Jello Cell-o

We are loving our new Science Curriculum for Atticus. We chose the R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Life (level one). It contains great worksheets for each experiment and they are extremely kid and teacher friendly. You can check out a sample here.

Today we talked about plant and animal cells and how they are similar and different. We started out by labeling animal cells and plant cells. We used the Cells Alive site to aid in the labeling.
I cut up fruit to represent parts of the cells and made small flags to label the parts as Atticus placed them in the Jello.
First he chose the round container to make his animal cell.
Then he made the plant cell in the square container.He noted the main difference between the two types of cells, besides the shape, was the presence of the chloroplasts (green grapes) in the plant cell.
We compared the finished result and completed our lab worksheet.
A pretty tasty lesson, I think!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #3: Now is the Time to Draw

If you've missed my previous blog posts, and really want your children to grow up with an appreciation of nature, grab a copy of The Handbook of Nature Study and join in the fun over at the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

This week we did the third challenge, called Now is the Time to Draw. The response to this week's adventure brought tears to my eyes. You know when your kid exclaims, "this is the best thing ever," you are on to something. I made each boy their own Nature Journal using the free downloads from this site. We explored Papago Park in Phoenix before our zoo visit.

Right away, we had a few bird sightings. Next weekend we are going on an official bird walk and the boys already have their binoculars ready!
Then, unfortunately, the plastic litter sightings occurred. I took a few minutes to explain how this type of litter hurts our environment and reinforce our use of stainless steel water bottles and recycling at home.
Creeley seemed the most affected by the thought of the harm to the animals and came up with a great idea! "We should make signs that tell people not to throw their bottles on the ground or in the water and hang them on the trees." Brilliant! We should! That might be a great project for the Earth Scouts group we are forming.
Next, we set out for a hike. Atticus suggested a good path.
Baby in a hat confirmed that he was ready for an adventure.
Atticus noted that the recent rain made some interesting designs in the dirt.
Creeley noticed a dead tree.We spotted a great nest, complete with some human trash.
The boys pointed out "hole in the rock," a fun, quick hiking spot.
Atticus celebrated his climb on a rock.
Townsyn is constantly amazed, and probably a bit confused, about the enthusiasm his brothers display.
The boys found some holes and speculated that lizards, small mice, and other creatures probably made them.
We saw some cool cacti. Perhaps this one is a staghorn cholla?
They really loved this little cactus growing under a tree.
Nature journal time:
On the way out we spotted some leaves that were "hiding on the ground."
Creeley thinks a worm or some bugs were eating it.
And as a parting shot, we saw a bird displaying his wings amongst a tree of littered plastics.
Signage project....here we come!

Before and After

I have a few projects to share. I love the saying, "one person's trash is another person's treasure." Seriously, junk from others, made pretty by me makes me smile. Here are a few small before and afters we have done this year.

Atticus needed a desk for schooling. Otherwise he leans himself and his book on you and tries to do his work. I found this beautiful little number on Craigslist, cleaned her up, and gave her a new coat of paint. I am a firm believer that a new coat of paint makes everything look fabulous and new, even if it's vintage or shabby.

Before:
After:

I picked up this little gem at Goodwill on half-off day. $3! It was too adorable to pass up, and it serves a great purpose. Hat, glove, and scarf holder. A little fabric, fabric glue, spray paint, some pre-made binding, a staple gun, and topped off with a knob from Anthropologie. Fun, don't you think?

Before:
After:

This one is a during and after, and they are sideways (because I can't figure out how to flip them). This was another Goodwill find. Just a rustic, filthy, brown coop-like structure. I had a vision, and Andrew made it happen. He painted it rustic purple and sprayed the hinges orange, and we topped it off with mismatched knobs from Anthropologie, of course.

During:
After:
I also took an old red frame, sprayed it aqua, and shabbied it a bit. Inside is a piece of an old tapestry we bought together pre-marriage, and a little feather concoction an old mutual friend of ours made when we were expecting Atticus. It is supposed to bring good luck, a peaceful new beginning, and a beautiful child. It did!

And last but not least, the kitchen. This was my big project of 09. Since I couldn't get new cupboards, I decided to paint them. I think the pictures speak loud enough here.

Before:

After (okay, this is still during...but nearly done...still searching for the after pics I took):
The island needed some tile because Atticus slid into the wood and put a hole in it. This is before the grout work was finished.
And here is a shot of the eating area decorated for Creeley's birthday party. The color in the first picture is more true.
I will try to get new, more proper pictures if I can ever get my counters cleaned off again. :) I'm so proud of my work on this. It literally took me months because I can really only paint at night. The only thing I didn't do was the counter tops.