A Quiet Spot

Check it out -- we were crafty this week!
One of my shortcomings as a homeschooling mom is that I'm just not that good at the arts-and-crafts thing. Partly, it involves gathering supplies, and towing three kids through Hobby Lobby in search of, say, Mod Podge, is just, well, not so recreational. But anyway, in an effort to infuse our learning with a bit of variety and really go hands-on, I decided to take advantage of Ian's newfound interest in knights and all things medieval (which means we've had some success in the history arena - yea!) and make a coat-of-arms with the kids yesterday. Here are the results:

Not bad, eh? I have to say, there were about ten minutes when I thought I was going to implode and chuck the whole thing since I get so frantic when I'm trying to set up the project and Caroline has dived right in and is, while I'm attempting to discuss heraldry with Ian and Eliza, insisting, "I need yellow. I need yellow. I need YELLOW. I NEED YELLOW!!!" (Picture yellow paint smeared everywhere; her "project," involving a hands-on exploration of color-mixing, is in full swing while the older two are just getting started.) In the midst of I misplaced three paintbrushes, all three kids were talking at once, as is their custom, Tim called to report his latest test grade, Ian decided in a characteristic fit of divergent thinking that he didn't particularly CARE for the rules of heraldry I was imposing on him (after all, I bought the book!), etc. etc. etc. BUT! This too did pass. Deep breath. Eliza's coat-of-arms actually has some significance in the medieval world (the crescent shows she's a second-born, the yellow color shows her generosity, red her courage, blue her loyalty, etc.). Ian's is meant to symbolize his CLUB, a elite organization comprising two members, him and Oscar, and representated by an object that, sorry honey, looks rather like a turtle but is actually a boy holding a giant water balloon with an arrow through it. Top THAT, Sir Lancelot.
[Oh. I'm supposed to interject here that my father-in-law is sitting behind me on the couch and wants to be sure that I record for posterity the fact that he thinks I'm great. :-)]

P.S. Guess who achieved some minor fame in the world of Bicycling Commuters this week! Woo hoo! He says to feel free to leave adulatory posts. :-)