Butterfly Garden: Caterpillars Growing up

INCH BY INCH!

The Caterpillars have grown a lot.  The kids love to stop and look at them.  I do have to watch to make sure they don't do silly things.  One day I caught Wesley breathing into the holes on the top of the cup and he said, "I am giving them more air."  We was concerned they wouldn't have enough air in there.  I explained how air would have no problem going through those air holes and that he was not helping them but could actually hurt them with the germs in his mouth.  He didn't really get it but he stopped.  The kids are excited for the chrysalis stage.  Irina and I are about half way through all the different butterflies found in the United States.  Then we get into Butterfly Habitat Gardening.  I am excited about that chapter, but she wants to read the book from front to back and doesn't want me to jump ahead.  It is going to be fun seeing butterflies now and trying to figure out which one it is.

The Life Cycles of Butterflies: From Egg to Maturity, a Visual Guide to 23 Common Garden ButterfliesInsect Lore Live Butterfly Garden

ARTistic Pursuits: Lesson 1

I Can Teach Art!

Irina loves everything art - coloring, painting, dancing, drawing and so I knew that we needed to add more art and craft things into our school day, but I am not someone I consider very artsy.  I should qualify that - I love to do things like scrapbooking and drawing.  What I dislike about doing arts and crafts with my kids is coming up with the idea that they can do.  Besides all the mess.  Okay so art is a little messy, I've gotten over that.  It was the ideas.  We did a few art projects this year and going to Story time at the Library helped in this area.  The question was could I teach them real art?  Like an art teacher would at a school?  Well you will have to decide for yourself - but so far I am loving this art book called ARTistic Pursuits.

The first unit in the book which we are doing through the summer covers what artist do.  I will follow us through the book and you can take a look at what my kids are producing each week in the form of art.

Week 1
Artist Compose
Medium: ebony pencil, art paper, eraser

Our Art Work:

Irina's night-scape - notice the little buildings in the bottom right hand corner.










My own drawing we had just read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - and we are studying about birds.











Wesley was the big surprise for me.  He has never really loved drawing, art or coloring, but he has been loving this curriculum for art.  I think the reason it works so well for him is he doesn't have to look at a great adult version that looks all perfect and try to copy it.  He gets to come up with his own artwork.    This drawing at the left was his first attempt it is of an egg.



Wesley's second drawing is of a Lion.

Here Wesley drew a boy at the park.

The kids did ask me to draw some things for them, but I refused.  Saying this was their composition and it would be all their own work.  They didn't like that at first but it lead to some really creative perspectives.






This is the same boy in their bedroom.  He wanted the drawers open so people would know what it was.  He included the clock on top of the bureau because they listen to books on CD when they go to sleep and on the right is a bed, and nightlight.  After finishing the drawing Wesley stood back and looked at it and said oh, yeah it needs a chimney.


The only downside to this is the cost.  It is a pretty pricey book and they want you to use real art materials.  I'm beginning to see why they are right about this.  I'll post more about that later.

Artistic Pursuits, Book One: An Introduction to the Visual Arts
Sanford Design Ebony Pencil - Pkg of 2, Design Ebony Pencil
Academie Sketch Pad, 9 x 12 Inches 50 Sheets (54012)

Butterfly Garden: Caterpillars Arrive!

Great 

Excitement!

The Jones kids were ecstatic when the butterfly caterpillars arrived. We got them out of the box and spent quite a bit of time looking at them.  The caterpillars may have been a little dazed by the bright lights after the darkness of the box, but after a few moments they were all moving around.  All five are  happy and healthy.  We put the caterpillar container on our bookshelf to keep it out of the sun and the kids are enjoying looking at them as they pass by.  I am very happy that I got a caterpillar book to read through - Irina is really enjoying learning about caterpillars and what kind of plants to plant to attract butterflies.  The kit itself is fun but without the book it is a more passive activity at least for now in the waiting stage.  The kids are anxious for them to turn into their chrysalis.  I've learned a lot about butterflies the different kinds and where different types are located around the United States. 

 

We'll keep you posted on their progress.

Wesley's Baptism May 16, 2010

Wesley couldn't wait to be baptized.  He said, "I love Jesus sooo much!"  Melts this moms heart.  It has been wonderful to see my children grow in their faith as they learn more and more about Jesus and to choose to express their faith with this outward expression.  Wesley had come to us at Easter time and say that he wanted to be baptized.  We spent some time talking to him about what it was about and then he also talked to our Pastor and had a class on baptism.  This was something he desired to do.  He loves Jesus - "SOOOO MUCH!"