In honor of the late David Odom, and because it was a nice day, we went to the World Forestry Center, rather than homeschool. I did not tell the kids about David Odom, but his memorial service was Monday there, so I thought it fitting. Also, Friends of Trees has a lot of volunteer opportunities, Naim may be a bit too young yet, but I have it bookmarked for the future. I think he would like it. I should start a community service link category. They are getting old enough to participate in some of those opportunities.
Except….
“Marlo Ruins Everything.”
This was a post that Heather Armstrong wrote once about her two year old daughter, Marlo, who being a 2 year-old, ruins all their family outings. It is just the age difference that is the problem. Marlo and Leta are about the same spread as Avery and A and N. And thus,
Avery ruins everything.
Heather said it, so I can say it. A million moms of two year olds want to say it, but feel that they can’t. I’m saying it, he was a brat. So, I evicted him. Which with Nik working I will not be able to do anymore. But I could do it that way, so I did. He kept pooping a hundred times, running all over and collapsing if you tried to direct him, and if you confined him to his stroller he screamed his head off. Because of the pooping, maybe he had a stomach ache, but god, he was such a brat that I sent him home with Nik. I am so done with this toddler stage. I want him to be a toilet trained, non-napping, non-strollering, eating like everyone else, KID. Nik’s like, this is the fourth time for me! It’s only your second. I say, NO, Uh-Uh. I’ll give you Karolyn and Avery, but only give you half credit for Richie and Aaron and Naim. And I get double for Aaron and Naim, so that is three each and we are even.
But after that, it was a lot of fun there. I had not been there since years ago when I went with my mom, and it was kind of boring. But they have changed everything and made it much more interactive. I would go there again, only earlier so we could have more time to wander in the forest afterwards. This time, it was getting dark so we went to the Vietnam Memorial and had races up and down the hills.
The forestry center was a combination of industry and conservation, which I actually thought was a nice balance because otherwise you are explaining to your kid why we buy every paper product out there and being a big mean tree killer. It did talk about sustainability, which I guess made it easier for Naim to get really into a simulated tree chopping down game. They also had a whole thing on bats, which Aaron liked. And a lot of equipment or faux equipment that you could climb on. And a log you could crawl in to look at ants and centipedes and snakes. They made use of a lot of big screen/green screen technology that put kids in a movie of a raging river or a rain forest. It was a good day. And in the Vietnam Memorial “Solace Garden” I gave a wave to David Odom.
Filed under: Fieldtrips, Physical Education, Science | Tagged: World Forestry Center | Leave a comment »
Acquara Independent School 