Gettin' Paleolithic

I am excited to be able to teach a fourth grade art class with some of the homeschool students this year.  This fun, energetic, smart mix of students make my day twice a week through their thoughtful questions and lively class discussions.  We began the year talking about prehistoric art and the cave paintings at Lascaux.  Our project was to create a "cave painting" of an animal that lives around us.

Students started by crumpling craft paper to make a "rock" surface.

They outlined their animals using charcoal...

An added color with chalk and red clay mud.

Here are the finished paintings...

The one on the middle left side shows a food chain:  A shark eating another shark, eating a fish, eating a shrimp... integrating science and art because that's how we roll.

Good?

Ball!

Look what Daddy found on clearance at Walgreens...

House Guests

Every Spring and Summer we have house guests in the corner of one of our awnings.  These guys are big enough to take off any day but we have enjoyed seeing them peek at us every time we walk out of our door.  Their parents keep building nests in this corner despite our efforts to prevent them with Anderson 5 smiley balls.  

Two Yellow Suits

1976

2012

Porch Running

Some very kind and generous friends allowed us to stay in their beautiful mountain home this weekend.  We enjoyed cool mountain air, afternoon thunderstorms,  and watching clouds drift by the windows.  Amazing.  Elijah's favorite part of the house was the wonderful wrap-around porch.  There were no steps so he could run without us worrying about him.  If porch running was an Olympic sport, we got in our practice this weekend.

A Good Friend

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”  - C.S. Lewis

Isn't this true!  Our friend Tamara is just this sort of person.  We are so grateful that she is in our lives and she spent part of her last summer weekend with us in Highlands.  (Sarah W., we missed you! )  Tam is a sweet friend who listens to our same stories a million times over, will eat with us at the worst restaurants at least once, and even watch the Kardashians.  One day she will move back to England but, in the meantime, we enjoy her sweet friendship and learn from her heart for hospitality and ability to pursue friendships with others.  Thanks, Tam, for being our friend.  We are very grateful for a friend like you.

Elijah and "Auntie Tam"

Chasing Waterfalls

Against TLC's advice, we went chasing waterfalls this weekend and found a great one near Cashiers called Silver Run Falls.  It was cold (I got to wear a sweater!) but so, so fun.