There are multiple opportunities in the life of a mother to laugh. They’re just hard to see sometimes. The reason I don’t have a merry heart at times is because usually, as a mother, I’m too busy naming the mishap as a crisis, a disaster, a “hurry-and-get-me-a-mop-and-a-bottle-of-disinfectant” sort of thing.

Now, there are times when disasters really do occur, but so long as the bodies under my care are in tip-top condition and their spirits aren’t crushed, well, everything else is just blog material. You know?

Take our science experiment last week. It was a disaster, er…I mean, a great opportunity that Candid Camera missed. It had something to do with mixing cocoa powder in water, dissolving salt in water, and pouring the salt mixture through a filter into the cocoa mixture. Then tasting it.

Yeah, we didn’t get it either.

I even walked outside to where my very own rocket scientist was concocting chemical potions to ask him for his expertise in solving the mystery of the kiddie science project gone bad. He didn’t get it either.

[He protests now that I’ve written this, that he wasn’t given the benefit of full information. But since I don’t want to ruin the story, I’ll leave that out.]

In case you’re wondering, this isn’t Chem II; we’re only on third grade science. Why would I order a teacher’s manual for elementary science when there’s a rocket scientist on site? I was thinking that I wouldn’t need an answer key until fourth grade. Yeah, not until fourth grade. Furthermore, this is just icing and side stuff, as I stick to reading, writing, and arithmetic during the “regular” school year. (Frequently feeding the personal scientist his protein is even cheaper than some of these teacher manuals. Have you priced any lately?)

So, the experiment was a let down. The kitchen was a disaster, er…I mean, opportunity for a mama to show some grace and humor, as I allowed the kids to set up the experiment while I attended to the baby. There were measuring cups of every size on the counter, cocoa powder spilled on the floor, water puddles on various surfaces, and rags haphazardly positioned on other food spills. (The hard-at-work budding experimentists must have needed a few snacks as brain fuel.) So, now, the kitchen was a mess, and to top it off, we didn’t even learn anything.

Except that sometimes there are more important things to learn and be thankful for.

By the way, I’m plunking down the extra dough for the teacher’s manual next year.