Ohana's Extreme PE

Last year Dave and I ran (walked) the Everest Challenge at Disney's Animal Kingdom, it was our first 5k ever.  It was mixed with an obstacle course and scavenger hunt and was great fun, so this year we got Carly involved in the kids race!

Signing the Everest Challenge Wall

Camp Site

We arrived at ESPN Wide World of Sports on Saturday, May 7th to check in and pick up our participants packets and bibs.  We stopped for a couple of photo opps and to check out a sample clue for the 5k. Then we headed to the hotel to get ready.  Carly was signed up for the kids challenge which was a 50 yard dash with an obstacle course.  Then the kids were handed a picture card and had to dig in the sand to find the character on their card, Carly's was Minnie Mouse!  She finished and did a great job, we are so proud!

I did it!

Then it was our turn, the race started at 8:30pm and went around the peremeter of the parking lot in Animal Kingdom then through the park.  There were 7 waves of runners and we were in the 5th wave.  We finished, beat our time, ran a little bit more than last year and had a great time.  

Next, we plan on an October 5k in WDW during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  For Ohana HomeSchool, that's some extreme PE!

Photo before mom and dads race

If you would like more information on the Walt Disney World Resorts sporting events, check out RunDisney.

Dave, Michelle & Carly Jean

Earth Day Projects

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend and participated in an Earth Day activity or two.

Here at Ohana Home School, we have been working on our project for MagicalMouseSchoolHouse. It's been really fun working on different art projects using recycled materials like egg cartons and cereal boxes.

Here are a couple of projects that Carly made for Earth Day:

This is a bunny garden made from an egg carton, pipe cleaners, cotton balls and stick on foam flowers.  It was a lot of fun to make and was talked about during Easter lupper.

                        

As a family, we decided to make a garden in the front flower bed using old tires.  Might not sound eye pleasing, but we actually saw one at EPCOT the week before and thought it was great!  So we got some different height and color flowers, some cow manure and started.  It turned out really nice.

Carly is holding some house slippers that she made out of a cereal box.  She cut out her pattern and taped them together!  Very inventive of her, she did these on her own.  Also pictured is Ohana HomeSchool's recycling art center.

Why do pencils write? How are pencils made?

Today we ventured out on the world wide web in search of some answers to Carly's questions:  How are pencils made and what makes them write?  We took it one step further and looked at how crayons and colored pencils are made too!  Another cool project!  So pick up your favorite pencil or crayon and watch this informative video report from Carly Jean Ness.



Below are the links from the cool videos that we found on the production of pencils and crayons.


How are pencils made? Click here to find out!
How colored Pencils are made
How Crayola Crayons are made

What is a Wart?

Well, what is a wart?  Carly's Auntie KK asked her to do some research for a home school project and to report back her findings.  So can touching frogs really give you warts? What are they made of? How do you get them? Can you avoid them?  Curious? Check out Carly's video report interview and find out! This was a fun project, thanks Auntie KK!

St. Patrick's Day

Today, we learned about the history and origin of St. Patricks Day.  I have never read about this Irish holiday so Carly and I took some time today to look at a few websites to see what they had to say.

We went to Kaboose first, then on to Magical Mouse Schoolhouse.  Both had the same information about St. Patrick's day so here is what we discovered:

In the 5th Century, at the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped by pirates from his homeland of Britian and taken to Ireland.  He started to study the Bible for peace.  He eventually escaped and went back to his homeland, Britian and later become a priest.  He felt a calling to go back to Ireland and teach the Irish about God.  He became a missionary! He traveled back to Ireland teaching the word of God and used a shamrock as an example to teach the Trinity!  St. Patrick died on March 17, 490 and that is the day he is honored by people wearing green in honor of the Emerald Isle, Ireland.

We aren't sure where leprechauns fit in but there was a story about them.  Leprechauns are little, wear leather shoe repair aprons and dress like old men.  They are quite grumpy and unhappy.  Their job is to repair the shoes of fairies.  These fairies paid the leprechauns with gold coins.  Proud of their coins, they kept them safe in large pots.

So it was interesting, funny and surprising where these traditions came from and just what they represent.

So, kiss a blarney rock to receive the gift of gab, look over your shoulder for a shamrock and follow a rainbow to a pot of gold.  Whatever you do today, enjoy it with your family.  Cherish each and every moment.

In His Love,
Michelle & Carly Jean