The Big Aquarium and the Big Science Center

Howdy.

During the break, we went to the Boston Kid's Science Museum (something like that). They had a bubble room where you can make bubbles around yourself and on hoops. There was a golf ball room. Roll the balls down tracks, make your own track, and test out jumps with golf balls. Magnifying room: look up close at cat hairs, tea, sugar, and flys' wings. There's a microscope attached to a computer screen, so you can see your finger, shirt, or pen up really close.

There's one big play thing that's hard to describe. There are wavy wooden panels held together by this ropy stuff. You can crawl around, on, and under panels that make up a play area four stories high! However, you have to watch your head. Bonking it hurts.

One section of the center was dedicated to a healthier lifestyle (KidPower). You can power little bicycles with your hands, which power parts of the amusement. There's a light dancing thing, where you stomp on the lights in different games. A rock climbing wall, side to side and a basketball court make up some more fun.

Third story: Rooms focused on different things. There's a water room, exploring boats and testing currents. A room with games (checkers and other board games). There's even a light screen with butterflies on it. Your shadow shows on the screen, and the butterflies with flutter and come onto your shadow. Very interesting.

All right. Now to the aquarium. Lots of different fish in their thousand-gallon tank, fron sharks to manta rays. There are segments dedicated to penguins and seals, and others to electric eels. Lionfish and stonefish are some of the most dangerous fish to humans. Electric eels hardly ever produce charges strong enough to kill humans. More fun facts and trivia.

They have a touch tank, with the regular. There are sea stars, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, and those prickly balls with spines. It's warmish water, which is what these animals live in in the wild. Finally, there's the all-time favorite...seaweed. :)

I think that the most awe-inspiring thing is the set of whale bones that are in the aquarium. These things are EXTREMELY HUGE! It takes up an entire wall - or it would, except that it's hanging. Probably a larger whale, though not a blue whale. Not large enough.

Quote of the Day:
"The worst prison would be a closed heart."
- Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005)

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the marvels of science. Happy days!

DAVID

Monumental

Hello, all.

I've been sightseeing recently, and I have visited several different historical places in Massachusetts:

The Old North Church was where two lanterns were hung to tell Paul Revere that the British were coming by sea. Several Presidents have sat in different pews, some of which are interesting for other reasons. The one surviving lantern is in a museum in Concord. The angels that decorate the inside of the chapel were stolen by British pirates (they sank the ship) and then donated to the church! (huh?) Finally, when Newton hung the lanterns, the British army was on his heels, so he jumped out of the first-floor window to get away.

Paul Revere's house has two stories, though it used to have three. There is antique furniture there, along with some trinkets created by Paul Revere, silversmith. The front room was a kitchen and welcoming area. Next is the living room, with a fireplace that takes up a wall. Upstairs are the living quarters. Paul Revere Trivia: Paul Revere had 2 wives, and 8 kids with each wife. However, only 5-9 children would reside in the house at one time. Paul Revere was a goldsmith, silversmith, and copper smith.

The USS Constitution is a battle ship used in the 1700s. Also known as "Old Ironsides," she currently resides in a dock on the freedom trail, in an inlet of Boston Harbor. She was given her name because, when cannons were fired at her, they bounced off. Someone called out, "Her sides are made of iron!" The cannon balls bounced off, but the name stuck. All of the battles she participated in, she won. The museum has additional facts and trivia.

Finally, the Monument dedicated to the battle of Bunker Hill. The patriot army was sent to fortify Bunker Hill, the highest point, against the British armies coming by sea. However, the admiral decided to fortify Breed's Hill instead. The British won the day in three attacks, but it boosted the morale of the patriots by showing that they could hold their own against the best prepared army of their time. The obelisk the is the monument has 294 steps and viewpoints at the top.

There is the finale of your sightseeing tour, covering almost half of the Freedom Trail, at different points. Happy belated Easter!

David (the important one)

Tomorrow

Me, myself, and I say...HI!

We're leaving tomorrow to...correct answer...MASSACHUSETTS!!! Yay.

Quote of the Day:
"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time."
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

dAVid

ALL CAPS MOMENT!!!

Hello. I'm containing my excitement until...now.
THIS IS AN ALL CAPS MOMENT! WE'RE GOING ON VACATION OVER SPRING BREAK! WE'LL SEE DAD! YAY!
Okay, back to normal. Spring Break vacation to see dad, for those of you who can't read all caps. 1 week. I'll try to update as often as possible about what cool places we go to.
Guess where we're going. (Hint: A certain illicit tea party was held in a bay near here)

Quote of the Day:
"We must become the change we want to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Bye!
David

Music

Hi!

This morning, I got up bright and early to got to my musical practice. For the past several weeks, we have been practicing songs to sing in front of our stake this Sunday. They're really inspiring and let you feel touched.

Quote of the Day:
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
- Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

David

What Class did you say?

Hello, friends, familiars, family, and...other. :)

Today was a good day in the life of a certain David Whitesell. He doesn't know why. Maybe it was because he got to look at a timeline of Earth in Science class. Possibly because he aced a math test. Or it might even have been because of his English assignment. Make a rhyming modern-day fairy tale.... I'm doing The Three Poor Brothers and the Landowner. Woo-hoo.

Book News: Not much. Any books that might interest a pre-teen? I'm reading The Merlin Conspiracy.

Quote of the Day:
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend"
-Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Awl right now. I'm Logging Out.
David

Offend, Irritate, Annoy...

Aloha!

I have found, through trial and tribulation, some synonyms of bother, annoy, and irritate. Please add more. TIP: When bothering someone, walk beside them and chant a bunch of different words meaning offend, irritate, annoy, and so on. Here are the words I have found: bother, annoy, irritate, aggravate, incense, infuriate, exasperate, upset, trouble, hassle, worry, inconvenience, exacerbate, enrage, madden, frustrate, disturb, offend, disconcert, displease, harass, pester, and beleaguer. Hope your day wasn't any of these!

Quote of the day:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Adios!
David (ME!)

Literal and Literary works of Art, cooking, and science!

Hello, everyone!

It's the start of the Third Trimester here at my school. I now have a new exploratory - ART! We're going to make pots, and dioramas, and paint! And, we're going to be learning about different artists and their paintings. Ahem...Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Van Gogh. Feel free to point out spelling errors.

My previous exploratories were Horticulture (plants, soil, and the environment) and Cooking. I still have the recipes we used. They include Fruit Muffins, Banana Cream Pie, Fruit Salad, Whipped Cream, Manicotti, and Rolls. All of them have been test tasted by moi, making them excellent! There are about twenty total - you can ask for a list of foods for which I have the recipe or you can ask for the recipes themselves.

I have received a Renaissance project and must research Copernicus. Does anyone know of any good sites, to save me "looking time?" Or just direct information. That will also work. Oh, yeah. Don't use Wikipedia unless you can verify the information. Any information will help!

Book news:
Brsingr is the third book in the Eragon series. I don't know when it is coming out. Inkdeath is the third book in the Inkheart series. I don't know when it is coming out. The Final Warning is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride series. It's coming out on March 17. Rumor has it that there will be 12 books in the series. Happy reading!

Bye-bye!
David

Blogging & Maximum Ride

Hello, friends and family.
I've decided to start my own blog, to share information and aspects of my important life. I would like to thank my mom for the idea of creating a blog. This should be fun!
Just recently, I read a trilogy (currently) called Maximum Ride. It's about a group of mutants who are 98% human and 2% avian. And they can fly. They are hunted across the world, and have to fight for their lives. There's a lot of action. The books are The Angel Expiriment, School's Out - Forever, and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. A fourth one is coming out, called The Final Warning. It's a great series.
Spring Break is coming soon, and I'll be visiting Massachusetts to see Dad! Yippee!
David