Showing posts with label piano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label piano. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Monday, November 11, 2019
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Friday, May 3, 2019
Lex has new skillz
This is what he was practicing today when he was supposed to be practicing the piano. I'll give him credit: it does look cool. And fun.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Piano Update
The kids have been studying piano at home as part of homeschool lately. We haven't been taking lessons outside of the home since we moved to Atlanta. They both completed another level today.
I have already purchased the books for the next level, so they are ready to move on to Level 4.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Merry Christmas!!
The boys woke up bright and early at our negotiated 6:30 AM wake-up-on-Christmas-morning time. They had wanted to get up earlier, but we convinced them to sleep until 6:30. And if not sleep, then at least not wake up the whole house until 6:30.
And when they did wake up, this is what they found.
Lex got a Bob Ross Pez dispenser.
Connor also got the Bob Ross Funko Pop that he requested.
I'm kinda glad that the kids like Bob Ross. That guy is amazing.
I used to watch him when I was a kid.
These are Kevin's gifts from the kids. I sense a coffee mug theme.
Connor found this mug online and really wanted to buy it for Kevin.
Selfie with a Poppy
Togepi and Stufful
Lex loves to read, and he tears through books very quickly.
He got an entire box of books from one of his favorite tv shows.
Baby Elias' First Christmas!
Do you see Connor in the background? He is playing on his new electronic keyboard.
It has all sorts of features and connects to his computer.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Friday, October 26, 2018
A Day in the Homeschool Life
Today I shall simply walk you through our day.
This is a normal day in that these are the kinds of things that we do all the time. Our days aren't really normal, though, because we do them however we want everyday. So, no two days look exactly alike, but all the days are pretty much exactly alike. This might only make sense if you are a homeschooler.
Here goes nothing.
9:30 AM - Reading the Boy Scout Handbook
10:00 AM - Eating Pancakes and Reading
10:30 AM - Cooking Lessons
Around 11:00 AM - Time to Study!
It's NOON and we are still working
12:30 PM - Still studying, but in all the different places
After a late lunch we are working on Latin, math and writing today.
Then, the final step is piano practice.
Today is actually a special day, because Lex has just now finished his math book and is moving from Life of Fred: Kidneys to Life of Fred: Liver.
And then, Lex's final step of the day is also piano practice:
This is a normal day in that these are the kinds of things that we do all the time. Our days aren't really normal, though, because we do them however we want everyday. So, no two days look exactly alike, but all the days are pretty much exactly alike. This might only make sense if you are a homeschooler.
Here goes nothing.
9:30 AM - Reading the Boy Scout Handbook
10:00 AM - Eating Pancakes and Reading
10:30 AM - Cooking Lessons
Around 11:00 AM - Time to Study!
It's NOON and we are still working
12:30 PM - Still studying, but in all the different places
After a late lunch we are working on Latin, math and writing today.
Then, the final step is piano practice.
This guy is done with school for the day.
One down, one to go.
Lex is also working on writing, math and Latin after lunch today.
Today is actually a special day, because Lex has just now finished his math book and is moving from Life of Fred: Kidneys to Life of Fred: Liver.
And then, Lex's final step of the day is also piano practice:
4:00 PM - Both the kiddos are done for the day.
Some days we start earlier or later and some days we end earlier or later. Some days one works while the other plays and some days they work together. Today was a good mix of everything, which is how most days usually are.
The End. Happy Schooling!
Monday, October 22, 2018
We went to Opus Music and bought some new piano sheet music.
Can you tell what he is working on today? It's the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Friday, July 20, 2018
Saturday, July 14, 2018
In which we went to the park
We found a really awesome park that's not too far from our house. There are many fun things to do there, including a pavilion with a piano, some weird swings and a climbing wall. There is also this really great treehouse and some slides built into the side of a hill.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Grandma Ella Playing Piano
Whenever Grandma Ella comes to visit, she plays our piano for us, and it is always very lovely. Last night, I sneaked a short video while she was playing:
Monday, February 12, 2018
Monday, October 16, 2017
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Meow Wolf
If you don't know what Meow Wolf is, it is kind of hard to explain. But I'll give it a try.
Meow Wolf is an art collective. Like the borg, but much less scary.
They have a wonderful patron, one of my favorite people: George R. R. Martin. Favorite because Game of Thrones.
He recently helped them purchase a defunct bowling alley in Santa Fe so they could turn it into a permanent exhibit space.
Can you spot the kids?
Their new permanent exhibit, House of Eternal Return, just recently opened, and we went to see it.
Saying that we went to see it implies something of a more traditional art installation, which this is not. It is probably more accurate to say that we went to explore it. We climbed on it. We crawled through it. We touched it. We breathed parts of it in.
Meow Wolf doesn't just create paintings. They create the worlds of paintings that are so real that you can step right into them and experience them as if you were a part of the painting. On an enormous scale.
So this house. It's a Victorian House that you can go inside, and there are all the rooms and all the things that you would expect to find in a house. There are books on the shelves and you can read them. There are beds in the bedrooms, and you can lay down and nap in them. There are board games and you could play them. Typewriters, fans, silverware, pots, pans, and even a fish tank with fish.
But, there are all sorts of hidden passages. Everywhere. And they lead to the most incredible worlds. You can walk right into the fridge (totally blew Kevin's mind). There is a secret passage in the fireplace. One leads you into the very same fish tank you saw in the living room:
There are so many many many worlds, and you just wander around, and you end up in new ones, and then you end up back in the house, and then you explore the house, and then you find a secret passage to another wonderful world.
This city area had a stage set up at one end, and there were live bands performing. It was the perfect fusion of art and music.
When Connor found this grand piano, he sat down and just started playing the Morning song by Edvard Grieg from memory. I didn't even know he could do that! And suddenly he was totally a part of the art, and people were listening to his impromptu recital. I was so proud of him, and he didn't even think he was doing anything special. He was just in this place, doing something he loved, because it was there and it was inspiring.
I think this may have been my favorite room. Well, other than all of my other favorites.
After we had explored everything (we thought), we left the exhibit and hung out in one of the maker studios. There are two on site. One is definitely more for adults, and it is equipped with all sorts of sewing machines and 3D printers and industrial art supplies. And you can go in and make whatever you want, whenever you feel like it.
Another one was made for kids, and it had endless supplies of paper, cardboard, paints, crayons, makers and all the art supplies. There were also blocks of all sorts and sizes. Connor and Lex built huge structures with these giant foam blocks.
And we really needed the time to decompress and process after the exhibit. Everything in there is so foreign. It's definitely sensory overload. We see so much of the same in our every day lives, that being thrown into such a magical world is exhausting.
Of course, once we rested, we went back in for a second go round. Because, as Connor put it, "It is the most wonderful place in the entire world."
This, from a kid who has been to both Disneyland and Disney World. So, that's saying something.
And I'll say this: The House of Eternal Return makes good cause for a trip to Santa Fe, all by itself.
Meow Wolf is an art collective. Like the borg, but much less scary.
They have a wonderful patron, one of my favorite people: George R. R. Martin. Favorite because Game of Thrones.
He recently helped them purchase a defunct bowling alley in Santa Fe so they could turn it into a permanent exhibit space.
Can you spot the kids?
Their new permanent exhibit, House of Eternal Return, just recently opened, and we went to see it.
Saying that we went to see it implies something of a more traditional art installation, which this is not. It is probably more accurate to say that we went to explore it. We climbed on it. We crawled through it. We touched it. We breathed parts of it in.
Meow Wolf doesn't just create paintings. They create the worlds of paintings that are so real that you can step right into them and experience them as if you were a part of the painting. On an enormous scale.
So this house. It's a Victorian House that you can go inside, and there are all the rooms and all the things that you would expect to find in a house. There are books on the shelves and you can read them. There are beds in the bedrooms, and you can lay down and nap in them. There are board games and you could play them. Typewriters, fans, silverware, pots, pans, and even a fish tank with fish.
But, there are all sorts of hidden passages. Everywhere. And they lead to the most incredible worlds. You can walk right into the fridge (totally blew Kevin's mind). There is a secret passage in the fireplace. One leads you into the very same fish tank you saw in the living room:
There are so many many many worlds, and you just wander around, and you end up in new ones, and then you end up back in the house, and then you explore the house, and then you find a secret passage to another wonderful world.
This is their Yeti.
Lex looking down into a mammoth ice cave.
A tree house bunk.
This city area had a stage set up at one end, and there were live bands performing. It was the perfect fusion of art and music.
When Connor found this grand piano, he sat down and just started playing the Morning song by Edvard Grieg from memory. I didn't even know he could do that! And suddenly he was totally a part of the art, and people were listening to his impromptu recital. I was so proud of him, and he didn't even think he was doing anything special. He was just in this place, doing something he loved, because it was there and it was inspiring.
I think this may have been my favorite room. Well, other than all of my other favorites.
After we had explored everything (we thought), we left the exhibit and hung out in one of the maker studios. There are two on site. One is definitely more for adults, and it is equipped with all sorts of sewing machines and 3D printers and industrial art supplies. And you can go in and make whatever you want, whenever you feel like it.
Another one was made for kids, and it had endless supplies of paper, cardboard, paints, crayons, makers and all the art supplies. There were also blocks of all sorts and sizes. Connor and Lex built huge structures with these giant foam blocks.
And we really needed the time to decompress and process after the exhibit. Everything in there is so foreign. It's definitely sensory overload. We see so much of the same in our every day lives, that being thrown into such a magical world is exhausting.
Of course, once we rested, we went back in for a second go round. Because, as Connor put it, "It is the most wonderful place in the entire world."
This, from a kid who has been to both Disneyland and Disney World. So, that's saying something.
And I'll say this: The House of Eternal Return makes good cause for a trip to Santa Fe, all by itself.
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