Science and anatomy... pint size

We have been having an amazing time learning about anatomy.  This day we looked at our hair, our blood, spit, and skin under the microscopes!  SO VERY COOL.  It was funny, today Liam had a pretty good fall on his bike; skinned his knees and gashed the palms of his hands.  Through his tears he says, "can you get a slide so we can look at some of my blood under the microscope?"



While we do need to invest in a serious microscope, these little pocket explorer microscopes have been fantastic.  The boys bring them on hikes and pull them out to get a closer look at anything from pond water to fungi.





See why we call it the "wonder room"?  It's so much fun to watch them get all excited when something comes into focus.  "MOM!  You gotta see this!" 



This day with the microscopes, we actually did science for three hours!  Complete with illustrations of what they saw and write ups.  Overheard more than once were comments like, "this is SO cool!"  "Hey, come and see mine", "what are you looking at?"

Another very wonderful addition to our wonder room has been our little dissect"able" friend here.  Complete with "organ-izer".  You can see in the second picture, Teigan has the intestines out and and is just thinking about the stomach and the liver.





There are so many times and reasons that I am thankful for the opportunity to school and learn the way that we do.  These kids LOVE to learn, and have such a fantastic sense of wonder and curiosity. How amazing for me to guide and learn along side them, exploring the incredible wonders of science (and everything else).  I am truly blessed.

The Great Turtle Rescue

Being such a beautiful autumn day yesterday, we headed over to the park (and pond) after music lessons.  While the girls played at the park, the boys as usual headed over to the large pond for frogging and "turtling".

Within about ten minutes, both boys were back with an injured turtle (aptly named Hook), that they had rescued from the side of the pond.  The boys of course had their pocket knives with them. (You never know when you might need to cut fishing line!)

After most every kid at the park had looked at and pet this little creature (and hopefully washed their hands), we decided that he needed to head to the vet.  The hook was through the roof of his mouth and was bothering not only his mouth, but his eye as well.









Off we went to a local vet, and friend from church.  It was the very end of the day, and he had gone home, but the assistant was thrilled that we had brought him in to them.  She explained that the kids had no doubt saved his life because he wouldn't be able to eat.  She talked with the kids for a while and explained that UBC had just done a study on the turtles from this pond.  She took our number and told us that they would call us so that we could release Hook back to his home the next day.

So this afternoon we went back to the vet to pick up Hook.  The assistant had gone home and printed out information for the kids about this kind of turtle.  A red-eared slider.  How great are some people?  So you can guess what we'll be doing more research on.

The vet had the kids all put gloves on before they would give the turtle back to them.  And off we headed to the pond for the big release.




Look Ma, no hook!







Teigan is actually hugging Hook here, and I'm the only one who finds that funny!  Everyone said their goodbyes, told him not to eat strange shiny things, told him they'd look for him next time.  (We marked his shell with nail polish - H for Hook.)









And off he swam.  Back home in his pond with a new lease on life.  I can't even remember how many animals we have rescued, or tried to rescue.  We've had a few not make it through the night.  (Abandon baby quail are very fragile - we have yet to have one live.)  But these experiences, the ones that are rescued and released back into their homes, are so rewarding.

Papa and the Rocks

This is my dad... an amazing man in my life.  An amazing man in my kids' lives.  I find it somewhat amusing, ironic maybe, that this man who has been an absolute rock in my life has always had a fascination with rocks.  He is now passing that down to my kids.

They are two weeks into a six week process of polishing a bunch of rocks.  Today they had to take them out, rinse them and put in some different kind of grit or something.  (They were listening, I was just taking pictures!)

Here he's showing the kids the new stuff that they'll be putting in this time and explaining why the change.  I love Teigan's little eye's peeking up beside Papa's arm.



The rocks when they first took them out of the polisher today.



After the rinse, with the new grit... for the next round of tumbling.  It's a long and hard process to get the rough edges down and get to that beautiful reflection stage.  Ever feel like you're in a dark, gritty tumbler with the pounding coming from all sides?  Imagine the beauty and changes when it's all over.





Inspecting other partially polished rocks.  Which ones to take all the way?



Sealing it back up for the tumbling.






I absolutely love this last picture.  That is SO completely my dad.  The hard working hands, so strong, yet so tender.  The only two pieces of jewelry he would ever wear.  His wedding ring of fifty years, and his Jerusalem cross ring.  His wife and family,  and his Lord.  Yes, this man is my rock.

(My husband IS my other rock on this earth.)

Kids and Flight - and a lot of paper airplanes

Our co-op had a great time learning about the principles of flight at the Okanagan Science Center.  The kids first learned about the different forces on an airplane in flight, as well as Bernoulli's principle - remember that one?  Bernoulli's principle works on the idea that as a wing passes through the air the  shape makes the air travel more over the top of the wing than beneath it. This creates a higher pressure beneath the wing than above it. The pressure difference causes the wing to push upwards and lift is created. Or something like that!

In small groups the kids worked to follow directions on four different paper airplanes; predicting which ones they thought had the better designs, and which would go the farthest. Then they tried them out, marking the spots of the different planes.



Waiting to throw and test out the planes!








Testing out the different principles that we learned.  When you blow under the paper, the lower pressure "pulls" the paper down.  When you blow over the top of the paper, the lower pressure over the top causes "lift".



Checking out his plane before flight with the basic forces and Bernoulli's effect on the board behind him.



All in all, a great day with the co-op at the Science Center.  Lots of fun, learning, and friends.  Good times.

Another Wonderful Summer Wrapping Up...

As we are getting ready to dive head first into the swing of things around here - I am gratefully looking back over another crazy summer of life, learning, family and friends.

The kids all went to Sunnyside Bible Camp in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. I was a little hesitant sending Teigan at 6, but she was so excited to make new friends. What a great attitude. Of course she loved it!

Because of the 14+ hour drive ahead of us, I picked the kids up early from camp. While the kids were in chapel, I spent my time rummaging through their cabins in search of items I recognized, packing up camp clothes, stuffing sleeping bags, finding wet towels, muddy shoes and beloved stuffies, before heading to the chapel.

The theme of the week was heroes. Godly heroes. As I sat in the back of the final kids' chapel, before the rest of the parents arrived, I watched and listened to over a hundred little kids, voices raised in worship to a God who had become even more real to them that week. The speaker went over some of the stories and things they'd learned; how King David was anointed and set apart as a child. I sat, tears streaming down my face, as I watched my children go to the front to be anointed. Set apart.

While I don't expect my kids to be kings - I do know that God has an incredible plan for their lives. They are set apart.





I know... they look set apart don't they?! Oh, but to wonder what a mighty God will do with little ones who stand fast in Him.



We had LOTS of nature studies through the summer...

from dissecting owl pellets and organizing the different bones...





...to the pink lady butterflies that we raised from the larva. We have done this twice now and never cease to be amazed at the wonder of God's glory in such a tiny little creature. One thing that we learned this time is that scientists know that the caterpillar turns to goo inside the chrysalis, but have NO idea how it becomes a butterfly. "God uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise." (1 Cor. 1:27)













This beautiful mama robin decided that one of our planters would be a perfect place to set up home. We, of course, appreciated that greatly as it gave us a fabulous front row seat to all the going-ons from eggs to first flights.





How's this for an up close and personal look at elk?! We of course stayed on the far side of the road, close to the car. It is after all a dangerous wild animal. (When it decides to be - and we weren't going to find out when or if that might be!)









From the majestic mountain peaks to the ocean shores. The kids spent hours digging, exploring, and lost in the wonder of life in the tidal pools.











There were always lots of books around, so my little readers were never at a loss for what to do during down time...





Ah... let see - how about a little P.E.?!

Lots of beautiful hikes during our stay in Whistler.



Samuel spent 9 days at a ski and water ramp camp. From early morning until 8 at night some evenings! He's working on his 360s and 540s.





A little bit of crazy fun on a stunningly beautiful lake?!



Or maybe a game of beach football...





The dock is always a favourite.



Of course respecting the wildlife as we hike!



Some hair raising experiences...



and a little luge...



Of course the REAL Olympic sliding track at Whistler was something to see. Maybe next year we'll get to have a ride in a bobsled!



Teigan all ready to go on the skeleton. "Mommy, I look like Jon Montgomery!"



And some cultural experiences at the First Nations center at Whistler.







The Peak to Peak experience is exactly that. An experience. With the longest unsupported span in the world (over three km), it is an engineering marvel. As we passed over a small river below, one of the others on the tram asked if anyone knew what the waterfall was down below. Without missing a beat, Samuel pipes in that it is a hydroelectric dam. While not a large one, it certainly was. We learned that it is actually large enough to power all of the Whistler area. How about that study on hydroelectricity last year! Yeah!





And of course LOTS of friends, cousins and family.

























This summer was a monumental year for our family as my Dad and Mom celebrated 50 years of marriage. What a testimony and a blessing for our family to have parents/grandparents who love and stand by through all of life.



An amazing summer, filled with joy and laughter, family and friends, living and learning, and the blessings of God.