Chemistry fun! Err, maybe.

The other day we took our molecule set, graciously given to us by Grandma, and we made a fun chemical reaction.

I learned it is REALLY REALLY hard to keep track of various atoms when your baby is constantly trying to dump them out all over the place.  Throw in a 3 year old who just wants to goof off, various online models that can't make up their minds if oxygen or carbon is black (or maybe hydrogen today) and you have a recipe for disaster.

I thought it would be a simple process to make models of vinegar and then one of baking soda, then like legos use those atoms to configure the CO2 and H2O and Salt that is supposed to happen when you mix them.

Apparently I was wrong, the simple process that I thought would take 5 minutes dragged out into nearly an hour.

The kids learned it is wise not to say anything when mommy is frustrated that yet again she forgot which color was oxygen.  They also learned to quietly duck and cover when the one piece that was built was once again demolished by the bouncy 3 year old, while the random pieces were dumped by the baby. 

We eventually did manage to distract the baby, banish the 3 year old and finally make Baking Soda and vinegar models, and then recombine those two into water, CO2 and salt (not table salt).  Or rather Princess managed.  I think she might have a future in therapy, by the end she was just doggedly plugging away at the building and quietly reassuring me it was all working just fine.

I think we shall leave the atom kid in the closet for free play and stick with real foaming vinegar reactions from now on!