A hat for Olivia...

It's that time of year...

Wanting warmth. I love layering clothes. I just finished a hat using this pattern, but modified it a bit to add ear flaps per Olivia's request.It's sure has gotten chilly here. I rode my bicycle to work yesterday and today...the mornings were SO cold, but thankfully it's only a 20 minute ride (3 miles) each way. I've been wearing a hat, scarf, but need to find my mittens!

P.S. When I got home from work today...Rob had cleaned the house and made a fire in the woodstove, so it was very cozy. Hannah laid in front of the stove on the sheepskin doing her homeschooling...

Spray painting...

I purchased a few spray bottles for $1.99 each (proudly made in the USA, found at ACE Hardware...I almost picked up the ones made in China for $1.00 at Deals)!

1. 1 tablespoon of Crayola paint (also made in the USA) in the 3 primary colors.
2. Add 1/2 cup of water to each bottle. Screw top back on.
   
3. Shake up really well.

And unrolled a long length of paper to spray paint...
We're going to use this for wrapping paper!

Color wheel

We gathered as much color from our yard and garden as we could and assembled it to make a color wheel:
I attended a couple of wonderful workshops at the Cincinnati Association for the Education of Young Children this weekend. The one that was the most interesting to me was about the schools that emerged in war torn Reggio Emilia (a town in Italy) in the wake of WW II. There is a book titled The Hundred Languages of Children that I plan to read.

Last night, we sat down to watch PBS at 8pm when Nature is on...it's the only time I really watch anything on the television on a weekly basis, but all 4 of us can enjoy it together. The subject was crows...I was surprised to learn how smart these birds are... They are resourceful, using hangers in Japan to make nests...just made me smile. Only intelligent creatures play. They said that "play allows for unexpected learning," which really hit a point for me. Play is so valuable, allows for mistakes, but is not forced nor needs a specific outcome, the process of doing something because you enjoy it is priceless. It reinforces my decision to homeschool!

P.S. We do not celebrate Halloween.
I am so glad that so many people respect our decision as we respect others in their religious beliefs, but do not participate. This blog is one of my favorites...and she wrote very well my sentiments on the subject.

Screen printing with kids...

Yesterday, we did screen printing with a friend. Olivia had a circle template cut out of contact paper and then cut out the shapes she wanted to put in the center. She said "There's a 7 and an eight because I'm going to turn 8...plus and equal...it's about math."
Hannah worked within a rectangular format and made an owl.
Later, as the kids played and the adults talked, I mentioned my dad having Parkinson's disease. Turns out that Dave's mom was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's and Angela's uncle has it too...and underwent the DBS (deep brain stimulation). What causes this...the mercury in vaccinations or fillings? the pesticides? is it genetic? So many questions and I was very touched by an assignment my 9 year old had last week for writing...in which she wrote about how she would like to cure Parkinson's.

Eat a pomegranate!

Olivia (age 3 in 2006)

Tis the season you'll find pomegranates...they are so pretty, good for your health & scrumptious! I got one just yesterday at Trader Joe's for $1.99. We cut it open today and ate about half of it.

I've drawn and painted these fruit several times in my life...I gave the painting on the left to a friend and kept the one on the right.

I'm reading...

This book is captivating. Numerous stories from Fr Arseny and his friends as they struggle. I was surprised to learn that this beautiful cover is by Marc Chagall...whose art I'm generally not fond of...

In lieu of school pictures...

We went to French Park and I took 98 pictures of my girls. These are my favorites...They love to climb the trees there...

The Kursk icon

Olivia, originally uploaded by mama_marfa.

Divine Liturgy with the Kursk icon (which is about 1000 years old) was beautiful. The icon was found in 1259 (who knows exactly when it was painted, could've been in the year 988, when Russia accepted Christianity) laying face down by a tree in the city of Kursk which had been destroyed after the Tatar invasion. Since then, many miracles have occurred because of the icon.

I think that yesterday was one example.

My father has been suffering with Parkinson's disease for almost 8 years now. He was especially sick this week, with added stress, his body adjusting to a new medication and perhaps the change in weather...it's really become chilly! He was able to do Vigil, hear many confessions, and then Divine Liturgy alone. Many people were praying for his strength. The church was crowded with faithful...I feel blessed to have been there!

Disappointed

There are problems...our kind farmer and his family are having difficulty with the milk inspectors in Kentucky. We have been getting their raw milk for almost 2 years now. It has cream on the top, is always fresh and makes me feel so good. We have been planning on going there tomorrow to visit the farm, and I'm disappointed because I really don't think it's going to work out now.

This issue is heating up nationally once again. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2017205,00.html?xid=rss-topstories is the link to a recent TIME magazine article on this very issue. The poor farmers!

Look at these bibs! There's a great tutorial on how to make your own. I know a few people who are pregnant right now...don't you think it would be a great gift? The Liberty of London fabrics are lovely...I'd like to sew myself or the girls a skirt with some of those fabrics! Maybe for Christmas?
Admiring the Kentucky cows...and the barn cat (in the window) on a misty morning last weekend. That farmer was really nice.
The top of the natural bridge in Red River Gorge...beside this tree, with it's dry exposed craggily roots. Such character.