Earth Scouts

Surfing on the net today, I found Earth Scouts. There is also a yahoo group. I am looking it over to see if I think it would be good for Thomas. Just thought I'd pass the info on. It appears that you can do this as a family if there is not a group in your area.

"Earth Scouts
Imagine a community where children and youth

Appreciate one another's differences

Have awe and a sense of wonder about nature and the cosmos
Engage in making their school and community better
Value independence and cooperation
Seek peaceful solutions to problems
Welcome new knowledge and experiences

Earth Scouts is a new
national program developed by Earth Charter US that inspires the above qualities in boys and girls from 3 to 13 years of age and engages them in actions. It is based on the Earth Charter: A Declaration of Interdependence, with badges centered on universal human rights,
eliminating poverty (economic justice), participatory democracy, respect for nature and a culture of peace.
Our slogan, 'Changing the World One Fun Badge
at a Time', was developed by a 10 year old member of our design group."

Titanic

Toilet Monster

The little imp...

I woke up this morning and this is what I was greeted with. The lid was down and he taped the monster to the seat and lid. I am not a morning person so this actually gave me a start. Not because it scared me, but because I had to go and it interrupted my actions.

He's such a character.

Where's the Beef?

Or, Where's Thomas's Titanic?

Well, I asked him to bring it to me so I could scan it and we can't. He had painted over the white Titanic letters and I don't want wet paint on my scanner. I could take a photo, but I would have to find the camera, clear a spot in my messy kitchen and shoot it, come back down, upload it....I'm lazy. Tomorrow.

This is the first time he has sat down to paint. He draws a lot and is fairly good at that. He's been learning perspective from little hints from dad and from a book I try to read. He just really wants to paint now.

We've been using Tempera paints. Did you know that Tempera paint stinks? My husband walked through the kitchen and asked, "Is something burning?" No, hon, it's just the paints.

DH scrounged up about 20 of his art books. They cut some plywood on the saw for painting boards and primed them. Tomorrow DH is going to dig out his "good" brushes that he has hidden from me. We may have to make a trip to a hobby store and get Thomas his own set. We will also take stock of our acrylics supply. We're going to move him on to acrylics. I need a 48-hour day to keep up.

Anyway, tonight Thomas used the stinky paint to make a Titanic poster. He was surprised that he wouldn't' be able to finish in one night. Imagine that. He wants the poster hanging in his room. I tell him it looks great. Dad says it looks great but the Titanic is out of proportion. Huh? I look and again, Dad is right.

Bob has agreed to add an art teacher feather to his cap. He's now official science teacher, he's always been the unschooling science guy, but now artist.. I think it works out great that Bob and I are so different that we are good at different things. We've got Thomas covered!!!

Time to close, as it's an early day tomorrow. Our library is having a book sale. I don't know a single homeschooler that doesn't take advantage of library book sales. I'm hoping to find some goodies tomorrow!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will post a painting Thomas made today of the Titanic. It's still wet now and I want to scan it rather than shoot it. His ceramics class as had the benefit of instilling a desire to learn to paint. Let's run with it, I say.

Thomas painted from 4 pm until 10 pm tonight, taking a short break only to eat. Bob insisted on postponing the physics lesson because Thomas was so grossly absorbed in what he was doing.

He did a pretty good job. He asked me my honest opinion and I said honestly, for your first-ever painting, it is great. He asked me what I would do different. That one was hard to answer. See, he had the great painting and at the top he painted "titanic" in white on the sky background. In D'Nealian letters. You know, those happy, upturned cheerful letters. I said I'd paint over "titanic". You don't need it because anyone who looks at the painting will know what it is. And besides that, it's too happy because at that very moment that you chose to paint, people are screaming and dying. It's not a happy scene.

I then asked him if he'd like to get out dad's painting books. NO, I know how to paint, mooooom. But honey, one of the best ways is to learn better is to get instruction.

He marches to the beat of his own drummer. Getting a painting book out might kill the love. What's a mom to do.

I'm going to get the books out anyway, leave them on the breakfast table, and see what he does.

I am so happy we found the ceramics class. I just wish we could find other art classes in our town.