I Know This!

This Christmas morning we all sat down and had a fun time opening presents. After surveying my children's rooms this year I decided to go a different direction with the kids Christmas presents and instead of the traditional toys, toys and more toys we got them mostly educational things that I've been wanting to get to supplement our schooling.  When they opened up the storybook The Knave of Hearts illustrated by Maxfield Parrish the artist we've been studying I was rewarded with a loud "hey I know this" from both Arowyn and Teagan when I asked them what they meant they said "I know who drew this" and when asked who they both said with great big smiles on their faces "Maxfield Parrish!" Ah there's nothing like the feeling of knowing that what your doing is actually being enjoyed and retained.  So they got things like gyroscopes which Daddy & Grandpy had a fun time showing them what they were and how they worked, bug podz which let you create a habitat for creepy crawlies (which I'm sure Arowyn will be getting plenty of use out of come summer), and a basic snap circuit set which I wasn't quite sure if they were ready for but I'm glad I got because it's been the most used item of the day so far. Well other than Chamberlin's shark that is, which was not meant as a learning toy but in the end turned out to be because the kids got to learn about all kinds of things like how helium can make your voice sound higher than it is because the sound waves travel faster through helium,  also how helium contracts and expands depending on the temperature and about buoyancy and counterweighing. So all and all it was a very fun and educational Christmas.

 Arowyn & Teagan opening their storybook 

The Knave of Hearts

Grammy, Arowyn & Mommy assembling 

Leonardo da Vinci's Aerial Screw model that 

the kids got from Grammy Jules