scientisting

We finally had a weather window to take the plastic shrink wrap off the boat for the season. It's always such a relief to have the shrink wrap put on in early winter, protecting us from the elements. But then it's also such a relief to rip it off again, when we're feeling cooped up. I do think this is the latest in the season we have ever taken the wrap off, another long winter.

I thought I would try to get the kids involved in a meaningful way. Zach was easy, he grabbed his trusty machete that he bought with his own money and his own Spanish bargaining skills in Nicaragua, and had a ball hacking away at the plastic. He was also extremely helpful in ferrying dock cart after dock cart full of plastic trash to the recycling dumpster.

Naia was given a kid sized pair of scissors and told to cut away at the lower portions of the plastic bubble.

Zach and I were busy team working huge swaths of plastic, and at one point I was up on the boom crawling around to pull the plastic from the solar panels, when  noticed the silence. You know that silence if you're a parent. The dread filled my heart as I hopped off the boom and called her name. "I'm in my room," she said meekly.

I dashed down and saw the wisps of blonde hair on the floor, and the impish looking girl with scissors in her hand. "Are you angry? Are you angry I cut my hair?" I couldn't help but laugh. It's like a rite of passage with kids, the self hair cut. My oldest brother has an epic Kindergarten portrait with his self styled bangs.

"No baby, I'm not angry you cut your hair," I said trying not to laugh. "But we will have to go to a barber shop and have it evened out, ok?"

She agreed and got up to hug me. That's when I saw it. OHNOYOUDIDNT! She didn't just cut her hair, she also cut her winter jacket into bits. I was only up on the boom for like 15 minutes! She watched my eyes grow big.

Now I was angry.

Oh Naia, how could you?! Your jacket? It's still cold-ish out. Kiddo, why on earth would you cut up your jacket?

"I wanted to see how it worked inside. I always saw feathers come out of your jacket, and I wanted to see what was inside mine. I was scientisting mama!"

And that was the end of that.  How could I be angry in the name of science? I learned my lesson that I need to stay one step ahead of this girl, at ALL times.

We celebrated the bubble coming off by setting up the swing. I made sure to put the scissors away first, because you know, science.