Volcanoes!

Hi!

Remember the paper mache volcanoes we made last month for Art Group/Young Scientists? Well, this month (today, actually) we painted them and made them erupt!  We had the kids paint them as soon as they got there and told them not to pile on too much paint so it would have time to dry.  We set them in the sun for about 20 minutes and then sprayed them with an acrylic gloss coat, let that dry for about 15 minutes and then made them erupt!  We didn't worry about exact measurements because part of the fun is seeing how differently they all erupt depending on how much of each ingredient you put in.  We poured baking soda in first, as neatly as we could, then used a funnel to add a spoonful of dish soap and about 1/4 cup of vinegar (taking the funnel away as quickly as possible for the best viewing experience).  We used the funnel for the baking soda on the first go 'round only to discover that the funnel gets clogged right away.  We wanted to give each kid a chance to show off their art work and to give them a dose of limelight so we did them one by one and ooo'd and aaah'd every time.

While we waited for the paint to dry, we made some sidewalk paint out of corn starch (1/4 cup), water (1/4 cup) and food coloring.  I really liked how it looked when it dried and the kids got super messy with it, which is the point, after all....anyway, it's really really easy to clean--nothing a hose can't take care of in five seconds!

One of my favorites from today...check out the little handprint on the sidewalk!

Also, just wanted to share a few sweet pictures of random fun lately:

Bananas, cartoons and sibs

Owen getting into the mud kitchen--look out, Emeril Lagasse!

Post-sprinkler snacks with buds, Cameron and Liesel

Marisa and sweet Ivy..boy will we miss this family when they leave in August!

Owen's first haircut!

Such a big boy

Wahoooo!

Mastering the monkey bars...the latest accomplishment: skippin' one!  Now, she's determined to skip two but her little arms aren't quite long enough.  She's still spending every spare moment trying though.  Hello, blisters!

With Ainsley: Owen's most enthusiastic playground caretaker (besides his sister, of course) .  Cheese!