science week: WIND and BUBBLES

friday we learned about WIND. i got some ideas from this site.

we learned that wind is just air that is moving.

wind is caused by cool air and warm air trading places.

we read a fun book called Feel the Wind.

we learned how hot air rises and that is how hot air balloons work

and then we made some bubbles so we could see the wind for ourselves.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BUBBLE SOLUTION:

10 cups of water (some people use distilled water, we did not)

1 cup of NON ULTRA dish soap

1/2 cup of light corn syrup

there are tons of different concoctions out there. just find one that you think you like best. i picked this one since it seemed most simple and had ingredients that i could get easily. i thought it worked great.

we also read a book all about bubbles and gave us great ideas on how to make bubble blowers with things around the house.

Plastic Bottle bubble blower:

all you need is an empty plastic water bottle

a pair of scissors

all you do is cut the bottom off the bottle and then cut little slits around the edge and fold bend them outward. side note...chipped nail polish = sad. not sure why i even paint my fingers nails, it never lasts longer than 6 hours.

dip bottle in bubble solution and blow away. see how big you can get your bubble before it pops.
also since the bubbles dont normally release from the bottle, after you blow your hot air in (while bubble is still on end of bottle) move the bottle over to your cheek and you can feel the bubble push all your hot air back out. garret thought this was so cool.

Straw Bubble Blower:

all you need is a straw

cut it in the same way as the water bottle, dip and blow. this makes lots of really fun little bubbles.

TIP!!! if you have younger children, make sure they remember to blow out and NOT suck up. brenna can tell you that she learned that lesson from experience.

A GIANT bubble making wand:

two dowels about 14 inches long ( really they can just be sticks in the yard or whatever you can find.)

some COTTON string- i found mine in the laundry section by the clothes lines at Family Dollar

2 eye hooks to screw into the ends of your dowels (or you can just tie it on)

i am going to share this link where they give you many more details on how to make this wand. i always seem to "just make it work with what i have." but i know some people like real specific instructions. there are many, many links to this as well. but this is the one i (kind of) followed.
it takes some practice but we ended up making some really GIANT bubbles. garret was a pro by the end of the day and really loved this project.

dave and i had a blast making these too. we made them all weekend.

if any of you try it. let me know what you think! this was a great end to our science week. hope you enjoyed.

TIPS:

bubbles last longer on warmer humid days

less wind is actually better

dont give up... try, try again

science week: CLOUDS

thursday we talked about clouds. we watched you tube videos on clouds, learned the different names and characteristics of the kinds of clouds, drew pictures and then even MADE A CLOUD in a jar.

supplies for the cloud in a jar experiment:

glass jar

warm water

matches

ice

paper towels

black paper

flashlight

tape

im not going to type out the instructions. you can just follow the link at the top or bottom of this page.

quick review of the cloud types:

cirrus- high in the sky look like horse wispy horse tails

cumulus- middle height clouds, big and fluffy

stratus- very low in the sky, gray sheet like clouds

nimbus- rain clouds

after the cloud formed in the jar, you can remove the ice and paper towels from the top and watch the cloud float right out. we did a couple of these as the kids really loved watching it.

we also learned about the water cycle and drew out diagrams of it. garret and raelyn did a really nice job with their water cycle diagrams. wish i had take a picture to show you. any how, again, i am amazed at how much they are remembering. of course they loved the experiment and would recommend this one for kids at least 5. since garret was even a little older i had him do the part with the matches. you can click here to follow the instructions on how to make a cloud in a jar.

it had rained a bunch here this week so it was cool how it all got tied into our own weather here in greeneville.

thankful for

the internet to find cool projects

just being amazed at the creation of our world, our god is awesome!

watching my kids enjoying learning and not even realizing they are doing it

feeling like i am accomplishing something

the rain to water our dead grass

science week: SUN and MOON

wednesday we learned about the SUN and MOON. first we learned that the sun is the center of the solar system and that the earth and all the planets rotate around it. a neat way to show this happening is by watching shadows move.

we took a stick, a rock and piece of string.

we tied the string around the rock and the other end of the string around the stick.

we found a soft spot in the ground and stuck our sticks down into the earth so it would stand on its own.

then we looked for where the stick was casting a shadow.

you used your string and rock to follow the shadow line.

we then placed a little marker where the shadow was.

an hour later we check again, and what do you know.... the shadow moved!

we we moved our sting line and placed another marker.

(this is pretty much the same idea as a sun dial, so on our markers we wrote the time of day.)

these photos of our yard are so sad, but that was where it was easiest to put our sticks into the ground.

it was really fun the next day we came out and checked our shadows and could tell what time it was by where the shadows were in comparison to our markers. this was a great way to show the kids that the earth is always moving.

next we learned about the MOON. i had a really fun book we read and we learned that the moon rotates around the earth just like the earth does the sun. the way we can see that this is true is by the phases of the moon and how each night you see a little more or little less of the moon. we went into a dark room with a ball and flashlight to test this out for ourselves :)

one person held the flashlight, they were the sun.

one person held a ball (like a basketball or soccer ball) over their head, the person holding the ball was earth and the ball was the moon.

the "earth" starts with its back to the "sun" and you can see that the whole ball is lit up, like a full moon. then the person slowly turned to the left until he was sideways with the "sun". then you could only see one half of the moon. the "earth" kept rotating until they were facing the "sun" then they couldnt see any of the moon. it was like a new moon.... and so on.

does that make sense? im tired and feeling like that was really wordy and not very clear. we did it a couple of times and it really started clicking with the kids.

we also learned fun facts about the moon and sun and wrote them down on flash cards as well.

science week: Solar System

last week was SCIENCE WEEK here at the widmaier house. last summer i came up with the idea to do a themed week each week of the summer. the wid kids dont do well with down time. someone ends up crying because they are hurt, or in time-out because they hurt someone. as much as i would love to say i love lazy summer time and we just hang out and get along all day, that is not the case. maybe it is the age. they need to be entertained and have a schedule.

after doing a themed week last year, i realized that the kids really loved it and it helped me get through the day by having a plan. not gonna lie, a lot of prep goes into this but it sure does help make the days go by smoother.

science was their favorite week last year so that that is what we started with this year.

i had already done a bit of research and came across some great lesson plans that i wanted to work off of for the week so Monday we took a trip to our library and got books to go along with the science subjects we were going to study. the kids always have a good time at the library. i always leave feeling a bit frazzled. again, maybe the age.

anyway, monday and tuesday we studied the SOLAR SYSTEM. we got a bunch of books, read about the planets and solar system, made flash cards with excellent drawings of the plants and what made each one special, made up songs, and even made a solar system model. i just picked up one from walmart. we had a great time painting and learning.

tuesday i served them a solar system lunch. they LOVED it. it was just a fluke thing when i thought about cutting their sandwiches into circles. then i found enough other circle things for each one of the planets. i really think God gives me those little victories to help keep me encouraged throughout the day.

i am still amazed at how much they learned in just a few short days and how much they still remember. the song we made up has really helped them.

(sung to the tune 1 little, 2 little, 3 little indians)

mercury, venus, earth and mars

jupiter, saturn, uranus, and neptune,

pluto is the smallest, but its still a planet

in Gods awesome solar system

the sun is a star, and mercury is closest to it,

venus is hottest, earth we live on,

mars is the red planet, jupiter's the biggest,

saturns rings are made of ice.

uranus is slow and takes a long time to orbit,

neptune is freezing, and pluto is far away,

god made the solar system and it is perfect,

so we praise him everyday.

maybe i can get a video of them all singing it. brenna even sings parts of it and asks me to sing it to her all the time.

question????? i know some of my readers are homeschool teachers or have taught in a school setting. what do you teach about pluto now? is it a plant? all the books i found at the library said it was, but they were older books. i found about 50/50 on the internet whether it was a planet or not. i taught them it was...

you can click here to see the other things we did last summer for science week:

sandwich bag explosion

liquids, solids, and maple syrup

jori 11 months

11 year anniversary... 11 month old baby.... SLOW DOWN TIME, please slow down. i am really not happy about this sweet quiet, not completely mobile baby is growing up so fast. i love the baby stage. i will miss it dearly.
jori is now standing independently all the time, she even stood up all on her own the other day (like without pulling up on something)

she walks along the furniture and by holding your hand. still no steps on her own.
she loves to eat graham crackers and has to be double fisted.

still doing cloth diapers 80% of the time.

drinks from a sippy cup.

eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (yes i know i should not have given her peanut butter yet... 4th baby, that is all i can say)
she has been getting a bottle of formula after i nurse her every night before bed. my supply has really gone down the past few months. she takes a bottle great. im not sure i am even going to make it another 4 weeks nursing her. i would love to get to the one year mark though.
her second top tooth came in but it is on the left again. so she has two top left teeth and no top right teeth. it is so funny. it cracks me up when she smiles :) actually i just noticed that the right two finally broke through her gums so by her first birthday we will be able to see all those pretty little teeth.
she loves to swing and be outside.

she loves watching the kids play outside.

she loves to eat.

still hates to have her diaper or clothes changed.

is now enjoying bath time a little more.

still has a hard time pooping.... poor girl.

when i ask her to say ma ma.... she says da da!

she can do the little indian call thing

still takes two really great naps and goes down for bed around 7:30

her hair is getting longer and thicker

she looks so grown up when there is a little clip in it

thankful for my quiver being full! many days i feel very out numbered but then i think about how God has said these children are gifts from him. they are the best blessing in the world. i just need his strength daily to help me get through the days and raise them in a way that i eventually led them right back the Lord who gave them to me.

fathers day 2011

it may look like i made my husband cook his own fathers day breakfast but that is not the case here. he was in fact making yummy homemade donuts, but it was something he had been wanting to do for a long time now.

daves uncle has opened up 4 donut stores located on the outer banks of north carolina beaches. the store is called Duck Donuts. they make hot, fresh, made to order donuts. dave has helped his uncle build all of the store fronts and has enjoyed many duck donuts. a long time ago daves uncle sent us a package full of donut mix and all the toppings to make our own donuts at home!

dave was so excited... me not so much. i just thought it was going to be so messy. you cook the donuts in oil. i knew it would make his day to try our hand at making the donuts.
so thats what we did! and it wasnt that bad to clean up either.
enjoying his donuts. raelyn is always hanging on dave. they sit next to each other at every meal and she always ends up in his lap. she was sweet this year, she picked out the shirt that dave is wearing. she said she thought her daddy would love it and we needed to buy it for him. turns out she knows her daddy pretty well :)
garret, raelyn, brenna and jori- you have an amazing father! i know you know this by the way he tickles you and and loves on you, but also know that he is a very hard worker with a strong work ethic, he is a strong leader for our family, he is a talented carpenter and enjoys learning new things and having fun. he is a problem solver and is always thinking of how to make things, anything, better. he is always supportive of you and is thrilled to see you learning and growing, and he sure does love your momma good and take care of her in the best ways. you are so blessed to grow up with this man as your daddy!
happy fathers day, dave. we love you.

also happy fathers day to my own dad. thanks for being a good example of the kind of man i wanted to marry and have children of my own with. love you.

11 sweet years

and many more to come.

it just blows my mind that we have been married for 11 years!

however when i look at pictures of our wedding day i do look like i am 11 years younger in them :) i was a baby when we got married. just a mere 20 years old. i wouldnt change a thing though. i feel so blessed to have married this man. there is no doubt that the lord brought us together and marriage was part of his plan.

june 10th was our actual anniversary date and we didnt really get to celebrate because it was our last day of vacation, but we set aside a night the next week and headed out to a nice dinner. i dont get dressed up much so it was fun to have a reason to put on jewelry and makeup. we went to a place called Cheddar's and then went and walked around a bookstore for awhile. totally NOT daves thing, but was really sweet of him to do it for me.

isnt he so handsome? love you babe. praying we grow very very old together.

thank you lord david. he is the best gift you have ever given me.

Redington Shores: Friday June 10th

our last day= sad!

by friday we were all in the pool and ocean again. squeezing out every second we had left at the condo. jori was enjoying the water finally and could actually splash in it without freaking herself out and crying.

and best of all.... BRENNA LEARNED HOW TO SWIM! the little stinker doesnt let to much time go by where one of her siblings can do something that she cant. she is a fighter that is for sure and swam and swam and swam until she pretty much fell asleep in the pool. poor girls eyes were pretty much swollen shut and i had to literally carry her upstairs for bed. she had a blast and was so proud of herself but boy was she pooped. :) again i very proud momma moment. it is so cool to see your children learn something new. i have a great video of her swimming. i will try to post that soon.

friday night we cooked out on the grills and had hot dogs for the kids and pork chops for us adults. it was so yummy. i love food cooked on a charcoal grill.

scott and nicole came over and hung with us while we ate our dinner and then watched the kids swim in the pool one last time. it was so neat that the girls got to show their aunt and uncle how they learned how to swim.



nicole and raelyn and i went to the shore to watch the sun set and i got these great picture of my sweet girl.

we got up early saturday morning and started getting to work cleaning the condo. we needed to clean the place and wash all the sheets because marcies aunt was coming right in after us to stay. they guys took all the sheets to the laundry mat and we stayed at the condo with the kids. we put a movie on for them and then got to work. it went a lot faster than i had expected and we got the car all packed up and were headed out of there by 10 am on saturday.
we got one last picture of us down under the pier. it was so sad to leave. i didnt want it to end. we had a great time.

thankful for

god working the timing out for us to go

great friends that invited us to go

safety in travel

all the little treasures we brought home that remind us of our trip

Redington Shores: Thursday June 9th

are you getting tired of beach and pool pictures yet? only two more days of our vacation to blog about. to be honest im getting a tired of blogging all of them, but i dont want to forget any part of it. i loved every minute.

thursday morning we woke up slow after not getting back to the condo until 1:30 in the morning. it was nice the kids actually slept in a little while too. after a slow start the kids all headed straight to the pool.
is this torture or funny? im not quite sure.
garret was still dodging the camera so i told him to rocket out of the water and it would look cool and i would take his picture like that.

later that afternoon, dave and the big kids all took some rest time. brenna slept while the big kids watched a movie. this was just about the time jori was waking up from a nap so i took her down to the beach and set up a blanket under the pier, just her and i. this time with her is one of my top memories from our trip. she is such a sweetie. i dont get a whole lot of one on one time with her during the normal day at home, so i soaked this all in.

she was content to sit on the blanket with me and play with toys and my glasses :) the breeze was amazing and it just felt so good to be outside soaking in the fresh air.
thursday night we made tacos as the condo and then headed to another pier area and got wine cream! ice cream made from wine. it was SOOO good. never had anything like it.
we walked a little farther down the docks and got regular ice cream for the kids. the kids also went into a alligator learning place... they got to see lots of gators and garret even got to feed the baby ones some hotdog pieces off a string. they told him not to just let the gators get the food right away but to make the work for it like if they were in the wild trying to eat crickets. he did a great job and the girls enjoyed watching.

thankful for:

special time spent with jori

eating something i have never had before

a great picture of me and my friend

her amazing friendship that is such a blessing to me

pictures of my family at sunset

raelyn wanting to hold jori and asking me to take a picture of them together

watching garret "train" an alligator

Disney: Wednesday June 8th

when we first started talking about our vacation, the baughmans mentioned about going to disney too. we were so excited thinking we would be able to take our kids to DISNEY! things worked out again and we made it!

we took a break from our beach and pools days and drove over to orlando to go to THE MAGIC KINGDOM. it was about and hour and a half drive to get there so we got up really early and hit the road around 6:30. we tried to make it in time for the gait opening ceremony but we just missed it. it was ok though, the kids didnt have a clue.

they were actually kind of out of it for the first hour or so.... i think dave and i would more excited. they didnt really know what to expect. by lunch time they were so happy.... and dave was so happy. i had just as much fun watching him as i did the kids.

here we are with our tickets walking through the entrance gates. we took the ferry across the river and then got a stroller for the girls.
as we walked down main street i had to grab a couple of photos of the castle of course.
and a family shot
and another one!
this pic is of the girls and their friend in "its a small world" the picture is not good quality but i loves brennas expression, just taking it all in.


since we werent staying there over night, we wanted to get as much into one day as we could so we stayed for the light parade, projection show on the castle and fireworks. we had tired kids, but i think they enjoyed this part of the day so much! im so glad we stayed.

i decided not to bring my real camera with me so i just had my iphone to capture the day. there are many things that didnt get photographed, like all the rides we enjoyed, garret and raelyn did their first roller coasters and loved them. they both did thunder mountain and splash mountain. poor brenna wanted to so badly but was just about an inch to short. we will love them next time we go that is for sure.

i loved riding he coasters with the kids. roller coasters are one of my favorite things in the world. i always wanted a daughter to ride them with me. :)

so that is the very condensed version of our trip to disney. we had a great time reliving old memories of when dave and were kids going there, and watching our kids make their own memories. next time we go, we want to do the hotel and everything. really enjoy our time there. not feel so rushed.

we feel so blessed. many people in our area have never even left their county, let alone the state and go to disney. so much to be thankful for.