Northside Enrichment

This fall, we joined the Northside Enrichment Co-op. We were looking to meet some new people, and it seems that we found just the place! Even with nearly 90 members, we only knew a few before we started. We've met lots of nice families, and we're really enjoying it! Besides the new friends, we really love that it's held at the YMCA, so in addition to our fun classes, we get to use the gym, playground, and pools. It's an awesome set up!

We just wrapped up our first five weeks of classes. I was teaching Critical Thinking in US History to a bright group of teens, and helping out with a Game Design class for kids of all ages. Avery was in my Critical Thinking class and also Book Club. Rhys has been taking Science and Film and Podcast Making, which he has really enjoyed. Griffin has been taking art and science. Next week, we start the second five weeks of the fall semester, which means all new classes!

Rhys in Film and Podcast Making.

Getting to know my Critical Thinking students.

Griffin making "elephant toothpaste" in science.

Griffin making a suspension bridge in science.

More science fun!

Back to "school"

As soon as we got back from our vacation, we got back to work. Avery's classes had actually already started, so she really had to hit the ground running. We've been busy ever since, with school work, co-ops, orchestra, and baseball all going strong.

Avery on the first day of fall classes.

Carpentry

A few days before Father's Day, I was in the kitchen when Rhys called me over to the window. This is what he wanted to show me:

At least he's wearing safety goggles.

I was alarmed, to say the least.  Clearly not alarmed enough to stop him before I could take a picture, but alarmed enough that I snapped a phone pic and didn't waste time to get my camera.

After taking this quick picture, I went to inquire about his project.  "I'm building something for Dad," he said.  After making sure that he was following all the safety rules, I got out of the way.  Some time later, he came back in, hot and sweaty but very proud.

Explosions

Griffin decided recently that he wanted to the the good ol' Mentos and Diet Coke explosion again. It had been a while since we'd done it -- and plus, and who can turn down a good explosion?!  But, in typical Griffin fashion, the simple experiment of dropping the Mentos into the Coke wasn't enough. He had all sorts of ideas for variations to try.  He wanted different sizes of bottles, different quantities of Mentos, he wanted to try a complicated folded paper delivery system to see how the dissolving paper would change the explosion, he wanted to try adding vinegar to the Diet Coke and baking soda to the Mentos to see if it would serve as an accelerant, and he wanted to try drilling holes in the Diet Coke bottle to see how the explosion would work through smaller openings.  Even though his big ideas are often messy and complicated, I just love seeing his creativity in action.

No photos but lots of fun!

This has been a very busy week for us.  Despite the fact that orchestra, writing class, vision therapy, and baseball are over, we are still finding ourselves constantly on the go. For one thing, Avery started composition classes this week. She has been wanting this kind of instruction for a while, so she's really glad to finally get going. Also, she had extra rehearsals with her chamber music group for her upcoming violin recital.

Another music-related deviation from our schedule took up our whole day on Thursday.  A friend of mine from baseball emailed offering up free tickets to a taping of the X-Factor.  Never one to turn down a new adventure, I jumped on the chance!  (Well, that's after quickly googling to find out what the heck the X-Factor is!)  So Avery, her friend Justice, and I spent Thursday listening to really loud aspiring pop stars and staring at the back of Britney Spears' and Simon Cowell's heads.  We got really close seats and the whole experience was really surreal.  My ears are still slightly ringing.

We'd been given a list of rules of what we can't do and wear (no high heels, dress nicely, no white clothing, and NO cell phones), which of course we followed.  Apparently we were the only fools that bothered to listen.  People were not only dressed in whatever they wanted, but EVERYBODY brought in their cell phones!  And they were actually encouraged to take photos to tweet and post to Facebook and drum up more buzz for the show!  So, all this to say that my only picture from the day is this quick one I took in the parking garage on the way to the show:

But I poached a couple more from the internet:

The set.

The judges: Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Levato, and L.A. Reid.

After the craziness of Thurday, our Friday seemed really out of place.  We spent the day at another place with the no photos rule: the Hindu temple Radha Madhav Dham.  Griffin's history co-op studied Indian religions this week, so the group jumped at the opportunity to visit the temple. It was quiet, peaceful, beautiful...everything that Thursday wasn't!  We took a tour of the grounds, ate a picnic lunch, and took a yoga class.  Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all the cute 6 and 7 year olds doing yoga inside the temple, but here is an internet picture to give you an idea of the site:

Wildflowers

This spring has been spectacular for wildflowers.  After the hideous summer we had last year, with record breaking high temperatures and the extreme drought, we have been so thrilled to have lots of rain and countless beautiful days. The kids and I spent one gorgeous afternoon collecting, identifying, and pressing flowers.

Houston

A few weeks ago, the kids and I spent a couple of days in Houston to join a homeschool group for a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  HMNS had several interesting exhibits going on, but as they're rather proud of their museum and charge exorbitant prices for each exhibit, we chose to only see the permanent exhibits and the special Titanic travelling exhibit.

It was a neat museum, but it definitely wouldn't have been worth going for non-field trip prices.  After spending the afternoon seeing the exhibits and watching an IMAX movie, we headed to our hotel.  We chose a hotel with an indoor pool, so the kids had a fabulous evening swimming.

In the morning, we hit NASA.  It had been several years since we'd been (since Griffin was a baby!), so we were due for a visit.  Since school is still in session, we had the place to ourselves.  We spent the whole day there enjoying all the movies, shows, and exhibits.

While the kids had fun, I was completely geeked up to see the actual Mission Control room!  

"Houston, we have a problem."

And this? Is the *actual* flag that was *actually* on the moon!!  

Ok, so I might still be a little geeked up.  Apparently my childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut didn't die with the realization that math and science may not be my strengths.

Anyway, after seeing all the awesomeness that NASA offers, we finished up with a little time at the Space Center's playscape, then headed for home.  

Field Day

Here are a few photos from our homeschooling group's first annual Field Day:

Griffin doing the sack races.

Griffin and Ainsley doing the water balloon toss.

Avery and Maya won't be going to the Olympics in wheelbarrow racing.

Avery hop, hop, hopping during the Crazy Relay Race.

Rhys and his team at tug-a-war.

Rhys and his partner winning the water balloon competition.

Avery and the teen group playing Capture the Flag.

"Green light!"