Homeschool Field Trip – Tennessee Aquarium

This Friday we had a homeschool field trip to the TN Aquarium.  Cookie went with us – along with three other families (5 adults and 16 kids in total!).  We visited the aquarium first, then took a ride on the Electric Shuttle around Chattanooga.  I think everyone had fun, and even though it was quite painful (I REALLY shouldn’t be in the car for that long), I enjoyed being with friends.  It is days like this that make homeschooling so worth it!

(There aren’t that many pictures, because we gave B10 a special privilege and basically let him sit with the camera for over an hour in the Butterfly Exhibit.)

On the electric shuttle!

The boys waiting for the rest of our group

GO in the underwater part

Me and KB

CW and Went at the touch pool (rays)

Cookie, Me, and Quilting Bee (Can you spot KB?)

GO greeting a turtle.

Butterfly Exhibit

Went found a fish!

Our friend the turtle!

Another photobomb.

CW and Quilting Bee’s oldest

This child and I share the same name. We both wear glasses. We both like baseball and we both like his mother A LOT. He photobombs my pictures…

The “girl group”. T was a HUGE help to Cookie.

Having a face to face with the Fishes.

I can’t wait for next year, when GO is in 1st grade and we get to do this more often!

~Mummy Butterfly )i(

Homeschool Field Trip – UGA Vet Open House

My Hearts

Our local university, University of Georgia, has an Open House every year for their Vet School.  At the same time, the Entomology School holds their annual Insect Zoo.  We decided to make the trek up with our friends for a FUN day!  (Cookie came along, to help and love on the littles.)

Little Girl got an Entomology Zoo shirt, too!

This is his “shocked at being photographed Sasquatch” pose…

Easter Eggs with Lizards and Bugs inside!

Playing Insect Cornhole with Cookie

Cricket Pudding (yes, real crickets) – she also had FOUR Cricket Fondue

B10 holding a LARGE Insect

Holding a Bug

At the Entomology School Insect Zoo

That is Cricket Chex Mix (with real crickets)

Went kept pointing and saying “Woof, Woof!”

My favorite part was the Teddy Bear Surgery.  We waited for a LONG time in line, but GO brought a “hurt” stuffed animal and was a surgical assistant as it was stitched up.  It was a really cool experience for both of us!

Teddy Bear Surgery! She is with her stuffed animal in preop!

Preparing for Surgery

Talking to the surgeon

This is an event we will make a yearly one.

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

First Formal

B10 went to his first High School formal, and really enjoyed himself.  I’m going to give ya’ll a couple of picture – but then let him speak for himself.  His article on the dance “Formal Logic” was published on a Teen Blog that he writes for.  I encourage you to check it out and leave him a comment.  🙂

My sweet boy and his date.

Love the B&W Background!

He is growing up so quickly!

~Mummy Butterfly )i(

 

Cool Homeschool Experiments

The boy Caterpillars have been working on science experiments for the last two weeks, and they have been pretty cool.  I wanted to share a couple of them – even non-homeschooling families would get a kick out of these.  Both are appropriate for Preschool Kids to oooh and awww over!

First is the standard “Bean in the Window” experiment.  It is VERY easy to do, but sometimes I think we (parents) just never think to do it.

Supplies: 3 dried beans, 3 napkins, 3 baggies

Method: Slightly dampen all three napkins.  Place a single seed in the middle of each napkin (so it is completely covered).  Place each napkin in a separate baggie and seal them tightly.  Place one baggie in the fridge, one in a window sill, and one in a dark place (CW used my desk drawer).  Ask your child what they think will happen.  Then forget about them.  The best part of this experiment is that if you forget about it for 3 or 4 days, it’s still okay!

I *loved* looking at the seeds, and we even dampened the napkins again so they could grow longer.  They also can be planted, if you are so inclined.

The Drawer Bean: WILDLY great growth, but no sun=no green!

The Window Bean: Moderate growth, Green from the Sun

The second is an incredible “Invisible Egg” experiment that I had never seen before.

Supplies: fresh raw egg, vinegar, Karo Syrup, water, coffee mug (or small dish)

Method: Place the raw egg in the vinegar solution for 24 hours (it will float, that is fine).  Then, carefully remove the egg – the shell will have disappeared.  Carefully place it immediately in a mug of Karo Syrup for 24 hours (let your kids observe at each stage).  Finally, carefully place the egg in a cup of fresh water for 24 hours.  It is SO awesome.  The egg shell will disappear, and it’s just really COOL looking.  This experiment shows osmosis at work (for those of you looking to tie it back to homeschooling), but it’s a neat trick to show off.

I love when I get to see the look on my Caterpillar’s face when they “get it”.  Those lightbulb moments are such a huge reason I love homeschooling!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Parties! (Of the Happy Birthday, Jesus and Grinchy Kind)

Today we had TWO parties to attend.  It was GO’s last day of Preschool before winter break, so she had a “Happy Birthday, Jesus” Party.  Then, Aunt CC and the Garden Girls invited us to join them at a “Grinch” Party – complete with awesome green food and drink!

GO was quite the well-behaved little girl at her school party.  Sometimes she gets pretty clingy when I’m in the room, but today she had a blast with her friends, and B10 was even able to sit next to her and eat his food (he was being an incredible big brother and taking care of Went for me during the party, so I could focus on GO).

Then we headed to Aunt CC’s Mum’s house – she and her sister did an incredible job of making the cool food.  B10 and CW (along with the big kid cousins) headed outside to jump on the trampoline and get the wiggles out, before coming in and designing their Green Christmas Trees.

They also had Grinch Santa Fruit Kabobs.

And Green Cookies.

And Green Drinks. (Notice the rim of green sugar in the picture?  How clever!)

They all sat downstairs quietly to watch the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.  Unfortunately, I needed to be upstairs nursing Went, and letting him fall asleep on me.  The movie was waking him up and even when I was walking him, he couldn’t get settled.

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After the movie, though, I was able to sit and have a nice chat with Aunt CC, while the Caterpillars went back outside to play (ah, the lure of the trampoline).  We headed home, just the boys, and GO stayed behind to spend the night with the girls (I am taking B10 and CW to meet their dad tomorrow, for Christmas with him, and this way GO won’t spend hours in the car).

LOVE my family and how sweet they are – especially LOVE how creative Aunt CC is coming up with these memory-making days and including us!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Owl Puke

Auntie M brought the boy Caterpillars Owl Puke.  Owl Vomit.  To dissect.

It didn’t last long…CW’s friend came over for Science Class and they dissected the Owl Vomit.

Studying it closely (it came with a card about what the bones might be).

Dissecting the Puke

Poking at the Puke

Woo.  Hoo.  It’s a good thing I’m an awesome Mummy and pukey things don’t bother me.  (Or care about plastic containers that will NOT be used for leftovers EVER again, because they now contain small rodent skulls that were dug out of owl vomit.)

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Graduation!

Wearing her “Hawaiian Honor Cords”

Tonight was Malenki’s High School graduation, and a special night for our family.  While I know my Mum loves all her students, Malanki is the first one who calls her “Aunt” outside of school, and my Caterpillars call HER auntie.  (I refer to her as my baby sister.)  B10 and I went to support her (and one of B10’s other friends) as they crossed the platform.

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It was awesome to see a graduation ceremony at B10’s school, because it is so different from a public or private school’s graduation.  Each graduate’s parents are invited to speak for 2-3 minutes about their child, before diplomas are handed out (and yes – they are state accredited diplomas).  As a Mum, my thoughts went back and forth from the wonderful things these parents were saying to “OH MY GOSH – FIVE YEARS AND I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT B10!  FIVE YEARS!”.  It’s a bit scary!

I loved the experience, and B10 did a great job listening and paying attention.  Five graduates spoke (there is not such thing as class rankings at Heritage), and all of them did a phenomenal job.  I have to remember for the future, though, to get a better seat for pictures!

Congrats, Malenki!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

Field Trip!

Today, since both B10 and GO were still out of school, we went on a field trip to the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center.  We have been once before (back in 2007), but not really since then (or at least I hadn’t been).  GO certainly had never seen the exhibits, and it was fun to see how things had changed.

Cookie and B10

GO eating her Grilled Nugget

We started off with lunch at Chick-fil-a (B10’s choice), and I didn’t get any pictures of a cow or any other food.  But GO got a balloon (that is what is tied on her wrist).

It wasn’t a far drive from there to the center, and other than one school group (of very rowdy teens – ugh), we had the place to ourselves.  There were the standard exhibits down the center hallway, along with a traveling exhibit about the Society of Women Engineers (called Petticoats to Sliderules).

Lillian Gilbreth! YAY for "Cheaper by the Dozen"!

GO on the computer simulator.

It was great when we wanted to watch the movie, they actually let us pick the time, then closed off the auditorium and let us watch it alone.  🙂

GO, Cookie and B10

The standard “Water” Exhibit was there and GO enjoyed all the little kid things, while B10 enjoyed playing in the real water and with the giant ice cube.  I got a little annoyed with the teens when they started to get in the ball pit and climb on the frog around GO.  It’s not an exhibit for High School Students, so it’s not like MY kid was in THEIR way.

That's a giant hunk of ice...

Mum and GO on the frog....

Feeding "raindrops" in the vapor tube. It's going to rain on GO soon.

So we finished there, and headed to the big fish tanks.  B10 liked trying to find each fish on the placards, while GO just kept talking to the fish.

B10 and Fish

GO and Fish (she kept saying "HELLO FISH - I AM GO! WHO ARE YOU?")

Just Fish

Both Caterpillars (and Cookie) sat with Bubba the Red-Ear Slider Turtle for a while.

Bubba the Turtle

The current traveling exhibit is “Life in Space”.  It was a pretty cool exhibit – my favorite part being the Space Suits they could dress up in.  I have the best looking astronauts in the world, I think.  🙂

Cool Exhibit from the Memphis Children's Musuem

Can Entomologists go into space?

Two! I have two cutie astronauts!

She's quite the cutie!

Little Girl Astronaut

Exercising in space.

Science in Space (he had to work in a "Science Box" and preform and experiment).

Robot builder!

Sleeping in Space

"Chocolate" the Puppy w/His NASA Cap

Fun, educational and local – those are the best field trips!

Sacked out on the way home...

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

GO’s Snowman Lesson

A "Green" Snowman, because the Letter "S" on the magnet was green - and she wanted them to match.

GO has been eager to “do school” whenever B10 is working on his schoolwork, so I spent some time searching out good preschool sites.  I came across an amazing one at Living Life Intentionally.  She had a free Snowman Preschool Pack, and while some of the activities were over GO’s head – she LOVED working with her big brother.

She was so proud of her ability to identify each slip of paper!

Matching and Sorting into Bowls

Practicing using scissors! She is very proud of being big enough to use a pair of scissors all by herself!

I especially loved her enthusiasm with the scissors.  They aren’t easy for her little hands, yet, but she didn’t get discouraged.  Overall, she “worked” for almost 2 hours.  I am going to continue looking for suitable activities, since she’s out of preschool for two weeks in February – but B10 isn’t!

Carefully colouring a Snowman Page.

Colouring carefully, while singing the "S" song from the fridge magnets (thanks Leapfrog)!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(

My Little Scholars

B10 has been doing a really great job of doing his schoolwork, and GO’s new favorite thing to do is her “scoo-work” with him.  I got a few cute photos of them yesterday as they worked in the afternoon.

Here is B10 studying deeply (while poking himself in the eye with a pen…don’t ask…).

B10 vs. World History (The Roman Republic)

And here is GO, colouring while saying her numbers and letters outloud.

GO vs. Numbers & Letters

See that concentration? GO is winning!

~Mummy Butterfly  )i(