December 8

Advent presents today (we always start the day with the advent calendar) were a snow globe for Madeleine, and an ammonite fossil for Trevelyn (which appeared during the Devonian period - 400 million years ago, and became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous - 75 million ya). The real thing - no toys, these fossils. How cool is that?
Daddy told Madeleine that snow globes make it snow. So she's been shakin' and shakin' it.
And then announced that she was going outside to shake it until the snow comes.
That a girl.

Trev's been asking a lot about tar pits for the last week or so. So today I was (again) trying to find a website with a goodly bit of information - why, how, how long it takes, etc. So far I haven't found anything that will help a seven year old boy come out with a keen understanding.
But I'll keep trying.

We did, however, have these tar pits.
And what fun it was!
There were fossils, dinosaur rescues, komodo dragon rescues, animal rescues, and people rescues. Much fun, that.Our slime even felt and acted like tar. Very cool.

In the name of searching out info on how tar and oil forms, we got out this book and perused and made up stories according to the formations and time periods of the earth. More fun.
We read "Let's Read and Find Out Science: A Drop of Blood", which led us to wanting to watch Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie. But we couldn't find Ralphie, so we settled for Takes a Dive, Gets Lost In Space, For Lunch, Hops Home, and Meets the Rot Squad.
This was done while we ate lunch-- and snow!! :)!
Madd watched Peep and played with Dora. And then a puzzelt or two.

Round two with slime.
Lessons in physics and spatial relationships.
Evidently we're having a MSB marathon - up next is All Dried Up, then Goes To Seed, Gets Ants In Its Pants....

Science Project #2 is an all-time favorite around here - quicksand.
Made with cornstarch and water.More puzzelts.

Nut cracking, eating and identification. (almonds, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, and chestnuts)

Cracker opening. Uh - when Mama wasna looking.

Now Daddy's finally back from skiing, so we'll see what the rest of the day holds....