What were the boys doing during Spring Break, 2007, you ask? Well, they were having fun with their grandfather.

Back in the olden days, when there were no video games and other electronic things for kids' attention, they used their imagination. My husband, Papaw to the kids, showed them how he used to make rockets using foil and matches.

Joseph cuts foil to form a cone over the match head. Here is Papaw picking up one, so you can get an idea of how far they go.

The paper match is propped against a stand, and when the sulfur match head is ignited by the wooden match, the cone rocket shoots off. (Notice that Army man there; he must be taking a much-needed break.)

Hey, those are my good scissors. I hope they didn't use those when they were creating that wire stand!

 

Well, I see the Army man is back in action again as Sergeant Joel (in his knit Army cap) ignites the next one.

They fired off rockets until the wee hours the night before and are starting off early today. Laura comes out in her pj's to check things out before we get going on the second phase of our CATS hutches.

Big brother Joshua comes out to watch. There's Papaw, picking up more foil rockets!

Time to clean up - for the second time. It is NOTHING today, compared to what it was the night before! They cleaned for a long time because there were rockets all OVER the back yard, and they used both a broom and a rake!

Laura has gotten dressed and comes out to help with Operation Second Clean-Up.

They had lots of refreshment during their Army games, it appears!

One more pile to sweep into the dust pan!

The last one; then it's time to call this Operation Rocket Firing a success!

And boy, did they have fun! After they used up my existing match supply, my husband bought more matches, 3 boxes wrapped together, three different times. He also bought 2 cartons of the paper matches, 1000 in each carton. There is one partial box left in our kitchen drawer.

Umm; their parents won't let them do this at home, lol, so Joel has saved one box and all their equipment, including the Army man, I suppose, to use the next time Papaw volunteers for Operation Rocket Firing!

,,,

Well, the boys are still being creative, but now it's in a much more explosive fashion with their grandfather. lol

So, even though they don't do projects with me very much any more, they do take an active interest in what their sisters are doing and comment about all the new things I have made (especially Fluenza). And, I have no doubt that the skills they have learned in past projects will stay with them.

And who knows, maybe one of these days they will want to do something manly like a pirate and his treasure or an army scene or a hanging .... lol

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