Shadow Experiments

We have been reading about the Sun, Moon and Stars, learning about constellations and what makes day and night. While reading a book called Sun Up, Sun Down The Story of Day and Night by Jacqui Bailey and Mathew Lilly, we read about the sun making shadows that change through out the day. I decided we'd experiment with it and get the boys to observe how the sun's position in the shy cast their shadows.

We started at 9:10 am and picked a spot on the street that I knew would have direct sunlight for most of the day. We chose blue for that time of day. Then throughout the day we chose different colors and different times.



I thought that the heat on the street was true to the color we picked at 3:15. With bare feet it was so hot I could barely stand it!

Aidan's shadows


Ciaran's shadows


Mom's shadows




We determined that the longest shadow was at 5:30 pm and the shortest was at 1:45 pm. It was great to see Aidan understand the concept once he could see the tracings drawn out on the ground. And he could see that even after a few minutes of tracing the last shadow, the shadow position moved. "The sun moved," Scott said. "Well," I whispered, 'The Earth really moved but that's a different lesson." We both agreed to not broach that subject yet.

Now to figure out how I can teach him about the shifting constellations....




Just out of the pool...

Aidan-isms

My son says some really funny things. And also touching things. I've decided to start writing them down.

3.16.2010 - after dinner
"I'm flowed."
"You're what?" I asked.
"Flowed," he replied. "I can't eat anymore."
"Flowed? That means full?"
"No. Flowed."
"So... flowed means you're full."
"No. It means flowed. Like over-flowed."


3.17.2010 - I'm taking the soda bread out of the oven while we watched the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
"Mom, things have changed."
"Oh... they have?" I asked, feeling like I was about to be broken up with.
He nods, gravely.
"What's changed, Aidan?"
"Things. I just heard it. We should go back to Optimum."
And in the distance I hear an Optimum online commercial on TV.

Soda Bread

Ciaran and I made Soda bread today for St. Patrick's Day. Aidan didn't seem to interested in baking today.

Here was our recipe:

5 Cupos of all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350

generously butter ovenproof skillet (I used a round baking pan) 10-12" in diameter with 2 1/2" sides.

Wisk first 5 dry ingredients in lg bowl to blend. Use fingertips to blend butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisin or /and caraway seeds.

Whisk buttermilk and egg in separate bowl to blend. Add to dough, using wooden spoon, stir just until incorporated (dough will be very sticky).

Transfer dough to prepared skillet. Smooth top mounding slightly in center. Using a small sharp knife dipped in flour, cut a 1" deep X in top center dough.

Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted comes out clean (about 1 hour & 15 minutes).  Cool bread in skillet (pan) for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack andcool completely. Can be made 1 dayahead. Wrap tightly in foil. Store at room temp. Makes 8 - 10 servings.

Thanks to Wild By Nature forthe recipe (but it looks like it feeds more than 10 to me!)

Carrot Soup

We've been reading a book called Carrot Soup. Its a sweet book, with lots of animals in it that help Rabbit make this surprise carrot soup. There's a recipe in the back of the book that we decided to try out.














Wouldn't you know, that neither of them ate the soup. ;)

A new kitchen

I'mnot sure who likes this more... me or them. ;)



Although, by his expression, you'd think I was torturing him.


Food I made as Yule gifts. I think they have a perfect home now.

Goofing Around...

Aidan wanted me to draw his eyes sewn shut. Ciaran thought it was pretty fun too...

Chinese New Year

I've really slacked on this blog, but I'm going to try and document things better!

Recently it became the year of the Tiger. During that week in February, we learned about the Chinese New Year, found out that Aidan was born in the year of the Rooster, Ciaran in the year of the Dog. We made fortune cookies, painted some good luck dragons, wore tiger hats and made some decorations forthe house... laterns and things like that.