David has a science book that he loves, complete with lots of experiments that "can be carried out with simple, everyday materials that can be found around the home--especially in the kitchen--or acquired very easily." I don't know whose home has all the random materials that the author's home apparently possesses but our lack of kitchen weights, spring balances, fuse wire and heatproof glass beakers usually works out to my favor. When my little scientist gets a scathingly brilliant idea and needs to do it right.now. I can calmly ask him to check the materials list and there is generally at least one essential component missing that gets me off the science hook.
Not today though.
Today we did have everything we needed to make our own model hot air balloon.
Trust me honey, it looked just like the picture. And it was just as easy to assemble as the instructions said it would be. It wasn't obnoxious at all attempting to glue strips of tissue paper together to form a balloon while not letting any already glued parts touch anything else lest it become one giant gluey ball of broken dreams. Not at all. And those looks you were giving me in addition to your repeated cries of "we need Daddy" were also really helpful.
As if Daddy would ever agree to make this particular project.
The whole thing was pretty much a bust until we cut loose the basket which was entirely too heavy for our little tissue paper balloon to lift. I suppose it could have worked if it was made of copy paper but that's not what the directions called for. Once it was gone the balloon mostly just lifted up into the air and spun in circles. But the lesson was learned: hot air rises. Check.
The important thing is that we did it. I'm a fun science mom after all.
Well, maybe not fun. Tolerant?