Beach Afternoon

It's always easier once the decision has been made. 

Once I say "I am here now."

The choices in my life that feel so important, that feel as though they could change everything.... they change almost nothing at all.

I must remember to roll and to flow and to sail.

That is where joy hides. 

Right out in the open. 

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Places // Calvert Cliffs State Park

The kids and I have been living large with my mom at her beach house in North Carolina for the past few days. However, today Sena discovered that it is Friday, not Thursday, and since we're leaving to go home tomorrow, she performed hysterics typically reserved for toddlers. 

She loves Ocracoke. She doesn't  want to leave. It's a feeling I too have experienced, so I should be sympathetic. But I'm not. Because home is good, really good, especially this time of year. We can, for instance, meet friends to play at tire parks and picnic and hike trails. We can enjoy the greening  of our surroundings and look for blooms and buds. 

Yes, Ocracoke and the ocean are wonderful, but spring in Southern Maryland isn't too shabby.

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Playing Scientist

I am fond of making plans, and I am equally fond of cancelling them. Actually, that isn't true. While I frequently cancel plans, I'm always deeply dissatisfied when I do. And yet, I still do it...all the time.

Last week, I almost did it. I planned to take the kids to the Calvert Marine Museum. I had an itch to go after spying sea otters on my parents' pier for the first time in ten years, and since the museum has a pair of otters it seemed like a fun idea. Then I discovered that on Friday they were having their twice annual home school day, so it seemed perfect.

However, when I woke up Friday to snowy weather, the prospect of trying to get four kids out of the door by nine seemed impossible and completely unappealing. Plus, the last time that I tried to take my kids to a museum did not go so well. I called my mom to bag the whole thing, but then called her back three minutes later to say wait, wait, I changed my mind. Let's go.

So we went.

And I am so glad we did.

Sena, generally, loves museums of all varieties. It's easy to engage her. Her nerdiness runs deep. Gus, however, is pulled in as easily. So the fact that he loved the place meant a lot. There were lots of hands on activities, and the museum had undergone massive growth since the last time I was there when Gus was a baby and Sena was a toddler. The giant Megalodon hanging from the ceiling of the Paleo Hall was definitely a highlight. And Arlo enjoyed pushing any and all buttons he could find.

It's pretty awesome having such a beautiful museum dedicated to our specific part of the Chesapeake. I think that was part of the appeal for Gus; he wasn't learning about far off places that he can't particularly relate to. He was learning about his backyard.

The weather did keep us from checking out the sea otters though, so we are going to have to head back once warm weather comes round these parts in earnest.

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While the Sun Shines

I don't have many nice things to say about Maryland winters. They aren't particularly pretty. They are cold enough to want to keep you indoors, but not long enough to teach you to properly prepare for them. If they were colder and longer, you might buy the right clothing. You might get excited about winter activities, get involved with winter sports. You might be forced to engage with the elements. However, Maryland winters are short enough that you know you can get away with waiting them out, but the waiting has the affect of making them feel longer and colder than they really are. It's a vicious cycle.

One of the few things I do appreciate about the season is the constant hope of a snow storm. Almost any snow in Maryland cripples us because we aren't prepared the way states who actually get substantial amounts of snow are. So whenever an inch or two falls, schools are canceled and roads become almost undriveable. Everyone stops and rests for a few hours while winter has her way. Almost any examination of a 10 day forecast throughout January and February will show at least one day with a 40 or 50 percent chance of snow. This tiny bit of hope keeps me constantly refreshing NOAA's web page, seeing if they have increased or decreased the likelihood of perception. I remain optimistic, always eager to believe we will have a day off. This winter I have rarely gotten my wish. 

All weekend, I was convinced we would have an extra long weekend: no school on Monday or Tuesday. In that spirit, I decided we should make the most of the sun shining while we could, and so we explored and picnicked. The park is perfectly eerie- a primeval bald Cyprus swamps at its northern most limits.  It feels ripe with mysticism and something ancient, the knobby knees of trees peeking out of the swampy shallows, hawks circling above, though my shadowed fantasies were interrupted by children excited about arching trees and the sound of birds and the clementines they snuck in their pockets.

The wintry mix didn't come, not yet at least. But that doesn't mean you won't find me frantically checking the weather, hoping that maybe tomorrow will bring snow and quiet moments indoors, a chance to catch up on sleep and laundry. 

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Is Known to Be Extreme

The weather has changed, at least for awhile. Maryland weather is fickle though. I'm certain we will have sunshine and warm days dot the rest of autumn.   However, our Sunday excursion required winter coats and hats. Even still, Gus was certain he was getting frost bite.

I used to hate the coming of winter. I hated the shorter days, the darkness. I halfway convinced myself that I suffered from seasonal affective disorder.  But I've had a change of heart. I've started to appreciate the things that colder weather brings. Life slows down, and the nights feel long and peaceful. Projects get started and, sometimes, even completed.  I have learned to appreciate burrowing.

But I think that the only way I can really appreciate all those things is when I keep myself in the fresh air, at least a little bit, when I try to embrace my Danish roots and get outside. Everyone looks better with rosy cheeks after all. They suit me better than a tan.

For the first time the big kids brought their bikes. Sena had a very difficult time learning to ride a bike. Like her mother, she isn't in possession of a great deal of balance or agility. The skill was hard won, and therefore, even sweeter once mastered.

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Anne Marie Gardens and Thoughts On Education

A couple of days last week I had to stay home with my kids because my parents needed to go be with my grandmother.

They were sad days, but I didn't want them to be wasted. There is always joy to be found, but often times you need to look for it.

We drove down to Anne Marie Gardens to wander. It is a sculpture garden with all sorts of kids play areas. Gus liked looking around for the painted rocks to collect and move  around. Sena was embarrassed at the sight of several nudes along the Women's Walk. I was able to make another tally on my 2014 Field Trip Goal. I have it in my mind that I want them to go on 10 field trips before my home school review in June. The weather was perfect, and Arlo was angelic. It was good in every way possible.

As we drove home, I had a moment of doubt about the way I try to educate my kids and about field trips in general. I wondered if they had actually learned anything looking at some pieces of metal scattered among the trees.

But then I had two related thoughts:

1. Who cares?

2. Learning is only part of the big picture.

Why does everything have to be educational? Why can't things be fun? The kids had a great time. I had a great time. While they may not have acquired any factoids, they had their imaginations stirred, which brings me to my second thought.

Learning, as in the accumulation of knowledge and skills, is useless alone. If my kids can't appreciate and enjoy then I will have failed them. These days, weeks, years of their lives are not just for completing tasks.

Maybe they didn't learn anything, but they experienced something, and that's what matters.

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