20 Interesting Facts by Oscar

1. Did you know that tortoises drink through their butts?
2. Did you know that suns are made up of gas?
3. Did you know that you have more than 5000 organisms in your body?
4. Did you know that cheese is just milk mixed with different types of bacteria?
5. Did you know that tornados are just wind spinning really fast?
6. Did you know that China has the highest population in the world?
7. Did you know that humans are apes?
8. Did you know that women have more taste buds than men?
9. Water covers about 3 quarters of earth's surface.
10. Did you know that you can live a month without food but a week without water?
11. Did you know that rocks are broken by ice?
12. Diamonds are the hardest minerals on earth that can even break steel.
13. Obsidian is as smooth as glass.
14. Sometimes shells or bones or other parts of living creatures get covered in dirt and water steeps in the cracks.
15. Did you know that octopi eat where their butt is?
16. Did you know that penguins can't fly?
17. Did you know that crayons are made up of wax?
18. Did you know that fire isn't an element?
19. Sand is just rocks grinded over the years into dust.
20. Some stars are planets, some are suns, some are asteroids.

christmasitis

We've all been suffering from christmasitis, which lasts from December 1 until the kids go back to school. One child thinks putting on clothes to go outside-while on break- is one of the greatest indignities he could suffer. So we're also getting a bit of cabin fever since it takes a very high activation energy to get out the door. Luckily we're well stocked with fresh do-dads!

it's a break

Verbascum blattaria, from a modern seed

Snow melts faster on bare ground!

We've been playing board games, snacking, relaxing...there's even a little snow to make it fun! We went on a neighborhood walk and no one wore snow gear, so of course the kids all got very wet, cold hands.

Eric and I are both working on grant proposals so the house is getting very organized.

hello, boys!

Looks like we're back in bidniss! What an autumn- better to just move past it.

Labor Day weekend, Eric's view

First contact!

Resting on the giant's bench

Waiting for their food at Northern Natural

Lake Michigan! Was it negativo? Almost. Did Oscar care? Not a bit.

See Ben's tiny noggin? He got wet, like it or not - and he did not, not really.

Building a dam

Brotherly love

And here's how they do it:

playing in the crick

Checking out the big lake (sound off for this one, you can only hear the wind)

Time marches on, and everyone's better except for me. I'll probably be all better in another week, fingers crossed!