Family Schooling Summary: All About Chemistry and Science

In my preschool science class we talked about animal anatomy (invertebrates and vertebrates).  We compared animals with ourselves and what body parts we have.  Then we made caves for the miniature animals using rocks from our backyard. We talked about different homes and why animals like to have cozy dens instead of big houses. 

 We went to another Sciencetellers class at the library.  It was called "Dragons and Dreams".  The themes were about chemistry. Big sister A helped with an experiment that illustrated how much more space gases take up than solids. It used a "rather ancient technology called a film canister" that none of the kids had ever heard of before. I had to laugh - the teller was super dramatic and funny.  He dropped dry ice (solid CO2) and a little warm water in A's canister then put the lid on.  It exploded off after only a few seconds.

 

  All the kids were absorbed in the science and the story.

 At the same yard sale that she got the free cake pop maker A also scored this doughnut maker (cake style doughnuts).  We found a couple recipes and she got to work.  It's amazing how much she can already do. I did not have to assist with any of the mixing, just helped load and unload the hot machine for the first couple rounds and then she did it herself.

 She has been watching "Cupcake Wars" and the "Kids Baking Challenge" shows.  I think she will be ready to compete by the time she is 11-12 (like the other contestants).

We also recently had a flurry of robot costumes being made. 

 Here is A's transformer robot.

 Here is M's robot costume for his favorite stuffed toy - Harry the dog.

We went our local orchard two days in a row to take in all the Halloween fun.

 They fed the goat and a llama.

 We took a hay ride.

 The kids spent about an hour running in, out, and through the hay maze.

And they danced around the witches' caldron. 

Farm Fresh: Garden additions, wood storage, and chicken pho

Hubby took a week of "vacation" so that he could work on some yard projects. Mostly it was spent building this wood storage frame, chainsawing up/bucking trees, and chipping up the branches.  He also spent some time researching tractors. 

 The piles are stacked apart to allow the wood to age properly for burning in the wood stove.

 Next wood storage frame in progress.

 Another pile of wood chips -- I am using these to refill the chicken, duck, and turkey houses following my deep cleaning.  

 Gathering the last of the tomatoes. We are supposed to have our first frost this week.

 My goal for the winter is to double the size of the backyard garden. I clear off a layer of weedy topsoil, put down a layer of cardboard, add all the manure that I deep clean out of the coops and some compost, and then spray it with the hose.  The chickens usually follow behind me and scratch it all up too.  I will also continue to spread each week's load of rabbit droppings in the beds. Hopefully in a couple of years this soil will be nice and rich.

I butchered our last 2 old hens this week. They were the only 2 left from our first flock.  They still laid eggs occasionally, but I decided that it would be better not to put them through another winter.  I also took into consideration the cost of their feed and the fact that the older hens are more likely to get sick and sicken the rest of the flock.  The kids were not happy to see them go to Heaven, but understand that they had a good life and fulfilled their purpose on Earth.  It is very spiritual to offer a prayer of gratitude for food that you raised and have gotten to know.  I can't help thinking how much easier it would be for people to eat meat "sparingly" if they raised it themselves.

Older hens are good for making soup, especially pho.  My Vietnamese friend told me that they have a hard time finding old hen meat at the store.  I gave him our two old ladies for making pho and they are going to bring us part of their delicious recipe for dinner tonight.

Fall Fun: Leaves and Halloween Decorating

We have a beautiful sugar maple in the front yard.  About 1/3 of the leave are down now, plenty for jumping in. 

 

 

 It was just about to rain when we took these pictures and the lighting was so pretty. It smelled amazing too --moist and leafy.

I finally let the kids start putting our Halloween decorations around the house on October 1st.  They had seen them in stores for awhile and wanted to do it in September.  Spooky spiders, webs, pumpkins (hidden by bushes mostly), and bats all over the house. 

We have a lot of glass containers full of acorns around and I bought two new signs --

 

And at co-op school we talked about seeds in our pre-school science class.  They organized them and glued them on their plates.

Family Schooling Summary: Another Raccoon!

Big sister A went on a daddy daughter date to see "Storks". 

 I suspected that another raccoon had come along to raid our animal feed and caught him with a cupcake as bait.

 The trap's door is a little bent now.  I think he tried really hard to get out.

 M scored a goal during his soccer game this week. Yay!

 

 

 We had a Halloween Carnival and Trunk-or-Treat activity at church.

 Baby L wore her Hang Bok.

 Brother S decided to be a fireman.

 Brother M wanted to wear his Percy costume again, but switched to Sven at the last minute.

 

 Big sister A was a detective. She has a cloak and magnifying glass too.  I was a gypsy. I considered being a "fortune teller", but decided that had too much of an occult aspect for a church party.

 Doughnut eating contest...

 This picture was taken while were trying to explain to her what to do. That is her signature tongue move.  We also tried to get a video of her favorite saying, but couldn't catch it.  She frequently bursts out with "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" and it is too cute!