Tide Pools, Sea Caves and a little adult time

 The chunk of fall we missed due to the smoke during September is being compensated by unseasonable hot and sunny October weather. 

The ban on parks and playgrounds was finally lifted, and when I released my children to climb and play one sunny Sunday afternoon, I literally had tears in my eyes as I watched and listened to the sounds of happy childhood that surrounded me. 

There was life again and community was brought together at these common meeting grounds. 

With the summer-like weather and our sprinter van in the driveway, I couldn't help one Monday morning to suddenly switch a mundane science lesson about tidepools into an adventure to the beach. 

We spent the day exploring sea caves during low tide and poking at sea anemones. 

The tidepools we observed were fascinating, and the kids found more delight with this day of education than any of the best lesson plans from National Geographic. 

This day proved the benefits of our home schooling decision. 

Climbing some waterfalls!

....about 85 degrees at the beach !

😳

Onward and upward!

Now THIS is PE class!

Exploring sea caves during low tide

Barnacles on the rock! Science has come to life!

It was a day of exploring rocks and cliffs.

Incredible life in the tidepools

The sea anemones were fascinating!

I loved watching my kids get excited about their discoveries.

The following day my teacher brain went into full gear as I searched Pinterest for a creative activity to wrap up the experience at the beach. I found these wonderful tide pool painting projects. The kids drew the creatures they saw as if they were looking down at a tide pool and then painted the "water" on top with blue water color paint.

The project was then bordered by sand.

 It was the perfect activity to sum up this day of learning.

Another little perk we discovered this week are the daily free lunches. Due to Covid, the school lunch budget needs to be used in order to secure future funding.... so.... the lunch ladies and bus drivers from the local school make the bus routes every day at noon around our neighborhood. They hand out free lunches at each stop. The bag is packed with food and drinks everyday, and it's a nice break from school.

The kids also see some friends from our neighborhood, so it gives them a chance to play, visit and picnic together. 

Recently a family friend who helped us out when our boys were little contacted us to suggest that John and I take a weekend away together while she enjoyed some time with our kids. Having grown children, I think she misses the chaos (believe it or not!) that these younger years bring and so (she claims) this time is special to her as well. 

John and I knew that this weekend was approaching, and we didn't have the time or energy to figure out where to go. We knew that time away would be good for us, so we weren't picky. Usually we would head out and enjoy our own lovely city; however, the events from the several months have unfortunately left Portland trashed. 

So, we took ourselves elsewhere: Spokane Washington. We took a quick one hour flight, rented a car and drove to Cour de Alene, Idaho, where the people were friendly and free, and the charming little town sparkled. 

I was in love with the normalcy there. 

Idaho does have its own beauty

We had a wonderful time together, and I didn't realize how much we needed this time until we were able to sit down together, alone, at a restaurant and exhale. 

We did a great hike!

Life is swirling around in my head, and it's very hard during the day to sort out anything. 

John constantly encourages me to take one day at a time. I was so grateful for this time away to process some big things I've been thinking about and feeling the past few months. 

 My favorite night, however, is when we rented Lime motored scooters and zipped around the city in the dark.  Can I get one to zip around my neighborhood?! 

The trip was quick, and when we flew home on Sunday, we were greeted by a wonderful report about our kids. They were great and our friend said that Evie could have taken care of everything without her. 😊

The other day I drove across town to pick up Evelyn from a playdate. As we were driving home, my kids looked out the window and saw a new park. "Wow! Can we stop Mom?!" they asked from the backseat. 

"No, not today," was my automatic response from the drivers seat. Then as I continued to drive down the street I suddenly stopped and did a U-turn. What was I thinking?!  Of course we can stop!

 How many months have we longed to play at a playground on a beautiful day?! How many times have I dreamed to be able to take my kids freely to the park and breath the fresh air!?!

As I pulled over my car and the kids ran out to the slide, I was reminded of how quickly I revert back to my former mindset of schedules, agendas and busyness. 

It is a constant decision to seize the moment and to be grateful, and to remember that every day and every breath is a cherished gift.