He is really NOT a hands-on learner, and he does NOT really like these dissections. He is doing them nonetheless and doing a good job.
I can't remember what this was -- his brain?
He's always happy to finish!
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” -Flannery O’Connor
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Dissection 2: Crayfish
Today, Landon did the second dissection in Apologia's Exploring Creation Through Biology -- a crayfish.
He is really NOT a hands-on learner, and he does NOT really like these dissections. He is doing them nonetheless and doing a good job.
I can't remember what this was -- his brain?
He's always happy to finish!
He is really NOT a hands-on learner, and he does NOT really like these dissections. He is doing them nonetheless and doing a good job.
I can't remember what this was -- his brain?
He's always happy to finish!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Gerren and Science
Gerren is using Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science curriculum this year. He is having a few struggles with it: 1) memorizing definitions, 2) explaining himself well on a test (even though he does understand the concept), and 3) warning me ahead of time when he needs something for an experiment (even though Sonlight does an awesome job in their schedules, which we use, of warning you the week before you need something).
Due to this last issue, Gerren ended up doing an experiment Sunday because we didn't have any distilled water on Tuesday. Lots of the experiments in this book call for purple cabbage. After buying numerous heads for Landon (or begging individual leaves from the produce managers), I got smart, bought one head the first time we needed it, and froze what we didn't use. We've been pulling leaves off that head as needed. Usually they are used to make purple cabbage water, so their consistency doesn't really matter.
He had to make several different cups of cabbage water this time. Carys cried and cried, begging for a "drink". He finally gave in and let her have a taste!
She didn't ask again!
This balloon contraption was used (along with baking soda and vinegar) to make carbon dioxide and trap it in the balloon which he then had to release in one of the glasses of cabbage water to see if it made the water change color. Gerren was afraid the balloon was going to burst!
Due to this last issue, Gerren ended up doing an experiment Sunday because we didn't have any distilled water on Tuesday. Lots of the experiments in this book call for purple cabbage. After buying numerous heads for Landon (or begging individual leaves from the produce managers), I got smart, bought one head the first time we needed it, and froze what we didn't use. We've been pulling leaves off that head as needed. Usually they are used to make purple cabbage water, so their consistency doesn't really matter.
He had to make several different cups of cabbage water this time. Carys cried and cried, begging for a "drink". He finally gave in and let her have a taste!
She didn't ask again!
This balloon contraption was used (along with baking soda and vinegar) to make carbon dioxide and trap it in the balloon which he then had to release in one of the glasses of cabbage water to see if it made the water change color. Gerren was afraid the balloon was going to burst!
Where Has the Week Gone?
I can't believe it's been a week since I last blogged. Where has the time gone? Well, Friday was lost in the blur of a migraine for me. It's not often that I get one (once every 2-3 months), but when I do, wowza! Chase was so great and helped me so much that day.
That morning Landon was complaining that his jaws hurt. I could barely see through the fog of pain and told him it was probably his eustachian tubes that were clogged up from the 5 days of awful congestion he'd had. That night when I was functioning again, he complained again and asked me to feel his jaws. I didn't need to do that. When I looked at him directly, I could see that the right side of his face was grossly swollen. No wonder it hurt. We spent Saturday morning in the walk-in clinic to find out that he has parotitis, which is an infection of the parotid gland. This is his 3rd course of antibiotics in 2 months. His tonsils are swollen and seem to be a petri dish for bacteria growth. We had a consultation with an ENT who said they were enlarged but not grossly so, and it was pretty much a matter of his comfort whether we wanted to take them out or not. I guess we're going to choose that option before he becomes resistant to antibiotics!
Oh yes, when I went to fill Landon's prescription, I had them refill my Imitrex as I had taken the last one. The last time I had this refilled (10/06) the cost was $99 for 9 pills. Seventeen months later and a different insurance policy (we now have a BCBS HSA rather than Medical Savings Insurance HSA), the cost was $189 for 9 pills. That's enough to give anyone a migraine. Our wonderful local pharmacy, Brashear's, suggested that I get just 3 at a time since I take them so infrequently anyway. $189! Can you believe that?
Oh, here's a picture of my little fashion queen in her sister's jacket.
That morning Landon was complaining that his jaws hurt. I could barely see through the fog of pain and told him it was probably his eustachian tubes that were clogged up from the 5 days of awful congestion he'd had. That night when I was functioning again, he complained again and asked me to feel his jaws. I didn't need to do that. When I looked at him directly, I could see that the right side of his face was grossly swollen. No wonder it hurt. We spent Saturday morning in the walk-in clinic to find out that he has parotitis, which is an infection of the parotid gland. This is his 3rd course of antibiotics in 2 months. His tonsils are swollen and seem to be a petri dish for bacteria growth. We had a consultation with an ENT who said they were enlarged but not grossly so, and it was pretty much a matter of his comfort whether we wanted to take them out or not. I guess we're going to choose that option before he becomes resistant to antibiotics!
Oh yes, when I went to fill Landon's prescription, I had them refill my Imitrex as I had taken the last one. The last time I had this refilled (10/06) the cost was $99 for 9 pills. Seventeen months later and a different insurance policy (we now have a BCBS HSA rather than Medical Savings Insurance HSA), the cost was $189 for 9 pills. That's enough to give anyone a migraine. Our wonderful local pharmacy, Brashear's, suggested that I get just 3 at a time since I take them so infrequently anyway. $189! Can you believe that?
Oh, here's a picture of my little fashion queen in her sister's jacket.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
How Many of Me?
This was really neat, but the funny thing is that I know another Linda Meahl. Greg's cousin also married a "Linda" and we are both Linda Meahl living in the same town! She is a realtor, and every once in a while I will get calls for her!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Happy Birthday, Gerren!
I have another teenage boy in my house! How will I ever afford the groceries?
Gerren turned 13 today. It is hard to believe, as usual, that another year has gone by so quickly. His birthday fell on a Monday which was crazy with choir for Chase and Civil Air Patrol for Landon. There was no time for our usual birthday dinner out between these two activities. So, we went out yesterday. We headed to Orlando to eat at Sweet Tomatoes' new breakfast buffet. Afterwards, I finally got to tour the new IKEA store. It was incredible! I will definitely be back when in need of furniture. Then we spent an hour or so at the Mall of Millennia. I haven't been there in several years. On the way home, we decided to drive through The Villages, a very popular retirement area in central Florida which I hadn't seen since before Landon was born, probably before we were married. It has grown so much! Well, we have some dear friends who moved from Crystal River over there in January. We called them on the spur of the moment and ended up spending the afternoon and early evening with them. It was SO wonderful. We also had a very light dinner at TooJay's Gourmet Deli. I'd seen these restaurants, but had never eaten at one. It was awesome!
Today, the kids slept in. They were exhausted. They managed to roll out of bed sometime between 9:00 and 9:30 am. We had breakfast, then headed to Sears to have Gerren's pictures taken. After we got home and did some chores, he and Landon flew their RC airplanes. He finally started getting antsy to open his gifts.
Landon and Chase got him this shirt.
Greg and I got him a new crash cymbal (he broke his old one - I didn't know this was even possible).
While we were at it, we bought a splash cymbal and a boom stand for either of those cymbals.
He also got the entire set of the Terrestria Chronicles, adventure novels by a Christian pastor that I read about on my homeschool loop (I think)! He said they look good.
He decided to go with Landon to CAP tonight as they are going to fly RC planes. :-)
Gerren turned 13 today. It is hard to believe, as usual, that another year has gone by so quickly. His birthday fell on a Monday which was crazy with choir for Chase and Civil Air Patrol for Landon. There was no time for our usual birthday dinner out between these two activities. So, we went out yesterday. We headed to Orlando to eat at Sweet Tomatoes' new breakfast buffet. Afterwards, I finally got to tour the new IKEA store. It was incredible! I will definitely be back when in need of furniture. Then we spent an hour or so at the Mall of Millennia. I haven't been there in several years. On the way home, we decided to drive through The Villages, a very popular retirement area in central Florida which I hadn't seen since before Landon was born, probably before we were married. It has grown so much! Well, we have some dear friends who moved from Crystal River over there in January. We called them on the spur of the moment and ended up spending the afternoon and early evening with them. It was SO wonderful. We also had a very light dinner at TooJay's Gourmet Deli. I'd seen these restaurants, but had never eaten at one. It was awesome!
Today, the kids slept in. They were exhausted. They managed to roll out of bed sometime between 9:00 and 9:30 am. We had breakfast, then headed to Sears to have Gerren's pictures taken. After we got home and did some chores, he and Landon flew their RC airplanes. He finally started getting antsy to open his gifts.
Landon and Chase got him this shirt.
Greg and I got him a new crash cymbal (he broke his old one - I didn't know this was even possible).
While we were at it, we bought a splash cymbal and a boom stand for either of those cymbals.
He also got the entire set of the Terrestria Chronicles, adventure novels by a Christian pastor that I read about on my homeschool loop (I think)! He said they look good.
He decided to go with Landon to CAP tonight as they are going to fly RC planes. :-)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Cadet of the Month
Last night at Civil Air Patrol, Landon was named Cadet of the Month. He is now a Staff Sargeant and moving up the ranks as quickly as he can.
This award was passed to him from Ashlyn Wright. She and her two brothers are members of Landon's squadrons and come from a really neat homeschooling family.
Here, the Squadron Cadet Commander, Major Puchala, puts the award (cords, ribbons ???) on Landon.
Congratulations, Landon!
This award was passed to him from Ashlyn Wright. She and her two brothers are members of Landon's squadrons and come from a really neat homeschooling family.
Here, the Squadron Cadet Commander, Major Puchala, puts the award (cords, ribbons ???) on Landon.
Congratulations, Landon!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Ewwww! Gross!
Landon LOVES Apologia's upper level science courses (we haven't used the elementary stuff - Sonlight worked well for us on those levels). However, he's not so thrilled about dissecting! I say if we're doing Biology, we're doing it all the way!
Today was the first dissection--an earthworm.
Here "he" is ready to go!
Landon did pretty well, although he destroyed the worm's ganglia (which acts as its brain, according to Landon). He said the experiment information said it is common to destroy this part when cutting the worm open.
This picture proves that Landon actually did the dissection. (As you can see, I forbid it taking place IN my house. He used the back porch.)
This picture proves that MOM actually went outside and looked at the gross thing!
Landon celebrates throwing the worm away.
Thanks to Chase for taking most of these great pictures!
Today was the first dissection--an earthworm.
Here "he" is ready to go!
Landon did pretty well, although he destroyed the worm's ganglia (which acts as its brain, according to Landon). He said the experiment information said it is common to destroy this part when cutting the worm open.
This picture proves that Landon actually did the dissection. (As you can see, I forbid it taking place IN my house. He used the back porch.)
This picture proves that MOM actually went outside and looked at the gross thing!
Landon celebrates throwing the worm away.
Thanks to Chase for taking most of these great pictures!
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