Kokomo Opalescent Glass field trip

We had a delightful field trip a week ago to a place called Kokomo Opalescent Glass. So much so that we might have put it on our list (that hasn't been started yet) of places to take anyone who ever comes to visit. Some of their history and info is on their website, and there is a short video, taken at their factory, of some of the process here. The pictures I took don't really do it justice, and I could never begin to share the wealth of information that the lady who did our tour shared with us, but will try to pass on a bit of what we learned. This is one of 6 places left in America that make art glass (they supplied the Tiffany Company for a period at the beginning of their operation in the 1800's).

This is the furnace where the ingredients are melted into glass. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and has to be replaced every 25 years. She told us much more about it, all very interesting, but, a.) I don't remember it all at this point, and b.) would be here all night writing it out if I did.This man, along with two others (each has a different color), gets a scoop full of the melted glass and carries it while bouncing it around in the scoop so that it all cools at a uniform rate on the way over to the table ...where another man is waiting to gently mix (swirl) the three colors together, and then feed the big glob of glass through large rollers that flatten it into a sheet, and create a texture on one side of the glass. They have the capability of making millions of combinations of colors, textures, and thicknesses. Once rolled out, it is fed through a machine that slowly cools it down to 140F. At that point it is cut into sheets by two men (as you can see in the video if you check it out) and this is an end piece showing what that glowing red blob in the picture above looks like when cooled and in sheet form.In the area behind her, a man was packing crates of glass to be shipped out all over the world. There were several crates ready to be shipped out to England, Japan, Canada, and elsewhere. Here is some glass in the storage area:These are just some of the shades and variations of white:She showed the kids how to cut glass. The man working in this room makes glass paperweights, including intricately created glass sea creatures and other designs.This is one of the glass blowers who work there. Being one of the tallest, I wasn't able to get close enough to get the best pictures of this process, but the kids all seemed to like watching this kind of glass work, too.

This message is for my dad, who's mailbox is full...

I’m doing what you suggested, but I’ll have you know it takes intense concentration not to automatically correct these sentences when I’m copying them out of the book.

(For the rest of you, these sentences are for the kids to correct. For the most part, I am capable of writing slightly better than the above example.)

That time of year again

We officially started school last Monday, but we were sort of working up to full speed which we attempted today (not particularly successfully, but hopefully we'll get there with a some tweaks to the system here and there). This one couldn't wait to get started. We hardly had the box in the door and she was begging to open it, then plopped down right there and started to work, doing several pages before going to bed that night!Today she says, "Do you know why I want to do all these things you're doing with them? Cause I want to jump in with them doing the hard stuff cause I'm in kindergarten now." I'm trying to hold onto the reigns.These two having experienced this all before and aware of what is ahead, are not quite so enthusiastic.B spontaneously made this list of all the characters and places in Ann of Green Gables on her new white/chalk board. (It seems like each year they get one little "fun" but practical school item-these were a hit this year.)

It is hard to believe the summer months are over and school has started again, but it's too late to turn back now.

Blueberry Bundles for Breakfast

Today was our first full attempt at school - all three kids, all subjects (we did some last week but not the whole deal at once). Didn't make it, especially since Geoff had some students coming over for dinner at 5pm. But we started the day off right with these:
Mmmm.

Yes, you can teach your child to read!

For several weeks, it has been on my mind to share about this resource as a blog post. There are multiple resources for teaching children to read (as well as theories as to how...the best way). One of the more popular ones has been Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. But when it was time to teach my first born to read, this is what we went with: Phonics Pathways by Dolores Hiskes was recommended the The Well Trained Mind. Fortunately, the local library had a copy of this book, and after reading about it in the Well Trained Mind, I was able to check it out and give it a test run before buying it. I had a copy of ...100 Easy Lessons, but found that it was more complicated, distracting, and time-consuming than the format of Phonics Pathways. Our 4yo is about 1/3 of the way through it and our copy is getting quite dog-eared from nearly daily use in teaching three children to read over the past 6 years.

I highly, highly recommend this book for teaching little ones to read (or for helping anyone learn to read). It is very easy to "teach" or more specifically lead the child in using. There is basically NO teacher prep and it is up to you and your child how much time you spend on it each day. We usually do a page a day, which takes from 5 to 15 minutes depending on how well she is concentrating that day and how much is on the page. It is very simple - black and white without a lot of pictures - which some might find "boring," but in my opinion, it cuts down on distractions. While there are areas of learning that we have not done the best at around here, reading is one area that has gone fairly smoothly, thanks in large part to Phonics Pathways.

Our latest and most likely last budding reader, emulating big sis:

Multimedia addition

One more school/WW related post...for now anyway.

Little L went to bed early the past two nights after missing her nap both days, and the rest of us watched this:

I thought it was a great addition to our reading and we all learned a little something from it. I really liked the role of his conversion and how his strong belief in the Bible affected him and was represented in the movie (something that would never be shown in a film today, at least not positively). The first hour of the movie is building his character and showing who he is and where he came from with the second half delving into the war and related events. It doesn't have the speed or graphics of modern films (it was made in 1941 I believe) but in my opinion, is all the better for it!!!

Any more WWI related resources you might be aware of that we could look into?

On the other hand, this one is definitely a keeper.

We are about a third of the way through this one, and highly recommend it. Lots of details accompanied by plenty of photographs to keep the kids focused while listening. It is an Usborne Internet-linked book so you can enter the corresponding page number into their website and find further pictures and information.I don't remember much history from grade school days. This book is opening all of our eyes to the horrific nature of the first World War (we haven't gotten to the second WW yet). It seems like one hears much more about WWII, and I'm learning a lot about WWI along with the kids!
This is a little hard to see, but B is making a model of trench warfare using "Moon Sand" (her idea, not mine).

School delays, violin, and soccer-related craftiness

Perhaps this is why school takes so long on any given day:

Or this could be another reason...maybe we'll call it PE and then it IS school:

That was the three-legged version, and here is the four:Friday night was their first violin recital of the fall. B played Musette. This was an "after" shot. I fear distracting them taking pictures during their performances. Here is G playing Lully Gavotte:

I finally had a reason to make these:

These aren't nearly as cute as the ones on the link, but I had to make 23. One child had to take snacks and I talked her into these instead of Gatorade, which was going to involve a trip to the store. The other two saw them and insisted that they had to take some for their teams as well.

Creativity and cute idea

Aren't these the cutest? Going to have to "lift" that idea!

I really don't have time to craft/sew/scrapbook right now - too many things that are higher priority to be done. BUT that need/desire/urge to create something has been nagging away at me while doing all the other necessary stuff. I indulged last night...

Clipboards were on our school supply list this year. (The one I make up for us...) These were cheap but generic and basically just ugly:

But they have been transformed...

by stamps, ink, and some acrylic craft paint. They are now personal and a little more fun. I had to resist the urge to attack them with scrapbook and card-making supplies (like ribbon and paper) since the whole point was to have smooth writing and drawing surfaces for times when we aren't at the table working. And now I will know exactly which little person left theirs lying in the middle of the floor!

Busy children and school

Tonight I asked little G if he was ready to start school. I liked the answer. He said, "No, because I don't want to do the work, but at the same time, yes, because I'm kind of ready to have something to do again." My interpretation is that he has enjoyed the summer, and though he is not a "lover of academics," he is ready for the structure and consistency of the school year again. That's a good place to be at in my opinion. We try to start up gradually, and since there are two birthdays to celebrate in the next two weeks, that will be the case. But hopefully we'll be up to full steam by two weeks from Monday. We are trying a new art program this year, that required a variety of different mediums, one of them being chalk pastels. We found some for a very nice price in Indiana, so each child got a set (makes life so much more peaceful). They have provided quite a bit of entertainment already.

Here is little G with the castle he made out of one of the leftover garage sale boxes, complete with a working drawbridge. The amazing thing is that L can contort herself completely into it. Geoff said she was a little Houdini.

words + photos week, preschool, "stuff"

For those of you who enjoy scrapbooking or journaling or recording your family's story and daily life, Ali Edwards is posting this week about focusing on words and photos and has some really great thoughts and tips. The final post (today's) is here, if you want to check it out. Her blog is one of my favorites to follow on a regular basis. Unfortunately I have not had (or taken) the time to apply the insights and wisdom found there yet, but maybe there will be an hour or so to pull away and indulge in that particular hobby soon, as things (for the kids and I anyway) are slowing down considerably.

I did stay up way too late last night finishing some scrapbook pages for a thank you gift for the young woman who has taught the little preschool group that L has gone to on Fridays this school year. At that late hour, scanning or taking pictures of the finished product to share here slipped my mind. The girls put on a little show for the parents to end their time together. (Their teacher is leaving for Africa in about 5 days.) When putting L to bed tonight, she said, "I'm sad that preschool is over now."

That slowing down that was mentioned above, allowed for some time to start tackling other things that desperately need attention around here. For one, a major purging of everything is in order - the garage, the shed, and every room, nook and cranny of the house. Our neighborhood yard sale event is scheduled for the end of May so that is one goal to work toward. It felt good yesterday to get a good start on the garage and begin to collect things and either organize or put in the sale pile. I tend to be one who clings too tightly to STUFF and struggle at times with letting it go. We hope to get a lot of the kids' outgrown clothes and accessories that have been clogging up the shed especially, in the sale. God ultimately has control over our family and the number and timing of children we each have, but at this time it isn't OUR plan, apart from His supernatural intervention, to add any more to the mix around here. (Hope that isn't TMI!) Should He choose to send us another one at some point, He will provide, and we have to get some of this STUFF out of the way because they are always accumulating new STUFF.

Well, there is more, but the late nights are catching up with me... I thought of another tool to post (referring to March of the Tools a while back) and will try to get that up this weekend.

Delighted to have a mostly unscheduled weekend at home before us!!!

Some recommended reading for the middle elementary age crowd

Here are our two latest reads for school. The kids are both really enjoying these two, and ask for more when it is time to stop. (Unfortunately, my cold-irritated throat is not allowing for that this week.) They both came with our curriculum this year.

Imprisoned in the Golden City by Dave and Neta Jackson is about Adoniram and Ann Judson, American missionaries to Burma.


We've just started The Journeyman, by Elizabeth Yates, but so far are enjoying it. A boy is apprenticed to a journeyman artist who is a kind and good teacher and points to God in his instruction. We are learning a little bit about art, and art in early American history.

Cuisenaire rod creations and Easter dinner preparations

What some people do with math manipulatives when they should be doing their "real" school work...

Why use a dipping tool when your fingers will do?

And this is a bad picture of my hand. Fortunately it looks much better than it did before I did the dishes. Egg dye preparation gone amuck. I feared that other church goers might take me for a Smurf tomorrow! Here is an example of my frugality getting the better of me. I have pint size bottles of food coloring from Smart & Final that need to be used for something, and making the dye isn't difficult. But getting it out of the bottles is a mess. Hence the blue hand. Next year we're buying the packaged tablets!

We are having lunch with another family after church and were asked to bring a vegetable, and if wanted, a bread. For the sake of festivity, I made Italian Easter Bread, which Geoff's grandma has made in the past. Geoff is 3/8ths Italian, which makes the children 3/16ths Italian, right? So this is preserving a bit of their heritage. I need to email her and get more info about this. She's almost 90 and is on the internet. Cool, huh? It was all we could do to exercise self restraint to not eat this tonight. I used golden raisins instead of the candied fruit and added some anise oil along with the seeds. (It's my fault that the dye ran.)

Ahhh, Saturday.

Love the weekends, especially when we don't have any extra plans or commitments, other than church on Sunday.

The hands-on homeschool day went OK yesterday from my perspective. We read this fun little picture book about Thomas Jefferson, had macaroni and cheese (homemade - I don't think Kraft sold it in the blue box back in 1800), French fries, homemade ice cream, and "love apples" (tomatoes) - all foods that TJ introduced or popularized in America over 200 years ago and that we stil enjoy today! The kids also made lanterns out of tin cans, wrote letters with quills and ink made from laundry bluing, sealed them with wax from a candle, and a few other little activities.

One of my attributes which is almost always in high gear is frugality for lots of reasons. Based on things that my kids were saying (repeating from me or coming up with on their own) I decided recently, that I need to be a little less verbal about it. But since it is such a part of my life, it is probably going to come up here...frequently! Such as the previous post. And now this one.

Here you see little G with his glue gun and popsicle sticks. He bought the glue gun and some gluesticks himself about 7 months ago. There were 200 gluesticks in his stocking at Christmas, and that is the second box of 1000 popsicle sticks, and it is now empty. His current project is building a model of Lewis' and Clark's keelboat that is going to be big enough to use up most of another box. About one month ago though, his sister B decided she needed a glue gun too and picked one up for herself. (They are "low-temp" and so far no burns. One was even left plugged in while we were gone for an extended time - days, eek - and didn't burn the house down. Not recommending this and thanking God for watching out for us, but just illustrating that they haven't proven to be terribly dangerous so far.) He has been sharing gluesticks and she has used some of that box of sticks, too. This is just one of their many hobbies/craft activities. They also like making things with beads, painting, creating things with felt, etc., etc., etc. I take full responsibility for this. But one day as they were plowing through project after project consuming resources at a somewhat alarming rate, it kind of made me wonder how much of our monthly income they could go through if allowed to use materials completely unfettered!!!! I told Geoff we could justify some of it because we don't pay for cable or buy computer games or spend much on entertainment, and I would much rather have them being creative like this. This seems like it has potential for being a great way to teach them about budgeting, by setting up a budget for crafts and creations and helping them learn how to make choices, bargain shop, save for bigger things and so forth. We just haven't sat down and figured it out yet.

Oh no. While I was typing little G came back and showed me a Ranger Rick article he just found about a guy making a real boat out of popsicle sticks - 15 million of them!!!

March of the Tools, cereal sand, etc.

To begin with, my first contribution to March of the Tools started by Heather Bailey.

This photo didn't turn out that well, but that shiny thing there on the right is a diffuser from the Frugal Gourmet. It can be used in place of a double boiler and takes up less space! It is all ready for cooking those corn grits for breakfast tomorrow!

This is "cereal sand," as named/described by little G. He does not care for cereal sand, but B & L both do. Cereal sand is what is left at the bottom of the cereal box. This happens to be the tail end of some Frosted Strawberry Mini-Wheats.

Friday it is my turn again to host our little hands-on history gathering that we do once or twice a month with two other families (involves 10 kids, but only 5 of them are school age - the younger ones are off fending for themselves and doing who knows what in the other rooms of the house during the activities...). I must confess this is not my gifting. There is also some pressure as the last time it was my turn, it didn't go very well/I didn't do a very good job.

My topic is Thomas Jefferson. I don't have to "teach" a lot about him, just prepare and facilitate some activities that enhance what they are already learning in their reading. (All three families use the same curriculum.)

The feathers are soaking to soften them up for making quill pens, as per the instructions given in the book Colonial Days... I found at the library. You'll have to wait to hear any more details because I really should be working on that or getting some sleep...

results

The inital bread baking results were quite tasty. Maybe I should return this book to the library before it significantly sabotages my dreams of slimming down a bit for summer. Can you smell it? The kids and I ate it with olive oil and pepper - just like Macaroni Grill. Yum. None left for Geoff when he got home much later.



On another happy note, it was quite pleasant here in the high country today. Almost springlike. A nice change, though we don't want it too warm up too much too early on because our fruit trees have gotten frosted every year.


Did you know the Iditarod starts this weekend? I have to figure out how to link things through my blog. I'll get better at this, I promise. Since I'm not too experienced, here's the best I can do for now... www.iditarod.com/race/ (Emily, help?) We are just completing what is known as a "lapbook" on sled dogs. G & B were assembling theirs while the bread baked yesterday.