It is a bird? Is it a plane? No, its.......

SUPERBABY!!

She really is super cute, don't you think!! 

She Blinded Me With Science

As a third grader, Jillian has been studying simple machines.  For her science project, we constructed a elevator using a system of pulleys made with wooden spools and kite string.  

You pull up on the green tag to make the elevator go down, pull down on the tag to make the elevator go up.  The tag and the "weight" (packaging tape) always move in the opposite direction as the elevator car.

For fun, she added some passengers to elevator. 

They seem to be enjoying the ride!

He Blinded Me With Science

Spring not only brings tulips, longer days and sunshine - it also means the annual science fair at school.  For his project, John researched stalactites and grew one in our kitchen.  The results are pretty cool!

1. Heat water and stir in epsom salts until no more dissolves.

2,  Pour the solution in two jars on a cookie sheet.

 

3. Saturate a length of natural fiber yarn.  

Suspend the yarn between the two jars. 

Weigh the string down in the jars with paperclips.

Results after 2 hours

After 1 day

After 2 days

After 3 days

(The stalactite meets the bottom forming a column.)

Goddess of Poetry

The thid graders at Jillian's school each got a book of poetry published.  Jillian's is appropriately titled:

My Poems!  Not Yours!  So No Touchy!

Not only is it dedicated to yours truly, it has fabulous illustrations and some pretty impressive writing.  My favorite is a poem called:

 "Bed Thoughts"

I am a bed.  I give you a place to sleep

and help you count sheep.

And in return you always snore.

It's very, very hard to ignore.

I like me when I'm made and when you're on vacation.

Then I can have my evacuation!

I'd like to change being in one place,

to travel the world, meet people face-to-face.

I can only imagine the places I'd be.

That's what I'd like to change about me.

But wait...I'm not done.

It's actually quite fun.

The stories you read at night...

dragons, kings...I'm there all right!

Out of the Mouths of Babes....

In response to my demand that she get herself in the bathtub,  Alyssa retorted, "I don't need a bath - my bum doesn't itch!"

Who can argue with that?