We're studing rocks and minerals in science and so our experiments this week focused on observation. We wrote up a Lost And Found advertisement for one of our rocks, listing as many qualities and properties as we could, then we tried to pick out each other's "lost" rocks from the 20 or so samples we had. We also did an exercise in sorting the selection of rocks based on different criteria. No science pictures this week, as sorting rocks makes for dull photographic experiences when compared to the exploding volcanoes of last week.

One of the Roman projects we did was to model a Roman pillar from cookie dough. J used a photo as his guide, carved the details using a toothpick, and sprinkled his pillar with cinnamon and sugar to simulate stone. This is the result, prior to baking:














He reports that Roman pillars are surprisingly delicious.


As we finished up our study of the Celtic people of Britain and the invading Angles and Saxons, J decided he wanted to make a cloak like the Celts wore. I just bought a yard of flannel (red, his favorite) and we copied a dragon design for the brooch, which he colored using our art markers. He's well pleased with it. My mother-in-law has offered me a fancy-pants sewing machine that someone gave her (she prefers her old one), and I'd like to use it to finish the edges on his cloak for him.