Three Beach Trips & the Library
for Field Trip Friday

Three of our adventures this week were enjoying the beach – so they are hosted on the Beach Schooling blog.   Our Field Trip Friday report is about The Opening of the Make a Splash Summer Reading Program

Salt Water Taffy Field Trip

This week we took a trip to a Salt Water Taffy store in our area hoping to watch them pull taffy. They said they only pull on days that they “need” a flavor, and then, early in the mornings.  I guess we’ll just have to buy pounds of taffy in one flavor. <<Field Trip Story and Pics Here>>

Early Morning Beach Walk

I took an early morning walk on the beach, it was glorious! 
 <<Momma Field Trip Pics Here>>

Fireworks over the Beach

We enjoyed two nights of the Chinook Winds Casino’s fireworks this past week in honor of their anniversary. The first night we made it to the beach, we were relatively alone, which was surprising. The fireworks felt like 25 minutes of “grand finale” The next night we watched with a glass of wine on the deck over the lake. The largest fireworks went over the trees for us to see, but the most incredible bit was  the BOOMS!  Reverberating over the lake and up the hills.  Strong Powerful. Thundering noise, without the earth moving like in thunder. Thunder and lighting give me the creeps when I am outside, but this was so wonderful!  We are studying sounds at night right now, and this sound goes on top of my list for local area night sounds.  The town’s fireworks will be in a tiny town called Gleneden (Sounds like Glenn Eden) Beach south of us – the light the fireworks over the Siletz Bay. 
<<Fireworks pics and a video here>>

Driftwood Library – Let’s Make a Splash

Years past – we have always signed up for the library, accomplished the quick steps to getting the reading packet and free book – and then the boys’ interest waned.  They opted for the Reading in the Park – reading to the Helper Dogs – Playing in the playground – eating the “free to us” lunches from the amazing Bend School District Kitchen. (oh man they can cook!!!)

So this year, I assumed it would be the same.  On June 1st, we signed up, got our library reading program goodies, I tossed the books in the back pack and half heartedly promised to get them in the program, the boys’ past habits curbing my enthusiasm.

Weds was the first day that we could turn in “minutes” and title of books read.  I even had the task on the white board thinking it would be our afternoon chore to try to remember.  Nathan comes out with his flip notebook of each Garfield Book or mystery type book he has read, how many pages in each book, and how many nights he took to read it.  He reads for an hour or two a night, but to even it out we marked it as One Hour per night, unless he clocks the time. 🙂 He had almost 25 hours racked up.

Jon came out with a pile of books from his night stand, in the order read, many read to him by us, so it was easy to write it down. I had no idea they had been keeping track for 23 days!  Jon had a little over 20 hours racked up.

We ventured to the Library to see <<Rhys Thomas – Jungle Mania –>> what an amazing show!  He throws out several jokes for the moms, and fun intriguing acts for us all. The boys came home ready to be jugglers and readers!  They earned their reading shirts for accomplishing 15 hours.  Now they want to be the first ones to finish their books.  I tucked them in last night with a pile of books and the light on.  Its almost nine am– an they are still asleep. Wonder how late they stayed up reading to each other?

“Homeschool library story” isn’t really the name of the challenge – Field Trip Friday is – so here are pics of our field trips to the Library this week!

The “Loot” for signing up early. :)  The Shark theme is for the Teens. Very Cool! 

I didn’t get pics from Weds night – but picture a packed crowd cracking up to Rhys Thomas – enjoying themselves immensely!!!
Thursday was the Teen Program and it was a Learn to Juggle Theme. 🙂
There were around 10-11 teens at today’s program.

The Fun Summer Project that we will be doing – is making home made juggle balls!

Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup rice into a bottle.	Put a balloon around the mouth of the bottle and pour the rice into the balloon.
Snip the top off of the balloon.	Wrap the ball with 2 or three different colored balloons, tops snipped off.
Use the tops to wrap around the balls to make fun designs.	We learned it was important to not put more than 1/2 cup in the balloon.  We also learned that if they don’t have a good wrapping of other balloons, it doesn’t make a good hakey sack. We learned to only make them over the tupperware. . . . . We learned that they are fun!

Nate getting his picture taken by the Great Ms Teena.  This is his “then why are YOU also taking my photo – I HATE Mamarazzi”  Look.   I see it alot. 🙂 Like the teen shirt?  Very cool.

Join us on Field Trip Fridays!  This summer, ours will be more like Fun Outings Fridays. 🙂 – What have you been up to? Join the McLinky!