We started back to school yesterday. Sort of. It wasn't planned, at least not in my usual well-researched, uber-organized, bullet-pointed, laminated planning way. This time school showed up right beneath our feet, which is exactly what I have been hoping for in this whole endeavor. I just wasn't expecting it to start this week.
We checked in to our excellent beach condo Saturday afternoon but didn't get to go enjoy the surf and sand until yesterday morning. Kevin's mom had loaned the girls a seashell identification book so they were eager to go see what they could find and identify. And after several days of indoor time learning to use new Kindles and GoPro cameras (yes, I realize a GoPro is an outdoor sort of toy, but it was cold. And wet.), we really needed a good stroll on the beach.
The recent cold front brought some gulf-churning winds and waves that washed up all sorts of great stuff: periwinkles and limpets, whelks and turkey wings (that's a shell, not a dinner item), and huge sponges with tiny crabs clinging to them for dear life (which we then watched become a plover's dinner item). Marine science is one of my favorite subjects. There was opportunity to explain to the 8th grader how waves approach the shore at an angle and the concrete jetties slow beach erosion, how every kind of whale except narwhals and belugas migrate through the Gulf of Mexico, and why Speedos are a bad idea. Not pictured. You're welcome.
Today while our wonderful father/husband worked to support this adventure we spent more time on the beach and I could almost call is school. I planted myself on a huge towel while the girls started building a sandcastle. Well, it started out as a castle (medieval studies), but they changed course midway and started to build a whole master-planned community (urban development and civil engineering) then ended up with a volcano (Rocks for Jocks 101). We also put the finishing touches on our campsite name plate (art) and learned how to use Kristin's new camera (Photography - this kid has an eye). Joel spent the afternoon surfing the web for Lego stop-motion videos (laying the groundwork for Film Making class). If I really wanted to stretch things I could call getting lost on our way back from an errand a lesson in map skills, but Siri is a lousy professor and she was mainly talking to me anyway.
Today while our wonderful father/husband worked to support this adventure we spent more time on the beach and I could almost call is school. I planted myself on a huge towel while the girls started building a sandcastle. Well, it started out as a castle (medieval studies), but they changed course midway and started to build a whole master-planned community (urban development and civil engineering) then ended up with a volcano (Rocks for Jocks 101). We also put the finishing touches on our campsite name plate (art) and learned how to use Kristin's new camera (Photography - this kid has an eye). Joel spent the afternoon surfing the web for Lego stop-motion videos (laying the groundwork for Film Making class). If I really wanted to stretch things I could call getting lost on our way back from an errand a lesson in map skills, but Siri is a lousy professor and she was mainly talking to me anyway.
The plan for the rest of the day is to grill some burgers and dogs and enjoy the sunset. Nutrition and Home Economics? Check.