Tablets and Scrolls

Last week we made some clay tablets and practiced cuneiform writing (ancient Mesopotamia-type stuff).

Here is Toviel's name in cuneiform:

Toviel also wanted to try his hand at this ancient writing:

I was getting ready to help Elijah write his name in cuneiform, but he stopped me. He didn't want me to write his name - he wanted to me write "mammoth". So I did:

And then he drew a picture of a mammoth with his tool:

We discussed some of the advantages and disadvantages to using clay tablets for recording information, then proceeded to make the more modern scroll:

Elijah wrote his name beautifully with paint in cuneiform script inside this scroll. Toviel slapped some paint on his and mucked it around a little (okay - a lot) with very precise strokes that seemed to me to be very random, but his level of concentration was too intense for it to have been random and willy-nilly.

Finger-Lickin' Good

We are studying ancient civilizations and are enjoying learning about mummification and pyramids and the like.
When I was younger and first heard about how the Egyptians preserved the bodies of the pharoahs I was totally grossed out. Why would someone do something so morbid as that? And why would they waste riches and goods on the dead? I'm guessing the pyramid robbers also thought the same thing as they were plundering the massive graves.

My boys are nothing but fascinated with the whole thing. Disciplines such as learning to read and write are rarely met with such enthusiasm, but the way that ancient civilizations have invoked intrique and interest in this house (did you get my alliteration there?  Pretty good, eh? I did that on purpose) has really surprised me.

I would suggest, at the horror of some, that history is the most boring subject ever taught in schools. The memorizing of dates and dry material brought me to tears as early as grade five. But here I am now in my late 30's actually learning about history with my 7 and 5 year old boys. They are loving it. I am loving it. It is definately, hands down, the best study we are doing right now. I think not having the pressure of passing tests and committing irrelevant material to memory has lifted the restrictions on my actual learning. I am glad that I am passing this freedom on to my boys at such a young age.

My boys made several intricate pyramids out of lego and then we built some pyramids out of sugar cubes. Tasty, delicious pyramids. Mmmmm.

An Oddity

Yesterday I actually had time to dust my baseboards!
Well, not all of them....but the kitchen ones at least!!
Look!!

Yet Another Homeschool Blog

*pop*

As if there weren't enough moms blogging their educational journey with their children, up pops another.

As a mom who works full-time, is the main childcare provider for her kids, keeps the house in order, homeschools and tries to get some occassional sleep, I am desperate to see some progress and accomplishments in the midst of total chaos. It was recommended to me (from a fellow homeschooling mom who I have never met or talked to) that blogging is a good way of tracking projects, ideas, and perhaps a little learning shoved in there somewhere.

Oh well, we'll see how long it lasts.