2017 Movie Bucket List

I'm a big fan of old black and white films (think Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds), musicals and theatre! I also love movies based off of children's classical literature (especially when true to the book). But, I'm way behind on the best ofs. So, I'm putting together an ongoing list of must see movies (new and old). It has been fun putting together this list because I've also been able to research the film scores and listen to the soundtracks. My Spotify account is on fire!

My Movie Bucket List for 2017 ~

Disney's, BFG (Music by John Williams) ✓
A Monster Calls (After we read the book written by Patrick Ness.  Music by Alexandre Desplat.)
Disney's, Pete's Dragon (New & old! The original was my all time favorite as a kid.)
Southside with You, directed by Richard Tanne 
Fences, directed by Denzel Washington ( I love Viola Davis!)

David Mamet's, Glengarry Glen Ross ✓
Collateral Beauty (with Will Smith)
Loving, directed by Jeff Nichol's

Fanta, directed by Kunal Kohli

Alfred Hitchcock's, The Birds

The Family, directed by Luc Besson

The Last Five Years (gotta love a modern day musical)

Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson

Hello, Dolly! (I've seen a long, long time ago.)

Rent

Memphis (I'm going to have to see this live!)

Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet

Bad Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby

and Romeo & Juliet

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

Daddy Long Legs

Al Pacino's documentary, Looking for Richard

Men, Women & Children

Tim Burton's Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (I'm usually not into blood and gore, but this movie has come up again and again kind of like a little nudge telling me I must see it. Plus, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman... I've said enough,)

White Christmas (On Netflix!)

Walter Lang's There's No Business Like Show Business

The Life Cycle of Plants

As an introduction to The Life Cycle of Plants we read "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle and began preparing for our Spring garden.  

We went with great-grandma to Home Depot and purchased 2 Burpee seed starting kits and our favorite veggies (ie. kale, green beans, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, etc.)  and herbs.  We followed the directions and watched several videos on youtube including...

This is what we purchased...

We read and followed the instructions...

Planted our seeds...

and created a space for our Herbology 101 class.

While we are waiting for our seeds to sprout we are getting the ground prepared.  More pictures to come!  ;)

For more information on the life cycle of plants and activities check out The Life Cycle of Plants.

Books for teaching about plants at http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/books-teaching-about-plants

a lesson in figure drawing

my children love to draw so much that they often wake up in the morning and before they even eat breakfast they are drawing.  some things they have both been interested in learning how to draw include humans and horses.  so.... i introduced to them, again the ever so clever and brilliant, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the greatest painters of all times, but is also known as the ultimate Renaissance man because he was perhaps the most widely talented person ever to have lived. Da Vinci is now a favorite artist of our family.  

Want to study art history?  How about Da Vinci and the Renaissance Period.   My kids and who am I kidding, myself included thinks he was a genius.  Not only was he a consummate painter and sculptor, he was a great inventor, military engineer, scientist, botanist, and mathematician.

We read "Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?" and watched...

We also discussed our visit to the HIGH Museum of Art a few years back when the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit was there.  Our children were much younger but it made quite an impression on them.  Some other ideas when studying figure drawing include purchasing books on how to draw and to get active as a family by planning a Sketch Family Night and sketch as many drawings as you can.  You could even keep this going and later have an art gallery opening, invite your friends and family and maybe even sale a few drawings and donate the funds to a favorite charity.  

After studying Leonardo da Vinci we began learning about human anatomy (more to come).

Some books we enjoy...

The Fundamentals of Drawing, A Complete Professional Course for ARtists, by Barrington Barber

Drawing with Children, A Creative Methos for Adult Beginners, Too, by Mona Brookes

I Can Draw..., by Terry Longhurst

fall camping at F.D.R

birds chirping

camp fire

roasted marshmallows

wood pecker

endless trails

climbing trees

and endless adventures...

home sweet home

let the adventure begin

documenting and journaling

snuggle bugs

good morning puppy's!

Family switch night

per our children's requests we switch places for family night.  my daughter turned 4 and this was how she wanted to celebrate.  gotta love that!  simple, fun, and filled with laughter

Pretty in pick and ready for the ball.  Check out mommy on the right....
all ready for yoga.  Namaste, YAY!

Silly kids!

A little wrestling action.

I think daddy might of just put Matthew in time out.
I'm guessing that's what the frump frump face is all about.

The birthday girl!

How old?

2 Barbies in a pod.

happy love day!

happy v-day! today is filled with love, as should everyday.  

today, we focused on the importance of  SELF-LOVE.  we can't offer love to others unless we practice loving ourselves. like they say, "drink what we pour".

peter pan family night

Peter Pan family night was a blast!

adventure
and a boy named Peter
pixie dust
and flying
nursery rhymes
and mermaids
pirates
and Indians
3 siblings
and the lost boys
adventure..

Wendy admiring Peter Pan.

Peter Pan flying about.

Wendy reading to the Lost Boys.

Peter with an idea about a game to play.

Wendy sewing on Peter's shadow.

happy Hanukkah!

For family night we celebrated our first Hanukkah.  We created our own menorah and dreidal.  We sang songs, played dreidal, gave thanks, ate a delicious dinner and an even yummier dessert....Latkes!  

I would of LOVED to of made homemade Latkes, but since this celebration was sorta thrown
together I hit up good ole Dunkin Donuts.
I promised our kids next time I will make the real deal.

Our beautiful menorah!

The kids and I searched and searched for a dreidal.  No luck!
So, if you know where I can get one please do share.

Lighting the menorah and saying blessings.