Exploring China- Part 2

We have continued our study of China, and were thrilled to discover that some of our favorite things were invented in there.

Mark filled in this chart that we added to our China display.

We decided that our favorite things invented are fireworks, so we made this simple crayon picture on black paper to add to our learning wall. We have also learned about many of the animals that are native to China. You can see many of them on our China display. We have read two very cute books about pandas: Pi-Shu the Little Panda and The Legend of the Panda.
I found these panda masks here, and Kim and Luke have been enjoying playing with them.Mark and Grace also learned about pandas by watching this little video from National Geographic.

Stay tuned: we have a little bit more to learn about China.

Exploring China Through Picture Books-Part 1

We have been having a wonderful time learning about China through a wide variety of picture books, videos, and the internet.

We have been enjoying these wonderful books:

The Story About Ping

Daisy Comes Home

Granny Han's Breakfast

Little Tiger in the Chinese Night

Grandfather Tang's Story

Round is a Mooncake

Fish in the Air

The Children on China

Ruby's Wish

I began my research into this subject by using the wonderful resources at Homeschool Share.We have learned about tangrams using Grandfather Tang's Story. It is a story about a little girl asking her grandfather to tell her a story. He tells the story using tangrams. We had fun coping these pictures with out own tangrams which we made out of cardstock. I found many sites with free printable tangrams.After enjoying the book we explored our own creations using the tangrams we made.

Keep checking back to see many more of our activities about China.

A Good Day to Think of Others

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. The perfect day for some rosary making. We have been making rosaries for the missions for years, and yesterday, Dad got out the "rosary box" and got to work. When we have about 100 rosaries made, we pick somewhere in the world to send them. In the past we have sent some to Tanzania, Kenya, India, Ireland, and Mexico. We find addresses of those in need of rosaries at Our Ladies Rosary Makers. You can also order parts at this site.

Amy hard at work.

While rosaries were being made in the living room, Laura and I finished two more tied baby blankets for our local Catholic Charities. We were told that these blankets, and anything for newborn babies are greatly needed. We are going to make it a family outing when we deliver these to Catholic Charities tomorrow.

Home Sweet Home Challenge-Beauty in the home

Beauty and organization will certainly be the biggest challenge around here as we procede with the Home Sweet Home Challenge. Fitting 12 bodies into a 900 square foot home could be a 2008 challenge all its own, but we have always managed this and will somehow continue this amazing feat.

I will try to add beauty here and there as I can. To start off the New Year I have made this fleece throw for the living room couch. I made it the same way Laura made her first sewing project that you can see here.

Oh-No!

After crying for 24 hours, not eating, and not drinking,

staying awake all last night, with the highlight being throwing-up all over Daddy, I finally feel better! Mommy took me to the doctor's office to get medicine for a raging ear infection.

Back to School

Well, the inevidable has happened...we are back to school. We knew it was bound to happen but we still hoped that it wouldn't.

I, myself, am happy to be back to something that somewhat resembles a routine.

Over the Christams break, while browsing Barnes and Noble, I found this lovely version of Peter and the Wolf. It also includes a cd. So now we are all ready to learn about the orchestra.

I checked this book out of the library and I am going to pick and choose different sections of the book to learn about. This book covers a lot of information, composers, different musical eras, and instruments of the orchestra. We are going to concentrate on musical instruments of the orchestra.

Some of Gracie's schoolwork over the next week is going to include learning her "color" words. We started by making a colorful ice cream cone. Everyday, as she learns a new color word, she will add a scoop to the cone. Soon Grace will have a tall ice-cream cone labeled with all of her new words. I will keep this visual display up so that it will serve as a reminder of her words as she comes to them in her reading.

You may also be interested in the great resources that I found to help Grace with her words. DLTK Color Buddies has many worksheets and activities that I am just printing out which I find very helpful to re-enforce her learning. Some of the activies are geared more toward preschoolers learning their colors, but I just tweak them a little and they are perfect for Grace.

Last party of the season....first party of the year...

We celebrated the New Year with a wonderful party today with much of my extended family. Both of my sisters were there and also both of my brothers. My brother Bob was present thanks to the world wide web. Pat set up the laptop with a camera, and thanks to the Skype program, we were connected to Florida for most of the afternoon.

It was great fun to have my brother and his family with us this way.

When the time came to eat, Pat was there with a lot of pizza.

Usually when we are somewhere other than home, I like to utilize the buddy system to help take care of the babies. Today, Amy had charge of Luke,
and Laura had charge of Kimberly.
Fun and games were enjoyed by all.
Last night Amy made this super game, pin the nose on Rudolph. She used Dad's foot and hands as the template.We did forget a blindfold, but Gracie's hat did the job.
Nathan took his best try.Kim and Luke were the closest to Rudolph's nose, which isn't really fair since they weren't wearing the blindfold.
We also took this chance to sing "Happy Birthday" to Uncle Brian and Uncle Steve.
And like every party does, this one had to come to an end.
So as we finish up with parties of the Christmas season, we look forward to more joy and love throughout the New Year.

What were you doing at 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve?

The twelve of us were all home, in the little house, enjoying a quiet, peaceful evening.

Dad is enjoying the snacks that different children keep making in honor of New Year's Eve.

Dan is on the living room computer, writing a paper about Julius Caesar.

Patrick is on his basement computer after a 12 hour shift at work. Hopefully he will go to bed early and not ring in the New Year.`

Amy is on the living room couch, nursing a cold, and watching High School Musical 2.

Laura is in the girls' room, listening to something. It must be good if you go by the pretty smile.

Grace is also in the girls' room playing with Big Nutbrown Hare, from Guess How Much I Love You fame.

Mark looks like he was caught doing something suspicious, but he is just on my bed playing with monkey gears.

Matt is on the other side of the same bed (mine) watching something other than High School Musical 2, which is being shown on the living room tv.

Becky and I are making pepperoni bread for tomorrow's New Year's Day party.

Everyone is accounted for. I found the babies behind the chair in the living room. I am not sure what they are doing, but it looks as though Luke feels "caught".

New Year's Resolution

Sarah, over at Plainsong has offered her inspiration to us all as the New Year approaches. She calls it the Home Sweet Home Challenge, and what peace and joy we will bring to our homes as we work daily to achieve these wonderful goals.

Strive for these Goals
1. Invite the Blessed Mother to my home. . .daily, with a Memorare for the intention of asking her to visit me as she did her cousin, and to help me keep my eyes toward heaven.
2. Begin my day with a Morning Offering-to offer my all to God
3. Follow a simple organizational routine
4. Take on little things to help our household stay beautiful and joyful.
5. Write about household topics and link others' blogs who are motivational

The Rules:
1. Remember People are more important than things
2. Remember that messes look bigger than they are
3. Small things done in the home can add beauty
4. Stay real: we will never be perfect, especially with children around us
5. Keep a sense of humor
6. Forgive myself for imperfection and limitations, focusing on those things I do accomplish
7. Persevere

Friday Fun!

We met friends at the bowling alley yesterday for an afternoon of fun.

Gracie had to haul the big 6 pound ball around, give it a throw and then...

she waited.

SUCCESS!

Mark had an unusual form, but he got the job done.
This was the first time at a bowing alley for Mark and Grace, and it started in an exciting manner. We told the kids that they could warm up, so I found them the light balls, and when I was turned around, they both let the balls roll, down the same alley. At the same time, big boy Dan, let his practice ball go, his ball ran into the thing that knocks the extra pins down. Now, the owner of the alley came running out and suggested that these kids have a lesson on proper bowling etiquette. I was totally embarrassed.
Things went much more smoothly after they had a talking to.

Boys relaxing.

Laura's form.

Amy's form.

Danny's form. ( he only fell down once)

And the winner is-- I don't think we know--I don't believe anyone really knew how to keep score properly.

Our New Favorite Game

Santa brought this new card game to one of the s and I have to give it a great review. It is kind of like rummy but the difference is that there are ten different phases to complete, such as 2 sets of four, or 7 cards of one color. Everyone starts at "phase one" but as you play the game everyone is scattered throughout the 10 "phases". The person who successfully completes "phase 10" wins. It took us about 2 hours for five of us to finish the game.(that was with several babies' diaper changes and bottles)

We want to give this game "two up", especially me, whom you can see, won the game!