In January we studied the Polar Regions, even though it didn't feel very cold in Oklahoma. We had to make our own snow because there was none here. 
We learned about Penguins and went to the zoo to see them fed. 
We learned about Penguins and went to the zoo to see them fed. There are penguin statues all over the city of Tulsa, all decorated differently. It was an event to raise money for the penguin exhibit at the zoo.
Then a couple of weeks later we had an ice storm that had the schools shut down for three days! Ice covered the trees, and every individual blade of grass! 
It looked really "other-worldly" to me. When the sun shone, the trees looked like they were made of glass. 
Some snow came, though it was really hard to play in. Eric was able to work out a couple of snowmen out of this dry snow.
It looked really "other-worldly" to me. When the sun shone, the trees looked like they were made of glass. Some snow came, though it was really hard to play in. Eric was able to work out a couple of snowmen out of this dry snow.Faith made this one "super"
It's warm again now, and it's hard to believe that we ever had winter!
All the employees came to hear him, then the director of education came and took him to the back where they have a concert grand for recitals and such, and invited him to come and practice whenever he can. 
Then the owner of the store had to come and meet him also. Jared enjoys the fame! 
Our friends the Neals and the Bradley's came with us to "Christmas Around the World" where they had dances and booths from different countries. 
They had food and music from the different places. It was really cool! We enjoyed it. 
Faith danced in the Glenpool Christmas Parade.
Marisa and Eric played in their orchestra's Christmas Concert and did really well.
Marisa's "gag gift" to Eric.
This was our printing press experiment.
Faith doesn't look too sure about hers!
Some of the most amazing minds of the 20th century were Germans: the combustion engine was invented in Germany, Einstein was German. Martin Luther was a 15th century monk who didn’t agree with the all powerful Catholic church and began the Reformation in Germany. He also translated part of the Bible into German. Brahms, Handel, Bach were all Germans. The German Brothers Grimm wrote many famous fairytales, including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, The Pied Piper of Hamelin and others. Germany is full of beautiful castles that I hope to one day go and see! 
Jared built an amazing castle out of cardboard boxes, wrapping paper rolls, egg cartons, and a nut can. He spray painted it, and even built the interior for better playing.
We (and this one was mostly I) built the Neuschwan castle (you've seen this one in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the Disney castles were inspired by it) out of paper. It turned out really great!
We loved learning about Germany through the holidays. We went to a “Kristkindlmarkt” or Christmas market where we bought German food, watched a puppet show, saw St. Nicholas,
heard plenty of people speaking German, 
and ate Schnitzel Sandwiches (yum!). 
We learned a poem called “Schnee! Schnee!” that tells how children love to play in the snow and adults don’t like to drive in it, even in Germany.
and German chocolate cake. 
The Dutch people wear wooden shoes called sabots or klompen to keep their feet dry on the marshy ground. 
Canals go down some of their major streets. Since they are always very near water, the Dutch teach their babies to swim when they are very young. In the winter the canals freeze and children can ice skate on them. 
Some of the people live on houseboats because there is not enough land for housing. They are taxed by square foot of land used so they build their houses very tall and thin going up several stories. Some houses are built on posts to keep them from flooding. The Dutch travel by bicycle and sometimes by boat. The Dutch see themselves as very open to different views. 
Vincent Van Gogh was never happy. He used thick paint and short jabs in his paintings. 
(faith with little cheese just out of it's wax covering)