Serious Snow

First Snow

The first snow of the year calls for lots of mopping up and...

snow ice cream!

Drizzle vanilla and sugar (rapadura, honey, pick-your-poison) over FRESH snow. Eat with gusto!

Gaudete!

The light grows brighter!

Tree's Up

Ancient Rome

by Hannah

Do you know all about the ancient city of Rome? The ancient Romans had a lot of influence on the civilizations that followed. The Roman government had a very unusual beginning. The citizenry was divided into three classes, and this is one of the reasons why the Roman government evolved over time.

The ancient city of Rome had a unique beginning.  Legend has it that twin baby brothers Romulus and Remus had been abandoned near the serpentine Tiber River in Italy. Luckily they were found and nursed by a mother wolf. Later they were raised by a friendly traveling   shepherd. When they had grown up they decided to build a city in memory of the wolf that had saved them. Half way through, the brothers began to quarrel over territory and kingship.  In the end Romulus, who became irate, ruthlessly killed Remus, and became the first king of the new and inspiring city. Rome was founded.

Roman society, which was vast, was divided into several classes. There were two main groups, patricians and plebeians.  Patricians were the richest and most esteemed people. Plebeians were ordinary poor folk. Most non-citizens were slaves. Only the citizens were allowed to vote and fight in the royal armies. At first, Plebeians were forbidden to marry Patricians. Unfortunately, if someone was born a plebeian he would stay a plebeian forever, even if he labored his entire life. As the government gradually changed, slaves could buy freedom. The division between the classes became indefinite.

The Roman government advanced through three stages. There were seven kings before the Roman Republic, which began in 510 B.C. The republic consisted of a senate and two councils. In 559 B.C. Julius Caesar was elected to be a consul. While he was helped by his throng of followers, he cleverly overthrew the senate, and started a one man rule. He was murdered by members of the senate in 44 B.C. After him there came a range of emperors, each one more powerful than the next. Some were even considered gods until the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. 

The Roman government started off strangely. The government changed as time wore on, partly because of the division of the citizens. The ancient Roman government has influenced the United States government, even though Rome fell over 1500 years ago.  

The Legend of the City of Rome

by Ruth 

 
There is an amazing legend of how Rome was fashioned. Near the serpentine, Tiber river in Italy, Romulus and Remus, who were twin brothers, were abandoned. They where found and raised by a respectable wolf, and later on, found by a shepherd on Palatine hill. As Romulus and Remus grew, they built a magnificent city to honor the wolf. Presently, they began to fight foolishly over the boundary, and Remus was ruthlessly killed by Romulus. The corrupt Romulus became the first king of the new and colossal city. If it weren’t for Romulus and Remus, the wolf and the shepherd, the spectacular city of Rome would not be here today

Bean Mosaic Ornaments

We're making bean mosaic Christmas ornaments this afternoon. These could also be done with any seeds or pods or even leaves and sticks brought home from a nature walk. They could also be done with beads and sequins and strings of faux pearls and ribbon rosettes. Anything small and light enough to glue to thin cardboard works. We used cereal boxes for cardboard and cookie cutters for shapes.

Barrettes and Ditches

Hey everyone! Ruth here! :)

Hannah and I made yo-yo barrettes today.  

Mama got a yo-yo making kit in a swap.

She said that is the sort of thing that she wouldn't even think about buying, but enjoys it anyway.  

Josiah and Daddy are outside, filling in a ditch that they dug to replace the water pipe.  

Hannah is reading, (as always). John is in his room being a complete clown. 

(I guess I shouldn't be talking.)And Esther is on the couch, giving undivided attention to the dog.

Esther has also been playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" constantly.

I hope it all happens again tomorrow.

A Quiet Day

The two older girls are at a sleepover and just called to ask if they could spend most of the day at their friends' house. The younger kids are alternately playing on their iPads and letting those charge while they roller skate around the house...

 or clown for the camera. 

Charlie, I'm sure, will have lots to do once he gets going today. I'm puttering around, shredding the chicken breasts that were cooked earlier in the week and freezing them, 

freezing shredded cheese, 

laundry, dishes, generally picking up, packaging some preemie hats made for charity... 

Yes, our lives are really this exciting.

Getting Started

This blog is planned as an on-going educational project for our 5 children. They will contribute to the blog and the older ones may even write entire posts.We will include pictures from field trips and play dates, papers the kids write for school, and the random fun things that happen during daily life. We hope this helps you to keep up with our family and that you enjoy watching our journey.