Reggie Redbird Party

Strike!  Emma's Reggie Redbird party at the ISU Bowling and Billiards Center was a hit!  This was our first time hosting a friend birthday party, so we were a little nervous.  Reggie Redbird was among the guests.  He attempted to show the kids his skill at bowling.  When he rolled a gutter ball, which was often, the kids ran up to give him a hug and cheer him on during the next roll.  He brought Emma a Reggie bobblehead figurine and several other little souvenirs.  During breaks from bowling, the kids colored Reggie pictures, signed Emma's bowling pin, or played our home-made ball toss game.  The kids also enjoyed Reggie cupcakes (toothpick toppers hand-crafted by yours truly) and drinks.  Emma's friends showered her with fun gifts: arts and crafts projects, Play-Doh, Legos, and Hello Kitty.  As a thank you, Emma let each friend pick a new book to take home.  I was able to order many of Emma's favorites (If You Give a . . . series, Pete the Cat series, Hello Kitty, etc.) through Scholastic.  We also wrote personal thank you notes like the one above to everyone who celebrated with us.  Happy 5th birthday, Emma . . . and go Redbirds!

Sending Valentine Hugs

Emma prepared her Valentine cards for family and friends over the weekend. She signed her name, tucked them in the envelopes, and added the stamps with my help.

Science Experiment 8

The neighborhood kids liked coming over for our summer science experiments so much, that we would be asked/harassed daily. "When is the next science experiment? What will it be?" Well, I didn't have a new one ready, so I quickly found some objects for the classic sink or float experiment. They were all placed in a gift bag. The kids took turns randomly selecting a mystery item from the bag before predicting if it would sink or float. When we ran out of items, the kids asked for more. So I scrounged up a few additional trinkets for a second round.

Science Experiment 6

Scott treated the neighborhood kids to the classic volcano demonstration. After hyping it up for two weeks, he finally constructed it and invited everyone over to watch. Even the adults ventured over to see the explosion!

Science Experiment 5

Question: What will happen when you add salt to soda?

Materials: Soda, salt, cup, spoon

Procedure: Pour a small glass of soda. Sprinkle a spoonful of salt into the cup. Observe.

Results: The soda fizzes.

Conclusion: The salt releases the carbon dioxide from the soda, causing it to rise to the top of the glass and fizz.

Science Experiment 4

You'll only need a balloon and a carbonated beverage in a bottle for this experiment. Place the balloon over the neck of the bottle. Gently shake it. Watch the carbonation fizz and create air that fills the balloon.

Science Experiment 3

For this experiment, we used a raw potato and drinking straws. First, the neighborhood kids each tried to jam a straw into the potato and discovered that the straw bent. Then Scott told them to hold their thumbs over the top of a new straw and try it again. This time the straw easily penetrated the potato. Why? When the thumb covered the end of the straw, it trapped in air, which made the straw a stronger structure. The trapped air prevented the straw from bending. Cool science!

A Stroll on the Quad

Scott has maintained a friendship with his best buds, Matthew and Drew, since he was a toddler. Now we all have our own kids, so it's fun to think of the boys as little ones thirty years ago. We gathered for a weekend reunion at our house in mid-June. One evening we had dinner in Uptown, took a walk around the ISU quad, and enjoyed some ice cream. Scott, Drew, Heather, and I are alums. It was great to reminice, and Drew's reinactment of almost getting decapatated by a massive falling tree branch in front of Fell Hall was one of the highlights.

Summer Trip

Scott, Emma, and I took a trip to visit good friends during one June weekend. Drew and Heather grew up with Scott in Beardstown and now they are raising their two children, Olivia and Jack, in Indiana. Scott's known Drew since he was three, so it is fun to have all of our kids together and watch them play. We chased bubbles, swam in their little pool, drew on doodle boards, rode on push cars, played with a kitchen set, dressed up as fairies, rode a rocking horse, organized Matchbox cars, built with Legos, ironed clothes, read books, and much more. You'd think this would tire a kid out, but not Emma. She was wide awake during the four-hour car rides to and from their house and skipped her nap the full day we were there. Thank goodness Heather suggested a portable DVD player and gave us several of her children's DVDs for the journey home. It was a life saver!

Horsin' Around

Emma's friends, Olivia and Jack, stopped by for a visit while in Beardstown over the Thanksgiving weekend. Princess Olivia gracefully trotted on her royal horse as Emma followed in tow. Jack jubilantly galloped on his wild colt, and again, Emma was in close pursuit. Don't you just love the girls' sweet hug!

Wagon Ride

One of Emma's many birthday gifts was a Radio Flyer wagon. Here she is with her friend, Joan, on an evening stroll. You may recall the shallow-bed, metal version of the Radio Flyer from years past. These days the wagon is plastic with seat backs, seat belts, and cup holders!