Reverb #11 Day 13: Nature Connection

What was your best "nature" moment this year?

Our community experienced a very large wildfire this past June and July. It engulfed much of our local mountain chain, and also blew out of the canyons into the grasslands and the community, fueled by very high winds and extremely dry conditions.  It was a very scary time.  Along with the hardships to those who had lost their homes and animals, there was grief over the loss of nature to the fire- and the burnt black scar left behind.

About 2 weeks after the worst part of the fire, we took Daughter's friend home after their gymnastics practice.  Her friend lives in an area that had been burned, and we noticed a burned yucca plant that had come back.  It's bright green leaves and brilliant white flower plume was in stark contrast to the black earth and skeleton-trees around it.  It was such a hopeful moment- and a healing experience!

I was moved to take a video:



There were more pretty nature moments we experienced this year, but I think this was the best one.

Dance Fever

Daughter danced on stage yesterday for the first time...

This was a children's holiday party, put on by the city, at our city's community center. Look for the pretty girl with the brown-haired ponytail in the red dress on the audience's left side of the stage. (-:




Happy Holidays!

Reverb #11 Day 5 and 6: What is the best science experiment/art project you did in 2011?

I am trying to catch up on my reverbs in little snatchets of time!  I'll be combining #5 and #6 today, as sort of a "yin-yang" post.

Science and Art are like opposite ends of the spectrum sometimes, and this is true for my kids.  For them, science is like a curiosity, best taken in small doses, while art rocks the house!

The kids enjoy science if we keep the subject matter more on the superficial side, so we cover a wide range of topics in small doses.  They have seen many NOVA shows, and most recently, they became completely overwhelmed by The Fabric Of The Cosmos- a great multi-episode show on quantum mechanics.  I highly recommend it, but I digress...

pumpkin plants in the grow box

We do experiments of homemade design mostly, from our everyday circumstances.  So this year, we have discovered things like borer larva in our pumpkin plants.  We had a great gardening project, experimenting with growing pumpkin plants in a Grow Box, instead of the ground.  Everything went well till the plants started looking cut off at the stem base, and were dying.  Upon researching, we discovered we had insect larvae inside the main stems, munching the life out of the pumpkins.  We also read that the plants can sometimes be saved if the larva are carefully cut out of the stem, and the stems are sealed with a wrapping of foil.  So I, enthusiastic Cavemomma, went to work, digging out terrified larva, as the kids squirmed as they looked on.  (well, they sort of half-looked...)  Some plants actually survived the butchery, but their growth was stunted, and they never got beyond a small size, producing a flower now and then.  This was my favorite eperiment of the year, even though the pumpkin project was halted.  We learned more about the life cycle, and interaction between plants and insects.

wooly aphids under the microscope at 30X

If you ask my kids, they preferred the next insect project we took on a few months later: aphids in the neighbor's apple tree.  (we were house sitting, and felt a responsibility) We talked to our favorite friendly ACE Hardware garden expert, who told us how aphids eat, grow, and spread, and the mechanics of the products we could use  for getting rid of them.  We even took a sampling home and looked at them under the microscope.  Then, the kids choose the most fun option for ridding the tree of aphids- putting on bathing suits, and spraying the tree with soapy water. (using Dawn dishwashing liquid, the garden hose, and an insect sprayer)  The results were instant and permanent! 

But there was our baby bird project too, and reassembling George the skeleton, and the Happy Scientist experiments.  I think the kids' all-time favorite experiment this year is the Happy Scientist's examining trick birthday candles versus regular birthday candles, and observing why the trick candles relight.  When I asked them just now why this was their favorite science experiment this year, they both replied it is because we made a batch of brownies to serve as the candle holders for the experiment!  That's science in our house- it's all about the treats!

Daughter's melt and pour soap on display at the county fair

On the other hand, arts and crafts projects seem to effortlessly spring out of nowhere at my house.  I asked what Daughter's favorites have been this year, and she said making clothes for her Webkinz, making soap, making polymer clay jewelry, and drawing pictures for her stories- mostly about gymnasts.  These are just her favorites.

one of Son's most recent videos

Son would say, hands down, his animation movies with legos is his favorite art project.  I think he has made over 50 movies this year.

So there you have it; some yin-yang, science/art happenings, favorite or not , that we have engaged in this year.

You can participate in Reverb 2011 too- click on this  button to participate, or read the other responses to the daily prompt:

Reverb #11 Uncovered Talent

Did you discover that someone in your family has a talent that had previously gone unnoticed?

Why yes!   Daughter, the gymnast, has discovered joy in dancing this year.  When she started working out with the team this past spring, she began their weekly dance lessons as part of the gymnastics training.  A local dance company has an instructor come in and teach the girls ballet, lyrical and jazz.

One of Daughter's strengths in gymnastics is her pretty form, but we hadn't explored dance till this year.  I'm very glad she's had this opportunity to dance and discover her joy in doing it!  She'll be in the dance company's holiday  recital with the other gymnasts next week.  Maybe I can post some photos or video of the performance.


You can participate in Reverb 2011 too- click on this  button to participate, or read the other responses to the daily prompt:

Reverb #11: Day Two: Best New Resource

Reverb #11, Day Two:
What was the best new resource that you found in 2011? Book, website, local support group, or other? How did it help in your homeschooling journey?

There are several new resources we have found to be invaluable to us this year, but I think The Happy Scientist has captured our hearts as being our pick of 2011.  This wonderful website is the creation of Robert Kramph, science educator.  The website consists of science experiments, demonstration videos, daily science photos with provoking questions, and even some entire curriculum units.  The material is categorized by life science, physical science, and chemical science topics- truly providing an exposure to a very wide range of science.

Mr. Kramph  has a real ability to convey material in clear, creative ways, and his program has served as a great introduction to many areas in science. My kids, who have an artsy bent, usually have to be really encouraged to excited about science, but the creative presentations, and the good dose of silly humor of the Happy Scientist, draws them in, and beyond to exploring the material more deeply.



Our own home video of a simple homemade laser microscope, used to look at pond water organisms, as made according to The Happy Scientist video demonstration .

There are many free materials available on the website, but the $20 subscription, which makes the entire site available, is so very well-worth the investment.

Please go check out The Happy Scientist!


You can participate in Reverb 2011 too- click on this  button to participate, or read the other responses to the daily prompt:

Reverb #11 Day one: "Turning Point"

I am participating in Rebel Homeschool's  December blogging prompts, called "Reverb".  Theresa of Rebel Homeschool took it upon herself this year to invent her own blogging prompts for each day of December.  I'll try to use the daily prompts for blogging as many days as possible this month, beginning with this first prompt:

Day One: Turning Point
Did you have a turning point in 2011? A point where homeschooling became easier, or conversely, more difficult? 

2011 has definitely been a pivotal year in our homeschooling and overall lifestyle.  We are all experiencing growing "pains" and "joys" and "anxieties"  this year.

As a mother, I sensed the turning point in my children's growing older, accepting more responsibility, and changing relationships with the outer world. It's felt equal parts excitement, pride, and, (honestly,) dread to me.  Hoping that I guide them and handle this period ok is not a new concern, but now our lifestyle seems to have more real and outer world outcomes than when they were younger. The kids seem perched on the nest now, and I feel I must scramble to get ready  for their adventures into the world without me.  I can't tell you how much I look forward to seeing them becoming more of themselves, yet  how I also feel compelled to taking up an addictive coping habit at the same time!  Here are the specifics of what has been going on this year:

Son went from assistant coaching on a limited, volunteer basis to having a real job of coaching his own gymnastics classes.  He is also preparing to get his driver's license, and gearing up to take his first college course in January.  As his mother, I hope and wonder if we have prepared him enough for thriving in this outer world.  Does he have the basic academics he needs for his new outer world?  Does he have enough self-confidence and communication skills to continue learning and growing effectively outside of my immediate supervision?  Will he be safe?  Will he be harmed?  Will he enjoy life?  Will he handle problems and overwhelm in a healthy way?  How much will I continue to need to help him with that, and in what ways?

Then, Daughter began training with the team in gymnastics this year, requiring much more time, physical and mental effort, and dedication.  She is also being exposed to more complicated friend and classmate dynamics issues, and the wider world of girl issues- cultural standards- especially lookism, popularity, body image, and where that fits into her life.   She is gaining more skills in gymnastics, crafting, and communication, which requires her to brush up on other skills to help her.  Her self-confidence and determination are developing. She has entered puberty this year, and is grappling with the normal issues surrounding it.   As her mother, I wonder how well she is handling the wider world in her inner life, and is she doing so in a healthy way.  Will she maintain her sense of self through adolescence, without succumbing too much to cultural standards?  Is she being pushed/pushing herself too hard?  Will she become perfectionistic, and miserable because of it?  How do I best support her dreams, while helping her maintain an healthy outlook?

The kids also have these mixed feelings in their own way, and are excited and sometimes overwhelmed by the changes in their lives.  They are also foreseeing what academic preparation they are still needing to meet their goals. This is generally so, for sometimes they also do not see the point of our studying certain subjects.  Through a teen and pre-teen lens, this can be frustrating for them.

So is homeschooling harder this year?  Yes, in that there is more structure to our studies, and more complicated schedules to work around.  The turning point seems to do more in our family's life stage, rather than with the homeschooling itself.  In a way, this stage makes homeschooling easier as well, in that it is much clearer to see what we need to work on, and when, in order for the kids to continue their pursuits of their chosen interests and ever-expanding goals.

Thank you, Theresa, for orchestrating the Reverb 2011!  Having a prompt really helps get me blogging - especially when I don't think I have something to say!

You can participate in Reverb 2011 too- click on this  button to participate, or read the other responses to the daily prompt: