Another Great School Year Ends

Whew!! A full year of ancient history, anatomy and physiology, poetry, paragraph writing, decimals, long division... I can't believe it's over already!

Last night, we had our fourth annual end-of-the-school-year recital. This was an idea I had three years ago when my oldest was in first grade. I loved the idea of piano recitals, but because I was my children's piano teacher, there wasn't much of an opportunity to perform for people. So I decided that we will do a performance, but include singing, foreign language, dancing, cooking, ANYTHING we want!

This year we had the children's autobiographies and self portraits on the walls, along with art and science posters. We recited poems ("The Lamb", by William Blake, "Fog", by Carl Sandburg, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening", by Robert Frost, and several fun ones by Shel Silverstein) and Bible passages, played piano and sang songs. And of course, we  ended our 'Evening of Enjoyment' with dessert, all made by the kids! It was a wonderful, joy-filled way of ending the school year with family and friends.

And now that the big night is over, I can share with you some of the field trips we did this year. If you live in the Bay Area and are looking for a place close to home to explore, try one of these fun places!

Just south of us is the lovely Sunol Regional Wilderness (pictured here). Though poison oak was running rampant after the frequent winter rains, we enjoyed a short hike with a troop of homeschoolers ranging in age from two months to ten years old. After lunch, we ended the day with a romp in the creek. My kids tried to catch some tadpoles and fish, but they were too quick for us! Sunol is known for its beautiful scenery, including a part of the park called 'Little Yosemite'. Next time we go, we will have to venture further on the trails!

Another fun regional park is Shadow Cliffs, just ten minutes from my house. This park used to be a quarry, before it was donated and turned into a reservoir/beach for hiking, fishing, swimming, and boating. We chose not to swim, but did a short hike along the reservoir, then picnicked near the water. And a few fishermen gave us an informal lesson on gutting fish!

If you are planning to visit a regional park, be prepared with cash on hand. Most parks have a parking fee per car, especially on weekends.

Also south of us is Ardenwood Historic Park  in Fremont. This was our second time there, and this year we went with other homeschoolers for a day of visiting baby goats, hugging chickens, and pumping water. We were looking forward to seeing the blacksmith demonstrations, but he was sick that day. Ardenwood also offers a historic house, a working farm with animals, and beautiful gardens. They have many hands-on activities for the children, especially on week-ends. The price of admission changes depending on the time of year, so check out their website for hours and prices.

Our final field trip was to the coast. I discovered Harley Farms Goat Dairy in Pescadero when a friend toured it a few months back. I wanted to take the kids for a tour, but found that the price for a tour was out of our budget. But we went anyway, to feed the baby goats, check out the facility, and sample the delicious cheese! The town of Pescadero is tiny, but has so much good food to offer! In the stores you can buy local olive oils, jams and jellies, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables. And I've heard that their avocado soup is scrumptious! 

And what is a trip to the coast without going to the beach? This year, we visited two beaches on two different occasions: Bean Hollow and San Gregario. Both are ten to fifteen miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 101. San Gregario State Beach is just north of Pescadero Road, what made it fun was the fresh water from the estuary (pictured above) flowing out in a stream to meet the ocean. The children were able to play in the water without the fear of being washed out by the big waves. Also on that beach were drift wood forts and houses built over time by visitors. Bean Hollow is just south of Pescadero Road, and it got its name from its beach of small, smooth rocks. The rock formations are amazing, and the tide pools are manageable for climbing and exploring. My children prefers the sandy beach for building and digging (they call that the "real beach") but if I wanted to go tidepooling, I would definitely return to Bean Hollow.

Summer is upon us! As always, I hope to fill our days with more adventures to destinations near and far, new and old. Take some time this summer to explore our amazing state! Pick a day on the calendar, pack up a lunch, and GO!