Go Go Gadgets

I really like how you can have "Gadgets" on your desktop in Windows 7.  I love the Facebook Gadget that lets me see what all the new posts are without having to log in all of the time, and I can quickly "like" and comment on things without having to log in.  I also LOVE the Pandora gadget as I like to have a variety of music available at my fingertips.  The clock one is practical, and for some reason someone put the CPU usage one up and I never took it down.  The kids thought it was hilarious when they downloaded the "HAL" Gadget and like to randomly push the Hal button and get the Computer from the movie " 2010 a Space Odyssey" to say random things from the movie.
  I recently purchased a number of wireless Sony S-air speakers and have placed them throughout my home so that I may enjoy music, Recorded books and such throughout my home.  My younger two kids had the idea that I should play what we refer to as "sleepy time music" when it was time to go to bed.  New age and instrumental stuff that is relaxing.  This worked pretty well, except I thought it would be great to find a gadget that was a timer that turned off the computer.  It was a good idea in theory.  It was pretty easy to find a gadget online, download and install it.  I entered the countdown  and selected the sleepy station I had set up in Pandora.  This was going to be great.  I could slip into bed, relax and the computer would turn itself off in half an hour.  Soon I was drifting off to sleep in a calm and soothing musical environment breathing deeply and being nearly engulfed in waves of sleep.

BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP!!!!! Sirens like something from a star Trek episode made me jump out of bed looking for attacking Klingon's.  The darn timer had an alarm to warn that it was about ready to shut down It was about three times the volume of the music playing.  So much for drifting off to a sound slumber.
 

Seeing Clearly Again

I finally took Natalie in to the eye doctor last month (she had been squinting alot) and her glasses came today.  Horray!!! she wanted these new ones that you can turn the sides to show a different design.  What will they think of next!

Click photo to see what the other design is 

I think it is good to get a clear perspective on the world once in a while and see things as they really are.

Toys in the Yard



My yard is under construction... it has been for the last 40 years, I suppose, judging from an ariel photo taken in the '70's. that it has never really been all landscaped.  It's OK we kind of live in the country, but for a photographer who dreams of being able to take portraits in her back yard there is allot of work to do before we get there.  That said, we just put in a pond in our back yard, and I have been having a great time playing back there.  I pulled out some of my Old-School toys  and went out back to play.



Pond with reflection



With Polarizing Filter You can see the fish and rocks



You can also use a polarizing filter like a ND filter to slow your shutter speed





Normal shot

What the sky does with a polarized filter

close up of water lily



favorite front yard flower



Had to mess around with the aperture to get the focus right



Burn Barbie, Burn

There are those days that I find myself wondering if my children are normal, or if they just take the art of learning and exploring the world around them a little too far.  A few years ago when my oldest son was in Webelos (scouts) they had a ceremony where they got his neckerchief wet with water and rubbing alcohol and lit it on fire.  There were lots of ooohs and aahhhhs and I thought that was the end of that.  Fast foreword a few years and one day I overheard my children discussing doing their own experiment using water, rubbing alcohol, and fire. (They are all either little scientists or Pyromaniacs... or both)  First they talked about using a stuffed animal and decided that they couldn't part with one...because our beloved Neighbor is the one that gives them stuffed animals (beanie babies).
Next was a long discussion about the material that different objects were made of and whether or not they would ignite since they don't absorb water.
They all came to the conclusion that Barbie would make a good test subject, and that it would be especially exciting if her hair started on fire.  Natalie didn't want to part with any of her Barbie dolls, so when we were at the store today she found a knock-off Barbie for $1.
Here is the note that she left for her sister:

click to enlarge

...All in the name of Scientific learning.

FHE Ideas

I'm always looking for new ideas for activities and lessons for Family Home Evening.  Most of the time we try to do something on Monday night, or another night of the week as a family.  Many times we simply watch something on TV as an activity, which is really kind of lame.  Here are some of the fun things that we have done:

• Family Fun center (mini-golf/laser tag etc)
• Launching model rockets/air compressor rockets
• Engineering night
• Playing Wii as a family (I like 100 pin bowling)
• Board games
• Cooking some tasty treats... and sharing with our neighbors
• Family Home Depot ... this is one we do allot since we are always in the middle of some sort of home improvement project ( Trip to Home Depot to buy building supplies with a gospel discussion in the truck and then a treat after)

• Another thing that we have done, which is new, is to read Missionary Blogs.  It's a new thing that some Missions in the church are doing.  Check out some of them Here:  Official Missionary Blogs  It's really neat to see what these young Missionaries have to say about their service and the Gospel.  Besides the teenagers don't mind learning about gospel things, especially when they involve computers (...we're kind of nerdy at our house)

What fun things have you done for FHE?