Acquara Independent School

Aaron said the cloud on top of the mountain looks like an alligator coming out of it.

But first, Avery:

Nik stayed with Avery today for Head Start and Danielle. He said (and in her notes) that it went well. She read some books, they worked on farm animal sounds, the old tennis balls in the muffin cups thing. Avery was engaged and interested in the stuff she brought and activities. Nik said it is what he expected Jean to do but she doesn’t. He will start going to the on-site program in two weeks.

So, we were supposed to go to Mt. Hood (I thought). We had briefly discussed going to Mt. St. Helen’s but I thought it was vetoed due to the time it takes to get there. I also thought there would be more stuff to do at Mt. Hood. Anyway, Fred decides to go to Mt. St. Helen’s, but doesn’t tell me so I can look up things and plan. He got gps directions to “Mount St. Helens” literally the summit. I wanted to go to Johnston Observatory and Learning Center were it is all about volcanoes and stuff. But since I thought it was vetoed, I never looked it up. His phone ran out of batteries and my 3G cut out in the mountains. So we got lost, kids (and I) were car sickish, and I had to literally monitor how lost I was going to let us get before I called it quits. I mean, he was going on logging roads, which can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing and I did not want to be stuck in logging roads after dark with no cell phones. So, we ended up just stopping at a couple of lookout places and then walked along a trail by a river that seemed to be called “June Lake.” Then went home. A long time in the car for not very much volcano. We ended up seeing sort of the back side of St. Helens, but not much of the volcanic distraction and stuff. I will say that everyone did a good job of making the best of it and being patient.

Just to get out of the car, we found a little place by a creek to park and take a little walk. Kids really like any kind of nature. Naim kept saying it was beautiful. It always reminds me of that book, “The Last Child in the Woods” where they talk about how kids don’t need to learn to share and fight over toys and things in nature because there is such an abundance of everything. There was no end to the rocks you could throw in the river. No end to the water to play in. No end to the trees to look at or space to run in. Nik and I are brainstorming ways we can do more of this. Ride Connection worked well at Jackson Bottom, but did not return my next request for the Pumpkin Farm. Nik talked to D’s medical transportation people today about doing some private work for us. They were very willing but we will have to see about costs.

We are so not used to being in the car, though. All three of us were having difficulties. I thought Aaron was really going to barf, but we all held it together. You never go that fast, that long, and that curvy, low to the ground and closed-in on the bus or train. We have driven in a car so little the past few years, that we completely are unfamiliar with the sensation. Even Avery, who has probably been in a car less than 10 times in his life, was completely like WTF? when we had him in the carseat yesterday. Crazy. Mt. St. Helens feels like a lost opportunity, Fred has no idea how much of an opportunity it is for us to get out of town like that, so he rushes and doesn’t plan. I have no idea if we will ever get an opportunity to go there again and actually see the mountain/volcano side and go to the observatory. But if I do, there will be maps and planning!

Filed under: Communication, Early Intervention, Fieldtrips, Health and Medical, Social Skills | Tagged: Grampa Fred, Head Start, nature, St. Helen's |