This week began with illness, a peculiar one with very high temperatures and a sore throat, nothing else. B4’s travelled through to her ear and she spent all of Monday night screaming with pain. Of course we took her to the doctors the next day and she is now on ‘yummy banana juice’ (antibiotics).
I posted my hopeful schedule on Saturday and to be honest I was pleased of its guidance. The older ones finished pretty much everything on it whilst the Littles took it pretty easy, playing with playdough for most of the week:
Making dinosaur scenes with their new dinosaur cutters:
Monday afternoon the three older children worked hard in the garden, whilst B and I stayed indoors 🙂 Here they are before the work began:
The children began clearing away the mess of the bonfire from the week before as well as doing a quick rake over the area cleared previously. Here is L sorting through for rubbish to bin:
Her sister did the raking:
And T cleared the fire area:
The main goal this week was to dig the soil where the new building will be:
and move it to the side of the garden:
The flattened area will then be covered with a cement base ready for the building to reside on top.
Afterwards, Gary cut both his and T’s hair:
Whilst the Littles watched a film:
I completely don’t know why she is watching it inside a box. I mean, we do have chairs…
Wednesday afternoon we continued to learn about the reproductive system with K and B. This week I had them write and perform a Uterine Rap (post to come):
Thursday the older ones continued with their Mesopotamian projects. Project based learning works so well in our homeschool, and I really, really enjoy watching them come up against problems and discussing options to solve the problems. It really doesn’t feel like work and yet they are learning so much:
Here is L making her Mesopotamia jewellery:
whilst C works away on her incredible essay comparing and contrasting Gilgamesh and the Bible:
I didn’t get any photos of T but his project is taking form slowly but surely and has required some high thinking from him and he is feeling suitably stretched. He loves problem solving so this has been a great project for him as well.
I grabbed a few photos of the older ones messing around behind me whilst I was working on the computer:
I love the fun they have together:
As I was snapping away, first A came in asking for a photo with her in:
and then L followed:
Ahhh!
For the first few days of the week I was struggling with a sore throat and whilst it hadn’t affected my voice in any way, it was still sore to speak or read. Our morning meetings require a lot of reading so the older children took over:
We were learning about Japan and there was lots of fun had trying to pronounce the Japanese words:
L13 has a new hobby! Actually it is just an extension of jewellery making. She has discovered polymer clay:
She literally only started on Saturday but I think is showing a real flare for it. Above are some fried egg ear rings and some M’n’M cookie ear rings.
She has made some owl pendant charms and iced doughnut ear rings:
And she even tried her hand at a model of a mermaid:
This is a very common sight at the moment. Basically if she has two seconds to create, she will use them to do just that:
Creating is in her blood and it drives her every day. It has been wonderful seeing her blossom in this area over the past few years:
T is spending most of his spare time either playing his guitar or building his bass guitar. Here he is sanding down the body of it in readiness to paint:
He’s so proud of it and I can not wait to see the final product. It will be so cool to play a guitar he made himself:
Wednesday evening C begged to give a presentation of everything she had learnt in her music theory. She has been diligently working through level 1 which she had finished. I didn’t want her to move on to level 2 until she could demonstrate she understood the first level. She chose a presentation to show her understanding:
And C doesn’t just do a boring presentation. Oh no, she has to physically demonstrate the notes or Latin words. This girl cracks me up:
It was clear she understood though, even when T tried his best to catch her out with his ‘extensive musical knowledge’:
Next week she will be working towards level two. If she finishes we will be gifting her with piano lessons to accompany her singing lessons.
C has also begun the course which will help her write a six chaptered book and publish it. She totally surprised me this week. She was asked to jot down notes about the kind of book she would like to write and she chose to write a book which would encourage young people in their faith with God.
L asked if she too could do an impromptu presentation about polymer clay, which of course we agreed to:
She did it completely without notes, her enthusiasm for her subject evident in each excited sentence. Then she showed off her new creation- a cute lil’ elephant holding an ice cream and some cheese burger ear rings:
I realise I’m biased, but for a girl who has been doing this for less than week, she’s pretty good, isn’t she?
Well, that’s it for now. I hope you have all had a wonderful week full of friends, family, fun and lots and lots of love <3
I love all the pictures of me!!! Thank you for encouraging me in my polymer clay work! I love the picture of T14 and C13 messing around! The perfect picture of sibling love!
Thanks Sweetheart!
Those polymer clay pieces are awesome! I have tried and failed to make anything with polymer clay so I’m a bit jealous…. Your sons guitar is looking awesome too! How neat to one day play an instrument made by your own two hands! I bet there aren’t too many people who can say that.
I know! He’s so proud. I can’t wait to hear how it sounds when he plays it 🙂
It is SO wonderful that your guys still want to be in pictures. Even my 11 year old feels too old for it. I also think it is great that they seem to love presentations so much. Mine hate them, despite my encouragement. Yes, L. is very talented with clay. Thanks for sharing your week.
I agree with Phyllis — my oldest doesn’t want to be in many pictures anymore! I just love reading your posts. 🙂
Thanks Mary. T went through a phase of not liking it but he now sees that whole weeks of his life isn’t recorded when he is camera shy so it didn’t last long 😀
Phyllis and Mary, you’re not alone….my 15 year old is hating photos so much that it’s been really difficult to share any posts about her projects.
Thanks Phyllis. You can’t drag my children away from the camera, especially the girls 🙂
Claire, I do hope this finds you and B feeling much better. Everyone was very busy despite Mom being ill, which is very impressive. T is looking so mature and he is growing so tall. L’s creativity is really showing up in her clay work. I can just imagine C’s presentation. Faith said this week she really wishes she could meet your children because she feels she knows them from all your posts. Maybe one day. They keep hinting at a graduation trip! Their dad keeps reminding them that such trips require just a little bit of funding. HA. Sounds like a dad. I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with good health and lots of fun. Hugs.
Oh, you should come! I wish our house was big enough to be able to offer you a place to stay but we barely fit in here so I’m not sure how we would house five more 🙂
Polymer clay is one of those amazing materials you can make some of the coolest things with and yes she did a great job.
Sickness continues to haunt us here, I am so over kids being sick.
I’m so sorry your children are so ill at the moment, especially your daughter. Pneumonia is such a horrible, horrible thing to have 🙁
Sending over hugs to sustain you ((()))
What a bustling home you have. Kids pitching in has helped me greatly. I see your kiddos love to help also. I’m visiting from Weekly Wrap up.
Our children have always been great with chores and have been doing them for so long they never really think about it. I rarely need to ask them 😀
I hope you and little B are starting to feel better. The last few weeks we’ve all gone through one sickness after another, so I definitely understand.
For only working one week with the clay L is not doing a pretty good job, she’s doing a wonderful job. She’s going to perfect this in no time. I’m definitely looking forward to when she comes out with her own jewelry line in the future. She’s going to be a succes.
I showed L your comment, she said to say thank you 😀
I LOVE Ls polymer creations, they’re fabulous, especially the burger earrings. Hope B is feeling better soon.
Thank you (I shall tell L) and thank you B is much better 🙂
Lovely photos and thoughts, as ever. L’s polymer creations are adorable. That stuff is so fiddly, she’s doing far better than I ever have! I love the dog in the pics too. 🙂
Thanks Lucinda. The polymer clay has sealed L’s desire to do something arty with her life. It is all very exciting 😀
Wonderful creations and projects all around. It’s fun to read your weekly updates and see all your children have done for the week. I can’t wait to see the finished guitar too! Enjoy your weekend.
Thanks Christy. I am looking forward the guitar being played. He’s trying to make a lyre for his PBL but he is finding that much harder 🙁
My kids love polymer clay. She is creating great stuff. The picture of your daughter in the box reminds me of Anne when she was little. She loved to sit in boxes and pull stuff off a bottom shelf to crawl into as her fort. Kids are so cute. The guitar is coming along great. What awesome patience he must have.
Blessings, Dawn
They are so cute when they are little. I have a renewed appreciation for it because they grow out of it so quickly (sniff, sniff)
I hope all are feeling better..and your children are awesome. SUch talent and zeal for life…love it!
Thanks so much Melissa 🙂
Your kids are so talented! I love their creations, and I can’t wait to see the Uterine Rap. 🙂 T might like to know that there is a good and profitable market for handmade guitars if he finds that he enjoys building them.
Hope everyone is feeling a bit better now! You might want to add some tea tree oil and lavender and/or frankincense to the playdough and hand soap in your house to help kill the last of the germs 🙂