Quote of the day

Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble.
- Frank Tyger

Flowers, water and food dye, oh my!

Squirrel and I started an experiment today using Baby's Breath, water and food coloring.

We wanted to know what would happen if we put food dye into the flowers' water.

Isn't this a pretty sight?

Squirrel's hypothesis

I think the flower's will change colors.

Check back tomorrow to see if her hypothesis is correct.

Eggs and Vinegar Conclusion

Squirrel records her data after using as many of her senses as possible to determine a conclusion.

Fluffy Puppy feeling the new texture.

I read that some people got their eggs to bounce after this experiment. We tested the theory and as you can see, splatters would be a more accurate description.

Run Humpty, run!


Fluffy Puppy's publication


After leaving the egg in vinegar overnight, I found that the shell had become a powder floating at the top of the glass. When I took it out, it felt rubbery, almost like a water balloon. Mom took us out on the front porch where we attempted to bounce it. Instead of acting as a ball, it broke and splattered across the front porch.


Squirrel's publication

Sunny side up anyone?

We soaked the egg overnight in vinegar and after 24 hours it felt like a water balloon. We threw it on the front porch to see if it would bounce. My egg sadly did not bounce.

What happened?

Vinegar is an acid and by allowing the egg to sit in it overnight, it slowly dissolves the outer layer of a chicken egg leaving the membrane intact.

Quote of the day

Worry is the misuse of the imagination
-Dan Zadra

low-fat banana bread from The Smelly Llama

Today we decided to make banana bread since our bananas were turning brown.

Peeling the bananas.

The mixologist

Ready to bake.

Fresh out of the oven! This is SUCH a good recipe! You can find it here:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Almost-No-Fat-Banana-Bread/Detail.aspx

Eggs and Vinegar

We want to find out what happens to an egg that's allowed to sit in vinegar for 24 hours.

For today's experiment we took a raw egg and submerged it in vinegar then recorded our hypothesis. We will check back in 24 hours to see if our hypothesis' are correct.

Fluffy Puppy's hypothesis

The vinegar will dissolve the white and the yolks of the egg.


Squirrel's hypothesis

The vinegar will dissolve the whole egg.

What an eggs-cellent smiley face!


Mr. Egg poses for a picture.


Pouring the vinegar over the egg.


Now it's Squirrel's turn.


We'll check back tomorrow with the results!

sculpey

After school today the girls decided they wanted to play with sculpey. They've never used it before so it was a new experience for them. It was more difficult to work with then play-dough because the consistency is tougher. Fluffy Puppy said next time she would take more time to mold the figures and use her hands to really heat up the clay.

Now this is just WRONG. Give the nice puppy back it's body....

Hey, this is a family blog!

Much better!

Squirrel concentrating on shoving the pencil up the pups -- I mean, giving the puppy some details.

Creating her next victim, er, puppy.

Giving her puppy bunny ears.




A side view of Fluffy Puppys Akita.


Posing for the camera.


They are ready for the oven.

Quote of the day

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.

-Robert Frost

Spelling

We always start off a new spelling unit playing the game Always A Winner Hangman. You play by telling the child the word instead of having them guess what the word actually is. As they try to spell the known word, the normal hangman rules apply!

funnies

I came from a big family. As a matter of fact, I never got to sleep alone until I got married.

-Lewis Grizzard

Watermelon Smoothie from The Smelly Llama

This morning we decided to make smoothies.

Squirrel was in charge of the watermelon.


Fluffy Puppy added the yogurt.


I added the vanilla and ice. It called for sugar but I decided not to put it in because we were using Trix yogurt which has more sugar than regular yogurt (it's all we had). In the end, the girls felt like it needed to be a little sweeter so I added some sugar to their cups. I thought it was plenty sweet though. Next time I would add a banana for more flavor and a natural sweetener.


Squirrel posing with the blender.


Ready to fill up some empty bellies, or, in our case, spilled all over the table. :)

You can find the recipe here: http://www.recipezaar.com/71775

Quote of the day

Right is right, even if everyone is against it: and wrong is wrong, even if eveyone is for it.

- William Penn

Belle Meade Plantation

Belle Meade Plantation in Belle Meade, Tennessee was famous for it's thoroughbred breeding. It was the biggest plantation in the county during the mid-1800s.

Fluffy Puppy, Spring, Squirrel and Summer


Writing with a fountain pen


Dear Joey,
How do I love thee, let me count thy ways....



Dear Mommy,
This is fun, can we do this everyday?



Three strange girls I felt compelled to take a picture of. (okay, not really). The other two girls are from our Homeschool group.


Dressed in the periodic costume. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the mansion for preservation reasons.


Also dressed in costume, telling us how the soldiers fought in the civil war.


The whole reason we came....to sit in the same chair Ian Wright from America the Wright Way sat in. Silly girl.


Spring and Squirrel posing (but not touching) next to the stagecoach.



Fluffy Puppy and Squirrel posing.


Being silly.


K, don't ask...I don't know...

I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling)

I Will Survive (the first year of homeschooling)

Originally written and produced by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris
Originally performed by Gloria Gaynor

First I was afraid
I was petrified.
Kept thinking I could never teach
’Cause I’m not certified.
But we spent so many nights
Reteaching homework that was wrong.
I grew strong,
so now I teach my kids at home!
We study math
and outer space.
I just kept on despite the fear
with a big smile across my face.
I bought a set of Base Ten blocks.
I bought books with answer keys.
My parents think we’re nuts,
but they don’t even bother me

Come on, let’s go walk out the door.
We’re on the road now,
'cause we’re not home much anymore
My friends would frown and say we’d be unsocialized.
I heard one grumble
that I’d give up by July.
Oh no, not I!
I will survive!
As long as I know how to read
I know we’ll be alright.
I've got all my life to learn.
I've got energy to burn.
and I'll survive.
I will survive.

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart.
Decided to attend
a play date at the local park,
and I met oh so many moms
who offered eagerly to help.
They used to cry.
Now they hold their heads up high,
and so do we!
My kids are cool!
They’re not those chained up little people
stuck inside at school.
So if you feel like dropping by
don't you expect us to be free
I'm spending my time learning
with my loving family!

Hot Rocks

Today we decided to make rock art and the kids had a great time! To make, peel broken crayons until their naked and set aside. Heat rocks in a 350 oven for 15 minutes, make sure to put foil on your cookie sheet. Only take a few out at a time, otherwise your rocks will become too cool. Handle rocks with oven mitts or tongs, be careful, the rocks are REALLY HOT (just ask Squirrel). Take your crayons and watch them melt as you create your masterpiece!

Waiting for the rocks to heat up

using our time wisely

Time to play!




Next time we'll use foil to put the rocks on instead of my dish towels. I think they're going to stain.


I couldn't believe how many green crayons we had!


Didn't they do a good job?