It took 5 weeks to happen but it did, the kids hit a wall. Bad attitudes started to creep up and I was getting a little resistance from them. It's normal and happens from time to time. Since I am becoming more relaxed with our homeschool adventure I didn't let it bother me this time, (you should know it took me 2 years to learn not to stress over this), instead of stressing we took a "timeout" from the usual day. We put away our workbooks and structured routines and mixed it up a little. We did math on the computer using online programs we visit on days like these. We are still reviewing the math facts we are working on just not with our curriculum workbooks. Both of them spent more time doing the online programs than their actual workbook lessons would have taken! Pretty clever timeout right?
Instead of using her phonics curriculum Tatum played a game using the sight words she is working on, still learning it just didn't seem like it since we made it into a game. Eli had the most fun with his "timeout" day. I saw on Pintrest the idea of making silly sentences so I spent WAY TOO much time getting this ready for him, but it was worth it because he had fun. He made silly sentences out of words that were provided. His favorite sentence was, My angry fish yells at the neighbors. After he laid out his sentence I had him write the sentence down so he was working on his penmanship too. I didn't hear one complaint all day, even about the writing!
We had two science experiments this week and they were both fun, even for me. Our first experiment was with yeast, balloons and root beer bottles. It took us two attempts to get this experiment right which I was happy about because we talked about how scientist don't always get the experiment right the first time so they have to go back and make changes and try again.
To make our experiment work we mixed a packet of yeast with sugar then added warm water (the term warm and not too hot being key). We then added the mixture to the root beer bottles and put balloons that have been stretched a little over the bottles (again, stretched being the key word). Then you wait and see what happens.
We took a picture of our bottles before and then after, the picture below is our before. I also had them draw a picture of what the experiment looked like before, I WAS going to have them draw a picture of the experiment after to put in their notebooks. When I saw the before drawings I threw them away. As I think of the drawings I am laughing with tears in my eyes. If you are curious to know how a little nugget sees and draws a root beer bottle with a balloon on top then have them draw it, guaranteed to get a good laugh! Then again you might not see why I found it comical, because I admit I have a very immature sense of humor. It's obviously not very hard to entertain me!
This was our after the experiment photo. We left the balloons on the bottles overnight and they did inflate to twice this size I just didn't take a picture. The cool factor of the experiment had worn off by that point.
The next experiment of the week was making buttah. Yes, that is how I say butter. Thanks to the Saturday Night Live sketch, Coffee Talk, I can no longer say butter it's always buttah! This experiment was actually pretty cool. We have been learning about the early pioneers to America and this week we learned about New Amsterdam and how the Dutch who settled in New Amsterdam (later renamed New York) brought over horses and cows. This was a big deal to the pioneers because now they would have milk and the ability to make butter. We talked about how in the early pioneer days they couldn't run down the street to Hy-Vee and pick up some milk or butter they had to make what they needed. To make this more real to them we made our own buttah.
The kids put some whipping cream and salt in a Mason jar and took turns shaking the jar until the butter was formed. It didn't take long about 15 minutes and they had some butter. Grandma Billie gave us some insight into making butter. She shared with them how it really wasn't that long ago when people still made their own butter. She told them how when she was a little girl she helped her grandma make butter. I'm pretty sure that story will be my kid's version of, "when I was a kid I had to walk to school uphill in the snow both ways!" I am joking Grandma Billie they enjoyed your insight and making buttah with you.
Here is the final product. It turned out well and tasted good. We tried it with our beer bread. I think I failed on the extra mile a little here. If I was serious about going the extra mile we would have made bread with our packets of yeast too not just blown up balloons with them. I have to draw the line somewhere though so, if I want some bread I'll just order some or drive to Hy-Vee, sorry kids.
We ended our week by flying a kite. Eli got a great kite for Christmas and has been anxious to fly it since. On Friday we finally had a windy day so daddy helped them get it in the air.
Another week in the books and another week of memories made. Life is good!
