A friend had mentioned they went out to Hamilton Pool for a hike and swim and said it had the actual falls falling into the pool. Wow! It had been a wimpy falls the last time we visited so I thought that sounded fun.

Fun!

But then there was That Voice that kept telling me You Must Get Seat Work Done and it kept wagging a finger at me. Oh dear. I didn’t like that voice much especially since it was so pretty outside and friends wanted to go with us after I mentioned possibly going. So I gagged that voice. It didn’t sound very nice anyway.

As usual, I didn’t say anything until THE very last possible moment, and then some. Off we go to get cash for parking and then drive off to head to the Pool.

It was fun!

Well, admittedly, the boys did more hanging out with their friends than observe-and-report-your-findings. But this time around, we had nature notebooks for them plus colored pencils so that they did a better job of follow up vs. just taking photos to hear the camera click and play with its settings. And all the Charlotte Mason fans say with me, “Yay!”

Most of the hike, this is what I saw of my boys if I saw them at all:

I don’t know what was up with me. Usually, I manage to see the little things but my friend was the one that caught sight of this little guy:

I didn’t have a handle on the camera because I was distracted and so I couldn’t get things just right. Or maybe it’s just that hard to capture something God made in a man-made box? That’s probably it. Because these were hard to get:

This is what the sky was supposed to look like:

Boo. Next time, I won’t forget I have a “fully automatic” button on that camera.

On the way back, one of the boys in our company spotted these wee little froggies all over the place. Boy, those things were fast and they jumped so far! But I did manage to catch one, plus pointy finger to give you an idea of scale:

I have a soft spot for little froggies. Little froggies are one big soft spot. Heh. I thought this plant was pretty, so I had to click:

We had fun. It ended up being a great thing that we got to go since we won’t make Friday’s hike (just one disadvantage to having only one vehicle). See, God knew we had to get out then and there. Thanks, Abba, for that nudge!

Don’t miss more photos (including minor drama!) here.

Sedimentary rocks are formed when earth is eroded by water and wind. Bits and pieces flow down stream or river until they settle. With time and pressure, the bottom-most layers become rocks.

Here we go! First, we need our water to do some eroding. The part of water today will be played by 1/2 stick of melted butter.

Then, you add to that 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. Or in this case, Teddy grahams which the boys got tired of eating. Poor teddy grahams. Mix and toss the crumbs with the butter until well incorporated. If you notice, the smallest particles always end up at the bottom of a mixture.

Now, apply lots of pressure. Each layer of sedimentary rock gets the pressure treatment after all. Press it evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Add more fluids to wash down more sediment.

Pour it carefully over the graham cracker mixture:

Spread it across so you have an even layer:

Now, you will add the larger particles that are washed downstream. In this case, 1 1/2 c. of pecans, chopped and 2 c. of chocolate chips (we only had 1/2 c. of chips so we chopped up some semi-sweet chocolate to make up for the rest).

You could replace some of the pecans with coconut, if you like (we don’t). Mix both gently so that they’re spread around more or less evenly. That way the chocolate will do a better job of holding it all together.

Now you’re ready to apply pressure and heat. Put your pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. Check at that point to see if the chocolate is melted and the condensed milk is absorbed. You may have to spread the chocolate around a little bit (we did).

Cut into pieces while still warm so that things are fair. If you want it to be more “real” you can try and break apart the pieces. The wise parent knows that this can sometimes cause unwanted issues. Hehe. Now, enjoy your rocks and observe the layers, reflecting on how they were made.

“Mommy, this isn’t a rock!”

“You mean we put pecans in this?” Don’t worry, dear reader, he did warm up to them very quickly after the first bite.

Yes, yes, yes, science is fun. But it can also be delicious!

So we did. They asked the kids to try dropping different amounts of fluids, drop by drop, onto pennies and see how things came out.

First was water:

The fine motor skills required to handle the awkward pipette are a bit much so we mostly ended up with little puddles of water.

But we keep trying! After all, we have seven pennies to work with. Practice, practice, practice!

Sometimes, he wondered about that pipette.

Besides water, we also tried soy sauce, apple juice, worchestershire sauce and oil.

Quite frankly, they all ended up as puddles because it was so much fun to watch that moment when the surface tension weakened and it all went gushing off the penny.

So while “surface tension” was mentioned, what we came away with is try, try, try and try again. That, and he doesn’t like the smell of Worchestershire sauce at all.

Note to self: need to pray about ways to incorporate scripture into these experiments. You think a five year old would get the concept of gluons? Hmmm.

I was wasted tired on account of prepping for the trip the night before and planned to arrive at our friend’s home a half hour later than we were supposed to. She had room in her van for all of us which was a blessing. We got to listen to a few chapters of the audio version of “Understood Betsy.” Remind me to look that up because I need closure.

We made it on time, though, and was able to meet up with the rest of our group. The park had a schedule for our short day and that left us with only an hour to explore the aquarium, feed and pet the dolphins and check out other exhibits.

J is definitely my animal lover and he loved doing this (though NM remembered petting the dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego when he was four).

It was feeding or cleaning time in one of the aquariums, I’m not sure which. The kids enjoyed watching the diver do his or her work in the tank.

After our free time, we had lunch then got to see a presentation on orcas then we went to another area for the walrus, sea lion and otter show. The presentations were definitely oriented towards students and were different from the usual Shamu or Clyde and Seymore shows.

The kids did enjoy the day though they were not happy about not being able to enjoy any of the rides which were closed. Unlike the San Diego park, this one had roller coasters, flume rides and other things like that. The light rain was fun for them, too, since they got to use their new umbrellas. More fun than ponchos!

More photos here of the animals we saw.

The Aftermath

Originally uploaded by Phisch

More photos here (check the link again for videos).

So, after they asked so often and today decided to ask nicely (and I had the materials needed) I finally gave in and let the kids play with—scratch that—experiment with a non-newtonian fluid.

I found a recipe for Oobleck which, if you are a fan of Dr. Seuss, you may be familiar with. The rest of us call this plain old cornstarch and water. Mixed in the correct ratio, you end up with a mixture that behaves like a solid or a liquid, depending on what you do with it.

The kids were inspired by an episode of the show Timewarp. Basically, the show is just about time lapse videography. The hosts of the show filled a trough about 3 feet x maybe 12 feet in size with a mixture of cornstarch and water. Then they filmed themselves as they tried to run across it. It was ok at first, but at the end of the trough, well, they ended up knee-deep in the stuff.

Our version was just a couple of cups of cornstarch in one cup of water. That was interesting to mix up! But the boys whacked it, smooshed it and generally made a mess. It was fun for them and a boon for the dog who was happy to play the part of mop.

Now NM thinks we should buy an inflatable pool and fill it with this stuff. Then dive into it. Ouch!

Originally uploaded by Phisch

More photos on Flickr here.

Field trip today! I still can’t get over how much cool stuff is in and around Austin.

The boys and I packed up bright and all-too-early and headed north by north west to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. We made it there! Amazing because I got lost in Cedar Park when I ran out of State Hwy. 183. Technically, it went on but it turned into a—shudder!—toll road. Hubby kindly checked Mapquest for me and we re-routed and made it.

What a drive! Cedar Park is pretty but beyond that, we saw some real Hill Country. It was so gorgeous since the recent rains have brought us so many wildflowers. Our bluebonnets have gone and been replaced by swathes of yellow, orange and red against green grass. I really, really missed my Miata!

We did get there late but we still enjoyed all the stations that the US Fish and Wildlife Service people had set up. The kids learned insects were arthropods, what kinds are beneficial, how to catch them, all about birds, the endangered ones the Refuge was set up for, bird songs and calls, and what kinds of creatures live in the streams in the area.

That was the highlight.

Where my boys were very hesitant to participate in the discussions at the stations (at first, but they did warm up eventually), they were so excited about their stream expedition. What boy wouldn’t want to get in galoshes and traipse up a stream with a net? J, with mom’s help, caught a big pollywog and almost caught a froglet. N caught a water skipper but, with mom’s help, it managed to jump out of the net. Another in our party managed to catch a pollywog AND a water skipper, but one at the other. Predation in action!

After getting the galoshes off and soaking, socked feet in sneakers, the boys and I headed out on a short hike. They examined the corn crib of the old homestead that was built there and we got to hang out around another creek.

The drive home was just as fun but J missed most of it since he fell asleep after he was done eating his snack.

NM’s favorite part: going in the water.

J’s favorite part: going in the water.

Should we get them some mud boots?

* * *

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…” Rom. 1:20

Paper boomerangs

A friend pointed me to this really neat resource: Canon’s Creative Park.

There are tons of models on their site ranging from monuments (Eiffel Tower, Castel d’ St. Angelo) to toys like chess sets and boomerangs. All the files are in PDF format. You just have to print all the pieces, cut them out and then put them together according to the instructions. The degree of difficulty depends on the model; they can get pretty complex but some are very simple like the boomerangs in the picture.

Some of the models have moving parts. A simple one would be the planisphere but they also have a  moving models comparing the Ptolemaic and Copernican systems that represent our little corner of the universe.

Petersen’s post about the project and PDF file are here.

It could be a good resource for homeschoolers who study using timelines.

2009-03-20 Pioneer Farm

Originally uploaded by Phisch

More pics here but there’s a problem with the hard drive so not all the photos are there yet. You can, however, see NM try walking in stilts.

Last Friday, the kids and enjoyed a field trip to Pioneer Farms here in Austin. It was once a farm and over the years, they’ve added several structures from the 1800s. They also so living history demonstrations and reenactments.

The boys were so excited to get away from the desks so they could see and experience the things we’ve been reading about.

We were also excited to meet friends over there. I finally got to meet my friend MH and her daughter K who I knew from an online forum. We’ve followed each other through our forum posts and blogs for seven or eight years now. That’s a long time!

MH and K drove down from Dallas/Ft. Worth area so they could spend a few days here in Austin and we had the benefit of enjoying some of those hours with them.

When we got there, one of the first things the boys noticed was the fencing. Can you believe it? We were talking about the different ways that pioneers had to build fences. This was difficult considering they didn’t readily have nails or post-hole diggers or ready-mix cement. The boys quickly recognized the zig-zaggy fence that uses simple physics to hold itself up.

At first glance, the facility seemed awfully small because there were maybe six or eight structures around a small “main street.” Once we were there—and I read the all-important map—it got apparent that it was a lot bigger than we thought. The building ran the gamut from teepees (set up to approximate a Tonkawa settlement, one of the many Indian tribes that once lived in the area) to a large, multi-roomed home that had to belong to someone wealthy.

Our first stop was the gift shop. I gave the kids a little bit to spend and J quickly decided on some Jacks and a stone arrowhead. NM and K didn’t find anything right away so we decided to head out and try again later.

In the first home we walked into, NM saw a case full of six shooters, a musket and some other munitions. That got him all excited, of course. I suspect he finally enjoys American History because we’re to the point where we are seeing six shooters and not just flintlock rifles.

We made it into one of the homes that represented a more common frontier dwelling and a reenactor was explaining to us about his family (two parents and thirteen children), how they came from Germany to settle here, a little bit about their chores, how the girls all slept in the loft and the boys slept outdoors on the porch, the sorts of things they did. They were a wealthy family and you could tell because they could afford passage from Germany to America for 15 people and—imagine!—they had FOUR glass windows. If prompted, our reenactor would have been happy to give us his spiel auf Deutsche.

The boys got to see some farm animals—K saw some of these for the first time—and the jury was unanimous: pigs are EW. J, of course, pet the horses and any furry animal that would let him (if he could!). The kids were mostly fascinated by the blacksmith. He explained to us that he was different from a farrier who is responsible for fitting horses with shoes. Our blacksmith was showing us how he made, shaped and sharpened a knife. That was loud, hot and long work!

And, much to my excitement (and a little bit excitement from the kids, too) I had come across some spinning stuff! There was home that had several carders, used to comb wool so that the hairs become parallel, a few spinning wheels, a niddy noddy and a few nostepines and other things used to wind the wool once it was spun. It’s things like that, that make me happy

After another trip to the gift shop we had to go. NM wanted a sling shot but didn’t have enough money for one so he kept his cash instead. We headed out to Wendy’s for lunch and drinks then we all went down to the nature center at Zilker park. The kids enjoyed that, of course, but it wasn’t long before we decided to go. It was hot out and we’re not used to being out in it just yet.

We all had a great time and, again, MH & K, we had such a great time with you and I’m so glad we finally got to meet!

182

Originally uploaded by Phisch

Sorry this is so late…things have been busy. We went on Oct. 13. More photos here.)

TDS. That would be: the local landfill. I know my boys are a little unusual in that they always thought a trip to the dump with their dad was fun. The one we took trash to when we lived in CA was neat to them. After all, they got to help, they got to see what people threw away and watch the seagulls flock overhead.

But here in Texas, particularly at TDS, things are a little different. First off, there are no seagulls. Of course, since it’s central Texas it’s not likely that you’ll find sea birds this far inland but they’re usually replaced by buzzards (condors, if you prefer). But with the way this landfill works, the owners work hard at being “good neighbors” and every effort is put into making sure there are no foul odors that waft into the adjacent homes and farms.

There are other reasons this facility, entirely family-owned, is really unique. Besides having a landfill, a resale center, a sorting and recycling facility (and by facility they mean 10 guys hand-sorting to be replaced by an actual plant one day), composting development and sale, beautiful campus used for non-profits’ events (pro bono) and recycling research—deep breath—it also is a game preserve. It has several hundred head of wild game from Africa, Asia and the Americas.

They have a couple of species that are highly endangered and no longer exist in their natural habitats. The boys got a kick out of the fact that they’re free and loose, able to come up to the car windows if they wanted. They do keep some separated since some creatures can get pretty competitive or down right ornery.

When we arrived, we got the “pitch” from one of the owners about their history, their goals and how they do what they do. The boys did get bored rather quickly so they were very excited when we took the bus tour afterwards.

We had two guides, one who was a naturalist and the other the expert on garbage and what was done with it… most of the trash that they get actually gets recycled in some way, shape or form. At each step of the way, they get money. The serviceable items go straight to the resale shop which makes (I think) about $2k to $5k a week. All of the green matter they receive is turned into compost and sold to local nurseries (they can request a custom blend) or through a retail garden chain that they have purchased. The remainder of the trash is sorted; glass, paper and metal are sold to recycling companies. Building material is being handled differently: the city of Austin gives tax incentives to builders if they have TDS haul their refuse. TDS is currently researching how to efficiently convert this material, plus expired sodas and milk, into biofuel. What trash is left will be placed in a landfill which is lined with a special clay (available at their site). The landfill will eventually be topped with more clay, soil and then seeded. The animals will eventually graze over it.

The boys loved the tour, but like the rest of the bus riders, they didn’t enjoy going thru the compost area. I had to agree the smell was strong but it didn’t smell like trash, just like humus, the way a good compost pile is supposed to smell. The boys also loved seeing the large compacting machines and one of the other kids on the bus made a comment that they were just like Wall-E only bigger!

At the end of the tour, we were let out near the enclosures of their rhino (I forget its name) and the giraffe, Stretch. J was so cute (I was so proud), he just went right up and started grabbing fistfuls of grass to feed the giraffe. Or course it was happy to be fed. NM was more of an observer and stayed respectfully back. This is wise when it comes to rhinos, though apparently this one was very used to people.

We ate our lunch and then, lo and behold, the boys wanted to get on the bus again. I wasn’t too happy about the choice of seating, my son wanted to be in the back and there was no window, just the exit door. It’s ok…I gave them the camera and they both took photos and video. After that, we walked the grounds and saw just how many mounted animals they had (considerable) as well as their clay pigeon shooting area–across a walkway from a playscape.

All in all, it was a really fun day and it was interesting to see what goes on in an award-winning, ah, dump.