This morning 7yo and I read a poem by Sandra Liatsos called "The Sun." It uses a metaphor which I seem to remember from Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage (and a few other places, too).
The Sun
by Sandra Liatsos
Someone tossed a pancake,
A buttery, buttery pancake.
Someone tossed a pancake
And flipped it up so high,
That now I see the pancake,
The buttery, buttery pancake,
Now I see that pancake
Stuck against the sky.
Anyway, 7yo really liked this poem, but he commented that the metaphor was insufficient for him. So, he spontaneously composed this poem.
The Yellow Ball
by AM
A yellow ball was burnt so very hard,
It was shot up to the sky,
And now I see it shining high.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Pensive
This post is from 5/9/08
This morning 6yo had finished practicing piano and it was time to start on his spelling test. I stopped to help 2yo with something, and before I could make it back to 6yo, he had disappeared to the bathroom. I continued helping 2yo build a tower with his Duplos while 6yo did his business. I noticed 6yo had been gone for quite some time, but tried to just be patient. After about 10 minutes he finally emerged. He walked in, smiled and said:
"Mom, sorry I took so long. I got overheated with thoughts."
Yeah, I've so been there.
This morning 6yo had finished practicing piano and it was time to start on his spelling test. I stopped to help 2yo with something, and before I could make it back to 6yo, he had disappeared to the bathroom. I continued helping 2yo build a tower with his Duplos while 6yo did his business. I noticed 6yo had been gone for quite some time, but tried to just be patient. After about 10 minutes he finally emerged. He walked in, smiled and said:
"Mom, sorry I took so long. I got overheated with thoughts."
Yeah, I've so been there.
Belief
This post is from 3/13/08
On Tuesday, dad stayed home with 6yo while I was taking one of my PhD comprehensive exams. They worked on some of 6yo's schoolwork that day. They were working on a pretty hard math problem that was an algebraic word problem - pretty challenging for a 1st grader. So dad was egging him on with some reverse psychology. Anyway, here's the dialogue that they told me about afterwards.
Dad: You can't do that problem!
6yo: Yes I can!
Dad: Well, I'll believe it when I see it!
6yo: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!"
Then he proceeded to do the problem correctly.
On Tuesday, dad stayed home with 6yo while I was taking one of my PhD comprehensive exams. They worked on some of 6yo's schoolwork that day. They were working on a pretty hard math problem that was an algebraic word problem - pretty challenging for a 1st grader. So dad was egging him on with some reverse psychology. Anyway, here's the dialogue that they told me about afterwards.
Dad: You can't do that problem!
6yo: Yes I can!
Dad: Well, I'll believe it when I see it!
6yo: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe!"
Then he proceeded to do the problem correctly.
M's Mother
This post is from 2/7/08
This month in art 6yo is studying tints and shades. We've been using the art of James Whistler and Claude Monet to discuss how artists use tints and shades in paintings. Today, after looking for a while at Whistler's Arrangement in Black and Gray No. 1 (better known as Whistler's Mother), he had to create his own drawing also using calm and subtle shades and using a model. He was also to use various arrangements of rectangles like Whistler did. So, he sat me down as his model. He asked me change clothes into black and white and sit at the piano bench. Since it was a long process, I settled down there with a book on Indo-European Language and Culture while he carefully drew me, including coming up to compare shades of colored pencils against my hair, skin and the piano. Here is the result.
This month in art 6yo is studying tints and shades. We've been using the art of James Whistler and Claude Monet to discuss how artists use tints and shades in paintings. Today, after looking for a while at Whistler's Arrangement in Black and Gray No. 1 (better known as Whistler's Mother), he had to create his own drawing also using calm and subtle shades and using a model. He was also to use various arrangements of rectangles like Whistler did. So, he sat me down as his model. He asked me change clothes into black and white and sit at the piano bench. Since it was a long process, I settled down there with a book on Indo-European Language and Culture while he carefully drew me, including coming up to compare shades of colored pencils against my hair, skin and the piano. Here is the result.
Arrangement in Brown, Black and White (also known as M's Mother), by AM, February 7, 2008
Seige
This post is from 12/28/08
On Wednesday afternoon, right in the middle of my kitchen floor, the Roman Empire took Jerusalem. Yep, that's right. 6yo's whole battalion headed out to conquer Jerusalem, and they succeeded. I kept wondering what historical event he must be thinking of. When dad asked him about it, he said, "Well, in Jesus' time, Jerusalem was in the Roman Empire, so the Romans must have conquered it before then."
On Wednesday afternoon, right in the middle of my kitchen floor, the Roman Empire took Jerusalem. Yep, that's right. 6yo's whole battalion headed out to conquer Jerusalem, and they succeeded. I kept wondering what historical event he must be thinking of. When dad asked him about it, he said, "Well, in Jesus' time, Jerusalem was in the Roman Empire, so the Romans must have conquered it before then."
Conversation this morning
This post is from 11/26/07
Me: We'll do that tomorrow.
6yo: Mom, you mean "the morrow."
Me: No, I mean tomorrow.
6yo: Well, "the morrow" is how they say it in the Bible.
Me: We'll do that tomorrow.
6yo: Mom, you mean "the morrow."
Me: No, I mean tomorrow.
6yo: Well, "the morrow" is how they say it in the Bible.
The Current War
This post is from 11/21/07
Thought you might all like to hear 6yo's take on the current war in Iraq. Bear in mind that he is studying Ancient Civilizations in History, and he LOVES history these days.
As he was setting the table last night he turns to us and says,
"Daddy, why did America attack Mesopotamia?"
It took us a few minutes to figure out what he was asking. Later he said,
"Mom, when I asked you that, were you thinking of that area as Iraq?"
Thought you might all like to hear 6yo's take on the current war in Iraq. Bear in mind that he is studying Ancient Civilizations in History, and he LOVES history these days.
As he was setting the table last night he turns to us and says,
"Daddy, why did America attack Mesopotamia?"
It took us a few minutes to figure out what he was asking. Later he said,
"Mom, when I asked you that, were you thinking of that area as Iraq?"
Poetry
This post is from 11/2/07
6yo's Language Arts curriculum this year is primarily a Great Books program, with some other literature (classic American children's books) and activities thrown in. So, we've been reading short stories, poetry and folk tales from all over the world: The US (including Native American tales), England, Germany, France, Africa, Russia, Haiti, China, Japan and more. Sometimes our activity is to draw a picture, or retell the story, or act out the story. But other times (especially on poetry days) there is a creative writing assignment. So 6yo has been writing poetry the past few months. Usually there is a structure given, so that he is imitating the poetry we've been reading. Sometimes even a few opening lines or closing lines are given, and he fills in sections. He enjoys it, and I love seeing his creations. Usually for these, I'm his scribe and he is just the creative brains behind the operation. So I thought I'd share a few of his poems with all.
What Day Would It Be?
If there are balloons in the house, and presents there, and my friends are there.
What day would it be?
It must be my birthday.
September 2007
Peaceful Places
It is peaceful in the country.
Because it is very quiet and there are not many noisy people.
It is peaceful in your bed.
Because it is cozy and quiet and you love to be there.
September 2007
When I Am Very Still
When I am lying very still with my eyes shut,
I can hear people.
I can feel what I'm lying on.
I can smell food.
I can think.
When I am very still.
November 1, 2007
(This next one was completely freeform, his own creation with no preset structure. He was asked to personify something in nature.)
The Sun and the Moon
When the sun is out
He is glad to be awake.
But when he says goodbye
The moons says hello.
But when the sun comes back,
It says hello.
October 22, 2007
And lest our life seem too idyllic, academic or literary, here is the poem he wrote last week. It was his "answer" to the "Early Morning Song" of a coyote in a Native American tale. The coyote needed to be awake in the hour before dawn so that he could catch the rising sun and ride it across the sky.
Early Morning Song
Awake in the hour before dawn,
Awake in the hour before dawn,
So I can play more before school and watch more TV and play Transformer stuff on the computer.
Awake in the hour before dawn.
October 2007
6yo's Language Arts curriculum this year is primarily a Great Books program, with some other literature (classic American children's books) and activities thrown in. So, we've been reading short stories, poetry and folk tales from all over the world: The US (including Native American tales), England, Germany, France, Africa, Russia, Haiti, China, Japan and more. Sometimes our activity is to draw a picture, or retell the story, or act out the story. But other times (especially on poetry days) there is a creative writing assignment. So 6yo has been writing poetry the past few months. Usually there is a structure given, so that he is imitating the poetry we've been reading. Sometimes even a few opening lines or closing lines are given, and he fills in sections. He enjoys it, and I love seeing his creations. Usually for these, I'm his scribe and he is just the creative brains behind the operation. So I thought I'd share a few of his poems with all.
What Day Would It Be?
If there are balloons in the house, and presents there, and my friends are there.
What day would it be?
It must be my birthday.
September 2007
Peaceful Places
It is peaceful in the country.
Because it is very quiet and there are not many noisy people.
It is peaceful in your bed.
Because it is cozy and quiet and you love to be there.
September 2007
When I Am Very Still
When I am lying very still with my eyes shut,
I can hear people.
I can feel what I'm lying on.
I can smell food.
I can think.
When I am very still.
November 1, 2007
(This next one was completely freeform, his own creation with no preset structure. He was asked to personify something in nature.)
The Sun and the Moon
When the sun is out
He is glad to be awake.
But when he says goodbye
The moons says hello.
But when the sun comes back,
It says hello.
October 22, 2007
And lest our life seem too idyllic, academic or literary, here is the poem he wrote last week. It was his "answer" to the "Early Morning Song" of a coyote in a Native American tale. The coyote needed to be awake in the hour before dawn so that he could catch the rising sun and ride it across the sky.
Early Morning Song
Awake in the hour before dawn,
Awake in the hour before dawn,
So I can play more before school and watch more TV and play Transformer stuff on the computer.
Awake in the hour before dawn.
October 2007
Lunch chatter from 6yo
This post is from 10/31/07
"I think my favorite martyrs are those forty who died on the lake and the ones that our church is for [Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love]."
"It's so amazing that heaven couldn't even hold God, but Mary could."
"I think my favorite martyrs are those forty who died on the lake and the ones that our church is for [Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love]."
"It's so amazing that heaven couldn't even hold God, but Mary could."
From tonight's science lesson
This post is from 10/30/07
Dad: What step of the water cycle comes between evaporation and precipitation?
6yo: Constipation?
Dad: What step of the water cycle comes between evaporation and precipitation?
6yo: Constipation?
Breakfast chat
This post is from 10/29/07
6yo: "Mom, I like what John says when he starts his Gospel."
Me: "What?"
6yo: "You know, 'And the Word was God.'"
Me: "Oh, yeah."
6yo: "It just tells you what it's going to be all about."
6yo: "Mom, I like what John says when he starts his Gospel."
Me: "What?"
6yo: "You know, 'And the Word was God.'"
Me: "Oh, yeah."
6yo: "It just tells you what it's going to be all about."
Oregon Trail
This post is from September 21, 2007
He also choose this one to hang in the room for little brother.
It was actually commissioned as an advertisement for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. I do think 2yo would like it with the boy in the field and the train a'comin'.
Oh, and 6yo also just loves Van Gogh's Starry Night.
If you haven't figured it out by now, 6yo and I both just love his art class this year. I'm learning at least as much as he is and I love it. I'm starting to wish I had studied Art History in college. But don't worry, I really am winding down my academic schooling experience. Only 1 1/2 semesters of coursework left forever! I mean it. From now on, I'll just learn alongside my kids. (Well, I mean other than writing a dissertation and translating, and . . . ) Yeah, I'm weird and nerdy. I know it and I enjoy it, so that's that.
He also choose this one to hang in the room for little brother.
The Lackawanna Valley, by George Innes (1856)
It was actually commissioned as an advertisement for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. I do think 2yo would like it with the boy in the field and the train a'comin'.
Oh, and 6yo also just loves Van Gogh's Starry Night.
If you haven't figured it out by now, 6yo and I both just love his art class this year. I'm learning at least as much as he is and I love it. I'm starting to wish I had studied Art History in college. But don't worry, I really am winding down my academic schooling experience. Only 1 1/2 semesters of coursework left forever! I mean it. From now on, I'll just learn alongside my kids. (Well, I mean other than writing a dissertation and translating, and . . . ) Yeah, I'm weird and nerdy. I know it and I enjoy it, so that's that.
Jacob Lawrence
I'm starting out this blog with some posts from another private blog. They are random schooling memories from the past year.
This is a post from September 20, 2007
This is a post from September 20, 2007
Home Chores (1945)
This one is at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, so we'll have to go this year!
This one is at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, so we'll have to go this year!
In the Garden (1950)
Summer Street Scene in Harlem
And last, but certainly not least, here is 6yo's marker drawing, in the style of Jacob Lawrence. In keeping with most of Lawrence's paintings, it is of a busy, noisy place and uses bright colors!
Interstate, by AM, 6 years old, September 2007
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