Page 51 of Night Shift

Yousuf clapped his hands together in excitement. "Yeah! Can we stick them in?"

"Here." Tyr pressed one of the hardened nuggets into the volcano's slopes. "See how it looks like it's embedded in the rock?"

"Cool!" Yousuf grabbed another nugget-turned-boulder and carefully pushed it into place. "Like real rocks that got stuck when the lava cooled!"

Tobi snorted. "Well, at least my culinary skills are good for something."

They worked together, embedding the nuggets at different angles around the volcano's surface. The irregular shapes actually enhanced the mountain's realistic appearance, making it look more like natural rock formation than smooth Play-Doh.

"See?" Tyr stepped back to admire their handiwork. "Sometimes mistakes turn into happy accidents."

"Now it looks like a real mountain," Yousuf declared, adding the last nugget-boulder with careful precision. "With real rocks and everything!"

Tobi picks up the instruction sheet. "Okay, hang on, let me get this part done.

Tobi grabbed the plastic water bottle and carefully poured its contents into a glass. With an exaggerated wink at Yousuf, he said, "Waste not, want not!"

Yousuf giggled, his feet swinging against the stool rungs as he watched Tobi work.

Following the printed instructions with unusual care, Tobi measured out the baking soda, pouring it into the now-empty bottle. He added a squirt of dish soap, then held up the food coloring bottles.

"What color should our lava be?" Tobi asked, waggling the bottles enticingly.

"Red!" Yousuf bounced on his stool, nearly toppling over in excitement. "Like real lava!"

"Red it is." Tobi added several drops of the crimson dye, then sprinkled in a pinch of gold glitter. The mixture sparkled under the kitchen lights as he held the bottle up for them to see. He then carefully positioned the bottle in the center of their Play-Doh creation.

"That's called the caldera," Tyr explained, pointing to where the bottle nestled in the volcano's mouth. "It's the main vent where the lava comes out during an eruption."

Tobi poured vinegar into a glass measuring cup, and held it up, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Ready for some volcanic action?"

"Yeah!" Yousuf practically vibrated off the stool, bouncing from foot to foot. His excitement was contagious - even Tyr found himself grinning as he positioned his phone to capture the moment.

"Layla's going to want to see this," Tyr said, making sure he had a good angle on both the volcano and Yousuf's face.

"Okay, scientist Yousuf." Tobi handed the boy the measuring cup. "On the count of three, pour this right into the center. Ready?"

Yousuf nodded vigorously, gripping the cup with both hands.

"One... two... three!"

Yousuf tipped the vinegar into the volcano's mouth. For a split second, nothing happened. Then the mixture began to bubble and foam, red "lava" streaming down the slopes. Sparkles caught the light as it cascaded down, making the eruption sparkle and shine.

"It's exploding!" Yousuf screamed in delight, jumping up and down. "Look at all the lava!"

The reaction continued, foam spilling over the sides and around the chicken-nugget boulders. Yousuf's laughter echoed through the kitchen as he watched the "lava" flow, his face a picture of pure joy.

"This is the best volcano ever!" he declared, eyes wide with wonder as the last bits of foam trickled down the sides.

Tobi grabbed the box of brownie mix from the counter, waving it triumphantly. "And now, for our next scientific experiment - brownies!"

Yousuf's eyes lit up. "I love brownies! Can I help?"

"Of course!" Tobi flipped the box over, squinting at the instructions. "Okay, we need... a bowl, eggs, oil, and... what are these beater things?"

"Oh! I know where those are!" Yousuf scrambled down from his stool and pulled open a lower drawer. He emerged with an electric hand mixer, the cord trailing behind him. "Mama uses these when she makes cookies."

Tyr watched in amusement as his brother stared at the mixer like it was some alien technology. "Right. And how exactly does this work?"