Painting Frescos

After studying Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel in our homeschool group, we decided that a fresco painting art project was the perfect activity!

To do this project, you need tempera paint, plaster of paris, styrofoam trays (the plaster pops out very easily), paintbrushes, and creative kid artists!

I mixed the plaster of paris...2 parts plaster to one part water.  These trays held 2 cups of plaster mixed with 1 cup of water.  Because the plaster of paris was quick setting, I had to work fast so the first tray didn't set before I had them all made!  I set up the trays, paints, and brushes up on plastic tablecloths in order to make clean-up a little easier.  The kids painted on the plaster while it was still wet, but firm.

All of the kids seemed to really enjoy this activity!  It was simple and fun, and I love all of their creative frescos!

This is my girls' art displayed at home. Displaying the frescos in plate stands seems like the best way to do it,  but I haven't figured out where to put them so they won't get knocked over.  I'm sure they'll shatter if they fall.

I love O(6)'s fish and E(3)'s abstract masterpiece!

Painting Sunflowers Like Van Gogh

The children at our local Montessori school have been studying Van Gogh for about a month, so O(6), E(3), and I went to the school today to do a Van Gogh inspired painting project with them!

We went to a wedding this weekend, and the bride sent both girls home with sunflower bouquets.  They were SO excited, and it was perfect timing since we'd planned to do this sunflower painting project this week!

We gave the children green, yellow, and brown paint (tempera), and they painted on white cardstock.

Before they started painting, I read Vincent's Colors (see link below) to the class.  They studied the sunflowers for a few minutes, and then they started painting.

This was a fun and simple art project that we all enjoyed!

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Healthy Lunches

Sorry for the lack of posts on this blog lately.  I guess you can tell that it has not been a priority lately.  I don't allow myself too much computer time (other than quickly checking fb on my phone...I don't blog while the kids are awake), and most of my computer time over the past few months has been monopolized by my online recertification class and making the yearbook for our local Montessori school.  Luckily, I'm finished with my class, and I'm almost finished with the yearbook, so I should be back to regular blogging soon :)

Since food posts are easy and quick (and generate a lot of emails and hits!), here you go!  On this day, we had grapes, scrambled eggs and broccoli, and raw carrots.  I LOVE raw carrots, and I'm actually a little obsessed with eating them (strange, I know).  The girls always tell me that my skin is turning orange because I eat too many carrots, and lately I have realized that they are right!!!

On this day, we had baked sweet potatoes, salad (with carrots, of course!), baked salmon, and oranges.  I try to feed the girls baked salmon every other week, and they eat oranges almost every day.

This was a Friday  movie night dinner!  We had pizza (Digorno's), raw carrots and pea pods, cucumbers, and hummus.