The Magikal Journey

Mystery Substance

2009-10-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Squirrel and I have been talking about matter and classification in science. Here is an easy recipe for a "mystery substance" you can make and then experiment with.

2 cups (or four bottles) white school glue
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
1 cup warm water
3 teaspoons borax powder

Add the room temperature water to the glue in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the borax powder in the warm water and slowly pour it into the glue and water mixture, stirring constantly. Knead the material until it is smooth and has lost its stickiness. Store the mystery substance in a plastic bag with a zipper for preservation. This is not edible.
Using the mystery substance we talked about properties and classified the properties. We used simple objects, like a wooden spoon, a metal spoon, a glass and a plastic cup, to increase our understanding of this substance.

artwork

2009-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Puppy's artwork

Squirrel's artwork

Art Journaling

2009-09-12T15:41:00.001-07:00

I gave the girls a prompt of I AM

and they filled the entire paper up with attributes. Didn't these come out great?

Greek orzo and broccoli from The Smelly Llama

2009-09-12T15:31:00.001-07:00

I used whole wheat, high protein macaroni instead or orzo. The recipe can be found here:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Greek-Orzo-and-Broccoli/Detail.aspx

What we've been up to

2009-09-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Painting their paper mache globes for geography

Puppy's science experiment, similar to the one she did last year

She put an egg in water, vinegar and salt water.
Do you know what will happen?

First day of school posing with one of the class pets

First day of school

CMA 09

2009-06-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Uncle Peanut has a mustache!

The dog whisperer!

Puppy and her baby boy, Mystic.

Savannah and Puppy!

Riverfront, the last day - it was so hot out!

Grandpa and Squirrel

Uncle Peanut and Daddy

"Lyke ohmigosh, YEAH! He is lyke sooo cute!"

Blue slushie, blue teeth, blue tongue

Mamma Llama and Puppy

Auntie Duckie, Puppy and Grandma

Grandma and Janie Fricke!

Auntie Duckie and Puppy taken by Puppy's stalkercam.

This is how far we were from the stage... look at all the fans!

Zac Brown Band!

Martina McBride

Kenny Chesney... Auntie Duckie's favorite! :D

Happy birthday, Puppy!

2009-06-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

Making a wish

Fluffy Puppy and Coyote posing

Coyote, Squirrel and Puppy

Mama Llama and Squirrel played a joke on Puppy. They wrapped some of her belongings from her room.

Like her Twilight books (which were found buried in the back of her closet)

HAPPY THIRTEENTH, FLUFFY!

2009-03-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

For Civics, Fluffy Puppy created a political poll to see what Americans thought.

So I'm posting this here, asking YOU to help, too :)

Just go here: http://amaturepoliticalpolls.piczo.com/?cr=3 and vote!

Thank you so much!

2009-03-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Genius at work!

Da Vinci's next masterpiece

Yes We Did!

So Obama, Hedwig and a fat turtle walk into a bar...

Posin' with her possee.

Which muppet was this??

Art Class

Fluffy Puppy's artwork

Squirrel's finished hand drawing

Fluffy Puppy's masterpiece

BROWNIES

LOW FAT TUNA SALAD

Cooling the hard boiled eggs

Draining the tuna for the salad.

Mixing everything together. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

HOT ROCKS!!!

Fluffy Puppy's finished hot rocks

Fluffy's bedside reading:

2009-03-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Fluffy Puppy and Squirrel decided to start an eco-centered blog.

It can be found here: http://www.ecofriendlykermit.blogspot.com

Thanks :)

2009-03-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

Purim carnival: Storah Wars

Lollipop, lollipop, oo, lolly lolly lolly, lollipop!

Ring toss

Hole in one

FOURRRR!!!

Cake walk!

Yoda won a huge cupcake!

This guy was balancing a bunch of things on his chin -- a sword, a sword stuck through a chicken, a sword stuck through a chicken with a hat on top, a chair... He was awesome! ~Fluffy Puppy

Squirrel's Summary of the Purim Fest

2009-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Fluffy Puppy, Me and Mama Llama went to our temple last night and we went to services first. In services we learned about Hamen >:( and when they said his name we shook our noise makers and so did the whole room! Me and Mamma Llama got into the conga line :)! After services we all ate! Then once I was done with dessert, I asked if I could go play with my friends and so I did! We played hide and seek for the rest of the night!

Purim

2009-03-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yoda/Squirrel

Our Temple had Purim services yesterday. They were fun, upbeat, and just plain hysterical. After the services, we went to dinner, then there was a movie about how Barbie is Jewish. It was so stupid, but so hilariously random. If you want to watch, go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWbyZapkWRo :)

After that, Mom and I went to go find Squirrel, who was playing with her friends. Then we made masks (pictures below). It was really fun ^.^

Squirrel's Mask

My mask (with four Deathly Hallows signs and two scars... Nerdy :D)

You can find the story of Purim here: http://www.hillel.org/jewish/holidays/purim/purimstory.htm

Happy Purim!

Fluffy Puppy ♥

Art project~

2009-02-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2007/12/cityscape_23.html

Today, we did that project. It was really, really fun.

Squirrel's finished work:

And Fluffy Puppy's. If you can guess where/what this is, you get extra points :)

At first, I was going to do a different picture, but I couldn't get the perception right. So I'll attempt that another day. Here's the original picture: http://www.stpeter-skokie.org/images/outside.jpg

Squirrel is learning about three-four digit multiplication. She likes it a lot, though it's difficult.

And I'm doing the genealogy on my family... It's extremely difficult. My Grandma has 9 siblings, my Grandpa has 10, my Big Bubbe had 5, and my Zayde had 3. :)

-- Fluffy Puppy

Quote of the day

2009-02-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

"The purpose of this world is not 'to have and to hold' but 'to give and to serve'. There can be no other meaning."

- Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell

Okay, so I lied.

2009-02-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

One day, while watching an episode of Gilmore Girls, we heard this song about the elements. .

A day or two later, Mom told me to learn that song. So I went to my trusty friend Google and searched it. And now? This is one of my favorite songs. Like, ever.

Lyrics:

There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium,

And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,

And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium,

And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium,

Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium,

And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium,

And gold and protactinium and indium and gallium, ]

(gasp)

And iodine and thorium and thulium and thallium.

There's yttrium, ytterbium, actinium, rubidium,

And boron, gadolinium, niobium, iridium,

And strontium and silicon and silver and samarium,

And bismuth, bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium.

There's holmium and helium and hafnium and erbium,

And phosphorus and francium and fluorine and terbium,

And manganese and mercury, molybdenum, magnesium,

Dysprosium and scandium and cerium and cesium.

And lead, praseodymium and platinum, plutonium,

Palladium, promethium, potassium, polonium,

And tantalum, technetium, titanium, tellurium,

(gasp)

And cadmium and calcium and chromium and curium.

There's sulfur, californium and fermium, berkelium,

And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium,

And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc and rhodium,

And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin and sodium.

These are the only ones of which the news has come to Hahvard,

And there may be many others but they haven't been discahvered.

This is the last post... I promise!

2009-02-24T13:02:00.001-08:00

A week or two ago, Mom scheduled a tour at the high school I want to go to. This school... blew all three of us through the roof. I so hope I get in!

Since we were in a private high school during school hours, I only took pictures of the exterior of the buildings. Still, though. It's gorgeous.

Founder's Hall, where the Admissions office is, as well as the Library (left) and Dining Hall. In the Library, they have a FIREPLACE! Insanity, yes?

In the dining hall, the tables are round. While we were there, we couldn't tell the difference between Freshman and Seniors!

This is the academics building. In each classroom (save Math), there's this table called the Harkness table, which I completely adore. It's this abnormally-shaped table that allows discussion and debate, and disables the kid-in-the-back-0f-the-classroom act.

This is the clock tower. It doesn't have any use except to tell time, but isn't it gorgeous?

This is the athletics building. Here, you get your own nutritionist and get to pick what you do for P.E. Besides the workout room, where lay the mechanical machines, you can take Yoga, Meditations, Sports, etc.

This is the building that holds not only the Library, but the Admissions and Dining Hall, too!

*gasp* A SQUIRREL ON AN ENSWORTH BENCH!

This is my favorite picture of all. Not only is there bird waste on the Ensworth concrete, but there's also a sliver on Mom's boot. How awesome is that?

Unfortunately, my picture of the Arts Hall (which'll practically be my home) turned out blurry, so I won't post that.

One thing I find cool about Ensworth is that they don't allow money on campus. You have a punch card instead. And on every day of the week, save Friday (casual day) and Tuesday (extra-formal day), Ensworthians wear uniforms. :)

2009-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

BUNNY EARS!

(insert evil laugh here)

Aww... our little bookworm!

Squirrel and Mystic

Hey, Everyone!

2009-02-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

Fluffy Puppy here, to say how cold it is. Brrr! For the passing weeks, Squirrel and I have been able to take a walk only twice! It'll be nice to get out again, once winter's over. Three more weeks!

I guess you could call our absence period the same as the Europeans: The Dark Age!

Lately, the household has been learning about the Presidents, as well as been very involved in Politics. Currently, my favorites are Obama, JFK, FDR, Teddy, Lincoln and the Clintons. Squirrel's are JFK and Obama.

As for reading? Well, I've been reading a lot. Since the dawn of the new year, I've read Breaking Dawn (Three stars; Stephanie Meyer), Animal Farm (Five Stars; George Orwell), The Pistachio Prescription (Five stars; Paula Danziger), Paper Towns (Four stars; John Green), You Give Me a Pain Elaine (Five stars; Stella Pevsner), The Magician's Nephew (Four and a half stars; C.S. Lewis), Tex (Five stars; S.E. Hinton), Rumble Fish (Five stars; S.E. Hinton), Inherit the Wind (Five stars; Robert E. Lee and Jerome Lawrence), That was Then, This is Now (Five stars; S.E. Hinton), and Animal Farm Cliff Notes (Five stars; Daniel Moran). Currently, I'm in the process of reading Taming the Running Star (S.E. Hinton), The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks), Harry, A History (Melissa Anelli) and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis). As you can see, I've been busy! :)

Squirrel's really been into the series Beacon Street Girls. As of this year, she's read Blubber (Three stars; Judy Bloom), Freckle Juice (Three stars; Judy Bloom), Double Fudge (Five stars; Judy Bloom), Addie Across the Praire (Five stars; Laurie Lawler), Meet Julie (Five stars; Megan McDonald), Beacon Street Girls Books 1 and 2 (Five stars for both; Annie Bryant). Currently, she's reading Beacon Street Girls Book 3 (Annie Bryant) and A Dog's Life (Ann M. Martin).

About a month ago, we started attending Congregation Micah, which is a Temple in our area. I personally really enjoy it, because all the prayers are sang as songs. We've only yet attended Shabbat Services, but one day I hope we can make it to weekend services too! We've gone to Sunday School, too, which is fun. See our Temple http://congregationmicah.com.

Squirrel is finally enjoying guitar class. It's the entire Oh-Jeez-These-Stupid-Chords-Are-Hard! factor. I myself thoroughly enjoy chords, and am anticipating writing my own songs!

We've started attending cooking again. We stopped going for a while, because Mom was sick, but we're back! Ms Abbey, our teacher, was unfortunately checked into the hospital a couple weeks ago for asthma problems, but she's fine now. Yay!

As for science, I found a channel on youtube for college lectures. If you're interested, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/ucberkeley. I'm studying physics, and have already watched the first lecture. I love it! Honestly, I understand it a lot better than Oak Meadow!

Squirrel is learning about nutrition. Currently, they're learning about protein-rich foods, calories, the food pyramid, fats and vitamins. She's enjoying it!

As we're moving along, Squirrel is nearing the end of 3rd grade math, moving on to 4th. I just started 7th grade Math... percentages are stumping me!

As for our leisure, we're just finishing up the 7th season of Gilmore Girls, which we love with all our heart. We feel strongly about the letting-go of Amy Sherman-Palladino, but what can we say? We've also just gotten into My So-Called Life, which I got for Channukah. And we're slowly building up our education about 80s movies and the Brat Pack... We ♥ Ferris!

Until next time!
Fluffy Puppy~

2008-10-31T05:05:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting lately. I've been having camera/computer issues but I should be able to start posting this weekend again! I wanted to thank my friends who've emailed me privately telling me how much they missed my blog! :)

Mama Llama

politics

2008-10-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you were walking past our house, here are some of the signs you'd see on our window.

Art

2008-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

We studied Andy Warhol's Red Sam. Here is Squirrel's watercolor.

Here's Fluffy's. If you would like to see the real Red Sam as well as his other artwork, go here.

Must Be Nice to Have a Sugar Daddy

2008-09-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am just appalled with the $700 Billion bailout plan. This is yet another example of what's good for Main Street isn't good for Wall Street. I understand that they need bailing out because this does affect the entire world, however, it needs to be contained to Wall Street. They need to face the consequences for their greed and covert actions. Bonuses and severance packages should be seized for the bailout in lieu of jail time. Homeowners should get an extended loan (a 40 year mortgage instead of a 30, for instance) instead of a lower interest rate. Homeowners are partially to blame for this as they knew they were buying beyond their means. This isn't fair to the rest of us who struggle to pay our bills. Our house values have dropped too yet we're the ones who are going to be footing the bill.

Rosh Hashanah

2008-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

••Rosh Hashanah••

••by Fluffy Puppy••

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated no later then September 6^th because Jews follow the Lunar Calendar. The Lunar Calendar, different than the Mayan Calendar, has events falling on different days each year. On Rosh Hashanah, the traditional greeting is Shana Tova, which means ‘Have a Good Year.’ Piyyut, religious poems, are added to the regular services. Also, prayers are recited by a river, or a natural body of water, to cast away sins. Jews throw bread crumbs or pebbles, as if those are their sins.

The Shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn, is blown on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There are four sounds the instrument makes: Tekiah, which is one long sound, Shevarim, three blows, Teruah, a series of short sounds, and Tekiah Gedolah, one very long sound.

The foods eaten during Rosh Hashanah are mostly symbolic. Apples and honey and honey cake represent a sweet New Year. Other foods, such as dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, are mentioned in Talmud, the second most important text, after the Hebrew Bible. A loaf of round challah bread represents the cycle of the year.

Rosh Hashanah

2008-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Greek Honey Cake

This is a very good recipe but I remembered AFTER we baked it, I wanted to try incorporating the honey into the cake and forgo the honey sauce. You can find this recipe here.

For a more traditional honey cake recipe, go here.

Rosh Hashanah

2008-09-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Lokshin Kugel (noodle pudding) for Rosh Hashanah. This is the first time I'm trying this specific recipe. You can find the recipe here.

Note: After trying this recipe tonight, I have to say it's excellent! It looked like a lot of sugar, but it really is just enough! Two thumbs up! You can serve this either warm or cold. I prefer it warm.

Cinderelli, Cinderelli

2008-09-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

The kids and I detailed my van this weekend and when I saw this, I couldn't resist singing out "Cinderelli, Cinderelli, wash my car Cinderelli."

Needless to say, I got "the look" from Squirrel.

Fluffy couldn't hear me because she was busy vacuuming my seats. Now where did I lay down that whip...

JFK

2008-09-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

We watched a documentary on JFK the other day and I asked Squirrel to list six facts she remembered from the show.

It remains unsolved
It happened in Dallas, Texas
The government thought the President of Cuba (Fidel Castro) was behind this
Whoever did it used Lee Harvey Oswald's gun
Three or four shots were fired
Kennedy was shot in the head and throat

cute pic

2008-09-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

What's for dinner

2008-09-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Potato Kugel

This is the first time I used this recipe and to tell you the truth, it was a little bland. Next time I would add more salt and seasonings in general and put it under the broiler to make it crispy. It looks delicious though, doesn't it? I added three types of cheese, Monterrey jack, co-jack and mozzarella. Here's the recipe.

Potato Kugel

3 medium potatoes
2 small carrots
1 small onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg
1 tbs oil
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs wholemeal breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk powder
15g butter, cubed
1/2 cup grated cheese

1. Grate potatoes, onion and carrots, and combine with the crushed garlic.

2. Lightly beat the egg with the oil, and pour over the grated vegetables. Stir in the parsley, breadcrumbs and milk powder.

3. Spread into a greased 20cm pie dish and dot with the butter.

4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Serve hot or cold. Freeze for up to 4 months.

NOTE: So after doing a little bit more research on other potato kugel's, I think it needs to be cooked for another 15 minutes or so. Some recipes even say to turn the oven up to 400 for the last half hour.

Spanish

2008-09-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here Squirrel is studying Spanish using Rosetta Stone. The girls really seem to like the program. Squirrel spent about an hour studying it today.

What's for breakfast from Mama's kitchen

2008-09-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Baked Apple Oatmeal

We didn't have enough apples or brown sugar or molasses to make brown sugar so I did a little improvising. I substituted canned pears and bananas for the fruit and regular sugar instead of brown. This is delicious. I usually add pears to the apple mixture but the banana was a pleasant change. To get the recipe click HERE.

Civics

2008-09-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

JAIL OR BAIL?
by Fluffy Puppy

Let's say Brad Paisley was put in jail for allegedly murdering his manager. Then Kimberly, his wife, pays the fine for bailing him out. They let him go without another word. But is that the right thing to do?

Let's say, now, that Tim McGraw was also put in jail for murdering his manager. Then Faith pays the fine for bailing him out, too. He receives the same treatment -- leaving without a backwards glance.

Is that completely fair? What if Tim really did murder his manager? And what if, after he was released, he goes and murders somebody else?

I don't think that if you haven't gone to court yet, you should be able to be bailed out. Once the jury decides if you are innocent, though, you should be released unconditionally. If the jury decides you're guilty, you should live out your time in jail. It's unfair and unsafe to set a murderer or a kidnapper free. That's practically knowing that he's guilty, but pledging him innocent.

Alaska Rally

2008-09-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Over 1400 people showed up to protest Sarah Palin. To view, click HERE.

Farmer in the Dell

2008-09-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

The girls helped my Mom harvest some fruits this weekend.

Squirrel snips a watermelon.

The watermelon posing with Squirrel. :)

Fluffy Puppy finds a watermelon.

Proud of her harvest.

Anyone up for fried green tomatoes?

or eggplant parmesan?

eney meany miny moe.
all of you have got to go.

Posing with their harvest.

McCains selective amnesia

2008-09-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Two words - PHIL GRAMM

Read what has been really happening behind the scenes HERE.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.
-Eric Golnik

Cranberry Monterey Pizza from The Smelly Llama

2008-09-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

1 tube (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
8 oz. monterey jack cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Unroll crust onto a lightly greased 12-in. pizza pan: flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake 425 for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Sprinkle cheese over crust. Spoon cranberry sauce evenly over crust: sprinkle with pecans. Bake 8-12 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Note: We shredded the cheese before putting it on the pizza.

Art Today

2008-09-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, you're just going to have to tilt your head to look at this one. I couldn't get this to turn like a portrait. Anyway, this is Squirrels tree.

Here's Fluffy Puppy's tree.

To make this project, have student trace their hand making sure to leave the fingertips pointed. Next, free draw vertical lines from in between the fingers down to the bottom of the page. Take a marker, we used brown, and trace all the lines you just made. Then, starting from the bottom, draw the contour lines, linking them as you go. As you work your way up the tree, single lines will mark the branches. Add leaves, color your tree and background with any media you like. We used crayons.

Funny Pics

2008-09-17T15:47:00.003-07:00

Squirrel took this in case you were wondering what Mystics nose really looked like.

and what Savannah looks like when she sleeps

and what she looks like when the flash from the camera has jarred her from her nap.

Note: Fluffy Puppy took the pictures of Savannah

Quote of the day

2008-09-17T15:47:00.002-07:00

I can't understand why people are freightened by new ideas. I'm freightened by the old ones.
- John Cage

Fun With Grammar

2008-09-17T15:47:00.001-07:00

Squirrel has been studying parts of speech specifically verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs. She wrote twelve words each under the relevant title and put them into piles face down. She then chose one word from each group and made silly sentences out of them. Here are a few she created.

1. The big dog was flying wildly.
2. The bee safely coughed for a long time.
3. The short bunny sneezed selfishly.
4. I tickled the short llama quickly.
5. I cuddled the worm safely and cooked him some cookies.

Our Froggie House

2008-09-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have seen a previous post about a new froggie friend we have hanging out in our garden. We decided to welcome him by making a frog house for him in our garden.

We had to face it away from the street so when our sprinklers came on, his house wouldn't fill up with water.

Here's Fluffy Puppy's house.

Here's Squirrels house.

Obama has a Rabbi in the family

2008-09-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

To read this article, click HERE.

You have GOT to check this politcal link out!

2008-09-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks Kelly for emailing it to me!


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/15/84829/6022/760/599280

Constitution Day

2008-09-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today was Constitution Day and Fluffy Puppy had to memorize the preamble for civics and give her opinion on what the most important part of it was. Here it is:

The Most Important Goal In the Preamble
My opinion by Fluffy Puppy

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

In the Preamble it states that on of the goals is to insure domestic Tranquility. I think that is important because without peace, nobody would have the power to think. When there are sounds and distracting things going on around you, it's hard to concentrate. And if you're getting ready to give a speech or write a law, you have to be focused so you don't accidently publish an unsatisfactory bill.

Without quiet, you get frustrated, unable to cogitate your day, or how things turned out on your first day of work. If a weight is put on your shoulders, then you need to be able to talk it out, or at least consider which road to take. If you're in the Government and your boss asks you what you think about Vetoing the bill that states that all boys over 5 have to shave their heads, you need to think of the pros- and cons- of this law.

You might veto the bill because it would make the boy colder, or give it a more frightening look. But you might be in favor of the bill because you might be a man yourself with no hair, or have a son that has a very long hairstyle that you disapprove of.

If you can't think, you might choose the wrong thing and have to live with your decision.

If there isn't the right amount of peace, it's easier to make mistakes. This could also occur if you're uncomfortable, away from your comfort zone. You might recklessly choose something so you can go back to where you're most comfortable.

Pecan Shortbread from The Smelly Llama

2008-09-14T20:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks Mom for making these with the girls!

Pecan Shortbread
3/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups small diced pecans

Recipe courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa

· Preheat the oven to 350° F
· In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined
· Add the vanilla and almond extracts
· In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter/sugar mixture
· Add the pecans and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together
· Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes
· Roll the dough 1/2 ½ -inch thick and cut into 2-½ -inch squares with a plain or fluted cutter (or cut into any shape you like). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet
· Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool until they reach room temperature and serve
· Yields 26 cookies at 3/8”

newspaper hut

2008-09-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to make a newspaper hut.

rollin', rollin', rollin' (keep those kids a'rollin')

Fluffy Puppy feeding the baby spider while he hangs in his playpen.

Fluffy Puppy teaching Squirrel a new chord. If you'd like directions for making this hut, click HERE.

art

2008-09-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

We are studying perspective in art class. Here is Fluffy Puppy's picture. The piece of paper on her railroad tracks was intentional, she signed her name.

Here is Squirrel's picture.

Sarah Palin

2008-09-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

A verified letter regarding Sarah Palin from snopes.com

ABOUT SARAH PALIN

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because she is a "babe".

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.

She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit. To read the entire letter click HERE

Quote of the Day

2008-09-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

When I stand before G-d at the end of my life, I would hope I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say "I used everything you gave me."
- Erma Bombeck

Whomever you vote for this year, remember this:

2008-09-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

It's easy to get sucked into the drama of the election but there are some things I wanted to remind you about as you prepare to head to the polls.

1. Make sure your opinion is your own and not your parents, clergyman, friend, neighbor or butchers'. Take the time to do your own research and come to your own conclusion. You just might be surprised by what you learn!

2. Unfortunately, most journalists today include their own opinions and slants about subjects often leaving the facts buried far under the remains of slams and distortions, untruths and opinion. Sometimes it can be hard to decipher what the truth actually is. For this reason, it would behoove you to check a few different resources to make sure you have the full story. Here are two excellent resources to have: factcheck.org and snopes.com factcheck.org was sent to me by L.A. Mama raisingcalifornia

3. Let's talk polls. I find myself checking the polls daily to see where our nation is at. But there are some rules I keep in mind as I do so.

When checking online polls, make sure they have allowed for a margin or error. If they don't, it should be considered invalid.
Keep in mind that someone had to pay for the research. Whether it was the republican party, the democratic party or an independent, it's important. This would explain differences from one poll to the next.
Also keep in mind that the numbers depend on who was being polled. Some areas contain higher (or lower) concentrations of a particular party and the researchers know this.
If you just registered with a particular party, it will take awhile to catch up to the polls

4. If you're still undecided or want to make sure you're voting where your issues lie take the quiz on this site: change.org This site was sent to me by L.A. Mama raisingcalifornia

*note - When you take the presidential quiz, be sure to click on how the issue is defined. I thought they were self-explanatory but they are not. Also, after the quiz, be sure to click on the "compare" button next to each candidates name for a comprehensive comparison of your views and the candidates. Also, by clicking on the candidates stance, you will be able to see an explanation of their issue in full.

5. Chain emails - Just press the delete button. Chain email is a waste of time as it is almost always untrue. Here are some signs to look for when you receive one per factcheck.org

The author is anonymous. Practically all e-mails we see fall into this category, and anytime an author is unnamed, the public should be skeptical. If the story were true, why would the author not put his or her name on it?
The author is supposedly a famous person. Of course, e-mails that are attributed to legitimate people turn out to be false as well. Those popular messages about a Jay Leno essay and Andy Rooney’s political views are both baloney. And we found that some oft-quoted words attributed to Abraham Lincoln were not his words at all.
There’s a reference to a legitimate source that completely contradicts the information in the e-mail. Some e-mails will implore readers to check out the claims, even providing a link to a respected source. We're not sure why some people don't click on the link, but we implore you to do so. Go ahead, take the challenge. See if the information you find actually backs up the e-mail. We've examined three such e-mails in which the back-up material clearly debunks the e-mail itself. One message provided a link to the Tax Foundation, but anyone who followed it would have found an article saying the e-mail's figures were all wrong. Another boasted that Snopes.com had verified the e-mail, but Snopes actually said it was false.
The message is riddled with spelling errors. Ask yourself, why should you trust an author who is not only anonymous but partially illiterate?
The author just loves using exclamation points. If the author had a truthful point to make, he or she wouldn’t need to put two, three, even five exclamation points after every other sentence. In fact, we're developing another theory here: The more exclamation points used in an e-mail, the less true it actually is. (Ditto for excessive use of capital letters.)
The message argues that it is NOT false. This tip comes from Emery, who advises skepticism for any message that says, "This is NOT a hoax!"
There’s math involved. Check it. One message that falsely claimed more soldiers died during Bill Clinton’s term than during George W. Bush’s urged, "You do the Math!" We did. It’s wrong.

Quote of the day

2008-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

Nothing shows a man's character more than what he laughs at.
-Jonathan Wolfgang Van Goethe

social studies project

2008-09-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

Here's Fluffy Puppy helping Squirrel with her topicgraphical map. There's actually a top layer of dirt as well as a place for her frog pond but the batteries from their camera had died by then. I will have to post it at a later time.

Fluffy Puppy's map without the topsoil. Tomorrow we will be taking a field trip to a local nursery to find out what plants are indigenous to our area as well as what the best plants to plant in clay soil are. Meanwhile, the girls will have to come up with some ideas of what materials they will use to make their maps look like the sketches they did a few weeks ago.

what happens when diet pop meets mentos?

2008-09-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to try the infamous diet coke and mentos experiment this afternoon. However, the girls didn't tell me that after using my camera to make a video last night, my camera had run out of batteries. So while my battery was charging, I had to use their camera (which also ran out of batteries) which doesn't have a view finder and lags terribly. So here's a lone picture as a show of proof that we did do this!

The kids wondered if their would be the same kind of reaction if we used carbonated water, so we tried it. But we only had canned selzter water and although the reaction was similar it wasn't as dramatic. Tomorrow we will purchase a 2 liter bottle of seltzer water and see if the outcome is the same. It was a lot of fun! Here's a link that explains why this happens: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109

Play - Doh cookies from The Smelly Llama

2008-09-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to make "play- doh" cookies. Here are our colored balls.

Ready for the oven

What a fun project! Here's the recipe, but we adjusted it by adding 3 cups of flour.

Here's the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Play-Dough-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Quote of the Day

2008-09-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids!
-Sam Levenson

Nature surprise

2008-09-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

When Daddy Llama was finishing the walkway today, he spied a surprise in our garden!

Squirrel took some pictures of him before he hopped away!

Basic animal cell cookies from The Smelly Llama

2008-09-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Since Squirrel has been studying cells in science, I thought it would be fun to make cell cookies.

Squirrel making the cytoplasm.

Fluffy Puppy was in charge of the cell membrane.

Squirrel eating the nucleus.

Having fun with the nuclei and cell membrane.

Our "cells" ready for the oven.

Definitely not the prettiest cookie we've ever made but they are delicious and were a lot of fun to make!

This recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Play-Dough-Cookies/Detail.aspx
Note: I found I needed much more flour than the recipe called for.

walkway

2008-09-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

Daddy Llama has finished laying the front walk!

He added some new sod to level out the front yard.

He finished our front porch by adding tile to the steps as well as a railing. Doesn't it look great! Thanks Daddy Llama!

Young Chefs Academy

2008-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Off to cooking class

The girls and their teacher, a homeschool graduate!

Sampling their creation. They really love this class! This class offers more than just cooking! They learn conversions, chemical compounds, history and so much more! They are involved in the Master Chef program which allows them to earn badges for each test they pass. It's a two year program and we are almost a year into it!

Flowers, water and food dye, oh no......

2008-09-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

After four days of our baby's breath not turning colors, we decided to scrap the experiment and do it again at a later date using a different white flower. On the second day of the experiment, I re-cut the flowers under cold water to see if I could stimulate anything but it didn't work. The flowers should have turned the color of the colored water they were sitting in so, technically, Squirrels hypothesis should have been correct.

Quote of the day

2008-09-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Life is not a having and a getting but a being and becoming.
- Matthew Arnold

Apple Banana Muffins from The Smelly Llama

2008-09-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to make breakfast

Adding the Bisquick

Dicing the apple

Twenty minutes later, fresh muffins for breakfast!

YCA Apple Banana Muffins

2 cups baking mix
2 T. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup water
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. mashed banana
3/4 c. apple, peeled and diced
handful of chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tine with paper liners. Stir sugar into baking mix. In a small bowl, beat egg and add to water. Add liquid to the dry ingredients and stir 15 strokes, or just enough to blend. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes a dozen muffins.

Quote of the day

2008-08-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

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

Flowers, water and food dye, oh my!

2008-08-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Worry is the misuse of the imagination
-Dan Zadra

low-fat banana bread from The Smelly Llama

2008-08-28T15:34:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

-Robert Frost

Spelling

2008-08-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

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

- William Penn

Belle Meade Plantation

2008-08-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

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?

Quote of the day

2008-08-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak

-Michael Garrett Marino

It's so hot out you can fry an egg on the sidewalk...or can you?

2008-08-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today it was in the middle 90's, perfect for frying an egg on the sidewalk!

Mad scientist #1

Mad scientist #2

Observing and recording data

Trying to speed the process along

After an hour we had to stop the experiment. It wasn't working. To find out why, click here: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/friedegg.html

Ingredients for a heart attack

2008-08-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

Take one Squirrel in the middle of August and teach her how to ride a bike

and run

But in the end, you will have one proud Squirrel

Landscaping with oil pastels

2008-08-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start each morning we are home with an art project.

It's a gentle way to ease two sleepyheads into school. Here's Fluffy Puppies artwork

Squirrel's artwork

Mama Llama's artwork

To create this project, start with a black piece of construction paper. In pencil, create a landscape. Then take glue and trace your pencil lines. When that dries, color it in with oil pastels. Beautiful!

Nature Center Sketches

2008-08-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Squirrel's frog pond sketch. K, I have no idea how to turn the pictures yet.

Fluffy Puppies arch sketch

Then and Now

2008-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Savannah rescued in March

Isn't she cute?

Five months old and hangin with the Big Dog

Savannah now at 10 months

Loving the "Jerk dog"

Always smiling

The Nature Center

2008-08-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Squirrel's frog pond

Fluffy Puppy's arch

Organic Shapes

2008-08-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

Contrary to what you see, Fluffy Puppy is actually giving someone a mustache.

tracing organic shapes

Fluffy Puppy's

Squirrel's

Mama Llama's

To make this art project, draw organic shapes, making sure to overlap some of them. Then color them in with washable crayola markers. When finished, take a paint brush filled with water and drip it onto the artwork. Swirl it around a bit, making colors bleed into each other. We also tried spraying a squirt bottle on the artwork which worked pretty well too. When it dries, take a black sharpie and trace all the water drips made from the drizzled water.

Carpentry

2008-08-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

Squirrel learns to measure from the inside.

Fluffy Puppy drills screws into her box.

Ta-da!

Our Social Studies Project

2008-08-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

In the next few weeks, we will be making a topigraphical map of a specific area in our region. They started with making a 30x30 wooden box. Then we were off to the Nature Center to photograph and sketch an area that the girls chose.

What I love about homschooling

2008-08-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

I love being with my girls plain and simple! I love hearing their thoughts and witnessing their "AHA!" moments and knowing I was a part of it.

Being able to control their exposure to inappropriate influences. Children need to be given the opportunity to stay children and not be pushed into an adult world long before they're ready.

Teaching them to take charge of their education and become active learners instead of passive ones.

There's NO HOMEWORK!

There are no personality conflicts to worry about, no teacher conferences to attend, no pta boards to sit on and no volunteer work for people who are ungrateful.

My own learning never becomes stagnate. I'm always learning or re-learning along with my girls.

I have the flexibility to include their own interests in the curriculum and therefor learning becomes meaningful not to mention memorable.

We finish school much quicker than their public school friends which allows them more time to nurture their own interests.

The one on one attention assures that they are getting a quality education. And if they don't "get it", we don't move on.

But mostly, I just love being with my girls! :)