Growing Gummy Bears

It's only Tuesday, and this week has been nuts! We are adding a new activity into the rotation this week, we've been adding things one at a time since we started school. Our regular library day is on Wednesday mornings and we have small group on Thursday evenings. Last week we added AWANA back into the mix of things on Wednesday nights. This week we will be adding a Bible Study for me/childcare for the AJB's on Wednesday mornings. Next week I anticipate adding Gymnastics for Abi on Tuesday evenings, and then the following week adding a Co-Op class (Anatomy and Physiology- includes 7 dissections) for Austin on Thursday mornings. Sometime in October, both Austin and Abi will be taking Co-Op classes (not sure what subject yet) on Friday mornings. Not to mention that Austin will be playing baseball this fall as well! So, to sum up...we're gettin' real busy around here! I have to admit it though, I like being busy! I HATE being idle, that's when too much negative stuff gets in my brain and everything goes south!

This week our science project was to 'Grow a Gummy Bear'! The kids were so stoked about this one because they got to eat the rest of the bag of gummy bears. I guess it's the little things in life, right?! This was the experiment:

Items needed: glass of water, 1 gummy bear, ruler

getting started!

Measure the gummy bear's length and width, then trace it. Drop it into a glass of water overnight. Then measure the gummy bear again.

Austin tracing his gummy bear

Drop the gummy bear into the glass of water and let it sit over night. (Austin and Abi frequently checked on their bear to see what was happening)

Wonder what's gonna happen?

After letting them sit over night, pull them out of the water and measure them again. Guess what happens! They grow! Austin's gummy bear started off being 1 cm x 2 cm and grew to be 1.25 cm x 2.5 cm. Very cute experiment...the kids even thought so too!

Right now we are briefly going over the states and their capitols. Each week we have a new state and check out a couple of books about that state at the library. We locate it on our map:

World and US maps

We learn each state's nickname, state flower, and state bird. We are also practicing labeling a blank map of the US and then making a map key for each individual state map.

The states we have tackled so far are: Texas (OF COURSE!), New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. Other than Texas, all of the states will fit nicely into the unit study about maple syrup. I have reserved several books from the library that will also fit into the unit study, just waiting on them to come it.

Abi is going to be an entertainer, I just know it. She does some of the the goofiest things just because...well...she's Abi! At the beginning of the year, I put together a pencil bag for both her and Austin. I put pencils, pens, crayons, highlighters, and erasers into their bags and then placed them in the front of their binders.

Well, I guess that just wasn't working for Abi. I noticed that she has personalized her area of the table:

All of her items that were once in her bag are now in a PINK tin pail!

I mentioned last week that Abi also found a solution to her dislike of reading, she has been acting her stories out. This week she found new entertainment...a purple pointer finger.

Austin has been reading a book series called, "Dragon Slayers Academy". He came downstairs last night and said, "On the bright side of things, mommy, I just learned how to speak pig latin from my book." So, apparently, he has been working on a second language and I didn't even know it!

Other funny stories that happened this week:

* I woke up this morning to Austin and Abi playing hockey in the kitchen. They were using their house slippers as skates (gliding across the floor), stacked paper towel rolls for sticks, and an empty tissue box for a puck!

* On Saturday, a conversation between Mark, Austin, and Abi went like this-

Austin: "Abi why did you eat my jello?"

 Mark: "Yeah Abi, why did you steal his jello?"

Abi: "I didn't steal his jello, I simply took it."

And that pretty much wraps up this blog. Stay tuned for more crazy things my kids do!