To get the context of the "Sewer Moment," you need to check out my friend Valerie's blog about Sewer Fishing. I think most homeschool kids come up with crazy ideas that we moms don't like -- but we let them do it anyway because we know they're actually learning something or being creative or gaining some benefit from that gross or messy thing...

It's not germs but general messes that really get to me. After lunch today I went to put my towels in the dryer and walked back into the kitchen to see my kids with an assortment of Tupperware plates, paper towels and water (which was beginning to get spilled on the table).

"What are you doing?!" I asked.

"A Science experiment," they told me ever so calmly, continuing to arrange paper towels on the plates in some way I just couldn't comprehend. All I could think of was the science experiment we started this week with a few seeds on paper towels on 2 plates - one with water and one dry - to determine whether seeds need water to grow. At this point, I was trying not to flip out while having flashbacks to one of their earlier "science experiments" that involved mixing all kinds of stuff together for no apparent reason and at the same time wondering where they might have gotten more seeds or what's going on. So I asked again, "What are you doing?"

Silly me, I should have known I'd get the same answer. So instead I rephrased the question. "Why?" No, that question didn't work. By that point, I was right in there with them wiping water off the table before it could drip onto the wood floor while trying to get my sleepy brain to find the right question. "What exactly are you trying to do?" I finally managed to ask.

Well, they had an idea to do an experiment to see whether wet paper towels would dry more quickly with salt added. Actually, that's a great idea for an experiment! Each child set up their own experiment, and my daughter had the idea to compare sugar to salt to no additives. And looking back, I have to say they really did set it up with as little mess as possible, even bringing a cup full of water to the table to pour on the paper towels instead of carrying drippy messes across the kitchen floor. In the end, I'm glad they're engaging their curiosity - and I have to just control that instinctive reaction to avoid any messes at all costs!