My Father's Dragon

We got the book and cd from the library. It is fun to listen to as the reader Robert Sevra does some great voices and expressions. 

The children love maps so this discovery inside the front cover was exciting. We studied it much before we even began the story. They we referred back to it several times as we were reading to follow the journey of Elmer Elevator and his rescue of the baby dragon.

The children enjoyed drawing the map. Their drawings were quite different and they seemed to focus on different aspects of the story - but they all included the blue and yellow striped dragon.

One of the characters in the story is a rhinoceros who is very upset with how yellowed his tusk has become with age. We used eggs to see the effect of soda on the shells. We started with hard-boiled eggs.

We poured a can of dark soda covering the eggs and let them sit about an hour while we were doing our maps. 

Here Wesley shows a fresh egg and one that had been soaking in the soda to show how discolored it had become.

The children got out toothbrushes and started to scrub the eggs.

They added toothpaste and got better results.

Diana needed some assistance as I do not think she was scrubbing hard enough.

The eggs were much improved by the brushing, but not completely back to their white color.

LESSONS LEARNED: 

1. Brushing teeth is important.

2. Do not drink soda. The children never drink soda. Now they understand why Mother has encouraged them to drink lots of water instead.
  
BENEFIT of our class today....

Egg-salad sandwiches for lunch! Served here with apple slices.

There are two more stories in the book to still be enjoyed.

A Walk to the Library - September 13, 2013

A walk to the library sounds like a simple, quick trip. However, not for us. The walk is a little over two miles and it took nearly two hours. Of course, when the walk includes my curious grandchildren it means much to investigate. We had a beautiful, cool fall morning for our trip. Join us...
 


Wesley loves bugs. Actually we all enjoy watching them, but Wesley can't pass them by...especially cicadas. Last week we collected LOTS of cicada exoskeletons on a walk. So today, I told Wesley we would not be collecting more. That did not stop him from pointing out all he saw and carrying on a few for awhile.

 
 

A spider in a grassy web. The children has such good eyes for finding these kinds of things. I so enjoy seeing the world through them.

 

A grassy hill, even a small one is a wonderful spot to take a rest.

 

It was their idea to line up by ages for a picture. They are constantly saying, "Grandma, this would be a good picture." I guess I have trained them right. Diana 4, Wesley 6, Charles 8, and Douglas 10.

 

A grassy hill is just made for rolling down. Diana and Wesley even had to try rolling UP the hill.

 

Charlotte, 10 months, napped for almost the entire walk.

 

Cookie Break! We had picked up some cookies at the start of our walk.

 

Diana is enjoying a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.

 

This shows just how slow our walks can go. This couple caught up and PASSED us!

 

Don't forget to look UP when taking a walk.

 

or you might miss a beautiful sight.

 

One must always take time to stop and smell the flowers.

 

Even the sidewalk must be investigated when something looks different.

 

It even felt different. The children noticed how smooth this section was.

 

I love how they cluster together. I often wonder what they may be talking about and what exciting conversations I may be missing.

 

Douglas got a ways ahead and "patiently???" is waiting for the rest of us to catch up.

 

The sun is beginning to warm up the day. Douglas has shed his sweatshirt. He and Diana pose on a step.

 

These walls were just made for walking on...weren't they???

 

Stopping to check out the apple tree. And there is ME...at least its my shadow.

 

The children wanted to pick up all the apples, but we left them.

 

A dead bird.  We left that too!!!

 

Another wall to walk.

 

LEAVES!!! Lots of leaves. It makes such a cool sound to walk through them and hear the crunch, crunch, crunch.

 

There is one block that has the most wonderful area in it. The boys think this would be such a fun place to live...with all the trees, valley, and places to explore. They also LOVED the huge house that sets on this particular property. They figured it was big enough for each of us to have our own rooms, with rooms to spare for such important things as a TOY ROOM.

 

Finally at the library and Diana shows Charlotte her favorite thing to play with here....the horses.

 

The children made some new friends. Is this some of that "socialization" some people are so afraid our homeschooled children will be missing out on?

 

Charlotte seems to be enjoying her first time playing at the library.

 

Wesley shows Charlotte the real treasure of the library...BOOKS!

 

 

Devil's Staircase Trail

Segment of the Wisconsin Ice Age Trail - Janesville, Wisconsin

Tuesday, June 4, 2013, six of the grandchildren, Uncle Kyle, and I took a hike along Devil's Staircase Trail. We were here last fall and saw the trail with the beautiful autumn colors. It looks much different in its green splendor.
 

 We began our hike in Riverside Park.

 The staircases leads to the trail. The children have often posed on staircases, so they know how to pose here. They line up with oldest at the top....down to the youngest. So we have Douglas 9, Charles 8, Jacob 6, Wesley 6, Diana 4, and Aaron 4.

 

 When the clicking was done...they took off up the stairs.

 

 They posed again at the top.

 

 It is so pretty up here. As we head off on the trail, the high rocks are to our left.

 

 Looks like they are having a discussion about who should lead the way. But where is Douglas?

 

Charles leads this part of the group. But Wesley is out ahead, and Douglas is off WAY ahead.

 

FIRST excursion off the path.

 

 Wesley's find.

 

 Diana and Aaron making their way back to the trail.

 

 Charles leads the way.

 

 Off to our right is a steep tree filled slope down to the Rock River.

 

The Rock River

 

 Off the trail again. This time they are following a muddy "path" made by erosion.

 

 Coming back down the "path" often involves sliding.

 

 While waiting at the bottom, Uncle Kyle notices some tracks. Obviously deer like this "path" up the hill.

 

 One of many interesting trees.

 

 There was quite a discussion about what animal might like this for a home.

 

 Wesley makes another find.

 

 The river below.

 

 Uncle Kyle follows the troops.

 

 Another off-trail expedition to explore this gully of leaves and branches. It was a good place for everyone to pick up a walking stick.

 

 Out of the gully and back to the trail....but they have walking sticks!

 

Wesley is always stopping to see what may be hiding in the dirt.

 

 Wesley stopped here to give me a lecture about why all these stone, roots (he called them sticks) were important. He told me the trees could tip over and kill us if more of the dirt washes away.

 

I think Wesley has the general idea. Erosion is quite a problem in spots along the trail.

 

 Another spot investigated.

 

 Off again with Charles in the lead.

 

 Diana shouts, "Hey, boys! Aren't you interested in this paper I found?" They weren't...they just kept going. So Diana shared it with Uncle Kyle and I.

 

 The rocks are so interesting.

 

 The rocks are all covered in green.

 

 A cave??? Who might live in here?

 

 

 Douglas is now leading the troops.

 

 Another spot to explore. Let's see if we can find a different route up instead of following the trail...

 

 Wesley and Charles make it up and back to the trail.

 

Jacob, Diana and Douglas make it up and back to the trail too.

 

Aaron makes it with a little help from Dad. Grandma was the only one who stayed on the trail and took the easier way up the rocky steps.

 

 Aaron and Diana try to throw rocks down to the river.

 

Jacob comes back to the trail after another exploring mission.

 

The children check out a cave.

 

 Everyone gets a bit ahead because I stop to take pictures.

 

 Notice the trail sign on the tree points DOWN, but where do the children go?? UP!!! Of course, there seems to be a path to climb and climb it they must.

 

 These rocky steps go down. This is where the arrow is telling us to go.

 

Jacob comes down so we can all go along the rocky steps DOWN following the trail.

 

 Most are now down the "steps."

 

Here comes Jacob! Grandma waited until everyone else was down.

 

 We are now much closer to the river.

 

 Now the children can throw some rocks in the river.

 

 The trail leads up again.

 

 Douglas finds these rocks that he can just crumble.

 

 

 

 

 We decide it is time to turn around and head back.

 

 Now the high rocks are on our right.

 

 Much of the trail is fairly easy walking.

 

Jacob gets a lift from his dad. Douglas makes a "find."

 

 Douglas loves moss.

 

 Lots of moss grows on the rocks.

 

 Looking down to the Rock River.

 

 Diana and Aaron coming back down after another explore.

 

A little sliding in the mud was involved in the coming down.

 

"Do you think Mom will notice?"  Actually most of the mud was rubbed off as they played in the sand back at Riverside Park.

 

Uncle Kyle rests while he waits for the rest of the children to make it back down from the latest explore. The children had to tell him he was resting his foot on the "toilet." They had named this stump the last time we were here. They were disappointed that half of it had rotted away.

 

Aaron and Jacob slide down.

 

 

 The trail ahead...

 

 A couple last looks at the rocks.

 

 Back to our starting point. Uncle Kyle takes a picture of Grandma and the children.

 

Back down Devil's Staircase.

 

WE WILL RETURN!