Pinewood Derby

The Pinewood Derby is a Cub Scout thing.  The boys are given blocks of (pine) wood, nails, and wheels and told to create a car.

The cars are then raced by rolling them down specially constructed ramps.

We missed the last two years in a row, so it's the first time we've done this in a while.

And it's the first time we've ever won anything!

Oob won 3rd place for the whole pack!

Choclo won Most Patriotic Car!

Thrilled is an understatement!!

Happy Holiday Smash Up

It's Pi day!  It's Zombie Day!  It's Zombie Pi Day!

I have to say, I'm feeling the zombie more than the pi. Also, I have pneumonia and I may be a little loopy!

For Pi Day:


For Zombie Day:


For Zombie Pi Day: There's a zombie on your lawn! It has a 1 foot radius, calculate it's surface area (in true physicist fashion, presume it's a spherical zombie in a vacuum). Leave your answer in the comments,  All correct answers will win one extra hour of sleep (fine print: extra hour of sleep to be delivered in November).

PS: If you are missing Grey's anti time change rant, here it is!

Poem of the Week: I Wandered/Daffodils

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

 

By William Wordsworth 

HT: Poetry Foundation

Happy Birthday, Leena!

 Leena is 14! 

She had a story themed birthday party where she and her friends dressed up as favorite characters from books.  She was Charmaine Baker from House of Many Ways.

They had a cake shaped like a book (decorated by Klenda!).

Then, on her actual birthday, she had Klenda's chocolate buttercream pie!

One of her presents was an another gerbil cage and some more tubing, so now her gerbils, Chocolate and Vanilla, live in palatial splendor!

 We actually were sick around her birthday, but, when we were feeling better we had Pop over for one last birthday celebration and some silliness!

Lots of silliness!

He gave her a new headphone and microphone for the recording work she is doing!

And for "cake," we had ice cream!

14 Great Things About Leena

1. She does great music videos.
2. She's getting Confirmed next month!
2. She's super creative.
3. She's been taking voice lessons!
4. She makes great baked beans.
4. She does great video podcasts.
5. She's a proud member of the BCC.
5. She's got really eclectic tastes in music.
6. She's a sweet and loving sister.
7. She's always willing to help out anyone.
7. She loves wearing lime green.
8. She draws the cutest gerbils!
9. She loves Jane Austen.
9. She can swing dance!
10. She's a master gerbil trainer.
11. She makes fascinating audio books.
11. She can have fun with people much older than she is.
12. She can have fun with people much younger than she is.
12. She's great at audio and video editing!
13. She's a sweet and loving daughter.
14.She tells great jokes!
14. She laughs at my (not so great) jokes!

Wordless Wednesday: Fort McHenry

In the Pink

We've had a quieter few days around here because we all came down with a bad cold.  This meant we didn't start Masters of Disasters (our new Earth science class) as planned, and we missed Awesome History, and Religious Ed since The Emperor and I both managed to be sick over the weekend.

skulk, skulk, skulk

This week, however, is looking up!

My dear SIL had a significant birthday, which necessitated us skulking about her house in the dead of night.

Meme and picture courtesy of Klenda

 Just in case you ever wondered what 50 plastic flamingos would look like if they were all crammed into the trunk of one car, here you go.

And much thanks to Mxyl and Klenda for their superior skulking skills!

Poem of the Week: The Prodigal Son

 The Prodigal Son

Does that lamp still burn in my Father's house,
        Which he kindled the night I went away?
I turned once beneath the cedar boughs,
        And marked it gleam with a golden ray;
        Did he think to light me home some day?

Hungry here with the crunching swine,
        Hungry harvest have I to reap;
In a dream I count my Father's kine,
        I hear the tinkling bells of his sheep,
        I watch his lambs that browse and leap.

There is plenty of bread at home,
        His servants have bread enough and to spare;
The purple wine-fat froths with foam,
        Oil and spices make sweet the air,
        While I perish hungry and bare.

Rich and blessed those servants, rather
        Than I who see not my Father's face!
I will arise and go to my Father:--
        "Fallen from sonship, beggared of grace,
        Grant me, Father, a servant's place."

By: Christina Rossetti
HT: Poems of Christina Rossetti

Seven Quick Takes: Silly hats, Snow, and Toilet Seats

 1. I got to go visit my folks in NJ last weekend!  Hooray!  I haven't seen them since Christmas! Klenda and Leena went with me, and we celebrated Leena's upcoming 14th birthday.


Yes, the cake does say 59, but 5 + 9 =14. Actually, I think it says 159 because I didn't get the picture the first time, and Mumpy (my mom) figured blowing out the candles twice gave her an extra year.

Leena immediately asked if this meant she could drive.

Also, silly hats may have been involved.

2. It snowed last night.  I mean it SNOWED last night!  It was in the 60s earlier this week, and is supposed to hit the mid 70s next week.

Welcome to March Madness, Maryland style (and apologies to those reading this from the truly Frozen North).

 3. My phone is full of pictures of spotless areas of my house.  I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that this is all Oob's doing - both the cleaning and the pictures he brings me to provide evidence.

This started out as "coupon jobs," ways to earn extra flat screen time by doing extra chores, but lately he's just been cleaning things up.

Lent: it really is the most wonderful time of the year!


4. While in NJ, we went shopping with Mumpy and she got the girls their Easter dresses (and a Confirmation dress for Leena)!

I loved getting Easter dresses as a girl,so it was a special thing to share with my own girls.

I really thank God that I was given both girls and boys.  There are plenty of special fun things about boys, but shopping for Easter clothes with them hasn't hit the top of my list.






5. While we were up in NJ, I noticed that my mom had a very beautiful white cyclamen.

It was a gift, she told me, but she always kills these plants, so could I take it home and care for it.

Sure!

This is the plant 5 days later.

6. If you can stand one more NJ story, one thing I love about going up there is the chance to do little odd jobs for my folks.  This time I noticed that Mumpy had bought new toilet seats, but hadn't gotten around to installing them.

No problem!  I put them in for her while she was off doing something with the girls.

Mumpy (later): That was so sweet!  I'll be reminded of you every time I...(she realizes what she is about to say)

Me (cracking up): That's great! Every time my mom sees her toilet seat, she thinks of me!  Brings a tear to the eye, doesn't it?

7. If you are musical, this will be merely amusing.  For those of us who are not naturally musical, it's the world's best explanation of  major and minor keys.

Leena, photo by Klenda

 Happy weekend! More fun with Kelly!

Wordless Wednesday: Pilgrimage to the Franciscan Monastery

Fiddling Around

We've been on a bit of a music kick here lately. 

First Leena and Zorg wanted singing lessons.

Then the Emperor started guitar lessons.

Then I picked up my violin again.

Actually, I just realized that I've never even mentioned playing the violin! Playing the violin is a big part of why I home school the way I do! I must tell you the story!

I started learning the violin in my mid thirties because I wanted my kids to see me fail at something.  Well, not fail necessarily, just not succeed easily, perhaps not succeed at all.


My kids were all still young, and I could see that they were watching me.  I could read effortlessly. I knew instantly that 7 x 8 was 56. I could tie my shoes quickly - and they stayed tied.

Everything I was teaching them was easy for me, and hard for them. They never saw me struggling to learn something, so they were developing the idea that something was wrong with them if they struggled to learn anything.

I should mention that I do not have a great sense of pitch.  Or rhythm. And I have a hard time picking up new physical skills. I determined that success, for me, would be defined by playing a song recognizably at the end of one year. I wasn't sure I'd hit the goal, but I thought I might make it.

I figured that the kids would pick it up faster than I would, so Mxyl (6), Klenda (5), and I (33) all started together.

It was lovely.  And hard! 
We had a very patient and optimistic teacher. We actually all learned at about the same pace, although I had to work to keep up. 

The kids saw me struggle, make (lots of) mistakes, gradually improve, and have fun, even when I wasn't perfect.

It was such a blessing!

What was more, to my surprise, I liked it!   At a time in my life when I felt snowed under with the physical work of caring for my four young children, playing the violin was playing, even though I had to work at it.

Now, even though Mxyl and Klenda have moved on from the violin (and I had a lapse of some years), I am still enjoying playing. 

They learned the lesson that everyone has to work to learn new skills (and that work can be fun).

I learned the lesson that regardless of personal talent, 15 minutes of daily practice will eventually yield competence: at the end of the first year, I could play 52 songs recognizably!