Why?

Okay,  I've been dragging my feet writing as to why I haven't put up a post practically all summer...

This summer I just really wanted to focus on my family... lying in the grass and looking up at the clouds, exploring new places, going on vacation...and not worrying about putting up a post.

So, I gave myself that gift. It's not like one weekly post takes sooo much time...but it does, when I'm running after four little ones.  And I tell you, that this number four is keeping me so much busier!  He's an absolute doll, but I never sit down (except when I'm at the computer). 

I also started our own family blog.  I've been keeping journals up to this point, but I'm giving the blog a go and I'm really enjoying being able to have photos tell the story along with my text.  (I still have a journal though, to tuck in those little love notes and drawings.)

Time seems so precious lately... my little ones are getting so big and I want to know that I gave them my all.  This year will also be filled with doctor visits and surgeries...I am BRCA2 positive for the breast cancer/ ovarian cancer gene.  I am going forward with prophylactic surgeries that will help reduce my risks of getting these cancers.  I am blogging through this journey..for my children..and for others who may be experiencing this too.

So, time is precious and I've wanted to soak up my family for the summer...

SMMART BABY MATH: Counting Spider

This activity works great near by a hard surface...a floor or a hard cover book.

Use your nails to creep along the hard surface so your baby can hear your fingers coming.  "Here comes the spider!" 

Crawl along your baby's toes, feet, and up his leg til you tickle his tummy, shoulders and little neck.  While you are crawling, count your steps out loud..."One, Two, Three, Four, Five...Tickle!"

SMMART SCIENCE:

Firework Icecream

One of my daughters insists she made up "Firework Icecream".  It sounded like a lot of fun, so we buzzed to the store to get some poprocks.  This is a great JULY treat!

Sprinkle poprocks onto your favorite icecream.  RED-poprocks/ WHITE-vanilla icecream/ BLUE- use a blue bowl to serve your treat.

Why do those poprocks fizz and pop in your mouth?  "Here's the basic idea. Hard candy (like a lollypop or a Jolly Rancher) is made from sugar, corn syrup, water and flavoring. You heat the ingredients together and boil the mixture to drive off all of the water. Then you let the temperature rise. What you are left with is a pure sugar syrup at about 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). When it cools, you have hard candy.
To make Pop Rocks, the hot sugar mixture is allowed to mix with carbon dioxide gas at about 600 pounds per square inch (psi). The carbon dioxide gas forms tiny, 600-psi bubbles in the candy. Once it cools, you release the pressure and the candy shatters, but the pieces still contain the high-pressure bubbles (look at a piece with a magnifying glass to see the bubbles).
When you put the candy in your mouth, it melts (just like hard candy) and releases the bubbles with a loud POP! What you are hearing and feeling is the 600-psi carbon dioxide gas being released from each bubble." (http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/question114.htm)

SMMART SCIENCE: Cells

I was trying to explain to my daughter that our bodies are made up of cells, specialized to perform a myriad of individual tasks from creating our teeth to the blood running in our veins. Cells are difficult to visualize and comprehend when you just "talk" about them.

So, I've been trying to figure out a few ways to model the cells in our body to help aid my daughter's comprehension...please post any other ideas you might have!

Place a bit of water a a few healthy squirts of dish soap into a pie plate. Place the pie plate onto a dish towel to keep the counter dry. Give your child a straw and instruct her to blow bubbles...so much fun! For sure, she'll create a HUGE pile of bubbles spilling over the pie plate. Have your child touch the bubbles with her finger and try to pop them individually.

Explain to your child that our body is made up of millions and billions of teeny tiny cells. Each cell is stacked upon the other like the bubbles. The cells each have special jobs. Some cells make up our skin, some create our teeth, some create our hair, some work together to create our heart and some make up the blood in our bodies. There are many types of cells.

Each of the different types of cells started out the same, but each cell has expressed DNA inside that tells it what type of cell it will be. So, we have blood cells, and hair cells, and nail cells...

I found an interactive website that shows a diagram and you can learn about the different organelles' functions:  http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm

Check out this awesome cell biology animation:
http://www.johnkyrk.com/

I think a little lightbulb went on in my daughters head...I need to think of some more examples of how to explain cell properties (organelles and all that)...any ideas?

SMMART Science:

Bubble Bottles

Another fun way to demonstrate cell proximity is by creating these fun summer bubble blow bottles. I saw another family having fun with these this summer and had to find out how to make them!

Cut the bottom off of a water bottle. Use a rubberband to secure a piece of terry cloth (washcloth) over the bottom of the cut opening.

Now dip the terrycloth bottom into a pan of dishsoap and water. Then blow throught the waterbottle top and watch a snake of bubbles form.

This is such a fun summer activity and is another way to help your child visualize how cells are stacked up next to each other.

SMMART Time-out:

Summer Activity Calendar

If I don't write it down and plan it, there's no guarantee it will be accomplished in my world...even then, it may not happen.  I am hopeful, though...and so I have written down one fun activity each weekday of summer to share together.

Grab an empty calendar and start jotting down ideas.  I think that I may skip around if I don't have something on hand, or just feel like doing a different activity and I'll highlight an activity when we've shared it, so I can easily see the activities that are left.

-Build a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks
-Play store with a purse full of coins to practice adding money
-Break out the home-made sewing kits the girls received for Christmas
-Make pop-up books
-Papier mache
-Food color diffusion
-Expand marshmallows in the microwave
-Journal, journal, journal...
-Bake something fun each week together
-Color salt with chalk and make sand art
-"All about me day" (Look at baby books, watch home videos, photo album)
-Expand Ivory soap in the microwave...

Note to self...be sure to explore new playgrounds, splash at the pool, and go on plenty of walks in the cooler mornings.

Blogger Nominations

  These blogs are some of my favorites.  As a nominated blog, they should now nominate 15 more of their favorite blogs.  I gotta say, it's nice to be loved.  So here comes some more love...

 Awesome Blogs that are deserving of the Versitile Blogger Award!

1. http://theteachingstudio.blogspot.com/  Two piano teachers who share their tips, tricks and love of teaching

2. http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/ Fun ideas to sneak in learning. Great printables.

3. http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/ Great ideas to share art with different mediums and artist techniques

4. http://www.thislittleproject.com/ Lots of ideas for mommydom.  "Friday Favorites and Freebies" is always fun.

5. http://science-at-home.org/ Australian Science blog exploring science at home

6. http://teachkidsart.blogspot.com/ Creative art ideas

7. http://familyvolley.blogspot.com/ Great insight into being a wife, mother, and good person
8. http://www.babywisemom.com/ Anyone else love the Babywise series? Here are some insights into living it
9. http://ohhappyday.com/ Love the pictures, fun home ideas, printables, American in Paris
10. http://kitchenpantryscientist.com/  An artist, a scientist, a mom... sharing fun science projects to do at home
11. http://learninghypothesis.blogspot.com Question. Discover. Grow.  Downhome learning!
12. http://familylicious.com/  10 years of preschool experience and home-grown learning experiences.
13. http://www.dillydaliart.com/  An interior designer/architectural designer  turned art mom with lots of fun ideas.
14. http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/  Two teachers, now stay-at-home moms with some GREAT ideas to keep your little ones learning at home.
15. http://www.cometogetherkids.com/  A mom with darling ideas on how to share time and activities with your kids.

SMMART SUMMER FUN

(Local to SLC):

 Farmer's Market

Did you see my list of fieldtrips from summers past and to experience this summer?  A few more that I forgot to mention:

Rockstar Pets- I called up a local pet store and they are going to meet us at an outside pavillion in our neighborhood to show us some reptiles, rabbits and other store pets.
Benson Grist Mill "Fun at the Mill"  A historic mill is hosting a fun-filled day of games for the community.
Tooele Fire Museum- Free tour of the museum and the kids get firehats and can climb on a few real firetrucks!

Another adventure I am excited to try that I just found out about is the Farmer's Market at Wheeler Farm and Gardner Village in SLC. 

Breakfast at the Farm: Farm-Fresh Breakfast served every market day! (Proceeds benefit the Wasatch Front Farmers' Market)

Breakfast at the Farm Special: Large Pancake, French Toast, or Scone served with one egg and two maple-sage sausages, juice or milk….$5.00

Mini-Farmer Breakfast: Small Pancake, French Toast, or Scone served with egg, one sausage, juice or milk…..$3.00

There is an animal barrel train for $2.00/ride.  Vendors set the pricing for pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, and more! Sounds like a summer morning of fun!

 

Saturdays at Gardner Village Market

1100 West 7800 South, West Jordan

Hours: 9am-2pm

 

Sundays at Wheeler Farm

6351 South 900 East, Salt Lake City

Hours: 9am-2pm