TOG Ancients Projects: Reed Boat

DS8 really wanted to make a reed boat, as shown in 

Ancient Egypt Make it Work (a TOG scheduled book). 

We found a bag of dried grasses at the craft store and some yarn 

in my collection of unfinished projects.

Cutting the reeds and tying them in bundles took quite awhile.

DD14 came to help and the work went much faster.

And the boat turned out just like in the book!

He made a little paddle from craft sticks to go with it.  

Don't you just want to hop on?  

Maybe not hop...that would probably capsize the boat!

TOG Ancients Projects: Nile, Anubis, Salt Dough maps

DS8's beginning of a working "Nile" in a planter box: 

tin foil in the shape of the river (note delta on the left, which is appropriately North!), 

weighted down with some marbles and glass gems, grass seed planted on the banks

He will flood the Nile with water and hopefully the seeds will grow!

DD14's acrylic painted Anubis

We made salt dough maps at our 2 family co-op for TOG Week 1

 and then painted them when they dried. 

 I asked the older ones to use several landform terms we learned.  

Here are a few of them.

DD16 - you're never too old for salt dough!

DD14 - some high level place in World of Warcraft

DS5 - I think those are caves!

TOG Ancients Projects: More Wall Friezes, Flower Pot & Cat Mummy

Some projects from our first week of Tapestry of Grace Ancients!

DD16's Anubis Wall Frieze 

DD14's Udjet Eye Wall Frieze

DD16's Bastet flower pot

DS6's Cat Mummy (mustard bottle body)

TOG Ancients Projects: Mummy, Wall Frieze & Beaded Collar

The beginning of our Ancient History Museum

DS8 wanted to get started on some projects and so we went with the ones we had materials for already: Paper Mache Mummy, Carved Plaster Wall Frieze, and a Beaded Collar.  These are all found in the excellent book Make History Ancient Egypt by Nancy Fister and Charlene Olexiewicz!

Creating the mummy from newspaper and masking tape.

The finished mummy (note: whole wheat flour isn't the best for paper mache) and the drying plaster.

The finished mummy!  I painted the facial features and DS8 drew the symbols from another great book: Ralph Masiello's Ancient Egypt Drawing Book

Carving a cobra into "sandstone" (painted plaster)

The long beads were made from triangles cut from magazines, rolled around a straw and glued.

Assembling the beaded collar took a lot of patience, especially with the small-handed "helper" around

The finished collar turned out nice, but too fragile to wear on a daily basis

I'm looking forward to many more projects to fill up our museum as the year goes on!

Week 15, plus 2 weeks of vacation!

 DS5's remote control Christmas present dinosaur eating a chibi bunny!

Week 15: finished what we were going to finish schoolwise, celebrated DD13 becoming DD14, shopped for last minute necessities for girls' trip to Europe, experience our first snow in 10 years (2"), had a little family Christmas on Friday evening, enjoyed the company of my parents for a few hours on Saturday before they took off with DD16 & DD14 for two weeks in Switzerland, Germany and Italy!

My boys gingerbread houses -- long since dismantled and eaten!

Week 16 & 17: Vacation!  Had two families over to make gingerbread houses (SUGERFEST!), wrapped and packed Christmas presents, drove to NJ (listened to The Great Brain), celebrated a delightful Christmas with dh's side of the family, drove home Christmas night to avoid snowstorm (16"), relaxed, played lots of Munchkin, cleaned, got out the knitting needles and started on a dishrag, Skyped with the European vacationers, ate Chinese take out, bought a coat stand, played baseball, avoided all school-related things I should have done...

Thus ends 2010.  It was a good year.  A very good year.  At the beginning of the year we lived in Arizona and had a brand new baby.  Now we live in Virginia and have six wonderful, wonderful children...and a whole new year to look forward to enjoying together!

Week 14

Starting to wrap things up for the season!  Normally we're further along in the year...but since we didn't start until September, we're right on track.

DD16 & DD13 painted these amazing goblets at a local pottery place.  This was an early birthday present for DD13, who is almost DD14.  Both of them are working on Mini Unit Study 5 in LLfLotR -- the Epic. Excellent background info for when we study the Ancients next year!

We hosted DS10's D&D group here on Monday -- good fun!  I enjoy "having company" while my darling husband does not.  Since he was out of town on Monday, it was win-win!

DS8 & DS5 both got "I was fearless at the dentist's office" certificates this week.  Since we moved, this is a new dentist, not a pediatric dentist, and I'm just never sure how they're going to do...  But they did great!  I bought a Water Pik (primarily for DD16 in braces) and they've been having fun with that.  The bathroom has been drier though!

DD12mo has discovered books.  She likes to read.  She likes to be read to.  Ah, another milestone.

I received a package from CJ's Sewing Room -- some "butter" that I hope will be the answer to the current eczema and diaper rash problems we've been having!  I read about CJ's here and ordered the same day (very unlike me!).

This coming week I will be trying to get Christmas presents ready.  Trying to get my girls ready for their European vacation with my parents.  Trying to plan for the 2nd half of the school year planned.

Week 13

We have 3 NaNoWriMo winners in the house!  DD16, DD13 & DS10 all finished on 11/29!

DD16 drew DS10's characters for him:

She also drew an amazing number of other races to populate his world.

Here are some quick sketches of 2 of her own characters.

DD11mo became DD12mo!  Her simple "Hobbit" Cake (an idea I got from Slowly -- Slowly Climb Mt Fuji) turned out just right!

DD16 & DD13 are preparing for their upcoming Switzerland-Germany-Italy trip with my parents!

DD16 German Family page

DD13 German Color page

DS10 actually picked up a non-fiction book to read, on his own!  And he came to me, repeatedly, telling me interesting tidbits.  He is an excellent reader (taught himself at the age of 4) but doesn't spend nearly as much time reading as his siblings!  So, hats off to author Steve Sheinkin of Which Way to the Wild West?

DS8 is doing so well with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems 2.  And with Writing with Ease 1.  But I want more for him -- richness, depth, meaning, inspiration.  I'm contemplating changes for January.  Even as I contemplate Christmas presents.  And travel plans.  And dentist visits.  It never ends.

DS5's reading: progress, progress!  We're continuing to move along in OPGTR (ank/ink/onk/unk today). He is making connections and recognizing words and bits of words and other such things that make a mom smile!  I want to add to his school day in January also...

Only 3 weeks until Christmas.  Only 4 weeks until 2010!  I'm not ready.  Are you?