We've been super busy around here lately with end-of-year school projects. Invention convention, research reports, mini-society and business days, art lessons for me to teach in the classroom, the dance festival, and biography book reports. This mama is ready for summer vacation!
Both Hannah and Nina needed to do a biography book report, and I wanted to think outside of the typical Annie-Oakley-Florence-Nightingale-Marie-Curie box. Hmmmm....how about Audrey Hepburn? Not only is she a classic movie star, but she also (and more importantly) had a kind and giving heart. I thought my girls could learn some good things by reading about her. And let's be honest, another reason I thought Audrey Hepburn would be a winner was the fact that Hannah was required to dress up like the person, and presenting to the class in first-person. Wouldn't she make a perfect Breakfast at Tiffany's beauty?
Well, Hannah didn't like my idea so much. She still read the Audrey Hepburn books we checked out from the library and she loved them, but her Beatles obsession took over and she ended up doing her report on Paul McCartney. So I borrowed a great Beatles wig from my mom's crazy dress up collection and suggested she take her guitar and strum Blackbird (she can play it by heart) as she told about her Paul McCartney life in a British accent. She looked at me with one of those "Are you kidding me?" kind of stares. So obviously my ideas aren't the best in her book anymore, but that's okay. I'll just shed a quiet tear and move on (sniff, sniff). She did end up wearing Ben's black Sunday slacks with a white shirt and black tie, so it was fine. I would've paid money to see her wear that wig, play the guitar and speak with an accent though! Hannah's friend who did J.R.R. Tolkien wore a corduroy suit jacket, brought a pipe, and strolled around the room telling about the famous novelist in a full British accent, "I smoked a pipe for years and years, became ill with a lung disease, and then I died." Oh my gosh! "See Hannah? An accent would have been SO great!" I said. Another friend of hers did Tim Burton and of course wore black and white stripes. How fun!
Okay, back to Audrey...at least one child still likes my ideas. Nina absolutely loved reading this charming picture book, Just Being Audrey. We sat on the front steps at sunset, admiring all her movie costumes and reading about all the good things Audrey did to help other people. Such a beautifully illustrated little book, definitely one to add to the permanent collection. Nina decided she wants to be Audrey Hepburn for Halloween this year, so I'm excited to pull that together!
Nina's report was a small paper cube with facts written on each side, and she was supposed to put something her famous person would treasure inside of it. Since Audrey was a ballerina when she was younger, Barbie ballet shoes seemed appropriate and they fit perfectly inside. Ta-da! Cross another project off the to-do list.
P.S. Another book we skimmed through just for fun was Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit, written by her son Sean. Full of photos. Loved it!
