Skip to main content

The Cook Family Science Lab

Our mini-science lab includes a terrarium and a ladybug habitat.
Both of my boys love science and nature and all things creepy-crawly.  Through the years, we have hatched butterflies (once with a kit, and several times by finding caterpillars to bring home and watch), planted butterfly-friendly plants, examined worms, and experimented with all sorts of God's creatures including ants, grasshoppers, and pill bugs (roly-polies to us Southerners!).

Our current science lab includes a terrarium made from a 2 liter bottle (which is ready to be transplanted) and a ladybug habitat.  The jar contains several caterpillars, roly-polies, and a group of ladybug eggs.  Joshua found a ladybug in the backyard this week and added it to his jar.  She escaped when he opened it to peer in at some point, but he later found a cluster of bright yellow eggs.  We assumed they were ladybug eggs but Googled it to be sure.  Here is what we found:

This photo confirmed for us that our bright yellow eggs were ladybug eggs.
Yep, that's definitely what we had in the jar!  So now Joshua is super-excited.  We found out that eggs hatch within 4-10 days and get darker when they are ready to hatch.  His bright yellow eggs are now dark and starting show signs of little bugs ready to enter the world.

The ladybugs eggs are now dark and showing signs of ladybug larvae!
We'll post again when we get to the next stage. In the meantime, we're enjoying our little experiment and amazed to God's handiwork in these little bugs.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Fabulous Remarks

Popular posts from this blog

The Change of Command Ceremony

Last Friday, my Family and I participated in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division change of command on Fort Hood, Texas.  Hubby became the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment and joined a wonderful group of "Red Dragon" Soldiers and Families.  It's a dream come true for us ... one of those things you hope in the back of your mind you'll get to do one day, but know realistically that the chances are slim you'll get to do it. When I first saw his name on 'the list' that the Army publishes, I was elated for him.  No one knows more than I do his passion for the Army and for the Soldiers in it.  He is a wonderful leader and cares so much.  We both knew that this would be the adventure of a lifetime.  We explained this new job to our two boys (ages ten and six) as best we could and they kept saying, "We'll have 500 new friends on Friday!" as their summary of the discussion.  =) The ceremony was amazing,...
7 comments
Read more

Keto Ham Soup

Using my Virginia country ham, I made a Keto Ham soup that I've been enjoying all week. Ingredients 2 x Kettle and Fire - Bone Broth Chicken - 16.2 fl. oz. each 2 cups Broccoli, raw, chopped 2 cups Cauliflower, raw, chopped 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup diced country ham 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. black pepper Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, diced green onion, chopped bacon, hot sauce, pico de gallo, etc, Instructions In large stock pot, boil both containers of bone broth. Add chopped, raw broccoli and cauliflower. Cover pot and steam for 5 - 7 minutes until soft. Use hand-held blender to mix vegetables. Add cream and spices. Slowly add in shredded cheese, stirring to help melt evenly. Once soup is blended and smooth, add diced ham. Serve with desired toppings.
2 comments
Read more

​Preparing for the PMP Exam: A Lesson in Over-Preparation by Traci Cook

Everyone has their own learning style so I can only share with you what worked for me to prepare for the PMP exam ... A couple of caveats before I share …  I am an over-preparer. I was slightly terrified to take this exam and likely spent too much money and used too many resources for a normal, non-extreme studier. I justified that I had saved thousands of dollars on a PMP boot camp due to the gracious program at Syracuse and IVMF so I spent a little more on additional resources than I likely would have normally. I learn best when I can see and hear and feel concepts presented in a variety of ways. Because of this, I like to have lots of options. Audio books, podcasts, blog posts, videos, books (printed and virtual), online courses … I go “full immersion” and use all these things to prepare. I satisfied the 35 hours of instruction by enrolling for PMP Certification Preparation through Syracuse University's "Onward to Oppo...
12 comments
Read more