The last few weeks we’ve been doing some fun experiments:

We made a giant bubble and went inside. Yes, we let our kids put their heads inside a plastic bag. Actually, it was so large that our whole family could (and did) go inside.

You can read about how to make one here, though the example shown looks a little different than ours. (And a small desk fan was sufficient to keep our bubble inflated.)

We’ve also had fun experimenting with water beads. It has proved a fun sensory experience for kids (and adults). Our friends T and A were with us last week, and we all enjoyed playing with the water beads. The picture below was only two packs of “grown” beads, and then we added two additional packs of orange and blue beads which were growing while this picture was taken. Apparently, some water beads can stain/release the color, but we haven’t noticed a problem with the beads we’re using. I bought ours via Amazon.

A few hours later, Hana Kate played with all the colors, and they had all grown to full size.

These beads are pretty neat. They are smooth and slippery, and if squished hard enough can be broken. They also bounce if dropped onto a hard surface. Hana Kate said, “Wow, Mommy! These look like marbles!”

Speaking of ‘b’ and experiments: I’m liking the result of the one I just tried. Hana Kate usually asks for a snack in the afternoon, which is usually goldfish (the crackers, of course), pretzels, or dried cranberries. However, my friend brought some raw broccoli for lunch and so I cut up the rest of the broccoli head and gave it to her as a snack…which she immediately consumed. For some reason, I rarely buy fresh broccoli. Guess that needs to change.

We are thankful to have a kid-size trampoline in our back yard. We don’t have a playground or swing out there, but this is sufficient to keep the girls busy and bouncing. Eden is currently in love with monkeys, and while she jumps she likes to say “do monkey!” “do monkey!” This video capturing her doing it is a little long, but from 10 seconds to 15 seconds is pretty funny as Eden walks into the pole.

We’ve also been enjoying exploring the fields and looking for interesting nature specimens to collect. Hana Kate prefers to put hers in a bucket. Last week we talked about turning over rocks and decided to see what kind of things we could find. (I did this a lot as a child, and found many earthworms and grubs.) After Eden turned over some large rocks, she found one that she needed help turning over. Well, upon turning over her rock we found…a black widow spider!!!! I tried to hurl my miniature boulder and crush it, and then we headed out of that field as quickly as possible! I was a little concerned when I noticed a bite on my arm…

Last night I tried this out as a way to relax HK after staying up a little later than normal.

It’s glow sticks in the tub. Target currently has a pack of 15 in their dollar section, and I only used about half of them (and could have used less). Daniel walked in and exclaimed, “Wow, it’s like a spa for kids!”