Friday, March 16, 2012

little hands, big dunes

we've been exploring creation with swimming creatures this year.  i have to confess...  *deep breath*  when the mama homeschool day is feeling the exhaustion  of a dense schedule, science is easy to put on the back-burner.  i'm learning that it's okay.  if need be, we've even gone at least 2 months off of history before *gasp* to explore other things.

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i confess my shortcomings to make you feel better about your day.  you know... as a friend would leave her house messy before a visit - to make you feel better about your lil' mess.  ummm... yeah.  i like a lil' notice. ;)

{please don't tell me that you are always on par with schedule and your house would pass a white glove test.  i might just crack under the pressure.  i kid.  maybe.}

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where was i going with this?  oh, yes.  sea turtles.  this homeschool field trip was an excuse to take a road-trip to the beach about rebuilding the dunes for sea turtles to lay their eggs.  this area is still rebuilding from a previous storm.  it's come a long way! 

it was quite complex.  dig. pour compost. place plant. cover root.  rocket science.  

the challenge was doing said rocket science in the down. pour. ing. rain.  cats and dogs - on and off.  every time the moms took out their cameras - it began to pour.  so much so, that i began to call my camera the rain-maker.   oh, how we could have used that over the summer in our texas drought.  thankfully, it was not freezing.  so, we sucked it up... for the turtles.

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in this stretch of beach, the only thing cleaned is man-made trash.  gotta love a natural setting.  most of the rain cleared.  the children played.  we were already drenched, so a splash in the water did no harm.  matter-o-fact, it was good for the soul.

just before leaving, gracie found a plastic bag in the water and quickly snatched it up to throw away.  "mom, this could hurt a sea turtle!"  yes, gracie, great job.  so proud of my girlies.

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thankfully, it is not my nature to leave my littles in the sand dunes.  you know - like mama turtles.  i wrapped my wet fish in towels and made the road-trip back home.  ignoring their pleas to drive all the way home, find swimsuits, and trail back to the sand.  because i'm a good mother {repeat to self}.

we did manage to squeeze in a lil' math, too. ;)

16 comments:

  1. This looks like such a fun day, rain and all. Makes me long for a trip to the beach. Sigh.

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  2. we take big breaks like that too. lol i think you have to! great pictures. looks like a fun study!

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    1. thanks, jenilee. yes... breaks are a must. ;)

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  3. My house is a wreck and my plans go helter skelter EVERY day. Feel better?

    I love the sea turtles. In fact it is one thing I would love to watch more than practically anything. I read this awesome fiction book called but it was filled with real facts. I read them to Keilee in every chapter. "The Beach House" by Mary Alice Monroe. In fact, I am going to see if I can find it and reread it.

    Yay for Gracie!

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    1. oh how i wish we would have seen the babies... but no, we were just preparing the dunes. still... a great experience. i'll have to hunt for that book. thanks. :)

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  4. I can tell it's really wet because all of their pants are soaked in the pictures! Still, it sounds like a great day.

    Davan has mostly unschooled, so her school has been very much a patch work of subjects with long breaks on some. Still, she's doing fine in regards to excelling when it comes to state mandated testing, so no worries. A life rich in experience is probably what matters most in the early years.

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    1. i agree... they will get it all eventually, right? ;)

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  5. Every moment of life is learning...and it sure doesn't need to be done on a schedule. That's what makes it FUN!

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  6. How incredibly much fun! And math--bah!

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  7. lol...this post made my day :) i had been feeling a bit overwhelmed and put-upon by so many things going on, things to do...and my house is a disaster area! we have covered something like 13 chapters of history since September!! We keep taking detours...Pilgrims, The Great Depression, WWII, now Norse myths...(in no particular order! lol)

    This sea turtle trip sounds fantastic. Did you guys see The Last Song? I am not sure on the rating, I let the girls watch it because Mylie Cyrus was in it and they were big Miley fans at the time. She is determined to save the sea turtles. But I loved this trip...sorry for the rain, but you still got some great pictures!!

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    1. thanks! i'm just glad my poor camera is still okay! we are in chapter 12 of history, theresa. feel better? ;) and my house?? oh dear... i could take pictures that would make you feel better... or give you nightmares. ha! no, we haven't watched the last song.

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  8. As always, I enjoyed your pictures and reading your blog. I'd have to say that you're doing an amazing job homeschooling some beautiful girls.

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  9. Oh! So this was my very first post that I've read on your blog and it is fantastic. Learning hands on is the best. And I love that your daughter picked up the plastic and threw it away. What a good girl.

    Alita

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  10. I just stumbled upon your blog and LOVE it! We are also doing swimming creatures...er....yah - it get's back-burnered from time to time; Needless to say, it was SOOOOO refreshing to hear I'm not alone. I too have 2 girls, and love homeschooling.

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