tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145237306909849322024-03-19T04:42:52.095-05:00Fun Crafts for PreschoolersI started doing crafts and theme units with my daughter last winter, during my newborn son's morning naps. I hope these give you some fun ideas, and I really hope you'll try them and let me know how they went for you -- and suggest your own ideas for me to post! Have fun, and don't be afraid to get messy. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-70209096571851574072011-10-26T21:36:00.003-05:002011-10-26T21:52:02.958-05:00Halloween Craft: Mummies!Last week, Nora had the week off school. I was all excited and planned some activities for us: all kinds of crafts and baking and The Great Mulch Delivery (in our family, that is an activity). We only got to one craft and zero baking, somehow, but no big deal! Here's a fun little Halloween craft I thought I'd share .....<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuNluVOtXIoyY7suMksd2yIGI34zyja08B1naziNBO1bmRkuRpoT4ciuTE_XQQZ3hDt7LnVndEa7oRzwIjmipObBbYhiGZegASQnEWiR3foBq72yyxcpCfbu8S4JWSD6AVkZQUVLcP6k/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuNluVOtXIoyY7suMksd2yIGI34zyja08B1naziNBO1bmRkuRpoT4ciuTE_XQQZ3hDt7LnVndEa7oRzwIjmipObBbYhiGZegASQnEWiR3foBq72yyxcpCfbu8S4JWSD6AVkZQUVLcP6k/s400/IMG_0298.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><br />
MUMMIES!<br />
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<b>For 3 mummies you need:</b><br />
3 muslin dolls<br />
1 pkg cheesecloth<br />
fabric glue (we used Fabri-Tac)<br />
black embroidery floss<br />
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I found the muslin dolls at a local craft store. I am not sure what they are normally used for, but the second I saw them I thought: Those would make great mummies! They were $2.99 each. <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa-upe3chJ5xGCqhy20IqD59N1mFdn7UfcjDLBYwOrqywSvuDgygHKYp2B4NCf35jZEwdiTpZ9bu3iJQFCZ5DEiDIM1TiXKhnZtIqUtIp7qyG9ZdGM6XAHJO-K2-1eBmKlpzOeW6nZAc/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa-upe3chJ5xGCqhy20IqD59N1mFdn7UfcjDLBYwOrqywSvuDgygHKYp2B4NCf35jZEwdiTpZ9bu3iJQFCZ5DEiDIM1TiXKhnZtIqUtIp7qyG9ZdGM6XAHJO-K2-1eBmKlpzOeW6nZAc/s400/IMG_0231.JPG" width="266" /></a></div></div>Cut the cheesecloth into 1/2"-or-so strips. Working one section (or limb) at a time, scatter drops of glue across your mummy and then simply wrap the cheesecloth around. You don't need much glue -- the cloth sticks easily and is so thin that glue can stick through a couple layers. When you've covered the whole doll, you can stitch on a little mouth with embroidery floss -- and that's it! <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3FP2zoe7P5cMe89PUGIAUpP0wlJmcPYEwO5te9YvspE-RVSpDHB_teKYdsXLiwU7PkztnlRUPwsyqhHCg1FwJ6WDBCo7DHleSCjBQzgWVCJ1Nn_VLUmwVLN0MEJIkP1iexj2JzCvqH4/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3FP2zoe7P5cMe89PUGIAUpP0wlJmcPYEwO5te9YvspE-RVSpDHB_teKYdsXLiwU7PkztnlRUPwsyqhHCg1FwJ6WDBCo7DHleSCjBQzgWVCJ1Nn_VLUmwVLN0MEJIkP1iexj2JzCvqH4/s400/IMG_0232.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhppX6MqVEAo1AKe4N_y58B44zTeQSHrjj00uWFa74RrYC5Vy1FvJw4yJYCyiBupuGa4zaNLGSh_DoS1ZM0EFVgPMv8r4qFRmsI5qlq9DiKiWzE9SCDuFbx_fx3Hh_RZeatyFL_RZYQs/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhppX6MqVEAo1AKe4N_y58B44zTeQSHrjj00uWFa74RrYC5Vy1FvJw4yJYCyiBupuGa4zaNLGSh_DoS1ZM0EFVgPMv8r4qFRmsI5qlq9DiKiWzE9SCDuFbx_fx3Hh_RZeatyFL_RZYQs/s400/IMG_0235.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-89461840369594380422011-01-28T00:13:00.000-06:002011-01-28T00:14:03.104-06:00How to make a giant ice suncatcher<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjCgPEeFdhwjp-Bh4MyXqyQk152rWpquFmTQT0mRbvvu8R6y9vZcINe9E10dVB_She_VC-BTNNVYBD83nn7quczkYwHcWGfTa0zLxGn00CpszFSWV9FwUYns5QgKWe30hREdRWOJxEMLM/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjCgPEeFdhwjp-Bh4MyXqyQk152rWpquFmTQT0mRbvvu8R6y9vZcINe9E10dVB_She_VC-BTNNVYBD83nn7quczkYwHcWGfTa0zLxGn00CpszFSWV9FwUYns5QgKWe30hREdRWOJxEMLM/s400/IMG_0364.JPG" /></a> </div><br />(see instructions below)<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-81043456891967181762011-01-28T00:12:00.001-06:002011-01-28T00:14:16.877-06:00Ice Suncatchers how-to<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOu0MdH7Fv17Eg2XSpv1ZxBlW13wuTObs5AfQcEedzM11hb6SgKF78-RIvCSkAdr5U19Y89VZzeY2ILLhevbmKSiUpGB2EQ745-QF3Knly47Z6IIgAt0C3Hq3T6uk_Zqd5oIsGEzVgIJD/s1600/IMG_0300.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOu0MdH7Fv17Eg2XSpv1ZxBlW13wuTObs5AfQcEedzM11hb6SgKF78-RIvCSkAdr5U19Y89VZzeY2ILLhevbmKSiUpGB2EQ745-QF3Knly47Z6IIgAt0C3Hq3T6uk_Zqd5oIsGEzVgIJD/s400/IMG_0300.JPG" /></a><br />
1) Fill an ice cube tray with water and add food coloring in lots of pretty colors. Stir to mix, and set your tray outside in the cold world until it is well frozen.</div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_1liwiJxgyb9b6SbZgr9k9o76C7xLZx9SkEt1bNvCwq4eMjJnE624n-nenMDStFKgJMvzesK5MTmnOzV8s5nHO_vQJXrnFy643P3BFIEVmWTvUuNQ83x3sTs6NZJc7x3JPVw7eh3X1n-/s400/IMG_0304.JPG" /> </div>2) When your colorful ice cubes are frozen, fill a pan with very cold water. Fill a cup about halfway with water, and set this cup in the pan (I moved mine to almost the halfway point; don't put it as close to the top as it is pictured below.) The water in your pan will freeze around the cup. When you remove the cup, you'll have a hole to put string through for hanging your ice catcher.<br />
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The water in your pan must be VERY cold -- set it outside or in your freezer for several minutes. Otherwise, when you add the ice cubes, they'll melt too much.<br />
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3) Alright, when the water is cold, pour in your colorful frozen ice cubes.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOHrBoeVXypXQFMfoOI-RHgEQbKezbXgXdcq99m1nKCvvkvMG_3bNqU6guovA_xOOXCwECsNIo-OUPo3p5BFeLrrcoq2CG0yzEPElccOrz4nNjm2aJsmO_6Ku7X7g_mXbhqBUbU2sEDIw/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOHrBoeVXypXQFMfoOI-RHgEQbKezbXgXdcq99m1nKCvvkvMG_3bNqU6guovA_xOOXCwECsNIo-OUPo3p5BFeLrrcoq2CG0yzEPElccOrz4nNjm2aJsmO_6Ku7X7g_mXbhqBUbU2sEDIw/s400/IMG_0348.JPG" /></a> </div>4) When your pan of water with ice cubes has frozen quite solidly, unmold it. (You might need to set the pan in warm water for a few minutes to make this easier.) Pop out the cup, leaving a hole to thread yarn through for hanging. (Water must have oozed under our cap; we didn't have an actual hole, but the ice was so thin there that just a few taps of a skewer gave us a hole to work with.)<br />
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5) Tie yarn or rope through the hole, and hang your suncatcher outside, where your kids can see it from the window. It makes a beautiful and unique ornament!<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH3mcOFiRVfE01tKIwF8rWGcIdsSTfhRkbUmXSpdSvEXo4GubHAbVV_rvd-57DNbcuJYSbb-0ZH0vsgqNbfL0xreq6bBMxdhnNtVmWHRjYHQm0JP9rlB2rjGYWt6dCk-AXWxv9Jz2NkWk/s1600/IMG_0358.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH3mcOFiRVfE01tKIwF8rWGcIdsSTfhRkbUmXSpdSvEXo4GubHAbVV_rvd-57DNbcuJYSbb-0ZH0vsgqNbfL0xreq6bBMxdhnNtVmWHRjYHQm0JP9rlB2rjGYWt6dCk-AXWxv9Jz2NkWk/s400/IMG_0358.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-12432372970910568492011-01-28T00:04:00.000-06:002011-01-28T00:04:13.323-06:00<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTf57vAg87133pj08H9dNGw9JSEi8yReWZ9tJm1KTZm8rga6B4xmEtYz3Kuy9hzdQm5OAiNcvVK3IanlK0DWKgg1DDeR-bnZub2hNcqBaPG2fB4gxx7lSOLE9aRMR-XueLjuYGN9EEfCv/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTf57vAg87133pj08H9dNGw9JSEi8yReWZ9tJm1KTZm8rga6B4xmEtYz3Kuy9hzdQm5OAiNcvVK3IanlK0DWKgg1DDeR-bnZub2hNcqBaPG2fB4gxx7lSOLE9aRMR-XueLjuYGN9EEfCv/s400/IMG_0361.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxAR55gjHTPrfx_8hy7B-JrWk685IKYzryzniuRQuSuZM4SyUP2bQWiJMHc2KBFfVYbu_ulWJ8IviJPFcPKDY3L6pgNxPDzvvo3UFfXMVZviCNEUnpLJZWI9dJemoSkjtVpAvinwMMmXQ/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxAR55gjHTPrfx_8hy7B-JrWk685IKYzryzniuRQuSuZM4SyUP2bQWiJMHc2KBFfVYbu_ulWJ8IviJPFcPKDY3L6pgNxPDzvvo3UFfXMVZviCNEUnpLJZWI9dJemoSkjtVpAvinwMMmXQ/s400/IMG_0368.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EBZMyLv9c2SmB859x8U6jmQP3vfARlza0V8qziyZuFvyW4fIg21_-1Q8NCeQNKuiAMRvLX57upa33UicUlbw6lC0HGmF8QiZZ_V-rlr-vA9kQ-FKWxOSON_1M0APxglMx8Lu-UqktlLY/s1600/IMG_0365.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EBZMyLv9c2SmB859x8U6jmQP3vfARlza0V8qziyZuFvyW4fIg21_-1Q8NCeQNKuiAMRvLX57upa33UicUlbw6lC0HGmF8QiZZ_V-rlr-vA9kQ-FKWxOSON_1M0APxglMx8Lu-UqktlLY/s400/IMG_0365.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-55761206150326978262011-01-23T00:08:00.001-06:002011-01-23T00:08:47.564-06:00dried apples<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge51g0QkIq10-zFK6xrUjqP-jSuCKdN6bqwBtAObD2wK8nm3ng8qAMLO8EF7rR8ZIf6NaB8bxmUWZwJY0jK3O9Jwqtq4lEymE8aGEALP4okpO28LaxSs3lWDC-JCH0OlryISOmC1FY5Lh_/s1600/IMG_7646.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge51g0QkIq10-zFK6xrUjqP-jSuCKdN6bqwBtAObD2wK8nm3ng8qAMLO8EF7rR8ZIf6NaB8bxmUWZwJY0jK3O9Jwqtq4lEymE8aGEALP4okpO28LaxSs3lWDC-JCH0OlryISOmC1FY5Lh_/s400/IMG_7646.JPG" /></a> </div>Yikes, I'm trying to catch up on some of the stuff we did this summer. I'll file this one in "science" and "cooking" so it might be of use to someone later on....<br />
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We'd been studying weather and water; we started talking about air, too. We decided to make our own dried apples.<br />
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Slice 4-5 Granny Smith apples into rounds. I sliced them again in half.<br />
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Soak in pineapple juice for a day (prevents too much browning).<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WMSMFAMtbr-Vu2fJvwPxnZp5a48gVIO-e6oaFEaMJjAn1102X6X3aut0IlIJxHcxO3QSu0hQ5sVbS0kvgxGPbXTgoOAg_B8u1R_3wnrsKlPzD0FFkIJS0hIQpK-sGLR9LZ7WoJ7bJJKs/s1600/IMG_7648.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WMSMFAMtbr-Vu2fJvwPxnZp5a48gVIO-e6oaFEaMJjAn1102X6X3aut0IlIJxHcxO3QSu0hQ5sVbS0kvgxGPbXTgoOAg_B8u1R_3wnrsKlPzD0FFkIJS0hIQpK-sGLR9LZ7WoJ7bJJKs/s400/IMG_7648.JPG" /></a> </div>Put outside in the sun for about 2-3 days, covered with cheesecloth. Turn every few hours.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-uYxREFYaxOJaG_OECTcWgxSiMqvj18h44P1izgN2PiBM0g73fJ-xQU5HLSGeSBGNGDU3U6yc21IiLyb80HHFXrejVti5MfCnq3UVrMxEMzGtb6MW3ix1Pi_YhUndBiB3DRh-RuzxY7n/s1600/IMG_7650.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-uYxREFYaxOJaG_OECTcWgxSiMqvj18h44P1izgN2PiBM0g73fJ-xQU5HLSGeSBGNGDU3U6yc21IiLyb80HHFXrejVti5MfCnq3UVrMxEMzGtb6MW3ix1Pi_YhUndBiB3DRh-RuzxY7n/s400/IMG_7650.JPG" /></a> </div>Then you'll have tasty, sweet, chewy dried apples to snack on!<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbOd4pLI2C9yVFnUu3RuL2WRVu0651H3fO3ACZKhAdSIrbMIUnsS2EbOdu66DY27AOTLRY5zl-v-DkkIbN4bnmR9WqUzLYFvPDp-TE30YVUkfXIrm4k8ohi4b6_zHqNthG6Wp3XDHhapk/s1600/IMG_7683.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbOd4pLI2C9yVFnUu3RuL2WRVu0651H3fO3ACZKhAdSIrbMIUnsS2EbOdu66DY27AOTLRY5zl-v-DkkIbN4bnmR9WqUzLYFvPDp-TE30YVUkfXIrm4k8ohi4b6_zHqNthG6Wp3XDHhapk/s400/IMG_7683.JPG" /></a><br />
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From "Science Clarified": <a href="http://www.scienceclarified.com/El-Ex/Evaporation.html">Here's an explanation of why the water evaporates from the fruit.<br />
</a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-29882888287703321842011-01-22T23:56:00.001-06:002011-01-22T23:57:02.882-06:00sink or float?<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk70UKtErKf1ZKn_pySYaz5TOxwyrvvwIwKni1_W8XIhnyLP0T9MRIPz6_aA2XB7LqG1FfpFuaGPYit9u6LfiqNnoh3JsgoPft4ioVxxsAMagsecTNuUquN0LwSlnon6cQbNeDLXk3zChQ/s1600/IMG_8000.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk70UKtErKf1ZKn_pySYaz5TOxwyrvvwIwKni1_W8XIhnyLP0T9MRIPz6_aA2XB7LqG1FfpFuaGPYit9u6LfiqNnoh3JsgoPft4ioVxxsAMagsecTNuUquN0LwSlnon6cQbNeDLXk3zChQ/s400/IMG_8000.JPG" /></a> </div>A simple, ongoing science experiment can be to see what items around the house sink or float. Nora loves to make charts about this. Quirky kid.<br />
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On this day, we tested a plastic snail, and a Lego man.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jmLyi4Yx6OHnVkFGXjXj6JniOBAHmnIMeMmEfQKnd12l0hUYEdaP-_NM0E1TgoK7_vWznH_WjUnLFzAJLVNPxlh04mkWie8G8-mW_Gg6zZniZmQnd-PTHNtJ1cnrADoekLmFgar8qE63/s1600/IMG_8001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jmLyi4Yx6OHnVkFGXjXj6JniOBAHmnIMeMmEfQKnd12l0hUYEdaP-_NM0E1TgoK7_vWznH_WjUnLFzAJLVNPxlh04mkWie8G8-mW_Gg6zZniZmQnd-PTHNtJ1cnrADoekLmFgar8qE63/s400/IMG_8001.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNvscRVkAHFuhU1cU3O-NxvQOkEi95Dj1hDfnzylVH-tn9u8twaySHcQxEQKPrOMAQ-Fn2IWi_mjsaPj9N7YXadjG1ewXjRTk-cQ-b-ZPi-neGBl6w-MAjcAtTjiBDlhyaKk0FP2T3TGL/s1600/IMG_8002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNvscRVkAHFuhU1cU3O-NxvQOkEi95Dj1hDfnzylVH-tn9u8twaySHcQxEQKPrOMAQ-Fn2IWi_mjsaPj9N7YXadjG1ewXjRTk-cQ-b-ZPi-neGBl6w-MAjcAtTjiBDlhyaKk0FP2T3TGL/s400/IMG_8002.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-76737565025479527492011-01-22T23:51:00.001-06:002011-01-22T23:52:16.977-06:00homemade rain gauge<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8y4nTIr-uVXND8kom4G1FYzDGPa3gFVtYjXz8fJYICoejPxtOPSR-nW5fSmfVmauS_7I_Ngz8FkvYxWTtrz7W0C4F4NhsPtMw7MLLHvQTmM-0OebQKBiHUHsEu-dCxqxYD7zo6Jyh0SH/s1600/IMG_8756.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8y4nTIr-uVXND8kom4G1FYzDGPa3gFVtYjXz8fJYICoejPxtOPSR-nW5fSmfVmauS_7I_Ngz8FkvYxWTtrz7W0C4F4NhsPtMw7MLLHvQTmM-0OebQKBiHUHsEu-dCxqxYD7zo6Jyh0SH/s400/IMG_8756.JPG" /></a> </div>Over the summer, we did a little theme unit on water and weather. One easy project is to make a simple homemade rain gauge. You can use any plastic bottle and write on it with a Sharpie. A 2-liter bottle works well because you can invert the lid and duct tape it on, keeping out bugs and debris.<br />
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Whenever it rains, Nora cries, "MOM! We need to put out the rain gauge!" It's exciting for her to see how much rain we got, although she always expects a lot more. I guess one or two inches of rain doesn't really LOOK like much to a 5-year-old!<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiU2K7d33YyMl2wCapQJkq4p-Yd1slsLFHjMuoXLdKbOyvR0kGNeghaT3OrAzlYIn3DTqnnrArSy_c7cro4Vd7SaUW4Ogup2irekTGHzluY4DlmXmY4SSbQIPI_bIGKZkE_sEbaFX7_XB/s1600/IMG_8760.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiU2K7d33YyMl2wCapQJkq4p-Yd1slsLFHjMuoXLdKbOyvR0kGNeghaT3OrAzlYIn3DTqnnrArSy_c7cro4Vd7SaUW4Ogup2irekTGHzluY4DlmXmY4SSbQIPI_bIGKZkE_sEbaFX7_XB/s400/IMG_8760.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-77033782211345000212011-01-22T23:47:00.001-06:002011-01-22T23:52:33.907-06:00bringing snow indoors<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHl-69Az-B5MUxHqZBx0WVnUiHdApEcEr_FJboqQw5rPodACUILHwsXJyZ2QW9do6ESPcVbhST7SsNqvUsLEFPHZBMvRTN8wLfrKD2J7HzpDFSD3NZsXPfcG9CrHvRJpQ7RXLnUX6kvCFR/s1600/IMG_9273.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHl-69Az-B5MUxHqZBx0WVnUiHdApEcEr_FJboqQw5rPodACUILHwsXJyZ2QW9do6ESPcVbhST7SsNqvUsLEFPHZBMvRTN8wLfrKD2J7HzpDFSD3NZsXPfcG9CrHvRJpQ7RXLnUX6kvCFR/s400/IMG_9273.JPG" /></a> </div>Baby, it's cold outside. When the weather's in the single digits, don't make your kids suffer (and possibly lose their OWN digits. ha, ha). Just bring the snow inside!<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-OxLe5XBWWxnrteuct_-kMyBtX5M6kBmWweU3fL0Go3Onjt3PJ5wVBklZ8_ZO7IbRmeYNnuHW9J5ICa9dVtHr166BoK6ez3er-AWYyf20AE8TwIq53Ty2vvji-HFHCCvoy-L7IwJR4FX/s1600/IMG_9271.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-OxLe5XBWWxnrteuct_-kMyBtX5M6kBmWweU3fL0Go3Onjt3PJ5wVBklZ8_ZO7IbRmeYNnuHW9J5ICa9dVtHr166BoK6ez3er-AWYyf20AE8TwIq53Ty2vvji-HFHCCvoy-L7IwJR4FX/s400/IMG_9271.JPG" /></a> </div>You can scoop it, bury stuff in it, spray or paint it with food coloring, bring out the kitchen utensils and sand toys...and, of course, you can always just eat it.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-cLyPgd3vsqMRiKMb-_V703N-64xcBonPab-cHCUgu3NPgdhCjiAGEhSb7ths4-EKKnJIbDZeLMHRB57I8hboUrI9QgeIe14smbC7g1NfX1iCJAu-ldR8uxXcCXE3vYavY04l-bm9mm1/s1600/IMG_9274.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-cLyPgd3vsqMRiKMb-_V703N-64xcBonPab-cHCUgu3NPgdhCjiAGEhSb7ths4-EKKnJIbDZeLMHRB57I8hboUrI9QgeIe14smbC7g1NfX1iCJAu-ldR8uxXcCXE3vYavY04l-bm9mm1/s400/IMG_9274.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-58419117079586425022011-01-22T23:39:00.001-06:002011-01-22T23:52:46.156-06:00trapped in the ice!<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSnsuAvx-uY-bpSgPyUdvpN4idKmOtPzNybQZb3Sj_28Ejyoe1mnqxbLH3jj_5xWbxEU26zR650_eIjd-xSLwFOiDw78HgTRse-g0aYVwI1609yT9yA-N8CDqH6Ao4PKneeatrpZ39IZV/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSnsuAvx-uY-bpSgPyUdvpN4idKmOtPzNybQZb3Sj_28Ejyoe1mnqxbLH3jj_5xWbxEU26zR650_eIjd-xSLwFOiDw78HgTRse-g0aYVwI1609yT9yA-N8CDqH6Ao4PKneeatrpZ39IZV/s400/IMG_0141.JPG" /></a> </div>My husband teases me that the kids and I do every possible activity we can involving ice and snow. I can only blame my California childhood and the fact that snow is an exciting novelty for me.<br />
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One night, we set out some pans of water with a few toys in them. The kids' mission: to rescue their friends from the ice! It took a considerable amount of work!<br />
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We even tried drilling:<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HD2PS1ov7SRq1cbJtQJyYOqEYScXlfw94nLlRPpsDOVsB4Gi_DJ-oCq1Dxi0LCi9_2iBReWiqAshqLHk2_PVeVIKm9bhAFHjS-Ki8Gd2IFzz5XsecJrZqQeqpGDTmyLpW5htPe1To2hS/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HD2PS1ov7SRq1cbJtQJyYOqEYScXlfw94nLlRPpsDOVsB4Gi_DJ-oCq1Dxi0LCi9_2iBReWiqAshqLHk2_PVeVIKm9bhAFHjS-Ki8Gd2IFzz5XsecJrZqQeqpGDTmyLpW5htPe1To2hS/s400/IMG_0147.JPG" /></a> </div>The kids sprinkled salt, chipped and dug, and sprayed and poured warm water on the ice, finally freeing each and every toy. (Their motto: "No toy left behind.")<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4_rqvFM8Oe6K4Cv9TKxEaXR1vr31Zn7ZuHIH7IhF0GNlJWkXe5nKIXr7jzN3ZIV16A_jU8DdqigPt0J4T1Lk5OnZRknLPnRmEGL2uTg-D0iUwqN33AYkdY-BrQk1f3EABnoF1uTEXBk/s1600/IMG_0160.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4_rqvFM8Oe6K4Cv9TKxEaXR1vr31Zn7ZuHIH7IhF0GNlJWkXe5nKIXr7jzN3ZIV16A_jU8DdqigPt0J4T1Lk5OnZRknLPnRmEGL2uTg-D0iUwqN33AYkdY-BrQk1f3EABnoF1uTEXBk/s400/IMG_0160.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-74905668141592288162011-01-22T23:35:00.002-06:002011-01-22T23:53:13.412-06:00maple syrup candy<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJInXPVAzksgeLJ4QmFwZMI3yCVZuuOuRjXg8KoGvNhfth6JsZkw0R_VoyZmkjt9kW40aiOTzVdKepouifaELgX_LqcJbQikW6GN0rhG12I7_jc73MvmOAfZDcHwNLiUS3nIsQ3z-c3MM/s1600/IMG_0171.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJInXPVAzksgeLJ4QmFwZMI3yCVZuuOuRjXg8KoGvNhfth6JsZkw0R_VoyZmkjt9kW40aiOTzVdKepouifaELgX_LqcJbQikW6GN0rhG12I7_jc73MvmOAfZDcHwNLiUS3nIsQ3z-c3MM/s400/IMG_0171.JPG" /></a> </div>We've been looking up old recipes made with ice and snow. Apparently, folks used to make this simple candy by throwing boiled maple syrup onto fresh snow and letting their kids pick up the candy strands.<br />
<br />
It had been a couple of days since the snow fell, so we made this on crushed ice instead. It's easy:<br />
<br />
-- Heat a half-cup or so of maple syrup to boiling. Then, pour it over ice or snow. A couple of minutes later, it will have hardened somewhat into chewy strands that taste just like, well, maple syrup. Yes, it looks a bit like boogers on ice, but the kids thought it was fun and tasty.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2-kVm4Zg2DERVEiSdTd0Kb3h0yXuIJVJdk9cWleP91oMLK1ka-pCq2r8nQK9srvqAhzDK9I5cUfhACF06poljQbcSeAwJ-2gW6TCp8_49POd_Uu7KG-yWnpDQ-nxSOHgkfLi6eVuGhzt/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2-kVm4Zg2DERVEiSdTd0Kb3h0yXuIJVJdk9cWleP91oMLK1ka-pCq2r8nQK9srvqAhzDK9I5cUfhACF06poljQbcSeAwJ-2gW6TCp8_49POd_Uu7KG-yWnpDQ-nxSOHgkfLi6eVuGhzt/s400/IMG_0174.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-46190695995869071442011-01-22T23:30:00.001-06:002011-01-22T23:31:05.714-06:00how does water freeze?<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Id1Lf68EIJeVT6lHZ0nskUFnaD6sZg0mDtO_JYZr2FMdzR1ot0w5hGkjMfl2SAzeRgq0TAYjayihQFt7JkGvUOdumEWw0YfKcWchyphenhyphenFR3dhaRHctw8tzO4ed_H7qNPrJE2EE7zoJtFm87/s1600/IMG_0178.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Id1Lf68EIJeVT6lHZ0nskUFnaD6sZg0mDtO_JYZr2FMdzR1ot0w5hGkjMfl2SAzeRgq0TAYjayihQFt7JkGvUOdumEWw0YfKcWchyphenhyphenFR3dhaRHctw8tzO4ed_H7qNPrJE2EE7zoJtFm87/s400/IMG_0178.JPG" /></a> </div>The other day Nora asked, "Does water freeze from the top down or the bottom up?"<br />
<br />
We put a bowl of water outside for an hour and a half to see.<br />
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Nora wrote up her hypothesis, and she was right: "From the top, down!" she cheered. We talked about how this allows fish to survive all winter.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAQRS_KhfaVoebvA2truzEpkXOfYQJmwQRYx7YU7eLoJR_F1WrKeIxUABSJvs5tyb1ehXZE7rlu_-nS-nN6DG0ZJqUwxb5USPEZy_gIkusvjKUvVocMcqt922t7mlhZ3-22S2iEwstk7S/s1600/IMG_0179.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAQRS_KhfaVoebvA2truzEpkXOfYQJmwQRYx7YU7eLoJR_F1WrKeIxUABSJvs5tyb1ehXZE7rlu_-nS-nN6DG0ZJqUwxb5USPEZy_gIkusvjKUvVocMcqt922t7mlhZ3-22S2iEwstk7S/s400/IMG_0179.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-66492139026991632722011-01-03T00:00:00.001-06:002011-01-03T00:01:33.747-06:00oodles of bubble wrap<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafNax381QXWYa6Qz113YzGwovkDb2u8WeFeTDp8vseQHOCmg1N3lo4KjtQdK1lh4Ld28JEARv8SuPikn1HOtUWbtWFtq9dTCDmQzBFRJHXbm-0QObMsu9O3Vb0RfbfeCoG2WxlkskQStz/s1600/IMG_9811.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafNax381QXWYa6Qz113YzGwovkDb2u8WeFeTDp8vseQHOCmg1N3lo4KjtQdK1lh4Ld28JEARv8SuPikn1HOtUWbtWFtq9dTCDmQzBFRJHXbm-0QObMsu9O3Vb0RfbfeCoG2WxlkskQStz/s400/IMG_9811.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>My parents traveled to spend Christmas with us this year -- it was fantastic -- and they didn't want to carry much luggage, so they mailed most of their gifts ahead of time. Thus, we ended up with lots of bubble wrap!<br />
<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE-uB9ekFlBUz4hoydH9ud9AQJnOvOowdWYeO3JNeA9a98T0dPLgY6vg9SXka7DHJEQN3eqa5OYamCbOcJOtjdEJAqNInD52EVu7uWoc2Ia7Cg_r0EkGTSXSnJhFPRgmj-eqJs6RsXGEY/s1600/IMG_9812.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE-uB9ekFlBUz4hoydH9ud9AQJnOvOowdWYeO3JNeA9a98T0dPLgY6vg9SXka7DHJEQN3eqa5OYamCbOcJOtjdEJAqNInD52EVu7uWoc2Ia7Cg_r0EkGTSXSnJhFPRgmj-eqJs6RsXGEY/s400/IMG_9812.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>We've been painting it....using it to make prints....and cutting it out in shapes to make stamps. Please share if you have any bright ideas for bubble wrap! I'd love to think up all kinds of ideas to re-use Christmas leftovers, but I may have to brainstorm all the way 'til next year if I want to be of any use, 'cause I think most people's wrappings are in the trash or recycling by now!<br />
<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1dNlcy69iKTSKvqsqLZnAktm1uIDtwJc2OTXiEAyVkKRuTgN2yQv0GlG8rGsZHyxD1Ek6LbECJiVtTwSrmJSofqOBXWEdyAk_8mIrzGYRwCk4TT_DnMj7uDRmzVmDnqKlBiAl8DF6qEd/s1600/IMG_9813.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1dNlcy69iKTSKvqsqLZnAktm1uIDtwJc2OTXiEAyVkKRuTgN2yQv0GlG8rGsZHyxD1Ek6LbECJiVtTwSrmJSofqOBXWEdyAk_8mIrzGYRwCk4TT_DnMj7uDRmzVmDnqKlBiAl8DF6qEd/s400/IMG_9813.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-79120674192310738912010-12-20T00:52:00.001-06:002010-12-20T00:53:08.041-06:00what can you build with marshmallows and toothpicks?<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbXlcZgKHNQdV8g8cr0_0sD_LRaScZdy4XSY1fFjLY09sFHf_jgSstoG2t5Lufn9zz8GJWknJlfiXhVK-eQnvxPavDTVQdv5xpNkk-pARzHKA6omTGmzRpEvGfW1F92i_RhfBWAgW-Ric/s1600/IMG_9355.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbXlcZgKHNQdV8g8cr0_0sD_LRaScZdy4XSY1fFjLY09sFHf_jgSstoG2t5Lufn9zz8GJWknJlfiXhVK-eQnvxPavDTVQdv5xpNkk-pARzHKA6omTGmzRpEvGfW1F92i_RhfBWAgW-Ric/s400/IMG_9355.JPG" /></a> </div>We had some marshmallows. We had some toothpicks. The kid brother was napping. So, we made "a marshmallow palace."<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPqqMYn4na3C6Vnwr5v1ZZ6Z2xhLyrekogg5x_rBnJ1JDuJ3IljuqYk9Czhtv9FGc6tRnuOEEDDtYNJw7Z5HjyW3ukp0LlCuzMsqPrQr6Gtu1gQerVaZcbETvnct4f_8Gpt9yfrZeoJSS/s1600/IMG_9363.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPqqMYn4na3C6Vnwr5v1ZZ6Z2xhLyrekogg5x_rBnJ1JDuJ3IljuqYk9Czhtv9FGc6tRnuOEEDDtYNJw7Z5HjyW3ukp0LlCuzMsqPrQr6Gtu1gQerVaZcbETvnct4f_8Gpt9yfrZeoJSS/s400/IMG_9363.JPG" /></a> </div>The "Sloth King" (a plastic sloth) lived there, and Nora made him a throne of marshmallows. She also added on a jail and asked me to make a sign for it: "Prisoners in here!"<br />
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When Soren woke up, he even added on a few sticks and mallows.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifugJblXFU6Qa4ST3lTKNKc_twp6T9L5piCjNLuer4Kc3G0xiuo_L6HLhJPXuB8_rBjlwlrgp0owBpjbB98XMX4ZGm7jQOy-XEv3oZi23hB9fwJH6EqieRMpIEfcIH1aRMst5N8gbdN_0O/s1600/IMG_9369.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifugJblXFU6Qa4ST3lTKNKc_twp6T9L5piCjNLuer4Kc3G0xiuo_L6HLhJPXuB8_rBjlwlrgp0owBpjbB98XMX4ZGm7jQOy-XEv3oZi23hB9fwJH6EqieRMpIEfcIH1aRMst5N8gbdN_0O/s400/IMG_9369.JPG" /></a> </div>Finally, Nora asked to paint it with watercolors. O House of Mallows, home of the Sloth King...after all this, we will be sad to see you go.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0R4cbm6kIrvVeGgZ4EOdC7OQP5US9aA99WQux0n6v4vFZHV8WapAvWysMRkSjYHOYiWBL5thm_Gnej5IaQjjo-lR6Bw3sjlm_oAvUQTJWG3msSFkB_-xQB06Gvc-QpoE3cTWEpPi02Mp/s1600/IMG_9366.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0R4cbm6kIrvVeGgZ4EOdC7OQP5US9aA99WQux0n6v4vFZHV8WapAvWysMRkSjYHOYiWBL5thm_Gnej5IaQjjo-lR6Bw3sjlm_oAvUQTJWG3msSFkB_-xQB06Gvc-QpoE3cTWEpPi02Mp/s400/IMG_9366.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-58980903428277402022010-12-20T00:47:00.003-06:002010-12-20T00:57:01.270-06:00salt and ice<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXhFePOahi09OCPoFMbsR80iPlXBi9N2T0jBMpfw3bOwcMKu0QDq8afnJ8eyUMMlj6mgap2KgRspqNUllMiwZuHAqjYMHdERlX7Nv_dRpA5IyBbksfKs-PrvLuuwsNS2VNq1TEWdfyGxH/s1600/IMG_9344.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXhFePOahi09OCPoFMbsR80iPlXBi9N2T0jBMpfw3bOwcMKu0QDq8afnJ8eyUMMlj6mgap2KgRspqNUllMiwZuHAqjYMHdERlX7Nv_dRpA5IyBbksfKs-PrvLuuwsNS2VNq1TEWdfyGxH/s400/IMG_9344.JPG" /></a> </div>The other morning, Nora saw her dad salting our icy driveway, and asked why.<br />
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I asked her, "Why do YOU think we spread salt on an icy sidewalk? Can you guess?"<br />
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She guessed, "The salt melts the ice?"<br />
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We decided to see if this were true. I said, "We'll see if ice added to water makes it harder for the water to freeze."<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0j04zV5kUbiZzXW0dLpGQWxYJZ4DLq9EogAXuFSdMgf1FYG7SvdZzj6Y034VEj9y95t7APFFSywTUcvyGek9MpUtKE75bUnSfF-9d0PxKeHDEJiCej00n_OaVm0podgwYGVaqlmtaEem/s1600/IMG_9346.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0j04zV5kUbiZzXW0dLpGQWxYJZ4DLq9EogAXuFSdMgf1FYG7SvdZzj6Y034VEj9y95t7APFFSywTUcvyGek9MpUtKE75bUnSfF-9d0PxKeHDEJiCej00n_OaVm0podgwYGVaqlmtaEem/s400/IMG_9346.JPG" /></a> </div>-- We filled two small glass bowls each with 1/2 cup water. To one of these, we added 1 Tbsp salt, and stirred it in. The other, we left plain. We put them both in the freezer for an hour.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQXTvJu4eX1725LaRdmlZ0Y87LxSMd9iTdPU9jIIyAULoe4z_Qjm1eEfIfqLfw5YthT5hQaUCrz78hd1G3aPtMf4UT2kL0lirjlywfg7B4pCfIBoF0CheoudboSal2i2jxSN2jn6dLL_Z/s1600/IMG_9348.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQXTvJu4eX1725LaRdmlZ0Y87LxSMd9iTdPU9jIIyAULoe4z_Qjm1eEfIfqLfw5YthT5hQaUCrz78hd1G3aPtMf4UT2kL0lirjlywfg7B4pCfIBoF0CheoudboSal2i2jxSN2jn6dLL_Z/s400/IMG_9348.JPG" /></a> </div>-- An hour later, the bowl of plain water (on the right) was frozen about halfway through. The bowl with salt water (on the left) was still mostly liquid, with just a small coating of ice on top. (When I tilted the bowl, the water sloshed all around.)<br />
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I explained (after quickly Googling this to make sure I didn't spread misinformation) that salt speeds up the melting of the ice because it can make ice melt at a lower temperature. Salt also helps keep the ice from re-freezing.....which we saw when we put the salt water in the freezer!<br />
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I later came across <a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/preschool-activities-about-ice-a86579">an experiment where kids can use salt to "glue" an ice cube to a string, and then lift it up</a>. This is exactly the sort of thing that sets my geek heart aflutter. <br />
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(I may be a geek, but I'm <em>not</em> a science whiz, so preschool science experiments may be as good as it gets for me. I plan to enjoy this while it lasts, and before I become unable to comprehend any of it.)<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-22283032974466412182010-12-16T23:51:00.003-06:002010-12-16T23:54:01.342-06:00The Rock Menagerie<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyCwzvGxlJbuOlmrqo6Drr0O6LTuQhnpMfZEcfjzbJvR-bw_INX9erCL2ILBwutzWv22Q8aM7cClPVciT2_WJX5AHiG3eH7OgikYLAyvYXIXMG9vxMOQrH4Gd8G7TjAkjHbKqlFR42LCb/s1600/IMG_9337.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyCwzvGxlJbuOlmrqo6Drr0O6LTuQhnpMfZEcfjzbJvR-bw_INX9erCL2ILBwutzWv22Q8aM7cClPVciT2_WJX5AHiG3eH7OgikYLAyvYXIXMG9vxMOQrH4Gd8G7TjAkjHbKqlFR42LCb/s400/IMG_9337.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZY5-ADKnE7Pb9vZL5xyDnQoOPv5Nito4iEVHV1ARjsTZGF1V5ktvyWm8uR8o334P2VNysojOfHX1gazjvNScNnU9LdyCbcDaur60yPftUYvBfZY-bnsKKL3zjPo0-bYuy7uLye-b8VLh/s1600/IMG_9339.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZY5-ADKnE7Pb9vZL5xyDnQoOPv5Nito4iEVHV1ARjsTZGF1V5ktvyWm8uR8o334P2VNysojOfHX1gazjvNScNnU9LdyCbcDaur60yPftUYvBfZY-bnsKKL3zjPo0-bYuy7uLye-b8VLh/s400/IMG_9339.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXm55aOYpX8lVCzXK3NFdmlNu6A44Bn1lmq1ctPS2_CcO_q5sYTLQjIjkuwoDa4LmF_9MK-n5YcAl_fPPrKz1Zgut-vj4BXcjcIBJaf42g3vYxvZCf19ZJxpnc-xPXKKjF5oxthJkLAjo/s1600/IMG_9340.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXm55aOYpX8lVCzXK3NFdmlNu6A44Bn1lmq1ctPS2_CcO_q5sYTLQjIjkuwoDa4LmF_9MK-n5YcAl_fPPrKz1Zgut-vj4BXcjcIBJaf42g3vYxvZCf19ZJxpnc-xPXKKjF5oxthJkLAjo/s400/IMG_9340.JPG" /></a> </div>This is "a yellow dog," specifically designed as a Christmas gift for a dog-loving member of the family.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRrF-x6MTGd251TU80Oy05jEcY1JfTxEcAqe8mo29OxMpg3qaVUtgclmqEr3AMUBM3vYS4ENKgIK5kURjjnhHDcEw1hqhSqj-OFVdPZHrrUvwQ2X3VcS_RmtVNT8ZX6dC75KW369ICrLy/s1600/IMG_9342.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRrF-x6MTGd251TU80Oy05jEcY1JfTxEcAqe8mo29OxMpg3qaVUtgclmqEr3AMUBM3vYS4ENKgIK5kURjjnhHDcEw1hqhSqj-OFVdPZHrrUvwQ2X3VcS_RmtVNT8ZX6dC75KW369ICrLy/s400/IMG_9342.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-33499777426964664952010-12-16T23:50:00.002-06:002010-12-16T23:53:22.523-06:00rockin' out!<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IDJK8DDICKhnAetlIhARXHw78RkwEGmZAexIqKe7vfUXrH3kMH_D6h48QTPdJ_htYfn96gNTUbLZ7vUCePu5BC_oaqiAfZavIzd7el_rpVfmCZEyvNm-1E6sXIrxwQfLP1ClfoiBUjoC/s1600/IMG_9338.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IDJK8DDICKhnAetlIhARXHw78RkwEGmZAexIqKe7vfUXrH3kMH_D6h48QTPdJ_htYfn96gNTUbLZ7vUCePu5BC_oaqiAfZavIzd7el_rpVfmCZEyvNm-1E6sXIrxwQfLP1ClfoiBUjoC/s400/IMG_9338.JPG" /></a> </div><strong>Funny-Face Pet Rocks</strong>(invented by Nora)....she even drew her own plans:<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsHoo1P94mh6URQq2oVqV2Px5S_hfCYbq6y7wLlLtmPtFYst9A12tcQHLo4fJspTD1Cv9etvrOi-MBtPEhXFUSZBWOIMwsZtmfuB2J1Plu_2XCRy9dwYD-Q-Cj9fz-8i2q95fMl5ihs-B/s1600/IMG_8848.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsHoo1P94mh6URQq2oVqV2Px5S_hfCYbq6y7wLlLtmPtFYst9A12tcQHLo4fJspTD1Cv9etvrOi-MBtPEhXFUSZBWOIMwsZtmfuB2J1Plu_2XCRy9dwYD-Q-Cj9fz-8i2q95fMl5ihs-B/s400/IMG_8848.JPG" /></a> </div>They just make me smile. (This is a pair of whales.)<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICi8o9Nal4Zl8L5__0eCQ0hctNOKs6iLmWVPvHqg6W-3t8_SGfSu3neCKO_o0AnqB4lVOoV_tf6OJ2wvzfStcHDbcpOcFiFdym8XTFWfY61VtE11qatbAgv21tMPbyF5qYVGGNXuh96WW/s1600/IMG_9343.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICi8o9Nal4Zl8L5__0eCQ0hctNOKs6iLmWVPvHqg6W-3t8_SGfSu3neCKO_o0AnqB4lVOoV_tf6OJ2wvzfStcHDbcpOcFiFdym8XTFWfY61VtE11qatbAgv21tMPbyF5qYVGGNXuh96WW/s400/IMG_9343.JPG" /></a> </div>We just painted rocks with acrylic paint; varnished them; and hot-glued the rocks together the way Nora instructed. We did not have nice, smooth river rocks in our vicinity, so I confess that I bought a bag at Michael's for $2.49. But if you have beautiful rocks near you, by all means, just use them instead! (The paints, we already had on hand in our giant paints box.)<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyq0jhocWodZjpXeIRkamii4mjz4QKZci9nLdvJVlaQeeDVfYEClKHZNk9dHEwpYl2whtxQ6cmOgjd9uS4KHO-ElDhtM_zFSvuYhJYvoMlXXKJGtudQ2oIj6dIX0Hs9c1rDTr2U6FdPfA/s1600/IMG_9341.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyq0jhocWodZjpXeIRkamii4mjz4QKZci9nLdvJVlaQeeDVfYEClKHZNk9dHEwpYl2whtxQ6cmOgjd9uS4KHO-ElDhtM_zFSvuYhJYvoMlXXKJGtudQ2oIj6dIX0Hs9c1rDTr2U6FdPfA/s400/IMG_9341.JPG" /></a> </div>Don't worry....he's friendly.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-3850674456270570922010-12-16T23:40:00.001-06:002010-12-16T23:43:34.635-06:00Magic Crystal Ornaments<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fW-X7sJz5lbWbr96vy2aX7PvDRB971agGXnyEw7dYXmVDyAgzdubjmLLhH0DNFPjF6W9QGYQFVIcELZ_PFtAUhpV7JSIf747onPAdkW0iscpd0WCqMF33uZwL7ORKI_KZxAHCZwQfC_i/s1600/IMG_9036.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fW-X7sJz5lbWbr96vy2aX7PvDRB971agGXnyEw7dYXmVDyAgzdubjmLLhH0DNFPjF6W9QGYQFVIcELZ_PFtAUhpV7JSIf747onPAdkW0iscpd0WCqMF33uZwL7ORKI_KZxAHCZwQfC_i/s400/IMG_9036.JPG" /></a> </div>These ornaments grow as if by magic!!<br />
(as seen on <em><a href="http://www.ordinarylifemagic.com/2008/11/crystallized-pretties.html">Ordinary Life Magic</a></em>)<br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
<br />
Pipe Cleaners<br />
Glass Jars<br />
Borax<br />
<br />
(Borax is a natural cleaner....you can find it at most grocery stores, Wal-Mart, etc.)<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYmVlmyHw8ElauV7ypIXGw_Z_w8Dvuk_9CD4HXWbCcI7UWNbnDKouTbxNahMXDeAEE5KYFaa-TNx2CamreC7Lv8NdZV0RQrRCNxpAGQSnLWMeNg5wTLPWuvIAf9g1hZcl03OIPclOTnu7/s1600/IMG_9033.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYmVlmyHw8ElauV7ypIXGw_Z_w8Dvuk_9CD4HXWbCcI7UWNbnDKouTbxNahMXDeAEE5KYFaa-TNx2CamreC7Lv8NdZV0RQrRCNxpAGQSnLWMeNg5wTLPWuvIAf9g1hZcl03OIPclOTnu7/s400/IMG_9033.JPG" /></a> </div>To start, bend your pipe cleaners into shapes that will fit into the mouths of your glass jars (with a tiny bit of room to spare, as the crystals will slightly increase the size of the ornaments.) Bend a loop of pipe cleaner at the top, to hang from the tree.<br />
<br />
Use a small piece of pipe cleaner as a "hook" for dangling the ornament over the size of the jar. (This can be removed later.)<br />
<br />
On the stovetop, heat some water....for each glass jar you have, you will need 1 cup water and 3 Tbsp. Borax.<br />
<br />
Just heat the water until it is pleasantly warm. Stir in your Borax til dissolved.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1rgZyd81AR6qWFNPCHiDkWeVFzHCQtIemdydOpyyBOeQoZLx4lkmLEnab0aKdclmtwdkhvlB9p24lDtOYFoCv-roI2mHjeOfgcIMxh4ow_cP6HSkYCC6EwluEy5-Wa1xV5KC98afj1XG/s1600/IMG_9034.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1rgZyd81AR6qWFNPCHiDkWeVFzHCQtIemdydOpyyBOeQoZLx4lkmLEnab0aKdclmtwdkhvlB9p24lDtOYFoCv-roI2mHjeOfgcIMxh4ow_cP6HSkYCC6EwluEy5-Wa1xV5KC98afj1XG/s400/IMG_9034.JPG" /></a> </div>Place your jar somewhere nice, where you can watch the "magic" happen. Then hang your pipe cleaner shape -- whatever shape you have made --<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlOkjv34NQjuVkpg85C-68BgDqj7lV0XM9c9pccQ4T4N7a_INf7ROpPjSzxnycSGJ1twgLYu-TULCBwBJ439FqGhujUE2WMPAJdXG57sCCy1wwRDBaQScWg92hAm2lsypzz7bMfetkbTh/s1600/IMG_9035.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlOkjv34NQjuVkpg85C-68BgDqj7lV0XM9c9pccQ4T4N7a_INf7ROpPjSzxnycSGJ1twgLYu-TULCBwBJ439FqGhujUE2WMPAJdXG57sCCy1wwRDBaQScWg92hAm2lsypzz7bMfetkbTh/s400/IMG_9035.JPG" /></a> </div>(which may be a little crazy if you are 5 years old).....hang that inside the jar.<br />
<br />
Nothing will happen for the first hour or so. Distract your concerned little crystal artists. A couple of hours later, when you peek in at your ornaments...magic crystals will have begun to grow! Over the course of 24 hours, your ornaments will be nicely covered with beautiful "snow" crystals. Remove the ornaments after about 24 hours -- they will feel dry to the touch almost immediately. Hang them on the tree, in a window, or somewhere they can sparkle!<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-28695551960556720722010-12-16T23:31:00.000-06:002010-12-16T23:31:48.344-06:00Whew!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fpKrmUlFMZ_76lIJW_ccLt8yHFYCpXaC2Ksk75YtMq6_R0CGQXVakXMeP5tDt5G5casxsuC-Bo81p1vEZjssHnlFL3duco-ZUIut6FA_iTLdEfhEJT9TapqU8LuPV81K6iTPwpS6d4lH/s1600/IMG_9206.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fpKrmUlFMZ_76lIJW_ccLt8yHFYCpXaC2Ksk75YtMq6_R0CGQXVakXMeP5tDt5G5casxsuC-Bo81p1vEZjssHnlFL3duco-ZUIut6FA_iTLdEfhEJT9TapqU8LuPV81K6iTPwpS6d4lH/s400/IMG_9206.JPG" /></a> </div><br />Nora went on a binge....the good kind. She couldn't stop painting cinnamon ornaments! Here she is, proud of her finished product. (And while it may look like I kept her up until midnight painting, rest assured it was only around 5 p.m. Winter darkness!)<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-23013302560650099962010-12-16T23:29:00.002-06:002010-12-16T23:55:17.400-06:00Cinnamon Dough for Ornaments<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ylI06P2wQt8MffB6IvUck6RX1GQh0wYlhmjqGcqx9tQ3mXclk9G152v3BZleUHJbg_7PjpYRqAtpoAbXPgNlwez83TZCwdwkzindmnjYiJmaRZIgU3J7puTuQXCaH6XkG-OEtLATq6CI/s1600/IMG_9286.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ylI06P2wQt8MffB6IvUck6RX1GQh0wYlhmjqGcqx9tQ3mXclk9G152v3BZleUHJbg_7PjpYRqAtpoAbXPgNlwez83TZCwdwkzindmnjYiJmaRZIgU3J7puTuQXCaH6XkG-OEtLATq6CI/s400/IMG_9286.JPG" /></a> </div>Cinnamon dough smells heavenly! It makes a great, air-or-oven-drying dough for ornaments, figurines, whatever you like.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R7y-LUCNJUJ13TyZGjjagrwa1-laLq8Rb_KS2rnE78wX98tTHFgCGuTUtIldkR-S3Xwyk3Cm7Ppe1UYBlFIdR18J-ttqbQGF2K3r1jGDpGyL1pJ_RzgNP4_YyQaj0u6godRD8F9Siwiz/s1600/IMG_9169.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R7y-LUCNJUJ13TyZGjjagrwa1-laLq8Rb_KS2rnE78wX98tTHFgCGuTUtIldkR-S3Xwyk3Cm7Ppe1UYBlFIdR18J-ttqbQGF2K3r1jGDpGyL1pJ_RzgNP4_YyQaj0u6godRD8F9Siwiz/s400/IMG_9169.JPG" /></a> </div>You'll need:<br />
<br />
1 cup cinnamon<br />
1 cup applesauce<br />
2 Tbsp. white school glue<br />
<br />
(Since this requires about 3 containers of cinnamon, get the cheapest you can find.)<br />
<br />
Start by mixing your ingredients in a bowl:<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9dZ9ZJIttGET-Fug-z3Qog0O2MupFztDr2nhmkGV8zU-XPxM3LVX6otnbSU-O1MJliM6SJrJY2mp57pqr8hGZYkcq0IpI5vPzce4u9qLh6vNgNrIZOn09WPK3G96GsuyWOyXFEAMRpjv/s1600/IMG_9182.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9dZ9ZJIttGET-Fug-z3Qog0O2MupFztDr2nhmkGV8zU-XPxM3LVX6otnbSU-O1MJliM6SJrJY2mp57pqr8hGZYkcq0IpI5vPzce4u9qLh6vNgNrIZOn09WPK3G96GsuyWOyXFEAMRpjv/s400/IMG_9182.JPG" /></a> </div>This makes a nice dough, just a bit wetter than Play-Doh. Roll it out and cut shapes from cookie cutters. Thicker is better; we found just under half-inch to make for great, substantial ornaments that won't snap too easily. (If they are too thin, they will become brittle when fully dry.)<br />
<br />
Use a straw to make a hole in the top of each shape, if you plan to use them as ornaments.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs8Jdh_hDNqHjv3NYzHZLw0us8eFwF4VLKy3nA2c7_NTX5WB25fejAP8jMvq94HYN5hfwlzMjeD6DKerto9VIwm-M_tH05nScLgikwgTrQR7U2Lq5raAYsjc4cNTtPx9qA6F-X5tNfZx6/s1600/IMG_9179.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKs8Jdh_hDNqHjv3NYzHZLw0us8eFwF4VLKy3nA2c7_NTX5WB25fejAP8jMvq94HYN5hfwlzMjeD6DKerto9VIwm-M_tH05nScLgikwgTrQR7U2Lq5raAYsjc4cNTtPx9qA6F-X5tNfZx6/s400/IMG_9179.JPG" /></a> </div>Let air dry for a couple of days, or bake in your oven at 250 degrees for about an hour (keep an eye on them; pointy edges, on such shapes as stars, will cook quickly). Bake just until dry to touch.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-27147218746786863062010-12-16T23:22:00.001-06:002010-12-16T23:44:05.208-06:00<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1NRhJumxwvAK163DMtVygf27GvSug8Y-VV3xnpE52vbEoWMf0_su6Hdxm0g4p3L9DnV9gfWPZ0wyY5TAwAb8Nlfz3F3-c7KrviuZ_R8qJGlN7ZjJtK-TDVafGuMisdMS1I31yCgYOxhH/s1600/IMG_9204.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1NRhJumxwvAK163DMtVygf27GvSug8Y-VV3xnpE52vbEoWMf0_su6Hdxm0g4p3L9DnV9gfWPZ0wyY5TAwAb8Nlfz3F3-c7KrviuZ_R8qJGlN7ZjJtK-TDVafGuMisdMS1I31yCgYOxhH/s400/IMG_9204.JPG" /></a> </div>When your ornaments are dry, paint them with any acrylic paints.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhhsSFBJ6PqM-i9CkfTyhMZB1Q9B4-Q5Wu0gSRH8kPYI-Y8uHBnr-Cg0UOamWGfV9BdoxL_5eU-J-UmRJUwr2V0iYLdO4eUnNpYTN3HDb9oVsCLJKO_zZv3KlZHKmXXwT6jfIHAkDMnfg/s1600/IMG_9209.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhhsSFBJ6PqM-i9CkfTyhMZB1Q9B4-Q5Wu0gSRH8kPYI-Y8uHBnr-Cg0UOamWGfV9BdoxL_5eU-J-UmRJUwr2V0iYLdO4eUnNpYTN3HDb9oVsCLJKO_zZv3KlZHKmXXwT6jfIHAkDMnfg/s400/IMG_9209.JPG" /></a> </div>If you finish a few and get distracted, you can always just paint your own hand, grinning at how proud you are of yourself.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdiSthHflKrtfM31t3IvjSj2Pq0e4C3I9Q1yr4bZPmdELClLIcnQKUqhkSmc7Omr-2xkmsCq_zd6BGTnE30FY32am3t2keZsa7XcpHuHyK73IE6a5rzPmKGgr2GS2WpToJzZYDnHg8me-/s1600/IMG_9210.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdiSthHflKrtfM31t3IvjSj2Pq0e4C3I9Q1yr4bZPmdELClLIcnQKUqhkSmc7Omr-2xkmsCq_zd6BGTnE30FY32am3t2keZsa7XcpHuHyK73IE6a5rzPmKGgr2GS2WpToJzZYDnHg8me-/s400/IMG_9210.JPG" /></a> </div>Aren't you clever. ;)<br />
<br />
Let them dry for a couple of hours. You can varnish them with any craft varnish. I had some gold glitter glue on hand, so I thinned that out and we just gave them a top coat with that; it acts like a sealant and added SPARKLE! <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0ASGkrGOZ-1f_QgGoY-3uyJ3zDly8z3s4ij8hI-uJ_hDm7FGMr2IkPvGqwc0oy3Sv9OOVQOEvkX5JLEA-Dy5N4QD3APukZ85NqechELhUgbdpkMVmITt-rRq_WpLu3Bo5lparyZoXDTd/s1600/IMG_9290.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0ASGkrGOZ-1f_QgGoY-3uyJ3zDly8z3s4ij8hI-uJ_hDm7FGMr2IkPvGqwc0oy3Sv9OOVQOEvkX5JLEA-Dy5N4QD3APukZ85NqechELhUgbdpkMVmITt-rRq_WpLu3Bo5lparyZoXDTd/s400/IMG_9290.JPG" /></a><br />
When they're fully dry, thread some pretty ribbon or embroidery thread through the hole, and you have nice little, delicious-smelling ornaments to give anyone who comes your way.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-75213021674794461022010-12-16T23:14:00.001-06:002010-12-16T23:44:17.491-06:00Papier Mache Christmas Forest<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlQBJsyNyMOkzJFsW4LhGb156BWglJpX_opZQalHjKkFge2Or2xo-3M18mUlibPESFBV7BkvRtlcM4mbNPFFs9C94ELGqjK4jq19GrBQlTNcT3_xxpYkTGUk1Fy7fs8al6EBr9VBV0_7E/s1600/IMG_8879.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlQBJsyNyMOkzJFsW4LhGb156BWglJpX_opZQalHjKkFge2Or2xo-3M18mUlibPESFBV7BkvRtlcM4mbNPFFs9C94ELGqjK4jq19GrBQlTNcT3_xxpYkTGUk1Fy7fs8al6EBr9VBV0_7E/s400/IMG_8879.JPG" /></a> </div>We found these papier mache cones at Michael's for $1.29 - $1.49 each; painted them with acrylics we had lying around; and affixed some decorations. They flank our wooden Advent calendar. You can find so many papier mache shapes at Michael's, you could probably build your own North Pole! But don't get too crazy, now. It's cookie-eatin' time.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSjvQ2I5bQVQ9SYatTZ2bG7J8OV5JUI725LffWyd4yLn_owNwsTZJj3SIQQEYh3F29mztLEpktP9SZxees4xGlqGHLhHya2S5GYRtHcZc8DLAqR_Am_4dSNebN5I0XFAZIxve3q-JIleg/s1600/IMG_8870.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSjvQ2I5bQVQ9SYatTZ2bG7J8OV5JUI725LffWyd4yLn_owNwsTZJj3SIQQEYh3F29mztLEpktP9SZxees4xGlqGHLhHya2S5GYRtHcZc8DLAqR_Am_4dSNebN5I0XFAZIxve3q-JIleg/s400/IMG_8870.JPG" /></a> </div>Hope everyone is enjoying the season!<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-66374469844362560092010-11-15T22:45:00.002-06:002010-12-16T23:57:49.396-06:00Science Project: Homemade Lava Lamp<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh1ECc7UpjYM1NS69Spvbiuu2FdeJNaT8ZQayM6TYlIwLj80fguuCCvi_H40f2b7SwZPXg9ExXvTknI2hpYXHB64bL1loucnhppng4CKyrFtaOX0S1bJ3a_iHC_GHAO8-nZXi4GvyPsAe/s1600/IMG_6891.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh1ECc7UpjYM1NS69Spvbiuu2FdeJNaT8ZQayM6TYlIwLj80fguuCCvi_H40f2b7SwZPXg9ExXvTknI2hpYXHB64bL1loucnhppng4CKyrFtaOX0S1bJ3a_iHC_GHAO8-nZXi4GvyPsAe/s400/IMG_6891.JPG" /></a> </div>Well, if my child does not remember that "oil and water don't mix" by NOW, there's nothing I can do for her....<br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
a plastic 2-liter bottle<br />
food coloring<br />
a cup<br />
vegetable oil<br />
<br />
<strong>Here's how to make your own lava "lamp":</strong>1. Fill any cup, like a large plastic party cup, with water.<br />
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2. Add food coloring of your choice until you have a nice, vibrant color.<br />
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3. Take a nice, clean 2-liter bottle. Fill it a little over halfway with vegetable or canola oil.<br />
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4. Add your cup of colored water to the oil.<br />
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5. Add more oil if necessary, to fill about to the top.<br />
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6. Put the cap on your 2-liter bottle. Gently tilt the bottle onto its side. What do the oil and water look like now? (We drew a picture in our workbook, for future reference.)<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6boh_D5I8HdYjPcpvcqHirtOgDlXMM66uXaqFAOww8Msa6yNrfkAhulsT-hmmTNhkUQume-DBhIwIlr171HsSKv813RJ6IledXNaYy7TFbw-RUWt0I4pMLh79gEeIMIpVlWXTMTp9fJ3I/s1600/IMG_6890.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6boh_D5I8HdYjPcpvcqHirtOgDlXMM66uXaqFAOww8Msa6yNrfkAhulsT-hmmTNhkUQume-DBhIwIlr171HsSKv813RJ6IledXNaYy7TFbw-RUWt0I4pMLh79gEeIMIpVlWXTMTp9fJ3I/s400/IMG_6890.JPG" /></a> </div>You can roll that bottle around all you want,<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF_HIh7LubKfAaxnpgzl3RNEQbJsUEkjtmVapIsgqWu9iDyRhx6ra2xOfLBaxCRwpDpdSt2zN8_EfARgJfHxzSqEbx7ttFUoh7JA4S0lqCEYxQjtUvZ_b9q5dIcWbYPujKEd083WVfbgp/s1600/IMG_6893.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF_HIh7LubKfAaxnpgzl3RNEQbJsUEkjtmVapIsgqWu9iDyRhx6ra2xOfLBaxCRwpDpdSt2zN8_EfARgJfHxzSqEbx7ttFUoh7JA4S0lqCEYxQjtUvZ_b9q5dIcWbYPujKEd083WVfbgp/s400/IMG_6893.JPG" /></a> </div>you can even shake the thing like a maniac; while the oil and water may temporarily look like they have combined, just give them some time.....they will always separate out again! <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLn_QWNmX3puMXpsLauY4QXvWHrD_JzebmM4y8KWjIhekN6quKqJWSU8KHjUPP2BPeshCZLV_0-9VG8j68Yxdot0LOZunYwJ1BtrIRziDZGb5Wy9R-XT8uKP7YNDyq0iZDGQOYXmQbrDCU/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLn_QWNmX3puMXpsLauY4QXvWHrD_JzebmM4y8KWjIhekN6quKqJWSU8KHjUPP2BPeshCZLV_0-9VG8j68Yxdot0LOZunYwJ1BtrIRziDZGb5Wy9R-XT8uKP7YNDyq0iZDGQOYXmQbrDCU/s400/IMG_6896.JPG" /></a> </div>Even if you shake it up <strong>this much</strong>!! (We called in the big guns, my husband, and had him shake it up for us. I thought he was going to pull something. The oil and water later separated into 2 totally different layers, even after appearing combined.)<br />
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If you leave your lava lamp out for any length of time, you will notice that the oil and water molecules separate almost completely. Interestingly, the water is denser than the oil, so it will sink to the bottom; the oil will rest on top.<br />
<br />
(Density is how much an object weighs compared to the space it takes up. So if you have the exact same amount of water and oil -- say, 2 liters of each -- the water will weigh more than the oil. It is denser.)<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-53249042124032509492010-10-10T00:21:00.000-05:002010-10-10T00:21:07.716-05:00save those cardboard thingies<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJk6NbATnwAhlES8NLZk-JnrNE3NciO_yY3w7dP3ej25e_Sm2LAX57KT9mEVMrYSA-3eYTsMOLyYmsHrGIKSVIN2cWtvByshUQsKmNTEN_orA3MnA-umHt-PYryBdKPwYrGIIpJWUqhh1/s1600/IMG_7384.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJk6NbATnwAhlES8NLZk-JnrNE3NciO_yY3w7dP3ej25e_Sm2LAX57KT9mEVMrYSA-3eYTsMOLyYmsHrGIKSVIN2cWtvByshUQsKmNTEN_orA3MnA-umHt-PYryBdKPwYrGIIpJWUqhh1/s400/IMG_7384.JPG" /></a> </div>This cardboard insert once held some punch-out game pieces. It's the kind of thing my husband would chuckle at me for saving, but....<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WSf6OOEtCcjk91u-Y3TtnECSLyQrybegVLhSJJIpbLvdf_Cy_IvrVD9wQu3fdEajTRy-zuJ7EpuyJDG9chGgXrCWtYue0885XLlkGZBYEEWgi-ueNtm5-QmXGObntKWx-T_H24Jh1rF2/s1600/IMG_7400.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WSf6OOEtCcjk91u-Y3TtnECSLyQrybegVLhSJJIpbLvdf_Cy_IvrVD9wQu3fdEajTRy-zuJ7EpuyJDG9chGgXrCWtYue0885XLlkGZBYEEWgi-ueNtm5-QmXGObntKWx-T_H24Jh1rF2/s400/IMG_7400.JPG" /></a> </div>it finally came in handy! Nora colored in all the shapes during "rest time" and came out with a cool pattern. She always enjoys peeling covers away and seeing the patterns underneath. I'm sure you could use something like this is more creative ways, but it worked great for one of those "Oh boy, it's rest time and I'd really love to keep you up in your room for half an hour, and preferably not tearing white paper into tiny confetti shreds" moments.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-34555296869416442452010-09-13T23:14:00.002-05:002010-09-13T23:16:41.071-05:00Tissue Paper Art<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrzqpzuQu3eVkiUNcLH2fTSj6DZEagga0GL_lzNU51iqTzxYz7sBx-RRRsrnexJ2Lqhnsr3q2YBs_TiGDrhf7zfcku5sNTSkjBh49zV8I7bfgb3VDMBU1zypWIEaBV1GASFQrwSe9bS06/s1600/IMG_6481.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrzqpzuQu3eVkiUNcLH2fTSj6DZEagga0GL_lzNU51iqTzxYz7sBx-RRRsrnexJ2Lqhnsr3q2YBs_TiGDrhf7zfcku5sNTSkjBh49zV8I7bfgb3VDMBU1zypWIEaBV1GASFQrwSe9bS06/s400/IMG_6481.JPG" /></a> </div>I apologize in advance for the poor-quality photos in this post. My "good" camera was in the shop!<br />
<br />
Here is a simple way to make tissue-paper collages....<br />
<br />
1) Take a piece of cardboard and wrap the front of it with aluminum foil.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI8WUCBKHbD0-av9IVhrjtzQQZ1gGRnINk-nqIDmCBtarIapZTf2zi27I5RoZ2vcksjIzYSIljPE1dWtIFbsdShtkm4MyYhxQ1bhkJVeEidNcoP5ktDcqsxy3Tx0-enXlpqxYes9ZRELk/s1600/IMG_6488.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAI8WUCBKHbD0-av9IVhrjtzQQZ1gGRnINk-nqIDmCBtarIapZTf2zi27I5RoZ2vcksjIzYSIljPE1dWtIFbsdShtkm4MyYhxQ1bhkJVeEidNcoP5ktDcqsxy3Tx0-enXlpqxYes9ZRELk/s400/IMG_6488.JPG" /></a> </div>2) Cut out shapes of tissue paper -- or just rip them with your fingers.<br />
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3) Mix a small bowl of diluted glue and brush it over the surface of the foil. Lay pieces of tissue over the foil in any arrangement you wish. Keep layering tissue, brushing a layer of glue over each piece to hold it down.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LhXlAuuPwlLTooAOUb6YAoq5Xip07m3t6Xt584G2oHjaWhKm7EtPPTIlW1bkeTERjccJ4EGjWwK-iohm2p9LDeKMUiW8UwW42Mj7Uf3EK4Bf_vbVy9gm6Aze7lvHHJEDItyFz1dYvb_9/s1600/IMG_6490.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LhXlAuuPwlLTooAOUb6YAoq5Xip07m3t6Xt584G2oHjaWhKm7EtPPTIlW1bkeTERjccJ4EGjWwK-iohm2p9LDeKMUiW8UwW42Mj7Uf3EK4Bf_vbVy9gm6Aze7lvHHJEDItyFz1dYvb_9/s400/IMG_6490.JPG" /></a> </div>4) When you feel you are finished, let your artwork dry for a couple of hours. These make very pretty pieces. It was hard to capture here (especially with my "backup" camera), but the tissue pieces sort of melt into each other for a lovely, tie-dyed, almost batik effect. <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0wEYjyMeZ_bGBN73eP6-V7GdPA1ywSeNQf4qYDG3cxA7rGkJdLW77uzy9BxG_LHaFhrzap0CNE-i9cPVAxBoZAdtgg3YVT8Kk4s2kUWiwK69pYbfsPIYi4aOJ29NKfI6HFjmT17DXN34/s1600/IMG_6494.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0wEYjyMeZ_bGBN73eP6-V7GdPA1ywSeNQf4qYDG3cxA7rGkJdLW77uzy9BxG_LHaFhrzap0CNE-i9cPVAxBoZAdtgg3YVT8Kk4s2kUWiwK69pYbfsPIYi4aOJ29NKfI6HFjmT17DXN34/s400/IMG_6494.JPG" /></a> </div>This was an easy craft, very inexpensive (mostly recycled), and enjoyed by my 4-year-old and 2-year old. Cleanup was minimal -- just some stickiness here and there from the glue! (And, as you can see, I have totally given up on the kitchen table. I don't even put down newspaper any more. Bad me!) <br />
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-714523730690984932.post-87564839128600495922010-08-24T23:40:00.007-05:002010-08-29T23:31:10.124-05:00Theme: Vision / The EyeOne day, my daughter started asking me all about our cat's vision. Could our cat see color? Could she really see in the dark? Her curiosity made me think that we should do spend a little time learning about eyes and vision.<br />
<br />
Given that my daughter had just turned 4 1/2 at the time, we did not get too technical about eye anatomy. But we explored our own vision in simple ways, and learned a lot about the vision of animals. (Animals are always a hit around here!)<br />
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The whole theme took about 2 weeks. We usually do one activity a day, depending on what's going on and how everyone is feeling!<br />
<br />
ONLINE EYE RESOURCES:<br />
<a href="http://www.internal.schools.net.au/edu/lesson_ideas/optics/optics_wksht1_p1.html"><br />
The Weird and Wonderful World of Animal Eyes<br />
</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/top-five-animals-with-the-most-stunning-eyes/">Animals With Stunning Eyes</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/eyes.html">Simple Diagram of the Eye</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/eyes.htm">A to Z's Cool Homeschool: Eye Activities</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0