Before I forget, I have a few more items for our summer agenda:
(1) ukelele & harmonica - I'm not sure why, but Kipp has repeatedly expressed an interest in learning to play the ukelele and harmonica. His grandmother kindly provided him with both instruments. Since his interest persists and we will be taking a break from piano this summer, I've rounded up a few resources to see what we can learn. Landry, on the other hand, has requested for his birthday some piano books he can play this summer. Who knows? We may be forming a band. . . .
(2) exploring the flora and fauna on the property - I am continually amazed at the variety of birds, bugs, wildflowers and wild animals that we can see on the property if we just pay attention. We need to get our bird feeders going again and grab some identification books at the library. Besides being a great deal of fun to spot a different bird or bug, careful observational skills can be valuable in many endeavors.
(3) Great Sunflower Project - Our seeds arrived last week. We will be planting the garden on Mother's Day weekend, and I'm looking forward to some quiet moments in the garden, counting bees with my boys. I think the boys will also enjoy recording their data and feeling as though they are important to a scientific study.
(4) making books and model airplanes - In my poetry workshop, we had a speaker who demonstrated how to bind our own chapbooks. Surprisingly, it can be a very fun and creative process. Since both Kipp and Landry have started writing poetry on occasion, I thought they might enjoy making a book for their poems. We also have a kit of paper airplanes that are fairly intricate to assemble. I can see the boys spending some hot afternoons happily absorbed constructing them and flying them around the great room.
(5) building a robotic arm - The boys completed their first Lego robot last week, and it only fueled their desire to build. Thanks to Cybermama's recommendation and our friends' surprise gift, we are now the excited owners of a robotic arm kit that needs to be built from scratch and the boys can't wait to start.
I'm already wishing summer could last months longer than it actually does!
(1) ukelele & harmonica - I'm not sure why, but Kipp has repeatedly expressed an interest in learning to play the ukelele and harmonica. His grandmother kindly provided him with both instruments. Since his interest persists and we will be taking a break from piano this summer, I've rounded up a few resources to see what we can learn. Landry, on the other hand, has requested for his birthday some piano books he can play this summer. Who knows? We may be forming a band. . . .
(2) exploring the flora and fauna on the property - I am continually amazed at the variety of birds, bugs, wildflowers and wild animals that we can see on the property if we just pay attention. We need to get our bird feeders going again and grab some identification books at the library. Besides being a great deal of fun to spot a different bird or bug, careful observational skills can be valuable in many endeavors.
(3) Great Sunflower Project - Our seeds arrived last week. We will be planting the garden on Mother's Day weekend, and I'm looking forward to some quiet moments in the garden, counting bees with my boys. I think the boys will also enjoy recording their data and feeling as though they are important to a scientific study.
(4) making books and model airplanes - In my poetry workshop, we had a speaker who demonstrated how to bind our own chapbooks. Surprisingly, it can be a very fun and creative process. Since both Kipp and Landry have started writing poetry on occasion, I thought they might enjoy making a book for their poems. We also have a kit of paper airplanes that are fairly intricate to assemble. I can see the boys spending some hot afternoons happily absorbed constructing them and flying them around the great room.
(5) building a robotic arm - The boys completed their first Lego robot last week, and it only fueled their desire to build. Thanks to Cybermama's recommendation and our friends' surprise gift, we are now the excited owners of a robotic arm kit that needs to be built from scratch and the boys can't wait to start.
I'm already wishing summer could last months longer than it actually does!
