Jenkins Family: Last weekend before school

It's official - we have middle schoolers - 6th grade! Dang - where does the time go. Of course before school begins, we have our weekend of games and experiments, and apparently trips back to the beach (Millennium) and to the zoo.

This year we did pop rocks in soft drinks along with an egg drop challenge. Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for the weekend and took part in the activities.

Unfortunately we also had a birthday last weekend. My attempts to thwart any attention were dismissed. I got silly stringed and was given all of the candy.

So we did the egg drop first. Rule - you have $3 to spend in a dollar store for the egg drop. You can use a little from home like tape if needed. We would then drop the egg while standing near the top of a ladder. Here are the results:

Ron - Pass & Pass (two separate attempts)
Jan - Pass
Shelby - Pass
Seth - Pass
Noah - Pass
Chris - FAIL

Yep - Loser - I knew I needed a perfect drop straight down to make it. If it went sideways I knew it wouldn't make it. Of course - it went sideways.

The second fun activity was pop rocks in soda. The balloons didn't get too large but there was definitely a reaction. I think the boys each drank one of the sodas with the pop rocks. Ugh. Of course we just had fun enjoying the weather and pulled out the bubbles. The ropes we picked up at Bristol have gotten used several times now. Shelby tried to kick it up a notch and made homemade bubble snake makers out of empty water bottles and socks. The snakes we created blew all over the yard and would get stuck in trees and in the grass.

Our trip to the zoo was fun - We caught the lions and tigers out walking around. The tiger was roaring for a little while at some kid. That was cool.

The first week of school in the books. I think they handed out locker assignments alphabetically because the boys are locker neighbors. They have 3 classes together as well. First time ever in the same class. Hopefully they won't be a distraction for each other in class or at their locker between classes.

Now we get to deal with trumpet and viola practice in the house. The dog isn't a fan so far.

Seth got a new school ID. Unfortunately there was a slight mistake and it needed to be replaced.

Yeah - I'm older now.

Special strawberry dessert (in lieu of cake)

Noah spent $2, and used the third dollar on candy.

He bought rolls of bubble wrap and borrowed tape from Grandma

Seth bought a bag of balloons and put his egg in a poptart box and taped balloons to the outside of it. He also used the 3rd dollar for candy

Grandpa went for two -

He put one egg in a nerf ball and the other in a kleenex box filled with kleenex and cotton balls.

Me and my purple pencil case filled with craft balls. FAIL!

Shelby's $1 tupperware container and her egg surrounded by straws for impact relief.

Grandma taped two sponges together and cut out a little opening for the egg.

Winner x 2

Couldn't get a picture of Grandma with her egg - it survived the fall in the sponge, it didn't survive her dropping it afterward.

Pop rocks & Soda

Fun in the backyard.

Seth blew too much air out...faked passing out.

Millennium Park (again)

Trip to the Zoo. Lions and Tigers and Bears...

This dude was our favorite.

This guys was a loner. He didn't want to be inside with the rest of his gang in the smelly building.

The tigers were very active in the morning.

We saw hummingbird the other day and I decided to put up a feeder to see if I could get a picture of it. I was successful - but you have to be ready when they show up.