"Mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them." ~Charlotte Mason

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Superbowl Commercial

NBC rejected this commercial from its Superbowl lineup. I think it's fantastic.


Monday, January 26, 2009

Happy Australia Day!


Happy Australia Day!
"Australia Day, also known as Anniversary Day and Foundation Day[1], is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney Cove and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.[2]" (from Wikipedia)
We aren't Australian, but I am co-teaching a class about Australia this semester, so we are rather immersed in Australia right now. My kids were excited to learn that today was a holiday, and attempted in vain to get out of doing schoolwork for the day. :0)
The picture above is Sydney Harbour. You may recognize the Sydney Opera House, the funny looking building right on the water. It's really an amazing piece of architecture!
You Disney-ites will recognize this harbour from Finding Nemo. You know, they spend most of the movie looking for "P52 Wallaby Way, Sydney." When they get to Sydney, it is in this harbour.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Co-op Starts Tomorrow!

We are so excited! I am teaching Adventures Down Under, a class about Australia, to 1st -3rd graders and then to 4th-6th graders. I am also helping with a gymnastics class and preschool. Here's a list of what the kids are taking:

Baloo:
Auto Maintenance, Flag Football, Dance (Prom Prep), Web Design, Literature: The Hobbit

Padme:
Dance, Mosaics, Mary Englebreit crafts, Performance Ensemble (choir), Volleyball
*Note: She was supposed to take a science - how did I miss that? I generally require the kids to take a P.E. and a science each semester. She is doing Creation Science at home, though, so I guess it's okay. Can you tell this is my artsy kid?

Wendy:
Mosaics, Early Explorers, Schoolyard Games, Lego Creations, Adventures Down Under
*Note: Adventures Down Under counts as a science in my book. I'm teaching it. We're doing lots of science-y stuff.

Lil Yoda:
Mosaics, Dance, Body & Bones, Circus Fitness, Nature Journaling

Angel:
Cartwheels & More, Dance, Modern Works of Art, Lego Creations, March into Spring

Dora:
Cartwheels & More, Dance, Schoolyard Games, Lego Creations, Adventures Down Under

It's going to be a great semester!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Soup's On!



I have always had a disinclination towards soup. I don't know what it is, really. Maybe because I live in an area with many January days, like today, with temperatures in the seventies. We do have cold weather here in North Texas, but the few below-freezing days we have, like Monday of this week, are often followed by a 40 degree swing the next day, like Tuesday of this week, resulting in a sunny 70ish afternoon. Since the cold weather doesn't usually last long, we never really ate much soup growing up. It just wasn't needed. I know many find it warm and comforting, but I just don't get it.



That said, I have designated Tuesday and Thursday nights as Soup Nights, for two main reasons. First, we don't get home on those nights until around 8:00 and I grew weary of packing "dinners" to eat at the gymnastics facility where we spend Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Packing food for seven people, twice a week, isn't as fun as it sounds and rarely measures up to my nutrition standards. Second, soup feeds a lot of people for a small price. We have a lot of people. And we like small prices. So I decided to like soup. And, after much concerted mental effort, I have succeeded.



One problem. I have spent the past Three Decades Plus, disliking soup. It seems to be pretty easy to make a decent soup. I like that part - lots of room for error. However, I'd like to make some really great soups


So . . . please post your recipe for your favorite, really great, soup! I'm open to creative ideas as well as Old Favorites. But, remember, it must be really great. You get extra points if it's really, really great. Let's get those ideas flowing, Tuesday's only four days away!