list on online museums in the US

This is definitely a 'great find'. This website has a large amount on online museums from all over the US. Separated into categories. Great info, pictures, games, etc.


http://www.coudal.com/moom

How to throw a banana

These are cool. Some are funny. I could totally see me doing this and the fruit ending up on the floor!

http://www.wikihow.com/Peel-a-Banana


:-)

Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology- Bird Museum Camarillo

Here is info about the 'Bird Museum' field trip. Very cool place to check out! You do have to call to make an appointment. And, of course, the specimens have a fragrant odor but not too strong. They keep the warehouse-like room VERY cold so bring a sweater. I asked the percentage of birds and eggs that they do have there and they told me the most they have is of the tropical region of the earth (middle) and that they have about 2/3 of the total amount of bird and egg species of the world, including extinct ones. They also take dead birds and eggs if you find them. Call first to make sure it is one they will want. They always want to know details about where they were found. Some they might have too many of but will keep to be examined!

:-)



Where: Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology
Location: 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, CA 93012

Who: Grades 3rd through 10th (Maximum of 40 people including the parent chaperons)
(target grades 4th-8th) We are stretching this to accommodate the home school families.


The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, is a non-profit corporation, is both a natural history collection specializing in eggs and nests of birds from around the world, and a research and education institution dedicated to bird conservation. The Foundation's fundamental mission is to obtain, protect, and manage ornithological collections in a manner that ensures their accessibility to researchers, educators, students, and the public, and to ensure that the materials are used in projects that contribute to the conservation of the world's wild bird species.

Information presented on school tours dovetails with California Science Standards so that parents can make it fit with their students’ education requirements. Subjects such as bird biology, biodiversity, and ecology are covered, as well as fun facts about the birds of the world. The collection materials are always popular with students and the general public, and are key to being able to teach about natural science.
.
Largest collections of bird eggs and next specimens in the world. AMAZING!

the orgin of names- bored, again

I was talking with Little D about the orgin and meaning of names. He was feeling bummed, thinking he was named after some city (people occasionally call him Dayton Ohio) so, I looked up our names and found a decent size list of cities, all with the name Dayton in them! And, of course, my name too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah

Canada

* Dayton, Nova Scotia

[edit] United States

* Dayton, Alabama
* Dayton, Idaho
* Dayton, Indiana
* Dayton, Iowa
* Dayton, Kentucky
* Dayton, Maine
* Dayton, Maryland
* Dayton, Michigan
* Dayton, Minnesota
* Dayton, Montana
* Dayton, Nevada
* Dayton, Newark, New Jersey, a neighborhood
* Dayton, New Jersey
* Dayton, New York
* Dayton, Ohio, the largest and best known Dayton
* Dayton, Oregon
* Dayton, Pennsylvania
* Dayton, Tennessee, site of the 1925 Scopes Trial
* Dayton, Texas
* Dayton, Virginia
* Dayton, Washington
* Dayton, Wisconsin
o Dayton, Richland County, Wisconsin
o Dayton, Waupaca County, Wisconsin
* Dayton, Wyoming
* Dayton Township, Michigan

A mole, a vole and a Suzie

Okay, I have WAYYYYYYY too much time on my hands in the evening. My friend, Suzie, called me freaking out because they found a baby mole in their backyard, half-alive. I have never seen a mole and it was hard to get the picture when she was describing it, so I searched on Google. Decided to look up vole too. Lots of pictures, species, info. etc... so, here it is (only the good ones) for anyone with enough time to click too!

:-)

http://chasingdaisy.com/blogimages/naked_mole_rat.jpg


http://media.photobucket.com/image/baby%20mole/saucymaggie/Rate_My_Mole.jpg

http://www.hemmy.net/images/animals/starnosedmole.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/80/Close-up_of_mole.jpg/800px-Close-up_of_mole.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vole

So stupid- it is cool

Okay. Not sure why or how someone figured this one out. The puppet is just lame and has to go. But, it is a cool cooking trick-if you remember to do it! Me, personally, using the potato peeler and flaying a few knuckles and having red tinted mashed potatoes is just fine. I remember one year, at Thanksgiving, I made mashed potatoes and they were REALLY red. I added some yellow food coloring and no one noticed a thing!

:-)

NEVER PEEL A POTATO AGAIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4W0qIPJmoo

fun of the day...

Stepped in glass and have a piece in my heel. Totally my fault. Broke a picture frame a few days ago in the garage and haven't cleaned up the glass (whole thing is at the front of the garage, where the front of the van is when I pull in).

D & K's dad dropped off a puppy to them as a 'gift' yesterday- without my permission but for them to have at my house. He called a few hours before and said someone at his work had a puppy that was abused and going to get dropped off at the pound because they didn't want it, so he was asking if I wanted it. I said no. Few hours later, he shows up with it and tells Baby K it is for them (Little D wasn't home). Thankfully, I found a home for it. He is an adorable dog. But, we have enough animals. I've been calling him rascal and Baby K has been calling him Teddy (the name of the dog in The Magic Treehouse books).

Little D did some STAR testing today. We have to go back 1 or 2 more times for him to be done.

Last week we went to the Bird Museum in Camarillo. I'll post more about that later. It was a very interesting place.

Tomorrow we are going on a field trip to a Marine Biology Lab in Oxnard!

and, on Sunday, my friend Travis got free tickets to the Renaissance Faire in San Bernadino so I'm going with my cousin, Mona, and the kids!

:-)

Lots of fun stuff but too busy to write about it all! I'll post photos later too!

Space Science Day 4/25

This will be our second time here and I anticipate it to be fun (besides the drive and getting up so early). We went last year and the kids had a fun physics workshop and also got to tear up an owl pellet (kinda gross and smelly but they liked it) and identify the skeletal remains that were inside of it.

Below is the cut/paste of the whole thing;



Dear Space Enthusiast;

The attached information will help make your experience with Space Science Day on Saturday, April 25, an enjoyable one. (For those of you who have trouble opening the .pdf documents or if you are wary of attachments, below is the text including some helpful links).



Our NASA astronaut is Naoko Yamazaki. Currently, she is assigned to the crew of STS-131, targeted for launch in February 2010. Read her NASA Bio at www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/yamazaki-n.html



The day will begin at 8 a.m. at the Marsee Auditorium located at the corner of Crenshaw and Redondo Beach Blvd in Torrance. Parking is free in Lot L located on the south side of Redondo Beach Blvd. A map is attached and can also be found at www.elcamino.edu or www.elcamino.edu/about/directions.asp



Registration will begin for those who have reservations at 8 a.m. If you have received this email, you have a reservation. Only the first 850 people to check in will receive a lunch ticket. After you check in and pick up your lunch ticket, you will move on to select tickets for the two breakout sessions for the students only.



Important Note: Because of the demand to attend Space Science Day, we want to allow as many students as possible to participate in the breakout sessions. Therefore, parents, adults and young siblings are asked not to select tickets to the breakout sessions. Adults will be able to stand in or outside of the classrooms or you may enjoy our outside demonstrations. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Again, we want the students to access the breakout sessions.



The following breakout sessions will be repeated so students may select two of the following (more details on these breakout sessions will be available in the program which will be provided at check in):
See Tonight’s Stars, Planets and Constellations (Planetarium show)

Let’s Take a Birdwalk!

Up, Up and Away!

Paint Making – Prussian Blue (Participants must be at least 10 years old)

Get Your Hands On Chemistry

Robotics Demonstration

Ready for a Close-Up? (Telescopes)

The Buzz on Space “Bugs”

Conversation with the Astronaut

Let’s Do Launch! (rockets)

The World of Insects

Rock and Fossil Discovery Zone

Solving the Mysteries of the Owl’s Dinner

LCROSS Spacecraft Mission

Francisco’s Physics Toys

Voyage to the Stars

Egg Drop Construction

Puzzlers in Everyday Physics

Robotics Competition



After selecting your sessions, find a seat in the Marsee Auditorium by 9 a.m. for our morning presentation featuring Astronaut Yamazaki. The first breakout session will run from 10:30 to 11:15 and the second session will begin at 11:30 and end at 12:15. Lunch will follow the second session and the Egg Drop Competition will be presented during lunch.



Have a great day rain or shine!!





Robin Dreizler, Director

Outreach and School Relations

El Camino College

16007 Crenshaw Boulevard , Torrance , CA 90506

Phone: (310) 660-3487 - Mobile : (310) 710-7767 - Fax: (310) 660-6786

www.elcamino.edu

Baby K in Sunday School

Here are two cute pictures of Baby K and a friend of her's at Sunday School. This girl is on her running team too so they are becoming great friends!

Rocky Peak Church baptisms April 2009

Picture from my camera of Little D in the the baptism tub with Pastor Mike.

Simi Valley Running Rebels

Here are some recent pictures of D& K at their track pratices or meets. They are both doing great in track. So far, in the meets, they have ran; 100m, 200, 400m and 800m. Baby K has also done the 4x100 relay and the long jump and Little D has also done the shot put.

:-)

Simi Valley garage door company and pools Applied Merchant Systems

Okay, here is a plug in for my sister.


As many of you already know we have sold the store and moved back to Simi Valley. I am so happy and relieved to live and work in Simi again. Pools and garage doors are now my world, goodbye cell phones.

Right before the move we switched all three companies to Applied Merchant Services for our credit card processing. We are saving a ton of money on processing fees.

I would like to pass on Corrine's contact information, see the end of the message.

Hope all is well with your business and family. Call me if you need pool service or a garage door or just miss chatting with me!

Kim May
805-587-0358



P.S. I guarantee Corrine will save you money or I will buy you lunch!



You will absolutely love her. She is happy, honest, and hardworking.



Mention the discount code: G68 to get the discount I did!


Corrine M. Foster
Director of Sales

Applied Merchant Systems

Corp. Headquarters
300 Esplanade Drive
Oxnard , CA. 93036
800-400-0206 ext.3007 Toll Free
800-549-1809 Fax

818-481-4852 Cell

cfoster@amsmerchant.com
www.amsmerchant.com

Rocky Peak Church baptisms April 2009

These are photos from Little D's baptism. It was done during a family worship night at church. About 12-15 other children got baptized by either a family member or by the lead pastor, Pastor Mike (that is who baptized Little D).

I think the page differs depending on the browser you are using but he is on aprox. page 13-14.

I took photos too and will post them!

:-)

Photos by Alfred Yen. They are fabulous!

http://alfredyen.smugmug.com/gallery/7785647_Z6LDn/1/503888704_Hx75U

Dr Jay on vaccinations for children

This LA Times article with a few links to Dr. Jay Gordon's opinion on vaccinating children. It is long to read but worth it!


http://tinyurl.com/cr792l


Unvaccinated children do not pose a threat to vaccinated children or their families.

We all have a responsibility to keep each other's children safe. Choosing to not vaccinate or choosing an alternative vaccine schedule could be considered a rift in that contract. Medically, scientifically and statistically speaking, it is not. Honest people might disagree.

I have been a pediatrician for thirty years and have watched children receive all scheduled vaccines, some of the vaccines or receive no vaccines at all. I have seen every one of the illnesses against which we vaccinate. The last time I saw bacterial meningitis in a child was 1982 but the extreme rarity of this terrible disease means that it makes the news whenever a case occurs. Denying that childhood meningitis exists is dishonest. Equally dishonest is implying that it is a large threat to any of our children. I see kids with pertussis every year. I see children misdiagnosed with whooping cough far more often. Two years ago, the New York Times took note of this phenomenon:

http://tinyurl.com/dnl78m (New York Times article)

2009 marks the thirty year anniversary of the last case of "wild polio" in the United States. Subsequent cases were caused by the oral polio vaccine which is no longer used in this country.

http://www.polioera dication.org/casecount.asp (WHO/CDC supported site)

Rubella is no longer an "American" disease .

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc media/pressrel/r050321.htm (CDC Press Conference)

I recently read an article, written in 2009 which chastised non-vaccinating parents because there had been 131 cases of measles in the U.S. in the first half of 2008 alone. And how many cases were there in the whole year? 134. The usual number? 62. Disingenuous reporting. An extra 72 cases of measles among 300,000,000 Americans made the papers every day or two for months and the LA Times writers dredge up the child who caught measles on a Swiss vacation one more time.

Yes, as mentioned, measles and other viruses can cause encephalitis. It's very, very rare. Implying otherwise could scare parents.

And, no, the law does not allow us to know which children have not received vaccines any more than it allows other invasions of privacy.

I have received hundreds of emails from people all over the country and the world reaching out to me and asking me to listen to them about vaccine issues and injuries because it seems that no one else will. I have permission from a mother to forward email she sent to me-with a picture-of her four month old daughter who received four vaccines and died shortly thereafter. I have dozens and dozens of similar emails and dozens of face-to-face encounters in my office with parents coming to me after what they considered to be vaccine damage to their children. I will not forward that email. It creates a different kind of fear that also doesn't serve the dialogue well.

I think that these possibly injured children and families represent one end of the bell shaped curve and that scary stories about meningitis in Minnesota (the first there in 18 years) represent the other end. (I do feel that the former end of the curve is far fuller than the latter but no proof exists. None.)

The LA Times stories were "fear-based" just as my forwarding these emails would have been.

The University of Michigan Law Review recently invited me to write a journal article about vaccines and tort law and you can read it here:

http://www.michigan lawreview.org/firstimpressions/vol107/stewart.htm

I sum up my law review presentation to parents every winter by telling them that the only way to avoid childhood illnesses is "reverse isolation" of your illness-free child. If you go to a two-year-old' s birthday party during the winter months . . . You will probably get sick.

Peripherally, let's all remember that it took fifty years or more, thousands of court cases and a lot of money to finally prove the connection between cigarettes and cancer. The three court cases showing no connection between vaccines and autism should make no headlines and should be an impetus to honest investigative journalism.

We have increased the number of vaccines and the combinations of vaccines given to babies and children. Adequate testing has not been done. I have seen a huge rise in the number of children with autism. Neither I nor any other doctors are hundreds of percent better at diagnosing this spectrum of developmental delay than ten or twenty years ago. The dramatic rise in the number of cases of autism spectrum disorders is attributable to something other than "reclassification" or better diagnosis.

While waiting for scientific proof, we have to tolerate families' completely legal and scientific desire to have or not have their children given vaccines according to the current schedule.


Best,

Jay

http://www.drjaygordon.com

One Hen microfinance for kids

Here is another great clickschooling. The kids enjoyed the story and games!


OneHen.org
http://www.onehen.org

Age Range: 4-104

This website offers free lessons and activities about
microfinance for kids (and their families) - and much more!
Microfinance is the practice of providing financial tools,
education, and loans to those people living in poverty. The
website is a companion to the popular children's book called
"One Hen" that tells the story (inspired by true events) of a
boy from Ghana, Africa named Kojo, who receives a small loan
and buys a hen. It leads to a series of events that improves
the lives of many.

When you get to the website you can learn the story of Kojo
and watch a video about the inspiring life of Kwabena Darko
(the real Kojo). (Turn your speakers on to hear narration and
African music.) Then, explore the menu that includes:

*For Parents - Get an explanation of microfinance and learn
about organizations that can help finance small loans to
entrepreneurial individuals and families around the world. Not
only that, but if you click on "Kids As Social Entrepreneurs"
within this section, you'll discover how your child (age 12
and up) can apply to receive a $1000 grant along with guidance
to start a business that will benefit your community.

*For Teachers and Librarians - Get free lesson plans and
activities (in downloadable pdf format) that explore themes
such as world geography, community service, life cycles,
natural resources, global citizenship, African culture, math,
economics, and business. There is also an online quiz -
although you'd need to read the book to be able to answer the
questions. Of course, you can purchase the book at the site
(via Amazon.com) - you can also request it at your local
library. Note: Many of the activities here do not require you
to have read the book, although doing so would add meaningful
context.

This website's information and activities provides children
and their families with food for thought and action. It brings
up great family discussion topics like poverty, charity,
responsibility, business, finance, community development, and
how to help the poor and disenfranchised in a sustainable way.

The concept of lending money to people in developing countries
who have no collateral and no access to conventional banking
is a real conversation starter. For example, did you know that
in 2006 Muhammad Yunus, a Bangledeshi economist who pioneered
microloan banking, won the Nobel Peace Prize? You can learn
more about him and other people and organizations who are
making a difference by exploring this website.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
http://www.ClickSchooling.com

Bottle Village on You-tube & Wing House

Joanne has been organizing all the different videos taken and putting them in a group on youtube. There are quiet a few here!

ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/user/BottleVillage

Also, this is just a cool way to recycle. Franice, another volunteer at Bottle Village, is building her house out of old airplane parts!!! It is amazing to see how big some of the pieces are! It is nicknamed the 'Wing House' because of the airplane wings that are going to be the roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF5n68EDQvU

Learn to Draw with Uncle Fred

Okay, he isn't my uncle and not sure I'd address him as uncle if I met him but this is a fun website. I let Baby K go at it with a pencil and paper and she had fun. I did a few too and both of them were mesmerized at how WONDERFUL of an artist I am... if only the world was so easy to convince. Next thing you know they'll be telling me I have a great singing voice! ;-)

Anyways, I got this one too from Clickschooling. The list is at the bottom if you want to join!



Draw and Color with Uncle Fred
http://www.unclefred.com

Age Range: 8 and up (approximately, non-readers will need
assistance)

Who is Uncle Fred? He's Fred Lasswell the cartoonist who
created "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith." At this website he
guides kids through easy, step-by-step lessons on how to draw
a:

*Surfer
*Chef
*Bunny
*Chimpanzee
*Panda
*Kitty
*Walrus
*Chick
*Puppy
*Penguin

- and more!

Grab a piece of paper and a pencil. Then, click on an item on
the menu. A new screen opens that illustrates (and explains
through text) exactly how to draw the design on your paper,
using simple lines and shapes. Once your picture is drawn -
color it any way you want! This is a great way for kids to
get the satisfaction of creating a "real" picture, and
learning a little about how straight and curved lines combine
to make art!

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
http://www.ClickSchooling.com

Dump diving- crazy or recycling?

Okay, I just have to share this one that a friend sent me. It was posted in the Santa Monica Freecycle group. Now this is WAYYYY beyond recycling and these people are just a wee bit insane. I'd be worried about food poisoning, germs, diseases, things like broken glass...how about it is just gross?

BUT.. the video is still cool, put to good music! I wonder how much of this is attention getting and how much is they don't want to earn enough money to pay for food vs actually helping to recycle.......

Okay, one more word...'EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!'

:-)

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=83643818125&h=Qjyp3&u=v4wRp&ref=nf

benifits of flouride true?

I read a book about this a few years ago. If you do a internet search and type in 'fluoride' and 'controversy' you'll get hundreds of hits. Some states are banning fluoride from the water. Funny how Simi Valley announced recently that they will be ADDING fluoride to the water...HUH? No vote? The city counsel just decides? Haven't THEY done any research?

Here is a good interview on it;

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/07/Warning-Never-Swallow-Regular-Toothpaste.aspx

DS Auto Repairs

Hey everyone, my friend, Dave, with DS Auto told me that work has been slow for him lately and so if anyone needs their vehicle repaired he has this week (so far) open with room in the schedule for someone needing work. He does all types of auto repair, brakes, shocks, tune-up, etc.etc.etc....I've had him do work on my van for the last year and I am 100% happy! Extremely cheap rates, fast service and he is very friendly!

His service number is (805) 297-8133.

:-)

Swimming at the YMCA and Running

 
 
 
 



Some photos from yesterday. The kids swimming in the indoor pool at the YMCA and later in the day, their running club!