House of Estrogen

Holidays are in da House!

We are in full-on holiday mode here. The kids are out of school for the month, report cards have come home, and we are DONE.WITH.HOMEWORK for the year. Done. Having the month of December off of school has to be one of the greatest perks of year-round school. We can enjoy holiday parties, weeknight shopping, and Christmas TV specials without homework and school bedtimes interfering. Being done with school also means that we have a month of not having to face the school bus driver at the end of the day to hear her report about our little kindergarten school bus bully. <Sigh> Apparently one of Addison's quotes on the last day of school was, "I'm going to kick the poo out of your vagina." Nice. If she doesn't get kicked off the bus before the end of the school year, it is going to be a miracle. Yes, a month off of school is something we all desperately needed.

Back to holiday mode... our trees are up.

The stockings are hung, and the folk art Santas are chilling on the mantle.

We have finished up the school holiday parties,

made Christmas trees at holiday camp,

and attended the holiday mini-build at the LEGO store.

Elise has performed in her holiday band concert. (As a side note, you can see her braces are in the holiday spirit as well with red and green rubber bands.)

Addison has done rounds at a rehab center with her Daisy troop, singing songs, and doling out homemade ornaments. When I asked her how it went, she said, "Two people didn't have any legs, and one person was missing all their fingers."  I'm just picturing this entire troop of girls staring at injuries, completely forgetting to sing. I hope they didn't traumatize any of the patients too much. (For any of you fashionistas taking note... yes, she is wearing Oilily with cowboy boots. That's how she rolls.)

I have purchased mint chips and red and green m&m's under the guise of baking. We'll see if any baking actually occurs. Buying supplies is the first step though, right?

I haven't put up any outdoor lights yet, but I'm contemplating skipping them this year. If I consciously make the decision to forgo outdoor lighting, then I can say that job is done. I'm kind of liking that plan.

All in all, the holiday spirit has definitely taken over here at the House of Estrogen. Holidays are IN DA HOUSE!

My Love/Hate Relationship with the Science Fair

I love that my kids get excited about the science fair. We need more women interested in science (see this post if you don't believe me), and an elementary school science fair is a great place to start. I love how enthusiastic they get about planning and working on their projects.

Actually, I think I mostly just love the science fair in theory. I love the idea of it. I love how it stimulates my kids' brains and creativity in ways their regular school work doesn't. I love listening to them talk about their ideas. I love seeing their eyes light up as they finalize their project plans.

Every year, participating in the science fair seems like such a great idea. Then... we actually do it. No matter how simple the experiment or project may seem, it always takes at least twice as long as anticipated. We barely have time to get homework finished as it is, so I'm not sure why we think adding a big project on top of that will work well. Then there is the sticky, syrupy sugar solution that spills all over the kitchen table, chairs, and floor. There is the sugar solution that isn't concentrated enough, doesn't grow any sugar crystals, and causes us to start over a week later.

There are the styrofoam balls that sound like the perfect choice for planets but cost a ridiculous sum of money. Who are the millionaires producing styrofoam balls, and how do I get in on that racket?

There are the hours spent watching 8-10 year olds type up their results painfully slowly, my fingers twitching, desperate to just jump in there and type it for them but knowing they need to do it themselves.

That brings me to the actual night of the science fair. There are the darling projects where you know the child did every inch of it themselves with no parent involvement whatsoever. These are my favorites.

There are the majority of the projects, like ours, where the parents provided some direction and consultation, but the kids did the work.

Then, inevitably, there are always the projects where you wonder if the child was involved at all. (Yes, that display has its own light source and dry ice to simulate clouds).

The science fair is always held in winter months when you typically bundle up for the weather. It is insanely crowded though and miserably hot. You shove your way through the crowds with sweat dripping down your back looking at dyed carnations, Pepsi and Mentos photos, and more sugar crystals.

Again, in theory, I love the idea of walking around looking at each child's project, admiring their hard work, inspiration, and creativity. Yet, in reality, I find myself counting down the minutes until we can pack up and leave. The crowds make me claustrophobic.

Despite the sticky floor, fortune spent on styrofoam, and claustrophobia, I know it is all worth it at the end. They learn a lot, get a great feeling of accomplishment, and have smiles on their faces all in the name of science. I know that's a good thing.

I'm just glad it only comes around once a year, so I have time to recover and forget the experience from the year before.