Note: This project is what we have done over a few months and put together to look like a week. It is by no means a normal week in our lives.
Dear Peanut,
Friday
I arrived at my destination in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on a Friday. The children did not have school that day. We read books about Mt. Rushmore because the Havens will be visiting there this summer. I learned why the men were chosen to be on the mountain. George Washington was chosen because he represents the birth of our nation. Thomas Jefferson was chosen because he represents the growth of our nation. Abraham Lincoln represents the preservation of our nation. Theodore Roosevelt represents the development of our nation. I learned that the mouths on the sculptures are 18 feet wide. We figured out that is the length of the Haven’s living room! Their noses are 20 feet long! Over 400 men and women helped make Mt. Rushmore. The faces were sculpted in the mountain to help bring people to see the beauty of the area.
Later I spent some time reading Geronimo Stilton The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid with JD. It is a story about a mouse who is a detective. You should check the series out.
After lunch we put some nuts and fruit and birdseed in bowls and put them inside a box to set on the deck for our squirrel friends. I helped take it out to the deck. We will check to see if we have/had any visitors.
Saturday
I spent the morning doing science experiments with the Havens using the book, I’m A Scientist: Kitchen by Louise Burke. We did experiments testing density with syrup, honey, colored water and oil. We also tested salt water and plain water.
We used balloons to experiment with static electricity. Pepper was attracted to the charged balloon, salt was not. JD used his charged balloon to attract a can making it roll. JR stuck his balloon to the wall. It stayed up for 5 minutes.
We made bridges out of paper and tested their strength. The flat bridge fell down with just one dime. The arched bridge held two dimes. Both the girder and corrugated bridges held all 30 of our dimes but the corrugated looked stronger. The top of the girder started to bow.
Sunday
I went to check out Sunday School at Andover Christian Church. I was in JD’s class. We learned about the Samaritan Women at the Well. Of course JD had already studied this story in Bible Bowl with you last year so he was able to answer lots of questions.
After church we went up front to check out the Hargrove Chimes. I met Kirk Hargrove.
The chimes have been passed down in his family for generations and have traveled all over. The tallest chime was taller than JJ. The set of chimes has a full three octaves. The chimes are metal but the bottoms are wood. The stem of the chimes fits in a hole in the wood. When the chimes are shaken they make the sound. The player has to shake as long as they want the sound because it doesn’t hold. Each chime has four cylinders each plays the same note in a different octave. The chimes are made of a special alloy and don’t have to be tuned ever. I am brining home more information about the chimes.
Monday
Today I met JD’s cousins, the Stetzels. LA, CD, and RW went with us to the Mall of America. So did Aunt Kim and Granny Walter. We ate lunch at the Rainforest Café. It was a lot of fun. Every 10 minutes robot gorillas came to life. Every 20 minutes there was a thunderstorm. It was very cool to see.
There was a seahorse exhibit, stingrays, jellyfish, and starfish which we got to touch. We went through a tunnel and saw sharks, giant turtles, and stingrays go over our heads. I am bringing home a shark egg (what is left after it hatched). When they wash up on shore they are called mermaid purses.
We spent some time at the mall visiting the American Girl Store and Lego. I had my picture taken with Kaya.
Tuesday
I went with JJ to her Raising Young Scientists class at Arbor View Early Childhood Center. On the way there we passed the warehouse where Mr. Haven sometimes works.
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| Caterpillar warehouse |
Before class we were able to spend a few minutes playing on the playground.
The class today was about animals. We learned that polar bears have black skin to soak up the heat of the sun. We painted black polar bears white like their fur. We used our noses to smell different scents because some animals have a really good sense of smell.
We practiced catching “flies” with sticky tape because frogs have sticky tongues.
We made an alligator puppet and played with toy animals. We also had some time for pretend play. The classroom had some fun stuff to play with.
The class ended with group time where we talked about some animals who look similar but are different like crocodiles and alligators and frogs and toads. Then we sang some songs and came home.
Wednesday
I went on a school field trip to The Works Museum in Bloomington, Minnesota with JD’s class. We had a lot of fun in the How Toys Work exhibit. I discovered how an etch-a-sketch works.
We also learned about pulleys, magnets, light, and gears. There were lots of fun things to do upstairs.
Later we went downstairs into a classroom. We experimented with making our own circuits. We were given a small battery, some wires, and small light bulbs, motors, and noise makers. We made simple circuits but also tried making series and parallel circuits. To end our time at the museum we made a motor powered fan.
Thursday
We went to Target Center to see Disney on Ice.
Ice skaters portrayed the stories of The Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, and Tangled. Jonathon’s favorite part was the ending when all the Princes and Princesses came out and danced with Mickey and Minnie. They accepted Rapunzel and Eugene into the Princess family.
We ended the evening with sundaes at Culvers.
Now I am ready to come home.
Love, Stanley
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