Cavemen and the Ice Age

For History class right now, we are learning about early humans.

Our books, so far, have been the following:









Here is a chart of "who's who of early man" for children:

http://earlyhumans.mrdonn.org/index.html

Caveman facts:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/human/species/

For science, we've been learning about caves and about ice age animals. Our books, so far for that have been:

Scenes From The Downtown Festival and Art Show, Gainesville, FL.

The Art Festival is going on Downtown both today and tomorrow.































Eating a powdered sugar covered funnel cake while wearing all black:

Crazy Quilt Christmas Stockings

With my busy schedule, it's best if I work on things a little at a time, starting WAY in advance. So, even though it's the beginning of November, I have already been working on things for December.

The pattern I'm using for the Christmas stockings can be found here:

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/fancy-boot-christmas-stocking-667366/

The original design, on the "family fun" website, is for a solid color, felt stocking, but I am using the free pattern to make lined, crazy quilt stockings.

Start by sewing together scraps of fabric. Use varying sizes and shapes, so no pattern emerges.



Pin the stocking pattern to the pieced together fabric and cut out. Do this twice, making sure that the direction that the pattern is facing is switched for the second cutting.


Next, use the pattern to cut two stocking shapes out of solid color lining fabric.
Pin one lining piece to one outer panel along the top edge, right sides together. Sew together.





Repeat with the other two pieces.

Lay the pieces out flat.

Match lining piece to lining piece and outer panel to outer panel, right sides together, and pin in place.



Sew around the outer edge of the entire thing, except for a space large enough to fit your hand on one side of the lining. When you are done sewing, using the opening you left to turn the outside of the stocking right-side-out. Sew the hole closed and then stuff the lining down into the stocking. Sew on a loop for hanging the stocking. My loops are made of bias tape, but decorative ribbon will work well,too.

Frontside of stocking #1:


Backside of same stocking:


Frontside of stocking #2:

Pajama Day

In a perfect world, the day after Halloween would be a day off from school, to recover from the late night and candy excesses, but since that wasn't possible, the next best thing was a pajama day at school.



This peahen showed up at the school for the first time last week. Since then she has stopped by three more times.



She's not afraid of people, so we're guessing she came from the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. One of the Principles called the zoo about her, but she had disappeared before they could come get her.

We're all kind of hoping she stays at the school and becomes our special pet. Just after Blaze took this picture, she was seen going into the playhouse.

This week in Sports with Blaze

Even with all the Halloween excitement, there were still other activities to attend. We did skip kickball on Thursday, in favor of going to Ghouls, Goblins,and Greeks, but there was still soccer on Friday





and Sunday was the last day of swimming, until after the holidays.

My Costume and Boo at the Zoo

The great explorer and naturalist looks for new species:







Here is a picture of the photographer for the pictures above:



Blaze is getting really good with photography.

For Halloween we went to Santa Fe College for Boo at the Zoo, which was held just outside the zoo this year, so that the crowds wouldn't disturb the new baby gibbon.

The changed arrangements didn't keep away the crowds.



























There were also games for the kids:



and live music:



The biggest fun, though, is always looking at all the costumes.





Just as we were about to drive away, I heard the Ghostbusters theme song playing and looked up to see the Ghostbusters car pull into a parking space and the guys get out and suit-up.