First eBay Win!!

After two long weeks, I can let the cat out of the bag.

I am the proud owner of an Ohaus Triple Beam Mechanical Balance 750-SO. Our homeschool shelf now has a resident scale!!

I knew I'd 'need' one this year as the kids' Saxon Math uses a balance in a smattering of lessons. I couldn't bring myself to buy the cheap, barely adequate, colourful, plastic, preschoolish number that Saxon suggests. It's pretty, yes. Even usable to a point. But the Ohaus. The Ohaus is accurate. The Ohaus is scientific.

I knew these were a wee bit on the expensive side. So Brian suggested we try looking for one on eBay. We found one in Florida and we won the auction in the last 8 seconds with an earth-shattering bid of $21 U.S. Dollars. Shipping was a brisk $27.70. So, for just over $50 Canadian dollars, I am the proud new owner of a slightly scratched, perfectly working, weights included Ohaus Triple Beam Mechanical Balance.

I knew the kids would be excited to get a hands-on machine that they could use on their own. I foresee many interesting experiments where we explore weights and measures. But the very exciting thing will be watching Raiden learn some patience while he waits for the scale to balance.

He is a fast-forward kid who would live on a steady diet of video gaming and television if we let him. He is also very concerned that he is fully aware of what is happening around him. If he can have a hand in controlling these events, all the better. So, true to form, Raiden jumped in as soon as the scale was unpacked and he began ordering his universe. Now, not only would each thing in our home have it's place, it would have a measurement to go with it.

Here he is checking the weight of the weight shortly after the scale was balanced to zero.

And here he is trying something tiny and light.

Even Kori's breakfast wasn't safe. That's an empty milk-jug, by the way.

Scissors....

And my breakfast, a PB&J.

And so our morning went until Brian called a stop to all measuring so we could go berry picking. For you less-than-local people, around here, that means Strawberries - first berries of the season. I'll be showing you the fruits of our labours shortly. But now, I'm off to the store for more jam jars. Have a great remainder of the weekend.