Fynn Accidentally Runs in a 25 Mile Marathon!

Okay, so he didn't actually run 25 miles- he ran 3 miles. Non-stop, except to draw Jupiter, and Saturn, and to get a drink of water.

It was a beautiful Sunday a couple weeks ago, and we wanted to enjoy the sunshine, what with the weather being what it's been (nothing but rain, rain rain).

Fynn thought he wanted to make a scale model of the Solar System from our house to Old Town, and he wanted to run there, because he's been into running lately. We would stop where the orbits of the different planets would be and draw their respective pictures with sidewalk chalk. The rest of us would take bikes, and there's a seat on the back of Rico's bike that Fynn can hop on whenever he gets tired. So off we went.

Of course, the first few planets are very close to the sun, which was at our house. After Jupiter, we were in for the long haul. As we rode and ran down Vine street, we found ourselves in the middle of a marathon. It was kind of cool. Fynn was just goin' and goin' (like the Energizer Bunny) and other people were running along side of us. Someone said "All he needs is some shorts and some running shoes." (He was clad in Crocs and jeans and a florescent T-shirt.) There were people on the sidelines cheering on the runners. They were cheering Fynn on too. When they saw that kid just running and running, people got really excited. They said "Way to go buddy!" and "Awesome!" and "You're doing great!" and he got some high fives. The whole experience was so positive and uplifting, it was like walking (or running) on air! Finally the finish line was in sight and we veered off since we weren't actually in the marathon. It was very moving, though, to hear that roar of a crowd cheering for the marathoners. I can see now why people want to run ~ because it makes you feel great, like you can do anything, and because you feel so encouraged!

From the finish line we headed over to Lee Martinez Park, where we went on the swings for a long time, and then to DazBog for refreshments. After that Fynn also ran half of the way home before hopping on the bike. Way to go, kiddo!

~Beth

Planet Cookies 2.6

The reason I'm callin' this post "Planet Cookies 2.6" is because, if you recall, I already posted an article back when Fynn was 5 years old about the cookies he and I made together.  Well, now Rowan is 2.6 years old and this is his turn ~the planet cookies he and I made together!

We just used a sugar cookie recipe and cut out 3 different sizes of cookies: large (a glass), medium (a jar), and tiny (a spice jar). Rowan picked out certain planets to add rings to, and a few we even cut into spiral galaxy shapes (Rowan loves "The Galaxy"). Before putting them in the oven, we decorated them with colored sugar.

Before hand we had mixed up 7 different colors of sugar and food coloring in little jars, each with their own spoon for mixing and sprinkling. We made red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black. How did we make black, you ask? If I remember right, it was something like 3 drops red, 2 drops yellow, and 3 drops blue.

Jupiter with Red Spot

Not only were they beautiful and delicious, but they were easy to make ~as long as I remembered to prepare the dough the night before! (A thing you have to do for sugar cookies.) Rowan was a very good helper ~he loves baking~ not just tasting ~ and we both had a lot of fun!

And on the note of planet cookies, I also want to include our Pretend Planet Cookies from Playdough. Rowan and Fynn have both been making these and "baking" them in pretend ovens and feeding them to whales and blow-up planet friends.

The purple one is The Galaxy.

Vanilla and chocolate playdough

Fynn's sun with solar flares

That mouth you see is Dark-Blue Whale's. He's about to eat that Mercury cookie.

Happy learning!
~Beth

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo certainly snuck up on us this year, probably because of the never-ending rain we've been having these past few weeks. But I can't miss a chance for these guys to learn a little Social Studies (their weak subject), and luckily I've got a few resources up my sleeve!

Fynn explored Mexico on Google Earth, while we all listened to Mariachi music on YouTube. I put up some orange and blue streamers (the only colors we had!)
to make things festive. Then Rowan and I made some tissue paper flowers!

Fynn saw all that colored paper and he wanted in on the fun too! But he didn't want to make flowers... he wanted to make planets! (Surprise!)

He made Saturn and Earth.

Then Rowan wanted to make tissue planets too, but he likes to make them by getting the paper wet and molding it like clay.

Earth, Purple Venus, Mars, Big Jupiter, and The Galaxy

 

 

 

We ended up making more planets out of some florescent paper ~ 2 of each planet.

Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Pluto

Saturn

And what Fiesta would be complete without a pinata? Rowan and I hastily grabbed some leftover Christmas treats, threw them into a grocery bag, stapled it shut and began painting it; transforming it into a Jupiter Pinata!

With home school, everything's always a party!
We hope everyone had a fun Cinco De Mayo!
~Beth