Back in Blog-ness!

Wow...it's been way too long since my last post. Now that we have our new computer set up and camera finally installed, I can blog more efficiently! Hooray! It isn't a factory new computer, but new for us. I'm very pleased AND we saved money. That's always good.

Well, we finished our Japan Unit a few weeks ago and we're moving on to Classifying Plants and Animals as part of our KONOS Orderliness Unit. We took last week off to enjoy some time with Daddy. Dan was off for Spring Break and I decided to make it a Spring Break for our homeschool as well.

So, here's what we've been up to since my last post...

making carp windsocks...our finished product...oragami cranes...Hina Matsuri or "Doll Day"...Geisha Laini...

"Pushers-In"

You know how crowded and overpopulated Japan is, but get this - On the subway in Japan there are men whose job is to push the people into the subway car. I never knew that. It's so fun learning right along with the kids. I realize this fact alone will not be on any achievement test, but it helps the kids understand how really crowded it is in Japan. They don't get that there are 127million people in a space a little smaller than California (with a population of 36million, I think). They do get that subway travelers are packed-in like sardines!

We had fun putting on winter gloves and shoving each other into the closet. I also found a video on Youtube of these "pushers-in."

Joey laughed hysterically!

This is the view from inside our "subway car"/front closet.

Honoring Another Culture

Happy St.Patrick's Day! We're busy bees here at the Bondi house studying...Ireland?

Nope, Japan! We are on week 4 of our KONOS Honor unit and we will be studying all about the Japanese culture from their dress and food to the Samurai Warrior and Tea Ceremony. I just wanted to post a few pics we took this morning in our "kimonos." I am wearing an actual kimono and Laini is wearing her Barbie robe with a sash...complete with High School Musical flip flops. lol. Isn't my kimono lovely? My grandmother gave it to me. The obi she gave me is a beautiful fabric (sorry I can't take close-ups) that depicts much of Japanese way of life and the landscape that it is famous for. My father grew up in a military family and lived there for 3 years. He doesn't remember much, as he was just 5 at the time, but he does remember how beautiful the country was outside of the military base. He said it was too difficult to describe to someone else just how breathtaking it was.

The lantern below is just a little decoration to get us thinking "Asian." It's actually from Korea, but I thought it added to our study so I hung one on each end of our curtain rod. They really do light up.

I'll be back soon with more of our "tour of Japan!"