Paying it forward {by D}

"Putting together packets for kids in Sudan was something I wanted to do because last year, 8th graders did that for me. They gave me gum, a whole sheet of paper on what to expect in 3rd grade, a toy, wish cards, an eraser, and a pencil. Their letter explained what everything meant. And I found the packet comforting and helpful.

So, I hope that, when they get the packets I put together, the kids in Sudan learn that giving to other people - no matter how little you have - feels good. It does!"

~D, age 9-and-a-half

LEGO Mindstorm {by R}

Today I went to a friend's birthday party. On the invitation he asked me to bring the LEGO mindstorms to make robots at his house. When I got there, we set up the LEGO mindstorms right away to make our first creation.

First, we made a hand-held flashlight which is powered by a generator. The generator is a LEGO motor. Motors are closely made like generators. Our second invention was a really strong car. Finally, our third invention never worked because it destroyed itself. It was supposed to walk up the stairs but it got so complicated that every thing went wrong.

It was a fun afternoon!

The Brakeless Go-Cart

A plan + some salvaged parts + a lot of time = Go-Cart madness

R and J made a go-cart...without brakes. Whaaaat?!? What do you mean there are no brakes?

"Mom, we haven't gotten around to that. Don't worry...I'll wear a helmet."

Oh, brother.

Daddy went first...

R tried it...

I thought: how bad could it be?!? But I neglected to ask for a tutorial and promptly - right after this shot was taken - ended up ramming into the curb and flying off the cart.

I survived, unscathed. Mostly unscathed. That was enough for me.

Born in the Wrong Century

I think that my kid was born in the wrong century...

His instrument: the mandolin

  

His sport: fencing...

...and archery.

So, when he came home this week with some homemade ink - made, at the Nonni's house, with soot, lampblack (what is that?!?), coffee, vinegar, and more - and wrote out his homework project with that homemade ink in a calligraphy pen, I should not have been surprised that his next request for was sealing wax and a stamp. Ummmm...

We tried to improvise with leftover birthday candles. But that was too watery.

Then I found sealing wax and an 'R' seal at a stationery story. Thank you, Spencer's!! But, it took some experimenting. Attempt number one resulted in sparks and burned paper. Whoops. Attempt number two - we forgot to dip the seal in oil - resulted in stings of wax pulling off the paper. Whoops again.

 We finally dialed it in on attempt number three...

And here he is: my happy born-in-the-wrong-century kiddo. He finished his homework - a letter to his future self, written in homemade ink and sealed with wax.

I love this kid!

Apple Camp {by R}

This Monday morning we entered a camp called Apple Camp. It teaches you how to to use Apple's online systems to put together a movie.

The class is from 9:00 to 10:30 ( an hour and a half ) on Monday and Tuesday. Today, we got to plan out our movie clips, make our music and then we filmed the scenes at home. On Tuesday, we will put the clips together and make the movie. Then on Saturday, we will all present the clips to our mom and dad.

Today I decided to make another time lapse video except that it would have regular clips mixed in between the time lapse clips. I called the movie The Life of Riley, a MannMade creation. It will show my regular days in summer and some added time lapses of  sunrise, sunset, and the clouds moving across the sky. We also had to make music for our movie on Garage Band. Today I didn't find music suitable for my film but I did learn how to use it a little bit.

Cardboard Armor

You definitely don't need video games when you have this combination...

boxes + duct tape + scissors + boys = cardboard armor

The Fossils

The boys have been on a couple of fossil-hunting adventures this summer, so far. [Click to read Fossil Adventure #1 and Fossil Adventure #2.]

I wanted to share some of their finds. We're still researching and reading to identify the exact time period, but take a look! Fish, clams, and more...