It was a warm and sunny weekend but the girls had so much else going on, we never did get on a hiking trail to enjoy the weather (which was a serious bummer!). The girls did however have fun making their own bit of sunshine with an electrical circuit art project at their 4-H club meeting.
This month's club project was a "series electrical circuit" and the kids did this with a few basic supplies from Radio Shack. I thought I'd share how the project was done because it was easy and fun and I think even moms who don't know much about electrical stuff could do this project with their kids.
Circuits are connected up in many ways, but they all have three basic elements. There is a conductor through which the current flows (we used copper wire); a load, which is the equipment being powered (we used a 14-volt light bulb); and an energy source (a 9-volt battery).
RED WIRE, SWITCH
Connect RED WIRE on either side of SWITCH by twisting wire on to ends. We used a soldering tool to make this connection secure (although with a pair of needle-nose pliers, you could get a secure connection).
BLACK WIRE, BATTERY CONNECTOR, ELECTRICAL TAPE
Connect BLACK WIRE to BLACK BATTERY CONNECTOR WIRE. Connect RED WIRE to RED BATTERY CONNECTOR WIRE and then use electrical tape to secure both connections. (The kids in our group had a hard time twisting the wire together so be sure the copper is touching before they wrap with tape. Several kids in our group had to remove the electrical tape a time or two to make a better connection for their circuit to work.)
BULB SCREW BASE
Connect RED WIRE to one side of SCREW BASE then connect BLACK WIRE to one side of SCREW BASE. We used a soldering tool to make this connection secure as well (but again, a secure twisting of wire with a pair of pliers should do the trick).
CLAY POTS, LIGHT BULB
Put SCREW BASE through inside of CLAY POT. Place LIGHT BULB on top of CLAY POT and twist in to SCREW BASE. Then connect your BATTERY to the BATTERY CONNECTOR and press SWITCH to see your LIGHT BULB light up!
To keep this project interesting for my girls, we turned it in to an "electrical art project." They painted their clay pots last night and connected their circuits to them for a science-oriented work of art.
L. tucked her circuit in to the pot on the left while the pot on the right has the switch on the outside for easy access.
In gathering supplies to teach this class I found out that Radio Shack has a free monthly flier with step-by-step instructions to make a variety of simple electrical projects. There were some fun ideas and a good resource for parents with kids who like to build stuff.
The girls have enjoyed the costumes at the Synchronized Skating Nationals. I've admired them too but the mom part of me can't help but dwell a bit on how much money was dished out to pay for them (even my girls were in sticker shock at the prices).
Here's a taste of the many beautiful costumes we've seen.
When G. was little she only wore skirts and dresses that passed the "spin test" (i.e., she would spin and the skirt had to really flare out to be chosen). Her affinity for the spin-factor is still alive and well, now more so in her photography than in actual practice.
And in case you are wondering if these are umbrellas, they are. The team's music was "Singing in the Rain" and they won gold for their division. It was a great number and G. commented several times how well she thought the costumes matched the music. She loved the whole package.
It's the final day of competition and the girls have some stuff going on this afternoon but they're insisting we find a bit of time to go today. G.'s still got a little bit more space on the camera memory card for photos (she responsible for all the above photos and more that I haven't sifted through yet) and she's told me she still wants to take more (she's turned the experience in to a sports action photography project for herself).
Not sure I'm going to Twitter today but after some feedback I've received, maybe I'll drop a few text messages while I'm there. (You can see my tweets here.)
I had way too much fun this afternoon at the Synchro Skating Championships and texting to my Twitter account.
If you're unfamiliar with Twitter, the basis of the site is to answer the simple question, "What are you doing right now?"
Apparently I was on a roll with my 140-character-limit responses while in the stands with my girls. Here is a transcript of my "tweets" during our time in the Civic Center.
*****************************
Having fun at the synchro skating nationals. Chatting it up with the team from MN about the big stuffed giraffe sitting next to them.
***************************** Girls want to know why skating costume they liked cost $658. Those dance recital duds are feeling cheap to me now.
***************************** Chatted w/synchro moms from VA, told me dads painted their toenails blue per skater's request for making it to Nationals. Coach ate worm.
***************************** Watched skater get headband sewn into hair w/ fishing line. That's serious security.
***************************** Getting down on knees and kissing ice is what synchro winners do I guess. Just saw lots o' ice kissing.
***************************** Having interesting chat about costumes on ice. Glitter not so important anymore in 12yo's world. Music counts now. Teen years have arrived.
***************************** Just saw entire synchro team kiss plastic penguin.
***************************** Skater cut by blade. Blood on ice. Officials scraping off. This is not supposed 2 be like hockey.
*****************************
Injured skater ok. Officials allowing do-over after resurfacing ice. Synchro spirit noteworthy.
***************************** Add giant banana and red bird 2 giraffe & penguin sightings @ sychro comp in Civic Center. Great team spirit here.
***************************** Overheard lament on ten min zamboni job. Thought shared - Anymore & this will be synchro swimming.
***************************** Standing O for do-over team. Bravo!
***************************** Stuffed tiger kissing by Michigan team before getting on ice. Can't imagine what's next.
***************************** Colonials team sang "fill me up" waiting to get on ice. If don't win synchro medal team should try American Idol next.
*****************************
(And as I pasted these tweets here I couldn't help but start laughing again about the zamboni comment made by a group of NJ moms. It truly was apropos.)
The National Synchronized Skating Championships continues Friday and Saturday if you're interested in checking things out in person. The fans in the stands make this event unique and a whole lot of fun. Of course, the skating is amazing as well.
***************************** Updated March 6: Video from the stands during Thursday's competition
G., L. and I spent some time with the North Atlantic Figure Skating Club's synchronized skating team, the Nor'easters, learning how to skate - synchro style. It's not until you're actually on the ice trying to learn a couple of their basic moves, can you really appreciate how FAST (and difficult) this type of skating really is.
The Nor'easters are a young group of figure skaters who have completed the USFSA Basic 8, which requires the ability to do footwork, a one-foot spin and a waltz jump. All of these girls started out a single skaters through the club's Learn to Skate program. And although these girls have only been meeting together as a team for a couple of months, they make synchro skating look easy.
The Nor'easters are coached by Lori Johnson, a professional skater who skated with the Ice Capades for 10 years and spent another five as its assistant show director.
My girls and I are recreational skaters and can skate -- slowly and carefully -- and not fall down. We can sort of stop on our own but often rely on the boards to complete that basic move. The girls and I think that the skate stop sort of feels like a pizza pie on our cross country skis so we understand the basic principal of using our edges to stop. Putting that in to action consistently in a pair of ice skates is of course, a bit trickier for the inexperienced skaters that we are.
And I realized the other day (when the girls tried on their ice skates and they didn't fit) that it had been more than a year since we'd been ice skating. So with rental skates from the Falmouth Family Ice Center and a bit of anxiety, we ventured out on to the ice with the team.
It turned out to be more fun than we could have anticipated thanks to some wonderful coaching that had the girls and I feeling comfortable on our skates in no time.
And really, not enough can be said for a good teacher/coach who can break down a concept in to manageable parts for a beginner. Coach Deb had us feeling confident on the ice in a matter of minutes. The girls were all smiles while following along with the instruction and actually felt like they could do a couple of basic elements by the end of our session.
Our instruction started out with the circle formation. We were instructed to use our outer foot to "pump" ourselves around the circle (and this pump is supposed to be done so that the blade does not actually lift off the ice - easier said than done I discovered).
I would say that my girls and I did more holding on to other skater's arms than actual pumping as the experienced skaters were clearly the ones who actually kept our circle moving.
I think we had the most fun with the line, which required a particular type of push and glide to do (an alternating step-step-glide move on each foot). Since the girls have several years of formal dance training behind them, they know the power -- and thrill -- of a good kick line.
We even added head movements to our skate down the ice and although not perfectly executed (not even close on the Almeida fam's part), it sure did give us a good sense of what it's like to be on a synchro skating team.
We also tried a pinwheel, which I realized quickly required both speed and upper body strength (to hold on to the skaters on either side of you). Being the tallest in the group, I was positioned in the center, with the shorter skaters on the ends. Those little end skaters have to have some serious speed and power to keep up with pinwheel. L. was in the middle of the wheel once the synchro team joined the formation and just went along for the ride since there was no way she could skate as fast as the wheel was moving. And I am certain she would not have felt comfortable with this without the expert assistance of Alexa's secure hold on her as they whipped around the ice.
And doing a pass through line? That requires a bit of maneuvering to ensure everyone goes through the correct windows (again, my girls fell back on their dance training to understand the concept) but when done correctly, it looks - and feels - pretty cool.
We spent about 45 minutes on the ice with the synchro team and left feeling like we had a real sense of the type of work and training -- as well as the wonderful camaraderie these girls share -- with this competitive team sport.
And the fun wasn't just with the team. A couple of fellow media friends on the ice with us also kept things entertaining. Glenn Jordan, a Portland Press Herald staff writer had some nice turning and hip swing action on the ice (I'm waiting for that video to get posted on PPH to link up here) and Greg Rec, a staff photographer, had my girls cracking up with his skating antics.
The National Synchronized Championships is a 3-day competition that begins on Thursday. The North Atlantic Figure Skating synchro team we worked with yesterday is part of the opening ceremonies on Thursday (which begin at 1:15 p.m. at the Civic Center). After watching a few clips on YouTube from previous national championships, I believe this is going to be one knock-your-socks-off kind of event and some great family entertainment.
I know after our brief time on the ice with this synchro team, my kids were inspired to do more skating this year and can't wait to go to the championships.
For a preview, check out this video for the level of competition that will be in town this week.
Our Ski Club meeting day - Sundays this year - has had some less-than-ideal conditions even though we've had more than enough snow this winter in Maine (i.e., if it's not a strong blowing snow storm, it's raining -- every single Sunday it seems like).
This past Sunday afternoon we had icy trail conditions after all the warm weather and rain of the previous week but that did not stop the kids from getting out on the Mountain Division Trail for a short ski run. (It did start snowing while we were out there but there was no time for the ski club to enjoy the after-storm conditions as a group this week).
But it's not just skiing (and games) that the club looks forward every week.
It's G.'s brownies.
She has made them for every one of our meetings this year (per request after her first batch at our initial meeting) and they have turned in to a motivating factor when the group is getting pooped out on the trail.
Everyone knows (adults included) that brownies are waiting back at the car.
Of course snack time is an interesting juggle of car roofs and truck beds with the brownie pan and hot cocoa but it works for the group and I've never heard a single complaint about that.
I'm not sure how many more times our club is going to meet (it's March and we should be moving on I know!) but no one is talking about setting an end date for the season just yet.
I think this winter our ski club will remember not just the skiing and games and all the fun we've had this year with our friends, but for those darn good chocolate M&M brownies.
It is not every year we have a hill large enough to sled down by our front door but thanks to all the snow plowing we've had to do this winter (and the lack of anywhere left to put it all), we've got a nice one going out in the front yard now. (Normally it's perfectly flat.)
And I don't think I've ever fully appreciated the hardiness of blue jays. They were flying around the bird feeder eating their breakfast this morning despite all the blowing snow.
These photos are compliments of L.'s quick grab for the camera to catch the action.
And rather than come in from a blowing cold snow storm for hot cocoa, L. brought in her own snack from outside.
A favorite variation on the maple syrup snow snack (which she has enjoyed since her preschool class introduced her to the idea) is the "Root beer Snow Float."
And yes, she ate that entire bowl of snow before it melted.
The girls have watched an eclectic mix of movies recently while I've been sick. (I really got knocked off my feet for a while but I'm on the mend.) And because they really liked some of these movies, they thought I should, "tell the other moms about them so their kids can watch them too."
So here are the Almeida kids' movie recommendations.
Legend of the Seeker
This is actually a TV show the girls watch on hulu.com every week and is based on the books by Terry Goodkind (which we have never read but G. is going to start soon and does not seem to be too daunted by the 600+ pages of the first title yet). This fantasy fiction series is a good vs. evil type of story in the spirit of Narnia, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. G. is the BIG fan of this series.
Igor
The girls really enjoyed this one and spent the first half of the movie trying to figure out who the voice of Igor was. I knew it was John Cusack and told them a couple of movies I could remember he was in, none of which they recognized (which was probably not a bad thing). Then G. proclaimed half way through the movie, "I know! He's the same guy who was in Anastasia (the animated version)."
Sometimes I'm better off just letting them figure these things out on their own.
Longshots
This one is based on the true story of an 11-year-old girl from Texas who became the first female to play in a Pop Warner football tournament. Keke Palmer stars in this movie and since the girls were inspired to learn how to be better spellers after watching her in Akeelah and the Bee, they picked this DVD right up at the library when they saw it. Both girls gave this girl power-type movie two thumbs up (the girl burping with her uncle at the kitchen table may have helped boost this rating for L.). But unlike the spelling bee movie, neither have a desire to ever play football.
August Rush
This was a really great movie for kids who like music and/or play a musical instrument. It's about a musical prodigy who ends up finding a clue to his birth parents through his musical gift. I've enjoyed listening to both of my girls practicing their band instruments more lately because of this movie.
Oh, and G. wanted me to mention that one of the main characters was also in Bend It Like Beckham and she was proud to have figured out that connection (that movie was another favorite at our house a couple of years ago).
CJ7
This gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from L., who said, "this was the BEST movie ever!"
It's about a poor boy who is given a toy that looks like an old ball but turns out to be an alien who grants wishes. Only the wishes can sometimes be more than the boy bargains for and he ends up in some interesting situations.
This is a subtitled movie because it's in Mandarin so it may lack appeal for kids who have never seen a subtitled movie (we watched it via Netflix Watch Instantly).
L. is particularly fond of the scene when the boy takes the alien's poop to school and problems ensue (it seems kids the world over are potty humor fans).
The director of this film, Stephen Chow, is a favorite at our house. He's got an off-beat sense of humor that we like (L. and Fino especially) and a story line about ethics/morals that I appreciate, but you have to look beyond face value of his movies to see that though.
Chow's Shaolin Soccer was a movie the girls watched over and over for months and while they've also seen this director's movie Kung Fu Hustle, it's not a kid's movie (i.e., there's a bit too much violence so preview it before you let the kids watch it) but the girls enjoy the off-beat humor of that one as well.
I also need to put this recommendation in context of other movie recommendations made by L. on Kid Tracks. (Although CJ7 really is a movie geared for kids and a good recommendation, the movie below is not.)
A few years ago she was enthralled with a Cantonese-subtitled, Mr. Vampire (which is more comedy than horror in my crew's opinion) that she watched with Fino (and not a kid's movie but she and Fino are big Asian movie fans, which you would know if you talked to L. about the sadness she felt about Mothra's demise).
L.'s interest in Mr. Vampire extended to her hopping around NYC for two days (not exaggerating) in imitation of the characters in that movie (the vampires were like zombies, moving with their arms extended in front of their bodies but instead of walking, they hopped to get around). She even convinced her cousin (a kindred spirit in the spunky nature department) to hop everywhere with her.
And the highlight of that NYC trip was not the American Girl Doll store as expected, but the discovery of a poster in Chinatown for a Mr. Vampire sequel (unfortunately that movie turned out to be a major disappointment for L.).
I tracked down the video I took on that NYC trip to demonstrate her enthusiasm for that movie (other kids dress up like their favorite movie characters but L. sometimes likes to be a bit more creative).
So like I warned, this recommendations list from the kids is eclectic. But having watched all these movies, I can attest to them all having a certain appeal for tweens and teens (and appropriate content-wise for the age-group, with the exceptions I noted).
Have you seen any B-movies lately (American or foreign)? The girls are looking for some new ones...
