A Mother’s Journal

While we were studying the Renaissance by way of The Clown of God,

we reviewed society as it existed during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. 

The Peasant
by Michaela

Dark cloud overhead.  Looks like rain.  Tiny hut.  Drab costume.  Flies swarming around.  A pile of animal poo close by.  If you could see them:  teeth in poor repair.

Actually we covered material that reminded us that the peasant was not just an unlearned low-life.  The peasants formed resistance movements and revolted and tried their best to acquire what knowlege they could.  It’s interesting.  The nobility wanted everyone to see a clear difference between the peasants and themselves, which brought about laws governing what the peasants were allowed to wear.  Can you imagine?

Anyway.

The peasant.

Well, yours truly is on her way to juggling!  I’m not proficient by any means, but I can keep two balls in the air with one hand, and three balls with two hands–sometimes even for seconds at a time! 

Here I am at my juggling table, trying. 

Our Five In a Row Family Event Day was so much fun!  I must admit that I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it was so worth it.   It is amazing what can be done when one person has a vision, and then many hands are willing to pitch in and believe that a group can get going and keep going and stay true to the original idea in mind–in this case using FIAR as a homeschool curriculum and letting that infiltrate into our building of relationships as families and friends.  And on that same note, I’m thankful that Jane Lambert was willing to write out the curriculum that she proved to be an excellent one with her own daughters!

I thought I’d share some pictures from the day, in no particular order.

The children loved dressing up for the day, becoming characters of the Renaissance after studying The Clown of God all week, a book written by Tomie dePaola. 

The story was acted out by some of the older kids in the group.

They did a great job!

The story was narrated by two girls who took turns reading.  Thank goodness for a really good juggler in the group who was willing to play the lead!

Costume enhancements as Giovanni grows in popularity!

Here’s the whole cast at the end.  The one in the Duke shirt?  In one part of the story it is said the Giovanni even performed for a Duke.  There was much laughter when a student appeared in a Duke sweatshirt! 

One of the dads was able to juggle well and he ended up being a great help at my table.  He was very patient with the children, teaching them some simple basics of juggling.

As always, Michaela loved spending time with some of the little ones.

I got to see nearly every child over the course of the day as they all came around and tried to juggle.

Here’s the wife of the juggling man who helped so much at my table.  She can juggle too!  While holding a baby in a sling.  Who laughed at his mom juggling.  Especially when she dropped the balls.  (But actually she was really quite good.)

Little clowns and princesses stopped by all day.  In the background you can see the plate spinning area.

More little juggler wannabes, juggling lemons.

This pretty girl’s dad is a good juggler, so I guess it just runs in the family!

Now, can you get over this castle that one of the moms built?  The little princesses loved it!   Getting inside and peeking out!  Running around inside!  It was such a hit!  So much work went into this day.

What a costume!  Isn’t he adorable?

Right before lunch we called everyone together for pictures.  First the children gathered.

Then everyone in costume got together for a picture.  (If you’re interested, I’m in the back, 5th from the left.)

Oh, just look at the food!  Maybe that was the best part!  Everyone brought a dish that was loosely modeled around what they might have had during the Renaissance.  I took venison, spinach with garlic and sweet rolls.  There were so many good things:  chicken pies, stews, salads.  I just can’t name everything!  We fixed our plates and then sat on blankets and visited with each other. 

In the afternoon there were more games and activities.  There were tables where you could make a tambourine or a mask, have your face painted, or play a game.

Making a mask.

These four girls (sisters) could be poster children of what homeschooling is all about.  They are smart, well mannered, outgoing, family oriented, and just fun to be with!

I loved watching the football game at the end of the day.  Who says a princess cannot run a ball downfield in a long dress?

One of the dads made gondolas for gondola races!  Aren’t they beautiful?

You know the boys migrated over to this game, right?

Having fun face painting!

Last but not least, my tomboy Princess of the Universe got painted up as an “Italy guy.”  Gotta love her.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.  We did so many things last week to physically prepare for first the co-op and then the family event.  This current week should be much quieter, with time to remember what we saw and tie it in with book studies, including adding figures to our timeline and doing some writing so that we’ll remember what we learned.

In looking for activities to go with The Clown of God,

I came across a very cute website page with stories done by children while they listened to music.

First Grade Music Explorers. 

Enjoy.

PS — I don’t think we ever get too old to draw and write while we listen to music.

As I prepare for our next co-op, which will be centered around a book called The Clown of God,

I am learning about the orphan trains of the 19th and early 20th centuries in the US. This video explains basically and clearly what the orphan train was all about.  The subject of the orphan train is a heavy one, so you might want to preview before you expose your children, especially young ones.