Mad Scientist

Things get a little crazy around these parts this time of year...

You may be thinking to yourself, spring cleaning? Tax time? After school sports?
None of those things apply, although the tax thing is weighing on my mind.

It's the school's Science Fair. And while I totally feel it is a worthwhile endeavor and completely necessary for teaching my boys the value of science, It brings me grief. No matter how much I try to step back and let my kids do the majority of the work, there is no way to avoid being sucked in.

This year, Nolan decided to make a mirror chamber. What's that you ask? It is a really cool project in optics and reflection. But it also caused his parents to trek to the hardware store several times and fork out more dough than they really wanted to, but it is all for the sake of science, right? It turned out great, he had a lot of fun making it, but I'm beyond thrilled that this project that took up most of our weekend is finally OVER.

As for Nicholas, that boy has floored us completely. He did the ENTIRE project from start to finish all by himself. He built a catapult from wood scraps in the garage and tested it to see what objects worked best for flying the farthest. His was out there sawing, hammering, and perfecting his project until it was complete. And let me tell you, this kid doesn't mess around. I believe his findings show that bouncy balls really make the best projectiles. He even added some flair with duct tape accents. (I'll post pictures later...)

It was so nice only having one science project needing our assistance. But somehow, even that one project made me feel overwhelmed. Sadly, I think this is just a sign of me getting old. I swear something like this wouldn't have phased me five years ago. So tonight's the big fair, where all the students display their projects for all to see. It's always fun to see what interesting experiments these kids come up with. They stand in front of their display boards with big grins ready to explain their scientific data and conclusions. It really is a great thing. Especially when we wake up tomorrow and don't have to think about it for another year!