Monday, August 31, 2009

Bug Fest 2009- Cricket Spitting

Yes, they are actually spitting real crickets. I had already spit mine and I don't mind saying it was pretty far... I think. I don't know if I had ever tried it before and don't have much to compare it to, but, ... it felt good. I was surprised to see the kids give it a go, especially Sam who is particularly finicky at times. And they told us the crickets were dead, but I'd swear that mine was kicking around some. So maybe they were just stunned.



Either way, the Bug Fest was a pretty interesting time, I'll have to admit. Lots of insect collections, live creepy crawlies, crafts, butterfly enclosures (this was unfortunately pretty weak), and even a bug cafe where, you guessed it, you could try real bug "appetizers". Of course the favorite was the chocolate covered crickets, but the salt and vinegar cricket wasn't too bad. I'm guessing it takes some time to get used to the crunching texture of dry insect legs.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Optical Illusions


I had recently tried to explain to Eli what an optical illusion is without providing any examples. It's pretty difficult to explain to a six year old without the visuals. This site is the first I've stumbled upon. It's cool, check it out.

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm


In an age where success may be dependant on technology and effective use of it, I have created this blog for my son, Eli. He is five. I hope that this will be an avenue for him to explore, learn, have fun, and excel in a way that many of us never knew as kids.