August 15, 2014

(click here for today's pictures)

Science Fair Day!

• This was a big day and the kids were up early.  We had a whole page of things to do before everyone arrived today-there was leftover school from yesterday, a few chores, clothes and teeth along, practicing their science fair projects again and even doing our real school science.  
• Robby was off today so he decided to run to the grocery store to use a few of our coupons.  He even took Whitman who had a blast riding in the shopping cart, eating smarties and drinking his milk.  Robby used over 40 dollars worth of coupons-that is a lot of coupons especially since they don't double them anymore.  
• Back at the house, the Powell crew was the first one here and soon followed the Heltz, Kamps and Stotts.  The kids were practically giddy about their science fair projects-Reagan said that she enjoyed the science fair more than our normal oral reports.  
• I know you have seen some of the pictures over the past few days of the projects but here is a recap of the Dennie projects-Reagan: coloring daisies with food coloring, Anderson: seeing if different drinks could stain the egg and compared that to the enamel of our teeth, Graham: making a cloud, Campbell: touching an apple with dirty hands and watching it turn nasty due to our germs.
• The kids listened well to all of the reports-even though it was a long, long time to sit.  The others reports were sink vs float (my favorite), magnets, gummy bears in different liquids, melting ice, insulators and conductors, using a banana to blow up a balloon, more flower dying and making a stalactite.  I think that is all of them.
• After the reports were over we fixed lunch for the kids.  They ate and then the grown ups talked and talked and talked-long enough that my kids kept coming in the house trying to see when we were coming outside.  
• Once we stopped talking and did come outside, Amber had the first grown up science projects-exploding paint.  It was lots of fun (paint, water, alkaseltzer in a pill bottle on a piece of poster board).  We did that so long and so many times that we think that the booms from the exploding pill bottles stirred up wasps...and one of those stung Graham.  Poor G screamed loud enough that he probably stirred up more wasp.  I quickly poured some benedryl down his throat and thankfully he was just fine.  (Eden later got stung as well and she also had some benedryl and I think that she was fine as well.)
• Next up was mentos in coke bottles and then some vinegar and baking soda along with exploding bags.  Then we made slushies in bags followed by blowing huge bubbles.  The kids had a blast with all of our projects outside but they would have been just as happy playing outside.  It was a pretty perfect school day.
• And when all of our friends left, we split the kids up and everyone started picking up-the bedroom was done by Reagan, the toy room by Graham and Reagan, Anderson picked up the kitchen and Campbell and Keaton helped me put away the last of the groceries and straighten the living room.  In no time at all, the house and outside was straight and Anderson and I were working on some of his school work.
• Soon we all loaded up to run by the library and then to church to pick up the shirts for tomorrow's race.  We will have 6 Dennie runners in the Run with the Son tomorrow.  Robby is doing the 5k, Reagan, Anderson and Graham are running the mile and Keaton and Campbell are running the 100 yard dash.  I will be the designated kid watcher.  My kids could not be more excited-last time we did a race, Campbell was a baby, baby.  We pulled out pictures tonight of the race and looked at them as the kids tore through their race bags-they are so excited that Keaton is even sleeping with the little sweat rag from the bag of race stuff.
• After that we ran in to see Beebee and pick up her laundry.  Poor Anderson didn't bring any shoes so he had to walk around without shoes at Beebee's place.  We told her all about our day and then it was time to leave for the pool. 
• Graham fell asleep on our drive to the pool and missed his Arbys supper that we all ate in the car.  He quickly gobbled it up though when we got to the pool.  And since Graham was asleep in the car, Whitman didn't have anyone to help him eat his food.  We tried not to let him know that the rest of us where eating but he did and he was not pleased.  Don't feel to sorry for him because he gobbled up his sandwich at the pool before he got in.
• Robby and I got in the pool the last hour that we were there.  My Whitman was playing with some rings and some girls asked if they could have one.  I took one from Whitman and gave it to them-they walked away and my Whitman was not happy.  He tried his best to follow those girls-walked on over to the deep water trying to get them.  And later, they walked back by him and he again tried to get out of the pool to chase them down and get his ring back.  Silly boy!
• My kids were crazy tired when we came home but they were super excited about seeing their race shirts and laying out their stuff for tomorrow.  Six is going to come super early for us!