Retta's latest Masterpiece

 

 

She loves glitter!!

 

Computer game day

Today was computer day! Musa was enjoying a Harry Potter game he checked out from the library. I have to admit the graphics were really cool. He had fun casting spells. He also loved flying on a broomstick.

Retta spent three hours playing Freddi Fish. She really works hard to try to figure it out. She gets a little frustrated at times but hangs in there. "Yay, I found another purple sea urchin."

We snuggled in downstairs this afternoon with a fire in the fireplace and watched Agent Cody Banks. Musa was in heaven...he loved all the cool spy stuff. It was a really cute movie. Had me laughin' a few times.

Retta had another tough time at bedtime. "Mama, I just don't want to be four, could I please be 3 or 5..sob..4 just scares me too much. I can't be 4 because I make my A's crooked and my Y's don't look like Y's."  After much reassurance, a back scratch session, songs and a story...she fell off to sleep.  

Loretta singing Wee Three Kings

Musa singing Three Wee Kings

Painting and Cartoons

Today Musa caught up on as many cartoons as he could. He missed out yesterday as he was busy helping Dad with leaf blowing and learned how to change the oil in the truck. He was so excited that he got to climb under the truck. He realized this morning that he had missed a good Sunday of cartoons so he fit in as many as he could today.

Retta spent the day painting. She is loving working with acrylics because she can mix the colors. When she grew tired of painting on paper she decided to paint Bella's (the golden retriever) head green. Bella didn't seem to mind and Retta said she thought it looked pretty. All in the name of art!

We took a trip to the library and picked up a few movies and books. We looked thru some books and got a few more ideas for Christmas presents. We have lots of projects to keep us busy. So many secrets.

Musa and Retta want to sing the song they are working on for the concert. Check the audio entry for tonight.

Testing Audio

Those Darn Leaves

Would you believe we are still dealing with leaves? We had quite a wind storm yesterday so it really piled them up again. The trees are bare now so I can safely say this is the last of the lot. The kids had a great romp in the piles.

We worked on one of the walls of PineCone Clubhouse. The "rule" is we can only use natural materials that we find laying around. We found some HUGE pieces of bark that made some great walls. This is a work in progress and we are excited to see how it turns out.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving, just the four of us. The Christmas spirit has really kicked in and we are all busily working on our handmade projects. We have come up with some fabulous ideas...but I can't share ...because...it's a SECRET!!!

Loretta's 4th Birthday

Retta turned four on November 24th. We celebrated this special day in grand style with good friends, happy games, singing, gigling, feasting and surprises.

Big sister Anna was here and helped with the Clifford decorations and cake decorating. That was a great gift for Mom.

Retta recieved many great gifts..lot's of art supplies, and her first new bike. She has been on it non-stop since.

As bedtime arrived, Retta... very tired and overwhelmed...layed on her bed sobbing. "Mama, I just don't think I want to be four. It's just so hard. Can I please just stay 3?" Why is it so hard? "It's just too much pressure."  (Gez, I can't wait until the 13th birthday!)

Archaeology by night

I tried to get Retta to come in last night from her on-going archaelogy dig. I used the arguement that it was getting dark and she needed to come inside. She sprang up, and said, "Just a minute Mommy!" She ran into the garage and came back with a flashlight. "See Mommy, now I can stay out."

It's hard to argue with the future scientists of the world.

Tears and Tree Spirits

Anna and Tyrus were here on Sunday for a visit. We have been taesing Tyrus for sometime to bring his ax when he comes to help split logs. We lost a elm tree in Hurricane Isabel last year it has been laying by the barn seasoning until this year. Dad and Tyrus decided to start spliting..... Musa was out watching.

I noticed Musa walking around the yard looking upset. I called him in and asked what was wrong. He repeatedly said nothing was but it was obvious from a Mom's point of view, there was. I continued to push and he started crying. Sobbing. He collapsed in my arms.  He finally pulled himself together enough to tell me. He said that Tyrus had "chopped" a tree. After much discussion and detective work it turned out that Tyrus had tossed the ax at a tree, sticking the ax in the tree trunk. Musa was horrified as he felt the tree was in pain and was now injured. He was devastated. He couldn't understand how Tyrus could hurt a tree.

This went back to a Earth Day celebration we had at the house last spring. We had decorated a tree and made a cool path leading up to the tree and the kids were asked to approach the tree, ask it permission to approach, and then hug the tree and feel it's spirit. Musa had a very positive experience that day and now feels very strongly that trees have spirits and feel pain. He has vowed not to hurt them.

We spent time discussing how different people feel about things. We explained that when Tyrus was growing up firewood was a source of heat and so he may have grown up with a different idea about trees. Musa seemed very relieved to know that Tyrus had not done this as a malicious act, but rather out of a different belief system. He put it to rest and went about his day. He was reassured that we would watch the tree closely and provide first aid as necessary.

Tragic as this was for Musa it was an enlightening experience for me. I sometimes have looked at my son and wonder how much of the "Barrett" spirit is within him. Today I saw that it was alive and well. Little does he know this is the beginning of his life as an activist, always fighting for the downtrodden and misunderstood.  

PARTY TIME

PARTY TIME

The Coleman Homeschooling Academy officially starts it's winter break today. We take a break from our regular studies until January 5th. We started this tradition several years ago as we decided we just wanted to enjoy and embrace the holiday season to it's fullest.

As with some homeschooling families and certainly this one, learning is a way of life. Although, I do structure with some light curriculum, we believe strongly that life is learning. Children are natural learners and do so much better learning what they choose instead of what is shoved at them.

So, although we are on break, the projects and learning will most certainly continue. We spend a lot of time cooking, and snugling around the fireplace reading books and catching up on movies. We review traditions and reminisce of seasons past. We tell stories of generations past and traditions that have come forward. We decorate the house in grand fashion and remember the origins of old ornaments and adornments such as the old advent calender that hung in the gray house of Ballard. We joyously sing Christmas songs regardless of our beliefs and sweetly remember the favorites or those gone before us. We cook favorite recipes like Aunt Carla's pumpkin bread and ginger drink, Grandma Maude's apple pie, my mothers sinful sweet potatoes or my father's favorite Christmas eve treat..little smokies. There's Grandma Loretta's collards and Anna's sweet potato pie. We laugh about making Dad cook and eat those nasty chitterlings outside.

We have lot's of projects to design and complete.  The finishing of homemade gifts, sanding wood, cutting fabric, sewing and sawing, and candle making. Painting and stamping, cutting and measuring, keeping secrets and telling legends. Wrapping, tieing bows, taping and packing, making and sending cards. If we are lucky there will be snow angels to make and icicle treats. We can sled down our fabulous hill and visit Pincone Clubhouse in the snow. We will sip hot cocoa and discuss the origins of cinnamon sticks. We will recycle ordinary, everyday trash into beautiful art sculptures reflective of the season.

So...who needs curriculum..we cover social studies, history, language arts, music, art, math, science and religiousstudies. All in the form of a great celebration. Sure makes me think of turning this into a year round way of life.   

Eyeballs, Fish and Yet More Leaves

We had a long 4 day weekend. Dad was off work on Thursday for Veterans Day and Friday we had physicals scheduled with our family doctor. Saturday and Sunday we spent hanging around the house. We got our Christmas lights up and continued the major task of leaf removal or should I say leaf rearranging. It would be virtually impossible to actually remove all the leaves from this property, so we just attempt to blow them into the woods.

Retta spend yesterday digging through the flower bed with a pair of tweezers. She busily washed each grain of "stuff" she found and then identified and classified them. She swears she found the remains of some fish. She said there must have been an ocean here one day. She proudly showed me a small grain of sand and announced that it was an "eyeball." She will spend HOURS digging through the dirt. She has the patience of a saint.

Musa really helped out this weekend. He spent several hours blowing leaves. It was such a great help. The older he gets the more I am able to count on him to help out around the house. He is accepting resonsibility more and more. He will do anything I ask him, and is really quite good natured about it. I believe he will be a strong, awesome, reliable person when he grows.

Learning Triumphantly

Musa continues to work hard on his recorder lessons. He is struggling a little with understanding how to read music but everyday he seems to grasp more. He can play Mary had a Little Lamb and Hot Crossed Buns. He continues to enjoy his teacher. He has memorized his lines for the play in which he will be a donkey. (There are many things I could insert here about why I think he will make a great donkey, but I will resist the urge :)  His lines:

"I have heard of that. They say He'll will come triumphantly through the streets on the back of a young donkey."

He has them down well. He is very nervous about the play, but also very excited.

Retta continues to be relieved that she stepped aside. She takes her toys and art supplies with her and stays busy while Musa practices. She gets to spend time with her friend Kayla, which always makes her happy. She knows all the songs of the play by heart and also knew Musa's lines before he did, but is just to terrified to be in front of people. So she watches comfortably from the sidelines.

Finishing Old and Starting New

We have been busy. We devoted the weekend to leaf removal. We blew leaves, we raked leaves...Retta carried buckets of leaves....we blew more. I am not sure we accomplished anything. This is the price we pay for living in the woods. I always question our decision this time of year. Oh well, all in all it is a small price we pay for the paece and solitude we enjoy.

We have spent the last several days finishing up some old projects. Musa and Dad have been working on his PowerPoint project of his werewolf research. I have been going through paper and projects and getting things filed away.  We have also been planning what gifts we are going to make for family for Christmas. I think the decisions have been made and the kids came up with some great stuff. Retta is working on some weaving projects and fabric braiding, and she is planning on making some small baskets. Musa is working on some cool bead projects. I am sure the gift reciepients will be pleased.

We start our vacation on the 15th of this month. Since we school all year around, we take our big break at Christmas time. We won't officially start "school" again until January. I am reading more and more about unschooling and am leaning heavily in that direction. Maybe by the 1st of the year I will have made the transition.

 

Rainy Day Blues

Pouring down rain today.  Just did light activities. The kids played with their felt shapes, making different pictures. They were gigling and having a great time. Caught up on a few math lessons and Musa started planning his independent project for November.

Took a rain soaked trip to the library and hung out for awhile. I always enjoy watching the kids pick out their books. Always something new. Musa continues to show interest in history, especially American history. I am thinking of bailing on the choosen curriculum this year and jump into American History. The joy of homeschooling. We can think for ourselves!!!

Grieving but still learning

Great learning going on here today. No need for curriculum. Topics included...Winning vs. Losing. Democracy. Hope. Spirit. Dealing with Loss. What's at Stake. Heroes. Opinions. Dissention being the purest form of Patriotism. Licking Wounds. Hope. Strength. Rest. Perseverance.

It was a hard day. But a learning day. A resting day.

Out of the mouth of children comes simple wisdom sometimes:

Retta and I were resting on my bed this afternoon and I said, "Retta I just don't get it, we worked so hard, we did so much, what went wrong. She sat up, thought for a minute and said: "Next time we need to yell louder and make our signs bigger."

And so we will................................................  

ELECTION DAY

IT IS NO SECRET.....THIS IS A DEMOCRATIC HOUSEHOLD. WE ARE SOOOO ANXIOUS. MUSA HAS HIS STATE MAP READY TO COLOR THE STATES AS THEY REVEAL THIS EVENING.

Our mantra today: WE WILL PREVAIL. WE WILL TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY.

In our house the election and politics are very much a part of our school day. Retta has been busy counting Bush and Kerry signs as we drive. Musa has learned much about democracy and has asked many good questions about how other countries run their governments. He is very excited to work on his map tonight. This past year he has participated in protest marches, helped host a moveon.org party, and held up signs and candles at a candelight vigil we had for the soldiers that have died. It has been a very active year and a lot of great learning opportunities at our fingertips. He has also learned about conflict resolution and debating principles.

We are planning a picnic type dinner in front of the TV tonight. Let's hope it is not an all nighter!!

 

PineConeClubhouse

We decided to explore the woods of our property for the first time. The kids packed their backpacks with what the felt were the necessities. Water, crackers, magnifying glasses, a mini recorder, camera, ribbon to mark the trail, collection containers.

The quest had several parts. We were looking for unusual flora and fauna that we have not seen in our yard...(Are the woods different from our yard?)....We were also looking for different types of fungi...(Retta is fascinated by them)...and probably the most important...searching for the perfect location to build a clubhouse.

We were successfull on all three counts. We some unusual ferns that we have never seen before. We found some beautiful mushrooms, and we found the perfect place to make a secret clubhouse. We will be sure to journal the continuing saga of progress in building the clubhouse.

Halloween

The kids had a great time on Sunday.  We started the Halloween adventure by going to our local Vounteer Fire Station and doing the annual, "Drive thru fright nite." They roll the trucks out and decorate the fire station as a very haunted house. You roll down the windows and drive thru. Numerous scary creatures jump up into the windows and scare you. It was hilarious. I was more scared than Retta.

We then went trick or treating in our subdivision. The folks really get into it with graveyards in their yards and lots of fog machines. It really is a blast.

Musa looked so scary in his costume. At his age it is clear that the scariest and most bloody costumes are the thing. For Retta being a nice kitty cat was still okay.

Everyone needs to say a little prayer as I will spend the next couple of weeks dealing with small children on sugar highs!