Well, that was messy

I'm spending my afternoon filling out DS-260 forms and dealing with GUZ numbers in the list of interminable steps that have to be done to make the US Immigration Department and US Consulate happy. Thus, I am not going to be able to write the long and thoughtful post about red cups that I was planning. You'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Instead, I'll share this picture.

I'm sure you have no idea what K. is doing. Well, we have been studying arctic animals. It's cold in the arctic, so those animals have lots of blubber to help keep them warm. We were pretending we had blubber. Using some instructions I found when I was planning school, we did that, and made a mess.

Pretty much, each child put on a disposable plastic glove, covered their hand in cheap vegetable shortening, I then wrapped said hand in plastic wrap, and then they put their hand in the ice water. It actually worked pretty well and for the children who were able to cover their hand in shortening the best, really did feel the difference in warmth.

Now, covering a child's hand in shortening is a lot easier said than done. It didn't really want to stick to the plastic gloves and would drip off in large and small glops all over... well, everything. I think I have it all wiped up. Everyone now has a greater appreciation for blubber and I have a greater appreciation for skin that stops that blubber from dropping off in glops all over everything.