Bad Blogger

Yes, it's been ages since I've written anything. The problem is that I've been spending so much time playing on Facebook. Take a look at the little widget over there on the right...that's Facebook. If you click on it you can actually go to my Facebook page and see what I've been up to. Between MySpace and Facebook, I've gotta say that Facebook is much better. Check it out.

Back from Texas

I just got back from a trip to Flower Mound, Texas to visit my older sister and her family. Where is Flower Mound? It's just outside of Dallas, right by the Dallas-Fort Wort airport. While I was flying high above the southwest on my way to Flower Mound, Kristen and the kids (and Kristen's mom) were driving. After a brief stop in El Paso to drop Kristen's mom off at a friend's home, they finished the last leg of their trip and we all met up at my sister's house last Thursday evening.

We had a very nice visit. On the 4th of July we walked to a local school and watched the fireworks. As we walked we heard TONS of cicadas in the nearby trees. I even saw a few of the empty exoskeletons of the critters that had molted as they climbed up the fences and trees. Neat stuff.

On the 5th we celebrated my brother-in-law's 50th birthday. There was lots of good food, beer and wine. It was nice to meet some of their friends in a casual and relaxing environment.

For most of the rest of the week we just kind of hung out and just enjoyed spending time with the Texas clan. The kids got to do lots of swimming at the next door neighbors' pool. Irene got to try out a snorkel for the first time. Rhys tried it out too. It's amazing how fast Rhys is learning to swim. He's absolutely fearless in the water. That's a good thing since it's helping him learn faster, but it freaks us out because he does some crazy things from time to time.

One of the days we did venture into downtown Dallas where we visited the American Airlines Center (where the Dallas Mavericks play), Victory Park, and the Dallas World Aquarium. The aquarium was way cool. It wasn't just fish. There were tons of birds, monkees, crocodiles, otters, insects, and even a sloth. I've posted tons of photos on our web photo gallery here:

http://gallery.mac.com/kristenirene#100214&bgcolor=black&view=grid

I returned on Thursday and Kristen and the kids started driving back. As I type this, they are still in Southern California. They hit some of the tourist spots on the way back. Unfortunately, Kristen's grandmother passed away the other day due to natural causes. The service will be on Friday down in La Jolla. Since they're already down there, they'll just stay at Kristen's dad's house all week and then I'll fly down for the service. Then we'll all drive back up to Sparks on Saturday and, depending on our progress, maybe Sunday as well.

While Kristen and the kids have been away I've been holding down the fort here in Sparks. I've watched lots of the Tour de France, the MLB All-Star game, gone on lots of bike rides and played lots of Lego Star Wars on the Wii. What could be better? Well, having Kristen and the kids back home would be the best of all.

More Bike Commuting

I'm doing my bike commute again today. It's about 7 miles each way from where I park my car. Most of the ride is pretty easy. The traffic isn't too bad, just a few spots that are tricky. Sometimes I can go around them, but sometimes I just have to deal with them.

This morning as I rode in there was another rider a little ways ahead of me. As we approached an intersection he decided to cut through a gas station. I guess he took the turn too fast because the next thing I knew he was on the ground. I slowed down and asked if he was OK and he just looked at me, got on his bike, and went on his way. I'm guessing he was a bit embarrassed.

But that incident got me to thinking about the risks I take when I ride and how prepared I am to deal with them. All of the so-called experts tell you that riding on the side of the road is the safest way to go. By law, a bike is to be treated like a slow-moving car (or like the slow tractors that we so often see clogging up traffic.) I don't think most car drivers see bikes that way. I think they see them as a nuisance that have no business being there.

I always tend to ride pretty defensively, but I'm pretty aggressive about establishing my position and being sure that cars can see me. I don't do stupid stuff, and I'm not about to yell at the driver of a car or bang on one of their quarter-panels when they cut me off (I've seen that a few times!)

Making sure I have the right equipment is always a bit of a challenge for me. I have to be sure I have a bike pump, tire levers and a patch kit. I also have a multi-tool that I carry with some hex wrenches in case I have to make a major repair. If I have a major malfunction then I'm basically stuck with walking and being late for work. I can fix a flat or replace a tube in about 5 minutes so that's not a big deal.

I'm going to try a slightly different route on the way home tonight. Hopefully it won't be too windy or smoky!

Five Years Old!

It's hard to believe, but my little boy turns five today. As I write this, Rhys is with his mom watching "Wall•E". I'm a bit jealous, but he's been dying to see it since he learned that it was being released on the same day as his birthday.

I can still clearly remember that day five years ago when we went to the hospital for Kristen's C-section. We still didn't know whether we were having a boy or a girl. We weren't really hoping for one over the other. We wanted to be surprised and just wanted a healthy baby. We went to the operating room, I got all dressed up in scrubs, boots, hat and a mask while Kristen was wheeled in and prepped. They called me in and I sat down up by Kristen's head behind the curtain that hides the view of all of the icky blood and internal bodily stuff that most folks don't want to see. When they pulled Rhys out, I stood up and took a good look. I didn't care about the icky stuff since that doesn't really bother me. After a quick look I was pleased to announce to Kristen that we had a boy!!

It took Rhys quite a bit longer to turn pink and start to cry. Irene came out of the gates all full of piss and vinegar, crying and pink as a baby piglet. I carried Rhys up to the nursery so he could be checked out and cleaned up. After a couple of days we took him home, but there were some complications with jaundice that took many days to clear up. We made several trips to the hospital for blood tests and even had a special blanket at home (called a billi-blanket) that we had to keep him wrapped up in. Basically it was like a tanning bed in blanket form with lots of lights that helped to break down the toxins in his blood. Eventually, it was all cleared up and it's been (mostly) smooth sailing ever since!

So, Happy Birthday buddy!!

Bike Commute Part II

Didn't mean to leave y'all hanging there thinking, "Did he or didn't he make it back home? Why isn't there a Part II? Did he fall into the Truckee River" Nah. I just got lazy and busy and didn't have time to finish the bike commute saga.

The ride back to my car was actually better than the ride to work earlier in the morning. Even though it was really windy, it was mostly at my back and my side so it actually helped me. I made much better time. The tricky traffic spots weren't too bad, and I learned about a different route I might try next time. All in all, it was a positive experience and when I got back to the car I felt exhilarated and satisfied. Strangely enough, the moment I pulled my car out onto the main road I ended up in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Just wanted to mention how saddened I am by the death of George Carlin. I saw him perform once at the Civic Center in San Rafael. He wasn't too funny that night, but I think that was a rare exception. Do a search on YouTube and you'll find a bazillion videos that will have you rolling on the floor (unless you're a conservative and/or have no sense of humor!) Here's a classic bit about football and baseball.

Bike Commute Part 1

I finally did it. After weeks of talking about it, I finally dragged my butt out of bed a bit early and rode my bike to work. Actually, that's a lie. I didn't ride ALL the way from home. That would take an hour and a half and would be suicidal. Instead, I left my car at a park along the Truckee River and rode from there. It cuts about 12 miles from my daily drive. So, instead of driving 32 miles round-trip, I'm doing more like 20. It may not seem like much, but if you do the math it turns out that I'm saving about .2 gallons of gas and about 80 cents each time I do it. It adds up! Plus it's a decent workout.

The ride was easy. There are only a couple of hairy traffic spots, and I avoided most of the bad areas by taking a detour into a residential area. The trade off is that the roads were in poor shape. Ah well, it's better to be safe. The ride back will be trickier because 1) it'll be hot, 2) it'll be windy, and 3) there are a couple of hairy traffic spots that I can't avoid.

Wish me luck!

Weekend Recap

Rhys and I had a delightful time in the Bay Area.

We left on Friday morning around 8:45 and made great time on our drive to Berkeley. We arrived at my sister's house at around 12:15. It was great to see my dad and all three of my sisters, as well as the other family members and friends who had come. We visited, ate some food, and Rhys harassed his cousins (especially his cousin Ben) while we waited for the graduation ceremony.

At about 3:45 a few of us headed over the Greek to save some seats for the rest of the group. There was lots of traffic on the Berkeley campus, but we finally reached our destination...and were greeted by a long line. Hmmm.... Fortunately, the wait wasn't too long and we were finally able to go in and grab some seats. I was glad I was wearing shorts because it was quite warm as we sat on the concrete seats waiting for the others to arrive. Rhys played with his Star Wars toys and snacked on some chips that I had brought. The Greek slowly filled to capacity and the rest of our group arrived just in time for the start of the ceremony.

Berkeley High School is a large, diverse school adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. The student body is a mix of rich, poor, middle-class, white, black, Asian, latino, and many other groups I've negleted to mention. The ceremony itself reflected this diversity. It was loooooong (as all graduations are) and flowed is a somewhat haphazard fashion. Many beach balls were batted around and 'The Wave' occasionally flowed through the graduates' seating area. Rhys got more and more restless but he held it together and did very well. The weather turned from sunny and warm to foggy and cold; a feature I LOVE and miss greatly about the Bay Area. My niece finally walked across the stage and received her diploma. We all screamed madly, but our cheers paled in comparison to many of the other family members who sported air horns, cow bells, signs, and very loud voices.

After the ceremony we walked across the Berkeley campus to where the car was parked. Fortunately the walk was all downhill since I had Rhys on my shoulders most of the way. We walked past the Campanile (aka Sather Tower, the iconic clock tower) and my sister took a couple of photos. It had been a while since I had walked on the campus and it was neat to see some familiar sites. For those who don't know, I didn't attend UC Berkeley, but since many of my family members DID go there I have spent quite a bit of time on the campus.

We finally got back to my sister's house at around 10pm and I got Rhys to bed. He passed out almost immediately and, after having some champagne and visiting a bit more, I did the same.

The next morning we woke up, had a nice breakfast, and then headed across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge to San Rafael to visit one of my old friends. He drove down from Santa Rosa to his parents' house so I didn't have to drive all the way up to his place. His parents' house is the same house he grew up in. It's right across the street from MY childhood home, so going there was like a trip in the Way-Back machine for me. I got to see my old house (the current owners need to landscape a bit better!) and I got to see my friend's parents' house that I spent almost half of my childhood in. But that wasn't the most surreal part of the trip. The strangest part was watching MY son play with my friends' son (whom he had brought along with him) in the same trees and backyard expanses that my friend and I had played in when we were kids! Talk about deja vu!! It's a somewhat rural area with lots of trees, blackberry bushes, a creek and hidden patches of poison oak. The boys just kind of ran free while my friend and I had a couple of beers and caught up on each others' lives. The boys found a deer skull and large alligator lizard. We saw a doe and her two spotted fawns running through the trees. It all took me back to the wonderful times I had as I grew up. The place where we lived was a GREAT environment for a kid to grow up in. I wonder if our old house is for sale?? Oh wait, we could NEVER afford it!

Rhys (right) and friend playing on an old bay tree. Rhys is scratching his nose....really, that's all he's doing is scratching. Nothing more.

Our old house

Our street with my friend's parents' house on the right. We used to play football, ride bikes and skateboards, play catch, and get into all kinds of trouble on this street.

We finally left at around 3:30. Rhys and my friend's son invited each other to their respective birthdays and asked when the next play date would be. It was hard to explain to them that we live REALLY far apart and we may not see each other for a while.

I have a few more photos from the trip over on my moblog site.

The drive home was uneventful, especially since Rhys slept most of the way. We arrived home at around 7:30 and got the lowdown on what 'the girls' had been up to while we were away. There was much manicuring, hair dying, and Japanese food eating involved. I think I prefer what Rhys and I did...

Added later...I almost forgot about Father's Day! I received a wonderful hand-made card from Rhys and several hand-made cards and gifts from Irene. Perfect! They will make nice decorations for my cubicle. I also got to go on a bike ride and play lots of Lego Star Wars and the newly-acquired Lego Indiana Jones. I got to watch a little baseball as well as the Lakers-Celtics basketball game. To top it all off, I got to have pizza for dinner. What could be better?

Over the Hill

Rhys and I are headed over the hill to the Bay Area today. My youngest niece is graduating from Berkeley High tonight so we're heading down to cheer her on. The ceremony is at the Greek Amphitheater, which is also where I went for several concerts lo so many years ago. The other bonus to all of this is that I'll get to see my sister and her family who are coming out from Texas. Always a plus to be able to see them.

Tomorrow Rhys and I will hang out with one of my old friends. He's not old (unless you consider 40 to be old - I don't), it's just that we've been friends for something like 35 years. What's even more fun is that we're meeting at his parents' house in San Rafael which is right across the street from where I grew up as a kid. It'll be fun to see my old house and see the old neighborhood.

We'll drive back tomorrow night after our whirlwind tour. I'm glad we have the Prius to offset some of the costly price of gas.

Veggies

Kristen and I have signed up to join a local farmer's co-op here in Northern Nevada. Basically, we contribute a chunk of money (quite a bit, actually) that goes towards supporting local farmers. In return, we get a weekly share of what they're growing. Once a week we go and pick up a box of fresh fruits and veggies. It's different each week depending on what's being picked. We figured this would be a good way to help out local farmers who are getting hit hard by the rise in fuel prices (their tractors burn diesel which is the highest priced fuel), would also keep us from buying fruits and veggies from big chain supermarkets that truck it in from California (using lots of fuel) and it will also force us to eat healthier.

We'll get a box each week from July thru the first week of October. I'm curious to see how much we get and what the quality is like.

Scars and Broken Bones

Here's a fun topic: Let's all talk about broken bones, scars or other notable injuries that we've had. I'll start. These are in somewhat chronological order.

Broken Collarbone - I broke my right collarbone when I was playing football in my neighbors' driveway. I was running to catch the ball, slipped, and must've landed on my right shoulder. **SNAP** Mostly I just remember the pain. The bone snapped clean. The doctor had to set it by hand, and I didn't get any pain killers. Yeeesssh. I must've been about 7 or 8 years old. I had to wear this funky cast around my shoulders. It was really hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in for a while. I still have a know on my collarbone to this day.

Disclocated Pinkie - I was in middle school and playing a game of pickup basketball. I jumped up with my right hand to rebound the ball, someone tipped it, and it came down straight on the end of my pinkie. The middle knuckle joint popped out of place and suddenly my pinkie was pointing awkwardly away from my ring finger. I quickly grabbed my pinkie, and thankfully it spontaneously popped back into place. I had to wear a splint for a couple of weeks.

Broken Wrist - This one happened when I was senior in high school during baseball practice. After taking batting practice, I had to run the bases and slide into second and third. When I slid into second, I landed awkwardly on my right wrist. It hurt, but I kept on going and slid into third. This time it REALLY hurt. I got some ice and sat out the rest of the practice. After I drove home (with one hand - thankfully it was an automatic transmission!) my mom took me to the ER. Yep, it was broken. Thankfully it was just one of the small bones in the wrist itself, but the next day it hurt like a son-of-a-gun. Man, I really remember that pain. I missed the second half of the baseball season, but I came back and was able to pitch in the playoffs.

Sebaceous Cyst - I had a benign cyst removed from the middle of my back that left about a 2 inch scar on my back. The night after I had the procedure done, I went out drinking with a buddy and we drive the little go karts at a local Scandia. When I got home, my incision hurt quite a bit and it had bled enough to leave a nice red spot on the back of my shirt. Not my smartest move...

Disclocated Kneecap - My buddy and I were goofing around with firecrackers in his driveway; the same driveway we were playing in when I broke my collarbone. I lit the fuse of a firecracker, backed away, and the back of my right knee hit the bumper of one of the cars in the driveway. I must've hit it just right (or wrong) because it caused my kneecap to dislocate to the side of my knee. My parents weren't home (they were in the Delta on their boat) so my oldest sister called the EMTs and they came out. They diagnosed the problem, put me on a backboard, and put me in the back of our station wagon so my sister could drive me to the ER (anything to save the cost of an ambulance!) It was a long, bumpy and painful drive. In the ER, the doctor put my kneecap back in place by just straightening my leg. It popped back into place, and for an instant I was in excruciating pain...but then it was better. I still had some torn cartilage or ligaments or something, as well as a small bone chip, so my knee swelled up to the size of a cantaloupe and I had to wear a big brace on my leg and walk on crutches for a little while. I also got to enjoy several visits to the physical therapist to strengthen my leg since the quad muscle had atrophied quite a bit.

Skin Cancer - About six years ago I had a benign cancerous growth removed from my forehead just above my left eye. Since I had neglected to go to the doctor to get it checked out when it was relatively small, it had grown to about the size of a dime. Kristen and I got to spend all day at UCSF in San Francisco while they scraped out all of the cancerous cells. When the scraping was all done, I was left with a hole about the size of a half dollar. A plastic surgeon sewed my head back together, and now I'm left with a 2 inch scar above my eye. For a couple of years, my eyebrow was pulled up like I was pondering a difficult question. It's normal now, and the scar doesn't look too bad. I don't even notice it anymore.

Those are the biggies. I've probably broken a toe or two as well, but I don't really count those. There are also the countless scrapes and bruises from when I was a kid as well as the bloody knees from playing softball.

Weight A Minute...

Despite my efforts, I'm having a hard time getting my weight down. Granted, I haven't been all that disciplined of late. Even though I completed the long bike ride on Saturday, I also ate quite a bit over the weekend as well (Pizza, In n' Out, etc...) I'm right around the same weight I was when I started. More on this story as it develops...

Lodi Bike Ride

I survived the 38-mile bike ride in Lodi this past weekend. It was actually rather easy. The ride was flat, there was no wind, and the heat only really kicked in towards the very end.

When we reached the Sacramento area on Friday afternoon, the thermometer in my car said it was 106 degrees outside. Yeeesh! I knew then that we would be getting up the next morning as early as possible so we could beat the heat on our ride.

I awoke at 5:45am and started getting ready. My dad came downstairs shortly thereafter. It was all going well until he broke the valve stem on one of his tubes as he was trying to add a little extra air. Hmmm.... None of my spare tubes would fit his tires, but fortunately he had an extra one on hand. I quickly swapped out the bad tube for the new one, we inflated it, and it he was all set to go!

We arrived at the starting point (Lodi High School), checked in, and started our ride. The ride was easy, but a little monotonous. The roads are all straight and flat as they cut between the farmland. There was very little traffic which was very nice. However, a few more turns or ups and downs would've broken up the ride nicely.

We reached the halfway point in good time and stopped for some juice, cookies and a brief rest. It was already starting to get quite warm so we didn't dawdle for too long before we headed back.

The ride back was much like the first leg. I hung back with my dad a bit as he was getting tired and was feeling the effects of the heat. Towards the end, I left him behind and sprinted to the finish. When I got to the car, I checked my phone to see that I had a message. It was my dad. He had pooped out just a few miles from the finish. Fortunately, I had thought ahead and asked him to give me the car keys at the halfway point. So, I jumped in the car and drove back to retrieve him.

For those who don't know, my dad is 76 years old. I was duly impressed that he went as far as we did, considering that he hadn't ridden in quite some time. I hope I can do half that distance when I'm that age!!! Good job, dad!!

After the ride we came home, showered, had l lunch, and relaxed. We even napped a little bit. Kristen and the kids, who were down in Tracy visiting her newborn cousin, arrived a bit later and we had a wonderful hamburger dinner before I crashed at 9pm.

It was a great weekend and I'm hoping to do the ride again next. Maybe next time I'll try the 100k...

60 Miles Per Gallon

That's what I'm getting on my current tank of gas in the Prius. On my last tank I averaged about 57 MPG. That's the nice thing about the Prius. As the weather gets warmer and the gas prices start to rise, it gets better mileage! The only problem is that when it gets really hot, you have to use the air conditioner and the mileage suffers.

We finally upgraded our satellite service. We now receive HD programming. It didn't make a big impression on Kristen, but I'm enjoying the prettier picture and being able to see the WHOLE image now rather than having it cropped on each side. Could we live without it? Sure. But man, it does look nice!

We're heading down to Lodi this evening. I'll take a half-day off from work so we can get an early start on our drive. My dad and I, along with my sister and her boyfriend, are doing a 38-mile ride tomorrow to benefit the Lodi Rotary Club. I'm not an ardent supporter of the Lodi Rotary or anything. It's mostly an excuse to do a nice long bike ride with my dad. I haven't ridden any distances over 20 miles in quite some time, and I'm still feeling the effects of a chest cold, and it's supposed to be near 100 degrees in Lodi, so if I don't die along the way I'll be lucky. I'm kidding!!! I'll make it, but I'll be wiped out when I'm done. For those who don't know, Lodi is in the San Joaquin valley (between Sacramento and Stockton) and it's mostly flat.

I'll blog a recap on Monday.

Salary Adjustment

I just learned today that I received a salary adjustment...in a positive direction. Basically our company is making an effort to bring everyone's salaries in line with others in comparable industries. Apparently, we were below the average so many of us were bumped up a bit. Nice! I also now have a new title: Technical Production Artist II. That begs the question, "What the heck is a Technical Production Artist?"

In order to best describe the role that I play, it's best to use analogies. I usually use the analogy that I am a translator between the artists and the engineers. I have to be able to 'speak' both languages. I work closely with both groups, and I work with many of the tools that both groups use. That describes my role. In order to understand what I actually DO, it's best to use a cooking analogy. Basically, I'm a sous chef. I take the raw ingredients from the artists (Photoshop files, After Effects compositions, 3D content, etc...) and I do all of the prep work (cutting up the files, organizing them into their components, making sure everything is in the right place) so that the 'chefs' (engineers) can put it all together quickly and efficiently into the finished product. I also have to help to make sure the engineers are following the 'recipe' properly so that the finished product turns out the way it should.

Make sense? Basically I have to have a good mix of technical, artistic and interpersonal communication skills. Strong organizational skills help too.

G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair Sponsors: Please Steal This Post

The G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair took place on May 5th in Norfolk VA, where smart young scientists shared their research and conclusions with their peers, their families, and the judges. Fun was had, friends were made, hypotheses were proven, and prizes were awarded! Thank you to all the sponsors of the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair!

If you would like to help thank these generous sponsors by boosting their links on key search words, please steal this post, links and all, and republish it to your blog. When you’ve done this, email guess@littleblueschool.com and let us know, so that we can add you to our “Science Fair Bloggers” and give you some links and traffic too! You’ll get a link on Little Blue School, Homeschooled Twins, and on the homeschool science fair web site. Need the code? Click here to get the .txt file with all the links in place.

Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.

Art of Dance Academy is a dance and theater school on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. They offer “Tiny Tots” toddler dance classes, youth classes for ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop, and adult classes too. Most importantly, the host the famous summer princess dance camp.

Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it’s a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!

Nauticus is Norfolk’s maritime museum and home of the USS Wisconsin battleship. The hot new exhibit is Seabots: Pilots of the Deep! Have you seen it? Nauticus is in the process of setting up a Homeschool Advisory Group to talk about homeschool science programs at the museum.

Mariner’s Museum has amazing programs for homeschoolers learning about maritime science, history, and even pirates! Their next homeschool open house is on May 15th and features a class in pirate lore. Visit Mariner’s Museum for historical exhibits and educational programming.

Homeschoolingbooks.com offers homeschool curriculum packages to take the guesswork out of selecting materials that compliment each other to create a whole year of learning for your homeschooler. Three collections are available for each level, and individual books are for sale too.

Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.

Dr. Bernard Nebel has written two books to help homeschool teachers integrate learning in different areas of the curricula into one living breathing learning experience. His new book, Building the Foundations for Scientific Understanding, is a science curriculum for K-2.

Young Chef’s Academy is a marvelous kitchen classroom with amazing cooking classes for kids. Go ahead - cover yourself in flour! Most amazing of all: their summer camp offerings are themed around the Olympic Games. Cook for the Gold with Camp Can-I-Cook in Norfolk this summer.

Mad Science is Hampton Roads’ premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include “Crazy Chemistry” and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.

eScienceLabs creates boxes of joy for science loving homeschoolers. In each kit is a complete science experience — from individual lessons to full years of high school labs. Hands-on science kits are the answer to your laboratory woes. Everything is in there: test tubes, goggles, and fun.

Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa’s workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.

Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books.

Thank you for your help in promoting these homeschool-friendly sites. They took a risk on sponsoring us in the first year of our science fair, and we appreciate their support.