I need some OXYGEN!!

Amidst all the excitement over Braden's surgery...life goes on.  So even with a man down, there's still a lot of stuff going on that's been managed from the hospital call-center.   Practicing for piano lessons (minus Big Guy, of course), softball games, baseball practice, the latest crisis at work, and homework--just to name a few.  Most of the extreme events I don't usually hear about until we're one step away from a melt-down of epic proportions and a due date that is within hours rather than days.  We diverted one of those scenes this weekend with the first major project in middle school.  Nathan has a science project that is due tomorrow...and it's not exactly something you can just throw together--but luckily, we did.  He was supposed to build a model of an oxygen atom, complete with protons, electrons, neutrons, and a nucleus. 

























I thought that was kind of a cool assignment...and I haven't had to help with one of those before.  After checking out samples on the Internet and listening to his ideas, we left Braden in good hands and headed to the local craft store for supplies.  (Apparently Cameron will have the same project due sometime next week...so we are going to be prepared well in advanced for that one.) 


I knew that we would be assembling it at the hospital, so I vetoed any and all paint options.  I racked my brain for ideas of circles that didn't need to be painted, cut, or assembled.  I found the perfect solution at Hobby Lobby, and on sale, no less!  Christmas ornaments.

So with some floral wire and four packages of small bulbs, we were in business.  I brought the hot glue gun from home and we did some homework while the rest of the family was visiting.  We'll label the parts when we get home tonight...but I think it looks brilliant for what it's worth.  Nathan chose to make his protons and electrons green and blue.  That means that when Cameron gets around to doing his atom model...he's going to have to deal with gold and red. 

[Note to self:  When it's Braden's turn to do this project next year, there is a very cool atom model that is made out of red licorice and dum dum suckers ;)  Plan ahead to impress the socks off the teacher and make it in 3-D instead of 2-D!!]