Friday, November 16, 2018

Random Tid Bits

  1. It must be moody we for my whole family this week. Mica typically goes to bed at 9. One night I had enough of his moody sassiness, so I told him to go to bed at 7:30. He did, and was out by 8. Usually sleep, or food is what we need when we get grumpy. He refused to tell me if something was wrong, so to bed he went. 

  2. I did find something that was bothering Mica. He loves Quiz Bowl! A few students were talking when they weren't supposed to, so his teacher said, "There would be no practice for a few weeks." Mica said, "It just upsets me. It's the one time I can get together with my friends to nerd out. The worst part is, I really like who was talking. It made me so upset that they wouldn't just shut up." Usually Mica rolls with the flow. It's Isaak that gets annoyed with friends for not doing the right thing, naughty or talkative kids in the classroom.

    Mica's Quiz Bowl teacher could have kicked out the few kids out of practices that couldn't keep quiet. Instead they all got kicked out. I wasn't there, so possibly more were talking than I know.

    With that teacher I really respect her. She spends much of her own time on Quiz Bowl. I found out from Mica that his teacher's brother committed suicide at the beginning of the school year. She gets a extreme pass from anything we don't agree with. In fact she's even going to get a holiday gift from us. I appreciate her!

  3. It's starting to become a trend that teachers discipline the whole group, when just a few are talking. I'm not trying to put my boys on a pedestal, but they typically are well mannered in school especially.

    Isaak continues to miss out on recess in his classroom because of kids that can't stop talking. It's pisses me off. My kid needs a break. Kids that can't focus overall need a break, a release of some kind: Recess, Meditation, A Few Laps Around the Track, Redirection, a Snack, Art, Music, and/or Sleep. If they had a release than possibly they wouldn't be as chatty. 


  4. This is what the sink looked like after Mica brushed his teeth. I didn't know weather I should scold him, or laugh. We took a picture, and texted it to him. One thing is for sure...he needs to brush his teeth better!



  5. I really love this next meme. Do you agree with it?


Thursday, November 15, 2018

Wooden Leaf #craft #stringart


Travis' boss gives him odd things: Like a foam pumpkin in the fall, and stockings at Christmas time for the employees to decorate.

He asked, "Do you really think I have time to do these extra projects?"

She said, "You like art. I'd think you'd enjoy them."

He said, "You must not get that I don't get into crafty things."

I said, "I'll decorate them, while you help the boys with homework or work on house hold fix up things."

Here's a Wooden November Leaf:



Materials:

  • A Wooden or Styrofoam Form
  • Elmer's Glue 
  • Water
  • A Paint Brush
  • Leaves From Outside
  • Any Kind of Paint or Fingernail Polish
  • Nails or Stick Pins
  • Different Colors of Embroidery Floss 
  • Scissors or X-acto Knife
You can do this craft with any wooden form, but we have a leaf!

There's a ton of ways to decorate it! I wanted something that Isaak would get into. I sent him outside to gather 5 leaves.

I painted it with Elmer's Glue. It works best if you add a little water to the paint.


If the leaves aren't flat, it's best to iron them. Put the leaves in between sheets of white paper, and iron them with an iron or hair straightener.

Set them in the glue. Use an X-acto Knife or small scissors to cut the leaves.

Isaak painted the tops with glitter glue.


If you are using foam push stick pins in the form on the edges. We had a wooden leaf, so Isaak hammered nails in the edges of the leaf. Lowe's Clinic came in handy with hammering!


He put a nail on every outside section of the leaf.



Get the different colors of Embroidery Floss out. Thankfully we already had some laying around. We picked fall colors.

Tie a small knot on one end, and go to town with where you want them to go. Keep doing this with different colors.


Because it's not stick pins I thought the nail heads could use some color. Travis said, "What about little gems." I went as far as gluing them on with a hot glue gun. I hated them, and ripped them off.



I just felt like the gems were too flashy for this natural looking leaf. I painted the nail heads with acrylic. I used teal because blue-green is the opposite of red-orange. You can use fingernail polish. That may stay longer over time. Finger nail polish is the same thing as enamel paint, which is used for model cars and more. I snuck some teal inside bits of the leaf too.



I think it turned out pretty good. Isaak likes it too!

Side Note: I love how his shirt looks like it has strings on it too.


What I Loved About This Craft:
  • It's good for boys or girls
  • It can be used for decor in your house
  • It can be transformed: If you didn't want to do leaves, you could use flattened flowers and spring like colors
  • It's for many ages: Stick pins and foam board bases for younger kids, and nails and wood bases for older kids
  • We had everything, nothing was purchased for this craft
Have you ever created string art?

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

WW: Quiz Bowl {Linky}

My son Mica has been enjoying Quiz Bowl. It's kind of like Jeopardy, except they don't answer with a question. It's every other Saturday. It lasts from 8:30 to usually 1:30 or 2.

This last weekend it lasted until 4! He was one of the last and many groups that placed. His team didn't win, but 4th place among many other smart kids is really good.

I can't really take pictures, or video. There is no phones during the event. That would disqualify the team. Only practice rounds.



I have to say that I appreciate his social studies teacher so much! She's there every Saturday that this takes place. She also has practice for them once a week. I appreciate her more than other teachers for sure. I think when the holidays roll around I'll get her something. Middle, high and college teachers usually don't get anything.

We usually stay through the first few practice sessions, then leave. Isaak grumps the whole time. I have to remind him that Mica has to sit through all of his basketball games.

Here's Travis and Isaak having their fingers dance to some tunes. Passing time between Quiz Bowl practice rounds.





Sunday, November 11, 2018

6 Easy Science Experiments That Must be Taught to your Kids

How about spending some fun time with your kid in a way that would also ignite their brain? Yes, you can do it with science and with not much difficulty too. Given below are 6 science experiments that are not just easy to perform but also afford a great new way to learn.

1. Invisible Ink

This is a great experiment to make your kids feel like they’re complete masters in writing secret messages.



Stuff You Need:
  • Half a lemon
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • White paper to write on
  • Cotton bud
  • Light bulb or lamp
  • Water
Procedure:

Take a few drops of water in a bowl. Squeeze some juice from the lemon half into this bowl and mix both liquids with a spoon.

Take the cotton bud, dip it into the mixture and use it as a pen to write a secret message on the paper.

Allow some time for the juice message to dry up. This would also make the message completely invisible.

Like magic, reveal the so far invisible message by holding the paper near a light bulb.

2. Making Nitrous Oxide Gas

This is strictly for older children and should be done with adequate precautions and under supervision in a laboratory. Tell them they’re going to make “laughing gas.” This is the same gas that is used for safe sedates via a nitrous oxide mask while having dental procedures.


Stuff You Need:
  • Ammonium nitrate (the higher the purity, the greater the safety)
  • A container for the ammonium nitrate
  • Bunsen burner
  • A pneumatic trough - It is just a tube that extends from the container holding the ammonium nitrate and which would bubble the gases upwards and through the water to finally enter the collection jar. It gets rid of smoke from ammonium nitrate impurities and water from the reaction.
Procedure:

Lightly heat the ammonium nitrate on the bunsen burner, making sure to keep the temperature within 170 and 240 degrees centigrade.

Use your pneumatic trough to cool the hot gases so as to condense the water. Ensure that the rate of gas production is one or two bubbles per second.

The gas in the collection jar is your laughing gas with small quantities of other nitrogen oxides.

Once your container has enough gas, stop the heating and disconnect the tubing. Cover the container with its lid or a flat sheet of glass to make it possible to turn upright.

Precautions:
  1. If using a thermostat controlled burner or another source, refrain from decomposing the final bit of ammonium nitrate as it will most likely overheat.

  2. Overexposure to this otherwise safe lab gas could cause asphyxiation. So better safety masks when performing the experiment.

  3. Heating higher than 240-degree centigrade could cause an explosive and dangerous detonation. So be careful.
3. Make a Sundial

This is another good experiment for older kids. Teach them how to know the time with a little help from the sun!




Stuff You Need:
  • Small rocks
  • Stick
  • Clock or watch
  • Play-Doh (to hold the stick) if you can’t find sand to poke it into
Procedure: 

Step outdoors and locate a sunny area.

Push the stick into the ground or into the Play-Doh.

At different hours of the day (as per your family’s convenience), use small rocks to point out the spot where the shadow falls. You may have to do this for a few days to position rocks correctly for all the hours of the day. When you’ve done so, the sundial is ready for use.

To know the time, all it takes is to look for the position of the shadow. As you can see, the time in the above picture is 9.15 a.m. The hours were marked with the rocks in the order 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

4. Crystal Snowflake

This makes for an attractive decoration.




Stuff You Need:
  • Pencil
  • String
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Borax
  • Jar
  • Pencil
  • Boiling water
  • Blue food coloring
Procedure:


Cut the pipe cleaners into 5-inch pieces. Twist three of these pieces together to create a snowflake.

To each point, add another pipe cleaner piece measuring 11/2 inch. With the help of a string, tie the flake to a pencil.

Get a jar big enough to suspend the snowflake in, in such a manner that the latter doesn’t touch the sides.

Fill the jar with 3 tablespoons borax. Introduce 1 drop blue food coloring for each cup of boiling water you pour inside the jar. Allow the snowflake to hang in the jar overnight and then remove.

5. Elephant Toothpaste

This experiment is so called because the huge stream of foam which comes out resembles toothpaste ideal for an elephant.




Stuff You Need:
  • Plastic soda bottle – 16 ounce and well-cleaned
  • ½ cup hydrogen peroxide liquid (20 volume)
  • Liquid dishwashing soap
  • Dry yeast
  • Warm water
  • Favorite food coloring
  • Safety goggles
  • Small cup
  • Funnel
  • Tray
Procedure:

First, wear safety goggles.

Pour the hydrogen peroxide carefully into the bottle and then follow it with 8 drops of the food coloring.

Next, put in 1 tablespoon of the dish soap and shake the bottle around to make sure the mixture is mixed.

In the small cup, take one tablespoon of dry yeast and add 3 tablespoons of warm water to it.

Place the bottle on top of a tray to catch the foamy toothpaste. With the help of the funnel, pour the cup mixture into the bottle. Watch as foam starts coming out of the bottle.

6. Blending Water With a Comb

Your kids will love to be able to bend water using just a comb.



Stuff You Need:
  • A regular black comb
  • Running water from a tap
Procedure:

Let water run from the faucet in a thin but steady stream. Comb dry hair several times. Then bring the comb close to the water, holding vertically. You should be able to see the water bending toward the comb.

Chances are, once your kids have done with these experiments, they’ll be asking you for more!

Author Bio:

Ross is a blogger who loves to write especially in the Science vertical. He has written many informative Blogs. He has also written blogs in other verticals too like personal development, unique gifting blogs.

Women’s Vintage Style Thick Warm #Socks Review

I love socks! A new pair feels a lot like sleeping in new sheets in a bed.

Macochoi Women’s Vintage Style Wool Cashmere Thick Warm Socks have cool patterns and colors on them!


We have this story called Socks for Christmas that is about a kid that was so poor that he only got things like socks and shoes for Christmas. It’s a beautiful story that makes you appreciate all you have. Ever since I got this book, I get the boys and I a new pair of socks for Christmas.


Five Pairs:

Blues, Pinks, Purples, Browns and Tans are just some of the colors in these socks. They have fun patters, where you can mix match the socks, or wear them as their intended pairs. I'm more a wear them as their intended pairs kind of a person, but know there are people out there that hardly match their socks. What about you: Do you match your socks, or wear mixed matched socks?

Mixed Matched:



Matched:


Materials:

Wool and Cashmere 

I know they wash up nice because I have another set that I bought prior to getting these to review. The ones I had already are different colored though.

One things for sure, these socks go with a lot of different things in my closet! 

You can pick them up on Amazon for $11.99 - that's for all 5 pairs! Get them here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0782ZVX8Q

Do you like socks with designs on them, or do you go with plain socks most of the time?

Disclaimer: I got these socks for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. The company did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com