Dingoden Family Outback Yapper: 12/2008

Going on a Hike at the Telegraph Station

Logan has been asking to go on a nature walk. It turned out to be a mild, beautiful day so we packed a lunch and headed to the Telegraph Station after Elora's morning nap. We hiked up to the top of Trigg Hill and had a picnic. Elora was getting fidgety and wanted to explore on her own so we hurried down and then spent another hour or so wandering around in the grass near the Todd River (there was actually a bit of water in the river).

Trigg Hill Walk

Going on a Nature Walk

Logan looked for new critters after our hike. He found several live cicadas and a fat little frog.

Telegraph Station

We spent time after our hike just hanging out near the springs at the Telegraph Station. Delenn made a miniture cubby house out of sticks and bark.

The Christmas Scene

Christmas Day

Young Magpie

We found a young magpie hopping around our yard. It
does not yet fly. We took care of it until we found
out from our "expert" friends, Nicola and Peter, what
to do with it. Nicola and Peter hand raised a magpie
who they named Stuart.

Middi the Magpie-lark

Logan named the little bird "Middi" on the way over to Nicola and Peter's house. If this bird keeps this same coloring, it is a female (males have a black throats). The magpie-lark is smaller than the magpie and has a smaller, thinner beak than the magpie. Since Nicola and Peter have a magpie which is much bigger and more aggressive, they plan to (hopefully) feed Middi, but let her go when she's big enough to fly. She doesn't have her flight feathers, which is why she only was able to get about a foot or so off the ground. According to Nicola, once a Murray magpie falls out of the nest, the parents often abandon it.

The magpie-lark pair for life. Breeding is opportunistic. In drier climates such as ours, mating occurs after rains (we sure had enough of that in November!) According to a wikipedia article, the magpie-lark is one of only about 200 bird species that sing in duet. Each partner produces a note a second, but a half-second part so that it sounds like one bird singing. Not much research has been done about duet-singing though since in the northern hemisphere "a fairly small number of female birds sing." (That's what the article says.)

Logan hopes to go back and feed Middi some crushed up meal-worms. Hopefully Nicola and Peter are able to nurture the little fellow. It's demanding work; they had to feed their magpie, Stuart, every half-hour or so). I sure hope we didn't just ruin their summer holiday!

Merry Christmas!

Elora

Happy Holidays!

Elora's Walking!!

In the past week, Elora has impressed all. Last Sunday (Dec. 14, age 10
months/11days) she began to shuffle along behind a push toy. As the
week progressed she got better and better at walking and pushing the toy
across the back porch. Then in the past two days (Saturday Dec. 20 and
Sunday Dec. 21) she has begun to take tentative steps without holding on
to anything. This evening, for example, she stood up in the middle of
the room holding onto her pajamas. The pajamas trailed between her
legs, but despite stepping on the pjs a couple times managed to make her
way about two feet to the couch. We realized we'd better write this
down because at this rate she'll be running next Sunday!!

Weird Science Experiments for Kids

I found out about this website that has wonderful hands-on experiments for kids ages 5-11. http://weirdsciencekids.com/ When you get to the site, you'll see an introduction explaining the Weird
Science Kids Program. Use the menu at the top of the screen and click on "Fun Experiments. " http://weirdsciencekids.com/FunExperiments.html A new page opens with a menu of enticing Chemistry and Earth Science activities such as:

*Fake Blood
*Ink and Secret Messages
*Make Your Own Fire Extinguisher
*Snowstorm In A Can
*Make Your Own Rain
*Why is The Sky Blue
*Mentos Geyser
*Color Changing Milk
*Make A Hovercraft
*Taco Sauce Penny Cleaner
*Exploding Water in the Microwave
*Killer Dry Ice Experiments
*Suck an Egg into a Bottle
*Alka Seltzer Rocket
*Silly Putty
*Bubble Bomb

I think Logan and Delenn would really enjoy a lot of these experiments and am hoping to incorporate these into our homeschooling next semester. Logan and Delenn just came over to see what I was doing and after I showed them, they said they wanted to do the ecosystem in a bottle "RIGHT NOW!" as Delenn exclaimed!

We did an arts-and-crafts project today as a Christmas present for Daddy. I know I mentioned this before, but http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/ has a new craft project posted every week.

A Morning at the Desert Park

So Mom, how did they get all these caterpillars to live here [at the Desert Park]? asks Logan.

Logan and Delenn were as much excited by the caterpillars
they kept finding as by the birds and animals on exhibit!

Elora loved the nocturnal house

She kept crawling from exhibit to exhibit
and was very excited by everything. She
really had a great time. And needless-to-say,
she sure was tired out after our morning out
and about!

Antarctica Resources

Most Kindergarteners learn about their world starting with their community and moving outward. We've done the opposite. We have talked about the Milky Way Galaxy, Solar System, planets, Earth (the core, mantle, crust, etc.) and are now starting in on the continents. I asked Logan which one he'd like to start with and he shouted enthusiastically "Antarctica." These are some of the resources I may be using -- and am posting it here mostly for my own benefit.

Discovering Antarctica Website:
With wonderful activities about Antarctica (such as "Imagine you are in Antarctica, taking these photos..." and "Who's Looking at You? Identify the animals")
http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/resources.php?media=pdf&page_name=home&#pdf

Video Clips of Antarctica:
Scenery -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc1_scenery.html
Icebergs -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc2_iceberg.html
Antarctic Mountains, Plane flying around-- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc10_plane_mtn.html
Melting scene -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc3_melting.html
Antarctic Penguins -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc4_pengsdiving.html
Antarctic Seals -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc5_sealpup.html
Antarctic Ship -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc7_shipicebreak.html
Fly over of the Antarctic Research Stations -- http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/downloads/cc8_planeland.html

Antarctica in 5 Minutes, YouTube video -- http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VwADGPfjerI&NR=1

Life of Antarctica, YouTube video -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzrJgkW_9w8

Unit Study on Antarctica:

website resources, prepared lesson plans, activities to do with the kids

http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1077.html

Free Thematic Units on the Continents:

Downloadable units that have information abou the continents location, size, countries, topography, climate, etc. written on a 7-10 year old level. (Plus word hunts and other activities too advanced for Logan.)

http://schoolexpress.com/category_Thematic_Geography.htm

On Top Of An Iceberg

(Sung to: "On Top of Old Smoky")

Original Author Unknown

On top of an iceberg, All covered with snow,
I saw my first, penguin And I wanted to know.
Oh is it a bird,
Or is it a fish?

I looked at his feathers,
And knew which was which.

I said, "Mr. Penguin,
Which species are you?"
He said, "I'm an emperor,
And not a gentoo."

I said, "Mr. Penguin,
What's under you patch?"
He said, "It's an egg,
It's ready to hatch!"

I said, "Mr. Penguin,
Oh, where is your wife?"
"She's out in the ocean,
She'll be back tonight."

Said Mr. Penguin,
"Her name is Jill.
She's out in the ocean,
Feeding on krill."

The next thing I knew,
I heard a small peep.
And I saw a chick,
At the emperor's feet!

(Info about emperor and gentoo penguins -- http://library.thinkquest.org/26442/html/life/bird.html#Penguins)

Santa Comes to Kindergym

Making Christmas Ornaments in Kindermusik

We had fun in the Imagine That kindermusik class making
cinnamon Christmas Ornaments. The recipe is really neat --

1 cup cinnamon
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg.

Mix together, roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Use a straw
to poke a hole where the string will go. Dry for 5-7 days.

It sure smelled lovely in the kitchen!

The Christmas Ornaments are Drying

A Morning at the Telegraph Station

Cicadas and Frogs, Oh My!

We went to the Telegraph Station and had
a wonderful time catching cicadas. Logan
and Delenn found a nymph and caught several
adult cicadas.

The frogs were also out in huge numbers because
of the abundance of rain we had several weeks
ago. Logan probably caught about 15 and Delenn
caught 5 on her own.

Of course, Mom took the opportunity to talk
about the cicadas' and frogs' life cycles. We
read a book about frogs and had some information
from Enchanted Learning about cicadas and
frogs.

There were hundreds of frogs in the grass

Catching more frogs and tadpoles

Logan even found a froglet -- see the little tail

What a HUGE frog!

In the picture below, it looks like Christina has spotted
the biggest one yet!

Then off to hear some music

After our morning at the Telegraph Station
we went to Alice Plaza to hear some Christmas
music. First there was a choir, then a dance group
and then the band played. Our friend, Marg, is
conducting (middle picture). Marg place the flute
in the Alexandria Quartet (the wind ensemble
Mom plays in). The trumpet player is Peter, who
plays French horn with Mom in the wind ensemble.

Delenn and Logan make masks for Kindermusik

Kindermusik Activities

Top picture--the kids each took a turn "writing" a note.
Christian is making an "E" with a plate and piece of material.

Bottom picture--Everyone watched a scene from "Amadeus"
when they were at a masquerade ball. Then in the pictures
below the kids danced to waltz music with their own masks.

Dancing at Kindermusik

Playing Store

The Milky Way Galaxy

Logan has been learning about the Milky Way Galaxy, solar system and
planets the past week or so. Today when Delenn was painting a picture
she told me that she was painting the Milky Way Galaxy "and there" she
said rather deliberately, "is the sun!" A little while later while
eating a snack the conversation rolled around to which planet we all
were, "Well I'm Earth," said Logan. Delenn said, "I'm going to be
Neptune." It's amazing what they pick up.

Having Friends over for a Play

Connell, Seth, Delenn, Logan with Elora

The Cicada...

Delenn found a live cicada. We first posed for pictures with
it (it's in Logan's hand). Took a close up picture and then
created a cicada home for it -- complete with a branch
so it could climb upwards.