Moving is an incredibly big job full of excitement as well as stress and it’s never easy.   The logistics of moving, settling your family in a new home and kids in school takes up much of a mother’s time, but finding your place in a new community is important.  It’s a time of change, but it’s also a time you can branch out and recreate yourself and your surroundings.  No one knows that better than Carole.

Carole’s family moved from the Bay Area of California to Yakima, Washington to be close to family.  In the move they wanted to open up a business that would dovetail well with their family, a teenager and twin 3-year-olds.

Enter Mad Science, a franchise that sneaks in science while the kids are having a blast, kinda like banana bread or fried zucchini.  The kids learn about chemical bonds and properties while making slime and competing in Slime Olympics.   Bouncing slime and fart noises keep the kids coming back for more.

Carole’s Mad Science offers weekly classes as well as birthday parties, workshops and even a booth at the county fair.  This summer was their inagural space camp shooting rockets to the stars.  It’s an engaging, interactive program and the kids love it.  They don’t know they’re in school; it’s play to them.  The learning sneaks up on them.

Carole has a sales/marketing background and those portions of the business really get her creative juices going.  Her goal is to make sure everyone in Yakima has heard of Mad Science.  The science aspect is new to Carole and she enjoys learning right along with the kids.   She hires experienced teachers and lets them employ their unique teaching style. 

Asked how she balances a rapidly growing business and her family she responded, “some days it works and some days it doesn’t.”  Each day is a learning adventure on how to keep all the balls in the air.  Carole has some help from a part-time nanny and the twins began preschool this year. 

When asked for advice for other moms she said that although it may sound trite – Don’t sweat the small stuff.  These are not the days of a neat, hyper-organized house and frequent homemade cupcakes.  You need to let some of that go.  Sometimes it’s a tornado and that’s how it has to be.  Recognize the successes - you know things are going well when your 12-year-old gives you the thumbs up.