A Novel Idea

It's actually a short story, by Michaela.  I thought some folks might like to see it, especially the Grandma and Grandpa folks.

This is the original version and as far as I know it is not based on a true story or a previously written one.  It is full and unabridged. 

Bits and Pieces

Many moons ago, I bought a mosaic coaster project kit for Michaela to work on while we were studying the Byzantine Empire.  We actually tried to make the coasters around the time that we first got the kit, but had a little trouble with the directions (meaning I didn't read on the packets to distinguish between the grout and the plaster so I mixed up some grout and poured it in the mold-smart).  I cleaned up my mistake and by that time we had run out of time (with Eliana around it is often hard to fit in more than one mistake...) so Michaela patiently waited until the next time I thought we could try to make the coasters.  Well, effort #2 was not much more successful.  It too, in fact, was a total failure.  I did not wait long enough to try to pop the coaster out of the mold and it split into three pieces.  Maddening!  And poor Michaela!  This girl has the gift of patience, though (sometimes!). 

Well, we made attempt #3 yesterday, mainly because I wanted that silly box with the whole kit inside of it off of my kitchen counter!  Also, I love my daughter and want her to be happy and able to do fun things along with her history reading.  Oh, not that reading isn't fun, we love to read.  But something about the projects and activities really makes things come alive in the mind, even for me.  Yes, in my mind!  I do have one and it works just fine sometimes! 

All of this is to say that this final attempt is going along quite well, smoothly, swimmingly, beautifully, and happily.  I spent some time making the molds in the morning.   Michaela helped with the drying process (in the microwave).  Then she took a mallet outside with her tiles to smash them into smaller pieces.  In all honesty, this was not working.  One thing that drives me nuts is when I follow the directions and it doesn't work.  I take full responsibility for when I don't follow instructions and whatever I'm doing doesn't turn out right.  That is my fault, sure.  But when I do what the directions say and the outcome isn't as it is supposed to be-grrr!  Well, there we were, outside, she was wearing her protective eye goggles smashing away, only the thing was bouncing, not smashing! 

I went back inside to get the regular hammer.  By the time I got to it (because it was in the bottom tool container (of 3) on a high shelf, and in the bottom of that particular tool box), Christian was running through the house yelling,"Never mind, mom, she's got it!"  So, I went back outside (with that dumb hammer that I worked so hard to get) and there she was smashing the tiles with the other end of the mallet, the wooden end!  She said,"Christian just told me to turn it upside down and use this part-it's working great!"  What a smart boy!  He definitely takes after me, I'm so proud of him!  Hmmm.

We moved back inside to start gluing the tiles onto the molds that had been prepared.

  She is a very conscientious worker, very deliberate with something like this.

  She put glue on each piece of tile and then laid it on the mold randomly. 

  I love watching her do this.

Such sweet hands. 

  Sticky work! 

The coasters spent today drying and we will grout them soon.  It's fun to see her work diligently to accomplish a goal and take pride in her work.  I'll share the end result soon!

My First Baby

Michaela is growing up so fast.  I cannot believe how different she looks since last August when Eliana was born.  Her whole face has changed.  She has also lost 7 teeth and her two front teeth took forever to come in.  So now that they are mostly in she looks so much older.  She looks like a young lady instead of a girl who was just a preschooler.  That might sound funny because she is 7, which is not like we just stopped using sippy cups and wearing diapers.  But the last four years have been so nutty and have brought so many kinds of changes that, in the whirlwind, I hadn't stopped to notice how much she was changing.  

While some things are obviously different, like her teeth or her feet getting bigger, some things have not changed as she has gotten older.  Michaela has always had an eye for beauty.  She notices beautiful things and appreciates aesthetics.  She loves to sing, and listen to music.  She is very observant (which means I can't get much by her).  She is quick and very logical.  Recently I was frustrated while trying to feed Eliana because she wouldn't eat anything on this particular occasion.  I flipped the spoon onto the table and sat back in my chair dejectedly and said, dramatically,"I quit.  I'm not feeding her anymore!"  Michaela laughed and said,"But that means she would never eat!"  I looked at her and chuckled and thought how smart she was to be able to take things to their "logical conclusion."  Her humor also helped to make the tension of the moment go away.  She has always loved babies, even when she was two.  When Christian was born Michaela and I would sit on the couch together nursing our babies.  She would lift her doll up to her chest and hold her there and look at me with this face that said,"Like this, Mommy?"  She wants to be a "Mommy" when she grows up.   All of these characteristics and qualities are so wonderful to watch in her.  Seeing such amazing attributes in my daughter makes me want to be a better mom for her. 

Eliana and Christian demand a lot from me most of the time, in good ways and in tiring ways.  Michaela is easy most of the time.  This makes me realize that I have to pay attention to her deliberately because I don't want to miss anything!  She might be coming up with some nuclear-physics-molecular-bionic-hyper-sonic-theory and I wouldn't know it because I was trying to get Eliana to sleep!  She is a treasure, a joy.  I pray that I am able to convey that to her each day. 

It's Just Gas

Michaela is having a great time this school year studying science.  We are learning about chemistry in a very basic and fun way with a book of experiments written for kids (it is part of a series called Adventures With Atoms and Molecules).  The experiments are all very simple (good for me) and require things that you have in your kitchen or can pick up at the grocery store.  Today we did an experiment which asked the question,"Are gas molecules farther apart than liquid molecules?"  We opened a small bottle of Coke and quickly covered the top of it with a balloon, shook the bottle (I was a little nervous about this!), and waited to see what would happen.  It turned out to be quite fun, and I don't know why, but a little funny too.  The gas molecules bubbled (whooshed?  foamed?) right up into the balloon and filled it up.  Here are some pictures of the result. This has been the most fun of the sciences for me personally, and I'm looking forward to learning with her this year.  Like I said, it's basic stuff, but I've forgotten so much!  And it's just cool to see her so excited about what she's learning. Oh, this one's for my brother: What did one molecule say to the other molecule first thing in the morning? Up and atom!