Girl's Engineering Day at University of Texas

We finally did something uber educational.  I registered Beauty for Girl's Engineering Day at UT last fall and the day arrived to see what this was all about.  

The day was beautiful!  This made the wait time tolerable.  This is my only complaint about the event.  It didn't start till 2 p.m.  I wrote it down on my little post event questionnaire, too.  Before the event started Beauty did a lot of this:  

One kind group had set up a trebuchet and was lobbing water balloons.  This was fun and I may have been a little more enthusiastic than Beauty.

Once the event started we were given a list of activities to try and could come and go as we pleased.  Beauty was happy to see what a real college classroom looks like and cut her finger trying to put up the desk top.  Injury!  Hopefully she will not retain that as "College will kill you!"  A quick band-aid and we were back in the game.  

Beauty chose to do a bubble wand making class.  She had to make a bubble wand using a choice of various materials.  After she was happy with her wand she took it outside to test it.

Know why everyone is looking at her?  Because her heart-shaped bubble wand worked.  She blew giant bubbles.  Check.  Next activity.

Her other favorite activity was making a dome out of toothpicks and gumdrops.  This was especially delicious educational.  Beauty received a bag with toothpicks, gumdrops, and instructions for putting it together.  Afterwards, there was a test site to see how it would hold up under earthquake conditions (everyone pound your hands on the table).  

There were some other interesting activities like making a helicopter bunny and making a kazoo that she enjoyed.  After a few hours we were ready to leave to go shopping since we were in the big city.  My most memorable and exciting thing was running into the woman who I had originally talked to about starting homeschooling.  We were both on the fence about it and I had started researching  into it.  I had wanted to give her a book and then hadn't seen her since.  What a nice surprise to see her!

Overall, I liked this event and I hope we will be able to attend next year.  I hope it's earlier in the day, too.  It was well organized and well staffed.  If you have the chance to go to one of these you should.


*This week we've seen huge strides in learning.  Beauty taught herself how to ride her bike!  That's a real win in my book.  She learned how to tell time.  She's 2 weeks into learning subtraction and yesterday she started adding double digit numbers. 

It's Not A Violin!

A package came in the mail the other day.  I was very nervous.  Mr. Father had said he ordered Beauty a "surprise."  I guess the surprise was on me because instead of getting Beauty a violin, Mr. Father got her a ukulele.  Mr. Father thinks this will be easier to teach her and he did have a terrible time trying to find a violin teacher.  Apparently they are all booked up teaching hundreds of great violin players.  

I don't think I'm out of the woods yet on escaping a violin.  I do appreciate Mr. Father not enrolling Beauty in something I don't think she's ready for.  We'll be taking a field trip later this year and then I think it will be unavoidable.  Why can't she like playing the triangle? 

Beauty wanted to grow Venus Flytraps like some she saw in a movie.  We are trying to grow them from seed but I'm not sure it will work out.  We may have to go buy some actual plants.  So far all I see is just dirt.  It was kind of funny when I opened the seed packet and pretended it was trying to eat me.  Beauty screamed and ran for Mr. Father, "the seeds are eating Momma!"  Ha ha ha, this stuff never gets old.

Our latest livestock.  Two mice.  Yuck!  One is named Mr. Cutie and the other I named Oh-My-God-It's-Climbing-The-Cage-That's-Disgusting.  Beauty really likes them and is proving to be very responsible.  She keeps the cage away from all windows and doors in case the cats look inside the house.  The first thing she does every morning is feed them.  Mr. Father helps her do the rest since I refuse to take part in this rodentfest.  

 
This is a picture I took at one of the Playscapes we go to.  Wonderful day with lots of kids.

 This weekend we'll be going on an actual homeschool fieldtrip/adventure.  I'm looking forward to stepping into that arena. 

• This week Beauty learned how to read a clock.  
• She's moving along quickly in math. 
• I'm wondering about ordering another handwriting, and writing book because she'll finish them with 12 weeks left to go in her school year.  I don't think I want her to take a 12 week break on this.
• I estimate that she will finish her school year in July this year.  It is taking a little longer since we started her over in first grade.  
• I'm already pondering over her curriculum for next year.  Is this normal?  I suspect it is.

Week 11 and New Eyes

This week we had a lot of fun.  We had a sleepover in our living room on Wednesday.  We watched movies related to our History lessons and another movie about Earth science. 

Beauty had her first eye exam.  She hasn't shown any signs of vision deficits but we figured she was cursed since Mr. Father and I both need glasses.  She did well on her test and we are patiently waiting for 2 pairs of glasses to be shipped.  I ordered both pairs for $30 from Zenni Optical.  We've ordered from them before and have been happy with their product. 

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We went bowling again this week.  Here's our scores.  Beauty's is the top one.  She prefers to be called Cat Girl when bowling.  She enjoys the game and will take simple hints, like "roll the ball down the middle" really well.  

The violin thing has taken hold, much to my chagrin.  Mr. Father and Beauty are conspiring against me to get her enrolled in lessons.  I'm going to go buy earplugs now.