A SNOWY DAY

Yesterday, we got our first snowy day of the season, and I must say it started off with a bang. Chunks of snow fell from the sky in the morning, which was sufficient to trigger region-wide school closures. As you can see below, the kids were heartbroken as they watched videos and cartoons and generally mourned missing school.





Fortunately, Kathleen was off and our nanny's classes were cancelled, too, which meant that I got to spend my snow day at work! That was my idea of a fun snow day, believe it or not!

SKILLZ!

Enjoy Cate's latest escapades!

A FEW FRUIT SNACKS GO A LONG WAY

This past weekend, we went hiking nearby on Sauvie Island, which sits near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. It was a cold and clear day, and we were accompanied by our friends Noah and Julia.



Cate started off in the child carrier, but after about one hour, she wanted out. Noah and Julia held her hand and helped her around (and through) the mud, for which Cate was grateful.



For the most part our kids were troopers on the hike, but as the hike wore on both Cate and Nicholas became... what is the word... impatient.

This is precisely where the secret weapon- fruit snacks- came in handy! Who knew?! We kept plying the kids with these and exhorting them to "just go a little bit further, and then you can have another fruit snack." It worked like a charm.

When times got really tough, I also pulled out the trump card- a stop at Cool Moon Ice Cream if everyone did a good job and did not complain. Needless to say, they did a great job!



Come to think of it, my car needs to be washed, and my grass will eventually need to be mowed. Fruit snacks, anyone?

A FEW MORE OF CATE'S FAVORITE THINGS

Little Cate loves to play with play-do, read books, go to the park, and wear other people's shoes (see above). However, painting is one of her favorite activities. As you can see from the video below, Cate is simultaneously in her blue and Pollock period.

THESE ARE A FEW OF CATE'S FAVORITE THINGS

These are a few of Cate's favorite things in February, 2011. I promise that there was no prompting or coaching prior to fiming!



Barcelona and Messi! The kid's got great taste!

THE NEXT MESSI?

Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer in the world currently. He has been playing since the age of 5 and came over to La Masia, the football academy of FC Barcelona, at the age of 13.

As you can see below, we have begun grooming our little Cate at an even earlier age, and she dribbles a football like her brother writes songs- like a dream!

However, given Cate's intellect and powers of persuasion that far exceed her football skills and given the state of women's football, I think a Supreme Court seat is a more likely outcome for this little one than than a 7 figure sports contract. Maybe she'll be the next Sandra Day O'Connor!

For now, we'll just enjoy her moves!

CELLS

Nicholas' class just started a new section-the human body. Therefore, last week I had the pleasure of visiting his class to talk about the mysterious little wonders known as cells.

I started off the lecture describing the human body as a house. I asked the kids what things are in a a house, and they replied that there are rooms in a house. We talked about how all rooms have similar features, but that there are also differences. That is what makes a kitchen different from a living room and a nerve cell different from a skin cell.

Next, I built a man out of different colored Lego blocks. I forgot my body plan and ended up making a man without arms. The kids got a major kick out of that one!

In order to get them back on track and silence the laughter, I asked for a volunteer. All the children raised their hands... even before I told them what was next. I was having a hard time picking a helper, but Ollie, one of Nicholas' friends, reminded me that he had told me first that he wanted to help out. Lori, Nicholas' teacher, said I was in charge, so I picked Ollie.

I took a cheek scraping to get some cells from Ollie, and then we placed the cells on a slide and stained them. Not certain that this would work, I was smart enough to bring a slide that had been previously prepared- of a prostate (see above). The kids gazed at the slide under the microscope, thinking that they were Ollie's cells, and they were truly in awe (I am not sure I will share this post with Nicholas until he is 21 for fear of breaking his heart!)

I next showed a youtube video of cells dividing on my laptop, which allowed the kids to practice some math, too. 1->2->4, etc.

I closed with a discussion about why we bother to study cells. The kids said we did so because it helps us understand how we get sick and how to get well. I said they were right and that is exactly what motivated me to study cells.

The kids thanked me, and I could tell by the looks in their eyes that there will be more than one scientist from this class. Perhaps even my own son...