Friday, August 03, 2012

Goop!!

Goop: Corn starch, water, and food coloring

This afternoon, after lunch but before nap time, Gus and I made goop. I had decided that we were NOT going to watch any television today, so Gus spent the morning very unhappy that he was not able to watch Mickey Mouse. Making goop was just the ticket for some fun and clearing his head of the mouse.

I started off using the sensory table, but Gus isn't quite tall enough to really use it when there's something shallow in one of the bins. So I took the bin out and he played with the goop on the table.
It starts off really hard to mix... but once you get it mixed, it's so awesome!

Gus wasn't sure about it at first
If you've never touched it before, it's kinda slimy. It's very liquidy when you move it around, but then when you grab it, it's like a semi-solid. It's very interesting!


Of course Gus had to touch his head with it and see what it felt like on his hair!

Look at that little grin!!
He wanted to taste it... I figured, it's just corn starch, water and food coloring... can't hurt him (can't taste good either)

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!

Eeeeeeewwwwww

He thought it was funny that I was making yucky noises

Such a sly little man!
Love his foot!
 
Looks like it's solid doesn't it??

Putting both hands in!!
 

After a while I decided to add some blue food coloring...


Gus LOVED mixing up the blue!

He was using a little spoon to help mix it up

Totally checking out his mixture!

He liked tipping the bin because the goop slowly oozed down the bin...

Burying his fork

When the goop gets on your skin, within a minute, it solidifies and he was fascinated with the goop on his hands and fingers!

He kept sticking his whole hand in!

GOOP!

Checking it out as it dries/hardens on his hand!
 
Picking off the dried goop from his spoon


Hmmmm...

He really had a good time!

Ught oh!! Rubbing those eyes (with goop on his hands)! Time for a bath and then a nap!

All done!


This really was an easy little activity and he had a great time. I think anyone with a bin could do it. You could also do it outside in a kiddy pool. I thought about that, but we have bees outside and I didn't want to have to put sunscreen on him and deal with all that. It was easier inside for us today.

I think next week we're going to experiment with baking soda and vinegar!! I saw a post online about using highlighters to make glow water and you use a black light! I think Gus would love it!!! I just need to see about getting a black light and we can try it out!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Voting in GA



Today was Election Day here in GA (Primary election). Steve and I wanted to go together since neither of us have voted here yet. We waited for Gus to wake from his nap and it was 6:30 by the time we left the house (the polls closed at 7).


When we arrived at the school, we weren't sure where to go and there weren't signs ANYWHERE. It was really odd to not see a million campaign posters/signs. After turning around and going around the other side of the building, we found the entrance.


I was surprised to see that we had to show our driver's licenses to vote. I thought that was illegal. Anyway, after showing our IDs, we were given directions to head to the next table and instead of being given a big long ballot (like I've ALWAYS been given), we were each handed a yellow card (like a credit card). This was our ballot.


When we went to the voting booth, we put the card into the reader (like a credit card reader) and it made a click and locked in the card. Then my ballot showed up on the screen. It was all touch-screen and SO EASY. I literally just went through and checked a box on who I wanted to vote for, and then on the issues, same thing. At the end, it let me review my ballot before hitting the submit button.

When I was done, the card was ejected and I took it back to the lady at the first table and she gave me the above sticker. 



It was so easy.


I didn't have to bubble in anything with a pen. I didn't have to worry about feeding my ballot into a machine and worrying about it not taking it or going in wrong-side up. It was incredibly efficient and very high-tech.


I loved it.


Now let's just hope that my votes were worth something and how I voted pans out as I had hoped.