Wednesday, December 15, 2010

To Find Out or Not to Find Out, that is the question

So, by now, you've figured out I'm pretty random with my posts. Well, Monday, a friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful baby GIRL!!! Guess what, they didn't know it was a girl until she was born....BY CHOICE no less. Very exciting. I talked to her today and her question to me, "Are you going to find out what you're having?" Well, very quickly I responded YES!!! Are you kidding me? This is baby number 6, I NEED to know. RIGHT????

So, now I've been thinking. Wouldn't it be cool for it to be a surprise? The problem, I DON'T like surprises. As a matter of fact, I'll pick out my own gifts from hubby cause I NEED to know what it is. Maybe, one would call that being a control freak. I don't consider myself that, but who knows? I just could not imagine going until May not knowing what this little being inside me is, a boy or a girl. Now, if we can't find out, that's a different story and would still drive me crazy!! But, if I can know what I'm having I assure you I WILL!!! With baby #3, I threatened to not leave the ultrasound room until I knew (she was not being so cooperative). The nice little tech let me get up and walk for a few minutes then tried again. SEE, I just CAN'T do it. I can't walk away from an ultrasound and not find out what this little baby is. So, stay tuned, ultrasound scheduled for January 4, 2011. Here's hoping this little baby is cooperative and let's us see whether we're having a boy or a girl....???????

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Concentrated vs Diluted

So, as we know, I homeschool my 4 school aged children (and love it). Today, my 5th grader was struggling to understand the difference between something being concentrated and diluted. I tried just talking him through it, but the light bulb just wasn't coming on. So, usually I'm not terribly creative on my own. I usually have to research on the web. However, it dawned on me.......Kool-Aid. I could show him better than explain it.

I took him to the kitchen and we got out a packet of kool-aid. We started by putting the called for 1 cup of sugar, then the packet of kool-aid, and finally started adding water. We only put in 1/4 gallon of water instead of the called for 1/2 gallon. Then, he got to taste it.......It was very concentrated, more solute(the powder) than solvent(the water)!!!! So, we then finished putting the called for amount of water in and he tasted again.......Just right this time. Then, to let him experience diluted, I poured half a glass of the "just right" kool-aid and filled the cup the rest of the way with more water..............Now he was able to taste diluted!!!

The best part..... after the whole experience was done, my son looks at me and says, "Why didn't the computer teacher just say that?" He continues on by telling me I should be a teacher. LOL!! There are days I definitely feel like a complete failure as a homeschooling mom. This thankfully was NOT one of them. Once again, I'm so glad I have made this choice to teach my children at home...