VOLCANO!!!!

If you've known us long, it's not a shocking revelation that we are kind of geology nerds, from a long line of rock hounds.  I think it's safe to say, we were more excited about S’s volcano project then all the Halloween hoo-rah-rah this week.  Not three months have passed in the last 5 years since she saw a model volcano erupt in preschool that she hasn’t asked if we could make one of our own.  (Honestly Linn, I'm not making that up.  It was life-changing for her!)  And since the day she was in kindergarten and saw the big kids carrying theirs into the school, she has been LIVING for the day when she’d get to present her own volcano to the world!!!
AND HERE IT IS!

We watched dozens of YouTube tutorials for making model volcanoes and she chose one with a built-in lava catching tray, a dandy trap door in the bottom so that you can remove the “lava chamber” (a.k.a. plastic Nesquick bottle) for easy clean up, and an awesome cross section diagram of the volcano’s interior on the back!  And this really was her project.  I only did the best-done-by-an-adult stuff like wielding the exacto knife and applying hot glue.

Note to any of you parents who may have model volcanoes in your future; Kool-aid powder added to the vinegar makes the “lava” really vibrant red, adding some liquid dish soap to the vinegar/baking soda gives your “lava” some extra energy, but working with plaster of paris is miserable.  Next time we will probably stick with good old papier-mâché and maybe a coat of marine varnish on top so the “lava” doesn’t make the whole thing soggy.

She was thrilled with the results and I can unbiasedly say that I didn’t see any other kids walking into school with a better looking volcano.  

She said that hers erupted longer than anyone else’s and really wowed the crowd!  She got extra credit for the diagram in back.  Yes!  We did many, many eruptions that evening for FHE.