Science Fair Project

Lydia had to do a science fair project. We just finished it up last night, and she turned it in today. When the assignment came (about a month ago), Lydia said that she was just going to do a survey. She had no idea what kind of a survey, it just sounded like the easiest kind of project to her. Not wanting her to take the easy way out, I tried telling her that this could be a fun thing, or a great opportunity to learn something. I started brainstorming out loud to her, telling her all of the many different thing that she could learn about.

"Just pick something that sounds interesting to you, something that you'd really like to learn about." I said.

I tried showing her how interesting the divine proportion was, but she thought that was boring. Well, since it is her project, I let that one drop, and I started throwing out random ideas. I was just trying to talk her out of taking the easy way out. I don't remember all of the ideas that I spouted off, but the one she stuck like glue to was this : How do strangers react differently when grown-ups act silly in public from when children act silly in public. Me and my big mouth *sigh!* She is my daughter after all. Once that idea had entered her head, there was no diverting her from it. I told her she'd better ask her teacher before we began that one, just to make sure it could really count as a science project. The teacher said it was fine so...

We went to Dairy Queen, as a family. This used to be an old haunt for me. There is this set of tables off to the side where no one hardly ever sits, and no one really sees you too much. It's my favorite place to sit because there is a large window by the drive through. The people waiting in line out there, are stuck just a few feet away from you, on the other side of the window. You can make all sorts of faces, cover your face in ice cream, and do all manner of silliness, and they can't help but to notice you. We let the kids sit next to the window first and be silly while I wrote down all of the reactions that they got. Next Bruce and I swapped places with the kids, and Lydia wrote down the reactions that he and I got. One guy actually took a picture of me!

Next we went to Walmart. Lydia had a big pink fluffy skirt and crown, and Mark & Ross took turns wearing a Spiderman mask / cape thing, and skipped around the store while I observed the others reactions. Then we switched, and I wore the big pink fluffy skirt and crown and skipped around the store while the kids did the observing. Then we took turns wearing a shoe on our heads. All of the silliness was actually really fun. I was surprised how much fun I was having skipping around Walmart wearing a big pink fluffy skirt even though everyone was giving me strange looks.

Then we had to go home and do all manner of reports, and graphs and stuff. Lydia made a big display board with pictures and everything. I'm cringing a bit as I think of all of the people (students, teachers, principles, and other parents) who are going to see this picture:

and this one:

Will anyone ever talk to me again?