Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sometimes You Have to Excuse the Mess While Memories are Made- Aged Old.

Harrison reminded me that the last day of February was Scar's father's birthday. (Scar is a tiny tiger, his father is a lion.) We were so busy, we neglected to have  a party. So, one Family Night, we celebrated Scar's father's birthday.

We sang loud and clear (okay, maybe not so clear) for all to hear.



I forgot to mention... he's 109. We did NOT have 109 candles.
Opening presents. He needed a little help. He is pretty old.

He got lots of great, useful stuff!

Who doesn't need a length of chain every now and then? I know I have.

Did you know that there is a putty that turns into metal after you mix it up? When Morgan discovered this, he started buying some and making all kinds of stuff, including this chain.

One of Rylee's latest inspirations.I think it's pretty cool looking.

Morgan made a little more progress on his knife.

Such a handsome boy.

Jake's ancestors on the Kunz side were cheese makers from Switzerland. Guess who has started making cheese? Well, it's not me.

This is why it's called cheese cloth. First time I've ever seen it used for cheese!

Did you know that the different flavors of cheese are made by using different bacteria? Into the cheese press it goes.

That is 45 pounds of metal pressing down on that cheese. Every person who has entered the house and seen this weight has attempted to lift it. It is unexpectedly heavy for its size!

Here is my latest origami. It is hollow so it can hold candy.

Jake has been reading the family history books with the children. This is Jake's dad, Ron, back in the day.

Rylee got tattoos. Okay, not really. When the kids glaze plaques at the shop they sometimes come home covered in words. I guess if they are going to be covered in words, let them be covered by words of the Prophets!

I made this poster! Like, it's my photograph and a favorite line which Will Smith's character says in the movie After Earth. If I am rooted in a moment, I am completely present. I am paying attention to every detail and not worrying about all the other stuff that I feel needs to be happening.

Have you rooted yourself lately?

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Join the Easter Media Blitz!

I believe in Christ and I want to help spread the Easter message that he lived, suffered, paid the atonement, gave up his life, and then became a resurrected, glorious, immortal being. And guess what? He did this for us! If you believe, share the message.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Sometimes You Have to Excuse the Mess While Memories are Made~Robotics & Elements of Shape

 Morgan told his dad one day that he wants to learn robotics. So, they jumped on the net to see what was available. The 2-boys each found a robotics building set that they wanted and then they went to work for several days to save up money to buy them. 


 Oh the agony of waiting! Every day they would sigh and wonder and ask dad to check the tracking number.
 They finally arrived one early evening. At first, they were going to wait for Dad to come home and be able to help them. Morgan couldn't take it anymore so he set to work building his.
 He was up until just after midnight when he finally finished it. So, we came out to have a look. He only missed ONE step, which Jake pointed out to him, and Morgan fixed it on his own.
 I didn't get any photos of Harrison's. His was different.  I had to build it for him and it was very difficult! A couple of weeks later Morgan decided to take it all apart and build something new with it. 

That is the beginning of becoming like Jake and Ron who can literally build anything. Although, at this age (10), Jake was already welding, operating machinery, and mechanic-ing on tiny three-wheelers.

(Check out Bob the potato spud looking on! Helium balloon from a display at the grocery store. Ha!)
 There is a book called Drawing With Children. I read it like 5 years ago. Then, bought my own copy last year. Then, wished someone would just offer it as a class for kids because I just couldn't get my time organized enough to do it at home. Well, I got an email through the homeschool group that someone was offering the class using this very method! So, I signed up Porter who went every Saturday morning for several weeks.
 With the Monart method of learning to draw, you learn to examine five elements of shape.
1. dot
2. circle
3. line
4. arc
5. angle



When the course finished, they had an art show.
 This is a piece that the teacher, who is just a local, self-taught artist did with wood-burning. That's her husband's lumber yard.
 These are displayed in the Art Council room. I want to do this some day! I also want to be on the art council "some day".
 This was a neat experience for Porter.
 Aren't these cool?
Fellow artists!



















Here is a card that Nicole made for a friend. This took her a very long time. The green is actually the back ground which shows through the voids she left in the collage. For her, to sit still and do this for so long was quite an accomplishment!

















 While at the woodshop one day, Morgan decided to try heating up metal and banging it just like blacksmiths do.
 It was working!
 He planned to make it like a knife, I think, by sharpening it and hardening it.
See the pipes going into the side of the wood-burning stove? That feeds air into it to make it real hot. I don't know if he ever finished it. I'll have to ask.
















LIfE keEpS GoiNG oN