Rocks rock!

The highlight of our spring break last week got us dirty, dusty, muddy, sweaty, and tired.

I've been wanting to go here since I read about it in a homeschooling magazine last year...and finally it was opening weekend at Morefield Gem Mines.

We went with friends, and the kids were bouncing out of their car seats in excitement...and really so were we because we had no idea what to expect. But the GPS put us at a church grave yard. Juan Pablo made a joke about what you'd find digging there, but after driving in circles for a few minutes, we finally stopped and asked a man weedwhacking on the side of the rode. He told us it was just up ahead...but he added, "I think it's closed!"

Nope. I was undeterred. I knew that it was opening weekend so we headed on up the street.

We turned where the man had pointed...onto a gravelly, windy road with stumps of trees, long ago cut down, as far as the eye could see. It was not looking promising, and I was a little nervous about heading through this barren wasteland.

But we finally neared the tree line, and I saw signs of life...lots of parked cars and the excitement was back in an instant.

This was the first thing we saw when we pulled up: old mine cars.

And having just watched some Indiana Jones movies, we were all imagining barreling through the mines in the rickety cars with no brakes.

We started with a picnic at some nice shady tables. You definitely want to bring a picnic if you go...and don't forget the table cloth...it makes picnicking so much better!

Bathroom lines are long so be forewarned...but the display shop shows all the amazing types of gems and rocks you may find, so it's fun to look at while you're waiting.

We finally got our wristbands and headed down to an open field filled with giant holes and people sitting and digging all around.

Isabela went straight for this one, as I imagine every child does when they first arrive.


The mine area is marked. There are real miners there that bring up fresh loads of dirt and rocks twice a day. It's best to go there just after it's dumped to get the best pickin's...but really anything you find will be amazing. And you WILL find lots of things. Bring a bucket.


How about this mica? Mica has long been my favorite rock...and there's so much of it, you'll actually walk by pieces as big as your fist and not pick them up. Diego had fun scrunching it and watching it blow away in sparkly little pieces.


Isabela and Sami were on a mission to collect the biggest rocks they could find. The only rule was 'you carry what you find back to the car'. (Later, they had a 'fancy rock sale' in Sami's neighborhood. Beautiful bagged gems for only $5. Some of the bigger rocks were $100, and 'cool' rocks were $22. I can't believe they had no sales.)


It's a great place for exploring. Lots of old machines and neat signs to look at.


I think Juan Pablo thoroughly enjoyed himself. He was asking the old timers lots of questions and finally found the 'getting place' for gems. He came home with more than 20 garnets, which just happens to be my birthstone. Isn't he sweet.


But the most fun to be had is definitely at the sluice. They have mesh strainers where you can dump your rocks and let the cool water flow over them, turning them into sparkling, shiny treasures.


Really, you could just head straight there without all the digging. People dump the stuff they don't want on the other side and it's full of beautiful rocks.


Diego had a great time...this place is for any age. He did start wandering and whacking the air with that stick in his hand after awhile, which was my cue to get him a snack. A cold drink and some chex mix did the trick.


Did you guys find anything good?


Don't miss this fun treasure hunting opportunity! The mine is open Saturdays until May 26.

a girl and her horse

We live in farm country. (At least, that's what I like to think.)

And there's one farm we drive by on a regular basis. It was kind of run down looking, and as we'd pass it, I always wondered about who lived there and how hard it must be to keep up a farm. But then we noticed that fences were being mended, horses were appearing in the pasture, and jumps were put up in the ring. Then came a huge sign:

LESSONS AVAILABLE. CALL...

So I called.

And over spring break, Isabela had her first real horse riding lesson.

Meet Oh, Daddy. Or just Daddy, for short. Isabela was reminded of all the horse safety rules as she brushed Daddy to get him ready for the lesson.


Mounting can be harder than it looks...there was an instant when I held my breath because I thought she might end up on the ground, but she didn't.


Her trainer was amazing. Her name is Beth and she was kind, reassuring, and knowledgable...and stressed safety above all else. They had a little chat at the fence with another rider...probably trying to help Isabela feel a little more comfortable way up high on that horse.


She learned how to ride when the horse goes a little faster. Later, I mentioned how TaeKwonDo helped her strengthen her muscles to be able to do that and you could have seen the light bulb ding on right above both of our heads when we said, "Horse Riding Stance-Go!" That is the first stance you learn in TaeKwonDo...and now we see how it got its name.


Ha...Daddy even smiled for this picture.


Here she is on a long lead learning to use her legs and the reins to turn the horse.


Then walking back to the barn.


I think a tire swing is mandatory for all farms.


We stuck around for a bit to watch this new horse get used to the others. She had just arrived five minutes before Isabela's lesson and was braying and prancing around.


And what's a farm without a very friendly dog?


I'd love to pass on the contact info if you're local and interested in a lesson (the first one cost twenty five dollars). Just email me.

tuckahoe plantation

Last weekend, we visited Tuckahoe Plantation for a picnic with the Farm Table. Known as "Thomas Jefferson's boyhood home", I thought a little education might be slipped in, as well.
Not much learning happened, but we did breathe deeply, taking in presidential air.

TJ's view growing up. Very pretty.


Can't you picture Thomas Jefferson doing this same thing when he was little?


This precious girl just keeps growing up.



A friendly little cat..she let all the children pet her. Diego still loves the kitties.


Me and my new favorite boots. I bet you'll be seeing those a lot, come colder weather. I can't wait much more.


Oh, the story behind this picture. While Juan Pablo and I debated about whether or not someone lived in this home, Joaquin headed up the steps to go in. We tried to stop him. But yes, it was the gardener yelling across the yard, "That's someone's home!" that actually sunk in and made him turn around. (I was wrong by the way. I mean, why would someone actually live in Thomas Jefferson's boyhood home? Shouldn't it be a museum or something?)


I hesitated to post this picture of me. Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and not even recognized you? This is not what I look like, but somehow it is still me.


An action shot. Juan Pablo took most of the pictures in this post. He was quite proud of this one. I thought it was blurry, but he said, "That's the whole point!" He's got an eye for these things, you know. :)


A friendly scavenger hunt for the kids....but....those intense looks tell me they are only 'in it to win it'. I guess Juan Pablo and I are somewhat competitive, and I fear it has rubbed off.


And here's Isabela with the prize! So happy!


Me and the kids...glazed over...I guess it's time to hit the road.


It seems fitting to end with some quotes by Jefferson. Enjoy!


A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit.
Thomas Jefferson

Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
Thomas Jefferson

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Thomas Jefferson

If God is just, I tremble for my country.
Thomas Jefferson

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Thomas Jefferson

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me.
Thomas Jefferson

who put an anaconda in the swift creek reservoir?

We had a close call yesterday.

We were at the park...the kids were running way ahead of me.

Down the pier.

At the end, there are steps that lead right into the water. (Who's idea was that, by the way?)

Joaquin was already in it.

Isabela was in it.

Diego was in it, with his shoes on.

I was just getting there, trying to figure out if I really wanted them doing this.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, a HUGE snake starts thrashing and writhing right at the bottom of the steps where my three precious kids were playing.

How big you wonder? Make you hand form a letter 'C'....that's how thick his body was. It was SO BIG I didn't even see its head.

The two older kids high-tailed it up the steps screaming all the way, leaving their two year old brother still tottering at the bottom of the steps trying to figure out how to get to the rocks.

I flew down there, grabbed his arm and pulled him up the six or so steps at once.

There's no picture to go along with the story, obviously, but the image is definitely burned in my mind. Really, I couldn't stop talking about until I figured out I could actually be scaring the kids more. We spent the rest of our time on the safe playground.

Later, as we sat on the bench at Rita's eating an ice cream, we thought how different our afternoon could have turned out and were thankful.

fear factor

I came back home to this over the weekend:


Why is a ladder down our well? And why are the children peering in?


Because someone wanted to fix it by himself.


Is the ladder leaning on something? NO. It is dangling 50 feet above the black water below, tied only to that tree with some ingenious method of Juan Pablo's. JP even admitted it was a little scary. Joaquin was the only one there when he first went down, so he gave Joaquin his iPhone with the instructions to dial 911 if he fell in.



He didn't fall.
And our well is fixed.
Obviously, fear is not a factor for him. But for me? Oh, yeah...most definitely a factor.

treasure!

It was bright and sunny this past Saturday and calling us for an outside adventure. I didn't let the sun fool me this time, though, it was still VERY much February and cold...so we bundled up to take our first geocaching hike.


Juan Pablo had an app on his phone. It locates the treasure with a dot on the map, then draws a dotted line for you, showing you how to get there...but it's as the crow flies, not by roads. We had to figure out how to get close enough to park the car, then we could get out and walk.


The first one we found was the best! We had to cross a little creek over rocks and trek only a little ways into the woods before we found an ammo box. Inside were some little toys from happy meals and some other small toys. We had brought some of our own to replace the ones we took. This is Diego's "cheese" face.


The second time, we weren't so lucky. We searched and searched under this bridge but never found it. The kids came up with lots of stories as to what could have happened to it.


The last one we looked for was behind a church that had a great playground.

Some people didn't want to leave.


This one was hidden in the hollow of a tree. I, for one, was glad it was still winter. No telling what could be in there in the heat of the summer.

We did come across one little problem with geocaching. This is the view we had when we headed back to our parked car. Hmmmm. That could be pretty scary if you got a little turned around. The app doesn't mark where your car is parked.

I think I prefer letterboxing. It's more hands-on for the kids, as well. Instead of following the arrow on the iphone, you follow directions like "turn right at the bridge". Both of them were exciting though, and outdoor family time is the real treasure.

smell something?

Why does my cat look like a porcupine? Well, let me tell you a story.

It started in the morning...I was coming back home from a store when I spotted a funny black cat slinking across the road ahead of me. As I got closer, I realized it was no cat at all. It was a skunk. I remember thinking it was cute... I don't usually see skunks...then I went on my way and forgot all about it.

Until around 5pm.

My neighbor called me. He said, "Watch out. A skunk was over here, and I just saw it going up your drive way."

I replied, "Oh! I saw that skunk this morning....Wait a minute....(me yelling to the kids) Where's the cat?" Kids yell back: "Outside!"

I look out the window...and there she is chasing the skunk! Then the skunk is chasing her. Then she's chasing the skunk.

I run to the door and yell at her to come inside thinking she would zip right in to get away from it...she's ignoring me!

The kids are laughing, then Isabela starts crying worried about the cat. We're all running frantic from window to window around the house to see where they are. I"m yelling out the front door, the kids are yelling out the back door.

The neighbor thinks it might have rabies since it's running around in the day. So I REALLY want to get the cat in. I'm calling her, and...the skunk COMES UP THE STEPS...but then ducks under the porch.

Meanwhile, I call animal control...they're a little reluctant but send a guy out to us anyway.

And you know our whole yard smells like a skunk.

I finally get the cat in...grab her and a can of tomato soup...and with the help of Joaquin, I gave her a bath in it. She didn't like that one bit, but it had to be done.

Isabela ended up taking a bath in tomato juice since she thought she stunk, too.

The animal control officer pulled up with his lights flashing, spot-light shining, and did a walk around, but I guess the skunk left when we got the cat inside. The officer was quite a character himself and just added to the craziness of the night.

So all had pretty much been forgotten today...until we got in the car for a quick trip to the store...and the SMELL hit us when we opened the doors.

SKUNK! P.U! I just hope we don't smell like that after riding in it!

All this reminded me of a game I played as a kid...it was called Hook, Line, and Stinker. You went fishing for fish but would sometimes pull up trash, or a boot, or a skunk, which had a scratch and sniff sticker like the real smell. I loved that game!

I thought the kids might like it for Christmas...since we now have this great memory to go along with it.

segway

A gift certificate is really only good if you use it. We had one for two Segway tours stuck to our fridge with a magnet for almost a year. Yesterday, we finally used it!

And it is definitely as fun as it looks...especially if you forget about the huge argument you may have trying to find a parking spot and then finding the store.

When you get there, you sign a waiver and find a helmet....then they give you an alley way to practice in before the actual tour begins. (It was the most beautiful alley I've seen in a long time!)


So if you don't know, let me tell you how the Segway works.

I'll start by saying I have REALLY good balance. I'm sure it's from years of doing ballet, but I could stand on my toes on one leg forever. BUT, I could not get the hang of these things!!

If you lean forward, it goes forward, and if you lean back, it stops or starts to go backwards. It sounds simple, but I'm a chicken in real life, and I kept thinking I would just fall forward. Though it feels like it might, you could lean your whole weight forward and it won't fall over. But my mind couldn't get a grip on that until almost the end of the tour.


Which meant that I was the slow one pulling up the rear. That's how I got this great shot of our group, by the way. There's always one in every group. The guy even had to pull me up a steep hill for a little way! JP, of course, was the opposite...speeding around like a pro...except for the time he spun around too fast and fell off.


Over near Tredegar, they gave us about 15 minutes to zip around wherever we wanted to. Did I mention.. this is SO MUCH FUN!


We saw Lincoln.


And the Capitol.


JP's long arms got a good shot of us together....


...and here I was taking pics behind me as we were zipping up the street. Yes, everyone will stop and stare at you, but it's only because they want to try it too.