February has been a full month. After a super quiet January, our pace of life has picked up! Our calendar this month is a mix of playdates, family dinners, church commitments, dental appointments, well checks, and my personal favorite – field trips! Oh, also add in low-key celebrations like the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. It seems there has been something going on every day!!!
Let’s chat about our field trips! I love field trips. They are one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. Life is a full of learning opportunities and so many adventures can be classified as a field trip. On Friday, we took off for the Tillamook Creamery. This is an annual adventure for us! We love watching the cheese being packaged and processed. We tried the cheese samples, had lunch, and got ice cream. The boys enjoyed racing to see how fast they can milk a cow (a display cow, not a real cow). The Tillamook Creamery is always a good time!
After Tillamook, we made our way up the Oregon Coast. We stopped in Cannon Beach to visit Haystack Rock. The tide was out so the tide pools around the rock were exposed. We saw some small fish and sea anemones. It was a cold and windy walk to Haystack Rock, but our kids come alive at the beach. They didn’t mind the chilly weather and had fun exploring around the tide pools.
Our last stop on the way home was to see a dead fin whale that washed up on Sunset Beach. I didn’t know much about fin whales until this last week. They are the second largest whale and they rarely wash ashore because they stay out in deeper waters. Owen recently wrapped up a whale unit in science, so this seemed like a good chance to see a whale up close. The boys got to see the baleen and see the size of the large whale. The sight was a bit more gruesome than I expected as the whale had been cut open and certain parts had been harvested. It was kind of gross, but still educational!
Yesterday, we joined our homeschool co-op for a field trip to the Washington State Capitol. Jeremy took the day off to join us. His presence was so appreciated! It was our family’s first visit to the Capitol and it didn’t disappoint. Through a co-op connection, we were able to explore parts of the building that usually aren’t open to the public. We even got to go on to the senate floor and take a picture (the senate obviously wasn’t in session at the moment). We had a short class on what is a bill and the process of getting a bill to become a law. After our time with the senate staff, we went on a guided tour which showed us the rest of the building. One of the highlights of our visit was the fact that it was Potato Day. Washington potato farmers set up a baked potato bar and offer baked potatoes to anyone who would like one. They also gave away reusable bags and potato recipe cards. Jeremy did a little research and they say about 1,600 potatoes are given out on Potato Day. It made for a crowded visit, but it was also a fun bonus to the experience!
We have some more field trips planned this spring and I am so excited for them! Getting to experience learning outside in the world is so valuable. We are making memories as a family and I love that we get to explore the world alongside our kids. We’ve had so many conversations as a family about what we learned this last week, what we enjoyed the most, and clarifying what we experienced. I’m so thankful for these opportunities. Field trips are one of the best parts of homeschooling!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 