Carbon Is Where It's At

In the world of chemistry, that is. :)

I've loved carbon ever since I took organic chemistry in college. It's by far my favorite element. I mean, chemistry on it's own is like . . . okay. But add carbon, and things really start to get interesting! The chemistry of biology is so much fun for me to learn about and study, and until tonight, I didn't know it was so much fun to teach!

My sister messaged me today to say that Macy was "flipping out" about her 9th-grade biology homework and wanted to know if I could help her later. Ummmm . . . YES! 

So at 9:30, she called me, and I talked her through saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, carbon backbones, and reactants and products. It felt like Christmas. I don't know if I was a good teacher, but I sure had fun. Plus, I remembered more than I expected to, so that felt really great. At the end of the call, I told Macy that she could ask me for help with biology homework anytime, and I hope she meant it when she said she probably would.

I've been sort of sad about Macy and Lily's growth into adolescence lately. I miss their chubby little kid faces and tiny voices. I miss their cuddles and Care Bear costumes. I miss being able to hold them. But for a moment tonight, I thought, "This is an exciting new adventure as an aunt; I get to teach them about the subjects I love." Here's to hoping this wasn't the one and only homework help phone call.

Thing I'm thankful for: the sound of rain at night