The Absent-Minded Professor (Mama)

One day a week, I pick the boys up from school and we always head back to my school. Sometimes they work on homework (or do puzzles if your name is Liam). If I planned ahead, they can help me set up for my class or do an experiment. They saw this experiment in one of their nerdy books I got them about how you can test the pH of substances using red cabbage.  I told them I was doing that for my class this semester so they could help me try it out.
Yesterday was the day.
I didn't get to the store before I picked them up at school so we ran to Wal-Mart, returned a Halloween costume for H (it was too small), grabbed some red cabbage, milk, and 4 lunchables. I was proud of my lunch planning for the remaining two days of school this week.
Then we got back to my school and started boiling the red cabbage.

Then the boys had a big fight about the pretend baseball game they were playing with the meter stick and an imaginary ball. 

Funny how Liam got out every time he hit while Casen got a home run every time he got a hit. Guess who was also umpiring?

Finally, the red cabbage indicator was ready and we set to work.

We had great fun. Lots of color changes. Easy experiment but can be applied to all ages. This time we just introduced the two new words: acid and base.

We were having so much fun testing all kinds of substances and then while I was taking this picture:

I suddenly remembered I had a daughter to pick up. 

Hence, I have no idea what this picture was supposed to be.

I made the boys run to the car all the while yelling, "Hurry, hurry! We will be late!" It was already past time when I usually pick her up, but I still had a small window before the deadline. If you have ever had a kid in daycare, you never, ever want to start passing that deadline time. It will cost you some cash.

Thankfully, we made it in time. H came back to the classroom with us and proceeded to fun-scream while we finished up. She LOVES echoing rooms. After she sat in time-out, she stopped. It only took one time-out this time. (small victories, folks)

Then H had a melt down when I wouldn't let her have some of the yummy substances on the table to drink. She saw the Coca Cola bottle on the table and went into crazy coke mindset. 

Did I mention that H doesn't usually do science experiments with us? 

I remember why now.

Wearing Me Out

Whether it's because she's my third or I'm just older this time around, having a 14-month-old is wearing me out.

Button enjoys the people at church, especially our friends that she sees outside of church regularly. She usually sits with Brian and Tara during worship and does better with them than us. Last Sunday, they were home sick and after a wild worship session with Button, Josh and I decided we weren't even going to try to take her to cradle roll.
(Unlike her brothers as babies, she's not completely sold on cradle roll.)
We took her to our class and told everyone that she'll just roam around some.
(Have I mentioned how awesome our bible class is?)

Instead, she found her friend Avanelle and decided to sit with Taylor the ENTIRE time. She just perched herself on his lap and listened and watched. The entire bible class. I don't even think she's that still when she sleeps.

Right at home with the Bairds.

I took Button with me to Liam's practice this week:

She watched L Child the extrovert chat up his friends during break times.

Then she walked over to where they were standing, said something to them, and then gave him five.

I think we have another extrovert on our hands. It wears the introvert part of myself OUT!

Last night, the boys had back-to-back games. 

3 hours at the ballpark + Button = wildness

She ran around like a madwoman most of the time. The crowd called her Turbo during Liam's game because she NEVER stopped moving. Oh, yeah she did - when she went to chew the fat with some audience members on the front row, she would pause and talk a bit. 

She threw a couple of tantrums about not getting to play on the bleachers. C could throw some explosive fits as an 18-month-old so I've seen my share. I'm also pretty calm during them with all the practice I got with the boys' fits. Button though gave 18-month-old Casen a run for his money. Except she had the cute part down pat. She stomped her foot around and yelled. Then she suddenly stopped and ran over to watch more of the game. 

My personal favorite last night though was when we got home. I should have been suspicious. She wasn't sleeping but was really quiet. I went to get her out of the carseat and realized she had dug a hole out of her diaper. She's done it before: there was pee-absorbed-blue-cotton-stuff (that's the technical term) all over the dining room. Last night, luckily I thought, she hadn't gotten it everywhere yet. So I whipped off the diaper and put her down. I was going to stick her in the tub after I unloaded the car. I turned around from the trunk and saw her finish peeing on the garage floor and then proceed to play in the puddle.

Seriously?

A part of me thought, At least it's in the garage. AND she hasn't taken a bath yet.