Science for Boys

We are using several sources for science this year.

I downloaded Mr. Qs FREE Life Sciences program.  The reading is easy with jokes throughout - perfect for my 11 year old's attention span.  The labs are easy and fun and use mostly household items.


For the body portions of the book, I'm using some worksheets from The Human Body.   It's created for a classroom setting, but we just use the diagrams.


Also from Teachers Created Resources, we use My Body.  This one is for RePete.  Pete used it back in first grade and really got a kick out of it.  RePete loves it too and looks forward to this each day. 


You start by tracing the child while he is lying down on craft paper.   Big brother always like to help with anything that requires drawing.

This will cause lots of giggling.

Then each day, week, whatever you choose - the child colors the body organ while you read about it. 

Finally,  the part is cut out and taped or glued onto the drawn image like this.

We've only got a few organs left and we'll be done.  

I'm really glad I found this resource and that the boys both enjoyed using it.

~R

Gardening 2011

We are starting our third year of gardening.  Every year we learn something new and we make changes or adjustments and hope for an even better crop the next time around.


YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO

We start by rereading sections in All New Square Foot Gardening

Then we inventory our seed packets and order new ones.

We prepare our beds by cleaning and sifting out debris and adding in new compost.  Re-twining our square feet.  And then BN and I sit down and decide what to plant and where it will go in the plot.

This year BN wanted to do the planting.  It was fun to watch because he is always so precise about everything.  Every hole was 3 times the size of the seed being planted.  To each hole he added two, not three or one or five, but two seeds and finally the perfect smoothing of the dirt to cover.

And finally, we sit and wait.

~R

Lego Storage, The Follow Up

Did you know that I am an expert in Lego Storage and Organization?

Me neither!

But every day I get no less than 50 visitors to see my wonders.  The rest of my drivel?  Eh.  Not so much.

THEN:  If you remember this post, then let me update you.  I'm still waiting on the whole cooperation thing.  And we moved them back to the bigger bedroom not too long after.  Smaller just meant momma gone mad.

NOW:

As you can see, it's still working - kind of.  I won't swear everything is still all color coded.  My boys have different ideas than I do when it comes to cleaning their room.  If it fits, it goes there.  

So if having a solution to the Lego chaos that is sort of working 2 years later makes me an expert then there ya go.

~R

Baby LJ

Remember a few months ago I threw a baby shower for my sister?  Well,  here's how my diaper cake turned out.

And here's the neck of the baby that wore those diapers.

~R

Crystals

For science today we made crystals.

I bought a science program (NOEO) several years ago and Pete didn't like it. So I sold all the books to our local homeschool store and kept the experiments kits.

While cleaning out the office closet, I found the kits. It's amazing what I found in there. Thankfully, nothing dead.

So anyway, we are making sugar crystals. Think rock candy. YES! Salt crystals and more salt crystals - one using baking soda and strings and the other growing dissolved salt on charcoal.

Here's how they look about 2 hours after we started.

Yeah, I know, don't fall over from all the excitement.

My sons are thrilled that they get to eat brown rock candy.  No bright blues or reds or greens.  Brown.  That's organic sugar for ya.

~R

Busy times 'round here.

I feel like I have a million things to do, but in reality, I only have a thousand.

First up on my list is to start back with the yoga. My sons and I laid back on the ottoman and let our heads hang to view the house differently. If you look at the ceiling while upside down long enough, it actually starts to look like a floor. Amazing.

But in the course of doing that, I almost couldn't get back up. My back seemed to have clinched itself into that position and while walking around staring at the sky is fun, after a while I think I'd get bored. Or wreck my van. Or get rain up my nose.

So it's time to limber up. Won't you join me?

~R