School is one of my favorite times of the day. It’s the chocolates that Forest Gump referenced — you never know what you’re gonna get.

One day last year, we were reading a book called “Bomb,” by Steve Sheinkin. A fast-paced historical biography that reads like an adventure novel about the race to build — and steal — the first nuclear weapon. We couldn’t put the book down. We were on the edge of our seats for some of the daring acts that occurred, and I was very surprised to read that Einstein had written a passionate letter to the president asking him to stop the research.

Then I was blown away when when I learned how many nuclear bombs were released and how many countries have them: Great Britain tested its first atomic bomb in 1952, France in 1960, China in 1964, and India in 1974. Pakistan tested their fission bombs in 1998, North Korea has had them since at least 2006, and the book said that Israel may have around 80 (although they will not officially confirm).

A study published in Scientific American in 2010 looked at the probable impact of a “small” nuclear war, one in which India and Pakistan each dropped 50 atomic bombs. The scientists concluded that explosions would ignite massive firestorms, sending enormous amounts of dust and smoke into the atmosphere. This would block some of the sun’s light from reaching the earth, making the planet colder and darker — for about 10 years. Farming would collapse and people would starve to death — and that’s if only half of 1% of all the atomic bombs on earth were used.

It was an amazing book, and it ended like this: “The making of the atomic bomb is one of history’s most amazing examples of teamwork and genius and poise under pressure. But it’s also the story of how humans created a weapon capable of wiping our species off the planet. It’s a story with no end in sight. And, like it or not, you’re in it.”

Wow. How to pick up on handwriting with an ending like that? Our school “chocolate” that day just ended with the close of the book. No one even offered a question; it seemed too somber to talk. We all just kind of sat there in a reverent silence.

But most days are far from quiet and solemn. Like the day we were were discussing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide is an unstable substance that, under normal situations, breaks down slowly into oxygen and water.

So what happens when the situations are not normal? We filled our beakers with H2O2 and then dropped in pinches of manganese dioxide to speed up the breakdown. We then put still hot (but blown out) matches over the beaker and watch them burst back into flame — a sign that that oxygen had extracted itself from its original H2O2.

But why stop with manganese powder? A neighbor had recently butchered, and fresh meat also contains a catalyst known as catalese. Catalese is an enzyme that also speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide. It released oxygen even faster than the manganese dioxide did. I also got to tell my kids my favorite joke. A man walks into a bar and orders H2O. The man on the barstool tells the bartender, “I’ll take H2O too.” (H2O2) Then dies.

We spent the afternoon laughing and filling beakers with hamburger and hydrogen peroxide and then lighting off the excess oxygen — our entire house reeked of burned hamburger, but in my mind it will always be remembered as a delicious school “chocolate.”

Recently, I nearly choked on another school “chocolate.” My littlest is in second grade, and his least favorite subject is reading. He was slogging through a book on proverbs that he thought was “the biggest book,” with “the biggest words ever.”

My oldest, meanwhile, had finished his reading and had quietly transitioned to geometry. Leaving the two of them at the table, I stepped into the kitchen to start on the dishes. That’s when my littlest leaned over to his brother. “I’ve read so many proverbs, I think I’ve memorized the whole book!”

In a monotone voice my oldest responds, “I’ve read so much, I’ve memorized all the words.”

My littlest challenges, “Oh, ya? Well, then, how do you spell toilet … in Spanish?”

Without even raising his head from his math book, he responded, “B-A-N-O.”

School really is like a box of chocolates — you really never know what you’re going to get. The only thing you know for sure is that sooner or later that box will be empty — so savor each one, the good, the bad and the nutty.