American Indian Heritage Day

We are wrapping up our studies on the American Indian during this Thanksgiving week.  We have greatly enjoyed learning more about our ancestors!  On Friday, we went to American Indian Heritage Day at the Museum of History.  We got to learn more and do lots of fun activities.  We even recognized a few Indians from our other field trips.  Lots of different tribes came together for this day. 

  

Our group at the Pow Wow.  This was a lot of fun!  We plan on visiting a local tribe soon to go to their Pow Wow. 

This little guy was my favorite.  He was doing the Warrior Dance. Which is a dance that they would normally do after a hunt to tell about their hunt.

 

These were the jingle dancers.  Which come from an old folktale.  We got to make a jingle later on. 

This guy is doing a Prairie Chicken Dance which tells about their hunt of a prairie chicken.

   

Our crew in a canoe

Ryan being silly (that is the Cherokee name he chose which means brave)

American Indian with a blackberry.  I thought I got a picture of one with an iPhone.  I thought this was funny:)

Just handing out

 

We learned more about making clay pots and got to make things with clay.

 

Ari made a butterfly

Grinding corn

They have a Black beard exhibit going on at the museum right now.  We stopped by there before leaving the museum.  Ryan loves pirates. 

 

What have you learned about the Indians in school?

Ryan:  There are good and bad Indians just like there are good and bad people.  The people took Squanto and they were bad.

Arianna:  I’ll tell you what I remember.  The possum story which is how he got his tail.  How to hang the tobacco.  My favorite was the Indian tribe dance and the waterfalls.  

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

by Arianna

I would get a Turkey from the grocery store.  I would cook it for 10 minutes.  I would serve pizza with it.  I would say “look what I cooked.”

My kids and their pets

 

For those of you who remember we have five dogs.  We now also have three snails.  The kids found snails after a rain storm on Thursday and now they are new pets named Alexa, Melody and Zach.  The kids (and I) love to hold and observe these intriguing little guys.  They are very easy to care for and are quite interesting!

Yes these are crawling on Ari’s tummy!

Homeless Homeschooler

This was a failed attempt at taking a picture of Arianna’s new earrings.  She had been playing at Yayas all morning, was quite dirty and hadn’t brushed her hair.  It is on days like this that I tell her she looks like a homeless homeschooler:)

Newest 2 Year Old

My nephew Graceson turned two recently.  (He still has very little to do with me but I do love his sweet self).  We recently went to his birthday party. 

This is Graceson’s sister Katelyn.  She reminds so much of my sister at that age!

Arianna is a dare devil.

Katelyn doing something my sister always did as a kid…pulling her dress over her head. 

My sister and Graceson

Yaya and Graceson

Look what Ryan caught

(thankfully not the swine flu)

Ryan went fishing with Papa all by himself (unusual with all of the grandkids).  Ryan had a great time and he actually caught a fish. 

 

Ari the Brave

Notice anything different about Arianna…

She got her ears pierced!!  She was so brave.  She didn’t even flinch. 

Mmm…Butter

 

Ryan loves doing things by himself especially if it involves a knife!  A little bread with his butter!  He was so proud that he cut the butter for his bread.  (Look at that dirty face—he closes his eyes when he thinks the camera is going to flash--hence the funny expression)

When My Children Sleep

 

When My Children Sleep

One of my favorite things at night
is to watch my children when they're sleeping.
As I watch them one by one,
I wonder what dreams they are keeping,
and hope their little minds embrace
the good ones,
and keep out the bad- that come creeping.
The moonlight plays shadow games
on their faces, as an occasional smile
teases upon their lips.
I listen to their breathing,
as it slows and becomes deep.
This is a time I'll always treasure,
and a peaceful moment I'll forever keep...

by Jamie Lynette Edson

I came to check on the kids one night and this is what I found.  Arianna at some point had crawled in bed with Ryan.   

Yes this is for real…A friend and I were up scrapbooking and the kids were in the living room watching a movie.  This is the scene I found.

A Boy and His Dog

The Kids heart sleepovers (as long as Mom is there)

Car Schooling

Today we were Car Schoolers.  We went on a field trip to the Planetarium which is a good 45 minute drive there and back.  Ari did her Math and writing lessons in the car on the way there and back.  Ryan was excited that his “reading lesson” (what he calls school) was going to be at the planetarium.  Later, Ari read her book while waiting for Daddy to meet us for dinner.  We really enjoyed our time at the planatarium!  The program was Sol & Company which discussed the sun and the planets which was great since we are currently discussing the Solar System in our unit studies. 

 

Ryan and Ari in replicas of some space seats from the past (such a vague description:)  I honestly can’t remember how long ago and for exactly which space craft).  I do know that they had to sit in this spot for a good 14 weeks.  How uncomfortable!

Ryan exploring the Solar System with technology

Ari feeling mucus.  We discussed how mucus affects lung function.

Arianna is reading while we wait for Dad. She is doing really well reading!

In car schooling, she also wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy…which is a huge victory since she is very resistant to invented spelling.  She wants to be right and therefore doesn’t want to write her own words for fear of messing up!  Where in the world does she gets this perfectionism from **blush**. Funny thing is that she knows I am the tooth fairy. Not sure why she is so motivated to write a letter to the tooth fairy when I already know she lost her tooth! But whatever works!  I am excited that she took the leap.  This is the second time she has done invented spelling.  The first is with her last name.  A couple of days ago,she comes to me and says look Mom I spelled my last name…Dotin (it’s actually Dalton). I didn’t want to correct her since she finally took a chance.  Of all things to misspell:)  I figure one day she will figure out that her last name is not Dotin:)  Until then I will keep encouraging my perfectionist. 

Her letter to the Tooth Fairy…

I Lost Miy Tooth.  Ples Lef Me A Gif. 

She then drew a picture of her missing tooth.  I tried to take a picture but it is in the envelope ready to be delivered under her pillow:)

Camp Flintlock Field Trip

We went on a great field trip today to Camp Flintlock with other homeschoolers. Our dear friends run the the camp. Ari and Ryan enjoyed learning more about Colonial Days hands on. The kids got to many fun activities including see a musket being fired, play colonial games, throw tomahawks, write with quill pens, dress up, make cords, make necklaces, dance, learn about drums and their use in the Colonial Military, see a cannon being fired as well as many other fun outdoor activities. It inspired me to begin book 2 of Laura Ingills Wilder(Farmer Boy).