Totally Barfy--or Science--however you look at it!

Any of my close friends will tell you that I do NOT DO BARF!  Seriously--at all.  It is the worst.  I can barely tolerate my children getting sick, but because I love them more than life itself I do.  But if anyone else:  if you barf around me--I'm outta there--i don't care what you need.  If you chopped off your arm, I could probably pick it up and give it to you, but if you start barfing, I will throw it at you. 

One time we had a MOMS Club field trip to a dentist office...and this other mom, who was pregnant, was overcome by morning sickness and lost her breakfast...well, instead of being a concerned, kind and motherly friend, I snatched my kids and bolted. I have no idea what happened after that. I mean bolted, like stepped over, through and practically knocked other people over to get out of that place.  (I am a horrible human--I know!)

This is also why we don't own a cat!  Hairballs = barf!

HOWEVER--I love science!  And I thought it would be NEAT-O to get the kids Owl Pellet kits for Christmas.   Trey got to dissect owl pellets in the 2nd grade---but due to budget cuts and probably a number of other reasons, Ry's class never got to do that.  So, I wanted him to experience dissecting an owl pellet looking for mice/vole/mole bones!!!   

One brilliant morning over Christmas break, I set the table up so we could break into these fascinating kits! 

At first it was just Ryan and I digging into the pellets, Rookie and Trey were in the middle of an epic battle of Mario Chess!  The kits come with ....well, you can read in the picture above what it comes with.  I kind of liked it--I was neat to bust into the compact little fur balls...and literally--that's what they were--fur balls. 

You had to pick-pick-pick, use the tweezers to separate and sure enough...very distinguishable bones...jaws, femurs, ribs.  Lots and lots of little bones.  Ry was totally into it.

I kind of was too.

UNTIL....

UNTIL.....

My mind starting really thinking about WHAT I was doing.

I don't care what you call it--owl pellets are really owl barf...and here I am with my nose 3" from it!!!!

I started to feel really grossed out.  But trying to be the "cool-isn't-this-a-neat-learning-experience-mom", I stifled my heebie-jeebies and gracefully called for a substitution!

Rookie and Treyson came to join the "party" and I got to take pictures!   The bones weren't all white and clean and perfect like I was expecting them to be.  I think that was part of my problem.  Having to poke hair out of the eye-socket of a vole kind of got to me!

HOWEVER, it really is a fascinating thing. 

The kids and Rookie really liked it.  Ryan was REALLY digging it...which is exactly the point.  

If you haven't done it, you should.  It's cool...and if I can do it--ANYONE can do it. For a fun Christmas break activity, I'd give this a 9.5 out of 10!