

 The next day we did a tour of Longwood Gardens.  It is absolutely beautiful.  I doubt we saw more than 1/2 the gardens and I definitely want to go back.

Another Dupont built these gardens and the garden conservatory is massive.  You could spend all day in there.  The flowers were in bloom and the lay out was incredible.

They are well known for their massive fountain show.  I only saw the day time show but I am told int he evening they add lights and music.  

We decided to attend 3 different guided walks that day -- so informative.  While my Mother has been here before she had never done a guided tour so it was a bonus for her plus she saw parts of the garden she hadn't seen before:)!

This is the The Pierce- Dupont home on the garden grounds.

 I took dozens of flower pictures all with my cell phone.  I won't bore you with them all but here are my two favorite one:)

My Mom by one of the conservatory fountains. 

 While home I  helped my Mom in the garden as her garden is going to be on a garden tour in her town.  She has a beautiful wildlife garden and while she was with my family the weeds had gotten out of control.  So we spent 3 days raking, pulling weeds, planting and sweeping.

I added up with a nasty blister LOL, I am a light weight when it comes to manual labor:)

 My niece and sister came over one night for a barbeque and I got to meet the new dogs.  My niece has 2 corgis and a German Shepard and my sister now has 6 dogs although she only brought over the newest dog.

Firedrake really wants a corgi so I took pictures of the dogs to show her:).  This is Louie and  Brody

and this is Grace and Colby 

It was hard returning home and leaving my Mom, but I feel like we got a lot of things accomplished.  I am hoping either she will be back out to visit in Sept or I will be back out there.  Trying to convince Mom to spend Christmas with us but she isn't sure where she wants to be right now.

It was hard to say goodbye and head home to my family.  We are hoping she will fly back out over the holidays, or the family and I will go out to see her soon.

weekly wrap up 7/5/19--A visit from my MOM:)

My Mom spent about three weeks with us in June.  My father and I share a birthday so I wanted her to be with me on that day in addition to Father's day.  It was also good to have her around while my kids were at camp to keep me focused on other things rather then stressing over missing my kids.

Mom was here during MarioFan's birthday and learned how to play on his new virtual reality game

He loves this new system--He also got a drone but the dog is not to please with that toy.  Drives her crazy and she barks incessantly at the drone:(

While the kids were away at camp we took a few day trips out

Visiting St Genevie which is a french colonial town near us. 

Learned about the history of the state prior to the revolution and lots of history learned here.  We have taken the kids here in the past but since MarioFan is doing American history next year I foresee us doing another field trip out this way and I found out they do Homeschool Tuesdays during the school year!!!

They just opened up a new museum which wasn't here before so even more things were on display .  

the Local Science center had a Pompeii exhibit so we spent the morning exploring this as well.  Again this exhibit is going on until NOV so I may have to go back with the kids at some point

They had about a dozen or so casts of actual people and animals found at the site .  It was a great exhibit and if it comes near you I recommend checking it out.  MarioFan and I studied this  during out World History this past year.

On my birthday we went out to dinner just the three of us and remembered my Dad

I like this shot of my husband and I 

In addition to day trips my Mom help me do a little gardening, she has a green thumb which did not pass down to me!  Plus I have a herd of deer and rabbits that seem to eat everything I plant so I don't have the most amazing garden.  With her help I found some deer resistant plants and hope to have a little more color in my garden soon:)

We decided to add additional color to the garden and make some stain glass garden art together.  I have an old wrought iron basket holder that my Mom suggested transforming.

We worked on a pattern with the goal of just using scrap glass

Mom learning to foil the glass

and solder

checking it out before we finish it and place it in the yard

Found its place in the yard!

For my birthday my Mother found an amazing wrought iron  garden wheel.  I decided to add some glass to the spokes and once it is done it will also go out into the garden.  

Mom was with us after the kids returned home from camp and then she and I headed to her house so I could return the favor and help her in her garden and help around the house.  I will post about that visit next week:)