Our Week

This week, we're learning about India!  I need to get motivated to visit the Indian market to pick up some treats.  Good thing we're in most countries for two weeks.  

Big milestone!  We finished Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day!  Many people use this as a year long curriculum, but we kind of "flew" through it faster than that, and it ended up being more of a semester long program for us.  (They recommend doing science twice a week, but we did it 4-5 times per week.)  We will be starting Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day as soon as our notebooks arrive.  

Our Global Art project last week was a modified version of the No-Ruz centerpiece.  Instead of a bowl, we used a dessert plate.  Instead of a box, we made round placemats.  And instead of magazine pictures, we used stickers.  

The seeds quickly sprouted, and started arcing toward the window, which prompted more discussion and learning.  

When I showed the girls that the sprouts could be eaten, they were shocked, but I notice there are a lot fewer sprouts on Katie's plate now.  

A friend posted a challenge to do more art/engage in more creative pursuits in the new year, so I was inspired to fire up Crikey and get started on Chinese New Year cards and envelopes to send to the adult children.  

Here's hoping Year of the Ox turns out better than Year of the Rat has been!  

In the spirit of making things, I stopped at the fabric store to celebrate surviving the dentist.  (I had a loose crown.)  Brianna loves rocks and crystals, so this material reminded me of her.  I snapped the pic to ask her if she needed a crystal mask.  

Turns out, she did!  So I made Valentine, St. Patrick's Day, and animal print masks while I was at it.  I've got quite a few cat and dog print masks.  Might need to donate a batch to the animal shelter.  

Katie made a pipe cleaner chameleon.  

Ah yes!  There's something that shows that we're learning about India!  The Taj Mahal.  

Our reading list was kind of skimpy on Saudi Arabia, so I got the girls book on several other Middle Eastern countries while we were working on Saudi Arabia.  Fortunately, there are a lot more recommendations for India, plus the additional books I come across when I'm searching.  

Hoping I make it to the library today, as I have 16 more books waiting for us, and then I'll be able to start requesting books for our next country:  China!  

I grew up with peacocks living in the field/hills beside and behind our house.  You hear them, but their cries become part of the background noise once you get used to it.  Peacocks are native to India, so this seemed like a good time for us to read more about them and learn to draw them.  

It's unfortunate that the zoos are closed, because one of the semi-local zoos has peacocks roaming the grounds, and even had a gorgeous white peacock with albinism last time we were there.  It would have been fun to visit and see them again.  

Grumman, as usual, being super helpful when I try to set something up to take a picture.  Sneak preview of a book we'll be reviewing soon.  I just noticed I don't like the lighting here.  I'll have to try these again.  Minus the cat, if possible.  

If you have Disney +, we watched India From Above this week, and it was really interesting!  From a polling place for ONE person, to military camels, to an ultra marathon up a mountain, we saw a lot of fascinating things.  I'm looking forward to the coming week, in which I hope we'll watch a documentary about India's Wild Leopards, and do a peacock craft.