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Window Peek

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Peeking in at our Music & Art

We hit music via piano for an hour a week with just lesson but are closer to 6 hours when we include practicing and our other music activities. Through piano lessons the boys have both covered a healthy portion of music theory. This year Jr. has begun working with different keys and even transposing his pieces to a different key. In actuality his understanding of music theory outstripped mine this year! I am thankful to have found an instructor that gently challenges not only his playing but also his mind. LilB is still well within my own musical understanding but that doesn’t take away from the fact he’s able to read music and knows many musical terms (such as forte, crescendo and allegro etc). Primarily we focus on instrumental music but I’ve also taken some time this year to introduce childhood songs. We learned several this year like Old Dan Tucker and Tisket a Tasket. I’m always looking for new songs to teach them if you have any favorite suggestions!

Art is a weak area in terms of formality yet we crank out craft activities weekly. Our walls are a testament to the experimentation with art mediums. We work mostly with paint and paper crafts. I have yet to find a good resource for clay. Though we have worked with several of the brands available at the local craft store.  The formal art history and instruction will come too but for the moment I’m just occasionally pulling out some of our art books to admire the paintings, sculptures and what not.

A couple of our resource books are:

Usborne the Children’s Book of Art: Internet Linked.

Usborne  the Children's Book of Art: Internet Linked Cover

Story of Art (admittedly this one is more for me at the moment)

Story  of Art, the - 16th Edition Cover

What are some of your favorite Art resources?

Knee Deep

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Ah Spring I do love you. I love your green specks that show as the snow melts.

I love the pooling water at the bottom of our small hill.

And the holes that our ducks dig every place where the water pools.

I love the fresh air that we are all breathing deeply.

or the fragrant stench of the spring hen house cleaning brings to our animal yard.

I especially love your hideous amounts of mud that you encourage my boys to play in.

And the wet boots that were drenched in a spring thaw “pond” two days ago that will probably still be drying next week.

Not to mention my jeans that are perpetually soaking wet because I’m short and my cuffs drag on your lovely, damp ground.

Spring how glorious you are in delightful messiness.

How happily we welcome the emerging piles of sticks and other assorted yard trash.

What joy we take in the squishy mud-pit that our yard becomes.

Ah Spring what welcome your untidy blossoming finds in our hearts.

Breathing Deep

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

I realized today after I’d been a bit more snarky than normal that I’ve got a good case of the grumps. What is interesting about this case of the grumps is that it is mostly manifesting in lack of patience with people, with things, with the season. With everything. It isn’t patience with speed but with more the patience you call upon when you need to be tolerant or mindful.  I’m finding that those small things I can typically – and easily – let go of are harder to simply breathe away.

I know that this will be a short lived thing but I also think there is no harm to me in taking a moment to acknowledge that I’m out of sorts. To remind myself to breathe deep. To find my center and balance. To not fall into being impatient and grumpy.