Poetry

During our Summer break in Autumn my kids have taken to writing and illustrating poetry on their own. I even over heard them chatting about binding the book and making a page with the name of the poem and the page number. They're including blank pages so they can add to it when they "write more in the car or whatever".

Here is one of Emerson's

The Cat and The Bat

The cat sat on the bat
The bat sat on the cat

The bat sat on the cat
The cat sat on the bat

(he said one bat is a flying bat and the other is a baseball bat)

Annie's Poetry

Wind

Wind, Wind
Ripe and Wail
Take me to a land far away.

(here is her explanation of above,"The wind made me feel like I was in an apple orchard, so I wrote ripe and it was wailing so loudly and I wanted it to carry me away to New York)

A Land Above the Sun

A land above the sun and the moon
Oh, Where is it?
Oh, Oh, where is it?

Ending 1st

Annie finished 1st Grade!!!!!! . Congratulations Annie!!!

Enki Education has no traditional text books for children instead the child creates their own good books and readers. Below are a few samples of the pages and pages of her work over the last year. Her "Good Book" represents her best work and is beautiful. Ask her to look at it if you have a chance, she is very proud of it!!!!

It has been a lovely year and I am so grateful for this opportunity to spend the days learning with my kids.

We have been on our "summer break" for the past 3 weeks enjoying this cool Autumn in Austin. We will start 2nd grade on November 2nd.

this frog illustration above goes with her frog poem below

She chooses a word that she doesn't understand from the verse and she illustrates it. Here she chose "nestled" and she drew us nestled under the covers with hearts...ahhhh..my heart melts...

Because she is obsessed with Paris

Our second vowel block. The illustration is a log in the fire.

some form drawing

Our first vowel sounds block

Number Qualities Block

A love note she gave me one night.

Needle Felting

Last weekend, while visiting our friends in Kerrville, I learned how to needle felt. Thank you Shayene for sharing your knowledge, your wool, and your supplies!!! I love it!!!

To needle felt wool you use sharp barbed felting needles to push the layers of the wool together (think velcro) . The wool fibers stick together and the wool felts. One of my favorite things about this is that I can just take some lucious lambs wool and create something with it. I don't need a pattern or a recipe -- which fits me since I'm no good at following either.

My Fall Fairy and 2 friendly Halloween spiders.

Fall Festival & Baby Chicks

Emerson holding a baby chick

Annie holding a baby chick

We spent the weekend in Kerrville, TX with our friends Jennifer, Derek, Georgia, and Evangeline. The company was great, the air was crisp, and we all had a great time.
We went to a Fall Festival on a farm in Medina TX where we celebrated Georgie and Angie's birthday with pin the tail on the donkey, baby chicks, a petting zoo, baby chicks, pumpkin painting, baby chicks, pony rides, baby chicks, Lakota tribal dancing, baby chicks, and of course Birthday Cake! Baby chicks.
The drive was beautiful through the Texas Hill County. A great baby chick time was had by all.
(I also learned how to needle felt...I will post about that later!)

Thinking about baby chicksBaby Chicks!!!

Marathon Kids Kick Off

We are participating in Marathon Kids this year. Mike took the kids to the Kick Off last weekend on UT campus. They got to run on the track and they both ran the entire length. They sure were pumped up and super excited when they got home.

This video was recorded with the phone. So the sound is crazy...simply turn the volume all the way down just watch the little people run. Emer is wearing the black shorts with green shirt and Annie has on the pink rain coat.



Here is the blurb copied from marathonkids.com

"Marathon Kids learn to live an active and healthy lifestyle by running or walking 26.2 miles over six months, eating healthy food daily, and even learning to grow fruits and veggies!

The program is provided free to public and private elementary schools, as well as homeschools, or independent families. Physical educators, classroom teachers, and parents can incorporate Marathon Kids into their curriculum, after school programs, and at home with their families."