Lifestyle of Learning 2015 Edition: Volume Five

February 1-7

Bishop continues with scouts and Maceo with vocal instruction, troupe, troupe mentorship, My Son Pinocchio rehearsals and traveling company rehearsals.  Maceo also began preparing for auditions for Tent Theatre.  Those auditions will be next week.
Bishop also continues to take pottery lessons and he continues to enjoy it!

For history group we read about the war between England and France and the Battle of Agincourt and, also, about the War of Roses.  I had long been wanting to do a project that involved the kiddos making medieval inspired weaponry.  So with all this talk of war I decided that this was the week to do just that.
This was to be an open-ended sort of project.
Each child doing that which inspired them with the only requirement being that it be inspired by actual weapons from the middle ages.
We set out all sorts of materials...

and books for reference...

and then let them go at it.

Look, a mace!

Maceo and the cast of My Son Pinocchio really began promoting their production.
One morning they performed at a local elementary school.
(For the record, public school children get up very early.  Oh, how I love being a homeschool family).

Declaring the blue fairy to be a fraud!

When you wish upon a star!

For nature study group we did an introduction to the various biomes.  We looked at their individual characteristics and differentiated between things like tropical rainforest and temperate rainforest.

We located each biome type on an pin map

and created our own biome maps.

We'll explore the rainforest next week.  It should be fun!

Maceo's vocal instructor, Lloyd Holt, hosted a cabaret for his vocal students.

Maceo performed Left Behind.

He sounded fantastic.  His range has expanded tremendously over the last year and he has developed a really fine head voice.

I love hearing him sing.  It makes me tear up every time!

Bishop and I went to an art gallery for a really cool art exhibit.  It was the Post-It Note Art Show.  Area artists create miniature works of art on generic yellow post-it notes.  Their art is displayed for a bit and then sold for $2 a pop making art readily accessible.

Bishop chose a couple of pieces that he found inspiring.

Maceo and the cast of My Son Pinocchio had a second promotional performance at our largest library.

Pick a hand.

Why is it that children who shouldn't have children have children?

Once again the blue fairy has been declared a fraud.

After the performance a little Pinocchio fun was had!

Gepetto and son!

Gepetto and Pinocchio joined by the blue fairy and fairies in training,

And here is where silliness ensues!

Gotta love it!

Another fine week!