thinking about summer

May 17, 2020Postsemma clover, homeschool, isolation, summersusan

Making summer plans and they are not what I would have expected. However it will be a time of slow engaging learning and reflection. We have made a few plans and many aspects of our life will stay the same. We enjoy our families rhythms and being together.

Looking forward to watching, reading and making all kinds of new things!

We decided as a family to watch the Muppet Show and a documentary t.v. show called “Steven Fry in America” with six episodes entitled New World, Deep South, Mississippi, Mountains and Plains, True West and Pacific. I am very much looking forward to both of those!

I imagining on the warm days that we will have to set up in Lakeside park with read aloud books and toys to while away the afternoons. Just finished The Cricket in Times Square and the Fairies of Nutfolk Wood. Currently in the middle of the My Fathers Dragon series. Next up is Thimble Summer and anything by Elizabeth Enright. I found three out of four of her Melendy books in the ThriftBooks web store and I know Emma Clover is going to be thrilled when they arrive.

We will continue doing math most mornings with her and have incorporated some free writing time so that she can see what that feels like. She has so much to say, I think that she will learn to have so much to write as well.

Emma has been playing MineTest (open source Minecraft) and is having the best time building and exploring. I have embraced this kind of gaming as Emma needs to have adventures!

happy Mother’s Day

May 10, 2020Postsemma clover, mom, mother's day, susan magnoliasusan

Missing my mama and holding my little one close.

isolation creations

May 6, 2020PostsCardboard theater, cereal box, Children of the forest, Elsa beskow, isolation, paper dolls, the sun eggsusan

#isolationcreation

lakeside blooms

May 5, 2020Postsbalcony lunch, emma clover, home, isolation, lakeside park, oaklandsusan

We received word that the summer concerts in the park have been cancelled. I knew it was coming but still breaks my heart.

Otherwise we are enjoying ourselves best we can. Lunch on the balcony helps.

Cereal box theater

May 3, 2020PostsCardboard theater, cereal box, isolation, mer mag, paper dolls, theatersusan

Mer Mag had posted an adorable project for a cereal box theater and I jumped at the opportunity to create one. I used a larger Trader O’s box, cut the front and added some details. Painting over the printed box turned out to be the only tricky part of the process since we do not have thick paint. After consulting with Emma we decided to cover it with gold dotted tissue paper that looked pretty and covered all the remaining printing still visible through the painted layer. She designed the marquee and I executed her vision. We have been collecting paper dolls for a while now so there are lots of opportunities for play. Another element that I could still add would be a curtain. I will try to find some nice fabric for that soon. I have been holding on to odds and ends so we can shop the closet for what we need during this time of staying in. Emma could hang backgrounds or add whatever she likes to the inside of the theater box moving forward.

***Turned a cloth napkin into golden curtains

The more I think about it I am certain Emma was inspired by “Bread and Jam for Frances” creators Russell and Lilian Hoban for her theater name. She says the name Russell came from Junie B.Jones but then added Lily because it sounded like they fit well together. ❤️