|
Edward's School House Rock
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Coat of Many Colors
In Myster of History this week, we learned about Abraham, Esau and Jacob, and Joseph. To represent Josephs coat of many colors that Jacob gave him, we tie dyed a T-shirt. Below are pictures of Edward (and I) tie dying.
 T-Shirt prepared
 Applying the color to the shirt (we choose to do the dry method)
 Completed dying process, we wrapped and it now has to sit for 6 to 8 hours before I stick it in the washer. I will take a picture of Edward wearing it later and add it to my blog.
|
• Comments
(1) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Barbie (Ken) Mummification Project
In our Mystery of History Lessons, we learned about Egyptian Mummification. To take our lesson a step further, we mummified a Barbie (Ken) Doll. Here are pictures of our Mummification Process:
 Preparing the body by cleansing it with Wine (water down red wine vinegar). Then we removed the Intestines, Liver, Lungs and Stomach (placing them in Canopic Jars). There is a incision mark down his left side to represent where he would have been cut open for the removal of these organs. Next we removed the Brains with a hook through the nose (hence the black dot on his nostril). The brains were thrown away because that felt that it was the hear that thought for you not the brain.
 We used a basting brush to cleanse him but we know that they didn't use one. The red heart represents the fact that they left the heart in tact, later it will be used in the Weighing-of-the-heart ceremony. In the back corner you will see that we have Anubis (the God of Embalming) present during this embalming as they would have had someone with a mask of his head on during this process.
Next we wiped him down with spices of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Allspice, in an olive oil.
 We put him in Kosher Sea Salt (this represents the Natron Salt that they would have used). Then we let him sit in the salt for 40 minutes (1 minute to represnt each day that they would have left the body in the Natron Salt...however they would have completely covered them so that you couldn't even seen them). We accidently did the spices/oil and salting backwards. The salting should have come first, then the spices and oils. Then they would have replaced the eyes onions stuffed into the sockets. Then they stuffed the body with mudd, sawdust, rags and chaff to make it appear plump.
 Next we began the wrapping process (they would have saved Linen to be wrapped in for their burial, their whole lives). We used muslin and a mixture of flour and water (1 part to 3 parts) for the paste. It took them about 15 days to wrap the body and about 20 layers of linen bandages. We put the Amulets inbetweeen the layers of Linen (a scarab beetle (which they believed prevent your guilty secrets from being found out during the weighing-of-the-heart ceremony), the protective eye of the sun god, Horus).
 We allowed him to do a little drying before the final wrapping.
 Here he is after the final wrapping. Our hired Mourner (Daddy) and the Priests (Edward and Mommy) took our mummy to his tomb (it will be a plastic shoe box). We used Sacred Tools for the opening of the mouth ceremony (this was done to restore the body's spirit to it), this was done by touching the "lips" with the tools. Next we had the Weighing-of-the-heart ceremony. You will see that we have Anubis and Thoth present (we didn't have Ammut). In the Weighing-of-the-heart ceremony your spirit was believed to be led to a scale by Anubis, who weighed your heart against the feather of truth. The result was recorded by the ibis-headed god, Thoth. A monster, Ammut waited to eat the heart if it has been made to heavy by bad deeds. In his tomb, we put (not really just pretended) the Book of the Dead, food, clothes, wine, furniture, weapons and tools (these things were to be used by your KA(your spirit double, this was said to stay in your tomb with your body all the time) and BA(the spirit of your personality, this was said to be able to leave the tomb during the day but returned at night). Then we sealed the tomb.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Homeschool Zoofari Day Field Trip
The Wichita TPA (Teaching Parents Association) and the Sedgwick County Zoo teamed up together to put on a Zoofari Day for Homeschoolers and their families. Below are pictures of us on our Field Trip. We had such a great time and they did a great job putting together the day. There about 10 stations set up to stop at and learn about animals in that area of the zoo. We learned a lot of things we didn't know (even I did and I taught Animal Science all last year...see you still can learn things, even if you have done an extensive study of a subject).
 Learning about Farm Animals (goats and sheep) in the Farm area of the Childrens Zoo portion of the Sedgwick County Zoo.
 Edward has grown he is now as tall as the Tallest Penguin (the Emperor Penguin), last time (when the first put in this exhibit) he was about 3 to 4 penguins down the wall.
 In the Jungle Building
 Feeding the Giraffes with friends.
 Best Friends feeding the ducks together.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Monday, September 28, 2009
Stonehenge
This week in our Mystery of History Lessons, we learned about Stonehenge. We built our own version of Stonehenge using rocks (from the alley, all about the same size), a paper plate and a hot glue gun. Here are pictures of our Stonehenge:
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Under The Stars
The Hutchinson Cosmosphere put on a Starry Night Event last night. We were able to take our telescope and learn how to use it. We were able to see Jupiter. It was so amazing...how people can believe that God didn't create us and all the wonders around us, is just beond me....I see his beauty everywhere.
 Trying Space (freeze dried) Ice Cream
 Back of his new T-shirt
 Front of his new T-shirt....our telescope (that Kirk won on the Price Is Right Las Vegas version) is behind him.
 Waiting for the sun to go down so we can use this cool telescope.
 A rocket that they were about ready to launch. They launced a garbage can too...and a few other rockets. This was a huge hit with the kids.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Science Project using a Control
 Control and cups 1-4
Cups 3-5 and the Mystery Cup
We are learning about having a Control in a Science Experiment so we did a Science Project with Carnations. We put 1 carnation in plain water. Then we put 5 carnations in water (each glass had 2 cups of water) with red food coloring (the first glass had 1 drop of coloring per cup of water, the second glass had 2 drops of coloring per cup water, the third glass had 3 drops of coloring per cup of water, the fourth glass had 4 drops of coloring per cup of water and the fifth glass has 5 drops of coloring per cup of water). We had an extra carnation so we did a mystery color (6 drops of blue and 6 drops of red food coloring). Our experiment was to see if the coloring in the water would change the color of the leaves of the carnations. We found that the water does change the color of the veins in the carnations and the tips but not the whole leave of the carnation. The more food coloring the darker the the color. Cup 1 (not the control) and cup 2 (also not the control) the veins color change was hardly noticeable due to the small amounts of food coloring in the water. In the Mystery cup, surprisingly the color was not purple that we got but more bluish. This was very noticeable but like the other the color only was in the veins and the tips of the carnation. We also noticed that after the week was over the only flower not dying was the control, we feel that the food coloring was poisoning the flowers.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Blowin' Paint Bubbles (for a Lapbook)
We are working on a Bubblogy Lapbook this summer. One of the projects is Blowing Paint Bubbles and making prints with them onto paper for an art project. We did this project today. Edward loved doing this project. We even did a bigger painting that wont be in our lapbook.
 Our Bubble Print Postcard for our lapbook (the large painting and the other bubble print for the lapbook are also on the table)
 Our Bubble Paint Solution
 The other Bubble Print for the Lapbook
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Friday, April 3, 2009
Lapbooks that we did Kindergarten Year
 The Story About Ping
 Giraffes
These are pictures of the 2 lapbooks that Edward has done so far this year. This summer we will be doing on Bubbles. It includes making bubbles....how much more fun can that be?
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Here a Moo! There a Moo! Everywhere a Moo! Moo!
Today we had a field trip with our Homeschool C0-op Group to a Working Dairy Farm, this was a family owned dairy (not a corporate owned one). They were a great family and gave an excellent, very educational tour of their farm. The children got to bottle feed new calfs, feed the cows, see a cow milked, feed other farm animals (sheep, goats, turkeys and chickens)...they also learned how milk is gotten from the cows to the holding tanks, from the holding tanks to the trucks that take it to the processing plants, what is done to it at the processing plant...including how it is bottled. They learned about Pasteurization and Homogenization. They learned that milk is actually taken to the skimmed state at the plant and then the fat is added back in according to the precentage of fat in our milk (1%, 2 % and whole milk). They learned exactly what all the farmers duties are on the farm and how much work it takes to run a farm on a daily basis.
 Petting a Milk Cow (Sweet Potatoe)
 Mommy hand milking Sweet Potatoe
 Checking out the milking machine equipment.
 Petting a new baby calf
 Bottle Feeding a new baby calf.
 Just a cute picture
 A bucket full of Corn Silage
 Feeding the cows Corn Silage
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Whales!
 Let's start you out this way, did you know that Killer Whales are actually Dolphins? We went to the Exploration Place in Wichita to see the Whale Exhibit that is there. This exhibit is from museum in New Zealand and the whales in the exhibit are of course also from New Zealand. We were unfortunately not permitted to take pictures in the exhibit. They had a model of a Blue Whales Heart (the Largest Whale (is a Baleen Whale) and Animal in the World), for the kids to climb through. It was the actual size of the Blue Whales Heart. We also learned that Baleen Whales have two blow holes, where Whales with teeth only have one blow hole. It was a fascinating field trip. Edward really seemed to enjoy it.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pictures from our Exploration Place Field Trip
Below are pictures that were also taken on our Field Trip to the Exploration Place in Wichita
 The top of the Tornado Simulator!
 Edward trying out the Tornado Simulator. This gives you the feel and sound of a Tornado. Edward said it was very loud and windy. He didn't stay inside of it for the whole time.
This is the cute little, okay not so little, castle that they have in the Children's area.
 This is another Tornado (okay learning about Tornadoes is a big thing here in the middle of the USA) Simulator. This was shows how it spins down from the sky.
 Edward trying out royalty.
 A stone path maze.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
All I want is my front teeth
Edward lost his two bottom teeth today! The first one I am not sure where it went...well, actually I am but I don't think we will be able to retrieve it or even want to. I am 90% sure he swallowed it when he was either eating breakfast this morning or lunch this afternoon. I wasn't aware that it was missing until well after lunch was over. He said to me "Mommy look at my mouth!" and when I did I saw that one tooth was missing. I tore apart the beds and the house frantically looking for his tiny little bottom tooth. No success! So I checked the loose one next to it, and saw that it was extremely loose. Not wanting to take a chance of having no tooth, I did what I swore I wouldn't do...I pulled it! It came out with no effort and a little blood. We gargled and all was better. Tooth went into the Tooth Fairy Box and Edward got his present the next day in the form of a set of Morphs (animals with inter-exchangeable parts...we bought the African set). Below is a picture of Edwards newest smile!
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Kindermusik Young Child Session 2
Below are pictures of Edward playing his Glockenspiel in his Kindermusik YC session 2 class. The teacher has split the YC session 1 class into 2 groups...it just ended up being all the boys in one class and all the girls in the other. Edward has learned alot this session. He has been writing musical notes on his own. He knows what a staff is and a rest. He has learned to play the following notes on his glockenspiel A C D F. He can now play two songs, Bell Horses and Lucy Locket (the boys in this class have changed this song to Lyle Locket) . The boys get along well but as you can imagine are an active group even though there are just 3 of them. I must say that I am very pleased with Edwards progress and how well he is doing in this class.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Our Homeschool Co-op Group had a Valentine's Day Party for the children! The children were asked to make boxes for receive Valentine's from the other children. Edward and I made one out of a plastic shoe box. He had so much fun making it. He gave out Speed Racer and Animal Valentines with Jolly Ranchers and Blow Pop Suckers on them. We had 2 different kinds because the list of participates grew beyond what we had planned for. About 60 kids were signed up to participate.
 Look Mom & Dad at my box full of Valentines!
 The Box that Edward and Mommy made together for his Valentine's Day Party at Co-op Classes, they had a Pizza & Roller Skating Party!
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Happy Birthday Kansas!
Today we went the Kauffman Museum here in Newton for the Annual Kansas Day Celebration. It was full of fun things to do like shucking corn with hand shucker, rolling hoops (like school boys did back in the pioneer days), making butter, making tortillas, listening to an Indian Storyteller, seeing a real tee pee (and being able to go in it), watching a black smith, a wood worker, logs being made ready to build log cabins (the way they would have done it in the pioneer days), wood cutting , popcorn being made over an open fire in a caldern, wagon rides and so much more including a lot of hands on activity. We wanted to make a broom but they ran out of the materials before we got through the line. We had fun learning about so much Kansas stuff. It has been a little over a week of learning about Kansas. I still feel like we have so much more to learn. It was a very well put together event.
 A Blacksmith making a spoon from a railroad tie
 Edward Decorating a Swedish Dala Horse
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Friday, January 23, 2009
Getting to know Kansas and Newton
Today we learned that the Chisholm Trail went right through Newton, where we now reside. It was neat to learn about the history of the little town that we are now calling home. From 1871 to 1873 our quaint little town was known as the "bloody and lawless, the wickedest city in the West." In 1872 the western terminal for Santa Fe Railway and the rail head for the Chisholm Trail were established here. With the railroad came a horde of gunslingers, gamblers, "soiled doves", cowboys and railroad crews of every kind. By the end of 1872, there had been 12 murders documented, although there was evidence showing twice as many.
 This is a old one room school house here in Newton, KS. This is the Kellas School.
 Edward and the other co-op students, were able to find out what it was like to go to school back in 1800's in a one room school house. This school house was very authentic, complete with a wood stove to heat it, which do to the cold, we utilized. The children sat according to grade with the younger children in the front of the class and the older ones in the back, just as they would have done back then. They also participated in the same school activities as the children would have.
 These are Indian artifacts.
 Edward is holding a Buffalo bladder. They used these to carry water from the river back to their village to use. The other things he is holding is a sewing needle made of buffalo bone.
 Edward is standing in front of what would have been worn by someone during the times of the Chisholm Trail Days. If I remember correctly, this was rain gear.
 Here Edward is looking at some of the various Santa Fe and other train memorabilia. Of course with his fascination of trains, he was excited about learning all about trains and what the bringing the railroad through Newton meant for it back then.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I survived 650 feet underground!!!
Edward and I went 650 feet underground this afternoon. We went to the Hutchinson Underground Salt Mine. This salt field runs from Missouri to New Mexico, it is a working salt mine (it produces 500,000 tons of rock salt each year). It was amazing, there more than 67 miles of mined caverns. Salt mining has been a significant industry for well over 100 years. I had a great time apart from having to be stuffed like sardines in an elevator for about 1 1/2 minutes to go 650 feet underground. As a part of our tour we got to bring home a chunk of salt and small bag of salt pieces.
 Edward donning his hard hat and emergency breathing apparatus
 Edward on the tram, ready to take a ride through the salt mine.
 A wall of salt and sediment.
 Edward standing in front of a large block of salt and sediment
 Edward standing infront of the orginal Superman Costume that Christopher Reeves wore in the movies. There are tons of things stored in vaults in the Saltmines from movies to movie props...even a computer from the 50's...that thing was longer than my couch.
 A lite up piece of Salt.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Thursday, January 15, 2009
It's Loose!!!
Well it's official Edward has his first loose tooth. He freaked out about it. He cried for about an hour or a little longer. I think it has a lot to do with when he fell and rammed his front tooth up into his gum, having to have emergency surgery to remove it. He isn't very keen on the idea of loosing his teeth needless to say. We tried everything to let him know it is okay. I guess next week during school, we will be learning about teeth and that it is natural to loose them at his age.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Friday, January 2, 2009
Hanukkah
This year as a part of our Christmas festivities, we took part of Hanukkah too. We light a candle every day from Dec 21st to Dec 28th, and read from a devotional by Roy Lessin. We learned about Hanukkah and what it stands for in the Jewish faith. We want Edward to learn about these things because we feel they are an important part of the Christian walk. He enjoyed doing this and we read books about the dredel and laukas. In Dec of 2009, we will be able to focus more on the Jewish traditions to do with Hanukkah as it is celebrated a few weeks before Christmas. We will even be learning about the Passover Celebration in the Spring.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
First Play
We have taken Edward to things like Elmo Live, Thomas Live, The Wiggles and so forth. Yesterday though, we went to our first real live play with our Homeschool Co-op Group. We went and saw The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This was based on the book by Barbara Robinson. It was put on by a Childrens Theater Group. It was very well done. Edward loved it and he was very good through the whole play. I was so proud of him. He says he would like to give acting a try sometime and maybe in a play himself one day.
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
|
