Non-Newtonian Fluids

 Tonight Pip and I conducted our first experiment. We created Oobleck, also known as Goop/Slime, in the bath tub. 

I measured the two cups of cornstarch and one cup of water and she took great pleasure in pouring the ingredients into the plastic tubs and wildly mixing them with the whisk. She is an excellent whisker. 

The scientist in me explained the properties of Non-Newtonian fluids to my 20 month old. Non Newtonian fluids are not quiet a liquid and not quite a solid. Their viscosity is dependent on the speed and pressure that is placed on them. In our case, when you try to grab oobleck it feels solid, almost like a cross between sand and baby powder, but when you actually hold oobleck in your hand it moves, falls, and slides like a liquid. 

Pip seemed to be listening while I talked about the properties of matter, but perhaps she was just mesmerized by the tie-dyed awesomeness created by the addition of food coloring.

She actively played for 25 minutes and then the mess washed right down the drain. 

Engaged kid + minimal clean up = Happy Mama

Toddler Finger Painting

Those three words make me shudder. 

1.Finger painting is messy

2. Piper loves to cover herself in paint

3. She  doesn't understand the concept of not touching me or our furniture when her hands are covered in paint.

  We do paint hand print pictures often I am in control of how much paint and where the paint goes. Up until today I never let Pip have control of the paint, the canvas, and the art she was creating. 

Enter painting in the bathtub, almost mess free and I don't get covered in paint!

Here' what you do, tape the paper onto the bath tub wall. I squeeze the finger paints into an old muffin tin or baking pan and place the tin in the bathtub. Last, place your little artist in her bathing suit and let her go to town. The best part? She loves it and the paint washes down the drain. 

Moldable Cloud Dough

 We first saw cloud dough at the Please Touch Museum. It's soft like baby powder, moldable like play-doh, and has the coloring of sand. Pip was a big fan of molding, pouring and sculpting cloud dough this summer and when I found a tutorial on how to make it so we could play at home I was sold.

Ingredients:

7 cups of flour (almost a full bag), ours came from Walmart $1.67

1 cup of vegetable oil (another blogger said she has used olive oil and baby oil in the past and it has worked just fine)

Just pour the flour in your bin, add the oil, and have your helper mix until the oil has been combined with the flour. The flour should take on a tan color and be moldable or having the ability to stick/take shape.

Add small containers, spoons, race cars, or other tools that will help you little one pour, measure, and make shapes. I used the pots and pans from her kitchen set, plus my measuring cups.

Cloud dough occupied Pip for 45 minutes of constant play.

We made our cloud dough in a plastic storage bin with a snap on lid. I saved our cloud dough in the bin for use later this week. I'll let you know how it holds up.

Happy Playing!

Laissez les bons temps rouler @ Bunco!

Rene hosted our 2nd meeting of the YAYA Sisterhood of Bunco.

The theme was Mardi Gras and masks were required!

We had 18 ladies attend!

I think it's awesome how our group keeps growing.

I know we all work together, but teaching all day leaves little time for actual talking. And it was awesome to catch up with friends, meet new members of our staff, and get to see each other outside of "teacher mode".

Our new players allowed us to have four different tables.

I wish I could say I spent most of my time at the Queen's Table (aka the winner's table), but sadly I didn't get one Bunco.

The over all winner tonight was Nancy!

She had a total of 7 wins and 4 Buncos!

We crowned our winner with beads and the Queen's hat.

I am so glad we started Bunco!

Girl's night is beyond important and I plan on cramming in as much as I can before Piper makes her arrival.

Learning to sew!

Ever since home-ec class in junior high I have had a desire to learn to sew. In sixth grade I learned to make a pillow and in seventh I made a small tote bag to carry my gym clothes. I begged my mom to let me take sewing class in high school, but she thought AP English was the better elective choice. As usual she was right.

While AP English helped me in college and grad school, I have never learned to sew. I can fix a button and quick stitch an open seem, but that is the extent of my sewing expertise. I would love to be able to make the summer skirts I pay $60 for in J.Crew or the super cute kerchief/maxi dresses I see in Old Navy, American Eagle, and GAP.

I know this sounds incredibly dorky, but I am so excited to find fabric and pattern and buy thread. I also want to learn to monogram. Can you imagine the cute cardigans with my initials?!

I might just becoming a little sweat shop worker this summer locked away in my home office with only the hum of my old fashioned Singer to keep me company. If you have any advice on where to get a few lessons give me a shout!