YES, spring is here in the Elliott house. Mom got baby chicks sprayed colors to look like walking jellybeans. The chicks who are red, orange,blue, green and the favorite color of the kindergarten class was purple. The baby chicks arrived today and headed to school where everyone was excited to see them. We have 354 students K-12 and a daycare and preschool so over 400 kids handled these chicks all day long. The Ag teacher got a bunch of saw dust and the Science lab hosted the chicks in a spot right next to the snakes! Even the principle had one on her desk today. Mom will use the colored chicks for Easter photos this weekend and we also have bunnies for her Easter photo's too.

Swann Mobile Viewer SW-G-MVIEW 2.4GHz 2.5 LCD Color Screen 4 Channel Security Camera LCD Receiver Swann Mobile Viewer SW-G-MVIEW 2.4GHz 2.5 LCD Colo

Product Description

The Night Hawk works indoors & outdoors, day & night. Place it anywhere and monitor footage with the handheld LCD viewer. Transmission range is up to 330 feet. Keep an eye on things wherever you are. Wireless technology means no installing cables or monitors. Enjoy crisp audio and color footage on the 2.5-inch 480 x 234 resolution LCD Screen. Four 2.4 GHz channels allow monitoring of multiple wireless cameras. The mobile viewer is compatible with Swann Night Hawk wireless camera and Swann MicroCam II and can be connected to a DVR, VCR, Handycam or DV camcorder for recording. The viewer's rechargeable lithium ion battery works continuously for at least 2 hours.

Product Details

* Color: Black
* Brand: Swann
* Model: SW-G-MVIEW
* Dimensions: 5.11" h x 3.14" w x 1.57" l, 1.60 pounds

Features

* Super mobile & portable palm size receiver* 2.5" color LCD screen for clear image display
* Built in speaker for audio monitoring* Wireless 2.4GHz reception up to 150ft (50m)* from camera (not included)
* Includes 2 rechargeable batteries with 5 - 7 hours air time* Switchable between 4 channels
* Keep an eye on baby, children, the front door, pool & more from almost anywhere!* Use with any Swann sireless camera.
* Recharges battery in its cradle

Swann F-SW233-WO3 2.4 GHz 3 Wireless Color Cameras w/ Night Vision & Auto Switching Receiver

Product Description

The Swann NightHawk 3 Camera Pack is the ultimate solution for do-it-yourself surveillance. The pack includes a 4 channel receiver and 3 versatile Nighthawk cameras with infra-red LEDs to see in the dark, color image sensor for clear image resolution, microphone for audio reception and a durable metal case with sunshields for use outdoors. The NightHawk 3 Camera Pack offers true 'plug and play' convenience. Mount the cameras in the best location, connect the receiver to your existing TV or VCR, plug in the power and away you go! The camera to receiver connection is based on 2.4GHz wireless signal, meaning you don't have to worry about messy cables. You also have the ability to program the receiver to switch between the 3 cameras or add extra cameras and switch views using the 4 channel receiver. Convenient wireless 2.4GHz transmission between cameras & receiver up to 150ft (50m)

Product Details

* Brand: Swann
* Model: SW233-WO3
* Dimensions: 2.50" h x 2.00" w x 1.75" l,

Features

* 380 TV Lines for clear image resolution
* 15ft (5m) infra-red night vision
* Easy to install DIY home or business monitoring system
* Automatically or manually switch camera views on your AV channel
* Convenient wireless 2.4GHz transmission between cameras & receiver up to 150ft (50m)**Depending on local conditionsNote: Night vision images display in B&W

SVAT GX5201 Wireless Portable Video Monitor with 2.5-Inch LCD & Night Vision Security Camera (Color)

Product Description

GIGAXTREME WRLS COL 2.5
Product Details

* Brand: SVAT Electronics
* Model: GX5201
* Dimensions: 1.00" h x 3.00" w x 7.00" l, 4.00 pounds

Features

* 2.5-inch TFT-LCD screen provides crisp images
* Range up to 300 feet (ideal range 100 feet)
* Eight infrared LEDs let you see in the dark
* Alarm sounds when the adjusted noise level is reached
* Easily connects to a TV, VCR, computer or DVR for recording

Logitech WiLife Digital Video Security--Indoor Master System Camera

Product Description

Monitor your home or business with the Logitech Indoor Video Security Master System, a revolutionary video security system you can install in 15 minutes.Sleek, yet unobtrusive, the Indoor Camera fits seamlessly with your home decor.It's all plug and play. Using innovative HomePlug technology, the Logitech Indoor Video Security Master System transmits encrypted video over existing electrical wires straight to your PC.

Product Details

* Brand: Logitech
* Model: 961-000286
* Original language: English
* Dimensions: 8.86" h x 3.15" w x 15.16" l, 5.00 pounds

Features

* Box Contents - Logitech Indoor Camera, Logitech USB receiver, Logitech Command Center PC software, and USB cable
* 400 MHz DSP Processing Power
* Windows Media Video 9 Image Encoding
* Motion detection in up to 16 zones, Auto brightness Image Processing
* Selectable 640 x 480 pixels or 320 x 240 pixels Resolution

D-Link Securicam Network DCS-950G Wireless Internet Camera

Product Description

Everything needed to get started is included with the DCS-950G. Simple installation procedures, along with the built-in Web-based interface offer easy integration into your network environment. Powerful surveillance software is included to enhance the monitoring and management of the DCS-950G, allowing you to archive video straight to the hard drive, playback video, monitor up to four cameras on a single screen, and set up motion detection to trigger video/audio recording and send e-mail alerts. The DCS-950G is a cost-effective and versatile security solution for your home or business. You can access and control the DCS-950G Wireless Internet Camera using Internet Explorer version 6. As you watch and listen remotely to video and sound obtained by the DCS-950G, you can take snapshots or record directly from the Web browser to a local hard drive without installing any software, making it convenient to instantly capture any moment no matter where you are.
Product Details

* Brand: D-Link
* Model: DCS-950G
* Dimensions: 6.00" h x 4.00" w x 4.00" l, 4.00 pounds
* CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
* Memory: 128000MB DRAM
* Hard Disk: 1GB
* Processors: 1
* Native resolution: 640x480
* Display size: 669.2913385827

Features

* Full-featured surveillance system connects to broadband Ethernet or wireless network
* 802.11g wireless technology for video and audio transfers of up to 54Mbps
* Take snapshots and record to a local hard drive through your web browser
* Captures video in extreme low-light environments
* Motion detection triggers recording and sends e-mail alerts

Linksys Wireless Internet Camera with Audio

Product Description

The Linksys Wireless-G Pan/Tilt/Zoom Video Camera sends live video through the Internet to a web browser anywhere in the world!The advanced MPEG-4 video compression produces a high-quality, high-framerate, up to 640x480 video stream. MPEG-4 encoding facilitates good video quality in varying bandwidth environments. WVC200 also supports MJPEG compression for video, providing good video quality at high bandwidth rates.The comprehensive video features include an IR filter cut which allow you to see the images in low or no light environments when an IR lamp is used. Snapshots (in JPEG format) of the image can be taken and saved. Snapshots can also be scheduled and sent to an FTP server.If you want the video to be visible from a remote location or from the Internet, you can open an appropriate port on the Router, and then create password protected accounts to manage access to the camera, or leave it wide open for the world to see. Support for Dynamic DNS lets you access your camera using an easy-to-remember "name", even while using a dynamic IP address. The Pan/Tilt and digital zoom function allows you to remotely control the camera movement and focus, giving you maximum flexibility remotely. Up to 10 simultaneous users can have access to the camera at any point in time. Software is included for multiple camera monitoring and recording to your hard drive with advanced search by time and date. Recording can be set up to record by motion trigger, manual or schedule recording and playback on Windows Media Player without the need for a proprietary player.You can also turn on Security Mode, which tells the camera to send a message with a short video attached to up to three email addresses whenever it detects motion in its field of view. You can then log onto the live video stream if the situation warrants. Wireless security features include WEP and WPA.

Product Details

* Brand: Linksys
* Model: WVC200
* Platform: Windows
* Original language: English
* Dimensions: 7.83" h x 1.26" w x 6.89" l, 4.00 pounds
* Native resolution: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120

Features

* Sends high-quality live video to your secure network wirelessly
* Pan/tilt/zoom gives flexible control remotely from a web browser
* View images even in low light environments
* Automatically sends email alerts with video clips upon motion detection
* Supports up to ten simultaneous remote users

Panasonic BB-HCM371A Outdoor Wireless Network Camera

Product Description

This camera can be viewed and controlled from a standard Web browser, video display, or even a compatible cell phone or PDA. Place it in your home, office, vacation home or almost anywhere else that you'd like to keep an eye on things, with no PC required on location! It is easy to install and operate and require no additional software for the PC that you're viewing them on. The camera also comes with a free Web address, which can track the camera automatically. All you need is a regular Web browser to view it on your PC, as all of the other required software, including control software (TCP/UDP) and e-mail software (SMTP), is already inside the camera. This camera can communicate wirelessly with standard 802.11b/g wireless devices, allowing the flexibility to install and operate the camera without running network wires, and utilizing SSID filtering and powerful 64/128/152 bit WEP encryption helps to protect your wireless network from illegal intrusion. Since the camera is attached through an Ethernet connection (or router) and power source, you don't need a computer at each location you want

Product Details

* Brand: Panasonic
* Model: BB-HCM371A
* Dimensions: 5.50" h x 7.50" w x 11.60" l, 6.00 pounds

Features

* Two-Way Voice Communication
* CCD Sensor for Enhanced Image Expression
* SD Memory Card Recording
* Simple Ethernet Connection - No PC Required
* One Year Warranty

New crafts

This is Cyan's newest doll that she is making. She is really excited that she has finally gotten good enough with hand sewing that she could make a doll like this. :)

Alex made a Adobe Ruin for his school work today. He is studying the SouthWestern states. His clay arch was perfectly made with a keystone and all. :) I was really proud of him.

Isn't that neat? I thought he did a great job.

Here is my newest crafty project:

It is an egg shell herb garden. There are two of them with peas in them, and the rest have herbs: thyme, oregano, chives, and parsley. My hope is they will be started for an Easter gift for my dad's girlfriend.

Fun crafty stuff by Mom

Sometimes spring brings out the crafty in me.

Wrestling season comes to an end. Tanner and Dalton both wrestled at the NYWA Regional meet with hopes of going to state next week and both came up just short. Dalton was 2-2 to finished 5th and Tanner was 1-2 and finished 7th. Both boyz had a great season winning some matches against older wrestlers. Tanner was 7-14 wrestling on the HS Varsity team, with 2 of those coming at 112 lbs. Tanner never weighed in over 103 all year, but wrestled up a weight class at the end of the season when the 112 pounder was hurt. Dalton wrestled a full season on the JH and JV team, posting 5 wins against 8th and 9th graders. They have come a long way in the 2 years they have been wrestling and with a brother that now has a drivers license all three boyz will have a full summer workout program in the weight room. Baseball practice has started, but sounds like mother nature has another 6 - 10 inches of snow in store for us early next week, so games may be pushed back a week or two. The 1st varsity and JV games were suppose to be April 6th, with JH on April 7th. We'll have to wait a see what the weather brings.

The Great 8 (for us)

A party where they each invited 6 friends....Here Kins is getting her face painted

Blowing out the cupcake candles....each blue and pink cupcake had a K on it

opening presents....they are just fine sharing the lime light....thank goodness

Here is the crazy crew.....WOW...that was A LOT of kids!!!

Happy birthday to my twinners. I can't believe they are already 8! They bring me SO much joy. Pics of the baptism to come.

Logan's first art

Logan decided that he wanted to draw pictures yesterday at my friend Kristan's house. So I pulled out some paper and a pencil and was sitting at the kitchen table chatting while he was drawing. It took about 6 or 7 minutes for me to get back to him... and he started telling me this whole little tale about his picture. About how these bits were 'doodles' and this one was a 'hat' and this was a 'snake'. It was the CUTEST thing! But the craziest part was that each piece looks like what he was saying he made it to be. It certainly took me by surprise.

It reminded me of Alex when he was a toddler actually. Just before his third birthday he made me a picture. It was a bunch of circles with other circles inside of them to make faces and mouths. There were about 5 of these faces on his page... and when I asked him what they were, he said "these a bunch of guys". I wrote it down, just like that, and it is tucked in his baby book.

These are the moments I collect.

Writing success!

Today we started our writing program from Small World. The kids LOVED it! We decided to make our first writing journals out of dollar store comp books covered in some of my wonderful scrapbook paper I keep for decoupage.

The first lesson was a ditty about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Both kids wrote silly sentences and were in stitches before they were done. Purple kittens and sly harmonicas ran wild in their imaginations for a while.

Tomorrow, words that make you feel COLD.

Its Spring Time!

This pair of Canadian geese are back again. Our yard is full of birds and it drives our dog BLUE nuts.

Photo Friday

A trip to the Zoo

Another laugh courtesy of Kevin

Every morning the kids pack up the lunch their father has made for them. He always
writes a little positive message on the kids sandwhich bag. They pretend that they're
embarrassed by it, but really they love to see what it will say each day. Here is the note
from Wendesday.


When I came home for lunch that day this is what I saw sitting on the stove....apparently he
didn't want a turkey sandwhich:) What a character...

One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue fish

The first part of Logan's Easter Basket. :) These will have stainless steel rings sewn to the ends and then a magnetic fishing rod will be given along with it and a basket to hold these things for the shelf.

Alex's origami family

Our family in origami.

By Alex

Easter Ideas

I am collecting Easter ideas to make for our handmade/WAHM holiday. I have gotten some great ideas and some wonderful links so far and I really wanted to share as early as possible so others can get into the mood.

Here is a link I got from Sarah in the Forest Room that has tons of great ideas for a more earth friendly and budget friendly Easter basket:

Easter Crafts at LaPaz Home Learning

And here is one of my personal favorites. Every year I make eggs like these. An online friend of mine, Danielle, brought the idea of making the eggs even more fun and magical (and less potentially dangerous as the Cascarones are meant to be smashed over someones head. lol!) by putting tiny fairy treasures inside!

The 'How-to' is simple, although time consuming:

• ~ Blow out a bunch of egg shells, being very careful to keep the holes small (make quiche. ;) )
• ~ wash out the egg shells and let them dry completely (about a day)
• ~ cover one end with a tiny piece of tissue paper and painted with watered down white glue
• ~ let that dry
• ~ make a funnel out of a piece of card stock and add some confetti or glitter into your egg shells
• ~ Tuck a tiny treasure down into the egg (ideas for tiny treasures include beads, seeds (scarlet runner beans are real pretty), charms, tiny crystals, etc.)
• ~ put a bit of tissue painted with the white glue over the other hole
• ~ let it dry
• ~ When the ends are all dry and the stuff is inside, cover the whole egg with tiny scraps of tissue paper and paint with watered down white glue. You have to do one side at a time as you have to be able to set them down, so try to let them dry over night for each side. While they are wet, add some super fine glitter to the outside for special effect.

And voila'.... you have made fairy eggs. Now the real trick is, to do this without your kids finding out... then the fairies can leave these treats around your house on Easter morning.

More to come.

Muffin Tin Monday!

So, this is my first Muffin Tin Monday, but we will be doing more, because the kids absolutly LOVED it! Even the ones that arn't preschoolers. :) The theme this week was 'rainbows'... so Cyan and I came up with:

Red: Sweet Red Peppers
Orange: Carrots
Yellow: Fresh Pineapple
Green: Avacado
Blue: Frozen Blueberries
And of course, dip for the carrots and peppers.

Logan couldn't even wait for me to take the picture before he dug in. This is the way traditions are born. ;)

Alex quote

When faced with the fact that his play for his poetry final may not have all the characters he wants, or that he will not have a real metal sword for his part in said play... my dramatic son responds with;

"Mom! My imagination has. left. me."

I was nice and waited until he stomped out of the room to laugh my head off.

Early Ed ~ Montessori for Logan

Logan is not quite big enough for this type of play yet, but I wanted to try it out to see if he could possibly play with the colors. If he really isn't ready, I will give this to a friend of mine who has an 3 year old and I will make another set for Logan in a year or so. I got the idea from here... this lady has some amazing ideas and I thought it would make a good 'unplugged' project for the kids to do as well. These are free paint swatches cut into star shapes. The one is glued on paper, and the other is glued on a clothes pin so the child can match them up. Pure genious for $1.19 in clothes pins. *glee*

The fun star shapes just added charm for me. :)

Thinking Ahead ~ Easter

I have been thinking about Easter baskets for a while now. I like to make them good. The kids always get one movie (this year it is going to be Mary Poppins because when our VHS died, we lost that one. Unacceptable!), and a few play things along with the traditional sugar addiction. So far, my ideas are a felt fishing game for Logan with magnets, and an herb garden for Cyan made out of egg shells for her windowsill. I am out of ideas for 12 year old boys. Maybe a homemade card with $10 in it? He would love that! lol! But seriously, I need some ideas...

I have put out a few feelers to those ladies that I know are frugal and kinda crafty. ;) I am hoping we can really throw some ideas back and forth and get some good Easter baskets for our kiddos for little or no cash.

Up for it?

Interesting Reading about Reading

http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2008/06/post_1.html

Opening up the world

During the first half of first grade, Cyan and I were talking about maps and I asked her to draw what she thought the places she knew looked like. The picture above is what I got from her later that day. I thought it was adorable! Esp considering that each area is separated by water. Apparently, we all lived on special islands only known to her. ;) I love kids.

Yesterday, she brought me this map. She said it was of the whole world. I found it VERY interesting to look at how much of the world and world shape has opened up to her this year. There are still some quirky things... like all of Europe is labeled "Kazakhstan". The UK, Spain and France have apparently been taken over by Borat's people (no, my daughter has NOT seen that movie...). And Africa is strangely missing. But her scope and world view has changed dramatically from 6 to 7...

For a second graders view of the world, the things she hasn't learned about, she really can't 'see'... you know? It was just really interesting how far she had come.

Fun websites

These are some websites I found last week that have been really helpful in our current lessons. Enjoy!

Fractions: http://www.learningbox.com/fractions/

http://www.hbschool.com/activity/con_math/g03c21.html

Geography: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm%20

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/southamericaweb/blankmap.htm

(This one is the blank map from the left bar of the site above, you can get any blank map)

Alex and Geometry

Alex's illustration of what the Pythagorean Theorem looks like. He definitely gets the idea. :)

Photo Friday

Spring Break Happenings

Got to do a little of this....conditions were suprisingly good. I fell once and almost peed my pants laughing:)

kids had a blast with cousins

look at the setting...beautiful

I sure like hanging out with these guys. They make me smile. (We're missing a few people that had to leave early)

Here was our backyard view....K & K have some cute buns don't ya think?
Thanks to the generosity of some family friends...we had a wonderful time.

Donna Young

I LOVE DONNA YOUNG! I loved her handwriting stuff last year and I just found this today. This website/woman is amazing and I am thrilled to pass this around to all my friends and fellow bloggers. She is a wealth... that is for sure.

Excited about writing!

Alex has his first ever book report (due to me anyhow) on Friday. He has been reading the assigned book (to which he is hooked, as I knew he would be) for the last two weeks and finished it yesterday. I gave him a 'how to write a book report' along with a page where I had him define words like 'thesis', 'antagonist', 'setting', etc. This page really helped him understand the instructions better. Now he is on the writing portion and is getting a bit boggled. Not that he can't do it... but he is feeling... anxious. So tonight, I was looking for ways to get him a bit more 'into' writing.

Looking through the internets I found this page: Small World's Intro to Writing

It is a step by step fun creative writing course laid out on line by a mama who is really good at teaching creative writing. I will be doing it with Alex of course, and I have been thinking that Cyan may just join in, although her writing will be limited, but it is never too early to have a fun time with words.

I also just found this site: Design A Study Her fun with Movies as Literature are particularly fun, and I may have Alex write a bit on those sometime soon. I think he would like doing something like that.

Happy St Patrick's Day!!

Cyan's version of Ireland. :) For Mrs Sarah.

Alex's new view

Explanation here.

But apparently, I have been doing something right. :) This was left on my desk two days ago.

Very sweet.

Tanner and Dalton competed in the NYWA Regional Qualifier in Springfield on Sat and both qualified for the Regions in Windom on March 27th. Tanner finished in a 3-way tie for 1st at 100 lbs. With only 3 wrestlers in the weight bracket, they all finished 1-1. Dalton took 3rd place at 108 lbs. Losing a close one in the 1st match 4 - 5. 2 other Nicollet wrestlers finished 2nd, so all 4 will be at Regionals. Things will get a little tougher now, with 4 districts sending kids to Regionals and only the top 3 in each weight will qualify for the State meet in Rochester on April 2nd - 5th.