Chain Reaction- Neighborhood Project

I guess Disney is encouraging kids to do this experiment and then upload their video of it...Elias and his friends have been working on it all day!   Chain Reaction  


The boys started working on it, gave it a good 50 attempts, then gave up. The girls came along, made some slight changes, and got it to work.  Then they all wanted to take partial credit for it!

So, good job, James & Elias, Krista & Zanthippie, & Jill !!!


This is take #76 or so!

Swimming

Today we went down to the Municipal pool to sign up for a diving class.  While we were there I figured I'd let the kids see the pool and diving board. We swam for awhile, and then they opened up the deep end, and the diving boards!

I had a bunch of the neighborhood kids with me...and boy, these kids have no fear! Going off the HIGH DIVE!!

She went off the high dive too!!!

Elias stuck with the low board, but seemed to enjoy himself! 

I don't have a picture, but Sebastian also did the diving board.  He successfully wowed everyone by jumping off and swimming to the side  (he can swim! And he's so tiny!)  Then he wanted to do the big board which scared me to death, but I figured I'd let him TRY to climb up the ladder...sure enough, he decided on his own he was too small for it (pheww!!).  He did quite a few jumps off the 1 meter board and enjoyed himself as well!  

After not having been to this pool in quite a few years, I decided it was AOK.  Especially in the am when the water seemed nice and clean.

Kids Say.....

Kids say the darndest things!  My son and his friend were discussing where babies come from. His friend said from mom's butts.  Well, Elias used to think that until he learned the correct word...so he promptly told his friend he came from his mom's Virginia!

TOO FUNNY!!!

PE

We have been so blessed over the many years, to have had a local gymnasium open their space to homeschoolers, 1 morning a week. We play with balls, run around, shoot hoops, plsy dodge-ball...and just have fun! Elias has attended for pretty much his whole life!!

At the skate park

We checked out Area 702 indoor skatepark the other day, and now I've got some boys who are hooked! It's an awesome place.  Here's shots of Elias, Sebastian, and 2 neighbor boys...it's great fun! 

Snow Cone Makers

Sometimes, some of the best presents, are the same ones I had myself as a child! Elias got this Spongebob Squarepants snowcone maker and it is made exactly the way my Snoopy Snowcone Maker was! We had fun with the grinding of the ice, and flavoring....and memories on my part!

Diet Coke and Mentos

As always, I am so far behind blogging! I almost want to give up! No, I need a secretary! Who wants to be it?!? Takers?!


Ok, I don't even know when this was, clearly it was cool out so it wasn't anytime recently! For Christmas Elias got this Mentos Rocket contraption. It's a tube that holds a bunch of mentos in place, while the soda rolls up over them. Very cool! So, of course we had to head outside and do it over and over and over again!


The packaging recommends Diet soda as it is less sticky than regular soda.

Line the Mentos up                                                                       Stand back.....

Whoah Momma!!! Boy does it work!!

There are tons of website that offer different variations of this science experiment  (I mean cool neat trick!)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Mentos-and-Diet-Coke-Rocket/

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Diet-Coke-and-Mentos-Rocket

Have fun!

Pine Wood Derby

We seem to be drifting away from scouting, but the pack we were with had the coolest Pine Wood Derby set up! This light pole goes from red to yellow to green, it had a sensor at the bottom to calculate who won, it was just the bomb!

Elias' car is the blue one.

Crazy Boys

It's been unseasonably warm the past week. Warm enough that after some time outdoors Elias and his friends wanted to go in the pool.  Who am I to dash a child's dream? (hahaha, let the cold water do that part!)

Brrrrrrrr

Well, Elias still had to try it!

Yeah, I'm guessing that cured them of it for awhile! Oh, maybe not, I forgot, they're kids!

Science Party

ha, this one shows just how long ago it was! October. Darn, wish they didnt have the date on that thing LOL!

Anyway, this was a fun Science Day that one of my support groups put on. Various tables were around with different projects to do that related to science.

The highlight of the day was the catapult. Elias had to (try) to hammer in the nails. Then rubberbands were wound around them to create a place for the plastic spoon.

Then the spoon gets inserted, add a ball and FLING!  Repeat and repeat and repeat until you can't find the ball anymore!

Of course, if that wasn't enough fun, he also got to make a marshmallow bug and eat it too!

It was a fun afternoon!

Scout Vest

Here's Elias in his scout vest. I bought this one on Ebay. It's actually made out of red denim and cut to look just like the ones at the scout store. The price was comparable, or less, and it's not made of that cheesy felt that gets all nappy!

Chase Mommy Around the House

This is a game we play often  (although the kids think it should be more often..like all day, every day). They line up, with me facing them....do the count down....and then I chase them while they turn tail and run away.

Because the house has an open floorplan we run in circles around the kitchen, through dining room and front room into the living room. Often I'll switch directions and try to catch them...and sometimes we hide around a wall and try to catch each other.

They are very cute/funny in the playing. Sebastian screams, Elias shoves Sebastian forward, doors get slammed...it's fun!

Riding Bikes

We've had a lot of great weather this year...and when it's nice we play out front. Everyone has an assortment of bikes and wheeled things...Here's Elias and Sebastian right behind him!

Often our neighbors come out too. Here's Elias, Robert & Sebastian on a 3 wheeler and Zanthippie in the background waiting.

Merry Christmas 2009

I am convinced that 8 is the age when Christmas is perfect! It certainly seems to be so for Elias!

This year Elias obsessed about Santa, wanting to know every detail of everything  (making me cringe with the web of deception!). He made his gingerbread house yesterday and left it for Santa to eat, along with of course milk and cookies, and thoughtfully, some water and carrots for the reindeer. He went to bed early, without even being told to.

Overnight, we became the proud owners of Rock Band 2. When Elias went to check on Santa's snacks, he saw it all set up and ready to go!

Sebastian also saw his big gift, a firehouse/policestation. Complete with helicopter, fire truck, motorcycle and furnishings. This "dollhouse" was such a hit he didn't want to leave it to open other presents!

We eventually moved on to other things.

Brian opening his card from his "other Mommy"  my sister

Elias got the super wazoo BumbleeBee mask and wrist blaster he'd been wanting for months! Thanks Aunt Kristine and Aunt Mary!

And, once Sebastian came in and decided to open presents, he enjoyed himself too. He got lots of "little" things...he loves things he can put into other things. He got some little doggies and this little set of Star Wars characters. Of course everything promptly got put into the firestation!

Well, off to play Rock Band! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Airplane Ride

Here are my little lovelies on the plane ride to Florida.  So cute!!!!!