Back in the Saddle

COMMENCE DECOMPRESSION: Today's main agenda at MPA? Get the campus back in order. The disorder caused by Christmas related preparation, and the aftermath of 5 days away from home and our return with dirty laundry and Christmas bounty in tow.

As I unpacked bag after bag after bag, the kids worked on some math, reading and writing worksheets at the table. Annabelle's math was a bit rusty - almost all of her addition problems were off by 1 (over). She must have been counting wrong. However, we hit 'reset' and she was able to see the error of her ways and correct accordingly.

What I was really pleased with this morning is that when CJ was faced with a writing assignment, he didn't have a bout of his usual Perfection Paralyzation. Instead, even though he didn't know how to properly spell all of the words he wanted to use in his answers, he plowed through doing the best he could. That's a huge step forward. I think maybe a few days away from it prompted the shift. That, or it was the special Cheez-Its that were awaiting him when he was done. ...

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD: This weekend we made two exciting food finds. In the one and only grocery store in Siletz, Ore., I found Alpha-Bits. I am a bit embarrassed to admit just how excited I was by this discovery. They are a childhood fave and I haven't seen them on a store shelf in YEARS. Of course, when I checked the fresh date on the Siletz cereal, I learned that their boxes of Bits had probably been on their shelves for years - they were expired by a couple months. Undeterred, I bought a box so CJ and Annabelle could have an Alpha-Bits experience. :)

While perusing the Wal-Mart in Newport on Christmas Eve (fortunately, the People of Walmart were out in full force! It was glorious!) we discovered SCRABBLE Cheez-Its. Talk about a score. We bought three boxes and the kids had some of their late morning snack today - with the catch being they had to spell a word before they could eat 'em!

STATE OF MIND: As mentioned in an earlier post, one of the gifts the kids got from Santa was a map of the US. CJ started working it this weekend but didn't get a chance to finish. Today, he and Annabelle worked really well together and finished the puzzle. While they worked we talked about regions of the country (Northwest, Southwest, the East Coast, New England) and so on. It was a fun, hands on geography lesson.

I explained to them that Alaska and Hawaii aren't really just off the coast of California, but that the puzzle makers put them there so that they would fit within their rectangle.

WEEKEND REVISITED: There were a few adventures the MPA student body had this weekend that are definitely worth revisiting. A biggie: Visiting the Pacific Ocean.

On Boxing Day, CJ, Annabelle, Rick and I headed to Newport, Ore. to do a bit of beachcombing. We made our way toward the water, where I encouraged the kids to feel it to see how cold it was. I explained to them the fine art of running from a wave that has broken on the shore. It was a little more critical than normal that they were successful in outrunning it, as it was really cold out and we didn't have a change of clothes for them.

One time, when he was ankle deep in the water, CJ asked, "Could it pull me back out?" Clearly he's heard about undertows from somewhere. I told him that yes, in fact, it could, that's why you always want to be extra careful when you're in the ocean. Don't go in too deep, and always keep an eye on the waves when you're walking along the shoreline.
Walking along the beach we found a couple of lifeless jellyfish. After a bit of tiptoeing around and trepidation, Annabelle was brave enough to try to touch one with a stick. She about jumped out of her skin when Rick yelled, "Watch out!" just as she poked it. Typical older brother, eh?

From Newport, we headed south on Highway 101, in search of a place to have lunch. En route, we crossed the beautiful Yaquina Bay Bridge. Designed by Conde McCullough and built in 1936, it's 3,223 feet long, is as much as 133 feet above the water, and has a soaring steel arch in the center span. Lo and behold, what awaited us on the other side of the bridge? Why, it was the headquarters of the Rogue Brewery. Who knew? So we pulled in there and got to wander through the brew works on our way to the restaurant. There were enormous tanks and bubbling vats - it looked like an enormous science experiment!

The joint was jumping and we had to wait a bit for a table, but it was worth the wait. The kids were entertained by the water view and a bird flying around the funky dining room.