Pinning Her Down

G's idea for preventing M2's wiggling.

Z's Gingerbread House

Science City

This year, the girls have received from AhPoh a year's membership to Science City at Union Station. (Considered a membership to the zoo, but at this stage in life, I prefer climate-control.)

The museum has a cityscape theme, this part was the public works, built up like a sewer system, where we learned about static electricity and pulleys.

A kids' park in the middle of the "city".

Kinder room with colored drums, two different kinds of xylophone, and these huge foam building blocks.

This water table was great for teaching the power of flowing water (erosion, dam building, currents).

Like the simple concept of these building blocks, kind of like thicker version of popsicle sticks.

Spinning table, teaching friction, force, and rotation. Tons of other teaching stuff: like sound, levers, world climate, optical illusion (G's favorite), light. There's also this bicycle that you can ride OVER the city, like on a tight rope (with safety netting), I think it's meant to demonstrate balance. The real downer was that G's about two inches too short to ride.

In nearly three hours, we saw maybe 70% of the museum, so still plenty to see – there's an upcoming Unplugged exhibit opening early next year to look forward to – next time we go back: I think this would be a great monthly homeschooling field trip.

And when we got home, this is what they did for the rest of the afternoon. 

Petrified

You want to hear something gross?

Remember our pet worm, and how we freed THEM? At the time, I was a little puzzled as to the whereabouts of the first worm. I poked through the dirt and couldn't find any sign of him, though there was a horrid smell, I assumed he'd died and decomposed.

Well! Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I was cleaning out the cupboard, including the shelf where we used to keep the worm, and what did I find in a back corner? The dried remains of our worm. (Don't tell BB!) Drew, who was always opposed to keeping the worm in the house – he wanted to free it immediately upon receipt – managed a tactful "I told you so!"

Snow Day

Remember the days: waking unreasonably early, hovering around the radio, hoping to hear your school called? Or turning on the TV, scrutinizing the bottom of the screen, waiting for your school's name to tick by? No more – with internet, email, and automated telephone calls. We got a phone call this morning at about 5:30A, followed up with a recording of that same message sent to my email.

A little bit of snow (< 3 inches?) being whipped around by A LOT of wind. Hate for kids, and that includes us, to be standing at the curb waiting for the bus in that. Of course, the girls wouldn't mind being out PLAYING in it. Maybe later when the wind is supposed to die down.

Decorated

The girls helped to decorate the Christmas tree: so satisfying to finally have some ornaments up. (The tree's had lights since the second day it came home.)

Some of my favorite ornaments.

Double Flip

The Chinese term for "mess" is "luan chi ba zhao". Somewhere along the way, maybe back when G was a toddler, it became "luan chi zha bao". I've become so used to hearing it said the wrong way that I think the right way sounds funny. But recently M used the term for the first time (that I can remember) – and she said it correctly. Don't know if it'll stick.

Santa Lucia

They're no lussekatter, but Nutella-filled buns are an excellent substitute in my opinion.

Let's Go Bowling

With our homeschooling group. While Z was in school.

We played two games, and for anyone keeping score, BB won the first game (she got a strike) and M won the second (she got a strike AND a spare).

Crown Center

Wanted to get out of the house mid-week, so arranged to meet some friends at Crown Center for the day.

They had a gingerbread village, complete with three train lines, to ogle.

Crayola had a play area, which the younger ones enjoyed, with Santa waiting at the end.

Outside, across the street, there were some wooden vehicles to climb on.

And then we enjoyed some drawing time at the Crayola store, before heading home.