More pics from ice skating/bonfire

Ice Skating and a Craft

I belong to a "Creative Cirle" group that meets about twice a month. And whereas most women at it crochet, some of others do other crafts. So, I made the above "paper" dolls for Isabel to play with in the tub at our last meeting. The idea came from Serving Pink Lemonade. I thought this idea was genius. It sticks so good. She stayed in the bathroom for 45 minutes playing with these dolls, well, until her baby brother woke up and I stuck him in there with her and he amputated an arm on one of the dolls, but that is simple enough to make another one.

These are pictures from skating tonight. I planned out a playgroup family event at a skating park that has a bonfire on Saturday nights. It was so much fun to roast hotdogs and marshmallows in January. I hope we can get out to do this one more time this season. I am sure we'll get out ice skating more, but the bonfire is what I am talking about. We had seven families join us.

Isabel Meets Baby Dina

Isabel was so excited to meet baby Dina. My friend Cheri gave birth to Dina 2 weeks ago.

3 Other Below Zero Science Experiments

These were so much fun to do, mainly I think because I had never done them before and so I was able to experience them for the first time with Isabel.

They are all relatively simplet to do.

The bubble experiment is just blowing bubbles in the air and if it's cold enough they freeze and don't pop when they touch the ground, or don't fully pop. The picture of the single bubble is a full bubble; the picture of multiple bubbles are actually popped but they stayed frozen and the open part is where it "popped'. Then Isabel was touching them to see what happens when she pops them and basically what we found out is that it flakes away. Here we are teaching how the cold air turns a liquid into a solid. Very interesting.

This next experiment ideas came to us compliments of our friend Rebecca who had done it earlier in today. You blow up a beach ball as full as you can, then place it outside and watch as the ball implodes, this happens quite quickly at -20 below. Once it looks like it is done sinking in, bring it in the house and watch as it appears to reinflate. Then you can talk about how the cold makes the air molecules contract and heat makes them expand. We talked about this while the ball was outside and when I explained what was happening, she knew exactly what would happen to the ball.

For the egg experiment you crack an egg outside ( I did it in a pie tin) and time it to show how long it takes to freeze. This demonstrates how fast frostbite can happen. Then to take it a step further, when you unthaw it you can explore how part of the egg changed in color & consistency due to frostbite. What we found is that it immediately stated freeezing on the thin edges right after we cracked it into the pie tin (which was in the house, could you imagine if we had frozen the pie tin first). Then at 12 minutes, all but the thickest parts were frozen. At 20 minutes the entire thing was one very solid frozen mass and you could see thta part of the egg were changing color due to the frostbite. We brought it inside and after 20 minutes it was still mostly frozen. So, Isabel decided to experiment with 1st blowing bubbles on it (which did nothing to help thaw) and then putting liquid soap on it (which did nothing to help thaw) and finally put warm water on it (which thawed it, these were all her own ideas to try), but then we found that the discolored areas stayed that way and their consistency changed as well in the frostbit area.

What fun experiments! But now we are staying indoors the rest of the day. It's 1:30pm and we haven't reached 0 yet.

Below 0 Experiments - Boiling Water

Today was the perfect day to try a few science experiments in below 0 weather, since we are significantly below zero (with windchill it feels like -35.)

First thing I learn is it needs to be boiling water, not just hot water. Hot water only steams a little bit, but boiling water steams alot and most of the water pretty much just evaporates immediately.

I did a couple videos of it (I had 3 mugs of boiling water in my teapot, so we did this 3 times.)

Here is Take 1 of the Experiment and Take 2 of the Experiment.

Craft Projects

Yesterday morning we got to stay at home (it's nice to have those mornings once a week!) and we did some crafting and made some footprint & handprint creatures.

Below I made some felt food for the kids' kitchen in the playroom. I worked on these last night at Creative Circle. Most everyone else knits or crochets, but I brought this along to work on.

Now, to give credit for these ideas:

Hand/Foot Print Moose: Little Learners Lounge

Foot Print Butterfly: Just for Fun

Hand/Foot Print Lobster: Just for Fun

Tri-Colored Felt Bow-Tie Pasta: Frugal Family Fun

Felt Fried Egg: Chasing Marcus (I want to do the bacon on this website, but I need to go buy different colors of felt than I have.)

Win an iPad!

Go to Frugal Family Fun Blog to enter to win an iPad and an assortment of children’s books courtesy of Target!

Ice Skating & Kicksledding

We had an active weekend. We really needed to get out of the house & burn off some energy and it's so much easier to do that on the weekend when daddy is home to hang out with Henry since he wouldn't be able to take being in the cold as long, he'll get there, just not this year.

So, yesterday we first went swimming as a family (all four of us) at an area community center pool. Then it was home for supper and then I took Isabel ice skating at our snow park. Just as we arrived a youth group came to play broomball and they let us borrow some and I grabbed a ball out of our trunk and we played some ourselves. Although, I think Isabel's favorite thing to do it to play tag with me (although, she always wants to be it, which is fine because I can skate around more.)

Today we started out the afternoon with kicksledding (see the picture below) and it was quite the workout. Last year we did kicksledding on an icy path & this year we were in the snow, so there is a lot more drag which is a lot more work. We went to River Bend to do this.

Next up was swimming again as a family, home for supper, then off to Morehouse park to do some ice skating & ice hockey there with friends. We decided that we are going to plan a family event to come back on Saturday (weather permitting) as a family event when they have their bonfire and w can bring marshmallows and hot dogs to roast. How fun is that!

After Supper Projects

The idea for this project came from Frugal Family Fun. It was simple and fun to do. And Isabel loved how shiny her snowflakes were. I might try this activity again, letting her use sequins instead of tinfoil so that thye can be colorful & shiny!

The other thing we did last night (which usually we try to do on Monday morning) is her Scholastic reader that I subscribe too for us. And finally she played with some play-doh.

Pile'o Pillows & Blankets

It's her new thing. She like to watch tv in a cave made out of blankets and pillows.

Snow Play

Yesterday we went to play at a snow fort & hill that a friend's neighbor created in an empty lot in their neighborhood. It was so neat & so much fun. Isabel loved playing hide & seek in the tunnels & caverns.

Learn to Skate Class

Tonight I took Isabel to a Learn to Skate class. It was bring a friend free night and I thought we would try it out. She did pretty good, but she's been on the ice before and does better and better every time. She had a good time and she really enjoyed watching the older ice skaters there. I kinda wish we could put her in the class, but it costs roughly $13 a class (for a half hour class). That is just too much money for a class. I will just have to take her ice skating and she'll have to figure stuff out on her own or from watching others. Sorry baby girl, but figure skating is not something mommy & daddy will be paying for.

First Dance Class

She is the one on the far end in the back row. I am afraid she got her rhythm from mom. Let's just say it's not a strong suit of mine. But this was her first time in dance class, so I could be wrong. She said she had fun and was a very good listener. It is a community education dance class, so it is held in an elementary school gym. There will be a recital at the end, which I will let interested parties know about. Anyone is welcome to come view.

Christmas at the S Family

Isabel is more willing to open presents (well, eager to, in fact) and willing to pose for pictures. So, I was able to get some more pictures of her this day than of her brother.

McD's Playland - Abbotsford, WI