The DQ came home yesterday bubbling with excitement about a science project over the solar system due ON MONDAY. No instructions (there may have been some at some point, I'm sure DQ's desk or backpack ate them), no materials, no clue what exactly to do except that it needed to be fabulous. Fabulous in my daughter's mind means messy, messy, messy. So off to the hobby store we go. $25 later we have paint, Styrofoam balls, dowel rods, brushes and assorted other goodies that I am sure we don't need. Today DQ and her friend from down the street set up shop at the dining room table and proceeded to paint everything in sight. Ok, they really did a fairly good job of keeping the mess contained...considering it's DQ we're talking about. I only found a little red paint on the bench, some purple on the carpet and one stray paintbrush with black paint perched precariously on the counter in the kitchen. Who knows how it got there. The planets look like...painted Styrofoam balls...no really, they look great and she is thrilled with them. AND all I had to do was clean up...my kind of project.

While the kids were working I drank coffee and read my favorite blogs. I went through two pots of coffee which is way more than normal for me. Thanks to the caffeine high I have a clean house, clean laundry, clothes ironed and ready for next week...and I needed a three hour nap when the caffeine wore off!