Let the Fun Erupt!

Happy 5th Birthday, Cole!This picture is from Cole's party at school. I wasn't going to have a party there because the whole class was invited to our house, but as his birthday grew closer, he told everyone that at school he's going to get cupcakes and a balloon tied to his chair. He had no idea that the parents arrange and pay for it. I didn't have the heart to deny him his balloon. He had just said, "I'm the king!" when I snapped the picture.

For the party at home, Cole knew he wanted a science party, but we couldn't decide on a theme. Then, one day, he said very seriously, "I've been thinking a lot about volcanoes lately." So there it was: a volcano party.

Since true volcanologists wear protective eye gear, I handed out safety goggles when the kids arrived. They were a huge hit. I later heard stories of kids refusing to take them off for bed, baths, and church.

Of course, there must be eruptions at a volcano party! We buried bottles half-filled with baking soda in mounds of dirt. When we poured in vinegar and the mixture bubbled over, the kids practically erupted themselves. I couldn't have choreographed a better response! I'm glad we made multiple volcanoes because their reactions didn't dimish. After the third or fourth eruption, a girl got up the courage to touch the bubbly mixture and everyone gasped. When we said they could touch it, the braves ones tentatively stuck their fingers in the foam. I love the excitement and wonder children have!

Later, we tried the Mentos experiment. Apparently if you drop a pack of Mentos into soda, the chemical reaction makes a tremendous eruption. It looked great online and several sites warned to do it in a wide open area, so I expected an impressive blast. Instead we got some fizz, but no more than the vinegar-baking soda combination caused. We tried it twice with the same result. I'm still not sure why it didn't work. We have a few packs of Mentos left over so we'll have to try again.

The volcano cake was a disaster that actually turned out great. I wish I had pictures to chonicle the whole experience. The finished cake pictures are on Mom's camera. I'll post a few when I get them--they're definitely good for a laugh!

My idea was to bake the circles for a layer cake, then cut the edges off to make the yellow cake into a pyramid/mountain shape. It looked great until I tried to frost it with cholcolate frosting. I never knew that you can't frost cut cake. It crumbles and shreds and cake pieces mix into the frosting and look entirely unappetizing. The whole thing was a wreck.

I quickly dashed to Publix for more frosting and a back-up cake that I fully expected to use. At home I tried to glop more frosting on top of crumbled pieces of cake to cover up the mess, but it actually looked worse. In desperation, I scraped off the bits and pieces and was able to salvage two complete circles. After I frosted them, I had a puny, little, lopsided layer cake that I would have been embarrassed to serve.

In frustration, I started glopping the shredded cake on top and around the layer cake. To my amazement, it actually started to look like a dirt and rock covered volcano. I made rivers of lava flowing down the sides with a tube of red frosting then stuck a little glass candle holder (minus the candle) into the top for the volcanoes opening. Before singing Happy Birthday we wet dry ice in the candle holder and carried out a smoking, fiery five-candle volcano.

I'll never be a professional cake decorator, but I have to say, it looked pretty cool, especially to a bunch of 5-year-old scientists.

I still can't believe that Cole is 5 and will be in kindergarten next year. I actually tear up when I think of him in school all day. But then I console myself with the thought of spending more one-on-one time with Jay. Although he is going to be lost without Cole as well.