Downtown Ducks

After a week of unpacking (and however many weeks before that of packing) we decided to get out and take advantage of living downtown!  Our neighborhood is right next to the zoo and the huge city park with ducks.  Tucson is my personal favorite city we've ever lived in and I hope we will live here for quite a while. With all "school work" being on hold during our move (with the exception of piano) Luke, Isabel, Sylvia and Hazel have been finding and creating things to invent and games to play.  They've also been wonderful at helping unpack, cook, and clean, all of which I count as school.

Wizard of Oz Tea Party

January was a full month, starting out with a horrible computer virus, then packing like crazy to move, finding out we might not move, and then eventually moving.  Not meaning to complain, just saying, it's been inconvenient to keep record of what we've been doing.  But as you can see, same old same old...

After learning about the Maori people of New Zealand, we tried to paint each other's faces like them!  No thanks for the Hitler mustache Sylvia.  And I love how Luke drew pokemon balls on Isabel's cheeks and the Legend of Zelda triforce on her forehead.

Maori Warrior

Lately I've been finding hundreds of pictures just like this one when I upload our photos.  Hazel has become quite the sneaky photographer.

I remember my big sister always had the best ideas and I am pretty sure Sylvia feels the same way about her big sister.  I sure feel like I could use an orange slice on my forehead at the Isabel Spa right now.

Spa beauty table.  (I love it when I go to a spa and they floss my teeth for me!  Actually I've never been to a spa, maybe they do that.)

Sylvia got the "Chicken Pox."

Isabel made her own TV and DVD player out of our moving boxes...

...along with some DVDs.  (The Wizard of Oz Tea Party is my favorite.)

Thank you for the warning signs.

Luke and Isabel's piano teacher, Mary Woods, is also a fantastic quilter.  One day a week for quite a few weeks Isabel has been quilting at Mary's home for hours making this beautiful quilt.  I can't even express how grateful I am to Mary for taking the time to teach and work with Isabel.  I know Isabel enjoyed every minute of it and it has been a great confidence booster for her.

How to Write a Haiku

Our lesson in history today was about the Yamato Dynasty in Japan.  Did you know that it is the longest running dynasty and is still in rule today?!  Here are some beautiful Haiku's... Summer by Luke

Sun is shinning bright In summer plants and flowers bloom The grass is so wet

Spring by Isabel

Trees are full of leaves Butterflies are colorful Birds are graceful

Swimming by Sylvia

Swimming, jumping, splashing Daddy is a cannonball Falling cool water

Teaching your children to create a Haiku is a great activity.   They love to count the syllables and create a beautiful scene with words.  The rules are simple...

Haiku Rules

1.  A Haiku is three lines -first line is five syllables. -second line is seven syllables. -third line is five syllables.

2.  The subject of a Haiku is nature.

3.  The purpose of a Haiku is to paint a picture in your mind, NOT to tell a story.