Science Fair

I enjoy science, and I think science experiments are fun. I like the idea of playing with science in order to allow students to see the fun in it. However, I hate all that they require for science fair entries these days. BUT Tim is required to do a science fair project. I still don't know if we will get him to do everything that is supposed to go along with it. I did my best to come up with an experiment that would be fun for him.

So we did an experiment with Mentos and Diet Coke, the viral video has been seen by most people on-line if you haven't seen it check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Tim's question is does this work with Mentos and other sodas as well. His hypothesis is no, if it worked with other soda why does everyone always talk about Diet Coke and Mentos.

So here are the pictures of our experiment

Regular Coke:
Diet Pepsi:

Diet Coke:

Caffine Free Diet Coke:

Coke Zero--too many of the mentos didn't fall into the bottle so this was a failed experiment

Rootbeer--Also had a number of the mentos that did not make it into the bottle.

Tim then tried to attempt one of the things mentioned on his life list. Drink Diet Coke with mentos.

He wasn't able to actually drink it, and he said it didn't really count because all we had was Diet Pepsi and not Diet Coke.

So, now we are done with the experiment portion of the science fair project, now the horrible part of making a poster and writing it up :P

Earth Hour

Earth hour this year was March 28th at 8:30. At my house we switched off the main breaker to live without electricity for one full hour. I think the kids lit every candle I had in the house including fitting as many candles as possible onto a plate. By the end of the hour it was one giant candle, and some of the middle flames were flooded out.

So what do you do for an hour with no electricity? I enjoyed the complete silence. The kids and I also sat around and made life lists. Things we want to do during our life.

Tim's list

• Learn to Kick flip
• Get pilot's license
• Go to My Chemical Romance concert
• Save a life
• Put a bad guy in jail
• Drink diet coke with Mentos in mouth
• Set a world record
• Sky dive
• Ride a roller coaster
• Build a skate park
• Visit a fortune teller
• Make a sculpture
• Learn fencing
• Get ears and nose pierced
• Go snowboarding
• Go to a skate camp
• Learn how to swallow fire
• Get a tattoo
• Learn magic
• Surf board
• Learn Japanese

Kara's list (warning she is very ambitious)

• Learn to skateboard
• Get a minister's license
• Visit different churches every Sunday for a few months
• Build houses in Haiti
• Get a pilot's license
• Backpack across Europe or S. America
• Go on a cruise
• Go to Mecca
• Work with bees
• Go to a concert
• Run a marathon
• Change a life
• Volunteer at the Red Cross
• Set a world record
• Master fast shoe tying
• Try pie
• Go on Aftershock (a roller coaster)
• Buy a banzai tree
• Visit a fortune teller
• Learn fencing
• Read the 2nd Harry Potter
• Make a sculpture
• Visit Wall Street stock market
• Get ears pierced
• Ice Skate
• Snowboard
• Go to summer camp
• Learn to cook
• Work at Renaissance fair
• Write a book
• Read all Holy Books (Bible, Koran, etc.)
• Sell Jewelry
• Get a tattoo
• Be a street performer
• Learn to juggle
• Be a storm chaser
• Learn magic
• Live in Spanish speaking country for 6 months.
• Surf board
• Go to Japan
• Donate blood
• Publish a photograph
• Ziplining
• Make own clothes
• Go to circus

My List

• Go white river rafting
• Have my fortune told
• Visit Washington DC
• Write a book
• Take kids to all 50 states
• Try surf boarding
• Finish my Master's degree
• Learn how to sail
• Live in a foreign country
• Find a hobby that I am passionate about
• Travel through Europe
• Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
• Vacation at an Ashram
• Take a belly dancing class
• Straighten Tim's hair (done--see picture below)
• Try oil painting (Bob Ross style)
• Testify as an expert in congress
• Spend an entire day at a wild meadow next to a small stream (my happy place)
• Ziplining
• Scuba dive

Party/Spring Equinox

Well, I had a moment of weakness when Kara asked if she could have a big birthday party and I agreed. So we had about 30+ of her closest friends here for a few hours Friday night. We built a little fire pit (not sure if it was legal) for smores, and a place for people to hang out outside.
We hooked up the wii and playstation 3 with Guitar Hero world tour, which everyone enjoyed.

And got a big birthday cake, which Kara helped pay for.

Everyone was well behaved so I didn't have to do too much chaperoning. The next day after cleaning up we set up the new trampoline, Kara's big birthday present.


Spring Equinox had been Friday, but we celebrated it on Saturday

I don't know what flowers these are (I am not a plant person) but they are always the first flowers to bloom and do so right around Spring Equinox.

Here the kids are being goofy as we are setting the table for Spring Equinox dinner.

Sunday I told Tim it was his day, he choose to go to the skate shop and spend his savings on a new skate board, he then wanted to have lunch at Carlos O'Kelly's and hang out at the river skateboarding. This skateboard is much nicer, and faster then his old one, I rode it down the hill once (sitting on it) and it went really fast. It was a really nice, fun, but relaxing day.

Kara is 15!!!

It is hard to believe my little girl is 15. Kara is such a great kid. She has a lot of friends and gets along with almost everyone. She does really well in school and has a long list of careers she is considering for her future, everything from engineer to photographer for National Geographic. Her challenge is that there is too much she wants to do.

She is extremely creative and has always loved to express herself creatively. She often has some sort of artistic project going on. She is also very musical and has been teaching herself piano for years. She played Saxophone in the band until this year, when there were too many other classes she wanted to take. Kara is also extremely strong, she wasn't able to beat me in arm wrestling last time we tried, but I don't want a rematch, cause she could probably kick my butt now.

She is such a fun kid to have around, you can always count on her to do what is right and help out when it is needed.

This next year will be interesting. She will be getting her learner's permit and is taking driver's education in summer school. I also hope to be able to send her to grandpa's for a week or so this summer. I am sure she will continue to work hard in school and be the great kid she has always been. I really have few worries about her future, I don't know what all she will do but I am sure she has a great future ahead of her.

Feeling Like Spring!!!

This week the weather has begun to feel spring like. The kids and I went out to the river to enjoy the nice weather, walking/skateboarding along the river and then playing a little tennis, or at least attempting to play tennis. I also got Kara to take a few picture of me, because I was sick and tired of my facebook picture.

Tim caught some good air!

It was a nice day!

March 6, 1991

Amber would have been 18 years old today. It is hard to believe that it has been 18 years since she transformed me into a mother; making me realize that my own needs, wants and desires will forever come second to those of my children.

Amber was an interesting kid. Near the end of her life there were discussions about the possibility of her being bi-polar. This makes so much sense with the memories I have of her. There were two distinct sides to her, one that was so hard on herself and on those around her. And another side that was so much fun to be around. Although I have memories, bits and pieces of the challenges she faced, most of my memories are of how wonderful she could be. The other night I was remembering when she was about 6, and we were at a McDonald’s with a huge play place. Kara wanted to go down the blue slide, so Amber stepped back and examined the route she needed to take and led Kara up to the blue side. She was often such a great big sister to Kara and Tim, cheering them up when they were upset, taking care of them when I was busy. She also loved to be active. I remember when she would swim all day long, once the water was cold enough that her lips started turning blue but she still refused to get out. She also loved rock climbing; she was a natural at that. She had no fear and was always ready to face a challenge.

It is so difficult to imagine what she would have been like at 18. I suppose in my mind she will forever remain the 13 year old she was when her life ended.

As I remember Amber one of the most vivid memories is one that wasn’t even reality. It was the night after she died. I couldn’t really sleep so I was on the couch in the family room, lying on the couch trying to sleep or at least distract myself from reality. I think I fell asleep, and I dreamt that Amber walked into the family room. She had her big purple hoodie on and was eating a fun dip (not a candy she ate often). She said “What’s up?” in a friendly but with her I’m tough attitude. Ever since that night, whenever I see a fun dip I think of Amber, and it wasn’t even a candy I would have ever associated with her before that dream/vision. I have had a couple of other dreams of her returning to visit me but none as vivid as that one.

The truth is I don’t claim to know what happens when we die. But I really like to think that she is somewhere hanging out with my mom laughing at us for taking life so seriously.

Another truth is that as much as I miss her and wish things could have been different, I have hope that she has found some peace and contentment. And if she has, I would never wish her away from that peace.

I’ll love you forever Amber.

SNOW!!!

I love the snow! We had a big snow storm this week; Muncie got about foot of snow. With a 1/4 mile long driveway we were snowed in. We had someone come plow our road but I still had plenty of snow shoveling to do. I have lived here five years now, and I am beginning to feel semi confident in my show shoveling ability. It is one of the best exercises in the world. I never know how exhausted I am until I sit down, and then I collapse. I guess I need to learn to slow down a bit on the shoveling. I am also, just this year, learning the difference between a wet and a dry snow. All we have had thus far this year is dry snow, which means we haven't been able to build a snowman yet. As a native Arizonan I still have a lot to learn about this powdery white stuff, but I still love it all.

Six!!??!!

My big goal this weekend was to get all laundry washed, dried and put away. It doesn't happen often, but I thought if I put my mind to it,maybe I could manage it. I was almost there when Kara got in the shower (in the middle of the day, which means she will probably be asking me to straighten her hair later). After she ran out of hot water, she walks out of my bathroom with two towels, one around her and one on her hair. She immediately grabs a bathrobe and puts that on. I then walk into the bathroom and find: one, two, three, four; FOUR towels on the bathroom floor. Two of them were still folded but all wet.

At my house we don't usually reuse towels. It is a hang up I have. I can reuse a towel, but it requires paying attention to what part of the towel is used to dry different parts of my body, because I don't want to dry my face with the same part of the towel I used to dry my feet, or other parts yesterday. I know it is weird, but it just is who I am, if I have easy access to a washer and drier I only use a towel once before washing it. So I suppose my children haven't been taught adequately on towel usage. But can someone please tell me how in the world you could use six towels for one shower. When I asked Kara her response was, "yea, yea, yea, I know..." Do you realize that it takes an entire load of laundry to wash 6 towels? Which means that the chances of reaching my goal for the weekend is not likely.

Jumping Back into a Routine

Last week the kids started back to school. This week it was my turn. In addition to one Saturday class, I started my social work practicum. I work Monday and Tuesday. The agency I work at has a number of different programs for youth ages 8 to 18. One of my responsiblities will be to teach the anger management class; my kids find that funny. It seems like a good group of people to work with and a lot to learn. The biggest problem is that it is located an hour away. I am not enjoying waking up at 5:30, leaving while it is still dark and not getting back into town until after sunset. I suppose that will change as spring approaches. With me gone it also means that Glenn has to teach Tim on Monday and get both kids to and home from school on Tuesdays. It has all been a little overwhelming this week, it always is the first week back in a semester. I know it will get easier as the routine sets in. Hopefully it will be a good semseter.

Happy Holidays

Winter Solstice has become one of my favorite holidays. In order to feel the long night, our family turns off all lights in the house at sundown and lives the rest of the evening by candlelight. We eat dinner (yummy Chinese food) by candles and then the rest of the evening the candles end up spreading throughout the house so we can live without electric light. I even did dishes by candlelight. We played games and this year we rented a couple of movies. It is not something I would want every night but once a year it is a fun, family evening. This year we were still awake as the final candles burnt out.

Christmas was a little different this year. Christmas-eve the kids and I went out to dinner, as has become our tradition since we moved here. I then went to the church for the candle-light service, because the choir was singing. I had never been to that service and it was really nice. The kids didn't want to go and stayed home and watched movies instead. I then went to a party with some friends and had a really good time. I had some interesting discussions with the widest range of individuals I had ever seen in one place.

Christmas day Glenn came over to open presents. Everyone got plenty of presents, even though we cut down this year. Kara's big present was an i-pod touch (I didn't get a picture of that one) and Tim's big one was Guitar Hero World Tour, here he is opening it:

Glenn stayed at my place and played with the kids while I went to the pot-luck at the church, which was a good time, visiting with old and new friends.

Since Christmas the kids have been having a lot of fun with the guitar hero. I have tried to play with them, but can never get far on drums or guitar. Kara has let me sing on a few songs but she likes playing that roll, often in combination with the guitar.