Busy busy busy time of year!
From the beginning to the end of May there is so much going on...and it's all good stuff!
Between the Jog-a-thon and Jenelle's birthday, there was the Math and Science Night for the middle school students.
This was Ivan's first year to participate and Hannah's last.
Ivan and his classmate Jacob did a project called "Fog in a Jar".
The experiment consisted of creating, well, fog in a jar, with water, heat and air pressure.
They worked on the project a few times at our house and had a very successful presentation at the school.
I was very impressed with Ivan's first science fair project and the work he put into it.
They did a great job and were complimented by another parent on the quality of their presentation that night.
Plus the good grade he received was nice for him too!
This was Hannah and Amanda's last year to participate in the fair and they wanted to go out with something really different...and messy!
They chose to work with ferrofluid...which is, according to "wiki", a liquid which becomes strongly magnetized in the presence of a strong magnetic field.
It is the color and consistency of motor oil!
Donald had two large magnets that they used to work with and they spent an afternoon in the garage testing their project and hypothesis.
That's the ferrofluid that is forming the funny pointed shapes on the magnets.
They wore gloves, but still ended up getting covered in the material.
They spent quite a while in the back yard scrubbing themselves until their skin was red in order to get cleaned up!
And on the night of the science fair, they got just as messy, but had a great time!
Un-school related, Ivan got a new mattress and box spring.
A few years ago he had grown out of a "junior bed" that he'd had since he was a toddler.
He loved that bed and held onto it for as long as he could, but eventually he just didn't fit!
I thought I was saving money when I bought a fairly inexpensive bed at a local furniture store, but it was only a matter of time before it wore out.
A matter of time, and come to find out, some jumping and leaping as well.
Eventually Ivan's bed was caving in...literally...
He would get in bed and sink into the middle.
Sad.
So, we bought the poor kid a new bed and that weekend, he and Donald took apart his old one for recycling and trashing.
It was interesting to see what was inside...
A beat up box spring and cheap construction!
You get what you pay for folks!
Hannah had a piano recital.
She chose not to play the clarinet during her 8th grade year and I don't think she's ever regretted it.
An opportunity to play the piano came up and she started that in January.
It's clear this girl has a natural talent for music!
She plays beautifully and really enjoys it.
She chose a song by a band she loves called Panic! at the Disco.
Her piano teacher held the recital at a local church and some of the students were supported by a band.
I've been trying and trying to include a video...
For the sake of getting this post published, I'm just going to include a picture, but I will get back to the video soon.
I'll probably have to ask the piano player herself how to do it...
And Jenelle had her annual dance recital for the second year in a row!
She gets pretty dolled up for this event.
At the dance company's request, she was in foundation, powder, eye shadow, liner, mascara and heavy blush and lipstick.
Yikes!
I was a pro at getting her into her slick bun this year.
She did great and had a blast!
Next stop...an 8th grade graduation!
