|
|
About seven weeks ago, Ryley asked if he could join his school’s robotics team. We said okay. He was excited and went to a day-long kick-off event. They picked up supplies and learned the specific tasks their robot had to perform. While he was gone, I went shopping. It was a typical trip to Target where I had my list and somehow, mysteriously, bizarrely, other items end up in the cart.
As I exited the baby food aisle, I saw blue socks with stocky, serious robots. They were hanging on an endcap in the Men’s department. Without debate, I tossed them into the cart. I’d give them to Ryley as a goofy little gift marking his new activity. When we were all together that evening, I remembered the socks and dug them out of a bag. He looked at them and said, “This is because I’m on the robotics team, right?” Suddenly, I felt like maybe they were too obvious and juvenile. He’s almost 15, not 5.
And then, I forgot all about them. I have about 461 socks to wash. I don’t look for certain pairs to come through my queue. The only person with truly interesting socks is Beatrix. In the sea of black and white cotton tubes, her socks are the very bright spots. Yesterday, I was doing laundry. I fold clothes straight out of the dryer. It’s such a grab bag. One dive might see me surface with Spongebob undies, the next I’ll burst to the surface with a Build-a-Bear pajama top. I snagged some flannel pajama bottoms afflicted with the scourge of static cling. The robot sock was stuck to a leg like a barnacle. I peeled it free. It took me a few seconds to remember it was Ryley’s. He walked through the room a minute later and I waved it at him.
“This is yours, right?”
“Yeah. I wore them on Saturday.”
Saturday.
That was the day his team had its first big robotics competition. Some of the kids and I watched. It was fun and very, very tense, especially when Ryley was directly involved in the robot’s performance. We watched as his team made the semifinals, then finals. They ended up coming in third place, which astonished everyone. They were a rookie team and one of the smallest groups. Because they placed so well, they were invited to regionals.
 Danke, Herr Roboter I found the other sock and folded them together. Lucky socks, I declared. I don’t think they bring supernatural help or influence outcomes. They don’t provide protection or good fortune. But he wore them on a big day—one of the biggest he’s ever had—and I only found out because I’m the one who makes them smell springtime fresh. Temporarily.
A lot of communication with teenagers occurs in moments when nobody says a word. I buy some robot socks. Then I feel foolish. He wears them on a very big day. I wash them. I return them. Maybe this will repeat, maybe it won’t. He claims when they travel to regionals, he’s packing the socks. But I hope he does’t just keep them for the biggest of the big days. I hope he wears them when he simply wants robots on his ankles, because.
I spent the weekend in Breckenridge with dear friends. All of us are moms, we’ve been friends since our big kids were small, and we didn’t clean up after ourselves until it was time to go. We decided it was a sign we are thoroughly comfortable with each other. We’ve gone on our self-styled October retreats several times in past years and I hope many more are in the future. My friends and I get different things out of our yearly weekends away, but we share several common experiences. We laugh, eat, soak, walk, snooze, shop, cry, read, pray, and watch comedies.
One of my favorite things about getting away is feeding my hunger for natural beauty. Good thing I was born, raised, and still reside in Colorado. Funny how the drama of majestic landscape is quieting while at the same time stirring and inspiring. Seeing how small I am in this big, big world fills me with awe and gratitude. All creation sings and when I catch the song, I join. Melodies are carried well in thin air.
Back in March, the kids and I got to do some fun, holiday related science experiments thanks to Steve Spangler. Leprechauns and the color green were the focus as St. Patrick’s Day approached. We turned roses the color of Ireland and shined coins with taco sauce. It was a lot of fun making some new discoveries with the kids, so when we were given the chance to check out Halloween-themed experiments, we said yep!
I downloaded Steve Spangler’s Halloween Science Experiment Guide. It’s packed with 15 activities and experiments to help you get your boo on. There’s a companion kit which includes many of the supplies you’ll need to conduct the experiments. However, several of the activities use items you have around your house like soap, food coloring, and glue. We did three experiments. The only purchases I had to make were for dry ice, high-strength hydrogen peroxide (from a beauty supply store), and a pumpkin.
The first activity was making Ultimate Gooey Slime. The kids chose to make it purple, but regretted it when they saw how awesome it would have been green. It was simple and safe enough for the kids to make with me just standing there. They did the mixing and the squishing.
 She's brave and not at all grossed out by slime! That's my girl! Next, we made two frothy jars of Smoking Bubbles. Everyone loved this! It required dry ice, so adults were in charge. Dry ice is 112 degrees below zero and not a joke. Before purchasing dry ice, we watched this video to learn safe handling practices.
There was a lot of oohing and amazement as our whole family flocked to the kitchen table to see what happens when an object goes straight from a solid to a gas—and dish soap is involved.
We save the gooey-ist for last. Meet Freddy.
Freddy didn’t like the concoction of household chemicals plus yeast we put in his belly. Urp!
 You're excused This reaction wasn’t as dramatic as I expected, but that might be because I had creme hydrogen peroxide instead of liquid. But, still. Grody, dude.
If you’d like to have some seasonal fun and learn about science with your kids at home, I recommend checking out Steve Spangler’s website and his downloadable guides. You can find one for almost every holiday. There are great videos to watch, too, with easy-to-follow experiments.
(Steve Spangler science provided us with a free download of the Halloween Science Experiment Guide. The opinions are solely ours, gathered and formed as we played.)
|
|
