The Moffats - Book 26

We continue our enjoyment of Eleanor Estes' charming books.  The Moffats are a family of five.  Mama, Sylvie, Joey, Jane and Rufus.  Papa has died and Mama is a seamstress to support her children.  They live in the little town of Cranbury, Connecticut (as do the Pyes of the books Ginger and Pinky Pye).  The Moffats chronicles a year in the life of the family, mostly through 9 year old Janey's eyes.  The yellow house on New Dollar street, the Moffats beloved home, is put up for sale by the owner.  While they await to see who will buy the house they go school, are quarantines for scarlet fever, have to fight the bitter cold of winter and many other homey, cozy little escapades.  Lovely book!  The minute we finished it we launched right into the next book in the series, The Middle Moffat.

To read more book reviews go to 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Weekly recap - 5/1/11 - 5/7/11

See my little Mary Garden?  I weeded it!

Sunday- Rick took all 4 kids from the 18 yo to the 9 yo to Baltimore.  They checked out the aquarium, walked around downtown, attended 4:30 pm Mass at the Basilica and met up with Granddad and his lady friend for dinner.  I got to chill with Aunt Jackie (which means going to Mass with her, grocery shopping, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet at my parish, napping and cooking a dinner for just two!).

Monday - Read alouds on NT and Romans, did a little Latin and little cursive, Sean learned about converting fractions to decimals and subtracting decimals as well as some review on adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers.  Becky did a little bit of work on times tables.  She was suddenly longing to hear the first chapter of Little Men because she claimed it was her favorite first chapter ever.  So I found it on my handy-dandy kindle and read it to her.  Made her very happy.  Becky and I worked in the garden and then she washed the car for me!  Josh did two sets of cards for Bio on Saturday so he could be free Sunday.  Spent Monday trying to get back into the groove of cards again.  Did Latin homework in the pm.

Tuesday - Art class for Becky, Latin class for Josh and me.  Will vegged, Sean did a little cursive, math and Latin.  He's have real trouble getting into the book I assigned.  Becky played over at her friends house most of the afternoon.  Sean's still into gamemaker.  Josh is working hard trying to catch up on his Biology class.

Wednesday - Did a little bit of academic stuff in the a.m.  Long, boring, rainy day actually.  Josh spent the entire day doing one chapter's worth of vocab cards.  It was that kind of day.  However, he did go to CLC in the p.m. and Sean, Becky and Daddy were very excited that the new Rick Riordan books arrived.  I've been reading The Moffats to Becky as well.  Sean has openly rebelled against the book about St. Francis.

Thursday - gorgeous day!  Didn't do anything academic.  Went to dental appts in a.m. then out to lunch together, then ran some errands.  Spent a while in the garden weeding and just putzing around.  Finished The Moffats and moved directly onto The Middle Moffat.  I wanna live in Cranbury!  Will spent all day in town at the music school.  Josh took his spring tree lab photos for Bio.

Friday - Josh went to Bio study group and Bio class (lab today).  Tennis at 1:00 for everybody.  This evening Josh has his last teen leadership/cooking meeting for 4H and then we scoot to go see skits based on Shakespeare that our friend who does history/lit with Josh is in.

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow.  The first Farmers Market of the season!  Yippee!  Also, Becky has her class Art Show.  But I can't remember if it is tomorrow or Sunday.  Guess I'd better find that sheet of paper. . .

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day!

Possible 7th grade year for Sean

Sean complains of being bored.  He said:  why don't you have us do more things like other kids so that I'm not hanging around the house all day trying to think of stuff to do!  Well, I know he thinks that way when he's in a 'down' period, but he loves his freedom when he gets fired up about something and can pursue it at his leisure.  So it is always a delicate balance between having that free time yet also having structured activities that get him up and going.  However, next year his big brother, whom he adores and spends a lot of time with will be away at college.  It's going to be a painful adjustment for us all and especially for my sensitive Seano.  So I feel we have to plan out stuff to make sure he's got stuff to keep him occupied and engaged.

So we brainstormed.  I told him that next year the three things that I, as his mother, would like him to do:

1.  Saxon 8/7 so he can be prepared for Algebra I in 8th.  All my kids have wound up doing it this way, so I'm thinking along the same lines with him.  As Sean really doesn't mind math and sometimes even enjoys it, he doesn't have a problem with this.

2.  Keeping a reading log - I want him to continue to read and to glean at least some of his books choices from lists for 7th graders.

3.  Latin - I'd love him to continue in Latin for Children at his own relaxed pace.

Other things:   Confirmation Prep - our parish let's us prepare for this Sacrament at home, but we have to keep records and report to them as well as participate in some of the parish activities that are geared for confirmation candidates.  We are not sure how we'll do this.  Maybe an on line course, maybe from books at home.

The other thing I suggested was that he could take classes at the same place where Josh will be taking pre-calc and writing classes.  Sean is interested in two of them - one is a drawing class and another is a writing class.

I also showed him some of the stuff at Angelicum.net which lately has been fascinating me.  The only thing though that he liked was the Critical Thinking program.

I'd also continue to read aloud things dealing with history and science.

He's open to staying in 4H next year, so that would be another thing to keep him busy.

First Hardy Geranium of the Spring! 5/4/11

Wordless Wednesday - 5/4/11

Math Monday - A Repost

Actually, I don't really know how to do a re-post, so I'll just give you the link!  it's from May of last year, when I first started this blog (though I didn't actually start publishing things until months later.)

http://strewing.blogspot.com/2010/05/jar-o-pennies.html

Pictures Telling Stories - Book 25

This book was an impulse selection from our local library.  I grabbed it off the shelf simply because the illustrations reminded me of N.C.Wyeth's style.  When I got home I opened the book and to my delight, it begins with a quote from G. K. Chesterton!

Stand up and keep your childishness,
Read all the pedant's screeds and strictures,
But don't believe in anything
That can't be told in pictures.

The book contains many quotes from Robert Ingpen that give a lot of background for his paintings and illustrations and reveal his philosophy and technique.  He comes off as a charming man in love with beauty.

Well, now I'm enthralled with Mr. Ingpen's drawings.  They are gorgeous!  Here are some samplings:

Very N. C. Wyeth here -Yeoman from Canterbury Tales

Robinson Crusoe

Great Wall of China

Machu Pichu

Noah's Ark in the Deluge

I love this one of the Crucifixion.  Jesus is on the far left.

Robert Ingpen has illustrated many classic stories from Bible stories to Alice in Wonderland and Tom Sawyer and more.  I'm going to keep my eye out for these editions!

 For more book reviews see Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.