Future Scientist Jamboree

Last weekend we went to the Future Scientist Jamboree at the Stunt Ranch in south Austin.  Although we missed the best lectures and we had an unfortunate planetarium experience, we still had a good time.

Griffin, of course, was enthralled by the display of weaponry and high tech gadgets put on by the Williamson County Sheriffs.

And all the kids enjoyed the obstacle course.

But the best part, hands down, was the fake snow.

Glass blowing

Griffin's ancient history co-op has been studying the Phoenecians and went on a field trip to a glass blowing studio this week.  I'm pretty sure that trying my hand at glass blowing is going on my bucket list now.

Griffin, Idea Man

Griffin was watching me surf on Pinterest the other day.  He likes to look with me at all the different creative ideas.  One click led to another, and we ended up on Ikea Hackers, a neat site where people alter Ikea furniture into custom items.  After looking for a bit, Griffin exclaimed, "You know, Mom, I have lots of ideas too!"  I, of course, agreed.  He is full of big, ambitious plans to build/make/explode various things.  He then told me, "I'm going to make something so you can put it on Pinterest."  I was a bit wary because I knew we had a very full day and his projects often require heavy construction and lots of supervision.  But I was thrilled when I got out of the shower to discover that he had constructed a little paper cat.  He was very proud and insisted I take pictures right away.

And one more brief Griffin anecdote: The other day he said out of the blue, "Mom, you know why I want Avery to move out?"  I was a little taken aback, since I didn't know he was itching for her to go.  "Why?" I asked.  

"Because then I can turn her room into my own science lab!"  

Architects of Air

Today we went down to the Long Center to see the art installation Architects of Air.  Words can't describe how amazing it was, so I'll just let the pictures tell the story.

WWI: A One Act Play, by Avery

(Today was our first day back to do any sort of school work since before the holidays.  Avery came up with this after we read about the start to World War I. She may have taken a little artistic license.)

Act 1, Scene 1
Sound of gunshots and two loud screams.
Serbia: Hey, you!  Austria!
Austria-Hungary: (looks up from snorfing chocolate) Mmm?
Serbia: I hate your stupid guts!  Why did you take over Bosnia?  Ugh!  And, um, yeah.  I just shot your archduke!
Austria-Hungary: Oh, yeah, Serbia??  IT'S ON.
Serbia: (snaps fingers) Britain!  France!  Russia!   (turns to Austria-Hungary)  Good luck, Austria. We call ourselves the ALLIED FORCES!  Beat that.
Austria-Hungary: (Laughs) Oh, really? (claps loudly) Germany! Bulgaria! Turks! Get your butts over here!  We call ourselves the CENTRAL POWERS.  Mwaahahaha!
(All line up looking annoyed.  Austria-Hungary throws a block of chocolate at the Allied Forces.)


Act 1, Scene 2
Great Britain: You know what I like?  Power.  You know what else I like?  Winning.  You know what else?  I really, really like passing laws that aren't fair to my people!  I'm going to draft people into the British army.  (hysterical high-pitched laughing fit)
(British people offstage heard singing sad songs and crying.)
British women: Let's do men's jobs!
British soldiers: Owwwwwww.
(Women drag a big pile of amputated limbs offstage, closely followed by a bunch of limbless soldiers.)


Act 1, Scene 3
Germany: I'm gonna sink that shi-ip!  Na na na na na na!
USA: Oh, poop.  Here we go.  Innocent people drowning on the Lusitania is SO not cool, Germany.  We're gonna make sure you go DOWN.
Germany: Wait, I'm finishing sending a horrible telegram to Mexico that you are definitely not going to like.
Allied Forces:
....._\____________________,,__
..../ `--│││││││││----------------------_]
.../_==o ____________________
.....),---.(_(__) /
....// (\) ),------
...//___//
../`----' / ...
./____ / ... .

(USA marches onstage, running after Germany, wearing bright colors and smiley faces.  Germans screech in terror and run off the stage.)

Drumroll please...

We decided to keep track of how many books we read this past year (we only counted chapter books, no picture books), and the four Largent family readers read a grand total of ... drumroll please ...

491 books in 2011!  

Bill read 44 books;

Rhys read 76 books;

I read 100 books;

and Avery read 271 books!  

We'll see if we can top this year's total in 2012!  Hopefully emerging reader Griffin will be able to contribute to our goal soon!  :-)