Mad Scientist

Today I finally caved in to the kids pleas, and allowed them to choose something from the book fair. Bailey settled on a book about cats, with interactive pages and quizzes, and Tristan chose a Mad Science kit. I was hoping he would pick a new book or two for us to read together, but the prospect of making slime and a UV pen was too much for him to resist. It came with a little booklet that listed some experiments to try, and explained how and why they work, and test tubes. So naturally, since we've been home, he's been playing scientist. First we made monster goo (A mixture of water and cornstarch that looks like liquid, but when you dig your hands in is actually quite stiff. I added food colouring to make it more interesting, plus it looked really cool swirling into the mixture), and then we terrified pepper... That is, we sprinkled a layer of pepper on top of some water in a bowl, and added a drop of dish soap, causing the pepper to move away. He seems to be very happy with his decision, and is eagerly awaiting Bailey's arrival home from school so he can show off his goo.

Tomorrow is the day we find out if Tristan does in fact have ADD/ADHD/ODD. It's been a long time coming, and I'm hoping that it will be the start of an effective treatment program for Tristan. I am so afraid of him suffering academically and socially, and I've been waiting what seems like forever for answers. There seems to be some improvement in his behaviour at school since his teachers, myself, and his mental health worker had a meeting, but there is still a long way to go. He is still very much the impulsive little boy I've always known, and the emotional outbursts and difficulty interacting with the other children are still a common occurence, but hopefully tomorrow will shed some much needed light and we can begin a program that is right for his needs, and that will help him to succeed. He is such a bright child, and there is nothing I want more than to see him go far.

Time to go and do homework, here's a few snapshots of my little scientist and his experiments.