Margie can walk!!!

She's been practicing but is still a little chicken. It's about time. She's been pulling herself up since early December!

We are scientists! Salt and the freezing point.

We used the scientific method to answer some questions about why oceans don't freeze and why we put salt on icy roads.
The kids learned about the control in an experiment and the variable. The control was a cup of fresh water and the variable was a cup of water in which we added salt. Those cups went in the freezer to see the effects, if any.

While we waited for the cups of water / salt water to do their thing we looked at what salt would do to an ice cube. It was pretty evident to the girls why we add salt to roadways and walkways. I tried to see if they could make some inferences, after this observation regarding the cups in the freezer but they needed some help coming to the conclusion that salt lowers the freezing point. Not quite sure if they "get it" even now but it left them excited anyway!

We are scientists!

We've been working on our scientific skills by keeping a lab book. We write our observation,

question, hypothesis, procedure, results and conclusion about different things. The above lab was about snow and how it can change its form into a liquid by melting (duh I know). I had the girls fill out their lab book and make some guesses as to how long they thought the two cups of snow would melt on the counter and also in the fridge. (We put two cups in there as well.) They also guessed as to how much water would be in the cup after the snow melted. There were some good guesses.
I was actually surprised that this snow, which was light and fluffy, melted into about 1/2 cup of water. It took about 2 hours for the snow to melt completely on the counter in our 63 degree kitchen and about 7 for it to melt completely in the fridge. Good work girls.

popsicle stick snowflakes

We glued some popsicles stickes together and then painted them white.
After the paint dried they re"painted" them with glue so that they could sprinkle them with glitter.

Then they glued little pom poms on.

Looking at the Sky on Friday

The sun peeked through yesterday but from this picture it doesn't look like it was going to win the fight over those lingering clouds for too long, and it didn't. Back to snow today. It has snowed every day this past week.

No Heat

What do you do when your furnace isn't working and you're waiting for someone to come and repair it? Use the oven! We took the opportunity to use all of our measuring cups and did a lot of pouring water into different size cups for Josie. She is learning about fractions and what a great visual for her.
We decided to make gingerbread snowmen.
Here they are. (and there they go)
Then we used the oven again to make a craft that Josie's Godmother Becky gave her for Christmas. These Makit and Bakit suncatchers come out so pretty. She had a couple catastrophes at the beginning when her tray got bumped and the little beads all mixed together requiring her to painstakingly separate them but she did it with a smile. Yeah right!!!!

Almost full!

Here it is the following morning. Looks so pretty. Thank you Becky!

By the way the furnace is fixed. Brad gets home at 3:00 and the repair man hadn't yet been here. So Brad was furiously trying to get the thing started before he did get here to save us the 95 dollar diagnostic fee. I was being a good girl and reading the books and looking things up online and all this stuff a woman would do after about 30 minutes of trying different things I hear a bang bang bang and wouldn't you know it, it started working just when I notice the repairman getting out of his van and coming in. The "bang bang bang" was Brad being a man hitting the thing and wiggling everything in sight. Well it worked. The guy came in said a bunch of crap (did nothing other than take a couple of wires off and blow on them) and then gave brad a $101.00 bill. Oh well I guess in the long run we make out if you look at it in a round about kind of way. The guy said that we need a new "this or that" and that to have him put it on it would cost $258.00. BUT we can go to such and such a street and see so and so and pay a little over $20.00 and put it in ourselves. You just unscrew a couple of screws and put the new one in. So we did save us about $158.00 if like I said you look at it in a round about sort of way!!

THE GAME OF LIFE!!!! SUCH FUN!!!!

lace the snowflake

Emeline and I made a lacing snowflake from DLTK.
We used a pipe cleaner so it would be easier for her to poke it through the holes.

Nice one Emmy.

2010 Cheers!

I forgot to post our 2010 celebration photos. Emmy made this great decorated "2010" sign. Margie, it looks like you really want some sparkling grape juice. It has you under its spell or something.
Cheers.

She would NOT give up this cup.

You know come to think of it, around 3:33 every day she gets a little cranky until I give her a bottle. I wonder what that is all about. :)

Nope, I didn't make it this year. I was awoken at 11:59:40 and opened my eyes and mouth to down a sip of wine and get a kiss and then I was out again.

Georgia took great pride in her ability to stay awake until midnight.

Looks like Dad did too.

Oh I guess the cat was able to stay awake too.

But, not bandit. You are a party animal Georgia. We wish you all a wonderful New Year.

2010?

Family Christmas Party

Well we made it through the storm to the annual Christmas Party down south. The kids immediately jumped into playing ping pong.
Kim and Emmy immediately became best friends again.

Margie Sue loved Aunt Pammy.

The fun table!! We need some big snap in place beads!

The Greats. Enough said!

There were even computer chair races. This party had it all.

And computer chair trains.

A suspicious looking bunch huh? I found out there was an accomplice who was taking pictures of hands and sending it to the opponent. Sneaky sneaky.

Basketball too. Thanks Dan, I mean Matt for playing with the girls. I know your name :)

Love to you all xoxo.

*ps. aunt joann i hope you are feeling better*

Sledding party

Conditions were just right for a sledding party yesterday.
Wipe out.

Elsie and Brendan loved getting a ride thanks to Stacy.

Can you spy Sam in that bundle. Oh he looked so snugly and what a great baby infant sled.

A visit with the horses/pony. They are getting along but do have their squabbles.

The hill was so slick Josie didn't need a sled.

Ava

Horsey kisses

There is the unnamed pony. Any suggestions? Russell thought of Titan.

Snowball fight.

Elsie sneaking some snow.

Weeeeeee

Miniature snowmen - and Elsie eating some more snow!