Growing Things

I had fully planned on having my picture of the day be about bread making since I went to Michelle's house to learn a new recipe for bread in my (Mom's) Bosch, from one of Michelle's neighbors. We managed to finish the whole process without a single photo. Then I thought that I would take one of the actual bread or of the kids enjoying it - which did happen but without photographic evidence.

So instead, I posted photos of the kids Science Fair projects. (Ugh.) In theory, I think the idea of the science fair is great. The kids come up with a question and explore different ways to find answers and learn stuff along the way. In reality however, I think it is a HUGE pain. I hate having one more thing to add to the daily to-do list. I did luck out this year in that Grandma Cathy and Doug presented an idea and provided all of the needed materials and even assembled the "grow lab".

Of course, Amelia and Megan wanted in on the fun, too.
Jonas with all of his seeds planted and ready to be experimented on.
Doug helping Jonas.
Samantha displaying her planting prowess.
Grandma Cathy helping out.

Jonas is trying to find out how different colored lights affect the growth of plants. So he has his control group in the grow lab, and other groups under different colors of lights. (For future reference, black light does not provide a healthy growing environment and may kill your plants within 24 hours.)

Samantha is exploring whether music affects the growth of plants. So she has her control group in the grow lab in relative quiet (other than the general noise of the household) and one group that listens to Led Zepplin for hours each day and one group that listens to Mozart.
Here is the aforementioned grow lab.
I really can't complain and in fact I am very grateful because I had so much help this year , but I still have to nag daily to remind them to water and watch and measure and take notes or turn on the music. It will be interesting to find out how things turn out, though.