I Can’t Remember

They aren’t teaching much Science in the elementary schools around here, despite the fact that these are some of the best in the state.
They do have the occasional Science demonstration in order to teach kids that science is “fun.” I’m afraid that what they are really teaching the kids is that Science is Magic.

Science is not Magic.

Science is a process, and without it our children won’t know anything about the world around them.

So, this summer I’m going to try and fit in some Science lessons–ten weeks worth, actually.
They will be aimed at my 6-year-old, but hopefully the 3-year-old will benefit from some of it.
I intend to do this every summer, and figure out a way to reinforce it during the school year.
But that’s getting ahead of myself!

For now here’s the basic 10-Week Science Curriculum outline:
1 - Into to Science Concepts: scientific method, magnification, variables, change
2 - Meteorology: weather patterns, clouds, water cycle
3 - Physics A: electro-magnetic, light, sound
4 - Astronomy A: stars
5 - Physics B: mechanical, forces, gravity, robotics
6 - Astronomy B: Earth and Solar system
7- Geology: plate tectonics & volcanoes, rock types, how fossils are made
8 - Botany: life cycle, types, parts
9 - Zoology 1: Invertebrates: worms, bugs, butterflies, octopuses
10 - Zoology 2: Vertebrates: baby animals, development & growth, phyla, primates

It hasn’t been all flushed out yet, and the order may seem a bit weird but that’s because of outside scheduling concerns (physics is my weak point, so I have to make sure that the family member who can explain it all is in town those two weeks, and it’s interrupted by our own vacations, summer activities, etc.) And of course I’m spending a bit more time on astronomy and zoology because my kids like them. **see note below!

I will be using all the concepts we learn in the first week and have them apply it to the topics in the remaining nine weeks.

And I will try to update everybody with how it went, what materials I used, and what experiments we did! **see note below!

Technorati Tags: age 5, age 6, child, curriculum, homeschool, kindergarten, school, science, summer

Actually, April’s grocery total was $13 more than January’s, but I bought a couple magazines because they we “green” issues.

The point is, everybody’s complaining about rising grocery costs!
So, what’s my secret?

I buy local.

Groceries are going up because of rising gas prices. If something doesn’t get shipped as far, it doesn’t cost as much!
But wait, it’s not as simple as looking on the package to see where something’s from!

I also buy from local businesses.
Why does this matter?
Because a large regional or national chain will pass on their transportation costs to the consumer across the board, raising prices on everything even if it only traveled 40 miles. A small local grocer will not. So while something from 500 miles away will cost more, something from 50 miles away will not.

The secret: go to a local grocery store, and read the label for place of origin!

Technorati Tags: buy local, gas, grocery, rising cost, save money on groceries

I found a post over at the green mommy (whom I normally dig) that made my hair stand on end:
She said “I’m not getting involved in the hype” in the election this year.

This was my response to her:

Wow…
What can I say? I’ve been involved with both the 2 major political parties, and I’ve even taken my babies to a State Political Conventions (and breastfed them there!)

I am always the only mother there.

It’s lonely at county party meetings, and caucuses, and conventions, and political clubs, and meet-ups, and political fund raisers.
And everyone wants their picture taken with me and my kids, but no one wants to listen to me.

Because I’m the only mother there.

Politicians don’t see mothers, and so they think we don’t care.
Why don’t any other mothers care enough to tell them different?

I’m sick of being the only mother the politicians see. Please go to a caucus or a state convention this year–and don’t forget to bring your kids.

I’ve been told that “mommies” aren’t an important constituent–out of sight, out of mind.
I’ve been told that “mothers don’t have time to care about politics, or even to vote.”
Is this true?!
No one told me!

I went to a convention once, and a man whom I can’t ever remember seeing stopped short, looked at me and said: “Did you switch babies?” Haha. He evidentially remembered me from the previous election cycle, and in the two years since, I had had another baby.
That’s pretty much proof that I’m the only mommy there.
Everyone else is single and young, or else have kids that are grown and gone.
Read the rest of this entry »

When my daughter was born, waay back when I was a brand new mother, I decreed that she would have: no plastic toys, no disney or cartoon characters, no media tie-ins, nothing branded, nothing with batteries, nothing made overseas by children in sweatshops…

And then people started buying my darling toys. And I started seeing very cute, tempting toys.

Probably 70% of the toys in my house are plastic, 10% take batteries, and 60% are “Made in China.”
So I’m doing better than most, but I’m still cringing as my inner idealistic new mother shrieks “I told you so!”
We all knew better, and now we’re scrambling to buy toys that are safe for our children.

So here’s my round-up of American-made toys:
Americans at Work has a great list of toy sites here,
as does the Made in America site here,
and zebulonUSA’s list here.
At Fat Brain Toys, you can search their hundreds of American made toys.
For all sorts of adorable stuffed animals and accessories, go see Stuffington Bear Factory’s website.
Hearthsong is one of my favorite places to get toys, and while they don’t have a lot this year that are made in America, you can see what they have here.

You can’t buy from this list of American-made plastic toys, but it relieved my mind about a couple that the kids already had.

And as Dan Mosqueda states on his Gifts for Guys - Made in the USA blog post: (which I highly recommend)
“Well, let’s say you can’t find the perfect gift made in the USA, than what? How about looking at countries not actively involved in planning our doom?”

To that end, let’s avoid “Made in China.”
Power of Peace has a fab list of “not made in China” toys,
or go to the Not Made in China Toy Store.

My daughter, who is no longer a baby, wanted a watch this Christmas. I had problems finding an American-made watch for a little girl, so she’s getting a Swatch. Other than that, I’ve tried to find as many American-made products as I can.

Technorati Tags: christmas presents, gifts, holiday, made in USA, made in USA toys, toys

I’m feeling rather Grinch-y this year. And proud of it!

What is Dr. Suess’s classic about? The fact that the holidays are about love, not stuff. A simple message, yet radical.

I am chastised for criticizing the “good cheer” in the malls and grocery stores and drug stores and gas stations this time of year.
But here’s the ugly truth folks: those “holiday displays” are all about displaying merchandise, not the holidays, and they are designed to take our money, not give us good cheer. So if being offended by marketers’ attempts to capitalize on a holiday that’s supposed to be about love makes me a Grinch, then color me green!

To that end, I want to see a movie. Normally I don’t have time, or want to waste the money, but this one looks good: What Would Jesus Buy? Here’s a review. And another from the NYT

It might be horribly offensive, but then, it can’t be any worse than the holidays have become..

Technorati Tags: Christmas, movie, shopping, WWJD

“Black Thursday” was a day when the stock market crashed, millions of millions were lost, and people’s retirement funds and even some of their lives were ruined. So gee, why is the biggest shopping day of the year called “Black Friday”? Feel free to draw the parallels here.

For those of you who haven’t spent your paycheck through next July but still want to, consider gifts that might help the world, or at least hurt less.

First, see my suggestions about green holiday gifts.

And consider these ideas:

Heifer International buys cute little farm animals for cute little impoverished children around the world, helping them and their families get out of poverty. You buy an flock of ducks for a kid in China for $20 (which provide pest control for rice fields and a source of protein and income from eggs) and give it in honor of your sister-in-law, and she gets less junk to dust and that good feeling you get when you help others, as well as a cute mental picture of some cute kid trying to keep track of ducks in a rice paddy. There are animals and gifts of all sizes, all the way up to the $5000 Ark that provides 15 , you guessed it, pairs of animals.

Oxfarm International has a similar program called “Oxfarm Unwrapped” because “Choosing gifts for some people can be quite an ordeal” Isn’t that the truth! You can plant 50 trees for $30, or provide school uniforms for needy kids for $20, or sheep for families for $45–and that’s just in the U.S.

Give donations in people’s names to charities.
Book lover? Try Room to Read. Animal lover? Donate to the Humane Society or buy a gift through their site. Nature lover? Donate to the Sierra Club or buy a fabulous gift from the National Wildlife Federation.
Be creative, everyone loves something.

Or pledge to Buy Handmade.
Or Buy Local, Organic, Fair Made.

Whatever you do, avoid the mall. Those people are just trying to ruin you and the earth.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, enviro, gift ideas, holiday, shopping

The winter holidays are about shopping and getting stuff, right?

At least that is what people who sell stuff would have us believe!

Remember: don’t trust anyone who acts like they’re doing you a favor and then charges you!

Not only is there a magazine about shopping, called “Lucky“–as in “gee, aren’t I so lucky to be buying a collection of ads so I can then know what the people who want my money want me to buy and how much it’ll cost me!”
but there is also blogs about shopping, like ShoppingAddicted. At least they admit that shopping for some is an addiction, similar to a gambling addition in it’s self-destructive pattern. And the first step is admitting you have a problem.

I’m serious, here! I could not be more appalled!