Saturday, January 31, 2015

Lifestyle of Learning 2015 Edition: Volume Four

January 25-31

What a super cool week we have had!

Bishop spent a couple of days at a friends house and then met me at scouts.
His troop is working on their aviation merit badge.

They even got to do a flight simulator.





Although Bishop didn't enter anything in the Unschool Art Exhibit this year we opted to go to the artists reception in order to support friends and the homeschool community.

A cool silver necklace made by a friend
That cute robot was made by a little friend of ours.
The faith painting and the Thomas paintings were done by a couple more friends. And that dinosaur painting was the hit of the show.
The Unschool Art Exhibit is held annually at a local gallery.  We love visiting this gallery.  We find it inspiring.
The gourd art is always a favorite.
Bishop is fascinated by the oil pitcher.  How did the potter make that?
I love the red-winged black bird!
In The Story of the World we read the chapters on the Ottoman Turks and The Black Plague.  After doing our review questions and map work.  We played a black plague simulation game.


The boys had a blast!

Bishop spent two hours in open studio practicing the skills that he has been learning in pottery class.


Look...the first bowl he made without any guidance from his instructor!
Bishop prepared his pasta with pink sauce again, tweaking the recipe, attempting to perfect it.  I thought that the changes were magnificent but he doesn't believe that he has perfected it yet.  I really don't mind if he keeps trying.

We had to postpone nature study group but we spent time preparing.
We have inspiring books and a cool biomes pin map.


Bishop finished off his week with another pottery class.
I know that I have inundated the blog with photos of Bishop and pottery class and maybe I should consider not posting so many pictures each week but that's not going to happen this week.
I think that they illustrate quite well how great a teacher Hue is.
I love these pictures in a different sort of way then the previous ones.
I love watching Bishop and his latest endeavor.
Bishop with the first bowls that he threw completely on his own. 
These will be treasured forever! 








Bishop has logged many hours at the food pantry over the years.  This year he and I were part of a team that served over 800 individuals and over 200 families and that accomplishment was celebrated with a volunteers breakfast.  It is great to be part of something big.

So there are a slew of pictures of Bishop and his adventures and no photographic illustrations of Maceo's.  He is so independent.  Nonetheless, I must still try to find a way to photographically document his journey.  Maceo pursued his theatrical endeavors.  He saw a performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, again.  He continues rehearsals for My Son Pinocchio and the traveling company.  He continues with troupe and troupe mentorship.  And he continues with vocal instruction, meeting twice this week.  Here are notes from one of his lessons, "Maceo had a great lessson today. We're beginning work on material that really emphasizes his upper mixed chest voice, and he is tackling it with accuracy and consistency. It's quite impressive to see a young baritone gain access to his upper head register with such smooth transitions. He's singing "Do You Remember" by Pasek and Paul and "Left Behind" from Spring Awakening...both of which are challenging when it comes to register flips. He's making great progress and it's showing with each one of his lessons."

What a great week!
What a great life!

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Pie Day 2015

A wonderfully delicious annual event - Pie Day!
There are four family birthdays in the month of January and a way in which we celebrate is to have pie.  My sister hosts pie day.
We dine together.
We eat pie together.
And we play together.

Macaroni and cheese pie with bacon lattice.
The pies and a cobbler, too.
Birthday cakes with candles made by all the littles!
Listening for her heart beat...
Oh, I hear it!
I love her laugh!
More silliness!
And a little bit more.
The birthday girls choosing their pie.  The birthday boy wasn't here.

Ah, yes, enjoying pie.

Lifestyle of Learning 2015 Edition: Volume Three

January 18-24

Maceo began his week by performing the songs for My Son Pinnochio at the multicultural festival organized by our local university.  It was the first public promotion for this production.  They had only been rehearsing for a week but were able to perform their music for an appreciative audience.

He also had 15 hours of rehearsal for this production.

Maceo continued with his traveling company rehearsals logging 3 1/4 hours of rehearsal and continued with troupe, troupe mentorship, and private vocal instruction.

Bishop read about Marco Polo and the Silk Road.
He and his history group took the silk road through the Taklamakan Desert...

they took a small break at an oasis settlement...
then proceeded through the Gobi Desert...
stopping for a drink of water at an oasis...


then one final rest at Loyang Shih...


before paddling down the Yellow River...



and finally arriving at Peking...

where they delivered the holy oil to Kublai Khan...
laid claim to some riches...
and experienced ice cream for the first time.

We hosted Bishop's service group this week.
They assembled fishing kits that will be taken to Africa and distributed to men who sustain themselves and their family by fishing in the Nile.  The cousin of two of our members will be doing an internship in Africa and will take the fishing kits with her.
 

Bishop prepared lunch for our guests serving chicken fettucini with a pink sauce, cheese bread and salad.  He tried a new recipe and it was muy delicioso!

Bishop listened to part of an ecology related lecture that I am working my way through.
He also attended a pig dissection/mammalian anatomy class.  It was a five hour class and he loved it.  Unfortunately, parents weren't allowed to attend so no photos (I am pouting just a little bit.  I love to take pictures and I love to learn alongside my children).

Bishop continued his pottery lesson and then went to a friends house for the weekend.
Maceo finished up his week by attending the community theatre's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Good times!