May 12

I began by starting a sundial today, while the babes still slept.
I'd like to make a more permanent one, but I thought it prudent that we begin it with simple paper, to figure out what possible errors and problems could be. :)So it's begun!

Trev and I watched Bill Nye... this morning was Simple Machines.
We want to build a catapult. :) Actually, we have plans for this one.

Trevelyn painted the tyrannosaurus that he sculpted yesterday. And the giant rat-mammal thing that he intends to be prey or a carcass. :)

The babes broke their fast with cereal and Good Ol' Bill - Static Electricity, this time. They have been wondering why when they jump on the tramp they get shocked when they climb off. I didn't know why. So we checked it out.

We worked through some angst by making a river in the sandbox together... followed by play in the box for Little Son
and by freeing the lavender from some tall intrusive couch grass for his Mama.

Madeleine was doing just fine on her own.
When we were right again,
we celebrated with watermelon
and began getting ready for our tepee in earnest.
Mama looked up beans (we've never grown them) to see what sort of space we'd need.
I found this, "Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them. Not to mention the another drawback in such a confined space.... " which the babes thought was hilarious.

I showed Trev something cool that I read this morning....
I grabbed a handful of different colored pencils, and we tested our vision.
You choose a pencil (without knowing what color it is) and then while holding it out to your side, you bring it into your peripheral view, and then stop when you think you know what color it is. Usually you can guess the color a little distance after having it appear.
I was wrong about 75% of the time.
Funny that I never considered that we can't really see colors in our peripheral vision. It seems as though we do, for there is an impression. But we don't... not really. :) Cool.

We launched grapes with spoon catapults.
And tried to toss water balloons with a log and a board, but it didn't work.
So we tossed them onto the trampoline and played hot potato with them instead.
That worked out pretty well. ;)

We made gas. (With vinegar in a bottle and baking soda in the balloon.)
You know. Since we had the balloons out already...And then we did it again.And then again.
And then again.

We further checked out static electricity by using it to bend water.Now that's pretty cool.
Yes, yes, we have a house built in 1950 with original fixtures. And possibly original rust.

Puzzles

We headed outside with the third book in the Dinosaur Cove series.... March of the Ankylosaurus. We lazed on the tramp to read it, and unbelievably the babes consumed the other half of the watermelon while we read.
Yup. That makes the whole thing in one day.
Slurp.

Off for a bikeride for one and another self portrait for the other.
Trev created Bob. Out of a large blue water balloon. You know. From Monsters versus Aliens.
I have no idea what that is.

To the tepee! Cucumber seeds.
And pole beans.
Evidently I lost this one.
Trev has claimed my tepee His.I hand it over gladly and with well-wishes.
No doubt I'll be going out there and asking for a few special favors to make His extra sparkly.

Daddy's home!
Which means that Trev gets to take Annabelle for a w-a-l-k.
Happy Hubby, Happy Boy, and Happy Dog go off down the street together.
Maddie and Mama happily stay behind and eat our dinner that Daddy brought us home.
It's not cheating! Can I help it if dh is a Chef, and that we have dinner opportunities? You get your walls, computers, and plumbing fixed... I get dinner.

Upon returning they're off for another w-a-l-k (lucky Annabelle)... this time with Madeleine in the parade.

I think we're off to the library when they get back,
and that will probably be it for us today.

All is well, then.