The 13:13 Experiment

January 27, 2014 by Jules 5 Comments

I plan to do an experiment with my kids this month to teaching the power of words; especially Love and Hate. I found it fitting to conduct this homeschool science experiment as part of our Valentine's Day unit.

If you want to join us, Please head over to the as Jules is going Facebook page to follow the progress through out the month.

The 13:13 Experiment

...and the greatest of these is LOVE...

1 Corinthians 13:13

Question:

Does what we say and how we treat other really affect them significantly and long-term?

Research:

According to Dr. Masaru Emoto, people are made up of at least 60% water therefore his discovery has far-reaching implications… can anyone really afford to have negative thoughts or intentions?

Click here for more information from other who have tried conducted this experiment.

Hypothesis:

Since God tells us words and affection are so powerful, we believe they will have an effect on any creation and that we can show this in the scientific world.

"Loving on" the rice will make it flourish.
"Hating on" the rice will destroy it.
"Ignoring it" will rot it.

Materials:

2-3 jars with lids
white rice
water
little scientist
loving and hateful words
one month

Experiment:

Share the hypothesis with kids.
Get materials. We bought our plastic lidded containers at the dollar tree {2 for $1}. I didn't want to spend a lot so I don't feel bad trashing them at the end of the month.
Eliminate all external factors.
- Label jars.
  Write what you want to be said to the jars and how you want them to be "treated" so you don't mix them up
  - We chose to do all 3 jars and use white sticky labels saying:
    1. I love you
    2. I hate you
    3. ...
  - You can just do "love" and "hate"
- Chose a space toconduct the experiment.
  - same sunlight
  - same temperature
- Separate containers a significant amount- we're doing about 2 feet.
  {so they don't "hear" what we say to the other jars 😉 }
- Fill with white rice: you can either fill with rice and water or cook the rice before filling. We're cooking it first.
- Seal up the containers to avoid contaminants
Interact appropriately with each containers daily. Express love toward the "I love you" container and hatred toward the "I hate you" container. Don't talk to or mess with the "..." container at all.
Wait and observe. We are {attempting} ~28 days with no picking up, shaking, or moving the containers any way.

Draw Conclusion and report Results:

Follow this on the as Jules is going Facebook page during the month of February and I plan to update here when the experiment is completed.

Happy Experimenting 😀

NOTE: I never did a follow up post on this...because they turned out kinda nasty. Sadly, our experiment didn't yield the same results as the one we were mimicking. There were several factors that could have influenced this: plastic containers that were possibly not air tight, a loud home with lots of children, a bright room with lots of natural light, or too much moisture trapped in the containers {ie I didn't cook the rice the right way: too much water}.

Filed Under: Homeschool, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

She’s Gonna Cave in 10, 9, 8…

January 25, 2014 by Jules 2 Comments

Our daughters are talking on their cell phones inches away from one another. Did I mention they are 4 and 5?

They are carrying out some sort of pretend play about school, bus riding, car pick-up lines, and natural frustration. Its quickly interrupted by the boy {3}. He marches in holding - the marbles. How dare he!

Izzie {4} immediately tackles him and reminds him WHO received the round annoyances of gold for Christmas...Her.

After separating toe-headed twins and sent them to their respective corners, the phone fun had been ruined. Jamin cheerfully sat on the couch with the marbles and Izzie pouted on the floor, staring at the movie-day cartoons with her once joyful play cell laying in front of her. Ringing.

That's right. Maggie {5} was not effected by the ~~wrestle mania~~ squabble in the least. She was eagerly searching for her mamma who was supposed to be finding a way to get her home from school. Ring.

Ring.

Maggie just kept calling. Now standing next to the couch across the room with a confussed look as she gazed at her fuming sis.

Ring.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

I glace over to Matt and begin, "and she caves in 10, 9, 8, ..."

Ring Ring Ring

"7, 6, 5, 4, ..."

Ring Ring ring ring ing ing Ring Ring ring

"3, 2, 1. " Darn. She didn't meet my count down. We laugh like crazy as we watch her body tense up.

Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring

"She's going to cave! She's a middle child."

Ring Ring

Izzie lungest forward and grabs the phone.

Ring Ring

"Its happening. She has to please."

Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring

Ring Ring Ring Ring

She pushes buttons but says nothing.

Ring

She slowly raises it to her mouth.

Ring Ring

"She can't handle it!"

Ring

"All you have to do is say hello and the ringing will stop."

Ring Ring Ring

Ring Ring

Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring

"WHAT!!!!" She caved. She answered the phone.

bwahahahahahaha

Filed Under: The ones about the Rothacher Home

I tan’t Do It

January 22, 2014 by Jules Leave a Comment

As a mom, it's fun watching your children and their individuality. I knew when we were expecting our second baby that our 1st and 2nd would probably be polar opposites. They were/are. When we had our 3rd, I assumed he would lean more toward our 1st child's personality or our 2nd. NOPE. He may have a few things that resemble something I've seen in his older sisters but he is a one and only!

Our middle child has mastered the middle child position. She walks the talk with her big sis and hangs with the older kids. She picks the fight in the cover of dark and then pulls out the Puss in Boots eyes {from Shrek} and works her way into your heart and out of trouble. One of her most common phrases lately that ~~gets under my skin and grates on my nerves~~ melts my heart and convinces me to sweep in to her aid every time is "I tan't do it!" {insert pout with giant brown eyes}. It helps her get out of clean up at night. Makes us late for everything by forcing someone to help her but on flip flops. This also means eating food she doesn't like all of a sudden just can't stay on the fork/spoon.

All in the same day my beautifully stuck in the sandwich of siblings can sit in the backseat and utter the words, "You can't dwive froo da red light!" I giggle because I'm not driving and because our light was not red. My sweet, helpful, peacemaking 2 and 1/2 year old knows nothing about driving! I think to myself, "You 'tan't' do it! You can't wipe your own tooshy. But Now you know how to Drive! You can't reach the peddles. You think all signs are "Top Signs" and all trucks are fire trucks." None of that will stop her from offering the how-to when she felt confident in her knowledge of the road.

Cachsssss!

The plank in my eye crashed straight through the windshield of reality as I was yanked to a stop with the realization that I am just a 2-year-old that pouts when I don't want to do something and who barks orders when I think I know best.

We know all to well what this is like. As soon as God ask us to do something we are uncomfortable doing by ourselves, we don't like, or we just plain don't want to, "we tan't do it." How does He respond? Love. Patience. Reassurance. Guidance. Right when we need it. When we want to throw in the towel, huff, cross our arms, and pout in a corner, he helps.

Lets parent like the perfect Father. She needs help. If she doesn't want to do something, patient help, reassurance, and guidance is what she needs.

Yet again, my child teaches me something in her innocence about our Father and the nature of our relationship. We have nothing to bring Him.

We knows nothing about driving! We literally 'tan't' do it! We can't wipe our own tooshies without His help. But Now you know how to Drive! We want to tell Him when to go, slow down, and stop. WHAT!?! We can't reach the peddles. We think all signs are "Top Signs" and all trucks are fire trucks. None of that stops us from offering our advise on how to run our lives. Because obviously we have a broad knowledge of how this world works, what's best for us, and how we want things to turn out.

I pray I begin responding the way my little girl would. I'm going to try and put on my big girl panties and do what God ask of me the 1st time knowing He knows me best along with what I can and can't handle. I'm going to zip my lips in the backseat and trust His knowledge of the road ahead.

Filed Under: Parenting, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Our Family Chore Chart

January 20, 2014 by Jules 2 Comments

Today is Jamin's first day of officially being "on the chore chart". 🙁

I've been postponing this...it just seems too soon. This means he is really growing up 🙁 My younger kids have always though it "unfair" when the older kids got to "help" by doing chores. Every once in a while I would 'let them' help the olders do the chore. Last week was Jamin's official "training week".

All that was supposed to mean was Jamin tagged along with Maggie when she did her chores and watched. What it ended up being was Maggie, the master leader that she is, called Jamin to her when she was asked to do her chore and talked him through how to do each one...step. by. step. Izzie thought she wanted a turn at being his "trainer" but got really irritated quickly and didn't pull it off as easily as Mags did. lol He learned where dishes belong, how to sort laundry, and was already very aware of how the coveted "set the table" chore worked.

One of the things that has helped me is this "responsibility chart" we've had for several years now. I found mine at a consignment event but you can buy the same chart HERE <--affiliate link fyi. I like the chart because it keeps me from asking my oldest to do everything; because I know it will get done, get done right, and it's just easier. Here is how we use our chart:

Basic Chores

This chart comes with tons of "responsibility" options. There are lots of them that are just expected in our house {ie "Say Please & Thank You", "Don't Use Bad Language"}. Then there are some we've labeled "morning chores" {ie "Make Bed", "Get Dressed"} and these are things everyone is supposed to do every morning. The basic chores we are teaching our littles to currently help with are:

Set the Table: decides where everyone sits as well as what color plate they use
Dishes: I have most dishes in lower cabinets for them to reach; they place other items that go higher on the counter for me to put away
Laundry: sorts into clean baskets {we'll work on folding later}, everyone helps put away clothes over the weekend.
[help with] Trash: [helps daddy] bring trash bags from bathrooms, carry out recycling, and take to the curb on the appropriate night
Sweep: dinning room & kitchen daily, bathrooms and laundry room as needed
Vacuum: living room daily, bedrooms as needed

I like to have the same person do Set the Table and Dishes on the same day so if there are no dishes for them to set out they can see the direct correlation between the chores as well as why its important to do these things daily. I have just now started 'training' how to sweep & vacuum so I put those two together and only assign that to the older girls {who are more capable}.

Smiley Face Assignment

I think this chart may have been designed for "earning" smiley faces but since we expect them to help out around the house, we just assign "jobs" they're "allowed" to help with and we take down/replace the smile with a different color if they don't end up doing it that day.

Pink: Maggie {5-years-old}
Purple: Izzie {4-years-old}
Blue: Jamin {3-years-old}
Orange, Yellow, Green: everyone/whoever Mom & Dad's choose

Since the "basic chores" are things that need to be done daily, all I have to do is ask "whose on ____ today" and that person is in charge of doing that chore right then.

Allowance

I'm not sure if allowance is the right term but we "allow" our kids to have money as a way for us to start teaching preschool finances 101; the chores are just a good excuse to do that.

Bread Tie: represents money- can choose to 'spend' them on things
Penny: when we start working on counting and are responsible enough to keep up with the money
Nickle: when they start counting by 5s

At the end of the week, we count which chores were completed and hand out allowance. Then we have them put them into their bank S we made; this is how we teach them about generosity and budgeting.

Don't forget, it's never too early to have children do chores. The early you start, the easier it becomes a habit and helps the entire family in the long run. Their perspective of household chores is all based on how you present it; we choose to show these chores as a privilege to those who are old enough.

Our philosophy has always been, We all helped make the mess so we will all help clean up the mess. Don't get me wrong. I've had to let go of a lot of my perfect ideals, and tons of my organizational tendencies for the details. BUT we get the major stuff done...most of the time. Helping with household chores is also a way children learn about serving one another, being considerate, and responsibility.

Filed Under: Cleaning, Homemaker, Homeschool, Organizing, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

For the Nursing Mamma

January 14, 2014 by Jules Leave a Comment

When my first baby was born 5.5 years ago, I believed the myths:

Breast feeding doesn't ruin your boobs; its such a sweet time for you and your baby; since our bodies were made for nursing, it comes easily; you'll bond better with your baby. Although my milk came in with a bang and I had to buy a deep freeze to store all the excess, nursing didn't seem to bond me with my baby {right away} among the sore, overly engorged boobies. After a year of nursing my sweet cheeks with love juice, biting my lip through the sharp pain, and squashing and squeezing those poor girls...they were Soooo ruined; well, ruined in the fact that they will never be the same and now I know why all those "old ladies" were complaining about their "long saggy boobs". 😉

With all the trial and error, ups and downs, successes and failures, I want to share my ode to love juice...

Porno boobs are not attractive if they upon further inspection appear to be flesh covered bags of marbles that pertrude from the body likely to explode if touched.
Don't bother buying a nursing bra for the 1st week. your boobs will stick straight out from your body like bowling balls.
Let the lactation consultant help you at the hospital {even though its super awkward!}.
Breast pumps are your friend...even though they make me feel like a cow and offer much needed relief even if "the more you milk a cow, the more they produce" {you can always taper off how much you pump later}.
Suck that stuff out and put it in the freezer. You may feel overwhelmed by the gallons you begin to stocking thinking y0u will never in all your life use it all but you will. And if your the freak case that doesn't...people buy that stuff. For Real.
Sometimes, the best way to hold your baby to position her for nursing will feel the most un-motherly.
Something for burping.
Breast fed babies do get gas despite no "bottle bubbles". Mylicon is your friend!
You will fear for your child's life when placing said bowling ball near their tiny head as a means of nutrition
Cave- use a nipple shield. "Save the Nipples" needs to be your battle cry for nearly a month if you plan to be a long-termer. {most hospitals provide it if you request one}
"Let Down" will no longer be a term used when you feel disappointed your child ask for the last sugar cookie...it will now be linked to being let down your infant is still sleeping rather than screaming for the milk that is stinging from your inner most being asking to be taken out
Water {I loath water} is your friend...ice water {even though it tastes better}- not so much: see- intensified "Let Down"
Be ready for your older children to stare...and stare...and stare. Then ask awkward questions. Then regurgitate whatever amazing {simplified version of nursing to get them off your lap while feeding} explanation to the nearest I-don't-really-care person.

My sis eats my mammas boobs.
The baby keeps kissing my mom's boobies.
God put milk in my mamma like cows.
Why she using that cup? {nipple shield}.
I wish I was a baby again so I could eat mommy milk...
When you don't use that plastic thing...it makes it grosser.
My mommy's hiding the baby eating under that thing so you don't see her boobies.