Today's Science Experiment

Being a geeky homeschool mom, I'm always looking for new and fun things to do that don't require a text book.  Today we went outside for our science lesson and observed a spider that now lives in our front yard garden.  He is a big beautiful, bright yellow spider that has built a really big web.  Seth desperately wanted to be his friend, and decided that if he could catch a fly and feed it to him, they would be best buds forever.  I suggested that he toss one of the dead June bugs that are collecting on our front porch (and not in our house, thanks to our exterminator) into the web.  This made him gleefully happy.  As soon as the bug hit the web, the spider pounced.  We got to see it extrude a wide strand of silk and skillfully wrap its prey and save it for later.  I'm not a spider lover, (Just ask "the bigger than my hand spider" that decided to take up residence on my swing a few weeks ago.  We pulled out the hose and power blasted that sucker.  It still gives me the heeby jeebies just thinking about it.) but this spider is different.  It is pretty and colorful, and its Seth's newest best friend.  I actually don't mind it hanging around. 

 

Fiesta!

We have been studying Mexico in school this week.  Today we had a Fiesta  in the basement when Jesse got home from work.  I filled a paper bag with goodies, and then Seth decorated the bag to make it look like a donkey.

  

The boys took turns whacking it with a stick.

When it finally busted, we had some extremely happy boys!

The bug whisperer and the alligator dancer

Seth is the Bug Whisperer.  He can and will catch any bug that comes within 10 feet of him and it will instantly become his best friend.  He even names them.  Most of them are called "Eric."  He caught a huge butterfly a few days ago, and then he let it go and it stayed on his hand for a few seconds and then flew away.  Then it came back and landed on his shirt.  He was *so* excited!  

Then it went to the butterfly bush to hang out and eat.

Seth followed it and kept saying, "Come here Eric.  I'll take god care of you.  You're such a sweet little friend."

___________________________________________________________________

Yesterday he caught a bird.  Yep.  A real live bird.  It was on our bird feeder and he just reached out and picked it up.  When he showed it to me, I about flipped.  I just knew he was going to catch the bird flu, so I made him let it go and then made him go inside and scrub his hands.  It was really cool watching the bird fly out of his hands.  I'll never figure out how he caught that thing.  Most of the birds fly when we walk towards the feeder.

Here's Seth with a frog:

A cricket:

And a lizard:

___________________________________________________________________

Luke is the Alligator Dancer.  Whenever I sing the Alligator song, he does the funniest little dance!  He bends over at the waist, sticks his arms straight out behind him and does a shoulder roll.  Then he stomps his feet and stands up and does it again.   I've tried to get it on video, but he will have none of that.  He likes to be on the other side of camera.  Oh, and when I put him in bed at night, I always sing "Jesus Loves Me" to him.  When I'm finished, he claps and says, "yay!"  He such a sweet little boy. 

 

Its going to be a great day!

I woke up before the kids this morning (this means that I actually got enough sleep last night, in spite of Seth's 3:30am allergy attack and Luke waking up at 1:30am screaming).  Since its Tuesday, I don't have to go anywhere this morning, so I'm getting lots of laundry done and I have high hopes of getting everyone's rooms clean.  We don't have to leave until 11:15 for Seth's gymnastics class.  I love laid back mornings when I'm well rested and can actually focus long enough to get stuff done!  I feel very sad that Jesse left for work at 6:15 and can't enjoy our slow morning with us.  Hey, Jesse?  I'll make sure you get the biggest piece of chicken for dinner, okay?  

Gymnastics!

After watching the Olympics, Seth decided he wanted to be a gymnast.  So, I took him to try out a class.  His class has 7 other homeschooled boys in it between the ages of 5 and 8.  He absolutely loved it and even knew one of the other boys in his class from Jazzercise.   Today was his second class.  He did somersaults, cartwheels, handstands, the rings, trampoline and the springboard.  He was worn out when we got home, but he can't wait to go back!  

Fashion Statements at Wal-Mart

Luke can't stand to pass the greeter at Wal-Mart without asking for a sticker.  He and Seth both get one, and within a few aisles into our shopping excursion, he puts his sticker on me.  Then he gets Seth's sticker and wears it for a few seconds, and then puts that one on me, too.  I try to give it back to him, but he insists that I wear it.  If it falls off, he cries.  Seth dutifully retrieves it from the floor and hands it back to him.  Then he puts it back on me.  I usually leave the store with two stickers on the front of my shirt.  I'm sure I look pretty trendy.  Other adults try to hide their jealous stares as we pass them, but they simply can't control themselves.  I know they wish they had stickers, too.

Songs in the Pilot

We saw a rainbow while we were driving home after running errands.  Both of the boys were really excited.  Luke grunted and pointed and Seth was beside himself with wonderment.  He said, "Hey, we should sing a song about rainbows!"  I said, "OK, what do you want to sing?"  My selection of rainbow songs is limited, and the only one that came to mind was the one that Kermit the Frog sings (The Rainbow Connection).  I was trying to remember the words when Seth started singing, "Take a look!  Its in a book!  The Reading Rainbow!  Reading Rainbow!  Reading Rainbow!"  Jesse and I couldn't contain our laughter, but we sang with him the rest of the way home anyway.  Good times.