Do Not Try This At Home

Sharing our sibling science again today:

First set of experiments:

Static electricity

Materials: two beautiful heads of blond hair and a plastic comb

**so I combed the lovely hair and held the comb over squares of tissue paper.  The squares moved some but I was expecting them to move more.

Second set:

Gassy Belly

First experiment:

Necco candy in water--few bubbles

Second experiment

Conversation heart candy in a solution of baking  soda and water.  The candies fizzed a little.  after a couple minutes I added vinegar and a plastic lid.  Lots of foaming and the top of the lid popped up some.

Third experiment

 A mento in little plastic cup of soda.  Quite a bit of fizzing. But I snapped on the lid and it was contained. After a few minutes we added vinegar and put the lid back of...this time the lids indented area popped up. The soda began to find loose areas around the lid and drip out.  After the solution settled some everyone begged to add baking soda. So we did!! Immediately got an erupting cloud..so we quickly snapped on the lid...as soon as I took my hand off--there was a huge POP and a platic lid flew through the air!!

The candy hearts were supposed to dance--they did not...however the mento explosion was the hit of the day!

P.S.  for the moms who are fearfully wondering...yes there were " Daddy Gas Belly Stories"!!LOL!!!

Motivation is Spelled...

Motivation is spelled C.O.M.P.E.T.I.T.I.O.N. at least at our house.  So this is my latest "bait".  A simple CONNECT FOUR game.  At the start of the day I take all the game pieces.  Through out the day Nate and Eli can have a game piece every time they earn one--and immediately place it! That causes each of them strive to earn one before the other.

How to earn:
2 PIECES
**make 100% on a test
1 PIECE
a.finish a subject for the day
b.make their bed
c.do a chore

~~SPECIAL NOTE
Academic pieces have to be earned before any chore ones can be earned. Pieces must be played as soon as earned...that way a handful cannot be earned all at once.

Even after the motivation loses its glamour it is still a fun game to put on the shelf for family game night!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window--today was slightly bleak here in Kentucky...this morning it spit snow and was just a cold breezy day.

I am thinking--that I didn't get everything accomplished that I had on my mind this morning...but I visited an old friend, text a couple distant friends, spent some time with my family just hanging out...so laundry will get caught up... but today's important moments were captured.

I am thinking--that I need more days like today :-)

One of my favorite things--today is TIME.

I am creating--a trial warp on my Ashford Knitters

 Loom---many of the yarns are bits left from past projects.

I am reading--this is the current read-a-loud that I am reading to the boys

I am wearing--a dark green olive turtle neck and plaid skirt that I got for my birthday

I am hoping--that I can come up with a great dish to take to a potluck on Sunday~~I never know what to take to those...sigh...

I am learning--to control the laundry monster!

In my kitchen--I made a breakfast casserole!

Postscript--Anchors Bows and Lace

My niece Hannah's Etsy shop--she is 16!!what a young lady!!

Quote of the day--try to create a home you would want to live in 

[not sure where I heard it--but it is my goal]

Moment of my day--Today I visited a dear friend at her new weaving studio!!  Instantly I felt right at home.  It brought back lots of warm memories of days I sat in her yarn shop learning to knit and weave!  while making a friend that I kept even after the shop closed!

Closing notes--always take a picture...I found this picture today from February 2006-  my husbands grandmother holding Nate's hand.  Granny Eula is gone...but I have this lovely picture to share with Nate!

I am linking this post to The Simple Woman's Daybook

Raising Readers

Raising readers is important to me.  I guess because I am a reader. And maybe it is because that is how I was raised.  My brother and I have both been readers as long as I can remember.  How did that happen? How did my parents raise readers? 

     **They always had LOTS of reading materials around.

     **They got rid of our TV when I was in the 5th grade.

     **When my brother and I got into a series...they helped us get the next book .

     **They talked to us about what we were reading.

     **They talked to us about what they were reading.

     **Often they would also read what we were reading.

     **My parents read to us.  Today if you are at my parents home my dad will at some point read to you.!!

Today Eli started reading a biography of Neil Armstrong.  Yes it is assigned reading, but he must be enjoying it because he is telling facts and stories of that hero.

Ben started reading The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P.Figg.  This is an assigned reading from his language arts class at the co-op.  I am happy that he enjoys reading the assigned selections.

Nate hasn't always been my zealous reader.  Nowadays as he matures and is finding that reading is not a struggle....he seems to be acquiring a love for reading.  He along with his brothers is in love with audio books.

Today we started a new "read-a-long".  At lunch I began reading They Called Me Mama to the boys.  I hope to share a chapter each day at lunch with them.  If you are looking for a great family read check out this lovely story!

If you have a family reading suggestion leave me a comment!

Readers are leaders!

Birchbark House

My oldest takes his language arts at an academic co-op for homeschoolers. recently his reading assignment has been The Birchbark House  by Louise Erdrich.  His final assignment was to write a cinquain about someone or something from the book.

Using language translation from the glossary of the book here is his cinquain:

Zeegwan

Maple Sugar

It is minopogwud

Because ninoonde wesin

Megwetch

Spring

Maple sugar

It is delicious

Because I am hungry

Thank you

Simple Science

I teach a "siblings science" class at the academic co-op my oldest attends. {Siblings classes are offered for the kids too young to attend the academic classes--while the mom is doing her volunteer time.}

So today I am sharing our science experiments... hoping that a homeschooling mom might be inspired to use with her child or enrichment program. Enjoy!

Floating Egg

Materials:

-an egg

-glass three-fourths full of water

-salt

Procedure:

**set the egg in the glass

**slowly add salt half a teaspoon at a time until the egg floats

After a bit the water will become dense and be heavier than the egg

Float the "M's" off M&Ms

Materials: 

-small shallow clear bowl

-package of m&ms

Procedure:

-cover the candies with water

The candied shells will start to melt and the "M's" will float to the top of the water!!

WHY?????

The "m's"on the candy are an edible ink that does not dissolve in the water...as the shell melts away the "M's"float away!!!

OCEAN WAVES

**fill a clean plastic bottle with water

**add some food coloring

**then finish filling the bottle with vegetable oil

**cap the bottle and seal

ENJOY SOME FUN SCIENCE WITH ITEMS IN YOUR KITCHEN!