Science Fair!

We are participating in an online Science Fair. It is sponsored by an unschooling family out east of us and is a really neat idea. April 19th just post your project on your blog, let the sponsor know, and we'll all be linked together!

It is a very cool idea. I can't wait to be inspired by what others are doing for our summer science here at Chez Podkayne. We have lots of ideas for our own, but feel free to snag one!

So far Lil'Bug likes the idea of studying rockets and building one. Or catching bugs and then finding out what each one eats and attempting to find them food. Each has lots of possibilities and variations. We've also considered baking cookies. Or making our own paint. Or or or.......we'll decide by the end of the week or we will do all of them! ;)

Updates

H. had her baby and they are doing as well as can be expected. Little J is in the NICU and H. is recovering. I remember after my C-Section with Lil'Bug feeling like I failed and worried and scared and that definitely led to Postpartum Depression. Couple that with our struggle to breastfeed and I was a mess. BUT she wasn't in NICU.

Families whose children begin their life in NICU have an incredible amount of courage and strength. Such I can only admire and pray for if I will ever need it. H. is a great mom and friend and my best thoughts are with her and her family today.

Microwave-less

We don't have a microwave. A conversation earlier today reminded me of that. I miss microwave popcorn, burnt or no. But that's about it.

I don't miss cleaning chili splatters out. I don't miss the evil buzzing or the flickering lights. I don't miss microwave meals.

I could say we did it for high and mighty reasons like the fact that they use a LOT of electricity even when they are not "on" or that the heating method kills proteins and nutrients in food. But neither were our reasons. I've heard of other reasons too, like the radiation can cause x, y, and z. Still, not why we nixed it.

Ours broke. That's it. We just never replaced it. We intended to at first but soon realized that we were living quite well without it. Sometimes thawing meat required extra planning and I couldn't quickly warm up a cold cup of tea, but those didn't seem like good reasons to buy a new one. Our electric bill has gone down about 3$ a day since then (do the math on that one: $1,095 a year!) . Though, I'm not sure it is the only reason for the decrease, that is a nice thought. So our laziness (in replacing said appliance) saved us some cash. That's cool.

Still, people look at us like we have two heads when I say we don't have a microwave. Eh, two heads are better than one?

Wednesday Smiles

Today.

Today. I am much calmer in my heart. This week we had an awesome play date, got the house back in order (mostly and mostly today). We have another tea time scheduled for tomorrow. We joined a virtual Science Fair. I got my DMACC website fixed mostly and caught up mostly. I am so ready for the end of term but also nervous for the start of summer term with new baby in arms. We made butter and through an accident made it better. Whoo hoo!

By another happy accident Dearest left the 8ft ladder in his office and Lil'Bug climbed it to reach the top of the bookcase and is now surrounded by Star Wars "rocket ships" and playing happily with all the little parts and guys. Apparently Jawa's make the best pilots. She overheard us discussing rockets this morning as an option for the Science Fair and it is the idea she likes best, right now. That or bugs and what they eat. She likes that one too.

So right now we are just putting around the house, tidying up, folding laundry, wiping things down with oil or vinegar (depends on the surface) and just generally dancing about. (MXPX cover album is our cleaning music of choice today).

Underneath our merriment is a worry about our friend H. and her new baby. They went in for a C-Section Tuesday morning, a month earlier than her due date. We've not heard how they are doing and there is a privacy thing at the hospital (as there should be). So, a quote has been floating around my head this morning....."Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength." -- Corrie Ten Boom

So today I am praying for blessings for them instead of worrying. She'll update us soon enough, as her priority is her baby and family and not us blogosphere worry warts! :)