Monet and the Erie Canal!!!

We've had such a fun week!!!

In art the boys are studying Monet (one of my favorites). Monet loved to paint flowers and water. He loved to paint outdoors in his garden and by his pond. So, I thought the boys would have fun pretending to be little Monets!! They loved it! And, I had fun admiring their work as they painted! Silly Joshua and his almost finished work. . .

I love how Joshua attempted to mimic impressionism!! I don't know why I didn't get a picture of JCT's work. He did great and had fun, too! Joshua embedded a code in his painting. Can you see it??

(If you guessed GOD, you are correct!)

In history this week the boys studied the Erie Canal. I wasn't looking forward to this, but it surprised me! We had fun studying it!! How inspirational early Americans were! Did you know that the Erie Canal was (at the time it was built) "the longest (in the world) in the least time with the least experience and know-how for the least money," (The Amazing Impossible Erie Canal). Early Americans believed they could do anything, and they did amazing things!! I love it!

I thought the boys would have fun constructing our own little version of the Erie Canal. I chose a part of our yard that is not easily visible, just on the edge of the woods, as to not upset the master gardener! :-) So, we started digging, and this is what the end result looked like. . .

We used Saran Wrap to keep the dry earth from soaking up all of our water! The boys loved this, and it worked great! I wanted them to understand and see how the horses pulled the boats along the canal. And, yes, I made them sing along with me as we worked, "Low Bridge, Everybody Down." Now that is a great song!! :-)

It didn't take long for the boys to turn the Erie Canal into a mud bath for their toy pirates! I love letting my little boys play in the mud! Little boys just need to play in the mud sometimes!! :-)
I am, by no means, an experienced homeschool mom. But, there are two things that I have learned in the four weeks that we have been homeschooling. #1 Bathe them in praise! My boys flourish when I praise them! They can't hide their smiles when I give them big high fives and tell them how great they are! And, #2 if I can make a lesson hands on in any way, shape, or form, I'm going to do it!!! They remember the lesson so much better if they can link it to something they've done with their own hands! And, they get so much joy out of the "doing"!! And, I must admit I kind of enjoy the doing part a little bit more myself!!!! :-)

Okay, it is 4:45, and I have no idea what I am going to make for dinner! Better run!!