C.S.I. Education

C.S.I. Education

February 17, 2011

Austin returning from checking our mail asks, “Mom is there a reason that our mail box has a hole blown in it?”  Apparently someone shot a hole in our mail box. So what can we do? We can use it for a C.S.I. education. I encourage my kiddos to “work the scene.”

The bullet entered here.

The bullet exited this side.

 

Angle of travel. 

Trying to find the bullet.

They run a piece of string (yarn was handy) through the two holes to see if they can follow it to the bullet.

Anna holds the yarn while Austin strings it in the direction the bullet went. “I want to be Abby! Who are you Austin… Austin… Austin! Who are you?” “Gibbs!” I respond to her make believe N.C.I.S. play. Austin was to busy to play along but Adam shouts, “I want to be Ducky!”

Austin gets Adam to help out getting it through the bushes.

The path leads to the base of a big oak. We dig around a little and do not find the bullet in the massive amount of leaves. Had this been a real crime scene we would not have been able to give up until we found it but it was time to do chores and start school so we gave up looking for the bullet.

We look around to find a casing but could not find one. Austin looks through the holes and tries to speculate where the bullet came from. We decide it must have been coming from the neighbors yard. They must have been target practicing in their yard and the bullet hit our mailbox instead of their target. We have ruled this crime and accident.

Case Closed.

I know there is much more work done on a real crime scene but this was just for fun. It gives the kids a small idea of what they would do in this line of work so they can figure out what interests them for when they are grown. Anna states, “I want to be a C.S.I. agent!” “I thought you wanted to be a hair dresser?” I ask. “Hmm, well I will just have two jobs!”

A Time to Plant

A Time to Plant

February 15, 2011

 

Adam wanted to have a garden of his own. I told him, “Well, when Daddy starts planting in a couple weeks you can have your own garden spot but until then you can help me if you like. I am going to plant herbs.” “What is herbs?” Adam questions. “Spices!” I said. He thought that would be pretty neat to grow our own spices. I explain to him that we can grow them and dry them and store them ourselves.

I bought one of the starter kits so it would be easier for Adam to help. We set up our stuff on the picnic table outside.

The kit says to add 1/8 cup of water for each peat pellet. I get an old scoop and mark off 1/8 cup so he can “measure” it out.The “measuring it out” only lasted a few minutes then we just decided to pour the 10.5 cups of water needed all over the peat because we were impatient.

“How did they grow that fast?”

In just a few minutes the little pellets absorbed all the water and grew twice their size. “Mom, why can’t we see them grow?” Adam says amazed that they were so much bigger so quick. “Because it happens slowly enough that our eyes can’t really see it.” was the best I could do for an answer but it satisfied him.

The little jar in his hand has some earthworms that Austin had brought over. I told them they are good for the soil so now they are being cherished so they can go in the garden later.

Anna with the earthworm. We look it over and figure out which end is the head and I give a quick explanation of the band around the worms belly, enough to satisfy their questions. 

We had purchased eight herbs and Austin bought a pack of catnip seeds in hopes to experiment on his cats later to see if, in fact, it does change their behavior. We figure out that we have enough pellets to plant eight per type of herb.

Adam takes a pinch while I hold the seeds for him. He is not crazy about dealing with the tiny seeds but was completely amazed by how small some of them were.

He liked planting the larger coriander type the best.

We took a stick and pushed the seeds down into the little hole and then fluffed the peat around them so that we could cover them up. Now we just have to wait for them to sprout. We can then plant them in a planter on my porch. In no time we should have fresh herbs to cook with.

Ecc 3:1-2  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: … a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Feels Like Spring

Feels Like Spring

February 14, 2011

Oh, how I love the spring like weather. Prefect for being out in the great outdoors. We headed down to Woodville to Martin Dies Jr. State Park once again. It is one of my favorite parks always well maintained. We go to the bridge where we left off the last time we was here.

We spotted the prettiest little bird with a yellow spot on its back. It is a good chance it is a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The wonderful thing about the winter season walks is that we get to see bird that are not usually here except during the winter.
Austin, Anna, and I stand on the bridge while I take a picture of our shadow on the water.
Austin spotted these mushrooms. They look like honey buns. It is a good chance that these are what they call “Fairy Ring” mushroom or it’s poisonous look-a-like. I am horrible at identifying mushrooms, good thing I do not eat any.
The Spanish Moss was abundant in the trees.
Anna decided it made a good wig. “Is that the only way you can get curly hair?” I tease her. “ Uh huh, pretty ain’t it.” she says in her “innocent” voice.
Surfing on a fallen tree with her “curly gray hair”.
“Mom, look I made a bird nest!.” Adam shows me his accomplishment.
A large vine made an arch that two of my “boys” couldn’t resist.
After the first few minutes I finally tell Austin to put up the nature book and be in nature. “Look it up when we get home!”
“Group shot!” Anna is still wearing her “hair.” She kept that on until her daddy finally told her to take it off or no more pictures.
Anna spotted this poor little butterfly. “We have to help it momma!” “Sweetie we can’t do anything for it,” I try to explain. Just then it flutters away on it’s ragged wings. I am not sure what kind it is but Adam and I just studied in science about the monarch butterfly travels all the way to Mexico for the winter and when it begins to warm up they begin their flight back home. You can tell it has made a rough flight.
We were walking along and we heard rustling in the brush. We look and look and just when I gave up, Austin spotted an armadillo. I move in to get a picture and it disappears. Stewart walks to where it was last spotted and we found his home. It was a mound of dirt about six foot around and had a front and a back door. After about ten minutes of us trying to wait and spook him out we give up and walk on.
Austin keeps looking at the swampy spots hoping to see an alligator.

My wonderful children!

Loves!

The end of the trail stops at the road and so we head back to where we left the car. Crossing a bridge we look under it hoping once again to see an alligator, but nope, not this time.

After all the time we spent trying to get the other little armadillo out of his home we are almost back to the car when Anna spots this little guy rooting around in the leaves. We watch him for a while and Stewart steps on a pine cone and zoom, off the armadillo scampers into the woods.
The birds are enjoying the warm weather as much as we are, they are everywhere chipping and hunting and readying their nests. This beautiful Cardinal would not sit still long enough for me to get a better picture.
We get in the car and drive out the drive-way there is another little armadillo in the brush looking for his dinner. I should have known GOD wouldn’t have left us disappointed about missing the other one, HE gave us a double blessing.
Mat 6:8  … for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.