4H Adventure

I had wanted to take the kids to this 4H program since I learned about it a few years ago.  Our state 4H programs are incredible and this three day long program for homeschoolers didn’t disappoint.   I knew the classes would be awesome but I was less optimistic about the long drive, lack of paternal involvement and the utilitarian sleeping and dining facilities.  There is also my neurotic, introverted, anti-social, control freak personality which tends to put a damper on all things….but I was determined to provide my kids with this experience so I loaded up the car and we drove to the coast.

Overall the trip was successful.  If I had it to do over I would have mentally prepared for camping and I would have packed twice as many clothes, perhaps one change of clothing per hour of activity.  We ran out of clean clothes on day two…not only were there lots of messy (but fun) activities but it was hot as blazes and so humid.  Since we had a very mild summer I had sort of forgotten what summer is like. 

The coastal location of the camp is perfect for ecology classes; it is located on an Island surrounded by salt marsh.  During the summer they have summer camps and during the school year they have classes and overnight field trips.  They have dorms, a dining hall, classroom, discovery tanks full of aquatic creatures and reptiles.  The staff consist of very enthusiastic and well educated 20 something’s…kids who love teaching and love sharing their knowledge…

 

Upon arriving we checked in and got our dorm assignments.  LUCKILY we did not have to share a dorm.  I had mentally prepared for sharing...but I am really glad we didn't have to.  I really needed a private place to retreat and recover.  If you have 5 people registered you automatically get a dorm to yourself.  We only had 3....

 

 

'T" finally got his bed made and decided to play his ipod.  There is a no electronics rule but I used my personal discretion in allowing it.

This would be our home for the next 3 days.  It looks better in the photo.  At my age I much prefer the comforts of home to roughing it.  Actually I would prefer a tent to a dorm...except these dorms did have AC....I was very glad to have AC!

"J" snagged the counselors room. Which had a nicer bathroom than the main part of the dorm.  I would have joined her but the beds in here seemed to be about 20 inches wide.  More her size than mine.

You can't see the dirt, or the holes in the wall...but honestly the dorms were perfectly acceptable for kids...just think bath house...vs bathroom.

So glad I brought a chair for myself.  And so glad we had the counselors bathroom.

 

Our dorm at night.  It looks so tropical and lovely.

 

Turtle Week

A few weeks ago we found two turtles. 

When your child is an animal fanatic you could, if you weren't very strict, end up living in a suburban zoo.  So we have a reptile/amphibian/insect rule.  If you find one, and if you learn about it's habitat and dietary needs, you can keep it to observe for up to 24 hours at which time it needs to be returned to its natural habitat.

One year we rescued a box turtle that had been attacked and gnawed on by a dog, nursed it back to health, let it go, and found it again a year later doing fine....

Finding turtles is always exciting.  "J" and her friends found this guy and released him 2 days later.

 

Heretofore we have only found box turtles.  The other day we saw a turtle crossing a busy road.  I had to stop and help it…so I pulled over and put on my flashers…in retrospect I may not have been the best idea.  Luckily a nice older lady stopped and directed traffic for me.  Of course she stopped because she thought I was having car trouble…but she was just as willing to help with turtle rescue.

The odd thing was that this turtle ran away from me.  Box turtles tend to just freeze and hide in their shells when they see you.  But this guy ran.  And he ran fast.  It took a while to catch him.  When we got home my daughter told me that the turtle was NOT a box turtle…she was adamant…and I have to admit the kid knows her stuff.  It took me a bit of research to discover that we had rescued a slider turtle. 

Slider turtles are the ones you see basking around lakes….and this fellow was apparently going from one water source to another.  We kept him for the day and then let him go at the creek. 

He was feisty! Always hissing and scratching. FUN!

 

 

Watch him run....

 

 

Mommy's Field Trip

After having so much fun in Colorado a few of my friends and I decided to have a girls weekend in Tennessee (where one friend’s parents have a lake house).

We had a great time and decided to completely forget that we are over 40…until the aches and pains set in.  Hey, I’m sure we carried Bengay, Advil and reading glasses with us when we were 20 too….

I hope I have a view like this when I grow up...

 

We got to spend a fabulous day on the lake.

 

And we had the "opportunity" to go tubing....

Which some of us really enjoyed.

I tried to explain that I really enjoyed just WATCHING everyone else have "fun". But (apparently because they had not laughed enough already) my friends insisted that I experience tubing for myself.

So for the record...I DO NOT enjoy tubing.  Not at all.  I found it to be quite horrible.  Plus after getting lake water up my nose I was pretty sure that I had contracted brain eating amoeba.  

 

I will try to avoid hanging out with this friend in the future...she apparently didn't get the "you are old now and should look frumpy and matronly " memo.

 

What I lack for in adventurous enthusiasm I make up for in craftiness.  I decided we needed special shirts for the weekend (incase we forgot who we were). 

 

I have decided that in all fairness to society as a whole, I should wear my shirt every where I go. 

 

 

 

 

 Boxes of wine are sort of like toothpaste....If you squeeze hard enough you can always get more out....

 

 

 

 I'm pretty sure this needs to be an annual event! 

 

Ropes Course

One of our awesome field trips was  a ropes course. 

Disclaimer…Mom, don’t look at these photos…they contain disturbing images that may not be appropriate for some over protective grandparents.

Luckily, I was very sick when we did this.  My focus was on not passing out in the woods…otherwise I would have been terrified.  After an initial orientation, where the kids were given instructions so complicated and difficult it made my head spin, they began the first course.  The first course the kid did was exactly what I expected…lots of obstacles, ropes, and zip lines 6-12 feet off the ground.  FUN!

 

But then the second course was much higher and the 3^rd course was 40+ feet high.  The kids were on their own up in the trees….the guides were down below (with me).  There was no one helping them with gear as they traversed a course so high and so far away that I could barely see them.  Again…if I hadn’t been on the verge of death I would have panicked…but as it was I stood there and took pictures, occasionally shutting my eyes so I didn’t have to witness them fall to their deaths.

That tiny pink speck is my fearless daughter...

 

In case you can't tell by this photo...
"T" had an exhilarating day at the ropes course!

Let the Field Trips Begin

In my opinion the best way to kick off school is with LOTS of field trips.  As the kids get older academics are becoming much more important and much more time consuming…but that doesn’t mean we can't cram in a few fun experiences too.

A little museum time...

 

And some ice-skating...

Does going out for ice cream count as an educational experience?  I say YES?

 

Our field trip a year ago to Germany created a balsamic snob...here she is pleading for

her Auntie to send more across the big pond.

 

Now more museum time....