Organic Farm Field Trip

Last Friday we drove down to the University of California Santa Cruz for a field trip at their Organic Farm.  Although we walked through some minor drizzle off and on, we had a fantastic time.  The earth's freshly washed scent refreshed us, and the walking was invigorating.  

Our homeschool group was divided up into groups, and we were included in the "Apple Crisp" team with our dear friends Betsy, Lydia, Luke, and Titus Williams.  Our volunteer teacher for the day was Emily.  As we discovered, this was Emily's first day leading a group.  (Emily, will you continue after having to work with us???)  She was a fantastic guide, and we'd highly recommend not only Emily but the entire field trip to anyone in the vicinity. We're looking forward to returning in October for the fall program! 

Here's a little movie I put together of our day.  (Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to pause the music first!)

Shannon's future job options

My daughter has many talents.  Lately she has been exploring different things that she enjoys, which could always turn into pursuits for the future.  

While I attended a workshop at a local Apple Store, Shannon practiced being a Mac Genius as she assisted a young boy who was playing a Lego Mac game.

There is a strong likelihood she could also be a Curves trainer or at least an excellent exercise buddy for someone!  She has recently started working out at Curves with me, and you could not ask for a better exercise buddy.  She knocks on my door at 6:30 a.m. asking if I'm ready to leave.  

The Inauguration

We watched the presidential inauguration today after which the students were given a writing assignment.  They could write a poem, a news report, or a narrative of what it was like to watch the first black president become our president.  Here is Joshua's poem. . . 

Barack H. Obama steps forward.

The excitement begins to grow.

(Why they don't say his full name,

I'll never know.)

He raises his right hand,

His left is on the Bible,

Such a somber expression for one

Who has defeated every rival.

Now, he takes the oath of office

And he does it with style.

Oops!  He messed up!

(We'll hear about that for a while.)

He begins his speech,

With a deep and confident tone.

But after a few minutes,

It starts to sound like a monotonous drone.

He speaks of overcoming

The terrorists' rage,

And preparing our children

For a new age.

He speaks of change,

Making sure to use the word "we,"

Of working together,

The nation in harmony.

Having completed his speech,

He returns to his place.

Barack H. Obama is finally president.

A smile slowly crosses his face.

Joshua's Day at Wham-O

So what is a homeschooler to do when his teacher (mom) has to go into San Francisco for the day for a doctor's appointment?  He goes to work with Dad!  Yep, Joshua spent most of the day at Dad's office finding out what David does all day.  However, most of Joshua's time was spent in the shop, not on the computer doing any of the design work.  He was a great help as he prepared parts for a prototype.

If you have to go to work with your Dad, a toy company is a pretty fun place to spend the day!

Celebrating the Holiday

The kids, Liz, and our friend Emily enjoyed an amazing concert at a church in Fremont on December 13.  Our friends Kristian Ehlert and Ronna delRosario were part of a special group of singers from the Fremont Christian School who were invited to join in the presentation.  We've decided to make this Christmas concert part of our annual traditions!

We attended the "Let Us Break Bread Together" Holiday Concert at the Paramount Theater on December 14 with our good friends David & Tina Crotzer.  What a great lunch we enjoyed at a little Mexican restaurant in Oakland with the Crotzers, and then the afternoon of music was a fantastic way to enjoy more of the music of the season. 

On Christmas Day, John presented a certificate of a magazine subscription he helped get for Grandma Nancy.

Joshua and David showed off their new bathrobes.

Shannon has been wanting to learn how to play the guitar like her Dad.  She received a new classical guitar for her big gift this year.  She was delighted with it and had a great time with her first lesson.

Dad demonstrated some new chords for Shannon after their first lesson.

We typically enjoy several Christmas get-togethers with various family members.  We celebrated with Grandpa-Uncle Dick this past Saturday.