Drinkable Pudding

Last night we made "Maizena." Maizena (may-i-say-na) translates to cornstarch and is basically a thin vanilla pudding that can be sipped like hot chocolate. The recipe goes something like this:

1 cup milk
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tblsp. sugar

simmer/boil until the cornstarch thickens stirring constantly. Add a few drops of vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt (opt). Of course chocolate, cinnamon or a variety of other flavors can be added for a change of pace.

I was doing a little google research and found that it can be purchased at Mexican grocers in a package and it has an interesting history. The drink is an "atole".

This was a drink I had on my mission in Venezuela and the variations on it included "hot oats" - it was the same recipe as above but instead of cornstarch they used oat flour. Rice flour is also used. It never got cold where I was in Venezuela so I can't say we drank it for warmth but it was a nice hot chocolate substitute.

Fall photographs

Went for a walk on Sunday and took a few photographs. Reflections in the New River.

The old train bridge

Suez Canal Activity

OK say this has all the signs of amateur filming so I'll apologize up front for the film quality and that you have to turn your head sideways in order to view it properly, but it was a fun activity worth trying yourself.

Here we are learning about why the Suez Canal was built. We picked up the activity book for Story of the World #4, went out the side door and all the way around the house to the garden door. (Garden door sounds better then "other side door".) As you know, before the Suez Canal was built the people who wanted to trade either had to take their products by boat all the way around Africa or carry them overland.

This video is much shorter. We went from the front door, through the garage door (a "lock") and a quick turn into the Garden Door. The Suez Canal made the trip much shorter for those who wanted to trade. Shorter trips for traders means more trade and more profit.

Virginia Transportation Museum

A week ago Friday our home school group kicked off the study of the Industrial Revolution with a trip to the local transportation museum. The first thing we saw was an impressive "O" gauge train set up. The kids were fascinated. It even has the Star at the top.

Under the main train set was smaller train set ups to be viewed through windows. One included a circus train, another was a playground.


Next room over was the history of cars. The front car here was one of the early cars that rolled off the first manufacturing lines. It had a tiller style stearing system. The following cars are a parade of how cars developed. There was even a sample "Burma Shave" sign.

This room was full of stuff about trains, many different aspects of it. Here D. is ringing a bell. The kids had a great time ringing it. Bells used to be on the top of trains and were moved to the front above the cow catcher.

One of the highlights of the museum is a presidential train car. It is in the process of renovation. Above is one of the bedrooms. We also saw the living room with a piano.

This is the hall that goes past the sleeping compartments to the dining room.

The Dining Room. The kitchen hasn't been renovated.

An early big rig.

Horse and buggy.

Covered wagon

One of several steam engines.

The wheels were huge.

There was a playground at one end with all sorts of toys and an old bus. The kids had a great time pretending they were riding on it. We ate lunch in this area.

C.

B. & C. playing around the "spaceship".

L. on the bus.

R. flying a helicopter.

The "O" gauge train from upstairs. On the second floor was an amazing miniature circus set up. Impressive details.

It took over sixty hours just to do the canvast for the big tent - and that was just one of the tents. There were countless eyelets and inside the tent
were people, trapeze artists, horses, balloon salesman, elephants and so much more. There was even a miniature of Emmett Kelly - an old time, famous clown.

While some of the kids and a couple of the parents browsed the gift shop a couple of the kids tried on firemen clothes. J. was swamped by the size of the jacket.

Here is M. in a fireman's hat. We thought it was a fun place to visit. It is all volunteer run. It sits next to the railroads and was an old depot. Real diesel engines go by every now and then.

Volcano

So we were reading about the Dutch East Indies and Sumatra and colonization, etc. and the activity book mentions that Krakatoa erupted in 1883 making one of the biggest explosions ever recorded. So the activity book suggested making the home made version of a volcano. Paper towel tube in the middle

Pack newspaper around it and

cover it with foil.

Three tablespoons of baking soda packed into a bag tucked in the top of the paper towel tube.

1/3 of a cup of vinegar and some red food coloring poured into the bag with the baking powder..

And we get a small volcanic eruption.

B & J after the eruption.

Mentos, Diet Coke and Fountains

B. has been learning about solids and liquids in her science workshop. It reminded me about some fun videos I saw once using mentos and diet coke. They title their works Experiments.

They work out a domino effect and later do an impressive fountain.

Firestation

Oct 15 the Junior Writing Workshop went to the local fire station. Above is the Fire Chief's office, full of all sorts of toys and doo-dads that have to do with fire stations.

The rack of firemen clothes near the trucks.

The nice fireman helping Janet get down from looking inside one of the trucks.

Four of the students on the back of a fire truck.

A fireman suiting up.

One of the original city fire trucks.

Fire truck with lights flashing!

J. next to the tire of the newest fire truck, custom made for the city.

One of the kids asked how the fire plugs worked. This fireman is demonstrating on a dry fire plug just how they check to make sure the connections are clear before they turn it on with the handle on the top. Different colored tops tell the firemen how much water pressure is in the plug.

Group photo.

Pandapas Pond

About twice a year we stop at Pandapas Pond to see the Spring or Autumn foliage and to eat lunch on our way home from Stake Conference. Above was an interesting plant growing near the picnic bench.

B. walking up one side,

J. walking up the other side.

meeting in the middle

Two deer were grazing quietly as we went back to our car. They kept watching us but didn't seem too worried about us.