Mommio: Watermelon!

 We waited a little longer and picked another giant watermelon today (mostly because we saw some ants were starting to eat the end of it). 

Kiki was so excited- this was her section of the garden to take care of this season.

 We were all worried that we'd cut it open and it would be another dud...

so we held our breath as Daddio cut into it.

 And cheered when he revealed the juicy, red insides!

 After cutting it up, the kids dug right in- Kiki says she grew delicious melons.

 And obviously Max and Jack agreed- they both ate three pieces right in a row.

 Now that we know patience pays off in the watermelon garden we are waiting for 

five more to be ready to eat.

Mommio: Learning To Read

Somehow I have managed to teach 5 kids how to read during the last few years of homeschooling and now it is Max's turn to learn.  Over the years I have come up with our own process to get started when they are little and it begins with recognizing letters and the sounds they make (basic phonics) while learning some sight words at the same time so they can feel successful by reading right away- Dick and Jane books are perfect for this because all the words in the books are common sight words.  Max is super enthusiastic about learning to read!  Yesterday we "graduated" his ABC cards because he knows all of them on his own and can make a train with them (put them in order) all by himself.

 Here he is with the sight words he has learned and using them to read Dick and Jane.

 And of course every child does this their own way, Max's process involves taking time out for yoga relaxation in the middle of the lesson.

  He thinks he's getting away with something by asking to do this- little does he know it is another great skill for him to learn AND gives me time to go refill my coffee!

Gabe: Cacti update

Our cacti have been growing good  they have gotten really big because we are in a drought.  They really like heat. So yesterday I took some pictures. Here they are.

Mommio: Art Class- More Monet

 This week I decided that we needed to take a closer look at Monet's work, so I found two new projects online for the kids to try.  After discussing each project and the artwork that it is based on, they were able to choose one project to do today and one to do later in the week.  But, they were both so quick and fun that all the kids decided to do both projects in class today.  The first project was based on Monet's famous Water-Lilies painting from 1914.

 First the kids used yellow oil pastels to draw several lilies of different sizes on their watercolor paper.  The lilies are basically a simple tulip shape, or a "W" with a curved, filled in bottom.  They highlighted each tulip with peach and pink oil pastel to create the center of the flower.

 Next they added green ovals under the bottom of each lily and white waves across the paper to 

represent ripples in the water.

 After the drawing was complete they used watercolors to paint a wash of blues and greens across the entire paper, allowing the oil pastels to resist the paint.

 For a final touch of our own, we sprinkled the watercolors with sea salt while they were still wet, 

giving it a blurry effect.

 Here are the finished water-lilies.....

 The second project was based on another Monet water lily painting, Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge 1899 and was inspired by this post at KinderArt.

They used watered down tempera paints: green, blue, red and yellow to create the background (sky, water, plants and flowers) by using balled up paper towels and dabbing the paint randomly on the watercolor paper until it was filled with colors.

 Then the kids used white oil pastels to create a bridge outline.  Two simple curved lines and some vertical lines attaching them- colored heavily.

 Here's how they turned out:

Marney: Funny Jokes

1 Why did Tigger look in side the toilet?.......   He  was looking for Pooh
2 Where do the penguins go to swim?.......  The south pool
3 What do you get when you cross a giant with a skunk?.....   A big stink
4  What color is a burp?.......  Burple

Mommio: CSA July 27th

This is the last CSA basket for the Spring/Summer season.  We can't wait for the fall season to start!

Connor: Blog Of The Day

The Ghost Town

By Connor M. Jones

As I stood upon the sand I pondered what could have ruined the town in which I was.  It felt as though I knew the place, yet never saw it.  It was barren and unlike how it seemed in my head.  Betwixt the mounds of sand one could still vaguely see a sidewalk and houses.  I searched the entire place for what I was there to seek.  Finally upon the sand, a shimmering gem, I had found the item I wanted.  But, alas, I couldn't take it.  It had belonged to someone else, like the souls of those who had once inhabited the place, it wasn't to be taken by an average being.  However I was not average, but rather abnormal.  I bent down to pick it up again.  My skeletal fingers grasping nothing but sand.  The treasure was in fact easy for someone more experienced in my line of work to pick up.  I, on the contrary was not exactly new to this at all, yet what I was grasping for kept avoiding me.  I reached into the sack on my back and brought out a weapon.  I slashed downward and the sharp end snagged onto what I could not grab.  I looked and realized that this was a training ground.  I wandered away with the gem in my hand, gazing into it.  Inside I saw what appeared to be a human and laughed as I noticed that it was a soul of the living.  Well it wasn't anymore, instead it was the valuable item I took for my master.  Once I returned to my master he said "Thanatos, you have done well.  Another soul  for the underworld and another person for me to put up with."  I left in search of a rotten king.  His time had come and yet I was sure this next mission would be the most difficult one yet.  The End

Mason: Yellow Belt

Last night I got my yellow belt and certificate from
Master Porter in Tae Kwon Do.

Marney: Knitting

I was knitting for about a half year and now I finished it now I look cuter and I had fun doing it.

 and I am making more

Gabe: Blog Of The Day

 Ghost Trip 

 by Gabe

One day a man and his friend were going on a hunting trip in a desert but they had to drive 200 miles before they got there. They packed their guns and ammo. The next morning they left to go to the desert to go hunting. Right now they are right outside of the desert. They are almost there and their car stops but it says it still had half a tank of gas. So they get out of the car and go to the back of the car and look at the engine.  Then they both got stuck to the ground.  Then they see a ghost and the ghost lets them go.  But then they pull out their black powder and throw a match in the box of black powder and he puts the cap on and throws it at the ghost. Then it blows up and the ghost dies.  They don't go hunting, they are so scared they just go home.

 THE END

Marney: Blog Of The Day

Boo

By Marney

One day there were people out in the desert building a big building for some guy they did not know.  They did not even know what they were making but they knew it was big and was for the guy and they wanted to know. So they asked the guy who told them to make it and he said "I can not tell you." Then one of them found out they were making a super big lab and he said nothing about it.  But he did not tell anyone because he thought if he did they would get mad at him.  So he keep it a secret from all the people.  Then it was night and they did not want to work all night so they went home.  Then they came back the next day to build it.  Right when all of the people got there the guy yelled "You are making a lab!" So they were making the lab and in the middle of them making the lab the guy went and picked up a spell and he drank it.  Then he turned into a ghost. People did not know that he was turned into a ghost. So at the night they did not see the guy. That meant that they could not stop working because the guy had to tell them to stop working. That also meant they could not stop to go to sleep.  So they kept on working.  Then one of the guys on the roof said something touched him.  All the people thought that could not be true or else there would be someone next to him. So then they were done making the lab so then they all went home. Then one woke up in the middle of the night and said to his wife there was a ghost.  She did not believe him and then the ghost said "Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Avery: Blog Of The Day

King Boo Vs. Donkey Kong

By Ava

One day there was a ghost that lived in a small house in the middle of a desert. His name was King Boo. He was the ruler of all the ghosts that lived in the desert. He was a really big jerk when anyone came into his home. One day a gorilla named Donkey Kong went into King Boo's home while he wasn't there. Donkey Kong walked around and looked at all the pictures of Boo and his friends. Suddenly King Boo came inside and saw Donkey Kong touching all over his pictures. King Boo screamed and went invisible. He slammed the door, scaring Donkey Kong. Then he threw some glass plates on the ground and the glass shattered all over the room. Donkey Kong was freaked out, frustrated and angry with King Boo. He found out where King Boo was and grabbed him and threw him into the glass on the ground. Then he grabbed Boo again and filled his mouth with giant explosives and set them off. King Boo exploded and his ghost insides flew all over the room.

The End

Daddio: 7/28/11 Blog of the Day

Write a ghost story about the following picture:

Connor: Blog Of The Day

 Egypt

Egypt has always been a fascinating country.  The first kingdom was started in the year 3150 B.CE.  by Menes.  Before that Egypt was home to a tribe of hunter gatherers and fishermen.  Before that they used to have grown grain.  Then when the Sahara Desert formed they had to change their culture to live off the environment.  After the first unified kingdom was formed the next few centuries were either a small intermediate period or a major dynasty for Egypt.  The dynasties are listed in groups such as the Old Kingdom,  Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom.  Following those groups is the phase in which Alexander the Great took over Egypt and built Alexandria.  The dynasty was called the Ptolemaic dynasty.  Ptolemy was the name of Alexander's general who became the pharaoh.  The dynasty ended with the death of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.  On the contrary at the exact same time it also ended with Caesarion, Cleopatra's son with Julius Caesar.  Caesarion was killed by his half brother Augustus Caesar's army.  In modern Egypt Hosni Mubarak stopped being the president earlier this year.  Egypt has a population of about eighty million people.  Today Egypt deals mainly with oil, natural gases, chemicals, steel, and agriculture as its major industries.  As one would think Egypt's tourism is doing well.  With countless ancient landmarks that attract tons of people Egypt's tourism is fine.  One of these landmarks is the Sphinx of Egypt.  Another important and interesting monument is the Great Pyramid.  Yet another that isn't standing anymore is the great library of Alexandria.  In short Egypt has been and hopefully always will be a very interesting country.

Connor: Word Challenge

Loki is a curmudgeon who killed Baldur just because Baldur was more likable.
The author gave his book a cursory edit and then went off to sell it.
The monster under the bed is a story that daunts many young children.

Gabe: Blog Of The Day

 Madagascar

by Gabe

Madagascar is off the southeast cost of Africa in the Indian Ocean and is an island. Their population is 20,653,556. The size of the island is 227,000 sq mi.  Periwinkle is one of their plants found there.  90% of their plants only live there and no where else in the world. A ring tailed lemur is one of the animals they have there.  80% of their animals only live there.  Eugene Mangalaza  is their leader right now. Their country was made on June 16, 1960.