Orlando: Disney Springs & ICON Park

First Stop: Disney Springs

We did some shopping at Ron Jon Surf Shop and Uniqlo. 

We ate lunch at Morimoto Asia Street Food.

Princess Christmas Tree - Cinderella

Patrick Kavanagh and I in front of Raglan Road Irish Pub

On Raglan Road

On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;
I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,
And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.

On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge
Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion's pledge,
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay -
O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.

I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that's known
To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say.
With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow
That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay -
When the angel woos the clay he'd lose his wings at the dawn of day.

Princess Christmas Tree - Belle

We got some ice cream from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

Second Stop: ICON Park

We visited ICON Park for the express purpose of eating at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.

First Week of School in 2021

 We have finished our first week of school in 2021.

Draw a bicycle challenge...

It's harder than you would think.

Connor completed this storyboard telling the story of the Birth of Italy for History.

Lex drew this illustration for the poem The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt.

Happy Homeschooling in 2021!

Poetry Assignments

We started using a new Poetry book for literature and language arts this year.  I liked this poem, so I thought I should document this first assignment out of our new book.

Behold: Poetry!

Illustration by Connor

Copywork by Connor

Copywork by Lex

Tongue Twister Poetry

Climb. All. The. Things.

After our trip to the canyon, we stopped at the legs on the way home (and if that sounds like a strange statement to you, then you are probably not from Amarillo):

Lex was pleased that the gate was not made of barbed wire, and able to be climbed.  I decided to allow it, as the herd of cows was so far on the other side of the field that we were likely not to be bothered by them.

I know that the legs are a reference to the Percy Bysshe Shelley poem, but every time I see them I end up reciting a passage from Shakespeare instead.

It's from Julius Caesar, and we had to memorize it in 9th grade humanities class:

"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world 

Like a Colossus, and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs and peep about

To find ourselves dishonorable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars

But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

(Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II)

Ozymandias on the Plains

We live very close to a weird pair of legs.



It's known as Ozymandias on the Plains.

The poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is on a fake historical marker nearby.

Ozymandias

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said - "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert....Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, 

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains.  Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Nana playing tourist, in the desert.

Halloween Wrap-Up

I called these Texas Jack O'Lanterns.



They were peppers stuffed with brisket and couscous, among other things, and they were delicious.



We did a little Halloween art this week:

Connor drew a pirate bat with a peg leg.

Lex drew a vampire bat.

I drew a purple bat.

The boys also wrote some Halloween acrostic poetry.

Here is Connor's:

Halloween is 

A night where ghosts make a 

Last stand eating

Lambs

On

W

E

E

Narwhales

Lex wrote:

How

A

Lamb

Likes

Owls

With

Elephant 

Ears and sauce

Now

Lex, while shopping for costumes at Target.

John Scieszka Unit Study

We are doing a unit study on John Scieszka.  I think the most useful part of the author biography was learning how to pronounce his name.  Shesh-ka.  His books are so genius and funny.  Science Verse might be my new favorite kids' book.  There are a bunch of great famous poems that he has re-written to be about science concepts.  It's outstanding.  The kids love all of his funny versions of fairy tales, and we dovetailed that into watching the old Fractured Fairy Tales, which aren't technically by John Scieszka, but are in the same style.  Super entertaining.

Little Rock Zoo

Let's go see some animals!

Look, it's Johnny's friend Ringo!



Black Handed Spider Monkey



Connor was in charge of the map. His goal?  To take us to see the Naked Mole Rats, and to see what there was to see along the way.

Like snakes...



...and gorillas...



...and elephants...



Wait a minute!  That's Lex.  Connor had a turn, too.



Look!  The real elephants!

This was where we ate a small lunch.  For about $52.  Because food costs more at zoos.



This is a line from a poem.  It reads, "On the last day of the world/I would want to plant a tree."

Connor said, "On the last day of the world/I would want to die."  Which is probably very profound.  And a bit morbid, being about death and all.

This stone lion statue reminded us of the Chronicles of Narnia.  Because Aslan.  And also because the White Witch turned all those animals to stone.  Best to keep her out of the zoo.

Look!  We found the Naked Mole Rats.  And they were indeed naked.



This guy.  He's watching you. 



And last, but definitely not least, we saw the penguins. 



Everyone loves penguins.  How could you not?  They are so funny and adorable and well-dressed.