We started off the day watching a Schoolhouse Rock video on the Preamble. I was watching in prep for next Monday (Constitution Day) when Mary woke up and immediately headed for the computer. She had to rewatch it a couple of times before going on Webkinz to feed her pets.
I told everyone that we needed to make a morning run to the grocery store, since this morning when I was trying to make the salt dough needed for today's project I realized we did not have enough salt. That was enough to ensure cooperation from Mary and Katie - Salt Dough, ooh what are we going to make today?
When we got back Mary made the batches of the salt dough for us to use, reading the directions and all.
Once it was made it needed to rest for 30 minutes. So we went online to a site on Venice, Italy I had already bookmarked. With so many wonderful pictures, I had the girls concentrate on going through the pictures of Carnival costumes. And, then told them that they would be making their own Carnival Masks.
I really wish that I had a finished picture of Mary's mask. She did a great job, but would not let me take a picture of it 'for the computer' and then she gave it to her grandfather as a birthday present yesterday evening.
Even Emily got into all the action. Katie joined us late into the project as she wanted to spend some more time on her 'Jumpstart' program. This weeks learning tool for her.
Between making the masks and painting we had a couple of hours. So, we cleaned up the stray pieces of dough, made lunch and cuddled up to catch up on our read alouds for the week. Mary had found her Dover coloring book on Wetlands, so she colored while I read. This really allows us to read for longer stretches.
At 2:15 it was time to pack every thing up and head for town and Mary's Wildlife Class. We finished "Anne of Green Gables" last week and are now listening to "Lamb's Tales of Shakespeare", today's selection was The Merchant of Venice.
Since, I had almost two hours with the other three I though I would just drive around until at least the two little ones finally fell asleep. By the time I realized that this wasn't going to happen I was already close to the north-side of town and decided to stop at the Homeschool Bookstore and see if I could find Katie's math workbook, that I really didn't want to order and pay shipping & handling. They did have it - YEAH! and I also found a used copy of the old Math-U-See with the VCR tapes for Cheap. I really want to see if a video presentation works for Mary and/or Katie and this seems like the least expensive option to find out if the program is worth the money. If it works we will see about ordering the program to begin in January.
Once I dragged the little ones out of the playroom it was time to head back to the south-side of town and pick-up Mary. Along the way Katie looked through her Math workbook and upon reaching the back of it declared it "Too Hard". Katie doesn't like Math and doesn't think she will ever be able to figure it out (kind of like Mary and reading). So I asked her some questions to show that she does math everyday without thinking about it;
"If you have one piece of gum and I give you another, how many will you have?"
"Two"
"Great! Okay, If you have 100 pieces of gum and I give you another 100 pieces, how many will you have?"
"Too Many!"
I chuckled all the way back to the wildlife center over that one.
After picking up Mary we came home to clean up and make a quick dinner. Once Dh came home from work and ate we needed to drive over to his parent's house to wish his father a Happy Birthday. And, I still needed to make a card for the children to give him.
At the in-law's house Mary started watching the "Dirtiest Jobs" show while the adults visited. In this episode Mike Rowe was catching snakes along a waterfront, then they took them back to the lab to measure/weigh/insert microchip/and 'puke' so they could see what the snakes are eating. This led to a few conversations. While, most everyone else found it disgusting Mary and I were quite interested in it.
We got home late. Put the little ones to bed and read with Mary the next two chapters in "Carnival by Candlelight" by Mary Pope Osborne. Yes, it was fun not having any school today.
Today we have piano lessons (not school) and we received their new typing/phonics program that they want to try (again, not school), and I want to look at the MUS videos and I am sure they will want to also (so that won't be any school). And we need to look at more pictures of Venice today as a follow-up to what we read last night (Prison/St. Mark's Square/Bridge of Sighs).
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