Summer Science Spectacular!!

Throughout the summer the kids and I will be doing some cool science-y experiments.  Here are a few that we have done so far... this day we did the classic baking soda and vinager! Plus, we made gak (aka slime.)

No matter what age they are.. boys like things that explode! lol.

They got creative and added food coloring!

The swirl of different "explosions" in Kody's foil pan!

After a while, we flipped to complete a "lunar/mars" landscape. 
We placed a generous layer of baking soda
and they dropped food coloring and vineager to create the crators.

Some of them.

After the baking soda and vineager we moved on to gak! Or slime.  After making it, the played with this for hours... and even a few times over the next 3-4 days.

Kody mixing her GAK!  She kept saying it isn't right.
To which Peter-Leo would respond... you have to keep mixing it!

 

Peter-Leo having a blast with his GAK!

He even discovered that it could be blown up like a balloon!!

Honestly, the next three photos should be up with the rest but Blogger is being rude and not doing what I want it too... so here they are..

Peter-Leo was impatient with the lunar landscaping..
 so he took his tray outside and flooded it with the vineager!

This is Kody very carefully dropping the vineager onto the baking soda.

This is what happened to Kody very pretty lunar landscape once Peter-Leo
 convinced her to dump a cup full of vineager onto it. Don't worry, she was still happy!

 Well, that was one day... stay tuned for more!

Tag! You're It!
Michelle

Planting a garden...

Ok, so it's more of a small herb garden and some starters.. but planting Kody and I did!  Peter-Leo was not helping because he was too busy playing his DS. Which is the first time he quite a while so I let him go. 
I found a website that had directions for making "self-watering" planters.  Mostly for starters, but I figure the 2 liter bottles would be a good size for a few herbs.  After , I cut the 2 liter bottles in half, Monty drilled holes in the lids, and I strung the yarn through the holes in the lid, screwed them back on the 2 liter bottle and set the top part inside the bottom.. we filled them (and some of the floor) with dirt, planted the seeds and watered them.  According to the directions this first watering will create some type of seal and the yarn will suck up the water as the plant needs. We'll see.

Kody filling up and planting seeds!

Bringing the last one to the sink to be watered and set on the window sill.

Filling up the last one! YAY!

YES! All six are done!



Now if only they will grow!  Kody assured me that she would check in the morning to see if they were growing yet.  Oh! If only things actually grew that fast!!

Tag! You're It!

Michelle





Another fun day at Peter's Point, Fernandina Beach!

This is one of our favorite spots on Fernandina Beach to visit.  It is just one of the sections, but it is what we says is the nicer section.  =) There really isn't anything to say about the beach, except we wish ya'll could of spent the day with us!!

WARNING: lots of photos ahead! Be prepared to scroll down... a lot...

I guess every major city needs some type of painted plastic animal to represent art. SHRIMP!

Kody's way of getting used to the water,
she sat down and let the ocean come to her.

She liked how it "tickled her feet."

Peter-Leo took a more direct route, straight in with boogie board!

Trying to catch a wave!

The joy of riding the waves!

Kody jumping over the surf!

We had the most polite beach neighbor!
She/He would pop out of the hole, throw some sand and go back in!

One of the few photos of Peter-Leo not in the water.
This was one of several MOM-datory water breaks.

Kody did spent more of her time on the shore building and playing in the sand.

I swear Kody did go into the water! She even boogie board-ed in the shallow surf, but I couldn't take any photos because I was helping her! Oh well!

Splashing in the surf!

I love this shot, I really wish she had jumped that high,
but it is just the camera angle. 

 All in all it was a fun day at the beach.  The weather was just right, warm enough to swim and play and NOT HOT! yay!

Tag! You're It!
Michelle

Tree Hill Nature Center

Last week the kids and I went off on another adventure! This is time to the Tree Hill Nature Center in Jacksonville. It is a small yet completely educational, fun, and lovely place to visit.  Admission was cheap and the staff was ridiculously nice!  
They have a small museum in the main building, but outside they had a small butterfly house as well as a few other animals.  And of course, nature trails! One good part of TS Beryl was that a few tree had fallen and it was a great opportunity to teach the kids about the severity of urban sprawl/growth and the brute strength of the wind!

At the entrance to the museum.

Inside the butterfly house, I love my new camera lense!

Kody said "Look mom, there is a chicken!"

Being cool!

Preparing for battle? Not really sure nor do I remember what he was doing!

One of several damaged trees from Tropical Storm Beryl

The cute lizard taking a sunbath!

Peter-Leo and Momma sitting on one of the fallen trees.

Momma and Kody along one of two boardwalks never the river.

I love this photo, because I told them I wasn't going to take anymore photos,
 hee-hee I lied!

 The next two shots are of a massive tree that fell during the storm, it took out two wooden benches that it used to shade.  It was very sad, but that didn't stop us from climbing on it!

Momma being silly!

Kody walking on the large fallen tree,
in the background you can see a couple of the smashed benches!



Momma and Peter-Leo on the large fallen tree.

Towards the end of the trails we saw another fallen tree, thankfully it wasn't blocking the trail because it had fallen onto another set of trees that "held" it off the ground.  

 Another tree that snapped from the wind.

 The kids standing underneath that tree.

What a wonderful little place to go and visit. The trails are only a mile or so long which makes it doable for kids and out of shape moms. hee-hee.  We will be going back to explore some more another day!


Tag! You're It!
Michelle

SLIP N SLIDE FUN!

The title says it all. I hope you like the photos!

Tag! You're It!
Michelle

Water Pillow SAY WHAT?!

  Ok, so my latest and greatest internet finding was this crazy fun mom who duct tape two painters tarps together to form a massive waterbed/pillow for her little kids to play on. Of course I had to make one myself.  Now, I  admit taping the two tarps together was a mild pain, but it was soo much fun when it was all done and filled with water!!

She loved "bouncing" on it!

Ever the scientist!

In the above photo, Peter-Leo noticed that it made waves and that you could see how waves traveled, how a ripple goes and the effects of earthquakes on land. Clever child.

Kody's little feet hopping!

Peter-Leo checking and re-checking the spray.
He had to make sure it was just right!

I had to add that photo because I have a newspaper photo of my Dad, rechecking the traffic cones on I believe the narrows bridge project when he worked at the WSDOT.  Making sure things are just right!

Fun time was over!

 We had a fun few hours on the water pillow before it was time to head inside and escape the extreme heat of the day.  Despite it getting a huge tear in it we used it a day later as a slip n slide. Great Fun!

Tag! You're It!
Michelle