Updates

I know it's been a while since I've been on. Crazy, busy, no time for anything! That's how our lives are right now. So, this might be a long post filled with a lot of new info. Or it might be a short post. It all depends on how much I am able to get accomplished in the little time I have!

UPDATE #1

Rocket got glasses! At first he was sooo excited to get them. He was talking about getting them all the time. Finally, we get them and he doesn't like them :( Part of the problem is that he (unlike everyone else in our family) is far-sighted. So, after talking to the technicians at the eye doctor's, it seems they take a lot longer to adjust than near-sighted lenses do. So, we are constantly reminding him to put them on. 

I've got 2 words for you:

Jonathan Lipnicki (from Jerry Maguire-"Did you know the human brain weighs 7 pounds?")

UPDATE #2

We had a wonderful family home evening last night. It was Bond's turn for the lesson. He told us a wonderful story about David Whitmer, Joseph Smith, and Oliver Cowdery. It's too long to repeat, but it was an awesome story! After that, we played a rousing game of Stick Pull. In actuality, I'm surprised we don't play it more often, considering we have a house full of boys! 

UPDATE #3

School is going pretty well. It seems like it's taking us all day with all of our daily istractions, but at least we are accomplishing what's on our schedule. Here's an update from the past 2 weeks:

POKEMON KING continues to study Marco Polo and his adventures. We are also reading about Michelangelo. For History, we've studied Martin Luther and Queen Elizabeth I. Last week and the week before, we learned about the electric battery, the electromagnet, and the first dynamo for science. Pokemon King wasn't all that interested in that, but he did retain some of the information. For our Literature studies, we've been reading The Princess and the Goblin, Heroes-Perseus, and Parables of Nature: The Master of the Harvest. In addition to these, Math and English, he's continued quite nicely on Rosetta Stone German. He's finally reached the number portion. I think he's definitely glad he's through with the clown section! He hates clowns!

DINODUDE seems to have a shorter, smaller schedule, but he really enjoys his stories. He's also been studying Queen Elizabeth I along with Pokemon King. His History stories include Androcles & the Lion and King Alfred & the Beggar from Fifty Famous Stories Retold. For his science we continue to read Paddle to the Sea. His Literature studies include Shakespeare's The Tempest, Pinocchio (not the Disney version), How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin from Just So Stories, and various Aesop's Fables. Math and English are a piece of cake for him. He, too is attempting Rosetta Stone. He's not quite as far as Pokemon King, but he is progressing.

Our musician for this term is Franz Liszt. We have been listening to Les Preludes, Liebestraum, and Piano Sonata in B Minor. Pokemon King doesn't like to listen to music during schooltime, so we've been listening to it as we clean up the schoolroom at the end of the day. It's working quite nicely. 

This term's artist is Caspar David Friedrich. His works include: On Board a Sailing Ship and Moon Rising Over the Sea. One week we discuss the painting: what colors, textures were used, how it makes us feel, what we think is going on in the painting. Then we stop looking at it and see how many details we remember. The next week we review it a little, then they paint it from memory. 

Pokemon King's On Board a Sailing Ship

Pokemon King's Moon Rising Over the Sea

Dinodude's On Board a Sailing Ship

Dinodude's Moon Rising Over the Sea 

And here are some pictures that Rocket drew:

So, that about sums up a little bit of what we've been up to. Wally's been staying late after school most days practicing hard for the spring musical. Babymoon continues to amuse us with just being here!

Wally's Lego Movie Trailer

Wally had to do a project for English. He chose to read "The Three Musketeers" and decided to do a Lego Movie Trailer. So, here it is:

Pokemon King's Blue & Gold Banquet

Gosh, we've been so busy I haven't had time to update the blog! Plus, we've all been on and off sick for the past few weeks. I'll be working on a school update soon, but right now I'll update on Pokemon King's scouting. They held the Blue & Gold Banquet last week. The theme was 'Roadtrip Across America.' This year Pokemon King got to decorate a cake with Bond.


I thought that was a cool idea. They did a great job, but unfortunately no one ate his cake. Next year we'll be adding candy to the cake. That's a surefire way to get it eaten. I was a little disappointed in the fact that only 2 kids got awards for their cakes. Last year, everyone got an award for things like: most colorful, most inventive, most original, etc. They work so hard on their cakes, I think they deserve something for it. We also had dinner, which was awesome. There were different foods from around the country. Lots of food & very yummy! Wonder what next year's theme will be!

Listening to Rocket

While I'm waiting for Babymoon's bottle to heat up, I hear Rocket in Babymoon's room singing to him. He's singing, "I Love to See the Temple." There's a part of the song that says, "this is our sacred duty." This is Rocket's version of that line:

This is my secret duty.

Conversation With Rocket

I just put Rocket to bed a while ago. A few minutes ago I heard him calling me, so I went to see what he wanted.

Rocket (smiling): Guess who's my friend!

Me: Who?

Rocket: Periwinkle! (from Blue's Clues)

Me: Really? That's nice, but it's time to go to sleep.

Rocket: Periwinkle's at his house.

Me: I know. He's probably sleeping.

Rocket (sadly): I miss him. He's on the TV.

Me: I know. You can watch him tomorrow.

Rocket (even more sadly): When's he going to get out of the TV?

Me: I'm sorry, honey, but that's where Periwinkle lives. We just get to watch him on TV.

Poor Rocket seemed even more sad. Now I think I'm sad!

Dinodude's a Sleepwalker!

Sometimes we'll hear Dinodude or Rocket talking in their sleep. It's always funny to hear the conversations that go on in their minds! Lately, Rocket's been calling out Wally's name telling him to stop it. Not sure what 'it' is, but whatever 'it' is, it bothers Rocket!

Well, last night, I hear Dinodude run down the hall to the bathroom. He was sick the day before, so I assumed he was just going in there to throw up. Then he comes running in our room. (His running was very, very loud!) He goes over to Bond's side of the bed and says, "Mom!" So, I look over and say, "what's the matter?" He runs over to my side, and starts to complain, "why can't I play football?" I said, "What? It's the middle of the night. You can't play football now. Wait until tomorrow." Without a word, he goes running back out of the room and down the hall again. Then, I hear him run back in our room to Bond's side again, then to mine without saying anything. After that he goes running back into his room.

Around 4am or so, Rocket wakes up to come in our bed. I noticed that Dinodude wasn't in his bed. I was a little panicky, but then I thought maybe he just went with Bond to deliver the newspapers. When Bond came home I asked him if Dinodude had gone with him, because I didn't see him in his bed. He said Dinodude was asleep on the chair in the bonus room! Crazy kid! When I walked into the bonus room later, Dinodude shockingly said, "Mom! I went to sleep in my bed, but I woke up here!" He barely remembered anything from the night.

I'm sure it all stemmed from watching the Steelers/Ravens game. But, I guess we'll have to keep an eye out for our sleepwalker!

Wordless Wednesday

Is this the same baby? They look pretty similar, but nope.

This is Dinodude...



This is Babymoon...


Scary isn't it?