Birthday cake for breakfast = Deliciousness.
Who am I kidding? I already knew THAT. But this week I did conduct more research to confirm my hypothesis. Conclusion: more scrumptious than a donut and ten times as frostingy.
***
Hormones are a b*tch.
Place one 41yo woman in north Georgia, then rocket the outdoor temps from below freezing to the 80s in one week. What do you get? Wild swings of internal temperature, energy, and mood. And unexplainable chocolate frosting stains on all her clothes. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced a hot flash.
***
There’s a name for the stink that escapes our air ducts when we turn on the AC for the first time in spring:
Dirty Sock Syndrome.
Charlie asked if it was Nasty Dog Syndrome, which was really close. But in this case, it’s solved by cleaning the coils instead of banishing the dog.
(Charlie’s struggling to hide his disappointment.)
***
I was wrong to think that I’d matured beyond my fear and loathing of School Projects.
If anything, popping NINE (9) bags of popcorn and counting every single kernel with my OCD 3rd grader is actually more painful than any project I was assigned as a kid.
Even building that 1/1600 scale model of a Spanish mission out of homemade playdoh “adobe.”
Or spending my entire 6th-grade Christmas break in the library doing a report on Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas.
I naively believed that the adobe and the pre-Columbian civilizations were at the top of the misery scale.
But it’s hard to beat spending a Saturday tracking down the Amazing Disappearing 5th Grader. The boy who is supposed to be gluing slime to a triboard display.
Then finally finding him in the bathroom. With a portable DVD player and headphones. Trying to watch the entire LOTR trilogy.
***
Triboards for Science Fair displays bend really easily.
Especially when an 11yo boy swings one like a sword and chases his sister with it.
***
There’s a reason why I never entered the Science Fair as a child.
Which is probably why my kids’ teacher required it.
***
For more “What I Learned” posts — differing from this one in that they might offer genuine life lessons that challenge and inspire — visit Musings of a Housewife.
18 responses so far ↓
1 Beth // Mar 10, 2009 at 10:36 am
This brings back bad memories of trying to make a bar of dial soap into a sphynx in the 6th grade.
Oh…the science projects and hot flashes I have to look forward to!
Beth’s last blog post..Math Problem
2 katdish // Mar 10, 2009 at 11:23 am
gluing slime to a triboard display – how does THAT work?
The only project I remember with any clarity was when our 2nd grade class made states on pieces of cardstock. Mine was Virginia. It looked more like the eastern seaboard was being attacked by a giant whale.
katdish’s last blog post..Isn’t it Ironic? Well yes, actually…
3 Katie // Mar 10, 2009 at 11:52 am
I’m off to have the last of my husbands birthday cake. Not quite for breakfast, but pretty close!
4 Joyce // Mar 10, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Oh, I’m with you on the science fair…definitely one of my least favorite memories of grade school (my own and my kids!)
My husband still likes to brag about the A+ he earned, oops, I mean my daughter earned, on a scale model of Jamestown ‘she’ made for a 5th grade social studies assignment.
Joyce’s last blog post..You want to do what???
5 Jo@Mylestones // Mar 10, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Hmmm, I’m not looking forward to the science fair projects stage. Nice to know, however, that chocolate cake will be with us for every stage.
And I love that you just used the word “frostingy”. That might be my new favorite word.
Jo@Mylestones’s last blog post..Mom in the Middle
6 elizabeth channel // Mar 10, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I’m blaming the whole state of Georgie for our hormone troubles.
I am so tired I can’t even come up with a pithy comment about science projects…
elizabeth channel’s last blog post..A Month Late–Should I Worry?
7 jen@ourdailybigtop // Mar 10, 2009 at 2:30 pm
This is a great list. I survived the diorama and now we’re doing a leprechaun trap. Help me when the science fair projects start.
jen@ourdailybigtop’s last blog post..What I learned this week – sleepovers
8 Helen // Mar 10, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I copied you and did a What I Learned this Week p0st today.
9 Rachel@Grasping... // Mar 10, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I actually prefer the crazy, crazy weather swings. . . seriously. I never get tired of anything, and get to enjoy the best of both worlds – at once!
Maybe my opinion will change when I am 41.
10 Alison // Mar 10, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Funny list! I am NOT looking forward to helping the kids with their future science projects. Maybe that should be Dad’s job!
Alison’s last blog post..What I Learned This Week, #4
11 Wendy // Mar 10, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Well, where else does one watch the entire LOTR trilogy? *rolling eyes* C’mon, Mom!
;o)
Wendy’s last blog post..Out of sight, out of mind?
12 Nicole // Mar 10, 2009 at 9:35 pm
They should call them “90/10 Projects”…90% parent/10% kid. Because you know parents are the ones who really “do” the project.
Nicole’s last blog post..Flip Ultra & Vlogging
13 Musings of a Housewife // Mar 10, 2009 at 10:06 pm
LOL. Yeah, school projects are THE WORST. I’m with ya, Sistah!
Musings of a Housewife’s last blog post..American Idol Season 8 Top 13 Perform
14 JanMary, N Ireland // Mar 11, 2009 at 8:12 am
As a child I loved the school projects – as a parent I loathe them!
JanMary, N Ireland’s last blog post..ST PATRICK’S DAY BLOGGING CARNIVAL!
15 Steph at the Red Clay Diaries // Mar 11, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Beth – Dial soap sphynx? Seems like Irish Spring would be a better medium. Maybe that was your problem…
Katdish- You don’t know how to glue slime to a triboard? Clearly you have not done enough school projects. Will you help my kids with their next one?
Jo- And THIS is why we are friends. Frostingy friends.
Rachel- Shut up.
Wendy- I know, I’m sure the smell made him feel like he was REALLY IN the Mines of Moria. But after 7 hours, I began to wonder where he was…
16 d // Mar 12, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I avoid science projects…even when I was a teacher I avoided them. They are annoying and frustrating.
17 Nina in Portugal // Mar 12, 2009 at 5:05 pm
dirty sock syndrome/nasty dog syndrome….same difference
both disgusting
It was always our heat that smelled horrible the first time we turned it on
no worries ’bout stuff like that in Portugal—no central anything around here…
Nina in Portugal’s last blog post..Flat Stanley
18 faemom // Mar 13, 2009 at 12:03 am
LOL And I bet your one of those good parents who makes their kids do most of the work and then you see the nice projects where the kid DID get to watch the entire LOTR trilogy while mom and dad did the project.
As for birthday cake for breakfast, my mom was a firm believer.
faemom’s last blog post..P2: The New Prologue
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