Learning at the Lagoon

Warming up with a little soccer!
Getting ready for exploration...

Every second Thursday of the month, Education Director Taylor Parker ("The Lagoon Dude", as we affectionately call him:), takes a group of homeschoolers on a marine biology/ecology exploration at the Colorado Lagoon. He has the kids measuring the depth of the water, testing the pH levels and salinity, learning about phytoplankton, sea sponges, sea squirts/brains, sea snails, sea jellies, sting rays, collecting algae, mussels, digging for clams, looking at creatures under microscopes, and identifying birds and plant life (among other things)! Taylor's enthusiasm for marine life is contagious; we learn something new every time and we love learning science "out of the book"!

San Diego Botanic Garden

This week we met up with our good friends in S.D. County and went to the beautiful San Diego Botanic Garden. We visited the Mexican Garden, the Bamboo Garden and Pond, the Herb Garden, the African Garden, the Tropical Rain Forest and Waterfall, the Subtropical Fruit Garden, the California Gardenscapes, and the Children's Garden. Such an incredible place; we could have spent the entire day there and still not seen all of the gardens.

Allie's favorite was the Bamboo Garden, "There were tons of really tall bamboo and bamboo that was red and yellow. It felt like China".

Micayla's favorite was the Mexican Garden. She liked the fountain, the topiary mariachis, and all of the succulents like the agave and aloe vera plants.

Carly liked the Tropical Rain Forest and Waterfall because, "it was really pretty, and really big with lots of lush tropical plants".

Nate loved the Children's Garden where there was a huge tree house, musical instruments to play, and Indian storytelling.

And we all loved the Subtropical Fruit Garden where there were papaya, guava, guava-pineapple, apricot, orange, lychee, peach, olive, avocado, lemon, and a variety of banana trees.

This is definitely a place we'd like to visit again. Many thanks to the Kaihatu family for sharing one of San Diego's treasures with us.

Friday Foot Baths

Friday nights are for relaxing - movies, dessert, and more recently foot baths! We got the idea from a summer issue of Mothering Magazine. We fill tubs up with steaming hot water and we've experimented with adding a combination of Dr. Brommer's Magic Soaps (peppermint or lavender) and/or essential oils and/or epson salts. The baths feel good and smell good too!

Carly says, "Very relaxing and good for healing blisters (from ballet)."

Micayla says, "Your feet feel all fresh afterwards."

Allie says, "Footbaths are really nice and pepperminty."

Nate says, "Can I have a foot bath too?"

If you are looking for some good essential oils, Aunt Jamie happens to sell them! Check out her website at Soma Arts Lounge.

Music Fun!

Nate requested music lessons with Ms. Danuta this year (he remembered her from when Allie took her class a couple of years ago). He goes once a week with a small group of mostly four year olds for a "Music and Movement" class. He loves it! Ms. Danuta has them singing, dancing, naming and counting notes, playing games and instruments. She uses elements of the Orff Shulwerk and Kodaly methods with her approach. If you are interested in checking out one of her many classes for kids, you can call her @ (562)494-1529.

The kids playing xylophones and glockenspiels.

Nate practicing his musical skills at home with the ukulele!

The DaVinci Experience

Did you know that DaVinci was a homeschooler? That he was left handed (and frowned upon because of it)? Last week we studied about Leonardo DaVinci and went to the "DaVinci Experience" at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. DaVinci was a man of many talents; he was an artist, engineer, scientist, inventor, and musician. Many of the things we have in our world today DaVinci imagined and designed over 500 years ago!

Here some of DaVinci's designs were reconstructed and there were lots of hands-on exhibits.

Carly is trying look mysterious and trying not to smile!

Pumpkin Muffins

With Autumn in the air and rainy weather on the horizon we were inspired to bake some pumpkin muffins (thanks to the Zandi family for the idea:). They were delicious! Here is the recipe if you'd like to make some yourself.

Pumpkin Muffins cooking time: 25 - 30 minutes | makes 10 - 12 muffins

These are moist and fluffy, with a hint of molasses and warm spicy flavor.

Ingredients 1 3/4 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can) 1 tablespoon greek plain yogurt 1/2 cup soymilk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons molasses Directions Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin tins. Sift dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry and combine/stir. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Jason Mraz

Last Sunday (October 11th) we headed down the coast to see a Jason Mraz concert in Chula Vista! It was the end of his "Gratitude Cafe Tour". It was a great show, we loved all his new songs; he had a great positive message. Here is a song he played with Finian of "The Makepeace Brothers" that we love (Hero We Need). In this clip they are playing at the Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley- a place we hope to visit next time we are in the Bay area.




And another new song (What Would Love Do), this actual clip was taken at the concert on Sunday!:

(posted by Carly)