Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Operation Actually Do Something I Pinned #1

Okay, so most of my friends are on Pinterest by now (and if you aren't let me know, and I'll shoot you an invitation!), and we all post a few things every day that are SUPER NEATO.  I have tried out quite a few of the recipes, and I've even done a couple of things around the house that were pinspired, but I hadn't really done any of the things that I had posted under "Kideas."

WTF?  I'm a homeschool mom!  Why am I not doing these things???

Well, today marks a new beginning.  We did a pincraft, and it was GREAT!  The thing I decided to tackle was "chalk paint" that I found HERE.  I picked it mainly because I had all the "ingredients" on hand, it took very few steps, and it involved colors--one of the things we talk about A LOT with Ben, my preschooler.

So, we started with: 
We added equal parts corn starch and water and mixed.  We poured the concoction into a muffin pan and added a few drops of food coloring in each one.
Ben was in the other room crying because he's a brat  three and gets frustrated easily.  When he couldn't squeeze the dropper and refused to let me help him, he burst into flames tears, so I told him to calm down in the other room and join us when he was ready.
He recovered and joined us to do some mixing with toothpicks.  We ended up mixing nine different colors (the suggested mixes on the back of the food color box), and we were ready to paint!
I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn't the kind of paint that you could really cover a lot of space with, but that was okay.  The boys had fun smearing and splattering, and the best part is that the "paint" dries like chalk, so it's not that messy.  Once dry, the paint on the ground looked just like chalk.
Our hands got cold because it's 45 degrees out here, so when we were finished, we ceremonially dumped the rest by flinging it across the ground.  I think this was the best part--especially because it inspired me (like real live inspiration without a pin board!), and we came inside for an unintended lesson in art history.
I bought this book at B&N for something like $8 a long time ago, and I didn't know why until today!  We compared our painting to the work of Mr. Pollock, reading a little bit about abstract expressionism in general, and then perused a few of his works.

Ben said he thought the Moon-Woman from "The Moon-Woman Cuts the Circle" looks more like a dragon, and Will decided "Convergence: Number 10" was his favorite because he found Darth Vader's head somewhere in the painting.

Ben also mentioned that a lot of the paintings reminded him of mazes, and his favorite was this because it looks like an invention.  He then decided to title it "Invention" since it didn't have a title:
Pinspiration complete!

9 comments:

  1. A-Adorable! B-Love the art history lesson. Some day soon one of the boys will reference Jackson Pollock and you will receive raised eyebrows and appreciative nods from other parents (who know who Jackson Pollock is).

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  2. This blog cracked me up, love it!!

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  3. Awesome! Nice job. Love that we also have a nearly 3 year old, bursting into various things.

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  4. Very cool!! I have been such a slacker on this sort of thing lately - Surprise, surprise! - but I think we'll do this soon. The boys would love it! Thanks for sharing! (and love the J.P. Connection!)

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  5. Dear Miss Leia,

    I would like to apply for a spot in your homeschool class. I will be 34 years old in March, and I know all of my letters, and numbers. I can also draw, color, and play various musical instruments. I need to improve my penmanship, and I sometimes talk out of turn, but I can generally sit quietly if given a snack.

    I eagerly anticipate your response in this matter.

    Respectfully,

    Ariel

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  6. Hi, Ariel!

    Thank you so much for your application. Your achievements are quite impressive, but I'm afraid you fall outside the age guidelines for kindergarten (you had to have been 5 by this past September 1st). However, there is a position available in our music department if you are interested in employment at Johnson Preparatory Academy. You would be required to introduce different instruments, genres, and specific songs as part of our integrated arts curriculum with hands-on applications. You would be paid in peanut butter and jam sandwiches. We look forward to your response.

    Mrs. Johnson

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    1. Dear Mrs. Johnson,

      I am disappointed that I do not fit the age range for your prestigious academy. However, I do like peanut butter and jam sandwiches, and would be honored to introduce the Academy's students to such musical instruments as the sackbut and crumhorn, such genres as minimalist opera and 1970's Iranian pop music, and such songs as Die Erlkonig (the "Reaper" version) and John Cage's stirring piano piece 4'33". I await your response in this matter.

      Ariel

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  7. Dear Ariel,

    I am thrilled to tell you that I think you will be a perfect fit at Johnson Preparatory Academy. Classes begin tomorrow. See you soon.

    Leia Johnson
    Headmistress, Principal, Teacher, Janitor

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