Science Sunday: Experiments with burned cookies

Science Sunday

I loved all of the suggestions I got last Sunday for what to do, and I agreed looking into irreversible change was a great idea, and then I introduced the concept:


Me:  When we get home we’re going to figure out how to unburn the cookies I burned.


Princess:  Mooooom, you can’t do that.  It’s irreversible change.


And that was the end of that idea, but they loved the idea of making experiments with the cookies, so they each got two burned cookies to experiment with.

Experiment 1 for both Superman and Batman:



Question: Will the cookie float in water?


Hypothesis: Yes it will.




Results:  After putting the cookie in the water, they discovered that yes it does float in the water.  Batman next wanted to see if it could hold up a car.


That it didn’t really do.  Partially because the car kept rolling off in my opinion.


They also discovered the cookie turned the water a rather gross brown.


Experiment 2 for Batman: Will a toy break the car?


Hypothesis: The ball will not, but the car might.


Results:  The ball just bounced off of it and got crumbs everywhere.  The car when dropped front first (front wheels, with a harder edge) did break off a piece.


Batman repeated this with the car several times which led to one of Princess’ experiments.


Princess Experiment 1 and 2:


Question: Will Mac eat the burned cookie?


Hypothesis: Yes, he eats anything.


Results:  He would start to eat it and then would spit out the cookie, usually.  Princess followed up after Mac ate the first one to see if Mac would follow the trail of cookies and eat them.


Results of 2nd experiment:  The trail of cookies did disappear, but I am fairly sure Mac didn’t eat them due to the random cookie bits I’ve been finding all over.


The boy’s final experiment was to take the cookies and put them outside for the birds to eat.  It’s been a few days and I don’t believe the birds have eaten them yet.  That may be due to where they put the cookies.  One in a rather disgusting swamp of a flower pot that is full of slush.  The other is right next to our porch and covered in grass.  I rarely see birds come all that close to our house.


So, there you have it.  That’s my kids experiments, and that’ll teach me for trying to plan a wonderful experiment of my own…….


Please say someone besides me has kids who take an idea and run for the mountains as fast as they can (and considering there aren’t really mountains in Texas that tells you how far they run).

Flash Mob in the park!

There’s a very cool blog called “Free Fun in Austin” that has insanely large number of posts a day because it also tells about coupons that are relevant to the area, but I found out last week our local parks and rec department was organizing a flash mob as part of a competition.



So, after trying rather unsuccessfully to round up someone else to go with us we practiced in our family room to the video on Youtube.


Got ourselves all ready and headed off to be part of it.



Princess was not as convinced of the fun of it as the boys and I were.  And then once it was actually starting to happen Superman wimped out on me as well, so just Batman and I participated, but Superman quite happily filmed it.



I’ve been having the hardest time finding good videos of it, but here are a few:

Math: What equals nine
















Fairy house, or that’s what I was thinking

See, I don’t know why I get these wonderful ideas of what the projects will look like.  My kids so rarely listen to my ideas anyways……


Supplies: Large sturdy plastic containers (fabric softener, orange juice, liquid laundry detergent), acrylic paint, paint brushes, small toys, sharp knife and/or scissors, Sharpie markers (or something else to mark where to cut)



1.  Draw out where the holes you are going to cut in the side are going to be.  Then explain the idea again to your son who insists on drawing out elaborate battle scenes…….


2.  Cut the holes out.



3.  Have a very long discussion with your daughter on how it is supposed to be made.  “No Mommy it’s not supposed to be painted.”


Sigh, I’ve been told that because she’s so stubborn now that she won’t give in easily to peer pressure later…….


4.  If you’re a stubborn little girl who knows best, than you color the whole thing with Sharpie markers.  Otherwise you paint the outside in insanely bright colors.



4b.  Spend over an hour making 3 bendy dolls with a new pattern that you for some reason have to make even more complicated than it was, and then give up and just make a mess.




5.  Attempt to take pictures of the freshly painted homes, which are of course completely dry…………  Only to have the kids “help” with the photos.


Oh well, they love them.  They never made it to the backyard to make a fairy home like I was hoping, but they’re getting lots of playtime up in their rooms……

How to make your wife feel LOVED!

As I mentioned on Monday, that was my birthday.  And, well see my primary love language is gifts.  I love to get them, give them, what have you.  I love to see people open presents.  It is the most wonderful thing to find the PERFECT present for someone.

Jeff has learned this through years of exhaustive research and study.  And some not so subtle hints.

Here’s my tips:

1.  It’s not just a birthDAY, it’s a birthWEEK!  Oh yes!  All week long Jeff brought home little surprises.  I got flowers 3 times last week.  Each time he’d call me right when he got home and I sent out a different kid each time and then the chosen kid would quite proudly present me with flowers.  Boy was there fighting over who got to bring in the flowers.

2.  Take the kids out to pick presents.  Last week Jeff took the kids and they each picked presents for me.  Batman got me a movie to watch with him.  Superman insisted I needed a game, and got me the Lego Harry Potter game (totally awesome, will write more on that later), and Princess got me something “that smells good and a pretty Jesus candle, see Mommy it’s pretty.”

3.  The kids all got me cards and signed their names and wrote “Love you,” that is so neat to see.


4.  Doing something he tolerates with me because I love it.  Jeff went to see Footloose with me.  He REALLY loves me.  He has already said that “Sound of Music” next year is going to be a girl’s night, I can only push the boundaries so far.

5.  Small little things, like oh say bringing me a giant Dr. Pepper………  Especially after I had to plunge the toilet and clean a very filthy bathroom.  EWWWWWW

Lazy Meme

I found this Meme over at Journey of Grace and thought it looked way too fun for words and a great one to put up on my birthday.  It’s hosted over at Making Home.


The instructions with this are to bold the ones you’ve done, leave the others in normal type. So here goes. I’m in a meme mood tonight, I guess.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (if you know band in junior high counts….)

4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (never going to happen, not in a million years.  Why would I willingly strap rubber bands to myself and jump off a cliff?)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (line was crazy long, and we were only in NYC for a day)
18. Grown your own vegetables (and what measly ones they are)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (is it sacrilege to say I was underwhelmed?)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (why would I want to?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse (I know I’ve seen partial)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (does my Mom and Dad count?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (I invented one, does that count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (have you seen the postcards they sell of it?)
41 Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (don’t remember it though)
47. Had your portrait painted (no, but I’ve been drawn)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (but you can’t take pictures)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone
scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie (do my brother’s count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma (not eligible, positive for TB)
65. Gone sky diving (again why would I voluntarily jump out of a plane?)
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (I’m trying to right now!)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (not quite)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (you know they just don’t pick you if you argue with the lawyers)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee