Science at Home

We have some fun science projects going on around here right now.

We decided to try making our own bean sprouts using lentils.  Soak them for a day, then drain and keep them in a jar covered in mesh or cheese cloth and rinse them out each day.

Here they are starting to sprout!

The most exciting thing in our lives right now is that daddy brought home a bunch of tadpoles from the river.  We made them a little habitat so we can hopefully watch them sprout legs and turn into frogs. 

The boys are absolutely amazed and completely thrilled.

  "I can't believe we have these," Ezzy says in an awed whisper.
 

Reading "Tadpole to Frog," which is very important reading right now!

Some Fun Videos

The boys skateboarding



An obstacle course in our backyard



And a fight at the mall

a week in San Jose

Sometimes God has surprises for us.  This week was one of those for me.  We went to San Jose to take part in a seminar on marriage and family.  It was a really special time for Scott and me to take time out and focus on what's really important.  Here are some highlights:

While Scott and I were in class, the kids worked on building a club house.

They found scraps from all the construction going on around the base.

They worked together to build their club.

Phew, it's hard work!

Making music with Scott during a rainy afternoon before dinner.



What joy!  I got to hold my little sleeping Koa through the morning sessions.



 Jack Kody shared about marriage and parenting.

It's been so long since I've been able to just sit and receive, I can't believe this actually worked out!

Jude took time out from playing for a nap with mom, too!

Meanwhile, on Friday the finishing touches were being made.

...and - the club house is finished!

yay!

The boys also had fun on the skateboard ramps each day.

Ezzy skateboarding.

Lemuel thinks my boys are his "primos," - cousins!  So cute!

The best part?  No cooking or cleaning or dishes ALL WEEK!  I love the food on the base!


I think we all needed this more than we knew.

I let my children fight

Yes, it's true.  I'm outnumbered here 5:1, so I learned pretty quickly to let boys be boys.  But we do have some ground rules:

1.  Playfighting is allowed, real fights are not.  If you visit my home you will here me asking, "Is this a playfight or a real fight?"  If both children answer, "playfight!" then it's allowed.  If not, it will stop immediately.

2.  To qualify as a "playfight" both children must agree it's a playfight.  In otherwords, if one child thinks it's a playfight and the other one feels it's a real fight, then it must stop immediately.

3.  There are some risks involved.  If you choose to playfight, you may get hurt.  If this happens, I usually recommend that the child takes a break.  When I recommend this, the child usually all-of-a-sudden feels better and decides that to keep playing would be way more fun than taking a break, and maybe is not feeling so hurt after all.

4.  Koa just can't wait to get in on the action.

Here's what I'm talking about...  beware this video is not for the faint of heart.  You may see some intense moments, but just look and you'll see the smiles on the faces.  It's taken me awhile to understand the strange world of boys - but I think stuff like this is a huge part of it, and possibly very necessary...

Cheap Thrills

Tips for making an ant farm

1. Do not try to put ants barehanded into an ant farm. They will bite, your hands will swell. They will also crawl all over your body - down your shirt and pants, before you can stop them.
2. Do not try this 5x.
3. Do not attack an anthill with a spatula while barefooted and 3 small boys watch. The ants will go crazy, spread quickly and bite.
4. Do put ants you've collected in the fridge for up to 15 minutes before handling them - it does not kill them, but makes them inactive so you can get them into the farm.
5. Realize that the ants will only remain inactive for a few seconds. During this time do not spill dirt and ants all over the counter.
6. If that does happen, screaming won't help the situation.
7. At the end of the process, once the ants are safely inside, enjoy watching them dig their tunnels, it's actually pretty AMAZING.
8. Be sure to read lots of books about ants along with your ant farm project.
9. Beware if guests come and warn them not to SHAKE the ant farm. Yes, this happened. Even my two-year old knows not to shake it. But a full grown adult shook it and in seconds destroyed all the tunnels the ants had spent hours making. I suggest putting a little note or something by your ant farm so guests are warned not to do this. You just never know.
10. Have fun!

More 30-minute Steady Mom challenges are here.

A Better Day

So yesterday I cried. And I prayed. As I went to bed I determined in my heart to have a better day. Basically, I am over-tired, losing my patience, yelling at my children and feeling angry and frustrated. Homeschool is overwhelming me, I'm trying to do too much and things are turning into power-struggles with my kids. This is not how I want to be! This is not my dream for homeschool! So I determined to RELAX, ENJOY my children, re-adjust my priorities, have fun and do better. These posts really helped: A Steady Days Excerpt: Enthusiasm and The Family Hour: Recess for Everyone as well as a good long chat with an encouraging friend. God is so good!

So, I am happy to share with you now my "better day."

I started the morning off having all the boys jump in bed with me and I said sorry for being such a grumpy mommy. They gave me big, reassuring hugs and we started the day off with smiles and love and a few good stories. I've been trying to fit too much into our school days and the things that get dropped are all the science experiments. So today was science day, doing all the fun projects we skipped. Oh, Kai was so joyful. He has truly been longing for this day. "I want to be a scientist when I grow up," he said confidently this morning. That's actually his very first, what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up comment.

We started out examining soil. Kai added one scoop of soil to a jar. Then two scoops of water.

Shake it up and then let it sit for two hours.

The soil separates into layers. The top layer is humus, then comes clay, then sand and finally small rocks at the bottom. Believe me, this completely amazed my children!

Next we examined leaf litter. This is the stuff that decomposes to make the top layer of soil. Kai gathered a bunch in a bag.

We dumped it out on a piece of paper on the table to go through. This stuff is disgusting! We found lots of cobwebs, little creepy crawlies, dead things and other nastiness. All things boys love!

Finally, we examined leaves. Each boy went out to collect some cool leaves.

We took a look at all the different leaves and talked about each one.

Then we did some leaf rubbings.

As I put my boys to bed tonight, things just felt so much more peaceful, happy, calm. My heart is full of love, not irritation. And instead of dreading it, I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. Thank you, Jesus!

p.s. All these activities and more are part of our Sonlight curriculum and found in this book:

Usborne Science Activities, Vol. 2

A Valentines Party

Another missionary mom here in Costa Rica has thrown me a lifeline. I've grabbed on and it's keeping me afloat in these crazy days of adjusting to life with four children and our new homeschooling adventure. Not only is she a long term experienced missionary mom - she also has three boys ages 10, 12 and 15 AND has raised them all on the mission field AND homeschools AND is totally into bonding and attachment and co-sleeping all that wonderful stuff AND has given her boys totally original names which I think is so cool. Talk about a lot in common and divine appointments. I treasure these Wednesday afternoons I get to spend at her home with her lovely boys. I get a chance to GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, talk, talk, talk, talk (with an adult) and ask questions and just learn from another mom who's a step ahead of me. I really love the way God takes care of me. And I know this is one of his ways.

This Wednesday Jill let me know ahead of time that we were having a Valentines party. So of course everyone wore red and the boys were very psyched up. When we got there, I have to admit I was holding back tears. Jill had set up three different stations of Valentines activities, all completely age appropriate for my children. Not only that, but she had prepped her older boys to be involved with each activity and work alongside and help my boys. It was about the sweetest thing I've ever seen. I think living so far from family and people that truly love my children, to see someone reach out in that way to me and my boys touches me so deeply.


So they started out in the back painting a Happy Valentines Day banner. This was done first so it would have time to dry and we could roll it up and take it home! Instant Valentines decorations!


Next we moved into the kitchen where Jill had made THE MOST DELICIOUS sugar cookies and frosting I've ever tasted.

Each kid got to frost and decorate three huge cookies.

And the best part of course... eating!

Look at these amazing cookies - we got to take a bunch home too!

Final step - make a secret, special Valentines card for mom and dad.

Here they are working away. I wasn't allowed in the room, so I just peeked around the corner. The cards they made are just darling.

I like to call this photo, "All Things Boy." Sticks, ropes, trees, and dogs, could you ask for more?


Add to that list puppies and balls... it's boy heaven!

Jill, I hope you're reading this! And if you are, THANK YOU - for reaching out to me and just being who you are. It means more than you know. :) See you next Wednesday!