Art: Mary Cassatt

We laxed on our art/ music appreciation over the late fall and holiday season but with all my lesson planning we are going to jump right back in...our artist of the week is Mary Cassatt.  I am a huge fan of her work... so sweet for the most part! 

Although a feminist--  she did not live the normal life, marriage, family etc... and the fact that she believed women held great power-- she believed motherhood was the greatest of these "powers". 

"Concerned with the power of women throughout her life, she believed the ballot box would be their path to future strength and respect. Her images of women holding the keys to procreation are her greatest contribution, however. Whether they care tenderly for their children or pass on wisdom, they are essential to humankind's survival, as Cassatt so effectively illustrates in this show."
 

the kids artwork: our attempt at pastels! 

Mary Cassatt once said..."There's only one thing in life for a woman; it's to be a mother... A woman artist must be... capable of making primary sacrifices."


We read First Impressions: Mary Cassatt

Here is a slide show of some of her work....

We also watched...Great Woman Artist: Mary Cassatt from Netflix

We also used this Dover color book....

I used a few different sites for info and ideas:
Note booking pages from Jimmies collage

More examples of her work....@ Garden of Praise

A neat art activity from rose garden home school

squidoo

practical pages blog-- was a wonderful source and she had some free links also!

Sunday Sum Up: Day 106-110

Monday:

Kate of course had choir and we had history.  Matt and Emily got basics done and I worked on some house stuff and computer necessities. 

Tuesday:

We actually got to stay home all day today-- which feels like the first time for a while!  We started school and did English-- two lessons, Math, vocabulary, Physics and Bible.  We also read Little Woman and a little more from our Mary Cassatt biography.  The kids worked on their presidents packet for John Adams.  I got review cards made up for our next physics unit and our NEW BIBLE is finally here so we are starting it just as soon as I get it back from Office Depot where they are binding those suckers!  The kids also did chores, FOLDED clothes for an extra chore so we could get caught up and it was a VERY good evening!



Wednesday:

We had an AD Players play this morning, The Velveteen Rabbit....

so wonderful!

 It is one of my favorite stories and they just portrayed it amazingly!  We enjoyed ourselves a lot.  We ended up eating lunch out with friends as a treat and picked up our BINDED up Bible so we can start it on Thursday!

We got home, had a popcorn snack and watched our Mary Cassatt -Netflix movie that had arrived!

The kids did math, vocabulary, Bible devotion, Dave Ramsey work and Literature reading.  We left out for church and choir.

BTW.... Dave and I spent a little while talking with our Pastor about the "lying" issue and we have a plan and we feel good about it, so that is that. I covet your prayers though!

Thursday:

I slept in as Thursday is my GET to sleep in day!  We got up and the kids did chores, started on a little school and then I went upstairs to start bible with them.. we are using Classical Academic Press New Testament Covenant---

It seems very involved and I am excited about digging into the time period!  We went through the introduction and a history of "up to this point- overview"....

the kids did math, vocabulary, Bible devotions and read and by that time we were pretty much almost late to leave for their Dave Ramsey class!

We also had a birthday/ play gym time for our home school group so Emily got to play while the Matt and Kate had their class. 

After the home school class and fellowship we went to the library.

We left the library came home and worked on school a little bit more and left for Amy's house for dinner with Brian and Allison-- all us siblings under the same roof!

Friday...


the kids did math, Kate hit a snag with un-equivalent fractions, but we got through it!  Matt is flying through math right now and Emily is moving a long with no problems! 

Spelling, review memorization... we did Bible again--- LOVING it! The kids worked on an art assignment for wrapping up our study of Mary Cassatt. 

we also did English and Matt and Kate worked on their Rifles for Watie project... and of course they READ!

and with that our school week was OVER- and mama needed it to be over!

LOOK at me...

Honestly what on Earth do you do when you have talked to your kids a hundred times about something and they will not comply? 

I am yelled today.  I am a "really loud talker, and I can be sarcastic when I shouldn't and I can even be mean" but I don't yell very often.  Now I yell up the stairs or across the house... but I mean I YELLED with them sitting two feet from me.

I really don't do that. 

But really I am teaching a lesson.  They have to listen.  Period.

Why is this so hard?  Do they not understand that a lesson takes 10 minutes unless you add a 30 lecture onto it!  I have asked that while I am speaking for the 10 minutes that they look at me and pay attention. 

I KNOW LIFE ALTERING!!!!!!

Am I asking too much?  Is it wrong?  When you are teaching an actual subject do you not need them to pay attention?  Is this not "expected" in other schools by other teachers also?  Is this unusual? 

I don't want to yell.  However I do want them to pay attention for the 10 minutes.  Period.  I have punished, I have talked, I have reminded, I have trained, I have been backed up by Dave, I have done all I know!

I guess harsher punishment is it. Last time it was during a spelling lesson and I didn't say a word- I stood up wrote 10 words on the board, said to copy them 5x each and write a sentence for each of them. BUT it didn't actually get the lesson done---- it was just busy work!  I don't have time for busy work, we are schooling for HOURS in a day if we do everything. Which is fine I suppose but I don't JUST want busy work- you know what I mean!

I am not burned out-- I am totally gung ho school right now!  I am like LETS GO!  But I am getting frustrated with little things because they are keeping me from my easy goal of getting DONE.

I am adding two subjects IN this week... Yes, that means MORE school work.  Now when I say we are schooling for HOURS in a day if we do everything I mean HOURS.-- this is NOT every day.  To tell the truth the kids rarely complain.  I mean we can be in the school till 5:30 and they just dont gripe at me... this is not about them not wanting to do the work exactly it is just them LOOKING me in the eye so that I know they are paying attention so that I am not wasting my time.

Kaitlin whom I love an adore and is generally a people pleaser often drifts to another land during a lesson.  I have to ground her.  I don't know how to do that unless her eyes are firmly attached to my face.

Do you?

Emily my "SQUIRREL" girl just gets distracted by... well anything- so again I need her EYES firmly attached to my face.

Matt can listen to me, learn ---and also fight alongside the entire Rebel army in his mind, whilst buiding a catapult to decimate the multitudes of Romans laying seige outside the city walls (a seperate mind act).....however I feel if the other two have to firmly have their eyes trained on me, so should he.

Also I feel it is simply a sign of respect to look at who is speaking!

So what is a girl to do-- besides yell!


(edited: not really edited to you since I didn't post, but edited becasue I actually wrote it on the 7th.  I don't feel the problem is getting all that better-- so I humbly come to ask if ANY of you have suggestions?)

When you are raising one who lies...

Do you have one of those?

A child who lies? It is not an easy task I must say. It is incredibly hard to raise a child who has formed a habit of lying simply for the fact that "grace" seems to fly out the WINDOW when connected with TRUST.

I know that is not how God views it, but from my purely humanistic parenting perspective... I have issue with giving grace when you have bold faced-- LIED to my face.

It bleeds into very area of our relationship--

Did you brush your teeth?  Yes.  WELL I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!

Did you finish your math?  Yes, WELL I CAN'T TRUST YOU SO I HAVE TO CHECK FOR MYSELF.

I don't always every second of the day not trust but I will say that it is WAY more normal NOT to.

I cringe when I ask her Did YOU? and she looks hurt because I don't trust her...

I know "you made the bed now lie in it" but still GRACE.

But on the other hand...there are consequences for having such a habit... the BIBLE is full of verses on liars!

Anyway, we have had an issue with a lie here a lie there, and it is serious in my opinion and we have addressed the heart issue but have NOT reached the root because number one she is still doing it and number two last night she--well she took it to an all new level.

So I am crushed, hurt, sad, angry, mad, resentful, confused... pick an emotion.

We have formulated a plan for a punishment to fit the crime so to speak but it is not dealing with the root of the problem and it is THERE that I feel I am failing. 

It is in dealing with that ROOT that I am not reaching her. 

I understand it is often easier to lie.
I understand it becomes habit.

Oh what a tangled web we weave..... right.  It sometimes piles on after the first one and then you are just on the roller coaster for the ride-- until you confess!

But what to do??? How to reach out that ROOT and pull it out from the very deepest tendril... the one that is buried straight in the core of the heart and winds itself around and around everything....


Pray.

yes. pray.

yes, punish.

yes, talk.

yes, remind.

yes, question and seek her eyes for a glint of uncertainty and once FOUND use that instance to remind her to flee from evil......run fast my pretty little one.


yes, grace. But yes, remember that trust IS an issue and as unfortunate as that is..... it is a consequence of such sin.

and then.... pray some more.

The things I never knew about a crockpot...

Okay-- my eyes have been opened...I have ALWAYS been a LOVER of the crockpot, but only thought I could use it for what the other blogger deems" mush meals" ha!-- stuff all thrown in together, a roast, chili and of course cheese dip!!!

So if you own a crock pot-- or THREE like myself.... Or four like Jennifer at the Coplings Hobbit Hole--- read on sister.... it will change your entire idea of crock pots and if you knew alll this and haven't posted it  yet

SHAME on you!



Go read this, this and this!  and get back to me!

crockpot365

365 days of crockpot

The Crockpot Blog

Courageous...

Yes, I am kindof behind the times on this one, but we just watched it tonight.

WOW. I mean YES, there is some cheese, but it was better than Fireproof in the cheese department.

THE actual reading of the resolution at the ceremony was precious I have been allowed to blog that Dave had some manly tears during the movie...

The end at the church... can you imagine being in that service--- NOT after watching this tearjerker movie but sitting in a service and hearing a man say the words "Adam" was saying.... it was powerful and moving.


Anyway... a good movie. Not one to watch with the kids for a while but later... Maybe Kaitlin-- we will see. It has some amazing teaching moments.

We have been talking for like two years about doing the Passport 2 Purity... and I have SET it for April! We are DOING it! But after seeing the movie I think we will have Dave come pick her up at the hotel and take her out to dinner .... I am not completely sold on promise rings...(I have mixed feelings) but I think it might be neat to end with them having a special time together...



This is the resolution for women---

The RESOLUTION for Women

I do solemnly resolve before God to embrace my current season of life and live with a spirit of contentment.

I Will champion God's model for womanhood and teach it to my children.

I Will celebrate my God-given uniqueness and the distinctions He has placed in others.

I Will live as a woman answerable to God and faithfully committed to His Word.

I Will seek to devote the best of myself to the primary roles God has entrusted to me.

I Will be quick to listen, slow to speak, and esteem others more highly than myself.

I Will forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.

I Will not tolerate evil influences in myself or my home but will embrace a life of purity.

I Will pursue justice, love mercy, and extend compassion toward others.

I Will be faithful to my husband and honor him in my conduct and in my conversation, and will aspire to be a suitable partner to help him reach his God-given potential.

I Will teach my children to love God, respect authority and live responsibly.

I Will cultivate a peaceful home where God's presence is sensed.

I Will make today's decisions with tomorrow's impact in mind and consider my current choices in light of future generations.

I Will courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.---Joshua 24:15

 
 

 

Sunday Sum Up: Day 101-105

Monday:
Another week.....can you believe that it is the 3rd week of FEB already!  Anyhoo... my mom got Kate for choir, I was supposed to pick her up but got sick -- so mom just brought her home.  I was feeling better that afternoon and the kids got basics done, math, history reading, devotions and PE I think...

Tuesday:
Happy Valentines Day!  I was still feeling pretty awful but managed to get a tiny bit of school done.  The kids and I worked their boxes for the valentine party for our home school group- and we managed chores.

We set a beautiful table for daddy-- candles, plates, tableclothes and made peanut butter cookies w/ chocolate hearts in the center for dessert. 

But alas I have no pictures as my SD card broke IN TWO in the lap top and I cannot retrieve the pics off it-- Thankfully those were the only pics on it though becasue I had already copied the father/daughter dance!

but Dave got me two beads for my bracelet!  a turtle and a turquois bead.....

Wednesday:
the kids did THEIR chores, mamma didn't do ANYTHING this day!  They each did math, devotions and read.  However around 11:30 I called movie day and we watched- Tangled, The Never Ending Story and Journey to the Center of the Earth...

Thursday:
I slept in as well as Kate and Emily and we didn't get up till almost 10:00!  But got finished with our valentines we started on Tuesday and worked on cleaning the house.

Their boxes and the valentines to hand out....

kate:

matt:

emily:

After lunch we headed out for our valentines party with the home school group and after that we went to the park with a friend and just vegged out.  However I had to be feeling better because I came home and cooked... plus we headed to moms to drop something off!  However when I got home.. I was completely wiped out!



Friday:
 to make up for the "mostly" lack of schooling this week... we hit the books hard.  The kids each did math, devotions, read, Rod and Staff reading, typing,
we started out new vocabulary---

we also started our new Artist study: Mary Cassatt (art work Poppies)

photo credit: art.com

We have posted the next set of readers for history
Matt and Kate also started a new assignment on Rifles for Watie!-- This wont take so long!

Emily is doing a lapbook on the American girl Josephine so she is starting her Josephine bookset today.

So it was a pretty full school day.  I went upstairs and downstairs-- schooling and cleaning because I had people coming over in the evening and the house needed cleaning!

I also gave them each two math assignments to do over the weekend.. I figured might as well-- and they have a paragraph to write about the skating party-- our final draft will be in the shape of a heart- FUN!


And that is ALL!

Father/ Daughter Valentine Dance 2012

sweet. precious. excited. giggles. blush. pink. hearts. small hands in larger ones. thoughts of time passing quickly. red roses. pinned corsages. ribbon, balloons. tea lights. music. tights. satin. bows. boutineers. smiles. "ball". cameras. heart notes. dimmed lights.

 cookies and cakes. Mary Jane's. little shoes atop big shoes. dance floor. open hearts.

 expectant little girls. ruffles. jewelry. blush. updo's. heels. jackets. lipstick. curls. lavender. candles. tulle. hopes. time passing. dancing. laughing. cheek to stomach. hands.

 hoping time stands still. earrings. hairspray. perfume. painted toes. undivided attention. songs to remember. sparkles and braids. glitter. chocolate. strawberries. beautiful.

first dance. daddy's girl. spinning. twirling. twisting and shouting. ties. necklace. silver.

.....priceless.

 

Sunday Sum Up: Day 99-100

My friend Brenda posted on facebook the other day that she was out of the triple digits... had only 99 days to go and I responded US too! We only had 82 at that point... come to find out she meant until baby was born! lol..... But really, ONLY  76 more days of this school year! Now with us pretty much schooling year round that number doesn't MEAN much but yet it means EVERYTHING!

It means ACCOMPLISHMENT. {{{SIGH}}}

That is a precious, precious word to a home schoolin' mama! We want to accomplish our tasks. We know we will be sidelined by life, we know that "life learning" is more important than "school" learning and we know that our kids LEARN all the time anyway... BUT checking off those days and KNOWING you have accomplished what you set out 180 days of School-- is a wonderful thing!  Can I hear an amen!

Monday--
Kate had choir and Matt and Emily accomplished math, an English assignment, Bible and reading
We had history at Amy's and we surrendered at the Appomatox Court House--- a sad day for the South.




Tuesday-- 100 day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We celebrated with our cinnamon pancakes! We did Bible, math, reading, All About Spelling, English, Science, typing, P.E. and Daddy took the kids out to eat at Gringoes!

Wednesday-- pretty much the rest of the week was a no school FUN zone for the kids... we were getting ready for the Father/ Daughter Valentine Dance and we ran errands for two days, made corsages, centerpieces and got stuff ready and no school was done!

Yes, that is the corsages... I made 49 at last count.   ;0)  and 22 boutineers. 

one ex. table decor-- simple vellum cut to make a lampshade over a glass holding a tea light--- SO SIMPLE.

Thank you Pinterest!

However, in the midst of all the errand running... Kate and Matt got ALL their reading caught up and FINISHED the elusive Sing Down the Moon assignment--

and were happily  allowed to watch Kung Fu Panda on Saturday morning!

So we start Monday with a fresh slate!

Thursday-- like I said MORE errands!  But Kate and Matt had their Dave Ramsey class and we went shoe shopping!  Kate ended up with these...

we ran out of time for a pedicure--- I was bummed. BUT I could only do so much, right!


Friday--ALL day was spent on the "BALL" as Emily kept referring to it... we had much to gather and ready at home.  We had two last minute errands to do. We met at the church at 3:00 for set up, rushed home at 5:00 to ready the girls, rushed back at 6:15 to finish set up and all was well in time for the 7:00 dance!

My blog post for the dance shall post tomorrow-- for a certain grandma who is waiting for it! I emailed you a few pictures to stall you off till tomorrow!


We dragged in with all our gear at 10:30----Mama is tired.  :0)

Saturday:

After sleeping till 10:00~ remember, I was tired!  We got up, worked on the house-- that had gotten messy, but I will say took 20 minutes to clean up and that makes me VERY happy!  I feel that means things were OUT of place- not cluttered!  Make sense?  More on that later!

We did a few things around the house.

Had Brenda's hubbie from Earth Effects--- his lawn care business! come give us a quote for some lawn stuff!
Who did a fabulous job on our last house, when he re-did the front beds!!!

Mom dropped Matt off-- he got to spend the night away from the "Ball".

Becky and Joel dropped off Mary Faith to spend the night-- Happy Anniversary Becky!

and we settled in for a late afternoon of nothingness!

Dave got called to work and spent the rest of the evening on the computer..{{{sigh}}}

We had breakfast for dinner. Yum!

and Dave and I previewed REAL STEEL for the kids to watch.  a few cuss words- a**, D*mn, one b*tch. ...  some more noticeable than others.  a scene of scantily clad woman (bikini top) but really your paying attention to the fight-- and a dress later that is pretty skimpy but NOT revealing.  And there is of course a lot of betting/ gambling over the "bot" fights.  Overall-- a really good movie-- wish they had left out the few cuss words, that they TOTALLY could have!!!

photo credit IMBD

review Plugged IN Online


And that was that!

a picture for my post yesterday...

I actually reached I WILL DO IT.. it one of my I NEED BRAVERY items. 

I will keep you up to date on the others... :0)

Bravery--- yes, I think I will take some of that!

I have a few things swirling in my head that I am not being brave about...

and in a still, quiet voice

and in a blog post

and on Facebook

and in an email

GOD IS CALLING ME OUT ON IT.

okay God, I am listening.

Do you do that?  Feel that feeling... KNOW you are supposed to do something and just DON'T. 

I mean I might as well be Jonah-- running in the opposite direction.  Well I just got fish slapped by God I.  There are 9 blogs that I read DAILY.  I mean I probably even check back a few times a day to see if they have posted!!!  Do you have any of those?  All the other ones I can live without or read occasionally. 

But of my 9 is Lemonade Makin Mamma...and today's post has once again reminded me of the reason I have her in my blog roll.....

I do need to just be brave.  I can be courageous because Christ DOES give me strength.  He will never ask me to do anything that HE will not #1 back me up in and #2 give me strength for.  Why do we run?  Why do we not put that toe in the water?  Why do we not take that first step?  Why do we not?

For me it is fear, willpower, reminders of MANY past failures and also laziness on my part!

I must be brave.  It is something that I know I CAN do.  I should do. 

I will do.

Our 100th day of school..... 2012

Whewww.. well we have made it 100 days this year!  Only 80 more to go and we call this year DONE.  I saw a public school on facebook had their 100 day last Monday so I guess I am not doing as bad as I thought, huh!  We won't mention that I started a full month ahead of them, but then again I also pretty much took off from Thanksgiving to Jan!

For our 100th day this year I wanted to do something special!  Last year we went to Chuck E Cheese and stuff.  But that just wasn't going to happen so I let the kids sleep in an extra 100 minutes, had a nice breakfast, they got to eat dinner at Gringo's and we called it DONE.

Our breakfast was cinnamon roll pancakes-- THANK YOU PINTEREST!

Yummo!

you make regular pancakes and then you melt 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 T butter and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon together and put it in a squeeze bottle.

 Then you spiral the concoction into your batter when the pancakes are on the griddle...

They smell and look wonderful!

Yum.