Mitochondria

Mane has been learning about the organelles of a cell: the smaller organs within cells. We started out talking about body systems and then worked our way backwards: body systems are made up of organs, organs are made up of cells, cells are made up of organelles. The other night she & Mango had a long talk about mitochondria:

 

She's working on a chart of organelles. The next step with be to make a clay model of a cell!

We found this game for learning about organelles:  The Incredible Megacell. Mane gave the gave a 4 out of 10 for fun and interest. I'd give it about the same. It was fine to do once, and she did learn some things from it, but it does the same thing over and over once you've played it once. It wasn't a bad way to continue our conversation about organelles, though. A comic strip for science class? Hey, who can complain?

FIRST Robotics Competition 2012!!

Once again, guess where we'll be for the final days in March this year?! We're super excited for this year's FIRST Robotics Competition. This year the robots will be playing "basketball." Check it out:



March 29th-31st: http://www.mnfirstregional.org/regional/agenda#ns

Handcraft

Shorty before Christmas, Mane's crocheting abilities really took off. She'd been finger crocheting chains for a few years already...chains that grew so long that they could be stretched round and round the house, I'm sure. But this year, she persevered and learned to make rows. Having mastered rows, she was able to make rectangles, fold them over, and sew up the sides to make purses!

Currently, she's working on a dishcloth:

She's also been using the round knitting loom for hat-making:

Alongside those handcrafting skills, she's been acquiring screen skills, learning to email and to navigate her own online photo album. She also learned to look up video instructions for making more crafts (screen skills merge with handcrafting skills)! She found the instructions, followed them, and made this traditional Polish Christmas star with absolutely NO help from me:

Stella comes home!!

On December 19th, Flat Stella came home:

Stella had been in Montana, with our good friend, Anika:

Together, they went to Anika's favorite coffee shop...

They spent some time in the snow:

...and climbed a frozen waterfall:

She came home with a new winter coat, which sent Mane scurrying to make one for Stanley, too! 

...and Mane also set to work filling their Christmas stockings!

Stella came home with a nearly full journal, lots of other photos, AND an email address! She had such a fantastic adventure! Thanks, Anika!!

Once they were back together again, Stanley & Stella had a blast lighting Hanukkah & Advent candles with us, playing dreidel, and eating pistachios from the Christmas Goat!

Nordic Story Hour

We have had the good fortune recently of discovering (re-discovering, for me) some local cultural treasures here in Minneapolis. Our friends, who join us at the Tapestry Folk Dance Center for homeschool Scottish Folk Dance, also alerted us to the fabulous story-telling at the Scandinavian shop just down the street from us, Ingebretsen's. So, one chilly day, we bundled up with some other good friends and headed on over. We had a delightful time learning about wool (from sheep to yarn) and listening to Kari Tauring tell Nordic falk tales.

Art, Rockets & Birds, OH MY!

Here's where I've been spending some time every Monday afternoon for the last 6 weeks:

It's the "waiting room" at Rum River Art Center where Mane has been taking art classes! These are some seriously fantastic art classes (scanned artwork coming in another post soon). Somehow the children go from chattering and  giggling to quietly and diligently turning out artwork under the influence of their teacher, Larry, who overflows with sincere praise and constructive criticism of all their work. Mane's current series of drawing classes just ended, and we'll definitely be back!

Another event we'll be returning for is the Tripoli Rocketry Association rocket launch in North Branch, MN! We attended October's launch, and Mane was totally inspired. We're hoping to attend a launch in the spring with our own rocket!

And, finally, something we probably won't get to do again - at least, not for a long while: attend a bird show in aunt & uncle's sun porch! My sister-in-law's father turned 70, and he LOVES birds. So, she found someone who does bird shows (typically for children's birthday parties), and she invited us, since Mane also has a keen interest in birds:

And that is not all, no that is not all! Mane is learning the glockenspiel at the same church where she sings in the choir...

...and our six week series of folk dancing classes just ended at the Tapestry Folkdance Center. 

We might...just maybe...be looking forward to a break from some of the busy-ness. Perhaps we'll finally get around to learning some Spanish at home and cooking together a bit more! We might actually be "home"schoolers for a while! 

Stanley & Stella

Remember Flat Stanley? Did you think he'd disappeared? Well, he & his friend Stella are still around, and have made some of our field trips with us this year...

Stanley and Stella on the Osceola Train:

And on the Red Wing Trolley:

And they accidentally spent a week in someone else's purse:

Last spring, Stanley went to Mexico with Mane's grandpa, and this fall we're hoping to send one of them by mail to visit our friend in Montana! Stay tuned for more Stanley and Stella updates...