The Aquarium, Now

Our latest project in science is an aquarium of different insects. We worked really hard on getting a good ecosystem going for a variety of of insects. We have a grasshopper that we found in my bedroom, another baby grasshopper that was hatched in the aquarium, a brown and orange caterpillar that still has not decided to create a cocoon, a very large cricket, several slugs, some stinkbugs, more than enough fruit flies, oh, and a really long worm. This is the same aquarium we had the frog in.

We let him go one day in the late summer, and we'll be starting with tadpoles instead of frogs in the spring. MrBaby wanted to keep him with the insects, until I explained he would eat them, which he agreed wouldn't be good for the bugs. When he is older, I plan on getting a TENS unit and, gross as it sounds, doing the old electricity-on-a-dead-frog-to-see-how-it-jumps lesson. Besides, having a TENS unit would be great for my back, and probably help me get the muscles relaxed enough I can adjust my own back, particularly when my one trick rib decides to go out on me. It's very painful, most times it feels like I am having a heart attack. I have gone to see a chiropractor close to IPFW for a while after I had MrBaby and these are some wonderful machines. I think everyone should have one. I read on their blog, that reads sort of like a FAQ, two questions, 'is it effective?,' and 'is it safe?' From my own personal experience, I'd answer 'yes,' to both, plus if you get the right intensity, it's quite relaxing. I was usually disappointed when my session would end. I doubt it's addictive, but it sure does feel good!

The one I want for myself is the Dual Combo TENS and Muscle Stimulator because I believe that would also help with building up my muscles, not just relax them and relieve pain. I'd like to get the additional muscle stimulator because I know it's harder to injure yourself when you're in shape than if you aren't. I just dealt with a sprained rotator cuff, found some exercises online, plus some stretches, and worked through it. I wish that I would have had one of these units. I wouldn't have had the internal debate on if I should go to the chiropractor's office or not. I did get MrBaby to rub, scratch, and pound on my back inbetween my shoulder blades and that did help a great deal, besides teaching him a bit about human anatomy. He came up this morning and asked me where his own shoulder blades were. They're so small and slight, I wondered for a minute, before I actually looked, if maybe they were like knee caps and developed over time during childhood!

But speaking about shoulders and shoulder blades brings me back to where I started at with this post. I don't think it added to my sprained shoulder, because moving it to another location will require a lifting-up motion, and I got this sprain pushing down on something, like when I closed the stupid windows here at our new place when it started raining. Right now, we have the aquarium in a southern-facing window, but some of the morning ray's of the Sun are blocked by another part of the house. I'm debating on if we should leave it there, or move it to an eastern-facing window. It would be lower, not over the heat vent, but it would also be where MrBaby watches TV and eats his snacks. It would be on a stabler table, too. When I am a bit more healed up, in a week or two, I'll probably move it and see. For now, I need to go water the plants that we have around the house. I need to get pictures of them up, as well as ones of his insect project. Since we have worms and slugs, we might rename it. How does 'Backyard Ecology Tank' sound?

We have Found a FROG!!!

He is a green and grey, squirrel tree frog. A one-time contributor to Wikipedia made his sole entry states that yes, these cute little critters are indeed poisonous. Glad we know better than that! He's not poisonous at all.

He eats crickets, moths, and whatever else he can find that has crawled into his lair.

Pictures coming soon.

Here's a video of another frog that we found. He's very tiny!

Groundhog Skeleton - NOT for the Squeamish!

I found out about a groundhog skeleton that had pretty much gotten to the point it was free of the soft tissue, and went to go get it for our homeschool. I then soaked it in bleach solution for two and a half days. I brushed it off with an old toothbrush, and let it dry. It's not complete, but most is present, and it's beautiful!

Since we used bleach, the connective tissue in the oral areas disintegrated, and the teeth are removable, including the larger ones. they slide out very nicely, and it's amazing to see just how long the teeth, from tip to root end, really are.

I didn't realize until later, I thought it was just debris from the grass where I picked this up at, but the brains came out in the bleach solution. The brains looked weird, kind of hard to describe, and I am really disappointed I lost a teaching opportunity. MrBaby is very interested in brains, because I told him they are the computers of the body. But they came out in two pieces, and looked like clumps of mildew, almost black in color. I know they were decomposing before the bleach solution got to them, and I would have had to crack the skull open to get them out intact, and that they still would have only been good for a quick lesson, but knowing I flushed them without pointing them out to my eager learner, kind of disappoints me.

We're planning on wiring it together soon, after I find some suitable wire in adequate amounts. I'll post pics soon.

Homeschool Lesson for Adults - Grandma Barb had an accident!

I just found out my mom had an accident. Some guy backed into her car in the parking lot. She was so upset, she only got his policy number. Now, she has to pay for the damages to her car on her own. I am hoping I can help her out some by seeing if I can find out who he is.

No insurance is required in Bolivia, but you can get good insurance in the USA by clicking the picture above! And you won't be ashamed to give your other policy information if you do have an accident.

Word lists - ca*e

We worked with ca*e noun words today.
cave
cage
cape
cake
cane
case (remember, we just won in court against Alan and Teresa in Indianapolis, and we will soon have at least some of our things back from those people, and soon receive damages from them for the things they have disposed of. Mr Baby is VERY excited to know he will soon have many of his precious toys back!)

And also the verb forms below:
care
came
Just remember, when you are teaching a young child new words,make it relevant, and when you hear them say 'enough' or something similar, stop. Learning should be fun, not tiresome! If there's no pressure, and it's fun, and empowering, they will remain receptive to what you teach. take those little lessons you come across in everyday life, and expand them for your child. use his or her curiosity to open their minds to your lessons. The best curriculum out there is where your child naturally goes.

Spring is almost over, and here comes summer!!!!!!

With Alan and Teresa in Indy stealing our things, it's getting time to get some outside toys for MrBaby. I'm looking at the portable ones, not the regular swing sets, but the Little Tikes Cubes. those would be best, plus I think it would be cute for him to hide from King and JuJu that way. Then there's always the option of putting a sheet over it for him, and turning it into a tent, too. We go to court in three days! I'll keep you posted!

Biology - Skeletons

Interactive game here. Put the skeleton back together to see and hear him clap his hands. Or maybe it was a girl skeleton! One of the other links at the website has a tutorial on what the bones do. The link leads to not only the skeleton unit, but also to the brain, heart, and digestive tract pages for their website. It is available in English and Spanish.

We also pointed out different bones on the glow in the dark skeleton.