What is this and how did it happen?

If I had a prize to give, I would. Can anyone tell me what this is, how it happened, and any science behind it? We froze water. We pulled tray out once frozen. No fanciness involved. It is about an inch long/tall.

The Fairy Superhero Princess Saves the Day for a Ladybug

Once in a while Lil"Bug gets an idea in her head that she must save the world one ladybug/spider/earth worm at a time. This particular day she donned the uniform and went to work.
December in Iowa: no difficulty finding plenty of ladybugs indoors to "save".....


"I shall do the saving, Mama. The ladybug does not want her picture taken. No thank you."

And out the back door went the superhero princess with her bug box. She gently set the bug in her garden. The end.

A Day with Daddy

The title makes it sound like I wasn't around, but I was! I am just in the midst of a grading crunch so my dear Dearest Husband took the call whenever Lil'Bug had "an idea," and I took the pictures!


Here they are planting a baby pumpkin that she's had around for the last couple months (but it was starting to goo.) I told her throw it away or go plant it. She got on her boots and coat and out they went to "her garden"......


Then she wanted to make cripsy chocolate chip cookies....."DADDY!" They make quite the culinary team.


"Ta Da!" and "Yum....." These are by far the most delicious chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten.

UPDATE - it's now november of 2008. that pumpkin came up in august and we couldn't figure out where it came from. HA!

Card Craft Day at Chez Podkayne

I decided to host a craft day at our home. That does not seem like a big deal, but for that we are still doing renovations, it is approaching finals crunch, and I am crazy busy/tired. Our table seats 10-12 so I put an RSVP cap on the invitation posted on our local homeschool forum. I cleaned and cleaned and did laundry like there's no end in sight (well, it's laundry so there really isn't), I got Dearest Husband to put said laundry away, and I got out the craft supplies.

Did I mention our table seats 10-12? Well, sort off. It would if we had more than 3 chairs, which we don't. It was on my to do list to go thrift store shopping for chairs and I didn't. I did, however, realize my mistake the night before and sent out an SOS email, to which H. at minimemoirs responded and saved the day with 6 folding chairs. Whoo Hoo!


Other than that, we had an ultrasound rescheduled for the AM of that day, so when I got home I started vacuuming like a mad woman. Still vacuuming when mamas started arriving, but they were cool with that.

Then the artsy fun began. The mamas set up, the kids descended on the table, crafted it up old school with glitter, glue, and card stock, and then they were off again! The rest of the afternoon was spent kids playing all over the house and mamas crafting at the table. Very cool. I got lots of pictures- (I don't generally post others' kids on my blog without asking and I forgot to ask!) * edited to add wheelchairmama's adorable boys! Everyone agreed that my house is perfect for such a gathering and that we should do it on a regular basis. After the holidays I will decide, but I think I will do it. It's just the perfect thing for Lil'Bug (and me) to have some group time now that park days are on winter/cold hiatus.




The kids left me a cool mural with bath paints in the bathtub, some extra handmade ornaments on the tree, and very happy that we belong to such a cool community.