Day 17 Without the Sun and the Injustice of Science

Depressing weather calls for...

desperate measures.

The 8, no 9, planets in Briana's bedroom sky.

We've been sitting with a cloud on our heads for 17 days now - sometimes dribbling rain, sometimes not. Today we went up the mountain to visit our staff leading a training on service-learning and adventure education to a group of 25 youth workers from Bosnia, Estonia, Armenia and Romania. Then we came home and...well the weather made us do it. While Briana dozed on Dana's arm and he flitted in and out of a movie, I hatched a plan to suspend the planets from Briana's ceiling and I made a solar system soundtrack (with our new friend iTunes) to go with it. Briana's been smitten lately with the human body and space and sometimes blends the two, like today when she told me the solar system was in her blood. And then of course she's confused about the terminus of her food tube and the 7th planet from the sun. When she awoke from her nap we together created each planet with materials on hand (we're most pleased with our version of Saturn) and then went up to her room to suspend the galaxy from her ceiling with invisible fishing line while listening to moon and star songs.

It was going fine until we got to Pluto. Our sun and moon soundtrack* was singing along, "Forces greater than math control us...We’re swimming in a cosmic bath, don’t you know it" and
"Nine planets in the solar system. Some are so darn small you might have missed them, Like my favorite one, that’d be Pluto. It’s so alone and far away you want to put it in your pocket for a rainy day." When we got to a song called "Pluto" by Rocknoceros the sky fell for Briana:

Now after intense debate

Scientists say of planets there are eight

Pluto’s fame will soon decline

Now that it’s not planet nine...

Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Earth

But poor Pluto lacks the girth...

Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Earth

But for Pluto there is no mirth.

Briana had just gotten attached to poor little Pluto, tiny little planet out there shivering farthest from the sun, and to hear of Pluto's fall from space's grace? It was too much. She started crying. "Daddy, why isn't Pluto a planet?" And then 1/2 an hour later, more tears: "Is Pluto a planet?" So, for now, Briana's sky has 9, and Pluto is her favorite.

* Briana's Solar System Mix:

Moon, Moon, Moon – The Laurie Berkner Band
The Planet’s Song – Ira Marlowe
Clouds – Dogs on Fleas
Rocketship – Justin Roberts
Mr. Moon – Orange Sherbert & Hot Buttered Rum
All About the Moon – Ira Marlowe
Nine Planets – Justin Roberts
Pluto – Rocknoceros
The Moon Song – Dog on Fleas
Sleep Under Stars – Dog on Fleas
Hey, Mr. Moonlight – Brady Rymer
Fly Me to the Moon – Ralph’s World
Nightlights – Lunch Money
Last Night the Moon was Full – Justin Roberts
I See the Moon – Mae Robertson