Science Sunday: Frogs

I just had to share that our third tadpole finally got front legs this past week 

Aug 30th

and as of today has already lost his tail.

I was so concerned about them not having anything to eat at first.  I was doing some research and found out new little frogs can no longer eat lettuce and are not yet able to eat insects; their digestive systems are changing.  They are nourished in the interim by the nutrients in their tail as it is reabsorbed.  I found that information here.  

So, we then had to figure out what they needed to eat when they were able to.  In the above link I saw the suggestion to try fruit flies.  Easier said than done.  I didn't follow their directions (not sure how they figure you would be able to get their jar full of flies in any better than I did because they still fly up), instead I put a piece of tomato in a yogurt cup on the sink.  Boy do the fruit flies enjoy that.  Then I used a fish net to catch them.  My reasoning  for this was because the fruit flies usually fly up and away, if I had the net above the yogurt cup I could trap them, place a piece of paper on the opening and get them into the tank quickly. I figured I would then have a little longer to get the cover back on because they would be in the net a while longer.  It did work, but the flies stayed on one side of the tank and the frogs were on the other, where the rocks were.  I kept trying to nudge the flies and I think the one frog did catch one.  (The girls enjoyed watching them jump).   I don't think the flies were getting enough though.  I was getting really concerned, so today I tried something different.  We got a jar, filled it part way with rocks, placed a tomato with a hole in it in the jar and placed it in the water.  I left the lid half way off the tank and allowed the fruit flies to take the bait.  After a few hours (yes we still have fruit flies pretty bad and are trying lots of different trap ideas) I closed the lid and waited to see if they were eating.  They get very alert, but were still having trouble with the flies being on the one side more than the other. We had even moved a rock to the middle, but they seem to prefer the right side of the tank.  Anyhow, fortunately for the frogs, Steven came home from his fiances with a plastic bag with some regular house flies trapped in it.  We let them go through the hole in the cover.  The frogs were able to eat right away.  That was fun to watch.  Sorry, no pictures :(

I wasn't prepared.  

So we will keep them for now, as long as we can still get them food and can find them some greenery, I hear they like moss, just gotta find some.  

Next week we will hopefully have something new to post about.  That is, if my friend is successful in finding us what she promised to find us.  Stay tuned.

Here are the pictures from earlier this week:

September 2nd:

September 3rd:

This guy is really alert, think he might have had 

his eyes on a fruit fly.

Come check out others' science lessons, or link up your own at Adventure in Mommydom and 

Science Sunday

When did I first hear about homeschooling?

I have come across a couple of different blog posts within the last couple of days which were linked up to The Homeschool Village and the linky about when we first learned about homeschooling and our reaction to it.  So, I figured, why not write my post.

Link up your History!  Share your post when did you 1st hear about homeschooling and what was your reaction?  Did you have a mentor to help you get started?

I will start by saying I always loved school and was looking forward to the school experience for my children.  I remember when my oldest was born, 18 years ago, we still lived in Queens, NY (one of the 5 boroughs of NYC).  I would pass by the local elementary school imagining what it would be like to take my son there in 5 years time for the first day.  Then we moved, and moved again, and again.  Anyhow, we made it to a rural Pennsylvania town and I started going to a Mennonite church with my friend and neighbor.  This was in the early to mid '90s.  I started attending regularly and eventually accepted the Lord and became a member of the church.  I really do not remember when I discovered 2 families in the church homeschooled.  (That number doesn't sound significant until you realize that, besides our family, there were only 5 families attending this church and only 3 of those had school aged children.) So, my first exposure to homeschooling was visiting my friend's house and realizing they had a neat side room arranged and devoted to school.  Shelves full of homeschool curriculum, nice neat desks, etc.  Their children were so well behaved and smart.  I was so impressed and wanted that for my children.  When my (now ex) husband and I moved into a different apartment in 1996 I thought we might be able to homeschool because we had the entire back apartment as storage and I thought I might be able to fix it up for a "classroom."  He would not allow me too.  He was not a Christian and anything that had to do with church he was against, and because the people at church were the ones homeschooling, and it was the reason I wanted to homeschool, he was dead set against it.  I didn't have very clear reasons on why I wanted to homeschool back then, but I knew I wouldn't win, so I let it go.  Four years later he filed for divorce anyhow and then I was forced to work to support the children, they had to go to a babysitter after school and I saw no way of homeschooling.  I know this is not to be a bash on public schools, but I do have to say I have seen my 3 older children struggle through the public school system and I am more determined than ever to homeschool my young children with my new husband.  When we moved to our new house and had an extra "bedroom" I started thinking about homeschooling again.  This was 3 years ago.  I still was envisioning a special school room being a necessity. After all the research I have done these few years I now know that not to be true. And my reasons for homeschooling have changed and multiplied.  I now realize I only wanted to homeschool 14 years ago because the other families were and I wanted to fit in.  Now I have real convictions on why I want to homeschool.

Head on over to this post I wrote earlier in the year to check out my reasons for homeschooling.

What we're reading

I decided this school year we are going to start linking up to

 

over at Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.

I have started reading chapter books to Tabitha.  The Impatient Turtle by Janette Oke is one of her Animal Friends books and it is the first chapter book we are trying.  The chapters in this book are approximately 1 1/2 to 2 pages long and we read one chapter at bedtime and naptime (so she can go to sleep, is what she insists).  So, far she is looking forward each day to the next reading.

This  book is about a turtle who doesn't like being a turtle and wants to be like the boys who come down to the creek to play.  It is told from his point of view.  He leads his friends into mischief and is trying to figure out how to do things the boys do, like sliding down the bank into creeks.  Will he be successful in his plans or will he learn to be content with how God created him?

I am enjoying the short chapters in this book.  There is a small illustration every other page or so.  A great first introduction to chapter books.  It is a sweet little story.  The one problem I personally have is the use of the word "hate" by Pogo (the turtle), but that is a pet peeve of mine.  Be aware, there are a couple of chapters of Pogo being a mischief maker, seeing how he can pester others and he is never told he is wrong for doing so.

Four/Yellow

I decided to start the week off by reviewing the numbers 1-3.  We played our Feed the Penguin game (you can find details about the game here), we hadn't played it in quite a while and the girls really do enjoy this game.

I chose this game because it only has cards for the numbers 1, 2 and 3.  Fortunately Hannah napped and allowed us to play that plus work with our felt numbers.

We started with zero.  

Then as we added felt animals we found the correct numeral.  

I then did a little basic addition with Tabitha.  

I would add one ladybug under the first column and we 

would say the equation and she would tell me the answer.

They worked with it for a while and then Tabitha decided to hide from me.  Can you find her. lol.

Then it was time to take the animals for a ride

Reviewing the numbers 1-3 served two purposes.  I could see if Amelia was getting the concept (she's getting there) and it gave me a great way to arrange my muffin tin for Muffin Tin Monday.
Then we had another themed meal on Tuesday.

1 cup of tomato soup, which Tabitha insisted on having with her
3 strips of grilled cheese sandwich and
2 pieces of tomato (which we seem to have a continual supply of from our garden, praise the Lord)

We finally moved on to the #4 and made our books.

And of course we had our yellow card hunt and find same as we did for red and orange (sorry, no pictures, here is the post with pictures from our red hunt if you would like to see what I am talking about).  However, while I was glancing at the old posts to see if I could share a picture for at least one of the hunts I discovered I forgot to play the #4 game. Perhaps we will do that today as it is something I don't have to have plans for and can do while holding the baby.

We also made ladybugs with 4 spots.

First they glued the red wings onto the black body:

Then we added the 4 spots.

Amelia loves giving hugs

Amelia's does have legs, half of them are just under the ladybug

Tabitha likes to make her's fly.

In fact, the ladybugs are not hanging up on the wall yet

because the girls like to play with them.

The girls are now doing their own dishes after breakfast.

How's that for practical life!

To see what others are doing with their toddlers and preschoolers head on over to 1+1+1=1, Homeschool Creations.

I am also linking up to Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers for Weekly Wrap-Up for the first time

Does anybody else have a problem with this?

Okay, some people may say I am too old fashioned but I saw something today that bothered me greatly.  I do not allow my children to use foul language, even some substitutions that other people may find acceptable.  I know there are people who, for example forbid the use of the s--t word but are okay with the c--p equivalent.  I am not, and I am even uncomfortable typing it out the way I just did.  Anyhow, I was completely shocked to see that "c" word when I flipped the page in my new issue of American Baby magazine.  Not just in small print, but smack dab in the middle of an advertisement taking up a third of the page.  I realize it is an advertisement for baby wipes and baby wipes clean up bowel movements, or stinky peeyoo as we call it around here. I also noticed that the two middle letters are partially hidden by a baby wipe container.  Far from appeasing me, however, this made it worse because it means to me they realize that people will have a problem with it and it is not really acceptable.  It goes on to say "All [this brand's] wipes are the thickest to help keep the poo off you too."  So, they could use the more acceptable "poo", but not in the middle of the page where it was obviously meant to catch people's attention. No, there they had to have, "Oh c---!"  Tabitha was actually trying to sound out the word earlier.  You know, I should be able to leave a baby/parenting magazine around and  not worry about my kids seeing something objectionable.

I'm curious.  How do you feel about this.  AM I being too old fashioned?  Does anyone else out there feel the way I do.  I'd appreciate it if you would take my poll so I can see.  I'd sure like to contact this company with my objection.

Had to share these pictures

Please take a really close look at the following group of pictures.  Please tell me I am not the only one who sees something wrong here.

Here we are at the new swing set:

We noticed they added a sign:

I'll let you decide if I am crazy or the people who placed it here:

And when I stepped out on the porch I noticed a very busy spider.  In fact the children were getting a little tired of me watching it because they wanted to get to the park.

8:10pm

8:12 pm

8:40 pm (after we came back from the park)