Crazy Hairs & Catapults

You want to know what one of my favorite things in the world is?  Context.  Sorry, I should have given you more time to respond there, but if you really want to you can go back to the initial question and impregnate the pause yourself.  Or you could just keep reading (probably the better option at this point.)  I say context is one of my favorite things in the world because this week had a few pretty good examples of why context is, as they (who are "they"?) say, key.  The reason being that this week was, aside from a few Earth Day things, dedicated to science and experiments.  The most easily referenced example was from today when Mrs. Fuller was demonstrating making a "volcano."  All the children were in awe of the chemical reaction that occurred when baking soda and vinegar were added together.  Now, I don't know about the other kids, but I do know Lilah has watched me put that same combo in the bathroom sink to unclog it several times and never so much as given me an "ooh" let alone an "aah."  Apparently, what I had been missing this whole time was either a plastic cup (doubtful) or a fun context (more likely.)

There was a great deal of fun this week including my volunteering on Tuesday.  Usually a blast, but not always incredibly engaging, this one turned out a bit different.  I pretty much ended up spending the entirety of free play time in class helping kids build ramps to launch hot wheels off of.  If that wasn't awesome enough, we went outside for gross motor time, but first we walked around the parking lot and the kids picked up trash in honor of Earth Day.  So it was a pretty cool experience and I do love to see the way kids really get into anything including picking up trash.  I have pretty fond and vivid memories, myself, of walking around Presque Isle in Marquette with my mother doing the very same thing, only I might have been a little older and a little less enthusiastic (I suffer from a rare disorder called "museum legs."  As far as I know, I am the only case in existence.)  Tuesday ended up being a beautiful day and a lot of fun, to boot.

Then Thursdays class theme was crazy hair day!  All the kids came to school with crazy hair and so did the teachers and volunteer parents for the most part.  Heck, I even saw a few parents who weren't volunteering getting into the spirit (and yes, on purpose, unlike me.  My hair is just crazy by nature.)  Lilah's crazy hair was accomplished by the strategic placing of the taller half of plastic eggs underneath her hair, giving it that Cindy Lou Who look as well as a few good braids looped around her ears with feathers (which have now gone "mysteriously" missing.)

Other than the volcano; the kids played with mini (and larger) catapults, a goo made out of cornstarch and water, and so many other science-y (wiencey) things that I started to lose track. 

All in all, it was one of my favorite weeks so far and it might end up being hard to top.  And I also wanted to take a moment to congratulate the school and those from the school who read this blog (breaking the 4th wall now) on being certified green!  Pretty awesome stuff and, even though Kermit always says "it ain't easy being green," I think we can keep it up.