Gooey Gunk

by Allie

Nate and I found this really cool book called The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions. I flipped through the book and then I found the perfect recipe! It is called Gooey Gunk. Then we had to find what we would needed for the goo. Luckily, we had all of the ingredients.

It called for:

(solution A)

1 cup water

1 cup white glue

7 drops of food coloring

(solution B)

1 1/3 cups of warm water

4 tsp. borax laundry booster

Here's how to make it:

*Mix ingredients in solution A together in a bowl

*In another bowl mix the ingredients in solution B together (until Borax is dissolved)

*Slowly pour solution A into solution B (do not mix)

*Roll solution A around in solution B 4- 5 times (I used my hand)

* Lift solution A out of solution B and knead for 2-3 minutes

*play and store in an airtight container when you are done

*Don't wear your favorite sweater while making this (but it will come off in the wash if you do).

When I first took the goo out of the bowl with water in it, it was really gooey and it was kind of gross, but it was fun to play with. When I kneeded it, it became less watery. The goo became slimy and stretchy.

"Allie made a gum factory and I made a burrito and pancake factory. It was fun!" - Nate

The Interpretive Center

Lately, after going to Ms. Paula's for art, we've been stopping by the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. It is a really neat nature center located in the Newport Beach Upper Bay area. The bay is just gorgeous and it's fun to hike around and spot animals, as well as go inside the center and learn about how ecosystems work, life in a salt marsh, and other facts. You can also go on the top of the building and look through some cool binoculars for free! When we were hiking around, we saw some bunnies, a prairie dog, butterflies, lizards, a hawk, and a coyote! The Interpretive Center is an adventure that is well worth it!

On a side note, my Ecommercial is going to be screened there, along with the 14 other finalists in the LEAF (Leaders of Environmental Action Films) contest on Sunday for their Earth Day Celebration! Stop by if you're in the neighborhood! :)
Can you "I-Spy" the coyote?

Allie checking out an exhibit inside the center.


We were excited to see this photo of a burrowing owl because we are reading the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (we highly recommend this novel)!

post by Carly

Kid$ Market

We went to a kid$ market with a bunch of homeschoolers. It was really fun!

I made Sculpey clay stuff like little sandwiches, birds and nests with eggs.

Micayla and I both sold little treasure bags, each with a teeny tiny basket in it (they were kind of like these fairy whimsey bags).

Micayla also sold postcards that she made. The postcards have pictures on them that she took, like a dragonfly, a flower, and a dandelion that are really really close up.

Carly made and sold her Doodlehead cards that are so cute.

Nate sold some playdoh that he made and he sold stuffed animals.

We all had a great time!!!

By Allie~

Lilac Farm

We went to a really awesome Lilac Farm in Acton, California. There were rows and rows of lilac bushes, some were in full bloom and others were just buds. Kate - our tour guide, told us that they can only sell the lilacs that are still in buds because people like them to last longer in their homes, we got to keep some of the already-opened ones.

Kate also said that once the lilacs are in a vase you can put hot water in them to make them last longer, but while they are still in the ground they need to be watered with very cold water. When putting lilacs in a vase, she told us that you need to cut a slit down the middle of the stem so then the water can reach the pipes that lead to the buds - because lilacs have a woody stem unlike daisies or roses.

We all got some nice photos of the flowers but the bees really caught my eye, here are a few of the photos that I took:

If you are interested in seeing more of my photos - or possibly purchasing a photo, please visit:

4seasonsphotography

~posted by Micayla~

Robotics Convention

Last Friday we went on a field trip to a Robotics Convention that took place at the Long Beach Arena. We met our friends there, who competed recently in San Diego - here is the link to their website if you'd like to check out their team.

The field of robotics is really a whole other world. We walked into the arena and got to go into the pit where the teams vamped up their robots for the competitions, made adjustments, and handed out awesome goodies. They were dressed in their team colors, and they had mascots and everything!

Much goes into the robotics competitions. Teams have to be resourceful and apply for grants and/or find sponsors; the kit to make the robot alone is 6,000 dollars! But competitors will tell you that it's worth putting your time into. Through the designing and engineering of the robots, team members learn mathematics, science, electronics, and teamwork among other things. Then once you compete, you can go far! A la High School Musical "We're All In This Together"! Right?!

Here are some photos from the experience!

A homeschool team with their robot.

Nate checking out this team's mini-bot.

The arena!

-Written by Carly

*Note - Our friends are thinking about building another robot sometime later this year. Let us know if you know of any homeschooled teens who would be interested.