Art, literacy, etc

We went to the arts and crafts group this morning. It was good to meet up with some friends. As part of the session we looked round an exhibition of art featuring lettering and calligraphy, called Living Letters. Now, mention the word calligraphy to me, and I usually start to yawn, but this exhibition had some really good work in it, and was interesting even to a non-reader, like Fugs, which I was a little bit worried about when we first went in. So, if you can interest a non-reader in letters in this way, maybe this could be a great way to start. I thought this was going to be followed up with some illuminated letters, or something lettering-related, printing, perhaps (this also would normally would make me cringe: going to an art class and finding it was actully about writing, but the pictures in the exhibition were inspiring, and made me think differently). But, for some unknown reason, this did not happen and we ended up making neoprene bug-on-a-clothes-peg, which Jem wasn't impressed with, although Fugs enjoyed it no end- and he doesn't usually seem to like the art things I take him to. Maybe it was aimed a little bit young for the group, as he was officially too young to be there. I did have to keep telling people he didn't read and write yet, though, hoping this wouldn't have as bad effect as being expected to be able to do it, IYSWIM. When asked what his favourite picture was, he surprised me by having an opinion about it and chose a photograph of a swirling sparkler trail. Jem chose an amazing layered glass frosty ice picture, which revealed layers of etched scratchy words on a closer inspection.
So this has all not helped my dilemma about trying to change their days at the Montessori. Originally the art class was on a Wednesday, when they are both at school, but Jem had wanted to stop going on a Wednesday, but unfortuntately, it is not possible to move Fugs as the nursery class is pretty much full up. Now the day of the art class has changed, so it is possible to go, but it leaves us with less days at home, plus I would have saved some money changing the number of Jem's days. I keep changing my mind what is really the best thing to do, considering all things. Just before bed she did an impromptu demo of a sort of chant with movement, and then told me that was part of a German lesson, which I thought was good, especially from a native German speaker. I mean, that is something worth doing for a bit, no? I send her partly because she was used to being at school, and partly because I didn't have the confidence at first to do it alone, and now she's started she really likes it, and partly because of having a baby, which makes it difficult for us to do some of the things we might otherwise do, and it gives me a break.
Well, they got out in the snow this morning before we left, and later on. It seemed to have melted in a lot of places, but was still thick on the ground here when another lot came down later on today. They just love the snow. They want it to snow all the time.
Anyway, still managing to keep body and soul together (just). Trying to keep a regular supply of homegrown beansprouts going, (Watch alfalfa growing day by day here!). And homemade hummous is getting more successful I just now need to coincide the sprouts, the hummous and some homemade bread on the same day and we might get a healthy lunch!