Katie has decided that we should have tea every day at 4pm. I've had to moved that to 3:30pm so everyone will still be hungry for dinner at 6:30.
So, every day that we can, we sit down as a family and have tea or hot milk (Zack doesn't like tea), some tea biscuits, maybe some fruit and cheese and spend a nice half hour eating, sipping and chatting. Katie heads up the effort, keeping track of the time and reminding Pete or me to put the water on to boil.
We especially like Marie biscuits, that absorb the liquid and then suddenly puff up. You have to time it just right to wait for the puff but retrieve it before it breaks up and sinks.
That time of day is a real challenge for me and to give myself permission to relax and refresh for a few minutes has made a big difference in my mental attitude. We also get to enjoy having Pete working from home. Often, he is downstairs in his office and we're upstairs or out and about without him but he's made an effort to make the time to join us for tea.
I can easily discount how important these family rituals are. Tea time has reminded me how much better we all do when we take time out to gather around the table all together.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Been making stuff
Well, no time for a proper post--again--I have seen the acupuncturist and am already feeling better and hopefully my mood will improve too! Here are some projects the kids have been working on:
Plates we made at our Friday group. Actually made these in December, but it took a while to get them back.
Katie has learned to weave lanyard, or boondoggle, so get ready for lots of keychains!
We got a lot of snow last week, which didn't last long but was the deepest snow the kids have seen in a very long time. A neighbor friend helped build the tunnel and adaptation on a design originally meant to be an igloo.
Zack BS troop is making things out of different materials to earn an Arrow Point, here's his Stegosaurus and vintage car models.
And, it's Pinewood Derby time! Actually it was supposed to be last week, but was delayed by the snow. Here's what it looked like before and after adding the tiger stripes. Dad helped a little ;-)
Plates we made at our Friday group. Actually made these in December, but it took a while to get them back.
Katie has learned to weave lanyard, or boondoggle, so get ready for lots of keychains!
We got a lot of snow last week, which didn't last long but was the deepest snow the kids have seen in a very long time. A neighbor friend helped build the tunnel and adaptation on a design originally meant to be an igloo.
Zack BS troop is making things out of different materials to earn an Arrow Point, here's his Stegosaurus and vintage car models.
And, it's Pinewood Derby time! Actually it was supposed to be last week, but was delayed by the snow. Here's what it looked like before and after adding the tiger stripes. Dad helped a little ;-)
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
A Post
I've been neglecting this blog for a while and have to say I don't much feel like writing now but feel like I have to before it goes completely dark.
I've been suffering from almost daily headaches for the past month or so and they have been wiping me out and making it very difficult to organize our days. Things are going fine with the kids, but I'm wiped by the end of the day, often with a pounding head. Pete has had to step in to make dinner several times while I lay down. This is becoming very depressing and so at last I've decided to do something about it. I have the names of a few acupuncturists and will be making an appointment soon. I got about two year's relief the last time I saw one, so it is definitely time to try it out again.
Some quick updates--
Had a playdate with the aptly named Goodharts. Sadly, our schedules don't mesh very well, so it was fairly short but very nice. Both Zack and Nick like to play alone, so they say hi and then play next to each other for a while. Katie and Becca play very nicely together and include the boys when they feel like being part of the group. Christopher is still little and so just enjoys the hubbub of everone running around. I'm getting to know Angela better and it's relaxing to sit and chat over tea and cookies while the kids play. I've also been spoiled since she's been nice enough to have us to their house and I don't have to prep anything.
Spent Super Bowl Sunday at the Marts' and enjoyed cheap fun at the bowling alley's $1 shoes and game day. Good thing it was only a dollar if I was going to play that badly! Nanci put us all to shame, although none of us were up to LI levels. Nathan is great too, but we didn't get to see his true form with no bumpers. There's definitely Island blood in that kid though.
Zack and Kate are now at the Red Cross level 3 swimming class and doing nicely in the deep end. Wish I had a picture of Zack's proud face when he finished doing laps in the 12' end. Katie has never had any fear in the water but now she has the skills to back up the confidence.
I got a new math curriculum called Math U See and so far I'm loving it. It's the first curriculum I could actually understand. (Most times curricula make me feel like I've walked into the middle of a conversation and have missed the crucial information on what everyone's talking about.) The kids like the manipulatives (blocks) and I like the way the lessons are organized.
We got to see the baby Panda again on Tuesday and he was in great form. Very visible and doing tons of cute baby-animal things. As a matter of fact, we got lucky all over the zoo. A huge orangutan came right up to the window to snack and the kids got to explore the reptile discovery room, which we have never seen open. It was a terrific day made all the better because our friends the McKinleys were able to join us.
Went on a nice field trip to the DC Aquarium where a class had been arranged for the kids. It's a tiny aquarium but nice and we were able to walk over to the Nat. History museum to see the new mammal exhibit again and take more time this time. Thanks go to Laurel for setting up the trip and for sharing some of her shark teeth with the kids.
Katie made a neat invention call The Drinker, which serves up water and cups to the thirsty masses. The tricky part was the lock, but she came up with a kind of buttonhole idea and I contributed an arrow-shaped tab to slip through.
It's hard to see it, but the tab is in Zack's hand and the hole for it is in the left side of the box. There are cups attached at the other side to grab and fill and extra cups and H2O inside.
That's all I can think of. Let us know what you're up to too. xoxoxoxo
I've been suffering from almost daily headaches for the past month or so and they have been wiping me out and making it very difficult to organize our days. Things are going fine with the kids, but I'm wiped by the end of the day, often with a pounding head. Pete has had to step in to make dinner several times while I lay down. This is becoming very depressing and so at last I've decided to do something about it. I have the names of a few acupuncturists and will be making an appointment soon. I got about two year's relief the last time I saw one, so it is definitely time to try it out again.
Some quick updates--
Had a playdate with the aptly named Goodharts. Sadly, our schedules don't mesh very well, so it was fairly short but very nice. Both Zack and Nick like to play alone, so they say hi and then play next to each other for a while. Katie and Becca play very nicely together and include the boys when they feel like being part of the group. Christopher is still little and so just enjoys the hubbub of everone running around. I'm getting to know Angela better and it's relaxing to sit and chat over tea and cookies while the kids play. I've also been spoiled since she's been nice enough to have us to their house and I don't have to prep anything.
Spent Super Bowl Sunday at the Marts' and enjoyed cheap fun at the bowling alley's $1 shoes and game day. Good thing it was only a dollar if I was going to play that badly! Nanci put us all to shame, although none of us were up to LI levels. Nathan is great too, but we didn't get to see his true form with no bumpers. There's definitely Island blood in that kid though.
Zack and Kate are now at the Red Cross level 3 swimming class and doing nicely in the deep end. Wish I had a picture of Zack's proud face when he finished doing laps in the 12' end. Katie has never had any fear in the water but now she has the skills to back up the confidence.
I got a new math curriculum called Math U See and so far I'm loving it. It's the first curriculum I could actually understand. (Most times curricula make me feel like I've walked into the middle of a conversation and have missed the crucial information on what everyone's talking about.) The kids like the manipulatives (blocks) and I like the way the lessons are organized.
We got to see the baby Panda again on Tuesday and he was in great form. Very visible and doing tons of cute baby-animal things. As a matter of fact, we got lucky all over the zoo. A huge orangutan came right up to the window to snack and the kids got to explore the reptile discovery room, which we have never seen open. It was a terrific day made all the better because our friends the McKinleys were able to join us.
Went on a nice field trip to the DC Aquarium where a class had been arranged for the kids. It's a tiny aquarium but nice and we were able to walk over to the Nat. History museum to see the new mammal exhibit again and take more time this time. Thanks go to Laurel for setting up the trip and for sharing some of her shark teeth with the kids.
Katie made a neat invention call The Drinker, which serves up water and cups to the thirsty masses. The tricky part was the lock, but she came up with a kind of buttonhole idea and I contributed an arrow-shaped tab to slip through.
It's hard to see it, but the tab is in Zack's hand and the hole for it is in the left side of the box. There are cups attached at the other side to grab and fill and extra cups and H2O inside.
That's all I can think of. Let us know what you're up to too. xoxoxoxo
Friday, January 20, 2006
Friday--already?
How did it get to be Friday again? The week, once again, flew.
This week was a bit more focused on academics and group meetings. I wanted to up the math and get back to more like our September schedule. The sked didn't exactly work out, but they did do a lot more math-related activities this week. They do amaze me with how far they come in-between "formal" lessons. They are getting the hang of carrying the one and Zack did very well with fractions in the math program. Katie is flying through the program again too. They both have a horror of making mistakes though. So, I've been insisting that they at least guess at an answer before I step in to help. Half they time they ending up telling me they don't need me after all.
For outings, we headed to church on Monday to celebrate MLK day. There was a combined service with our church, and Catholic and Baptist churches. The kids had spent the night with friends and were too tired to sit for the whole thing, but I'm glad they got to see some of it.
The zoo is our new regular Tuesday morning outing. This time we started at the top of the zoo and spent the morning in the bird house. We rarely go to the bird house and it was nice to take the time to do only that. After that, we got cold and hungry and went home for lunch.
Wednesday I headed to yoga, leaving the kids with Pete then they had swim. Instead of heading to the library we snuggled in bed and read books to each other until I came down with a grinding headache and had to have some sleep. While I slept, Kate and Zack read and played with his new slot car set, care of the Marts (thanks, it's great!). Katie has also been covered in sweet-smelling perfume which also came from the Marts (p-u?).
Zack's newest Lego creation:
Thursday we met with a newly forming game group with hopes that the kids would hone their chess playing skills, however, they were both too timid to play with anyone and bickered so much playing each other that it was hardly worth it. It was nice to meet the other two families but not sure what we'll do in the future if the kids won't play.
Thursday has also become Ivy-Pull Day! I'm LOVING my new hedge clippers, which make it a do-able job now. It's going pretty well. I think we'll be able to get the front-side of the house done by spring which will be a good time to plant in the grassy stuff and bulbs I want to put in its place and also give the azalea a chance to bloom without being strangled.
Here's our progress so far:
Today was our regular Arlington group. We now meet at a firehouse and the captain was nice enough to do a presentation for the kids. He put on all his gear, answered the many questions asked and showed us the firetruck. The kids got to sit inside the truck and once again I did not have my camera. Typical me.
In other news--they will start taking Spanish class over at the school starting next week. It seemed expensive at first glance and then I started to see prices of other classes go by and this one got very attractive. Found a lot of good science experiments to try on the ZOOM Web site and found a nice multiplication lesson plan site which we'll begin late next month.
Currently, Katie's working on the math program and Zack is tackling a clean up of the basement. I'll be sending them outside soon though, too gorgeous out to waste away indoors.
This week was a bit more focused on academics and group meetings. I wanted to up the math and get back to more like our September schedule. The sked didn't exactly work out, but they did do a lot more math-related activities this week. They do amaze me with how far they come in-between "formal" lessons. They are getting the hang of carrying the one and Zack did very well with fractions in the math program. Katie is flying through the program again too. They both have a horror of making mistakes though. So, I've been insisting that they at least guess at an answer before I step in to help. Half they time they ending up telling me they don't need me after all.
For outings, we headed to church on Monday to celebrate MLK day. There was a combined service with our church, and Catholic and Baptist churches. The kids had spent the night with friends and were too tired to sit for the whole thing, but I'm glad they got to see some of it.
The zoo is our new regular Tuesday morning outing. This time we started at the top of the zoo and spent the morning in the bird house. We rarely go to the bird house and it was nice to take the time to do only that. After that, we got cold and hungry and went home for lunch.
Wednesday I headed to yoga, leaving the kids with Pete then they had swim. Instead of heading to the library we snuggled in bed and read books to each other until I came down with a grinding headache and had to have some sleep. While I slept, Kate and Zack read and played with his new slot car set, care of the Marts (thanks, it's great!). Katie has also been covered in sweet-smelling perfume which also came from the Marts (p-u?).
Zack's newest Lego creation:
Thursday we met with a newly forming game group with hopes that the kids would hone their chess playing skills, however, they were both too timid to play with anyone and bickered so much playing each other that it was hardly worth it. It was nice to meet the other two families but not sure what we'll do in the future if the kids won't play.
Thursday has also become Ivy-Pull Day! I'm LOVING my new hedge clippers, which make it a do-able job now. It's going pretty well. I think we'll be able to get the front-side of the house done by spring which will be a good time to plant in the grassy stuff and bulbs I want to put in its place and also give the azalea a chance to bloom without being strangled.
Here's our progress so far:
Today was our regular Arlington group. We now meet at a firehouse and the captain was nice enough to do a presentation for the kids. He put on all his gear, answered the many questions asked and showed us the firetruck. The kids got to sit inside the truck and once again I did not have my camera. Typical me.
In other news--they will start taking Spanish class over at the school starting next week. It seemed expensive at first glance and then I started to see prices of other classes go by and this one got very attractive. Found a lot of good science experiments to try on the ZOOM Web site and found a nice multiplication lesson plan site which we'll begin late next month.
Currently, Katie's working on the math program and Zack is tackling a clean up of the basement. I'll be sending them outside soon though, too gorgeous out to waste away indoors.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
A week
I had a tough week of teacher anxiety. It wasn't helped by Pete being away and me not getting to bed at a decent hour.
So, let's see, what did we do this week? Maybe I'll feel better if I see it all written down:
Mon--
Pete left for San Diego.
We went to see a children's singer at Jammin Java. Great place, Pete's old band used to play there a lot. The kids danced a lot and really had a great time.
After that, we came home and did--what? Cozied up in bed and read books to each other. Katie had Brownies after dinner and Zack and I played chess while she was gone.
Tues--
The zoo. All day. Really nice weather and no one else there. I let the kids play on the big pizza at the farm for a very long time, until too many little ones came to play. We didn't have to be anywhere else so I tried very hard to tame (heh heh) my habit of rushing us around and let the kids take their time. We didn't get to see everything but we did get to see the handlers feed the octopus, which made it come out from the corner its usually tucked into and also got to see a couple of deer just outside the Think Tank windows. We were able to get up very close to them from inside and we sat on the floor and watched them for a good long while. Man, they chew their food. It seemed like they worked on the same mouthful for the entire time we watched.
In the afternoon, we watched the next installment in the Private Life of Plant series we've been working our way through. Only one more of these to go, I think, then we'll start on something about evolution if I can find something good.
Tuesday night Zack had scouts and Katie and I played games.
Wed--
Incredibly busy day of running from one thing to the next.
I didn't want to skip my yoga class, so I packed up the kids and the portable DVD player and they sat outside the door while I got a nice dose of serenity. The teacher, John Giunta, played a bamboo flute during meditation and I asked him after class if the kids could take a look at it. He was very nice about it and took a few minutes to explain a bit about how it was made, how it's played and how/why the sound changes when you cover the holes. I want the kids to ask people about the things they like to do, so I appreciated John taking the time to chat.
Home for a few minutes and then off to swim class. This class is great! It turns out that Kate and Zack are the only two in the class, so it's like getting private lessons for cheap. The kids and I like the teacher too. She's involved in scouting and is very willing to fill out the forms to help the kids get their sports badges.
Next, home again and then off to the library for Miss Ginny's ready readers program and to take our time picking out new books to bring home.
Thurs--
It was nice out and we had no plans, so it was time to start in on the ivy-pull I've been trying to get done for about two years now. I talked about invasive vs. native plants and explained that even though it seemed strange, pulling the ivy actually helps our garden. After the explanation, they felt better about pulling and decided to act as anti-invasive ivy super heroes and they did a nice job clearing out a patch of the yard. I am LOVING my hedge trimmer, which I'm using to get through the ivy roots and shoots. I don't think we could get it done entirely by hand and don't want to use the very strong herbicide except where absolutely necessary.
After that, we washed up and Zack went to work on some legos and Katie worked on something, but I don't remember what....
Katie had dance in the late afternoon and Zack and I hung out in the playroom.
Fri--
In the morning we had a chat about the ones, tens and hundreds place AGAIN and it is still taking time to sink in. This time I tried it with pennies and dimes to see if that would help. I'd like to move them on to two-digit addition with numbers adding to more than ten but without the ones and tens place, I can't figure out how to get them to pick up carrying the one. I had worksheets I was going to have them do in the afternoon to follow up, but decided it would be better if I let the morning's lesson sink in for the weekend and see what stuck on Monday.
Experience tells me that this will come with time, but math is just kicking my ass in the wee hours of the morning. I hate when that happens because I know that the following day I have this air of desperation about me when we go over the work.
Later in the morning we had a meet up with the Arlington HS group at our new location. I like the room a lot and the kids had a good time. I'm so glad we found this group. I enjoy all the moms and their kids too.
The afternoon was devoted to getting the house straightened out so Pete didn't pass out when he got home. Actually, the house wasn't all that bad just a lot of clutter.
Pete got in on Friday night in time to say goodbye to Katie as we were heading her over to a Brownie sleepover. She was nervous about going, but as soon as she got there she was fine and eager to see me off. It was weird having Zack in bed here and not Katie.
Pete and Zack worked on Zack's pinebox derby car design because...
Saturday--
...there was a workshop for building pbd cars. Zack's is looking great, just needs paint and wheels and something about a weight that I'm glad Pete is handling.
I went to pick up Katie from the sleepover and we went out for a mom/daughter breakfast, then hung out at home for an hour before FINALLY taking everything off the Christmas tree and putting all the decorations away.
OK, I do feel better about the week. It all flies by so quickly it can feel like we didn't really do anything. I am still worried about math. They've both gone through the computer program twice and don't want to do it again, but I know they need more practice on the skills. Multiplication is also looming near and they have to learn the tables before I can move them to that section of the program. Guess I need to do a bit of research on introducing times tables so that I feel like I have some guidance. Also need to get to bed by 10 more often so I can get my head cleared of worry and be able to plan out the work ahead. It's always something.
The hugs and smiles are still worth it. :-)
So, let's see, what did we do this week? Maybe I'll feel better if I see it all written down:
Mon--
Pete left for San Diego.
We went to see a children's singer at Jammin Java. Great place, Pete's old band used to play there a lot. The kids danced a lot and really had a great time.
After that, we came home and did--what? Cozied up in bed and read books to each other. Katie had Brownies after dinner and Zack and I played chess while she was gone.
Tues--
The zoo. All day. Really nice weather and no one else there. I let the kids play on the big pizza at the farm for a very long time, until too many little ones came to play. We didn't have to be anywhere else so I tried very hard to tame (heh heh) my habit of rushing us around and let the kids take their time. We didn't get to see everything but we did get to see the handlers feed the octopus, which made it come out from the corner its usually tucked into and also got to see a couple of deer just outside the Think Tank windows. We were able to get up very close to them from inside and we sat on the floor and watched them for a good long while. Man, they chew their food. It seemed like they worked on the same mouthful for the entire time we watched.
In the afternoon, we watched the next installment in the Private Life of Plant series we've been working our way through. Only one more of these to go, I think, then we'll start on something about evolution if I can find something good.
Tuesday night Zack had scouts and Katie and I played games.
Wed--
Incredibly busy day of running from one thing to the next.
I didn't want to skip my yoga class, so I packed up the kids and the portable DVD player and they sat outside the door while I got a nice dose of serenity. The teacher, John Giunta, played a bamboo flute during meditation and I asked him after class if the kids could take a look at it. He was very nice about it and took a few minutes to explain a bit about how it was made, how it's played and how/why the sound changes when you cover the holes. I want the kids to ask people about the things they like to do, so I appreciated John taking the time to chat.
Home for a few minutes and then off to swim class. This class is great! It turns out that Kate and Zack are the only two in the class, so it's like getting private lessons for cheap. The kids and I like the teacher too. She's involved in scouting and is very willing to fill out the forms to help the kids get their sports badges.
Next, home again and then off to the library for Miss Ginny's ready readers program and to take our time picking out new books to bring home.
Thurs--
It was nice out and we had no plans, so it was time to start in on the ivy-pull I've been trying to get done for about two years now. I talked about invasive vs. native plants and explained that even though it seemed strange, pulling the ivy actually helps our garden. After the explanation, they felt better about pulling and decided to act as anti-invasive ivy super heroes and they did a nice job clearing out a patch of the yard. I am LOVING my hedge trimmer, which I'm using to get through the ivy roots and shoots. I don't think we could get it done entirely by hand and don't want to use the very strong herbicide except where absolutely necessary.
After that, we washed up and Zack went to work on some legos and Katie worked on something, but I don't remember what....
Katie had dance in the late afternoon and Zack and I hung out in the playroom.
Fri--
In the morning we had a chat about the ones, tens and hundreds place AGAIN and it is still taking time to sink in. This time I tried it with pennies and dimes to see if that would help. I'd like to move them on to two-digit addition with numbers adding to more than ten but without the ones and tens place, I can't figure out how to get them to pick up carrying the one. I had worksheets I was going to have them do in the afternoon to follow up, but decided it would be better if I let the morning's lesson sink in for the weekend and see what stuck on Monday.
Experience tells me that this will come with time, but math is just kicking my ass in the wee hours of the morning. I hate when that happens because I know that the following day I have this air of desperation about me when we go over the work.
Later in the morning we had a meet up with the Arlington HS group at our new location. I like the room a lot and the kids had a good time. I'm so glad we found this group. I enjoy all the moms and their kids too.
The afternoon was devoted to getting the house straightened out so Pete didn't pass out when he got home. Actually, the house wasn't all that bad just a lot of clutter.
Pete got in on Friday night in time to say goodbye to Katie as we were heading her over to a Brownie sleepover. She was nervous about going, but as soon as she got there she was fine and eager to see me off. It was weird having Zack in bed here and not Katie.
Pete and Zack worked on Zack's pinebox derby car design because...
Saturday--
...there was a workshop for building pbd cars. Zack's is looking great, just needs paint and wheels and something about a weight that I'm glad Pete is handling.
I went to pick up Katie from the sleepover and we went out for a mom/daughter breakfast, then hung out at home for an hour before FINALLY taking everything off the Christmas tree and putting all the decorations away.
OK, I do feel better about the week. It all flies by so quickly it can feel like we didn't really do anything. I am still worried about math. They've both gone through the computer program twice and don't want to do it again, but I know they need more practice on the skills. Multiplication is also looming near and they have to learn the tables before I can move them to that section of the program. Guess I need to do a bit of research on introducing times tables so that I feel like I have some guidance. Also need to get to bed by 10 more often so I can get my head cleared of worry and be able to plan out the work ahead. It's always something.
The hugs and smiles are still worth it. :-)
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Normal?
Katie and Zack as Wise People at the UUCA pageant
It's nice to get back to normal this week--whatever normal is around here. With luck, my brain might even start functioning by Friday. For the past two weeks I've barely been able to put together a coherent sentence. Feel like we have been pedal to the metal since Halloween, so I didn't make any plans beyond what was already on the calendar.
Tuesday we had our first food co-op pick up. It was funny to see how little I had ordered in comparison to everyone else. Some had entire van-loads of stuff. I'm sure we'll up our orders as I figure out what everything listed in the catalogue really is.
There was lots of mud in the yard where the pick up took place and Kate and Zack got pretty filthy but they had a good time and they wash up fairly easily.
Today I was back to yoga class with my old teacher and an hour and a half class. I really missed it. Wish I could fit in two days a week, but can't carve out the time yet. I'll keep it in my thoughts and something should come up eventually.
So, we're back to Brownies and Scouts, library, dance and a new swim class (was able to find a 12:30 class Wed afternoons for them), yoga and church babysitting for me, travel for Pete and a possible tae kwon do class for Zack (also an afternoon class). Mix in some math, reading and other stuff, field trips and HS community gathering and we are back off to the races.
[By the way, Zack seems to have learned the 2 times tables all on his own and is working through the 5s nicely too with a new Leap Frog game they got for Christmas.]
Still trying to weed out the best from all the good that's out there and make time to just hang at home on occasion.
2006. Bring it on.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Ho Ho Ho
Keeping busy leading into the holidays. Decided to skip the Zoo event last Saturday. Needed a day with nothing schedule, especially since Pete had to be in Provo all week :-(
Lots of stuff to take care of at home this week. Baked several dozen cookies and another apple pie (the rest of the apples will become apple sauce on Monday).
We also made animal keychains from a bead kit. Zack especially liked doing this, which was a big change from the past when he would complain about hand fatigue. It was a great activity for fine motor, design and following directions. Had to go over the directions several times with Katie before she would actually pay attention but she tuned in after she had to re-string the same strand twice over.
We also, after several days delay, made homemade clay ornaments. I mean that the clay was homemade too. Have had the recipe (corn starch and baking soda) for a very long time but never carved out a day to use it. It looks really cool when it heats up. It fizzes and bubbles then gets thick. Then it dries and looks a lot like cookie dough. I decided to dry them by placing on a cookie sheet and putting them in the oven on low. Didn't know it would be such a challenge to get them back off the cookie sheet!
We painted them up today:
Nice, huh?
There was also snow to play in, rain to slog in and a trip to a nature center for a presentation on how animals prepare for winter. The weather cooperated so it was a great day for it. Also, they didn't need all of the adults to hover and I was able to chat with some of the other parents. This is through a new HS group we've been doing things with. It's much smaller than the park group we had been attending and it's been good for all of us to see the same folks each week. There's more of a community feeling.
Have also joined a new food coop with a lot of these families. They offer bulk orders of the same stuff carried in Whole Foods, but at discounted prices. Email me if you want to know more.
Doubt I'll update this again before the holidays, so enjoy the season.
Lots of stuff to take care of at home this week. Baked several dozen cookies and another apple pie (the rest of the apples will become apple sauce on Monday).
We also made animal keychains from a bead kit. Zack especially liked doing this, which was a big change from the past when he would complain about hand fatigue. It was a great activity for fine motor, design and following directions. Had to go over the directions several times with Katie before she would actually pay attention but she tuned in after she had to re-string the same strand twice over.
We also, after several days delay, made homemade clay ornaments. I mean that the clay was homemade too. Have had the recipe (corn starch and baking soda) for a very long time but never carved out a day to use it. It looks really cool when it heats up. It fizzes and bubbles then gets thick. Then it dries and looks a lot like cookie dough. I decided to dry them by placing on a cookie sheet and putting them in the oven on low. Didn't know it would be such a challenge to get them back off the cookie sheet!
We painted them up today:
Nice, huh?
There was also snow to play in, rain to slog in and a trip to a nature center for a presentation on how animals prepare for winter. The weather cooperated so it was a great day for it. Also, they didn't need all of the adults to hover and I was able to chat with some of the other parents. This is through a new HS group we've been doing things with. It's much smaller than the park group we had been attending and it's been good for all of us to see the same folks each week. There's more of a community feeling.
Have also joined a new food coop with a lot of these families. They offer bulk orders of the same stuff carried in Whole Foods, but at discounted prices. Email me if you want to know more.
Doubt I'll update this again before the holidays, so enjoy the season.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Down Under
We were able to see the show at Discovery Theatre and it was a very small crowd so all of our group got to participate in one way or another, which was nice. I was glad we went over the items in the teachers guide before we went, rather than after. Worked out better that way.
Today we went to the National Aquarium's new Australia exhibit. Pete was able to come too and we had a terrific time. It was smaller than I imagined it would be, considering how long it took to build, but it is a great exhibit. Plus, because this was a preview for members, we there were only 2 other people in there with us. We got to talk to all the docents, who pointed out that we should look up and around in addition to looking in the tanks. This was great advice, we would not have wanted to miss the large fruit bat, called a flyig fox to give you and idea of the size, hanging from the rafters! (My friend Julie is now saying to herself that SHE could easily have missed that!) There were also kookaburras and strange trees that drop seeds that look like candy corn into the water for the turtles to eat. It really was great.
The rest of the aquarium was also very empty. I'd say we saw maybe 6 other people. It's amazing how fast you can get through the whole building when no one is blocking your way!
On our way across the building we saw a man carrying a large didgeridoo, an native Australian horn-type instrument. Pete and I walked on by, but seconds later we heard the guy playing it and turned around to find Zack talking to the musician. We all thanked him for the demonstration. Kudos to Zack for stepping up to ask him. This is just what I want the kids--well, all of us really--to be doing. What better way to learn about something than from the people who love to do it?
Today we went to the National Aquarium's new Australia exhibit. Pete was able to come too and we had a terrific time. It was smaller than I imagined it would be, considering how long it took to build, but it is a great exhibit. Plus, because this was a preview for members, we there were only 2 other people in there with us. We got to talk to all the docents, who pointed out that we should look up and around in addition to looking in the tanks. This was great advice, we would not have wanted to miss the large fruit bat, called a flyig fox to give you and idea of the size, hanging from the rafters! (My friend Julie is now saying to herself that SHE could easily have missed that!) There were also kookaburras and strange trees that drop seeds that look like candy corn into the water for the turtles to eat. It really was great.
The rest of the aquarium was also very empty. I'd say we saw maybe 6 other people. It's amazing how fast you can get through the whole building when no one is blocking your way!
On our way across the building we saw a man carrying a large didgeridoo, an native Australian horn-type instrument. Pete and I walked on by, but seconds later we heard the guy playing it and turned around to find Zack talking to the musician. We all thanked him for the demonstration. Kudos to Zack for stepping up to ask him. This is just what I want the kids--well, all of us really--to be doing. What better way to learn about something than from the people who love to do it?
Monday, December 05, 2005
Holidays
We're going to a play at the Smithsonian Discovery Theatre tomorrow about all the winter holidays and I discovered a teacher's guide for it online. It had a good explanation of the solstice and several winter holidays such as Divali, a Hindu new year/harvest celebration; Kwaanza, an African American cultural holiday; Ramadan, Hanukkah and Christmas.
We made some Rangoli for Divali, these are decorative drawings to show the journey of the goddess and are symmetrical (Katie's has the hearts):
and Kwaanza mats, which have 7 lines for the 7 ethics the holiday celebrates and they are used to place under the candles lit for each night of the holiday (Zack's is on the left):
I think they'll get more out of the play--IF we get to see it tomorrow. It snowing fairly hard-for Virginia-and it's possible the city will shut down.
If so, we'll just have to study weather and build snow folks!
We made some Rangoli for Divali, these are decorative drawings to show the journey of the goddess and are symmetrical (Katie's has the hearts):
and Kwaanza mats, which have 7 lines for the 7 ethics the holiday celebrates and they are used to place under the candles lit for each night of the holiday (Zack's is on the left):
I think they'll get more out of the play--IF we get to see it tomorrow. It snowing fairly hard-for Virginia-and it's possible the city will shut down.
If so, we'll just have to study weather and build snow folks!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Pie
Mmmm...
Apple pie tastes even better when you've picked the apples yourself and made the pie at home to eat warm from the oven.
A fairly academic day. Leaf raking, piling, jumping and bagging this morning. The air is chilly. Good for yard work.
Off to the computer for math and the kitchen table for story writing. I'm trying to figure out how to get the stories up on this site. They are illustrated and I want you to be able to see them for yourself. Have to give that some thought.
Then apple pie-making. However, Zack got kicked off the project for not following directions and had to pull some laundry duty instead. We all got to eat the pie when it was baked though.
A very sweet day today. All had to go to Katie's dance class and afterwards we ran over to the Dairy Godmother (formerly the Del Ray Dreamery) for Brat Night, where we ate--what else?--Bratwurst and listened to--what else?--accordion music. After dinner we couldn't resist the great frozen custard the shop is really in business to sell. Katie made an instant friend who was just as friendly as she is and likes all the same things. A match made in Heaven.
Have a sweet day yourself.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Postcard Geography
Is so fun! The postcards have been coming in since September but I had trouble finding a laminated map. Needed it to be laminated so we could plot out all the small towns and easily hang the postcards along the sides.
As you can see, we are heavy on the east coast, but it's still very fun to read about all the towns and states. Plus, we're learning about geography, which I need more than anyone :-)
THANKS again to Nanci for lending us a couple of maps to use.
As you can see, we are heavy on the east coast, but it's still very fun to read about all the towns and states. Plus, we're learning about geography, which I need more than anyone :-)
THANKS again to Nanci for lending us a couple of maps to use.
Monday, November 21, 2005
And he went wherever I did go...
There are fish in the fish tank! Yay!!!
We have started with four. We'll give them some time to get the tank going and then add four more later. Katie picked out two--Angel (the 2nd) and I think she settled on mermaid for the other. Zack picked Archie (the 2nd) and Spot.
They seem happy. We went to a real fish store this time, since the last time the fish from Walmart were so sick. These seemed to at least come from a healthy tank.
So happy to have pets again, even if they are just fish.
Saturday we went over to church to help bake bread for the Sunday Thanksgiving service. It was such fun. Here's kneading the dough and after the first rise:
Even though I know the dough will rise, I still am shocked when I see it.
We tasted a small loaf that day, but didn't get to try the ones we made until Sunday. It was so good. We really ought to make bread at home more often.
What did that title mean anyway?
We have started with four. We'll give them some time to get the tank going and then add four more later. Katie picked out two--Angel (the 2nd) and I think she settled on mermaid for the other. Zack picked Archie (the 2nd) and Spot.
They seem happy. We went to a real fish store this time, since the last time the fish from Walmart were so sick. These seemed to at least come from a healthy tank.
So happy to have pets again, even if they are just fish.
Saturday we went over to church to help bake bread for the Sunday Thanksgiving service. It was such fun. Here's kneading the dough and after the first rise:
Even though I know the dough will rise, I still am shocked when I see it.
We tasted a small loaf that day, but didn't get to try the ones we made until Sunday. It was so good. We really ought to make bread at home more often.
What did that title mean anyway?
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Thank Goodnes for Girl Friends
I got great advice (and commiseration) from several good friends about the playground incident and of course, the solution lies with speaking to Katie and not the other kids. I talked to her yesterday about some choices she can make and let her know she deserves to receive nice treatment, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to repeat this conversation, but if she hears it enough times, I hope it will sink in.
Special thanks to Allison, Julie and Ivanna for helping me get my head screwed back on right :-)
Our Friday playdate had to be re-scheduled at the last minute, which left us with the whole day. That worked out nicely, since there were lots of projects hanging out there that we hadn't gotten to.
Katie finished the math program! She is incredibly proud of herself, and should be--she worked hard. It took me a while to figure out how to control the difficulty level, so she was handling a lot of mixed fractions and shedding a lot of frustration tears before I could make it more on-level.
Zack is heading through the program for the second time and for him it's now getting very challenging. His was set up to stay at the easiest level for the whole game the first time through, so he breezed through it in two weeks. This time he's having to work at it and also work on his patience levels.
We made some nice votive holders, which we'll give as gifts on Thanksgiving. Crafts are still daunting to me, but this one was very easy and both kids liked it. Zack even announced that he enjoys crafts--news to me!
The one with the white streaks will dry to look like the frosted one on the right. Fun with white glue, stickers and glitter glue. Oh no!--Just realized I forgot to wash out those paintbrushes.
Oh well.
Also set up the fish tank. No fish yet, just getting the filter going. Pete was happy to notice that the filter is really quiet, since the tank is in the living room and basically just outside our bedroom door.
Cold weather is here, so I think the fish will make a nice indoor project for us.
Special thanks to Allison, Julie and Ivanna for helping me get my head screwed back on right :-)
Our Friday playdate had to be re-scheduled at the last minute, which left us with the whole day. That worked out nicely, since there were lots of projects hanging out there that we hadn't gotten to.
Katie finished the math program! She is incredibly proud of herself, and should be--she worked hard. It took me a while to figure out how to control the difficulty level, so she was handling a lot of mixed fractions and shedding a lot of frustration tears before I could make it more on-level.
Zack is heading through the program for the second time and for him it's now getting very challenging. His was set up to stay at the easiest level for the whole game the first time through, so he breezed through it in two weeks. This time he's having to work at it and also work on his patience levels.
We made some nice votive holders, which we'll give as gifts on Thanksgiving. Crafts are still daunting to me, but this one was very easy and both kids liked it. Zack even announced that he enjoys crafts--news to me!The one with the white streaks will dry to look like the frosted one on the right. Fun with white glue, stickers and glitter glue. Oh no!--Just realized I forgot to wash out those paintbrushes.
Oh well.
Also set up the fish tank. No fish yet, just getting the filter going. Pete was happy to notice that the filter is really quiet, since the tank is in the living room and basically just outside our bedroom door.
Cold weather is here, so I think the fish will make a nice indoor project for us.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Heartache
Tough time at Park Day yesterday.
It was cloudy, damp and chilly so the crowd was small and there were only two other girls besides Katie. Katie will play with the boys, but once girls arrive she wants to play with them. One is a bit younger than Kate and the other is a few years older and the girls obviously know each other from home. The older one didn't want Katie to join them but instead of saying something, she led the younger girl to ditch Katie whenever she turned around. Kate was slow on the uptake and it took a few ditchings for her to get the message.
I hated seeing this play out. It's happened before and Katie keeps trying to join in with that crowd.
I was getting pretty upset and decided we'd just leave a bit earlier than planned. Kate had a playdate with an old school friend that afternoon, so I wasn't going to stay much longer anyway.
Katie, ofcourse got over the whole thing by the afternoon, but I've been agitated about it all night! Thought dumping it here might help. It's hard to tell when I should intervene and when I should let Katie learn via the school of hard knocks. Also don't want to project my feelings about being left out onto Kate.
I think I've decided, if it happens again, to pull the older girl aside and ask her to tell Katie that that she and her friend want to play alone right now, rather than running away. Then I'll try to lead Katie to a more inclusive groups of girls. I'd hate to cut out Park Day altogether. I enjoy the other parents and there's generally a mob of boys for Zack to run with. Perhaps we'll trade off with another group or simply leave earlier when there aren't friendlier options for Katie. We'll see.
Pete's been in Salt Lake City since Friday. Looking forward to him getting back late tonight. I wouldn't have tossed and turned over park day quite as much last night if he had been home.
We had a lot going on while he was gone, but I tried to keep it to manageable levels. Saturday, Katie's ballet class danced at St. Albans' bazaar. I passed on trying to fit in the Cub Scout food drive just before the dance call and when we were all feeling funky in the evening, passed on the Girl Scout dance and the UUCA auction.
Sunday I took the kids to RE at church and took a walk outside myself to get some alone time. Afterwards we went over to the Storks to play and then headed out late to go apple-picking. There weren't many apples left on the trees, but we found enough to make the kids happy and bought more to make pies.
Monday, I took the kids to my yoga class and they did schoolwork while I ohhmed. They also played around on the rec center playground and I ran into a PBS colleague's husband. Kate went to Brownies and Zack and I played legos.
Tuesday started with the 1s, 10s and 100s places--a concept we've been stuck on lately. I tried using buttons and columns, now we'll let it bake until next week. Then there was the dreaded Park Day incident, a play date,and while Katie watched a DVD on the portable player (love that thing), Zack went to Cub Scouts and I attended my first Civic Assoc. meeting.
And today it's chilly and cloudy. The kind of day I like to go back to bed. I think we'll cozy up with some books, do a little computer math and then maybe head over to the botanical garden and dream of Spring. Or, maybe we'll set up that fish tank that's been sitting in the living room empty. Thanks to Nanci and Louis for the freebie!
It was cloudy, damp and chilly so the crowd was small and there were only two other girls besides Katie. Katie will play with the boys, but once girls arrive she wants to play with them. One is a bit younger than Kate and the other is a few years older and the girls obviously know each other from home. The older one didn't want Katie to join them but instead of saying something, she led the younger girl to ditch Katie whenever she turned around. Kate was slow on the uptake and it took a few ditchings for her to get the message.
I hated seeing this play out. It's happened before and Katie keeps trying to join in with that crowd.
I was getting pretty upset and decided we'd just leave a bit earlier than planned. Kate had a playdate with an old school friend that afternoon, so I wasn't going to stay much longer anyway.
Katie, ofcourse got over the whole thing by the afternoon, but I've been agitated about it all night! Thought dumping it here might help. It's hard to tell when I should intervene and when I should let Katie learn via the school of hard knocks. Also don't want to project my feelings about being left out onto Kate.
I think I've decided, if it happens again, to pull the older girl aside and ask her to tell Katie that that she and her friend want to play alone right now, rather than running away. Then I'll try to lead Katie to a more inclusive groups of girls. I'd hate to cut out Park Day altogether. I enjoy the other parents and there's generally a mob of boys for Zack to run with. Perhaps we'll trade off with another group or simply leave earlier when there aren't friendlier options for Katie. We'll see.
Pete's been in Salt Lake City since Friday. Looking forward to him getting back late tonight. I wouldn't have tossed and turned over park day quite as much last night if he had been home.
We had a lot going on while he was gone, but I tried to keep it to manageable levels. Saturday, Katie's ballet class danced at St. Albans' bazaar. I passed on trying to fit in the Cub Scout food drive just before the dance call and when we were all feeling funky in the evening, passed on the Girl Scout dance and the UUCA auction.
Sunday I took the kids to RE at church and took a walk outside myself to get some alone time. Afterwards we went over to the Storks to play and then headed out late to go apple-picking. There weren't many apples left on the trees, but we found enough to make the kids happy and bought more to make pies.
Monday, I took the kids to my yoga class and they did schoolwork while I ohhmed. They also played around on the rec center playground and I ran into a PBS colleague's husband. Kate went to Brownies and Zack and I played legos.
Tuesday started with the 1s, 10s and 100s places--a concept we've been stuck on lately. I tried using buttons and columns, now we'll let it bake until next week. Then there was the dreaded Park Day incident, a play date,and while Katie watched a DVD on the portable player (love that thing), Zack went to Cub Scouts and I attended my first Civic Assoc. meeting.
And today it's chilly and cloudy. The kind of day I like to go back to bed. I think we'll cozy up with some books, do a little computer math and then maybe head over to the botanical garden and dream of Spring. Or, maybe we'll set up that fish tank that's been sitting in the living room empty. Thanks to Nanci and Louis for the freebie!
Friday, November 11, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Math
Having anxiety about math again. This always passes but until it does it drives me crazy. Just have to have faith that Katie will figure it out but not the very second I explain it!
Dreary day. Cloudy out and cold weather rolling in for the weekend. Zack has a cold and has taken a record 3 hours to get dressed. Mind you, I haven't been pushing him much since he feels so crummy but really 3 HOURS!
Zack had a little cry about Spats yesterday. It's coming up on a year since we put him to sleep and he was wishing that Spats was here to snuggle up with on the couch while he fights his cold. :-( Zack's a sweetie.
At least my candidate won the VA governorship! Also, a friend is bringing sweet treats from her custard shop to a meeting tonight. Yum!
Remembering our good cat Spats.
Dreary day. Cloudy out and cold weather rolling in for the weekend. Zack has a cold and has taken a record 3 hours to get dressed. Mind you, I haven't been pushing him much since he feels so crummy but really 3 HOURS!
Zack had a little cry about Spats yesterday. It's coming up on a year since we put him to sleep and he was wishing that Spats was here to snuggle up with on the couch while he fights his cold. :-( Zack's a sweetie.
At least my candidate won the VA governorship! Also, a friend is bringing sweet treats from her custard shop to a meeting tonight. Yum!
Remembering our good cat Spats.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Surprising things and other stuff
Pete and I have been noticing how the stress level in the house has gone down since starting HSing in Sept. I figured the kids' stress would go down but not the whole family's. The days are just so much more relaxed. No fights to get the homework done between 4-5 pm--just when my energy and patience drops for the day-- sooner if there was an activity that night. No rushing home for the 3pm pick up and desperately trying to get the household stuff done before 3pm. No teacher conferences, Thursday folders or reams of paper to wade through. It's nice.
Pete's also a lot more involved in our activities. He can't go to all of them but I feel like he's more aware of everything we're up to and it has made dinnertime more chatty and fun too.
Katie is already expressing the desire to HS next year. Another surprise. I thought she would be the one missing her friends at school but neither of them mentions it much. Yesterday I was getting all twisted up because they don't seem to have any particular "best friends" or kids they see every day. Then, later in the day, I remembered that by 8th grade I was not friends with a single person I had been friends with in grade school. So I don't really know what I'm worrying about.
But those are the kinds of stresses HSing has brought to me, all the worries about what I am or am not supplying in a given second. Hopefully these stresses will pass the more times I look back and notice that things aren't such a big deal over the long haul. It turns out that Katie did learn how to count out change, playdates are being made, science is getting done, etc, etc, etc.
Did get the bad news that their closest neighborhood friends may be moving. This has happened to them over and over again and it's very tough on them. It's not certain yet, so we'll wait and see.
Find myself being harder on them than I'd like to be. Zack knocked over a can of varnish on the lawn last week and I really ripped into him about it. I'd rather mention it once and then let it go but I brought it up over and over again and I think I ended overshadowing the activity of painting the swing set. An accident isn't worth ruining an entire experience over. Signs that I need to get more sleep and plan less too.
Live and learn--literally!
Pete's also a lot more involved in our activities. He can't go to all of them but I feel like he's more aware of everything we're up to and it has made dinnertime more chatty and fun too.
Katie is already expressing the desire to HS next year. Another surprise. I thought she would be the one missing her friends at school but neither of them mentions it much. Yesterday I was getting all twisted up because they don't seem to have any particular "best friends" or kids they see every day. Then, later in the day, I remembered that by 8th grade I was not friends with a single person I had been friends with in grade school. So I don't really know what I'm worrying about.
But those are the kinds of stresses HSing has brought to me, all the worries about what I am or am not supplying in a given second. Hopefully these stresses will pass the more times I look back and notice that things aren't such a big deal over the long haul. It turns out that Katie did learn how to count out change, playdates are being made, science is getting done, etc, etc, etc.
Did get the bad news that their closest neighborhood friends may be moving. This has happened to them over and over again and it's very tough on them. It's not certain yet, so we'll wait and see.
Find myself being harder on them than I'd like to be. Zack knocked over a can of varnish on the lawn last week and I really ripped into him about it. I'd rather mention it once and then let it go but I brought it up over and over again and I think I ended overshadowing the activity of painting the swing set. An accident isn't worth ruining an entire experience over. Signs that I need to get more sleep and plan less too.
Live and learn--literally!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Boo!
Happy Halloween!
The lead up to my favorite holiday is now a distant blur, but I'll take a shot at a quick recap of what we've been doing.
According to my calendar:
- We've been to the Baltimore Science Museum with our friends, the Marts. It was recently re-done and is terrific. We spent 5 hours there and no one got bored. The kids all had a great time with each other too.
- Decorated for the holiday
- Park Day with the Unschoolers
- Brownies, Katie earned her first triad patch, but we don't have it yet, so she's really not aware of it
- Cox Farm's harvest festival
- Ready Readers at the library
- Wolf Cubs, Zack earned his Bobcat badge and was extremely proud.
- Bowling with the SpringTree HS group
- Dance class for Katie
- "Bingoween" over at the elementary school
- Boo at the Zoo
- Made another Halloween Pie
- Cookies for the Brownies Halloween party
- Pumpkin carving and painting
- Trick-or-Treating
Somewhere in there we also made some paper mache ghosts, which turned out OK considering I didn't realize that you should pop the balloons only AFTER painting them. The paper got all soft and mushy again after the paint went on and not having the balloons to hold the shapes made it pretty tricky to do. And, you know, math, reading, talk about planets and some other schooly stuff.Whew. All of this was great, but I'm dead and fairly grouchy, so I need to take a look at our schedule and slow us down a bit. It was a tough week with Zack too. All the crazy hours and excitement over the holiday had him completely unfocused and difficult to move along to do anything.
I really get what they mean when they tell me that the challenge with HSing is scheduling time to be home!
Friday, October 21, 2005
Cracking Rocks
Got to climb trees and crack open rocks on Tuesday. Katie insisted on bringing home a lot of rocks to create a rock garden. I didn't think it would be a problem, since she dug them out of the beach volleyball court on the playground. These were really sizable rocks, ones I would not want to land on if I was playing volleyball.
We made "Halloween Pie" (a pumpkin pie recipe from the back of the book "Halloween Pie") with fresh whipped cream--which we had to whip by hand since I couldn't find the right attachment for the mixer. It was all sooooooo gooooooood.
We also did an unusual amount of worksheets this week. I needed some proof that they could actually follow directions and I let them know that if they couldn't show me that ability with their actions, they would need to fill out worksheets to prove it. They have been a bit more attentive since then. They can also add up sets of four numbers now, so that was nice to see.
Discovered that leaving a subject alone for a few days to percolate often helps. Katie was driven to tears trying to figure out how to make $1.40 out of a variety of coin choices. After explaining it a few different ways, I suggested she leave it alone for a while. Sure enough, this week she breezed right through it. So, I think we'll let fractions perk for a few weeks now too.
It's turning cold and it's nice to see my warm-weather clothes again. Katie long-legs needs new pants, last year's are all floods now.
We made "Halloween Pie" (a pumpkin pie recipe from the back of the book "Halloween Pie") with fresh whipped cream--which we had to whip by hand since I couldn't find the right attachment for the mixer. It was all sooooooo gooooooood.
We also did an unusual amount of worksheets this week. I needed some proof that they could actually follow directions and I let them know that if they couldn't show me that ability with their actions, they would need to fill out worksheets to prove it. They have been a bit more attentive since then. They can also add up sets of four numbers now, so that was nice to see.
Discovered that leaving a subject alone for a few days to percolate often helps. Katie was driven to tears trying to figure out how to make $1.40 out of a variety of coin choices. After explaining it a few different ways, I suggested she leave it alone for a while. Sure enough, this week she breezed right through it. So, I think we'll let fractions perk for a few weeks now too.
It's turning cold and it's nice to see my warm-weather clothes again. Katie long-legs needs new pants, last year's are all floods now.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
In a Lather
This was a very cool atom/hot air expansion experiment with Ivory soap and the microwave. You put half a bar of Ivory Soap in the microwave for one minute and you get that fluffy stuff. The small piece of soap also on the plate is a different brand of soap that doesn't float and has a lot less air.
The kids were stunned, me too, but not as much because I'd been told what to expect. They were also impressed that you can still wash with it!
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