7/6/2006 A Konos Japanese Day

We had quite a full day today! Besides chores & seatwork, we had a lot of fun learning more about Japan. First we read Two Foolish Cats , then The Wise Old Woman and then Look What Came from Japan.

We looked up Bonsai trees on the internet and also how make a Haiku. Hannah & Jonah both made one.

Here's Hannah's:

Jump on the trampoline,

hair flying, eyes popping,

happy and light.

Here's Jonah's:

Monster Trucks-spinning,

jumping, getting stuck.

Getting torn apart and

flinging mud.

Had lunch, then free time. Hannah & Jonah went swimming. I set Susanna up with paper and crayons and put on Celtic lullabies. She hums along to the music. She colored for a whole hour-and actually stayed on the paper!

She then had a nap and I worked in the garden. For some reason the garlic was ready to come out. Usually it's not done until Autumn, but the greens were turning brown and laying on the ground, so I dug them all up. I got 33 garlics!

I got the bed ready for swiss chard, which I'll plant tomorrow.

Ikebana is a Japanese art of flower arranging, so we picked flowers and the kids arranged them in a pottery vase that Hannah made a couple years ago when she took a pottery class. Here is their Ikebana project:

They also colored maps of Japan and marked Tokyo. We're learning a lot in all the books we've been reading.

I am excited because I ordered a book I've been wanting for a long time-Nourishing Traditions. I can't wait to get it. I'm halfway thru The Maker's Diet. I'm really gung-ho to get serious about feeding our family as close to this diet as I can. I've already started, but we have further to go.

I ordered something for Hannah, too. She loves making books and enjoyed a book called Margeurite Makes a Book. Well, there is a book kit that goes along with it. She is going to love it.

Here's a parting shot I happened to get of my Jonah & Susanna:

My dh doesn't want face pics of us or the kids on my blog, so this one is ok.

We had Japanese steak & rice for dinner. The kids had fun eating with chopsticks, although there was rice all over the table & floor. LOL

After dinner we listened to "Tales from Cultures Far & Near" as told by Jim Weiss while the kids emptied the dish washer & I folded laundry.