Painting like Michelangelo

Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo

We participate in Classical Conversations as part of our homeschooling.  The past few weeks we have been doing some units on art history - studying an artist and then doing a work in the style of that artist. This week it was Michelangelo.  We saw photos of the Sistine Chapel, discussed how Michelangelo painted the fresco in a supine position on scaffolding - with a candle resting on his forehead for light.  The kids got a taste of "painting like Michelangelo."  Fun stuff!

Happy Chinese New Year

We had a dumpling wrapping party!  Friends from church came over, and we made the dumplings completely from scratch - dough and filling!  It was very labor intensive, but so fun to talk and work together as the meal came together.

We had three fillings - the two pictured here are both with pork.  The one on the right has silken tofu in it - which is why it is a lighter color.  We also had a shrimpy filling (not pictured).

Lily had a ball "helping" with the dough.

Yummmm.  Look at that chewy goodness.

Little discs of dough waiting to be rolled out into skins for the dumplings.

Whole wheat skins, white flour skins, potstickers, boiled dumplings.  

Lots of fun wrapping with friends!  Dave and I received this dining table as a wedding gift from my parents almost 15 years ago.  It was purchased from an estate sale - so who knows how old it is.  I am so thankful now for all of the wonderful and special times we have had around this table!  When we were first married, it was just the two of us, and we would keep the table small - without the leaves in the middle.  Over the years as we have moved and added children to the family, it has taken on many forms - covered with a table cloth, with one leaf in the middle, then two leaves, used as a school table, a craft table, a kitchen table, and a fine dining table.  When we all wanted to do the dumping party, one of our friends suggested that we roll out the dough on our big dining table :-).

This photo shows Lily and Dave's special relationship :-).

After dinner we had a short time of worship together with everyone.  Matthew wanted to sing "Come, Ye Beloved of the Lord."  I have not sung that song in years.  I was touched anew by the words of that lovely chorus:

"Our God withheld not His own Son, the treasure of His heart,
Poured out for you.
Since He already gave His Son,
What now will He withhold from you His own."

Happy happy Chinese New Year!  I didn't have enough energy to put Lily in her silks this year.  Also, it is the year of the snake - which means that Matthew will be 12 this year, as he was born in the year of the snake - 2001.

Lately (and a correction)

Last weekend, Dave took the two older boys to Alcatraz Island with a family friend.  We have lots of pictures (and the history of the place is fascinating!), but the two I chose don't show the prison at all.

One of the most striking things about Alcatraz is the garden.  It has many species from all over the world thriving there.  It was so poignant when Matthew relayed to me about the prisoners having the privilege to work in the garden with good behavior - and how they would feel like free men when they were doing so.

Matthew lost a tooth on the trip to Alcatraz.  My oldest baby is almost 12, and has lost about that many teeth I think.

In other news, the older boys are progressing well with taekwondo.  This is actually an older picture, they have since tested to blue belt level!

The boys have also been learning to play basketball in our homeschool P.E. class.  Matthew and Nathan love it, but Aaron not so much.  In fact, the reason there are no photos of him is because he sat out of 3 of 4 classes.

The amazing Nathan is doing a drill here where the kids have to practice passing the ball from hand to hand between their legs!

And a correction - a couple of posts ago I wrote about the termite eggs.  Well, I have found out now that they are not termite eggs, they are termite poop :-(.  Don't know whether to be relieved or horrified on a different level.