Rocket Launch at the Science Museum

It was Marine Chemistry AND Astronomy Day at the Science Museum.  Shiloh, Zippy, Mommy, Mumsees, and Popsees all went together.  When we arrived, a man greeted us at the door and said, "Would you like to launch a rocket? Go over there!" We walked outside to the grass area he pointed at.  

Sure enough, another man was there standing at a table.  There was a black air pump under the table.  On the table, was a closed soda bottle filled partly with water.  The tube from the air pump connected to the soda bottle.  "Would you like to turn on the pump?" The man asked Shiloh.  Shiloh is always eager to push a button and see what happens.  Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, said the pump.  The water in the soda bottle started bubbling.  Bloop, bloop, bloop, bloop!  

Suddenly, when the air filled the can and there was no room for anymore...Pow! The soda bottle shot straight up in the air. Shiloh jumped up and down in delight.  As it flew, the water sprayed out.  Shhhhhhhhh!  When all the water left the bottle, the bottle could not go any higher.  Suddenly, from way up high, the bottle started falling.  Only Mommy seemed nervous about the falling bottle.  Everyone else was just excitedly watching it make it's way back to earth.  Finally, it landed in the bushes. Whew! Mommy sighed relief.

After Zippy launched her soda bottle rocket, we all went inside.  The grand foyer was filled with table stations of experiments and fun things to do. Mumsees and Zippy went off together exploring. Popsees, Mommy, and Shiloh headed another direction.  As usual, after the first table experiment, Shiloh was a little restless.  So, he tried to buzz around in search of something "interesting" to him.  Popsees and Mommy made sure Shiloh finished a lot of stations, but Shiloh was still very restless.

When we got to the Astronomy section, Shiloh discovered his favorite activity - make and launch a straw rocket. Here were the directions.

1. Get your materials: a straight straw, a tiny bit of play-dough, a rocket picture, scissors, tape.
2. Color your rocket picture and cut it out.
   
3. Tape your rocket to the straw at one end.
   
4. Plug the rocket end with play-dough.

Shiloh raced through the directions.  When the rocket was complete, it was time for launch.  The station had this weird launching contraption.  It essentially was a tube with a spring and skinny pipe outlet at the bottom.  The straw slipped over the skinny pipe.  When you dropped a post into the tube, it compressed the air in the spring to shoot out the tiny pipe.  Wheeeeeee! The rocket soared maybe 12 feet high.  Shiloh was again delighted. 

When another kid's turn came, that boy's rocket launched 30 feet in the air! Wow-eeeeee!  Shiloh was perplexed.  How come every time he launched his rocket, it only went up 12 feet, but this boy's rocket went 30?  Now, Shiloh wasn't as delighted anymore.  He was a little frustrated.  

Mommy and Popsees also tried to figure it out.  First, they adjusted the launcher.  Maybe the tiny pipe should be angled this way or that way.  Maybe Shiloh needs to let the pipe drop more smoothly.  Maybe the play-dough seal wasn't tight enough and letting air out.  Maybe...it's the rocket.

The little boy was just launching a straw with no paper rocket on it.  So, mommy went back and cut the rocket closer to the lines.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  Shiloh's rocket went up to 20 feet!  Shiloh was getting excited.  A man nearby suggested just taking off the paper altogether.  So, we removed the paper rocket, and wow-eeeeeeeeeee!  The rocket shot up 30 feet!  Shiloh was hooked in.  He launched his rocket for the next 20 minutes whenever he could get a turn.

It may seem like it's more fun in life to buzz here and there trying a lot of different things and going a lot of places.  But, those who soar the highest in life for God, humanity, this earth, and its creatures, find their passion and hunker down in the seeming monotony of failed experiments and refined successes.  You may disappear into anonymity for a while, but God promises in Proverbs 22:29, "Do you see the man who excels in his work?  He shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before unknown men."