CrossingRhodes Adventures: July 2007

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Sky Rockets in Flight, Afternoon Delight

On this beautiful afternoon we learned, what goes up must come down! Even a simple experiment sparks the mind to ask questions. We could even get more than one launch from each seltzer tablet. It would be fun to have more than one of these in order to change the conditions and then race to the top. Maybe we'll do that tomorrow :)

(rocket shown is from a kit, but you can email me for direction sheets from an experiment book)

Making and/or buying your own rockets:

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000068

http://www.lowdown.com.au/For_Kids/Seltzer_Rockets.html

http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp?pn=3102550&bhcd2=1185109913

http://www.thespacestore.com/misero.html

A google search of "seltzer rocket" will give you endless possibilites

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Transported Back in Time

Renaissance Times is where we visited today!! By means of a Renaissance Fair. Join us for some fun.

We went to the Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire. Not only was the weather beautiful, but we experienced MANY new things today. Including full body contact jousting, men in tights, Birds of the Gauntlet, juggling, story telling, fairy wings, turkey drumsticks, and many 'characters' that were present.

The vendor tables were amazing to wonder through. With everything for sale from dragon eyes, to lampworked beaded jewlery, to fairy wings, wench costumes, swords and knight accessories, etc.

By far, the jousting match was the best part of the day. These men raced at each other at up to 60 mph with a joust out front of them. Because it was full body jousting, as they passed the joust of one man hit the chest guard of the other (and vis versa). Points are scored by on a hit, if the tip of the joust breaks off, or the joust breaks in any other area but the tip. The most points awarded for a joust break any other place than the tip. Can you imagine the pounds of pressure that hits these men???? (sounds like a math problem to me invovling weight, speed, and luck). We may just have to return this next weekend for the championship matches!

You can check out more jousting information at The History of Jousting site - http://www.nationaljousting.com/history/history.htm.

National Jousting Association - http://www.nationaljousting.com/

Jousting Scoring - http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Scoring.htm

Learn How to Joust - http://www.nationaljousting.com/howto/learnto.htm

Friday, July 6, 2007

Sushi and Science Night

Friday nights at the lake B and I are alone. There is no one here to tell us what to do, when to do it, or what to eat. SO.....we have decided that Friday nights are "Sushi and Science night". We being earlier in the week by deciding what we are going to make on Friday. When we are at the grocery we get our ingredients. We are not very adventurous, yet. (Although this week B did try wasabi on his nigiri.) Then when we start getting hunrgy we put the rice in the rice cooker and start chopping. Then we roll, cut and eat (best part). B favors ginger soaked in soy sauce on his roll pieces. I prefer just soy sauce. This week B tried wasabi, but didn't like it. I know I wouldn't like it. We are experimenting with different ways to roll to sushi. And as we go along this summer, we plan to try new combinations and ingredients.

B's plate of sushi, including shimp nigiri, veggie hand roll, carrot and cucumber rolls.

Mom's sushi plate, including inside out carrot/cucumber rolls and nigiri.

After scarfing down our rice morsels, we enjoy a chapter in our summer science unit. We are studying the history of science and we are using the Joy Hakim series, The Story of Science. We are currently using the first book in the series, Aristotle Leads the Way. http://www.amazon.com/Story-Science-Book-One-Aristotle/dp/1588341607/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9704972-1400701?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183775979&sr=1-1

New Adventures!

2011 CHANGES - again, life keeps changing. I moved from a marketing job into a full time job as the school principal (just finished my first year). B dropped out of WTMC (yes, I did say dropped out), spent several months not in school (weak attempt at justifying homeschooling) and then enrolled at Clonlara (where hopefully he will graduate from 6/2012). My divorce is final. I am single. I'm am excited and scared. Life it not without bumps, but we get over them - sometime not unscathed - but we get over them!

2010 CHANGES - Many changes, which gives me a host of new topics to blog about! I returned to work in a professional career (more info to come). B has made it through the first year at WTMC - not without some bumps, but overall he did fairly well. And now, B and I live as a family of two. Many changes indeed.

This fall, 2009, B started a dual enrolled program for high school students at our local community college. The program is called Washtenaw Technical Middle College (WTMC) and he goes to the Washtenaw Community College campus (WCC). Watch the blog posts of more details. www.themiddlecollege.org

This has been a big adjustment for both of us!!! We are proud of B's willingness to undertake this program.

Relocating is an Adventure too!

7/7/2010 UPDATE - Well B and I made it through the winter, spring and we're back into summer - all while living at the cottage. For now, that is where we are going to stay. B has a little less than 2 years in his current school program - and if possible we are going to try to stay at the lake. It still means driving to AA 6 days a week - but I've traded my truck in for a small, fuel efficient car (which I hate, miss my truck). For now the cottage is HOME!

9/16/09 - B and I are still living at the cottage (which is normally where we spend our summers). It is our intent to stay there, at least for now. It means 2 hrs a day, 6 days a week, in the car going to and from AA (work and school). But we are safe and comfortable. Time, and probably the winter weather, will tell if we can stay in this location long term. If it does work out, we'll probably end up living at the lake house until B is done with the WTMC program - which will be 5/12.

As of 05/18/09 - DONE DEAL. All stuff moved out, closing done, check cashed, Dexter chapter closed. We are now homeless!

As of 5/09 - the Dexter house is empty and I have reveiwed the closing papers. As long as the buyer comes to the table on closing day, it's a done deal! Long time coming, for sure. Relief is felt, for sure.

As of 04/09 - we have an offer pending on the Dexter house. Deal is moving SUPER S L O W. Frustrating to both B and I. Fingers crossed we will soon know if we should be moving/storing our junk or not. Then it's off to the cottage for the 2 of us. No decisions on our next living location - we'll worry about that in August. Need a break from those thoughts!

As of now 10/08 - the house in Dexter still has not sold, so B and I are still living there. T is still in Champaign. It seems with the current market, it's going to be awhile. Given that - our options for relocation are wide open. There has been talk of B and I not moving to IL, but staying in MI while B finished high school. There has also been crazy talk about B and I moving to Hawaii to establish residency for college - not a bad choice in terms of environment the teacher says! TIME will tell in all of this.

Old Info - We are moving from Dexter, MI to Champaign/Urbana, IL. T is already living and working in IL. B and I are waiting for the house in Dexter to sell.

CrossingRhodes Adventures