sponge painting

The other day, I needed a quick toddler activity (...well, technically, I guess he's a preschooler now, but we still like to think of him as a toddler.)

I have great intentions to set up montessori stations in the house and let Diego play until his heart's content. But the reality is we do lots of running around and he gets most of his learning in at the garden at school and the cart in the grocery store. Plus I waste lots of time at home doing who knows what when I could be planning for him.

So what's a mom to do? I hit pinterest and quickly typed in something like toddler painting...and this popped up.   (I added the 'take it outside' bit. )

We've sponge painted before, but I loved the idea of using clothes pins instead of getting the paint all over your fingers.

Plus Daddy had brought home an armful of cardboard boxes from work. I thought that would be the perfect canvas, firm and big.

 

Diego loved it! He spent his whole time, of course, with his favorite color, azul. I tried to encourage him to use others, but he was fine with blue.



 I asked him to tell me about his masterpiece and he said it was an alligator.



 Messiness is really the fun of the whole thing. Kids love messy. Messiness is my new resolution. Actually, I think decluttering the house will free me up to be more messy.



 And I have to admit...I think I had a bit more fun at this art project than he did.  I was working all around him as he painted his 'alligator' over and over.  Sponge painting is so FUN!....there's no pressure to stay in the lines because you know it's just going to squish out the sides.

 

 After about forty-five minutes, climbing on the back of the car looked more interesting to Diego, so we moved on.  Clean up was quick and easy.   Outside is definitely going to be our 'go to' place for painting this summer.

 

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

ashland berry farm

If it weren't for this hay maze, I don't think my kids would have gone to the pumpkin patch this year. They just weren't interested.


But,....there's nothing like a rope swing to put smiles on their faces.


Not quite as easy as it looks.


If I could find a good branch, I'd definitely put one of these in our yard.


Those were some GIANT pumpkins.


Really, there's only three of them. Why is it so hard to get a shot with all of them?


So we headed out on the hayride. Isabela said, "This is definitely not safe." She's used to the covered wagon with metal sides keeping you from falling out. I know. Spoiled.

Some little people found their pumpkins and fell in love right away. Which also means they're ready to go sooner.


Others combed the fields with a fine toothed comb searching for just the right one.




At one point, I think I stopped Diego from turning the water on in the fields. Ohh, that would have been bad. Although now that I think about it, I'm sure a water tank is hooked up first. But the possibility is still funny.


The trick at this patch was 'all you could carry and take 3 steps with' for $20...the problem was... it was just me and the kids. We did a couple of practice runs in the field. We lost a few in the process, and I had to be rescued once by a nice woman passing by.


It was WAY harder figuring out how to get the nine pumpkins and three kids from the field to the hayride stop, than it actually was carrying them for the special.


Now, I'm not sure how long these pumpkins will last, but rolling them worked.