Dissecting Owl Pellets

Sometimes Science Projects are more fun with friends.  One of our upcoming hands on projects for Science was to dissect an owl pellet.  Our Art Class was cancelled for today so we decided to get together with another homeschooling family and dissect our owl pellets.

We had 3 pellets and split up into three teams.  I was thinking of putting older children with younger children but that is not the way it worked out, which was ok because the children did just fine.  First we did a small review on owls, their habits, and what they eat.  Then we talked abut exactly what an owl pellet is.  Then we got to work.  We used tweezers and toothpicks to dissect the pellets.  The children found many, many bones in their pellets.  I think they were very interested and learned from this activity. The younger children were really amazed that these were actual bones from a real animal that an owl ate.  Anthony (6) and our friend Logan (7) were the most interested.  They worked for a long time getting out every last bone and then took their bones and glued them onto a piece of construction paper.  Chelsea really was not that interested and thought the pellet smelled bad, but it still was a good learning experience for her.

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Breastfeeding: When to Wean

I am very passionate about breastfeeding.  It has been proven over and over again how much better it is for babies then formula and there are numerous health benefits for mother and baby (that does mean however that women who don't breastfeed are not wonderful mothers.)   It kind of boils down to the fact that God made it much better than man ever could and He knew what He was doing when he made mamas able to feed their babies.  You can read my post on why breastfeeding is the right choice here.

After making the decision to breastfeed many woman want to know how long they should breastfeed for.  That is one of those topics that you will hear somebody's opinion on, often whether you want to hear it or not, and more often from someone who has never even nursed a baby.  Some will say the magic number is one. Some will say two.  Some will say as soon as baby is eating solid foods well.  Many are shocked by the idea of a mom still nursing a three year old.  The truth is there is no magic age that you have to stop nursing you baby.

I was talking to a young mom the other day who was wondering when to wean her one year old.  Many people have told her she needs to wean him since he is over a year old.  Why?  Breastfeeding still provides your baby with all of the good things at 12 months than it did at 3 months.  It is much healthier and natural than many of the foods we eat.  Some people may think it is strange to nurse an older child, but what is the difference between nursing a baby that is 23 months old and one that is 2?  It is not like you are picking up a 2 year old and nursing him for the first time, he has been growing gradually as he has been nursing.

I have to say that the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard on the subject was that babies should not be nursed past the age of one, because as babies get older they start to know the differences between boys and girls and by then know what breasts are really for.  What?  Yes, in fact a very young baby knows what a breast is really for, providing food and nourishment to them.  Whether it's a young baby or an older toddler that has been nursed his whole life you can believe they definitely know what breasts are for apparently better than many adults.

So, the real answer to the question of when to wean your baby depends on you and your baby.  If you have decided that you are ready to stop nursing or you need to for various reasons (for me the decision usually came when I was about 5 months pregnant with the next baby) then it is time to start weaning your baby.  If your baby looses interest and does not want to nurse anymore it is time to start weaning your baby.  My little angel is 14 months old and I am still nursing her 8-10 times a day.  At 14 months old my Christian decided he didn't want to nurse any more.  Every baby is different.  Make your decision on what is right for you and your family.  Do not wean your baby because you feel pressured by other people and their opinions.  Cherish the time that you have to nurse your baby because no matter how long you decide to nurse for it will go by very quickly.

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Review: Explore the Grand Canyon with Noah Justice

Millions of years ago......this phrase it used over and over again in books and other media to talk about or explain how the earth and everything on it is formed.  It is important for our children to learn and understand that there is physical evidence to prove the Biblical account of creation.  In the 30 minute DVD children and teens will take a trek to Northern Arizona with 14 year old host Noah Justice to find out how the 40 layers of the Grand Canyon were laid down by the Global Flood then carved the canyons quickly.  Noah Justice compares other geological processes found throughout the world which show additional evidence of quick geologic catastrophe confirming the historical accuracy of the Bible.

• The Grand Canyon was cut in days not millions of years
• Its massive layers show evidence of being laid down in less than a year
• the Biblical record can be trusted as Earth's history book

You can find Explore the Grand Canyon with Noah Justice at Christianbook.com here.  There is a study guide you can purchase to go along with the DVD that contains a variety of follow up activities.   Additional DVDs in the series are Explore Yellowstone and Explore Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest.

I watched this DVD with my 15,10,8, and 6 year olds.  I think the DVD does a wonderful job in explaining the evidence that shows proof of the biblical account of creation.  Our children need to have an understanding and be able to give an answer for why they believe what they believe and educational material such as this DVD will help them be able to do that. My three oldest found it very interesting and were able to discuss with me what they learned.  My 6 year old sat and watched the whole episode, but he started to loose interest towards the end.  But, I have no doubt that when we make it to the Grand Canyon, my children will be able to ignore all of the "million of years" signs and will be able to discuss how and when the Grand Canyon was really formed.

I received a complimentary Explore the Grand Canyon with Noah Justice DVD and study guide for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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4 H Talks/Demonstrations, Talent, Fashion Revue Contests

Every spring our county 4 H has several contests that the children  can go on to compete at the district level, and seniors also have the opportunity to compete at the state level.  Our county is very small so the county competition is really just a practice run for district although those competing earn ribbons.  Any 4 Her 9 and up that really wants to go on to district can in any slot that is available (in bigger counties only 1 st place winners can go on) and the Extension Agents will work with the children to prepare them for the competition.  Three of the main areas they can compete in are Fashion Revue: purchased or constructed, casual or dressy, Talent: vocal or instrumental, and a talk on any topic related to 4 H using posters or power point length of time varies depending on age, or a demonstration that is 4 H related.

Last year, the day of this contest there was a tornado watch all day.  Shortly after Art headed to town with Chelsea it turned into a warning and they had to leave the EH house and go to the tornado shelter across the street.  The weather was very scary, but lucklily the worst of it went south of us and didn't do much damage.  Monday (the day of the competition) it started out being hot and sunny with a slight chance of rain.  Shortly (like 10 min) after we (I had all the children since hubby was at work) arrived the sky turned black, the wind picked up, and we were under a dangerous thunderstorm warning.  It ended (thankfully) by the time we had to leave.

Chelsea competed in Fashion Revue in the constructed category with her dress that she made last fall for the Sew With Cotton contest.  She was the only one to compete in the constructed category and worked so hard on her dress.  She earned first place and will go on to the district competition in June.  She also sang in the talent competition and earned 2 nd place.  Alex is a cloverbud and not eligible to go on to district, but I thought it would be a good experience for him.  We talked about many different things he could do, but he ended up wanting to do a science demonstration.  He did the color changing milk experiment from the Amazing Science DVD we reviewed a few weeks ago.  He was the only cloverbud to compete and he did a great job!  Everyone was amazed by his experiment and he did an awesome job on the talking part even though he had to memorize it because he can't read well enough to read from note cards.  It was a very good experience for him and he was proud of his blue ribbon.

I was also very proud of the other 5 children who had to sit and be quiet for almost two hours!  They were very good and as a reward for all we bought a box of ice cream sandwiches to eat on the way home.  Next competition up is B Day (bicycles, bait casting, BB shooting) and it will be n Friday.

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Random Pictures With New Camera

I have been so disappointed with the quality of the pictures from my digital camera.  The color and clarity was not very good and the pictures always seem blurry (although that could be because I am always holding a wiggly baby.)  My wonderful husband told me that I was getting a new camera for Mother's Day and to take a look when I was at Walmart to see if there was one that I liked.  After agonizing over what to choose, I bought a Sony Cybershot 14.1 mega pixel camera.  I went ahead and bought it because it was 25 % off, so I got my present early.  Saturday I took some random pictures to see if they looked better than my old camera.  I think they look much better and clearer!  I am very pleased so far with my purchase.  What do you think?

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Review: Spirit Fighter Sons of Angels by Jerel Law

"Percy Jackson, move over! Jonah Stone is here!
What if Nephilim—the children of angels and men—still walked the earth? And their very presence put the entire world in danger? In Spirit Fighter, Jonah and Eliza Stone learn that their mother is a Nephilim and that they have special powers as quarter-angels. When their mom is kidnapped by fallen angels, they must use those powers to save her. Along the way, they discover that there is a very real and dangerous war going on between good and evil and that God has a big part for them to play in that war."

I was very excited to have the opportunity to review the e book version of Spirit Fighter Sons of Angels by Jerel Law.  My older children (8,10,15) love to read fantasy/adventure stories, but many of today's offerings for children of those age groups are not written from a biblical perspective.  Spirit Fighter did not disappoint me!  In fact, it exceeded my expectations.  The author does an amazing job pulling the reader into the story.  I finished the book in the course of one day.  The story was full of action and adventure and the message was meaningful not just to children who are reading it, but also to me as an adult.  The characters were well developed and believable.  The two main characters are a brother and sister making it easier for both boys and girls to identify with them.  A great component of the book was seeing biblical elements and lines of scripture come to life.   The children learn the truths of Ephesians 6:10-18 and battle the spiritual forces against them using the elements contained in these verses.  Of course in the end (as it should be) you know good will always triumph over evil and it's a great adventure to get to the ending.  While my 8 year old would be fine and really enjoy this book, if your child is sensitive or fearful of the ideas of spiritual battles going on I would not read it to them.  Parents of younger children should pre read.  I  look forward to the release of more books in this series and would highly recommend. 

I received a complimentary copy of Spirit Fighter Sons of Angels from Thomas Nelson for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review.  I received no other compensation.

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Menu Plan Monday 5/7/12

We were so busy running errands and having our Art class on Friday that we left the house at 9:30 and finally got home at 4:00 after Walmart and the library.  My husband is working a different shift this week, so my menu reflects the fact that he will not be home to eat with us a few days.  The children have a few activities in the afternoons so I had to plan for those also.

Friday 5/4-pizza
Sat 5/5- steak, sauteed mushroom, strawberry spinach salad with raspberry dressing, corn on the cob
Sun 5/6- BBQ chicken, potato salad, baked beans, applesauce
Mon 5/7- picnic in the park-sandwiches, chips, cheese sticks, juice boxes
Tues 5/8- tacos
Wed 5/9- chicken patties, tator tots, apples
Thurs 5/10- cheese ravioli, bread


For great menu planning inspiration visit www.orgjunkie.com.

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