Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Science Week - Summer Theme Weeks

Again. Not a lot of WOW! this week. But we managed to get some fun science stuff in!

We learned that baking soda and vinegar doesn't JUST make a volcano blow, it also blows up a balloon!

First, gather your supplies:
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Straws
Plastic water bottles
balloons
Funnel (Not shown)


Add the vinegar to the water bottle (about 1/3) and water 3/4 of the way. Then put baking soda into the balloon using the funnel and the straw to help pack it in.

Gently attach the balloon to the mouth of the bottle. Don't let the baking soda fall into the bottle until you're ready!

All that is left to do is to dump the baking soda into the bottle and watch it blow!






Did you know that I have magical kiddos? No really, I do. They can make soda cans stand on their edges without tipping over! (Okay, so there is a science to it, but whatever)

Get a can of soda. Pour a little more than half into another glass and carefully tip it on it's edge. The leftover liquid in the can is perfectly balanced. Pretty amazing!

Then proceed to eat Oreos and wash them down with soda.



We grew crystals this week!

I found this kit at the Dollar Store and thought, it would be interesting to see if it works. It does. Not entirely too exciting, but it did waste away 10 minutes or so.


Follow the directions and watch the crystals grow!


This week, we are trying our hand at Cowboy/Camping!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Who Needs Mexico...Baby Let's Stay Home...

Bucket List #1

BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE AND BEING OK WITH NOTHING MORE...

We chose to not go to Cancun this summer and to enjoy our backyard. We dumped some money into and A LOT of time. But the song by Sheryl Crow makes it Easy to stay here...



Before and After shots of the yard.


Dinosaur Week - Summer Theme Week

I totally slacked this week. I had a lot of ideas planned for dinosaur week, and no one wanted to do any of them, including me.

But I did MAKE them go to Dinosaur Ridge to hike the trail and to visit the museum.


When the mercury hit 103* (car temp - good enough), it was time for a Water Park. No more sprinklers and tiny wading pools for us!

Luckily for me, it was called, "The Splash Water Park at Dinosaur Trace". Yup. Planned that.


Dinosaur Week - Fail. But we did have fun and hung out splashing in water everyday. So a WIN in some way.

Up this week: SCIENCE WEEK

Singing in the Monsoon

"I'm Singing in the Rain, I'm Singing in the Rain! What a Glorious Feeling, I'm Happy AGAIN!"

(You can thank me later for having that song in your head for the rest of the day)

July. It's July. We live in a dry climate. Not a place where monsoons are present. EVER.

We had planned for friends to join us for a BBQ at the Tiki Bar, a fire in the pit, and an overall night of relaxation. Until we moved to the Rain Forest and we were stranded beneath the patio cover - which I'm not complaining, I LOVE our patio cover, I just wanted to enjoy it on another night!

At any rate, when life gives you lemons, you...err...well, I guess you just deal with it and have a good time anyway!



When you fill a bucket list like this, it just wouldn't be completely fufilled unless EVERYONE did it. (Luke was out. He wanted nothing to do with it) And since Ted sat in the gutters with the boys, I jumped on the trampoline in the rain with the kids.


Of course, when you have 6 adults, and 5 kids in the house with it pouring down rain, shenanigans are gonna happen.

My stash of paint supplies was found, along with BINGO dobbers. Oi Vey. My only wish is that they found the permanent paint. That'll teach 'em.


Luke elected to go the more eclectic route in his costume get-up, while holding our new hamster, Snowball.

So if I were to rate this adventure on the Bucket List Richter Scale, I'm not really sure where it would land. Let's say it lands somewhere between the numbers of 12 and 1098.