Chocolate Chip Cookie Math

What if you could do your math and eat it too? Chocolate Chip Cookie Math is not only a math lesson but a delicious and fun way to learn about estimation, comparing and contrasting, graphing, procedure, data gathering, organizing information, logical thinking and record keeping!

You will need:
Several brands of store bought chocolate chip cookies
Record sheet for graphing chocolate chips

Lesson:
Have your child wash their hands so they can eat the yummy cookies after they do their estimations.

Have your child take one cookie from the first brand of cookies. Record the brand on your record sheet and then have the child estimate how many chocolate chips are in the cookie. Have him/her pick up the cookie and turn it over so they get a full view of the cookie. After they have their estimation, have them break the cookie apart and actually count the chocolate chips and record the results. Based on this number have them estimate one or two more. Average the results. Repeat this with each brand (though you may want to stop letting them eat at some point hehe!).

When you are done have the student answer these questions:
1. Which brand had the cookie with the most chocolate chips?
2. Which brand had the cookie with the least chocolate chips?
3. Which brand had the highest average of chocolate chips?
4. Which brand had the lowest average of chocolate chips?
5. Which brand do you think had just the right number of chocolate chips?
6. Did these results surprise you? Why?

For extra practice you can have the child average all of the brands together.

For more great math applications in the kitchen try I Use Math in the Kitchen.

Apologia Astronomy Supplemental Resources

I know I have been the worst blogger ever these last few weeks. I will catch everyone up on our move soon, but now that we are in my parents house and in a school routine I have some time to share some projects with you!

This is our first year using a full on formal science curriculum. Last year we used Real Science 4 Kids Pre-Level 1 and loved it. It was just right for the stage that we were at. This year though, I decided to go with Apologia Astronomy for the first half of the year and Apologia Botany the second half. This post will focus on resources for Astronomy.

Before I get into the resources let me just do a quick non-sponsored review. We LOVE this science. I wanted something with real meaty information, just enough young earth creationism (I prefer to supplement in my own theology as much as possible, but wanted the book to have a definite young earth world view) and that was hands on. This science meets all three of those! We also added in the junior level journals, which like the curriculum, are fabulous!

This is going to get quite lengthy but I wanted to put all the information on one post to make it easier to find, and who am I kidding, it does better on Google that way too hehe. I will add to this list as we work our way through the curriculum. Some books will not be from a creation world view. I will put an (S) beside anything secular and a (OE) beside any Christian resources that take an old earth world view. I personally believe it is very important to teach my kids all of the views so that we can reason out together the flaws with the secular and old earth views. These will be appropriate for up to about 4th grade.

Reading List:

Non-Fiction:

Exploring Our Solar System: The Stars (S)

This entire series is (S):
A True Book Mercury
A True Book Venus
A True Book Earth
A True Book Mars
A True Book Jupiter
A True Book Saturn
A True Book Uranus
A True Book Neptune
A True Book Pluto
A True Book The Sun
A True Book Constellations
A True Book The Moon
A True Book The Stars
A True Book The Solar System

Answers in Genesis Astronomy Resources

Picture Books and Fiction:

What Does the Sun Do?
The Sun is My Favorite Star
Happy Birthday Moon
I Want to be an Astronaut
What's Out There?
If You Decide to go to the Moon

Usborne (S):

First Encyclopedia of Space
See Inside Space
The Usborne Book of Astronomy and Space
Living in Space

Internet Resources:
Solar Eruption
Astronomy for Kids
NASA Solar System Exploration
DVD Resources:
In the Shadow of the Moon

Supplies for Experiments from the Text:

Home Science Tools Kit
Creation Sensation Deluxe Kit

Supplemental Science Experiments:

All about the Sun  (S)
Make a Solar Cooker (S)
Make a Solar Still (S)

Astronomy Art/Craft Projects:

Make a Paper Plate Sun
Make Your Own Sundial
Make a Planetarium Box

Sunday Inspiration

Even when we don't know, God does!

Things I Know

Things I know :)

1.  Being easily offended is a waste of your time and energy. Pick your battles and let go of the rest.
2. Being a parent is not easy and not always fun. Look forward to the times it is, but never be disappointed when when it is not. 
3. If you have no plan, you have no measurable results. Planning, even a little bit is worth the effort. 
4.  Life sometimes really sucks. Accept it and move on.
5. Getting stuck in the muck and mire of life is easy when you have on high heels of pride. 
6. If on your way to drop someone off for work in the morning, and your kids start fighting enough that you really do have to pull the car over, nothing you have on will match and you may even be barefoot. It will also be rush hour. 
7. Being a mom of an ADHD kid is not something anyone understands unless they either see it on a regular basis or have a kid with ADHD of their own. 
8. Same as number 7 on being the parent of a chronically ill and in pain child. 
9. It is always fun and games until someone gets hurt. 
10. "Because I did not know how" is a really good reason to learn a new skill.
11. Being right all the time means you are not challenging yourself or taking enough risks.
12. Having a calendar and a to do list is worth the effort.
13. You can't eat an entire elephant all at once.  If you are overwhelmed, you need to start taking little bites instead of staring at the elephant and giving up before you start.
14. It doesn't matter if people think you are dumb for flying like an airplane through the parking lot of Wal-Mart.  
15. You should never offer an opinion on the character of anyone without first gaining their permission.  If you can't ask them if you can share this, then you don't know them well enough to give a good assessment.
16. You should always apologize if you are wrong or if you spoke out of turn - even if you were right. 
17. No one cares why you did the wrong thing, they just want you to take responsibility for it and do what you need to do to correct the wrong.
18. If you say you are going to pray for someone, do it. Otherwise, don't say anything at all. People count on your prayers!
19. Sometimes a piece of chocolate, a cup of coffee, a hot bath and a good book are all you need.
20. No one likes you if you are crabby.  Get enough sleep.
21. Over thinking and over analyzing things tend to create more problems than necessary.
22. Kids always have the most destructive, negative energy the hour or two before dinner.
23. The kids will be quiet and get along well with each other - until the phone rings.
24. It is easier to follow a budget when you have less discretionary income.
25. Contentment is a choice you make.

What are somethings you know?

Homemade Organic Skin Care

Girl Heaven

I got to go to the makeup store!  WOOOHOOO!!!!  It was a gift from my husband for working so hard this summer :)  I sat down at the counter, apologized to the very young, very cute sales associate for my much older, not so cute self, and said, "Help!"  She looked me over pretty good with what seemed to be a discerning eye, taking in my double chin, enlarged pores, and splotchy skin, she assured me that she could make it all better.  I had all four of my children, plus my mentally handicapped brother in tow, so when she asked what kind of makeup I typically wore, she did not think it odd when I laughed out loud.    Imagine, typically wearing makeup!!  After the laughing subsided, I told her that I just wanted to look like me, only more like Reese Witherspoon.

The right make up could do this!!

After she was done laughing, which took a second longer than necessary, she worked magic.  This girl may have been all of 12 years old, but she knew her makeup.  She gave me "the best mascara in the world, seriously" and plopped some eye make up on my eyelids.  Then she took out a lipstick that I was a bit nervous about and smeared it on.  A little bit of blush to highlight my cheeks and voila! Done and Done.  I was no Reese Witherspoon but my 6 year old son said I was beautiful and that was even better.

My bounty for beauty

The problem with buying good makeup, is that it doesn't come off.  You know, like when you lay down at night with it on and then you wake up and it is magically gone?  Not so with this stuff. It looked decent enough, I found myself considering just leaving it on so I wouldn't be wasteful.  But, my friends who care about this stuff were the voices in my head saying, "Take it off, fool! And don't sleep in your makeup anymore!!!"  This morning I managed to get it off while I was in the shower.  But, soap stings and let's face it - Lever 2000 is probably not the best choice for glowing and more youthful looking skin.

I did not want to go drop a million and a half dollars on skin care from the makeup store so I Googled recipes for skin care.  Instead, I stumbled on half a million ideas and put some together on my own.

Sugar Scrub - Tablespoon of organic sugar, teaspoon of honey, teaspoon of coconut oil.  Gently rub on and let sit.  (Some of the sugar will fall off, so do this over the sink). Rinse gently with warm water.

Astringent - 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar, 3/4 cup filtered water, 1 tsp raw honey - mix well and apply with a cotton ball. If this burns, use less vinegar!!!

Eye make up remover - Coconut oil, VERY slightly warmed until it is liquid - this should NOT be hot!!!!  Dip in a cotton ball, don't soak it, and rub it across your eye until the eye makeup is completely taken off.  Rinse with warm water.

The sugar should probably not be used everyday.  It would be really abrasive.  But, I will be trying the honey and coconut oil on its own for my everyday cleanser then follow that with the ACV astringent.

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