Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

Rendezvous with a Comet...
These Fifth Graders were put to work today. Their assignment--Rendezvous with a Comet! They spent half their time in Mission Control and the other half travelling into space to intercept a comet. While on this dangerous and exciting mission they managed to "discover" a new comet which they named Holmes2009 (after Mrs. Holmes, their mighty leader). Above, August is recording data about some meteor samples and using the information for further discovery.

Oh, no! The humidity in the space capsule is decreasing--causing static electricity. August suggested that if someone takes a shower that would increase the humidity. ;-) Instead they use a humidifier--a little better for the computers in the room!

Below the kids are in the space shuttle. August's job was to weigh some meteor samples and use a robotic arm to move the rocks onto the scale. He then needed to record the data and give it to the Data personnel

All in all a successful rendezvous! The kids really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about space and to be in command of the vessel. It was totally up to them to work toward the goals of the mission! August enjoyed the robotic arm! They had to learn words like eccentricity, velocity, ellipse, coma, among others. A great learning experience. It made me wonder if I'm smarter than a fifth grader???

Extreme Makeover--Coop Edition

Extreme Makeover Home Edition--Move Over! Here comes the chicken coop edition, sure to make the top 10 shows of the year! Here you see Bret (chief designer, engineer, and constructor of the coop). In the foreground, the Ty Pennington of Chicken Coop Decor--Katie! August is Official Assistant and Chief Stuff-Getter (when specific instructions are given). I am an occasional helper, hammerer and assistant lifter! You get the idea. The chickens are very excited about the new addition and are already pooping all over it! The new coop-complex will have one outdoor and two indoor "rooms" for their eating, sleeping, pooping and (hopefully) egg-laying comfort!

We enjoyed a day with cousins Dane and Lindy and kids. The kids had a ball as you can see! We even saw a concert with an American Idol star at a local church community event!

My latest project...

This quilt was my latest project. I have a nephew on the way and it was a fun way to connect with the little guy since his parents live far away. I got to pray for him and bless him, even though I won't be able to see him or snuggle him when he's born. Babies are such a blessing!

Back-to-school again.

The kids are back to school and I have the house to myself for a few hours every day again. Yay!

I am gearing up for some major projects this fall. I have a dream--that our library table (passed down from the Ewerts) will be stripped and stained a lovely, dark, walnut color. I'm also hoping to get some new landscaping done in the back yard. Then there is other furniture to be refinished...and so it goes. We'll see how that progresses...

August is taking band this year and will be playing the bells (like a giant xylophone). I'm not sure who's more excited, but it's probably me!

Katie is continuing piano and starting to get excited about other instruments. She is begging almost daily to get a cat for her 8th birthday. She is often heard asking "Is my room clean enough to get a cat?" "Did I do a good enough job to get a cat, Mom?" My favorite is the weekly trip to the library where she does research on how to care for cats and different breeds of cats. She shows me pictures of hairless cats and Siamese cats and asks which I like better. I have to answer carefully. :-)

More than you ever wanted to know about chickens...

We now have teenager chickens. They're mostly grown and eating more everyday! Since they seem to spend all their waking moments eating and then sleep the rest of the time, it seems appropriate to think of them as teenagers.

Here are some pictures of the chickens (and Katie--whose favorite pastime is picking them up and kissing them). The coop below is outfitted with roosts and nest boxes, water and food. It is insulated (R11 for the geeks), sided with vinyl siding and roofed with discarded roofing materials. It uses passive solar heating, as well as a thermostatically controlled heat lamp! (Bret added his two cents to the coop info--can you tell?) The attached pen allows them outside during the day (they all go into the coop at dusk to settle in for the night). They also enjoy hiding under the coop (which I enclosed with chicken wire). August refused to pose for a close up picture. I tried!

Katie seems to ask several times a day to go play with the chickens. She has told me she's their mom--but I insist that I must wait for cuter and more well-behaved grandchildren! :-)

Rediscovering northern Wisconsin!

Even in the beauty of northern Wisconsin, August found time to pause and read a good book while we hiked in Mark's (Bret's brother) 40 acres. It was a lovely hike and there were some beautiful flowers and tree formations.

August and Bret attempted to use a magnifying glass to start a fire. They were successful in creating smoke and sparks, but lacked sufficient tinder for fire.

Here is Mark's garden, surrounded by a deer fence (very tall).

Two brothers, just hanging around. It was a great visit. We realized that we hadn't been to Mark's for about 6 years, and our visit was long overdue. I really enjoyed living in Wisconsin and have always enjoyed driving through on the drive from Chicago to Winnipeg and back. It's really beautiful in fall too!

Pictures from up north, eh...

At the zoo in Winnipeg Katie and I walk with my brother Stephen and nephew Benjamin--soon to be a big brother! We had a great time with our family!

The zoo had pony rides and there was no way we were going to miss that opportunity. Even Benjamin got a ride! Katie's eyes shone in particular. And, later when we got home and began our back to school shopping, Katie shocked me by saying, "Mom, I'm kind of a jeans girl now...not so much for dresses. You know, I'm a cowgirl."

Benjamin at the playground. He seems intent on something, but we'll probably never know what caused his studious look.

We have lots of Canada geese back home, but still, it was neat to see them in Canada!

Swimming at the pool in Winnipeg. Benjamin and Stephen above and Oma with Katie and Ben below.

We're finally home again!

We took a week off and travelled to Wisconsin and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Our dog went to the kennel, our guinea pig went to grandma and grandpa's and our chickens were visited daily by some wonderful friends (who want some fresh eggs this fall! ;-) Picking up and going somewhere isn't as easy as it used to be! We spent a day in Wisconsin with Bret's brother Mark. We enjoyed BBQ chicken and a hike on his 40 acres. We spent an enjoyable week with Stephen and Heidi (and Benjamin) in Winnipeg and visited with all of Angela's family while there. On the way home we were surprised by a flat tire and ended up buying two new tires in Fargo, N.D.. Surprise! Although our return was delayed, we did stop in Janesville on the way back to check out our old house there. They put a pool where I had my garden and built a deck on the back of the house. Oh, well. I'm still quite glad we moved, although it was nice at the park by the highway. We stopped there for a while to let the kids stretch their legs. It was a nice trip down memory lane.

Other summer fun...

We also enjoyed time with Mom and Otto when they came our way in May. We made our pilgrimmage to the Wildlife Prairie Park (rehabilitation facility for wild animals) and to Starved Rock State Park (a lovely park with natural caves and springs). We enjoyed the trip and the time together with Mom, Otto and Steven (Otto's son).

I promised you ballet pictures...

Greetings all! I did promise ballet pictures and that was some time ago. The ballet recital was at the end of May! Katie is in the back row on the far left. She had a lot of fun doing this. We have taken the summer off, but will be back in fall, I'm sure. I cried during the performance! I'm such a wimp. :-)