Week 25: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Molly Loves Science. For me, however, it has been tough this year to wrap my head around using a new curriculum, balancing the changing needs of two advancing students, as well as commit to a full science curriculum which also includes experiments and notebooking. In the beginning of the year it just felt like too much to take on. We did some review work in the Apologia Zoology 2 book (Swimming Creatures) mainly because Molly was just desperate to do some science, but we didn't dig in deep. However, last week the curriculum that we decided on for next year's science arrived, and I felt incredibly inspired! I went downstairs, pulled out the Zoology 3 book, which we had not yet cracked open (except for reference) and started reading it out loud. Both kids were so hungry to hear more that I read two chapters in two days and had the kids complete a notebook page to go along with it.

Today we did our first experiment (Ch. 2 of Zoology 3)! It was a test to determine if humans (vs. dogs) rely more on their sense of smell than what they see. I made two bowls of lemon jell-o, and dyed one of them red with food coloring. Both kids were convinced...I MEAN CONVINCED, that the flavor they were smelling was lemon in one bowl and strawberry or cherry in the other. Even after tasting it they were convinced. When I told them and they then smelled and tasted it, they said, "OH, Yeah!!!" but the point was proven. Humans rely more on vision than smell (of course we already knew that, but it was fun to prove it scientifically). "That was a good one, Mom!" was their commentary on the experiment.

The other highlight of the week has been our read-aloud in Tapestry of Grace, Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule. This is another book the kids have not wanted me to put down, and as a result we are ahead with the reading.

We did math and grammar and writing, as usual. Matty is soaring since his 100% score on last Friday's math test, and this has carried over into this week's work. He seems much more confident and willing to work through difficulty since then. It seems that he realizes now that he really can do this, and is willing to give it his best effort.

We neglected our memory work and reports and costume-sewing (for which I will pay dearly this weekend). But honestly, when the weather turns to 75 degrees with a perfect light breeze and bluebirds and blooming trees, it is very difficult to do anything but stay outside with our feet propped, enjoying the wonderful books we have to read! Viva la Spring!

Jell-O and Drano: It's That Kind of Day

The weather outside for March is astonishing. It is 80 degrees today! The trees are budding early, bluebirds are taking up residence in my yard, the peepers are screaming their lungs out in the evenings, and the kids and I have done school at the deck table for three days straight. In bare feet. Beautiful.

But this morning we kept smelling something strange around the house. It smelled kind of like a cat had had an "accident" but not really. Every once in a while we'd just get a whiff of it and so all three of us were walking around in this confused state sniffing like dogs, trying to zero in on the smell. Couldn't find it. Then I was standing right in the middle of the smell (GEE WHIZ...WHAT IS THAT?!) I looked down on the floor and there was this weird little worm (which I now realize was a small black millipede). Matty got closer to it and nearly gagged. It was the "worm" that was making all that smell, so we removed him to the out of doors. YUCK!

So the day was going normally along after that and I made lunch for the kids, cleaned it up and ran some things down the garbage disposal. Nothing major, but the sink clogged up badly. I tried to run it one more time, just to see if it might help and the full side of the sink exploded  upwards like a fountain of puke, all over the counters and floor. It looked just as I have described...YUCK!

This all happened just after I had discussed the idea of inviting some of their friends over to play for a couple hours, so I called the mom and invited, telling her that I'd be there shortly, but I needed to run to the store very quickly for some Jell-O for tomorrow's science experiment, and some Drain-O to fix this blasted sink problem, at least so I could prepare dinner (which has to be done early tonight, as I have to go out at 6:00 p.m.) I left my boy at home to finish his reading, thinking I'd be gone a total of about 15 minutes. I got to the store having forgotten my cell phone, and as soon as we arrived my dear daughter informed me that she has to go to the potty. Now. (sigh) Okay, back we go (at least it was clean) and she says, "Uh, oh...this is going to be a while." She was right--it did take a while. We were m.i.a. in Bloom with no way to let my boy know that we were going to be longer than expected. Finally we emerged from the rest room, grabbed the Drano, then went to the checkout to pay. I reached in my purse only to discover that I had left my wallet at home. AARRGGHH! I left, the only mission having been accomplished was taking my daughter to the bathroom.

We left the store and went to pick up the playmates, and my poor son had called wondering if I had made it there or not. My sink is still clogged and I don't know what I'm making for dinner. I'm thinking Subway...