Rain!

If you are like us, you have seen a lot more rain this year than in the previous few.  We have had showers and we have had storms.  I thought it was appropriate to do a theme based on rain and rainbows for one week.  Here is what N will be using... 2 Teaching Mommies: Rain.  S will continue her regular curriculum with lots and lots of fun rain and rainbow activities thrown in there!  I cannot wait to get everything together and ready for next week!

Workboxes

I have wanted to do the workbox system for some time but I did not want to shell out the money to get the fancy ones I see out there.  The other day I was at the Dollar Tree and ran across some great little shelves that stack up on top of each other.  They had 4 colors: pink, purple, blue and green.  Each one was $1!  I bought one of each and brought them home.  I stacked them up and was sooo excited that my papers fit in them.  I went out and bought another set and made one set blue and green and one set pink and purple and now each child her his/her own workbox set.  I plan to go get a few more (if they have some left) to add to them.  I love being able to just go to the box and pulling out what I want them to work on at that time.

Transparent/Rubber Egg

Last week was our first full week of school for the year.  I decided it would be fun to start the year off with a new and interesting science project.  I found just what I was looking for at Super Teacher Worksheets, the Transparent Egg.  It was really a fun experiment.  First, I gathered the materials needed.
1 egg, vinegar, clear bowl

Then I had each child hold the egg and answer some questions for me about the egg.

1.  What shape is the egg: oval

2. What color is the egg: brown

3. How does it feel: round -S

like a ball-N

4. What do you think is going to happen to the egg when we put it in the vinegar?: It will turn white.

5. Tell me about vinegar.: It stinks!!!

So I had N place the egg in the bowl and then S covered it with vinegar...

You will notice that the egg will float a bit, I guess that is normal.  Ours stopped floating day 2.  Pay no mind to the discoloration on the egg.  It was -eh, hmmm- dirty! :)

We left the egg on the shelf for 24 hours and came back to observe and rinse off the vinegar.  Then we recovered the egg in the vinegar just as directed...

The egg was pretty funky looking at this point.  I could feel that the shell was disolving.  NEAT!!!

We left the egg in the vinegar on the shelf for 24 more hours and came back to find it like this...

I then rinsed the debris from the egg and LOOK!  you can squeeze it!

And it bounces back!

And when you hold it up to a flash light you can see the yolk floating in there...

You can even bounce the egg on the table.  I have a short video of that I will post below...

If you try out this EGGsperiment I would love to hear about it.  

The Eagles Nest (AKA the classroom)

Here is The Eagles Nest!  I am so excited to be getting things in order in there.  It is a pleasure to have a room that the kids and I can sit in and get our school work done.  We have officially started school work just this week and the week has been great!  I will have a post on our first science project (transparent egg) soon!

Our work and computer area.  This works out well for us.

N playing with the blocks and asked me to take his pic! :)  I was glad to do so!

Our shelves with our most used stuff and our weather and days of the week center.  I plan to make a weather graph for us to record the weather for the year!

The other book shelf with a few of the kids favorite books on the bottom and some storage bins with workbooks in them.

Calendar area.

S hard at work at their table.

The reading area.  The basket is full of library books.

Close up of the other shelf and our time out chairs.

And last but not least, the eagle!

Great Big Break!

We have taken a great big break from school work.  Not because we wanted a break but because we were putting together a classroom!!!  I am so excited to have a room designated just to schooling the kids.  We have a large table for S's book work and a computer.  We have a smaller table with 2 chairs that is perfect for N to do his puzzles or for the kids to sit and do their art projects.  We have 2 book cases and well the hubs has his fly tying equipment in there so he can be in there while we are in there.  It has turned into a favorite room.  I find the kids in there just playing, looking at books, putting together puzzles and enjoying their own space for learning.  The hubs goes in there and just sits!  He says it is peaceful in there and he likes to just have some peace now and then (Oh, don't we all!).  I will have to get some pics of the room posted soon.

Slow Go

We haven't been doing much in the way of school work the past few weeks and it is really starting to show.  The kids are getting bored.  Today I pulled out some workbooks I had put back for supplements and some cut and paste activities and let the kids go at it.  They were thrilled to get to do some work!  I am very excited to be getting the rooms in order around here.  Soon the classroom will be ready to organize and make into a space we can work in every day and I cannot wait!  It has been a slow go to get here but I know the wait will be worth it!

YAY for Free Downloads!

If you know me, you know that I am cheap frugal.  I don't like to spend a ton of money on anything.  So today when I found some free downloads I was very excited.

My first free download is something I had hoped to come across soon.  Both of my children love art.  They are so young I just wasn't sure the best way to go about introducing them to the great artists.  I was so excited when a great email popped up in my inbox!  Confessions of a Homeschooler is offering a GREAT Artist Study curriculum!  I can't wait to dive into it and get things ready for our next school year!

The second free download is from a new-to-me website called Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett.  She is offering some great fun projects for summer boredom!  YAY!!!

If you download either of these fun things let me know.  I would love to hear how they work for you or how you plan to incorporate them into your life.