I Live With Fish!

We have found a great swimming instructor. He is really patient and fun. And the kids respond well to him. They are both swimming!!!

Grammy really wanted to see the kids swimming. Here's some video from this morning for you Grammy!


Yes, Mr. Matt has chickens and the Rooster likes it when the kids do the dolphin.


Annie practicing free-style.


Annie swims the length of the pool through a hoop.


This time with no hoop.


Emerson swimming free-style through the hoop.


Emer's through the hoop again and Mr. Matt has silly sneezes!

Why I love China and Her People....

I am just so angry. I can't think straight.

I love Chinese culture, I regularly use Chinese medicine and acupuncture and I have deep respect for the Chinese people. When I was a kid my dad lived in Toronto and he had many sweet Chinese women and men working with him. I was fascinated by the rhythm of their language, the antiquity of their culture, and their food. I was simply fascinated by them, the color and straightness of their hair, their small stature and their warm smiles. I loved going out to lunch with these wonderful people. I liked how they all shared each others food, poured tea, and used chop sticks (which I still have not mastered...I always felt wrong and embarrassed when I asked for a fork). I loved passing through China Town, nearly running to keep up with my dad's long strides, as I took it all in. Listening to my dad's loving commentary, looking at the dragon and Buddha statues. I remember being repulsed by the featherless ducks hanging in the butchers window but loving the sweet juicy taste of the exotic lychee nuts.

I have spent a lot of time sharing and learning about China and her people with my darling children. Check out these posts on our blog.
Chinese Lion Dance
Kung Hei Fat Choi
China Town Center

So why am I so angry?

Sculpting

Several weeks ago we read the beautiful Enki Education version of the Native American folk tale "Jumping Mouse" about a mouse who sacrifices his eyes and his nose until he soars on the winds of the sky. We sculpted it in fragrant bees wax. It is a truly a pleasurable multi- sensory experience -- one that I highly recommend trying with kids over 4 (maybe even older). Annie sculpted the "J's", the mouse, the river, the river stones and the wolf. I helped out with the frog and the buffalo.

Today we said goodbye to our Jumping Mouse scene and sculpted Grimm's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Annie shaped the "D" for dwarf, Snow White with her red cheeks, and 4 of the 7 dwarfs (I love their long beards) .



This past Sunday was Museum Day in Austin. Many of the museums were free and offered special activities for children. We chose to go to Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. We toured the sculpture gardens and had the chance to make our own sculptures. It was a very grounding experience for all of us. We were extremely relaxed when we left.

Tagged!

I've been tagged byTreeoflifemusings.blogspot.com


Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.


p.123:
She had a daughter called Yeh-Shein, who from childhood was intelligent and good at making pottery on the wheel. Her father loved her. After some years the father died, and she was ill-treated by her stepmother, who always made her collect firewood in dangerous places and draw water from deep pools.

From Enki Grade One Fairy Tales. "Yeh-Shein" a fairy tale from China.

mhergert.com/family
traceyhuguley.blogspot.com
treeoflifehomeschool.com (but she tagged me)
cagefreefamily.com


honestly, I only regularly read these 4 blogs....

Film Debut

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Credits:

Squeaky Voiced Trainer and Videographer: Annie

Cutest Dog in the World: Bonnie

Mud!!

Mike and I were inside chatting at the kitchen table. We could see the kids playing with their Digger and Bulldozer. We thought they were digging in the hard dirt. Well, when we went out and had a closer look this is what we found....
The mud play continued all day. They made "mortar" and attempted to make a wall with large limestone rocks. They even figured they better hose each other off before they came in the house. Needless to say, we had to scrub them clean.... Oh, to be a kid!

Pioneer Farms

Today was Homeschool Day at Pioneer Farms. Our friend Indy came with us and we had a awesome day experiencing rural life in 1800's Texas. It was also great to see a lot of other homeschooling families we know. Austin has such a wonderful homeschooling community! Our school year is off to a great start!