I was talking on the phone to a new friend, and she told me that she was her parent’s “wild Irish girl.” Such an image flashed through my mind that I had to try and draw it. I’ve always loved the illustrations of Trisha Schart Hyman, and drew inspiration from her work. I borrowed a body position from one of her illustrations from “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” because balance and weight of figures is something I struggle with. I am so pleased with how my drawing turned out.
February 5: We got enough snow to make several snowmen! They didn’t even look very muddy at first.
At Homeschool Co-op I taught a lesson on drawing sea turtles from Deep Space Sparkle Art. The kids really loved this one, each eager to explain to me what their turtle was doing, and why they chose the colors they chose.
February 7: We had a family dance at our church. Apple Pie was my partner for the whole dance. (The resident Captain being gone to Guard Drill.) I loved the atmosphere of fun togetherness of the whole night. I guess I got pretty carried away because I snapped the underwire in my bra while dancing…actually that probably can be blamed on my having to tote a huge four-year-old around the whole night.
Saturday, February 8: The weather was sunny and warm, so I took the little kids to the park. I won the “You must wear Shoes” battle and the “You must wear a Jacket” battle, and caved on the “You must wear long pants” battle.
Wednesday February 14:
For Homeschool art we used chalk and oil pastels to create dancers inspired by Degas.
Fancy family dinner with my true loves is my favorite way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Saturday February 15 we begin our new gardening attempt. This will be patterned after the “Back to Eden” gardening method using compost and wood chips. We put down cardboard, which I stole obtained without permission from various recycling dumpsters around town, to kill the lawn grass. Our plan is to turn all the lawn between our house and the road into a glorious food forest of fruit trees, berry bushes, asparagus beds, and tomatoes.
The Man of the House drove all the way to Miami, Oklahoma, to get 4 cubic yards of mushroom compost. This is our “dirt” to grow the plants.
In-between the garden beds we are mulching with wood chips to keep the weeds away.
Thursday February 20: Key Lime Pie has been studying bacteria, so today she learned to make yogurt (because it is bacteria that turn milk into yogurt.) She also learned how to read an analog thermometer…bonus!
Friday February 21: Homeschool Co-op was canceled today due to our host family having the respiratory flu, so we did a last minute field trip to the Rogers Arkansas City Museum. It was a great place for a group with a broad range of ages like ours.
Monday February 24: Mother’s Tea Party at the Scooter Pie’s Preschool. Their teachers are amazing. My boys sang “I’m a Little Tea Pot” and they had learned such careful gentlemanly manners.
Marvelous Pigs in Satin 