Van Gogh

Recently we did a study in the life of Vincent Van Gogh.

This isn't something that's part of a curriculum, but I add it because I likes it. (Mayhaps I like it too much.  Many days I have to resist the urge to throw history and math out the window in favor of doing art projects all day.)

We kept  our study simple.  We used our ever important public library. (ours is just down the street from us!  Jealous?)  I simply picked out a young reader's biography on Van Gogh that was available (we used this one).  For my older daughter, this is pretty easy reading, but still a little challenging.  For the wee-er one - she will not understand or remember everything we read, but I was certainly surprised by how much she DID pick up.  It's really neat to see the different things she holds on to and retains and loves - when i already have a pre-conceived notion that she will only like the paintings of the flowers.

We read it at a rate of two pages a day.  But really pondered the pages, and talked and asked questions about the pictures we saw - so it probably took about 20 minutes of our time.
There was so much we all learned.   I kind of  want to say SO MUCH right here about his life and how I feel about the tragedy of it - and how I yearn for him to have been recognized and loved in his life.  However, I don't want to derail the subject so I'll just say the three of us felt for the guy.  So we did our art project, but it was more than that.  By the time we finished pondering on him for a couple weeks, we had a remembrance of him - and I really got the sense that we were truly honoring him in our own way, and not just doing a super fun art project.  It may be meaningless in practicality, but it had meaning to us.

Firstly, we went outside.  Van Gogh was known for painting outside and using outside colors as his inspiration.  He used mainly blues and yellows towards the end of his life where his more well known work was done.

We put on the bandages.  Teehee.  Of course, the girls didn't like this too much - but I really feel this was an important aspect of the project.  Van Gogh famously cut his ear to give to a (let's say...)lady of the night.  And he wore a bandage like this one after the (let's say...) incident.  This is a harsh reality, true, but also a very prominent part of his life - which is why I chose not to shelter the children from it.  Wearing the bandages made us all think just a little more about what it must have been like to be Vincent.  When people walked by and looked at us oddly, it was only a small portion of what he must have felt.  (Of course, he wasn't two cute girls sitting at a lovely park - he may have endured much more ridicule than an odd look.)

We painted with small strokes.  I told the girls we had to count to 100 strokes (at least).  Van Gogh was known to use small strokes.

And that was pretty much our study of Van Gogh!  We also watched a couple YouTube videos (which I can't find now to give you the links?  Bummer.)

And by the way?  This is my FAVORITE Van Gogh, right up there.  Look at this guy with his happy, curly beard!  I guess it's Van Gogh's mail guy.  Why are there flowers around him?  Get in my closet, navy blue pea coat.   I dunno - I just love it!

t.h.i.n.k.

So I made this thing.  Help yourself if you are so inclined!

(Click on the image to print.  Please contact me  if you have any trouble with it.)

Boy howdy, my gals sure bicker more now that they spend about 4 or 5 hours in the same room together as they get grouchy multiplying fractions.  I wanted to add some classroom art to our wall  to make it feel a little bit more like a classroom.  My theory is that if it feels more like a classroom, they are more apt to behave like they would have in a public class room with a teacher.  I have no evidence to support this theory, but it comforts me all the same.

I like this saying - although I feel compelled to tell  you that I don't make it a requirement for ALL the things on the list to be checked off.  I don't think something said has to be necessary if it is kind (I mean - is it really necessary to compliment another person?  It's not, but it's lovely all the same).  I don't think something necessarily has to be inspiring, as long as it is helpful, etc.  I think if we all truly had to mark off these requirements before we spoke - much of worth would not be said.  So that's the way I try to apply it to our daily lives.

There was no printable that I found to be soothing on the eyes, so I pulled this one together.  Hope you like it.  Hope you use it.  Hope your kids use it.

Catch ya on the flip side.

"Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul, and health to the body."

Proverbs 16:24

vintage recipe box organizer

So I can confidently and without hesitation say we are really enjoying our homeschooling experience. You must have heard, and it is true - that it is very trying.  You must have heard, and it is true - that it is also very rewarding.

I really never thought I would be a homeschooling mom. I really never had much of a desire to homeschool.  The kid's charter school was pretty swanky - the kids were growing in their education and also making good friends.  I can not express the gratitude I have for the teachers and staff at the schools who have helped to lay a foundation for my kids.  Goodness knows - they needed it, because I ain't no teacher.  :)

But I am a DIY-er to.my.core.  ;)

And when we were called to move across the state, it was apparent that it was right for us to tackle the homeschooling thing than to move the children in the middle of the school year.

We're figuring it out piece by piece.  And figuring out, piece by piece, that we like it!

I'm also finding that I have to be organized.   If I start out the day unorganized, then we end the day having watched five hours of "Mythbusters" and calling it "Science Day".

So here is what we did to get better organized:

Started with these great vintage recipe boxes from Etsy.

MAY I continue to show you?  (Okay, I'll stop.) I cut out card stock to fit for dividers and added a second colorful tab to the top for the month.

(Look, Laura - I'm practicing my F-stop!)

This is what I used to stamp on the months.  I wanna say...2 dollars at Target?  I use them for everything.  But they're crazy expensive at craft stores and stuff (upwards of $10) - so I was excited to find them for so cheap in the dollar bin area.

But look - they're not just a pretty face!  Just like a recipe box, there are index cards in there.  Each index card represents a school day.  Each day, as you can see - has the date, name, and their agenda on it for the day.  I even will write chores they need to do on the back of it, so it helps organize out their whole day.

Let me tell you.  This ONE thing alone has neutralized so much homeschooling chaos.  Kid's didn't know what hit 'em.

'But a planner would do the trick and be cheaper and easier to find', you say?  You are wise indeed. Just so you know, here are the things I was thinking  when I chose these over a planner.  1. The card stock/index cards are just a little bit sturdier to hold up to sticky and careless kid fingers.  2. Ink won't bleed through to the other side of the paper, sometimes making it hard for kids to read the backs of the paper. 3. They're just nicer to look at - I don't know about you, but that's always sound logic to me.  Especially when you're going to be looking at it every day doing something you don't particularly want to do. (Little bit of sugar and all that...)

And (as if I didn't already have enough fun) - I'm linking this idea up here at Thrifty Thursday, and also at the places below!

For the Kids Friday

"Our Days" Homeschool Blogroll