May 2017 – agaaga

Niagara Falls, Butterfly Conservatory

Parked at the Floral Clock and bought WeGo bus day passes from the gift shop there.

Took the bus to Table Rock for the Journey Behind the Falls (elevators down to tunnels under the falls, with some viewports out from behind the falls).

Next a ride up the incline railway, a little walk around in town to warm up, and back down the railway.

Next a short bus ride and then the Hornblower boat trip up near the falls.

Finally, a bus ride back to the Butterfly Conservatory (wow!).

Then we caught the last bus back to the Floral Clock, only the driver went the wrong way and took us back South to the Aero Car stop. We transferred buses and she took us back to the Floral Clock.

At the end of the 50km ride, back at the house, Felix hops off his bike and calls out “Let’s play backyard tag Mommy!! It’ll be so much fun!!”

Cycling Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls round-trip

A 50km ride from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls and back! Overall we spent about 6 1/2 hours.

May 20, 2017 10:44 am to 5:25pm

map

Name:		NOTL to Niagara Falls return
Date:		May 20, 2017 10:44 am
Map:		View on Map View on Map (alternate)
Distance:		49.5 kilometers
Elapsed Time:		4:10:29
Avg Speed:		11.9 km/h
Max Speed:		32.4 km/h
Avg Pace:		5′ 03″ per km
Min Altitude:		88 m
Max Altitude:		192 m
Start Time:		2017-05-20T14:44:26Z
Start Location:
	Latitude:	43º 15′ 15″ N
	Longitude:	79º 04′ 36″ W
End Location:
	Latitude:	43º 15′ 16″ N
	Longitude:	79º 04′ 36″ W

Mother’s Day Hike – Limehouse Conservation Area

Parked at main entrance (baseball diamond, has port-a-potty), hike West to Hole-in-the-Wall, where the kids did a ton of exploring through caves and crevices. Continued to the lime kiln and powder magazine, then finished the loop via the Black Creek side trail.

Sunny and cloudy, tiny bit of rain, 15 degrees or so. Blackflies were annoying but didn’t seem to be biting.

May 14, 2017 12:36 pm to 3:10pm

Name:		2017-05-14 Limehouse
Date:		May 14, 2017 12:36 pm
Map:		View Map (alternate map)
Distance:		4.21 kilometers
Elapsed Time:		1:17:53
Avg Speed:		3.2 km/h
Max Speed:		12.5 km/h
Avg Pace:		18′ 29″ per km
Min Altitude:		288 m
Max Altitude:		330 m
Start Time:		2017-05-14T16:36:27Z
Start Location:
	Latitude:	43º 37′ 57″ N
	Longitude:	79º 58′ 22″ W
End Location:
	Latitude:	43º 37′ 56″ N
	Longitude:	79º 58′ 25″ W

Mother’s Day Riches

CAGIS – Science GENEius

Today’s CAGIS event was done by GENEius was more fun with DNA. The girls got to extract their own DNA and DNA from strawberries; and they got to practice their pipetting technique by making some art. We hooked up with Raquel and Arielle for this session – loads of fun as both Raquel and I were allowed to participate too!

Getting ready for the session:

Swish vigorously with Gatorade (the salts help to dislodge the DNA?), spit into the test tube. Wash with soap, which helps to break the lipids (fats) in the cell walls so the DNA can come free. The DNA eventually clumps – see top right cloudy clump. That’s LL’s DNA 🙂

For strawberries, squish with Gatorade and then strain with soap. Wait for it to float a bit and then fish out the clumps/strings of DNA. The girls got a gram of DNA (weighed by the instructor after drying).

Then some practice with pipetting to make an alligator:

Kid Anger Management Reading List

The books we bought for the kids and seem to be working quite well so far:
What to Do When Your Temper Flares: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Problems with Anger
Author: Huebner

I’m not bad, I’m just mad: A workbook to help kids control their anger
Author: Lawrence E. Shapiro, Zack Pelta-Heller, Anna F. Greenwald

How to take the grrrr out of anger
Author: Elizabeth Verdick, Marjorie Lisovskis

Angry Octopus: An Anger Management Story for Children
Author: Lori Lite

Parenting Reading List

The books that we’ve read on parenting and that we would recommend:

Children The Challenge
Author: Rudolf Dreikurs

Positive Discipline: The First Three Years
Author: Jane Nelsen, Cheryl Erwin, Roslyn Ann Duffy

Kids Are Worth It
Author: Barbara Coloroso

Parent Effectiveness Training: The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children
Author: Thomas Gordon

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Author: A Faber

Touchpoints: Your Child’s Emotional And Behavioral Development
Author: BRAZELTON T BERRY

Understanding Sibling Rivalry – The Brazelton Way
Author: BRAZELTON T BERRY

Becoming The Parent You Want To Be
Author: Laura Davis

Secrets of discipline: 12 keys for raising responsible children
Author: Ronald G Morrish

Siblings Without Rivalry
Author: A Faber

Discipline Without Tears
Author: Rudolf Dreikurs

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories Of Personal Triumph From The Frontiers Of Brain Science
by Norman Doidge

How to Raise an Emotionally Intelligent Child
Author: John Gottman

The Introvert Advantage
Author: Marti Olsen Laney

Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell

Brain Rules for Baby – How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five
Author: John Medina

Home

Brain Rules – 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
Author: John Medina

Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Author: Daniel H. Pink

Mindset – The New Psychology of Success
By Carol Dweck

Outliers: The Story Of Success
by Malcolm Gladwell

Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
by Ellen Galinsky

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character – Grit…
By Paul Tough

Emotionally Intelligent Parenting: How to Raise a Self-Disciplined, Responsible, Socially Skilled Child
by Brian S. Friedlander, Maurice J. Elias, Steven E. Tobias

Raising Boys – Why Boys Are Different – and How to Help Them Become Happy and…
By Steve Biddulph, Paul Stanish

Raising Girls – Why Girls Are Different–and How to Help Them Grow up Happy and…
By Gisela Preuschoff

David And Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, And The Art Of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell

The Everything Parent’s Guide to Raising Boys, 2nd Edition
By Cheryl L. Erwin

The Everything Parent’s Guide to Raising Girls, 2nd Edition
By Erika V. Shearin Karres