This is the third child I’ve attended this field trip with. Really, at this point I could give the tour.
The weather was looking a bit dicey, and shortly after we got home we were hit with a tornado warning. This is so much less painful now that we’ve finished the basement. Ellery hung out watching old DVDs and Tom, Joel, and I obsessed over the radar.
Neko and Shep were at school, hunkered down in the Art room, playing card games and making art projects. If they can’t be by my side during times like these, I can’t think of a better place for them to be.
On a side note, did you know both “tornados” and “tornadoes” are considered correct? Weird.
Despite the fact that everyone looks grouchy, they actually had a spectacular time in the corn maze. Neko grabbed the map and took the lead, as I nervously told Tom to make sure we knew where we were going. I am one of those people that could be stuck in a corn maze for weeks. Even with a map.
Neko grew tired of leadership halfway, and instead puttered on about the litter she found. “I can’t believe they just left it here in the middle of this field. And it’s even STYROFOAM!”
We passed on the whole picking experience, and went straight to the farm shop where the kids picked out absurdly big pumpkins. I have no idea how we’re going to carve them. (I’ll think about it tomorrow, Rhett!)
And then they all got what they declared their very first caramel apples. Is that possible? Have we really been that restrictive?
Thanks to friends with extra tickets, Tom and I each got to see the Dalai Lama today. (Hooray Lisa! Hooray Glenn!) Chalk another one up for this tiny town. We’ve got culture, people!
Highlights included his wearing of the school visor to avoid the bright lights. Continuing to talk through the removal of his shoes, “Ah! More comfortable!” And at the very end, telling everyone if what he said doesn’t appeal them, then just forget it. (Which, said with an accent, sounded like something much less Dalai Lama-like.)
It is somewhat breathtaking to think that the man sitting on that couch has been sitting in the midst of history since he was two years old. And now, at 75, he sits comfortably on a couch, 100 feet away, and says his peace.
It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a blue moon, Tom and I scoot away. Out of town, just the two of us.
We were off to my alma mater, to take advantage of alumni tickets for the first time in over a decade. We had seats with Anne and John, and met up with Beth and Reese (my new best friend) for dinner.
I love those children of mine, but a grown-up getaway? Always good.
We did this field trip last year, but it was loads of fun, so we went again. I love for the kids to wander through these huge halls with high ceilings, surrounded by works of art. It is awe inspiring, for sure.
Except for Ellery, who really just wanted to wiggle around on the benches.
Afterward, a trip to the pond with a zillion geese and the perfect climbing tree.
I had seen Peter and his drum group perform around town. They always had these great drums made out of gourds and other fantastic things. I noticed they always invited kids to come try out their instruments, and it occurred to me that he might be a great field trip in the making.
He happily obliged, and invited the kids to a small class at his drum barn. The kids were kept busy for an hour, drumming and tapping and banging out beats. Peter was fantastic with the kids, and they all got a chance to play nearly every instrument, learning the differences between wood, metal, and hide.
One of the things that happens when you live in a small town is that the phone could ring on Tuesday and be someone trying to sell you something or it could be your friend who works at the library and would like your kids to dress up as book characters and march in the Independence Day Parade.
Of course, I said “yes” and then promptly pushed it out of my head until Friday, at which time Neko decided to be the girl from The Red Book and Shep decided to be Harry Potter, neither of which we had any of the costume pieces for as of Friday night. I had this really great idea for someone to be the pigeon from the Mo Willems books, holding a big sign that said, “LET ME DRIVE THE FLOAT!” But none of the kids seemed to think my idea was as funny as I did, which I sense is a recurring theme in parenthood.
So Tom sewed a cloak and then he and Shep went shopping for glasses and a scarf. Then I furiously knitted my first hat, crossing my fingers that I would finish in time for the parade. (I did!) Kudos to Neko for wearing a hat and scarf in 90° weather.
Then off we went. Ellery graciously understood that she was too little to participate, bless her, and became more concerned about finding the nearest bathroom.
Despite apprehension, the kids had a great time, and delighted in the goodie bags they received for participating. And people, if you do not smile at Shep dressed as Harry Potter, your heart is made of stone. He was making folks smile up and down the block.
Then it was back home to watch fireworks with friends and family from our very own yard. Nothing like fireworks in your pajamas, folks…nothing quite like it.
I know I say it after every field trip, but I am always amazed at what folks are willing to do if you just ask. I give Susie full credit for this trip, as it was her idea to ask the man that runs the local geology museum if he would be willing to lead us on a fossil hunting trip. And not only did he say he would, but it would be free, as community outreach is part of his job.
So off we went, on a journey just a bit west of us, as he knew of the perfect fossil spots. The first one we went to was a home run for the kids, as there were fossils everywhere, but mostly one kind. Every kid had a full sack in about half an hour.
Then we wandered a bit further down the road where there weren’t as many fossils, but there were tons of different kinds. The kids hunted and sorted and chipped away at the rock with small hammers. Our guide was perfect with the kids, answering every question, and identifying the same fossil over and over, never losing his enthusiasm. He even joined us for lunch afterward!
We have so many great trips coming up this summer that I can hardly wait. Hooray for good people, who seem to be all over the place.
After a week of crazy, we ended up taking a spontaneous trip to the Big City to hang out with a nice guy we met at the Letterpress workshop and his family and friends. Super-nice folks all around.
Good food, good folks, popsicles and water fun. Really, how can you go wrong?
In that last photo, Shep is sharing his new tooth, which is coming in quickly!
I’ve heard rumblings about the annual Fun Hunt that happens each year in our town. Started in 1973, it’s been going on nearly as many years as I’ve been alive. My friend Beth L. kept trying to convince me to join in, but we have three children and we're tired and we can’t find a babysitter and blahblahblah.
Anyway, this year my friend Tiffany sent out an alert that the Fun Hunt didn’t have enough teams, and it might be in trouble. I'm a sucker for things in trouble, so Tom and I rounded up the first people in our path, and created a team. I had no idea what we were in for. My friends told me to think of the Amazing Race without death-defying stunts.
So off we went, and omigosh, it was so much fun. Solving clues that lead us from one location to another, I loved seeing mobs of grown-ups huffing and puffing to outrun their neighbors. Kudos to the planning committee for a fantastic evening. They’ve given me another reason to love this place we call home.
