56 Days

Brand new jeans for Christmas.  It's February.

Scientists in the House!

Science Fair is not optional at our house- not when Jason Payne is your father.  Fortunately they (all of them) love it.  The kids love spending time with Dad and working on a project together.  

This was the first year that Allie had to do it for a grade.  She wondered if there was a correlation between the weight of a chamisa gall and the mortality rate of the larva inside.  It was really fun that not many people (teachers/judges especially) even knew that there was a baby fly inside.

Luke's project was actually a scientific demonstration (4th and 5th grade have to do experiment vs. a scientific demonstration).  He made a crystal radio- A RADIO- out of an oatmeal container!  He could pick up two or three radio stations with it.  I was really excited and proud of him.  Did the judges get it?  I don't know if he spoke loud enough for them to understand.

 Wesley's experiment was "Which Rocket will go the highest?"  I think you can learn A LOT about my husband by looking at the Science Fair projects of his children.  Anyway Wesley shot off 3 rockets and thought the black one would go the highest.  It was the white one in the end.

 Cool flames!  Notice anything ironic in the background?  How funny and (initially) coincidental.

Wyatt's experiment?  How cute can a baby be when he climbs in a basket?  Results: Soooo CUTE!!!  Very scientific and conclusive.

It has certainly been a busy several weeks culminating with this past Friday when Jason and I both got to be judges down at the school.  That was so fun to talk with the kids about their projects!  We did not judge our own children though- in case you were wondering.  Fun but I am glad it is over now!

My exhausted scientists.

Out hiking with Wes

It is early Saturday morning and Wes and I are above our house in Love Cave canyon hiking to the big white rock.  We stopped to eat a snack.  The other kids stayed home- Luke's foot hurt and it was too early for Allie...

Outfoxing the fox

On our way home from science fair tonight we saw this big guy on the wall of this home two doors down from ours.  The man in the house eventually came to the window, probably after wondering why there was a van idling with a pile of kids outside.  We all stayed and watched this fox eat something out of the bowl on the wall for quite awhile.

This fox is an old friend after all.  Remember the photo we took of him last year in our back yard by our poor chickens?

All of the sudden we noticed a cat beneath the retaining wall by the sidewalk.  We were all excited about nature's lessons unfolding before our eyes.  The cat eventually jumped up on the wall and we thought he was a goner.  But no, that was his food bowl I suppose and he wound up chasing the fox off!

Evening ritual

You'll never want to brush your teeth at our house again...

Wesley's birthday date

Wesley chose Golden Corral for his birthday date- yuck but good?

Somehow we convinced him he wanted to watch the Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  We all thought it was great!