A few days ago I noticed that my 12 year old son had a spot on his cheek that could have been the first sign of adolescent acne. Something about it, though, made me think otherwise. It just seemed too big and too red to be a first pimple.

When in doubt, I turn to the internet. In this case, I did some research on this type of skin eruption which led to talk of irritants and bites and eventually spiders. That part of the search led to a very nice page detailing venomous spiders. (The eruption on my son’s cheek turned out to be a spider bite.)

The Spider Identification page has excellent graphics of each spider featured. Even more, the site offers free spider identification and First Aid charts to keep on hand for emergencies. I just love a site that provides great information as well as a freebie. Don’t you?

• Hawaii is not snake-free
• Life will not be denied

First, I was told on one of my visits to Kauai that there are no snakes on any of the Hawaiian islands. After mentioning this to a Hawaiian real estate agent, I learned that in fact there are snakes on Hawaii, although if you see it, you might think it’s a worm. Even more interesting, these snakes are not native to Hawaii and only the females were introduced. But, as I mentioned, life will not be denied. These female snakes have populated the Hawaiian islands by laying unfertilized eggs that hatch into clones. Imagine that.

That’s just one of the interesting facts I found at the Biodiversity Forgotten site. This site has been developed by a group of scientist/educators on a mission to create fun, effective videos for teachers and students. This non-profit group offers free videos that bring science to the classroom – any classroom.

If you are a teacher, a parent of a school aged child or a homeschooling parent, this is one resource you’ll not want to miss. And if you find it as valuable as I have, why not spread the word? This non-profit company accepts donations of money, film footage, or your time. And if you’re a teacher or know one, the site is interested in hearing from you, too!

Biodiversity Forgotten has much to offer and can only get better as more people help it to grow.

One of the biggest thrills I ever got was watching my own house plans become reality. I drew my plans on graph paper, trying to be as precise as I could with measurements, and my husband built our home from those plans. To walk through the halls and into the rooms that I had sketched on paper was exciting and amazing.

Looking back, there are quite a few things I would have done different. Not the least of those things is the heating and lighting. Yes, we did upgrade from oil heat to propane, a much cleaner and more efficient furnace. However, if I’d known then what I know now, I would have allocated a large chunk of our loan to a solar powered home.

BP has partnered with the US Department of Energy to sponsor the BP Solar Decathlon. 20 University teams from all around the globe design build and run a totally solar powered home. These energy efficient houses are transported to the National Mall in Washington DC for the week-long final competition.

Since the competition ran last week, from October 11-19, a winner has already been chosen. I think all the designs are winners, but why don’t you see for yourself. First, meet the teams and check out the slideshows for each team. Then go on over to see the winners. Is that your favorite design? Or did you have a different favorite? I’m a little partial to the one from Carnegie Mellon University since it’s not far from here.

BP has been involved with the Solar Decathlon since its first year, 2002. In fact, BP has set up a website that explains how to reduce our energy consumption’s impact on the environment. To find out how you rate on the “green curve” just answer a few questions and then learn how to improve your score. If you’re interested, I did a little better than average. But I sure have a long way to go!

Now I’m heading back over to the BP Solar Decathlon to take notes on those house designs. Someday I’ll design another house for my husband to build and when I do, you can bet it’ll be solar powered!

The last time the cicadas showed up here in the Ohio Valley, I tracked their progress at Cicada Mania, the absolutely best place to learn everything you’ll ever need to know about Cicadas.

Cicada Mania has great photos, videos and audio files, and a friendly message board for sharing your cicada stories. For example, did you know that my neighbors’ dogs find cicadas quite tasty? Yep, they sure do. Except that the dogs tend to overindulge which can lead to tummy aches. Too much of a good thing and all that.

Some people call these periodical pests “locusts” but they are not the same insect, as you can learn from the excellent FAQ at Cicada Mania. In fact, whether you are experiencing the emergence of cicadas in your area or not, this site is so informative and entertaining that you really ought to bookmark it. I think I’m going to suggest it to my kids for one of their school projects. These red-eyed flying wonders are simply fascinating.

Oh, and before you leave the site, be sure to check out the great merchandise available there. Everyone ought to have cicada t-shirt!

Another of my friends never tried to get the father to admit the child was his. We all knew; he just ignored the possibility. So sad.

My sons have grown up with two young men who have never known their father. In fact, rumor has it that the same man fathered both boys. He denied the first so the second girl never even tried to get him to admit he fathered her son. Both boys have grown up to be fine young men.

That doesn’t happen now, though. If a young man denies he fathered a child, a mother can have a family judge order a Paternity Test. You can run, but you can’t hide. And it’s about time, too.

I can’t help but think about those young mothers whose names were besmirched and who had to hold up their heads and just raise their kids the best they knew how. And I’m reminded of those fathers who never had the chance to experience their child’s life as only a parent can. How very sad.

I like the way it is now, so much better. Don’t you?

Such is the case with Crypto Kids™ from the National Security Agency. I love secret stuff, like codes and messages. I love trying to figure out the secret code or creating one of my own. I think most kids enjoy that.

Crypto Kids™ lets kids do that and more. First, it lets you choose between a flash site and a regular html site. If your child has an older, hand-me-down computer this option is great because it lets everyone use the site.

With just 5 links across the top of the page, you’ll find days worth of fun and learning. Not only can you play games but the Codes and Cyphers section teaches you how to create codes. I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t made it all the way through the site, though. I start to enjoy the section I’m on and never quite move on.

This site is that much fun! Share it with our kids.

I’m very pround of my son for accepting his responsibility with his daughter. Becoming a father at the age of 17 is scary but my son set aside his fears and has done the right thing. I’m proud to be his mom. And Kendyll is lucky to have him as her daddy.

When my kids were studying evolution last year, we found the Becoming Human documentary online. My kids were fascinated by it and ultimately did quite well with that science lesson.

The entire site is packed with great info but the documentary is the real treat. Since this past August, you can even download the documentary to your computer. Be sure to check this one out.