John Lennon is d.o.n.e...finally

Another project done!!!

Ainsley has to make a presentation on some historical figure. I thought she'd pick John Muir, Abigail Adams, Anne Seton....but no- she picked John Lennon. Her report turned out well and I saw her jam her Beatles CD in her backpack...so I guess her report will include some background music. One of the girls in our volleyball "homework club" (9 girls which I feed and do homework with on Tuesday's) had never heard of John Lennon and upon seeing Ainsley's puppet said "you know, we have to do a puppet show for the Kindergarten and that thing is scary". Ainsley just laughed and then chased Maddie around the house with it.

Sporting the latest in Parochial School attire

I sense a couple of rebels in our midst-

That is NOT what I meant when I said- go do your hair and put on your shoes :)

Follow the Drinking Gourd

Cincinnati is home to the Underground Railroad Museum. In the 1830's, Slaves from the South would travel North...following the Drinking Gourd (aka- The Big Dipper) to find freedom in Canada. Ohio was a free state and abolitionists, such as Peg Leg Joe would meet escaping slaves on the Ohio River and help to get them to freedom. Reading Rainbow has a great segment on the drinking gourd, which we've seen several times...but it has taken on new meaning being as we are now an Ohioan. This weekend, I took the girls to the Drake Planetarium for a lesson on Following the Drinking Gourd. Ainsley helped to lead the group in this song, being as she had just learned it in school...this is the chant/song, which the slaves learned by Peg Leg Joe, a carpenter:



When the sun goes back and the first quail calls
Follow the drinking gourd The old man is a-waitin' for to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd


Chorus Follow the drinking gourd,follow the drinking gourd
For the old man is a-waitin'to carry you to freedom
Follow the drinking gourd


The river bed makes a mighty fine road, Dead trees to show you the way
And it's left foot, peg foot, traveling on
Follow the drinking gourd


The river ends between two hills
Follow the drinking gourd
There's another river on the other side (this is the Ohio River)

Follow the drinking gourd

I thought I heard the angels say
Follow the drinking gourd

The stars in the heavens gonna show you the way
Follow the drinking gourd

Kaley using the laser to point out the Big Dipper!

Cowgirl Ainsley

The golfing cowgirl-

Ainsley worked on her John Lennon report and is just about done with her puppet. This is how she lets loose- She still fits into the cowgirl dressup clothes, which Nana made her when she was 3 (???), but finding that it was a bit short, she wore it over some old pant liners, which also use to be a lot longer on her. Today, she was the Sheriff and made sure that Kaley was counting her strokes correctly while playing golf in the basement.

Gung Hay Fat Choy- at All Saints

Chinese New Year at All Saints was unheard of...until the Worthley girls arrived. When we gave out the red envelopes to our Asst. Principal, Mr. Stringer...his comment "Thanks- but New Years was a couple of months ago". Then, he figured it out and laughed. I took in a book about a boy who lives in SF and it talks about how his family gets ready for the New Year. We also took in a dress and wall hanging. Kaley went with me to CAM Asian Market and we bought goodies for the red envelopes.

For Ainsley's class, I will just send in the envelopes. Inside, we put a choc. coin, fortune cookie, fruit candy and note explaining the Year of the Tiger- Watch out Chargers (Minor- this is for you- This will be the Bengals' year!!! (One would think that Cincinnati might just pick up on this...but no!)

Mrs. Hazel shows something that a former student's dad brought back from his trip to China.

Mardi Gras

We usually make our Mardi Gras masks, but this year...we bought them due to lack of time (volleyball practice).

Dinner was simple (largely because now daddy has mommy's cold)- red beans, rice and sausage and King Cake for dessert

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Snow Day- again

We are on on our fifth snow day. Annie came over today to play and Hannah popped over, too. It is getting to the point that if you've seen one picture of the girls playing in the snow...you've seen them all.

Don't we have a bench back here...somewhere???

I'll just sit here. In the 2' of snow.

Weaving

We have been doing a few of the classes at the Museum Center (another creative outlet for the girls). This week was weaving. The girls have fond memories of watching my cousin, Ashley, weave at her loom. Ainsley is almost done (she has even more done than what is in this photo

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Ohio Movie Stars

Things are never boring around here.

Valentine's Day

The girls celebrated Valentine's Day at school on Friday- Because we had a volleyball game, Friday night, it wasn't until Saturday when we actually had a chance to go through their valentines.

Kaley's Valentine "Kitty" holder that we made at school- Thanks MB for the tip online!!!

Creative Outlet

Both girls have had some big assignments due recently, and it seems that afterwards, the girls always express some type of creative outlet. This is what Saturday brought-

The girls were playing piano....I went to check on them (they were playing very nicely together) and was a bit surprised when I noticed their hands...then their legs. So, that's what they were doing in the playroom beforehand.

Ainsley's hand

Ainsley's leg
Kaley's leg

Ohio's Ice Plant

California Ice Plant vs. Ohio Ice Plant



Ohio Ice Plant

It's Tulip Festival Time

Each year, around Valentine's Day, we would go to the City and draw the tulips, as part of the Tulip Festival. Don't know why...we just would. Well, it was nearing Valentine's Day and Ainsley was sad about not being able to draw the tulips...so, on Thursday afterschool, we went to the Krohn Conservatory to...draw the tulips as part of their early spring bulb festival. It was pretty, but not quite the same....

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Bolivia- Ainlsey's next HUGE project for Spanish- working on it now- Due in April

Australia- Ainsley has really enjoyed everything she's learned in Social Studies.

The girls working on their sand Mountain Range.

Snowball fight

Santa brought the girls a snowblock making kit and snowball makers- today was the perfect day for making both-

Another Snow day

We had a boat load of snow today. At one point, the flakes were the size of silver dollars. In addition, this is the first wet snow we've had and boy is it heavy to shovel! Wet snow is perfect, though, for making cool things..

The girls were busy today- building with snow blocks

Ainsley and Hannah are on their knees, but their castle was 6 levels tall.

Our snowman is now a snow triangle.