Family Project: Let's Make a Movie!

So there was a contest held locally for short movies/films. The hubby was intrigued, and next thing I now, he's talking to the kids about joining him for a project. We were unable to participate in the actual contest, but we did spend a weekend putting together our own movie, trying to follow the same guidelines just to see if it was something we could do. Who knew that you could spent 6 or 7 hours to get 35 minutes of recorded video that results in 3 minutes of completed film?

Without further ado, I bring you our family's first foray into video making and editing. We have a lot to learn, but we did have fun.

4-H Year Ending

4-H has been a big part of our lives, especially since we moved to our current location in Kansas. I was a 4-H member as a kid, as were my parents and my husband's parents. We don't have livestock, or even a house in the country anymore, but I have found 4-H a good way to connect with our new community and help us to put down roots where we started out as drifters.

Munckkin #1, Evie, is finishing her last year of 4-H this year. I keep waiting for my sentimental gene to kick in, but mostly I'm feeling like time is passing as it should. I keep going back to the words of our midwife so many years ago. She told me not to spend time worrying about parenting a teenager when I was only the mother of a newborn. When she gets there, my midwife said, you'll know what to do. It was wise advise, and I think of it now. No need to waste time worrying about being the parent of an adult child. As we get there, I'll somehow figure out what to do. Or not, as I've learned along the way. Not knowing is okay, too. A lot of parenting is just hanging in there and listening and staying in tune and being prepared to be there when needed... stand back as much as possible...

I've talked with several parents of younger 4-H members this year and I've found myself offering encouraging words.

• Don't let your young kids take on more than you are willing to help them with. When I was full-time momming it and the kids were little, we had a lot more time for working on projects together as a family activity. If you don't have that kind of time, don't enroll in several projects. Just start with ones that you will enjoy exploring together and consider ones where there is strong leadership in place on a club or county level.
• Don't let yourself get in the position of resenting what you/they have commited to. If it ends up being too much, back off. There is nothing more miserable than witnessing parents and children who are fed up and so angry with each other by the time the fair rolls around that they are no longer civil to each other.
• It's okay to walk them through the process of completing record books and filling out award forms. Each year, they will require less and less input from you. And one day, like me, you'll find yourself watching from the sidelines as your teenagers handle all the business of fair time on their own.
• If you find yourself with a teenager, who is capable but not taking the initiative, you need to step back and ask yourself who the 4-H projects are for. Let them choose. Let them say no to things that do not inspire them. Let them go in their own direction.

Some scenes from the fair:

Middle Munchkin made both of these outfits and Munchkin #1 agreed to be a model to help her out at the public fashion revue. They had a good time showing. It was fun to watch them together.

Munchkin Boy placed 2nd in archery this year, and Middle Munchkin was top shooter in air pistol and .22 pistol.

Munchkin Boy talks with the judge here about his cinnamon rolls. We don't really care what ribbon they get. He makes awesome cinnamon rolls and we enjoy when it is not fair time because we can gobble them up warm straight from the oven.

A collection of Munchkin #1's fiber things. She knitted a sweater this year (Weasley style!) and a phone case. The octopus toy is her crochet project. Both of my girls enjoy fiber arts. I've decided it is a genetic thing that must have skipped a generation. I don't sew or do anything with yarn and needles, but my mother was very talented. She passed away when Munchkin #1 was only 1, but I often feel her presence when the girls are in the midst of fiber projects and sewing. I know she would be tickled to see all the fun things they create.

Show & Tell: Erinn's First Nutcracker Performance

Erinn, age 9, was in her first Nutcracker performance in December of 2008.

Show & Tell ~ Making it Spin

Kaman, age 8, has been exploring the magic of electricity following the 4-H guide for the electric project. He's been very eager to get to the end of book 1 so that he could build his very own electric motor. It's basic, but it worked!

Show & Tell ~ Guitar Case

Maddie, age 10, has been carrying her guitar back and forth to lessons in a garbage bag. "Not the way to treat an instrument," she says. With some material donated from her aunt, she spent a couple of days last week sewing a custom guitar case, complete with pocket for her music book and a crocheted holder for her pick.

Here she is getting started on the project.

A close up of the pocket with the little guitar pick case hidden within.

And here you can see her guitar nestled snuggly in its new case.

Show & Tell ~ Mackenzie's Horse Show

Mackenzie, age 12, recently competed in the Central States Winter Tournament on February 14 at the Coverall Arena at the American Royal Complex in KCMO.

Mackenzie placed first in one of her classes and second in the other class. She was riding Sir Levi.

Show & Tell ~ Holden's Novel

Holden has shared the first chapter of his Book Arts Bash entry from last year with us.

Holden was one of six finalists in his category, 7th to 9th grade Novel Excerpts. The neat thing about the Book Arts Bash is that the final rounds were all judged by industry professionals. Holden's entry was judged by Daniel Lazar, a senior literary agent at Writer's House in NYC.

Excerpt From:
Speed Limit: 60 Minutes an Hour
by Holden M.
 
“The Time Traveler vanished three years ago. And as far as anyone knows now, he has never returned.”

Danny closed the book slowly, and there was the usual moment while everyone just sat silently, holding on to the last words of another great book as long as they could. Which is a while. So this probably would be a good place to introduce myself.

My name is Connor Essex. I’m about average height for an 11-year old. Unfortunately, I’m 13 years old. No one really seems to realize, but it stinks being small, with people always assuming I’m younger than I really am, and not being able to challenge kids my own age in basketball. I have hazelish-bluish eyes and poofy, out-of-control brown hair that sometimes looks like a dead rodent. My mother says one day I’ll be considered cute and girls will want to take me to the movies. I don’t believe her. The last time I even spoke to an unrelated teenage female was to ask her to stop kicking my chair on a plane flight I took last spring.

Another thing to remember about me is that I love books. Any kind of book: comedy, sci-fi, mystery, even old westerns and short stories. I go to the library in Gloucester Point, Virginia, my hometown, so often that the librarians know me by name. In fact, I like books so much, I started a book club for other homeschooled kids in my neighborhood about a year and a half ago. The only kid to join was an 11-year old named Danny Palmer who had just moved down here from Massachusetts. He lives only two houses down from me, so we can have our meetings often. Now I can see him going to the movies in a few years... Read the rest of chapter 1.

Show & Tell ~ Pages in the Kansas House of Representatives

February 25: Three Kansas Homeschoolers worked as pages in the Kansas House of Representatives. Their sponsor was Rep. Sheryl Spalding of Overland Park.




Pictured left to right: Rep. Spalding, Nicki (age 12), Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Mackenzie (age 12), and Jake (age 14).

Show & Tell ~ Isaac's Gymnastics Meet

Isaac, age 11, competed in the KC-Coed Invitational gymnastics meet on January 25, 2009. He placed fifth in his age group.

Congratulations, Isaac!

---

We welcome Show & Tell submission from Kansas area homeschoolers at any time. Simply send your entry, titled "KAHN Show & Tell" to goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com.

Show & Tell: Taliesin's Bookmark

Taliesin's artwork was selected by the Friends of the Salina Public Library for a bookmark.

Show & Tell: Graham Cracker Construction Party

What you can do with Graham Crackers, Icing, Candy, and a Little Imagination...

Show and Tell: Toa Mahri

drawing by Isaac, age 10

click on the image to see it in greater detail

Show and Tell: Art by Kaisha

submitted by Kaisha, age 17

---

All Kansas Homeschoolers are invited to submit items for Show & Tell. Email goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com.

The Halloween Parade ~ 2007

There is still plenty of time to email your Halloween Photos to Kansas Homeschool Network. Just email a digital image to goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com before the end of November.

Tori, the witch (age 12) and Joshua, the camo boy (age 5)

Evie, the Witch (age 11)

Maddie, the Pet Vet (age 9)

Kaman, Luke Skywalker (age 6)


View the 2006 Halloween Parade.

Show and Tell ~ Art by Megan

Sketches from Megan, age 14

Show and Tell ~ Art by Jenny

Drawings by Jenny, age 12

Show and Tell ~ Nathanael made the Paper!

Nathanael, age 2, was pictured in the Salina Journal at the Not Back to School day hosted by Salina's A Walk in the Park Unschooling Group.

Show and Tell ~ Triplets & Quadruplets!!

Holden and Mackenzie learned a bit about Photoshop from their aunt this summer. Boy was mom surprised when she ended up with quadruplets and triplets!

Show and Tell ~ Earrings

by Evie, age 11

I made some earrings today here are some pics:

Here is a pic of the earrings I made M, they were the 2nd pair I made.

Here is a close up of M's earrings.

This is the pair I made for myself.

Here is a close up of the earrings I made for myself, they were the first pair I made.

This is the pair I made for my mom.