The Science Lab: Week #1

I think we've made a decision to take Julian out of private school, chalking it up to a very bad mistake. We haven't told the school yet, or for that matter even Julian (although we've dropped hints here and there that we are not entirely happy with Presentation of Mary Academy). At the thought of returning to Weston school, he has some interest (he is looking forward to sharing class and recess with his best school friend, Connor), but also some regrets (Weston does not have a science lab like PMA does, Dad). Nevermind the fact that he won't be able to visit the PMA science lab until the 5th grade, it's something he's keenly interested in and will miss when he leaves PMA.

So, I suggested we build a science lab. Ever since the flood of 2006, in which the under half of my house was submerged beneath two feet of water, the basement has remained unused. Worse, we partially demolished it, tearing out wallboard and ceiling tiles, and leaving the floor littered with powdery debris. The cement floor is covered with glue patterns (which were used to hold down the wall-to-wall, saturated carpeting that got ripped out). Part of my suggestion to build our own science lab was an excuse to clean-up this clutter in the basement.

So this weekend, the three boys and I sat around the kitchen table, and laid out plans for our science lab (Phase I):

1.) Remove the glue patterns from what used to be the "finished half" of the basement

2.) Scrub / clean the floor, removing the fine layer of white wallboard dust

3.) Make a floorplan for tables, supply cabinets, and workstations

4.) Paint the floor

5.) Purchase tables, cabinets, chairs, office and lab supplies, etc. (help me, E-Bay, you're my only hope!)

Julian is SO EXCITED. After we made our plans, we went to the local hardware store to get some help, as I wasn't sure how to start with even step #1: removing glue from the basement floor. The bristle brush I had selected would never work, said the helpful man in the orange apron. Instead, he suggested we buy scrapers (4" wide razor blades on the end of foot-long plastic handles). I got two (one for myself, and one for Julian -- to see exactly how committed he was to this project). I also got 4 face masks, expecting each of the kids would be down in the basement with me, breathing in all that dust we're going to stir up, and two pairs of knee-pads. Lab Cost to Date: $37

To his credit, Julian really "stuck with it". We both nicked our hands while figuring out how to use our new razor-sharp work tools. After that sacrifice of blood, we worked for several hours and several sessions throughout the weekend. We managed to get about 30% of the floor glue scrapped up, and I think we'll be done with this first step before the next weekend. All the while, Julian is scheming with his brothers about the "projects" we should work on in the lab: grow some hamsters (maybe we could start with invisible hamsters, like Jimmy Neutron has in his lab, ok Dad?), take apart a television set, grow rock crystals, get a rock tumbler and turn some of his gem stones into smooth rocks, make a volcano, turn a potato into a battery, make some anit-matter (that might be tough one ...), and the list went on.

Yeah, science kits are going to be BIG on the Christmas Wish List this year, I think.