The Wonder of Plants!

Plants– they're everywhere, but have you ever really looked at them? From the humble dandelion to the mighty oak, these amazing living things surround us, happily minding their own business. Without plants, our world would be less colorful. Without plants, our world would be more boring. Without plants, we would be… dead!

After our year's study in botany, my appreciation of plants have grown exponentially. Who knew that plants were so complicated? (Well, a botanist knows, but I surely didn't!) Did you know that…

-to ensure pollination, bees go in search of pollen from only one kind of flower at a time?                                           -ferns and mosses send out sperm from their male part to swim to the egg in the female part?                                   -some flowers have ultraviolet patterns on their petals to show bees (that see in ultraviolet) where to go for food? These are called nectar guides. (to see some examples of these flowers, go to this website: http://www.sciencephoto.com/set/1420/uv-flowers)

God's care is revealed in how plants continue to flourish and grow despite the many obstacles that can impede reproduction. And God's beauty is shown when we see the many varieties of plants that are in our world. He could have made one kind of tree and one kind of fruit and one kind of flower, but we have thousands and thousands!

And as the perfect end to our study, we took a trip to the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. They have plants from all over the world, beautifully arranged in little nooks and along paths. It was easy to imagine that you were somewhere other than Berkeley, California! The kids brought along their homemade botany journals and sketched the interesting plants they saw, and we brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed in on the lawn in the middle of the gardens.

The gardens were so big that we couldn't walk it all in three hours. We definitely plan another trip this summer, and if you are in the area, I recommend that you do too!

Adventure Calls!

Sometimes my sense of adventure overcomes my fear of going out with young children. The child inside me says, "Enough! Enough sitting around! Enough going to the same old places all the time!"

And then I go! 

Well, after hours of preparation.

The great thing about living in the age of the Internet is that I can research any major destination before going. The fewer unknowns there are before we leave the house, the better I feel.

The trip we took yesterday was to San Francisco to celebrate my sister's birthday. She wanted to visit the Comic Art Museum to see art work from the films 'Song of the Sea' and 'The Secret of Kells'. Since I don't like driving and parking in the city, and the last time our family took the BART train it cost us more than the admission fee into the museum, I planned for us to take the ferry!

On weekends, the San Francisco Ferry leaves from Oakland and Alameda and drops you off at the Ferry Building (near Pier 1) or Pier 41. Tickets are purchased after boarding the ferry (buy your tickets for the trip home too to save you time later) and collected as you leave. Inside the ferry, there are booths and tables, a snack bar, and a central place to park strollers and bikes (so helpful!). And there are three decks to choose from. My children of course chose the top deck. The ride from Alameda to the Ferry Building was a short 20 minutes. I chose that route in case we needed to hustle on home with cranky children. But the kids had such a good time, next time, we can take a longer ride! (Click here to learn more about the San Francisco Ferry.)

(Note for people with motion sickness: it was a beautiful, sunny day when we sailed. The ferry hardly rocked at all and none of us got sea sick. I hope that the waters are always so calm, but it would be more realistic to say that on windier or stormier days, the bay would be more rough and choppy.)

After the Cartoon Art Museum, we picnicked at the Yerba Buena Gardens. Now, here's great news for those of you who would love to visit more places but are afraid that you cannot afford it. Our library offers free passes to select museums! Both the Cartoon Art Museum and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts are on the list, along with the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Oakland Museum of California (which I wrote about last year in this blog post: Time for a Field Trip!) To find out if your library offers these passes, go to this site: Discover and Go Museum Passes. Be sure to read the fine print carefully; every museum offers its own discounts. And you are limited to two passes a year. Between my husband and I, that allows us four trips!

We made one more stop during our time in the city. As ou group meandered back towards the piers, my sister caught sight of balloons. We turned towards them, and stumbled across the San Francisco Railway Museum! The small museum and gift shop is admission-free. My children had an opportunity to "drive" a street car! Ding-ding-ding!

All in all, it was a great day. And I didn't even talk about our trip to the San Francisco Zoo on Friday! My legs are a little sore, but my children are still talking about our shared memories. And the child in me is already looking forward to our next adventure.

A Piece of Peace

On a recommendation from my sister, we visited the Hayward Japanese Garden on Friday. Nobody driving by that small residential street would have guessed that a beautiful haven was hidden there. The sculpted trees, the sound of a waterfall, the paths branching off to little gazebos and alcoves… I had to constantly remind the children not to run or shout because it felt intrusive to do so. We sat for a long time watching the jeweled koi fish and the lazy turtles. The children were quiet as they sketched the animals. I found myself wanting to drift off to sleep, right there on the bench; it was all so soothing. Or maybe I could come back and do some writing, I thought, or better yet, build myself a similar garden someday. I felt safe there, I felt at peace… I didn't want to leave.

I imagined the ancient Japanese culture that first started creating zen and tea gardens. I imagined they felt the same as me, needing a place of sanctuary in the midst of feudal chaos, constant warring, and certain uncertainty. If they could find peace in their garden, they can face the hardships of life.

But is that true? The peace I felt in that garden was, really, only a piece of peace. The trees and waterfall could never keep out the dangers of the world. Even as I looked around, I saw signs saying "Surveillance cameras on site because of vandalism". What I really needed was  to be able to take the peace of the garden with me, for it to be inside me…

I am so thankful for God in my life. I am so glad that though I sometimes feel like the disciples in the boat, fearful of being washed away by the storm, Jesus is there with me, able to calm the storm with a simple command. He gives me peace, and not just a piece of peace, but peace that is whole, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

Time for a Field Trip!!

May is always the start of 'Field Trip Fridays' for us. Other homeschooling moms like the idea so much that they ask to join us! So from week and week, we may have a group of twenty or so children, or just one other family join us, but it has been extra fun having friends come along to discover the hidden treasures of the San Francisco Bay Area!

If you're in the Bay Area and you're looking for a day trip this summer, try one of these adventures!

First field trip was to Mt. Diablo State Park. We drive by it all the time, but I had always been wary of bringing small children there. This year was the year! It is the highest point in our valley, and from the summit, one can see all surrounding towns, and even the city of San Francisco on a clear day! Before driving to the summit, we stopped at Rock City, aptly named for the giant rocks 'growing' there. We followed a narrow trail to the Wind Caves, where kids young and old found little hideaways to call their own. There was also plenty of poison oak, so cover up and pay attention! The entrance fee into the park is $10/car this year.

The following week I took the kids to Morgan Territory, just north of our town of Livermore. I needed to go somewhere close, and Morgan Territory, a beautiful, little-known park in the hills, was a relatively short twenty minute drive from our house. There were plenty of hiking trails to choose from, and the kids decided to go down to the pond (where we caught and released some frogs) and explore the woods a bit (which was full of poison oak!) I'm sorry I forgot my camera that day, because it was beautiful. We ended our time with a picnic lunch. (By the way, there is no fee to hike there.)

Pictured here is the USS Hornet, a WW2 aircraft carrier that it is now a museum in Alameda. You are allowed to explore almost the entire ship, from the captain's quarters to the engine room. Also on board are memorabilia from the Apollo 11 Space Mission and historic airplanes and helicopters. It's a trickier place to visit with toddlers, so I recommend checking out their website before you go. Here it is: http://www.uss-hornet.org. The Naval Air Museum is also nearby, if you're interested.

Redwoods are my favorite trees, and I would gladly drive ninety minutes to visit some, but I have always been told that redwoods grew in Oakland. I decided it was time to check this out. Redwood Regional Park is right off Highway 13, not too far from the Oakland Zoo. It is a fairly large park, with plenty of picnic areas, meadows, and even a play structure. Local residents were there enjoying the day, while my children and I looked for banana slugs. Alas, we didn't find any, and we didn't hike deep enough into the park to see that many redwoods. Still, it is a beautiful park, and worth going to with the family. The cost at this park is $5 on weekends.

The Oakland Museum, located on Lake Merritt next to the court house, is huge! It has three floors: California history, California natural history, and visual arts. The history floors are maze-like, with plenty for kids to discover and touch. The art floor has mostly modern works, many of which are local and on display for only a limited time. To see the current exhibits, visit https://www.museumca.org. Children will especially love the history floors. We were there for five hours, looking at bones, making a stop-motion film,   and drawing self-portraits, and we still didn't see everything!

My family is blessed to live in an area that has so much to offer. Everyday, we step outside and can't help but say, "Thank God for this amazing and beautiful world!" I hope you have time this summer to explore your neck of the woods with your family!

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!

Bean Hollow

Today was a day for adventure! I had not been to the beach in a year and four months (which for me, is a long time) because of the baby (and my fearless toddler), and so, today was the day! Taking advantage of my husband's new schedule (Fridays off), I packed up the family and headed for Bean Hollow State Beach, just south of Half Moon Bay. (And I will now try to avoid using parentheses for the rest of this post.)

Unlike the other beaches in the area, the 'sand' at this beach is made up of smooth, round pebbles, hence the name, Bean Hollow. There are also many interesting rock surfaces, and tidepools that even my three-year-old was able to manage. Among the animals discovered were crabs, sea anenomes, and sea urchins. I love that my children are now old enough to join me on these trips of discovery!

While my husband was with the older children at the tidepools, I sat and played with the baby and watched the ocean. I saw the water's nuances of blue, green, and gray, darkening to a gorgeous indigo-blue until it made a perfectly straight hem against the sky-blue sky. Seaweed tossed, turned, and tumbled with the waves, crashed onto the shore, then allowed the tide to gently pull them back in.

A few years ago, I noticed that, except for two years of my life, I have always lived near the ocean. For me, the ocean is a comfort, a place of peace and meditation. It always reminds me of God. I gaze upon the expanse of water and I am awed by the life it holds. I am overwhelmed by the mystery in its depths and the subtleties that reveal themselves over time. I remember that, as C.S. Lewis might say, "He is not a tame ocean, you know." 

And I imagine myself, tumbling in the waves, sometimes crashing on the shore, but always being pulled back in, because He never lets me go. Everyday He polishes me, until I am beautifully smooth and shiny.

New Places to Explore

As some of you already know, I'm always up for a field trip! I've been more housebound since having the baby, but spring is calling me out-of-doors again. I can't wait to visit favorite haunts, and discover new treasures. Here are four local wonderlands to explore with your family this spring!

The first is Filoli, a historic family estate that was donated for preservation and educational purposes. The mansion is a museum showing antique, original furnishings and the gardens are spectacular! Filoli is a working garden and orchard (some plants are for sale and fruit that is grown is donated to food banks) and offers many classes on painting and flower arranging. Painters are encouraged! Filoli is located off  highway 92 before you head over the hills into Half Moon Bay. Passes for adults are $15, and for children are $5 for age 5 and up. They also offer an annual membership. Go to www.filoli.org for more information.

Another fun place is the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The only negative is driving to San Francisco (no way around it) and paying for parking too. But I mention it because they offer a discounted price on Homeschool Day. The last time I went, it wasn't too crowded and the kids had a blast. This year's homeschool day is on April 17th, 9:30am-5pm. Find out more at California Academy of Sciences Homeschool Day

I have to mention here, just in case you didn't know, that Oakland has a zoo that's perfect for an outing with younger children. Unlike the San Francisco Zoo, this one is smaller and manageable for a day (or half-a-day) trip. I do suggest buying the annual pass. The cost for a admission for a family and parking adds up to almost the same price. The zoo is right off highway 580. Visit there website here: http://www.oaklandzoo.org/

And now, for my newest discovery... [drum roll]... Alviso Adobe Community Park! I couldn't believe this park was so near my church and yet I had not heard of it until now!

The site was once a ranch and dairy, and you can walk through the old buildings, learn about native plants and how the Early Americans used them, and milk a (fake) cow. It's a bustling place on Saturdays! Because it's a park, it's free. Here's the site: Alviso Adobe Community Park

If you know of a good place to go with kids in the Bay Area, please share with me! I hope to post more!

Summer Treats

Summertime for our family is when we indulge in certain fruits and vegetables: corn on the cob, watermelon, peaches, cherries, and berries of all sorts! I never buy these foods when they are out of season, because of the price and that most of them are imported in the winter. But come summer, we support our local farmers and taste the goodness of the California sunshine! And, they really are a treat when we allow ourselves to enjoy them only a few months out of the year!

We are blessed to live near Brentwood, a small town that is still off the beaten path and offers many fruits and vegetables for us to pick. We went on Memorial Day weekend to pick sweet cherries. They were round, ripe, and ready for us to take them home!

We are also blessed to have friends who grow berries in their backyard (it doesn't get more local or organic than that!) The Oppermans have not only an abundance of raspberries, boysenberries, and blackberries, but also beautiful flowers and vegetables to share with their friends. Every year, they invite the children and me to help pick (and eat) their bountiful harvest! The fence is covered with red and black gems, so many that when you think you're done with one area and turn to another, you would swear that berries had sprouted during the time your back was turned! We braved the small thorns and filled our containers, then I went home and made a berry cobbler. For whatever reason God decided to make berries, I'm glad He did!

And our other favorite summer fruit is yellow peaches, also available in Brentwood. Yesterday, I picked enough for eating and freezing (peel, pit, and slice peaches, put 4 cups in a freezer bag with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar). Then our family enjoys peach cobbler all winter long! (I've included the recipe for all who are interested)                                                                                    

Picking fruit always reminds me that God takes care of us, birds and people alike. He nourishes us with food that is not only nutritious, but colorful, delicious, and a joy to eat!

If you're interested in finding u-pick farms, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, or Christmas tree farms in your area, go to the Pick Your Own website. It also has a calendar showing when crops are in season, and tips on picking and canning. 

PEACH COBBLER

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons shortening or canola oil (I prefer oil)

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk (you can also substitute soy or almond milk)

For the peaches:

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook until boiling. Boil and stir for 1 minute. (If you are using your frozen prepared peaches, just thaw peaches, then mix in saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Cook and boil likewise.)

Pour peaches into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish.

For the topping:

Mix flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and salt together in bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender, or mix in oil. Stir in milk. Drop dough onto peach mixture by spoonfuls.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F (preheated).

Exploring Our World

As I mentioned before, the second spring peeks out from under the cover of winter's gloom, I'm ready to go! The weather hasn't really been cooperating (this morning looks and feels like February), but that hasn't stopped us from taking field trips in May.

The area we live in (San Francisco Bay) has an amazing diversity of natural habitats, perfect for our last science study. The ocean is an hour due west from our home. All around us are hills, covered by forests full of oaks, redwoods, sycamores, and firs. If we drive a little further, we would reach the desert. I arranged several field trips (on every Friday in May) to visit certain regional parks. Some trips were free, and others cost a little more, but every destination was under $10 per car. I'm having fun telling other moms about these little hidden treasures, right in our own backyard!

Our longest trip was to Memorial Park, 10 miles south of Half Moon Bay. This regional park is one of my favorites, full of lovely coastal redwoods and banana slugs. The cost is $5 per car. You can follow a trail to reach the summit of Mt.Ellen, walk along the banks of Pescadero Creek, or find old redwoods to crawl inside. This park has plenty of tables and benches for lunch, and campsites for great overnight trips. We ended the day at Pomponio Beach on Highway 1, which cost $8 (unfortunately, the price for state beaches continue to go up), but it was perfect for the ages of the children with us that day. The fresh water flows down from the hills, through the estuary, and over the beach, forming a warm pond and small stream for the children to swim and splash in. We saw no seals and few birds that day, but crabs were abundant! I can't wait to take my children tidepooling someday!

Another estuary (which, by the way, is a unique habitat where fresh water meets salt water) is right by the San Mateo Bridge. The Hayward Regional Shoreline Interpretative Center is opened on week-ends (though their website says otherwise) to teach about the animals that live in the marsh and the history of the salt mines on the shores of the bay. We were there on a Friday, so we couldn't go into the center, but the trails are always opened. It was a windy but lovely walk.

Another fun place in Hayward is the Sulphur Creek Nature Center, tucked away in a residential area on D Street. Sulphur Creek has a potpourri of activities to offer: a picnic area, a wild animal hospital, a close-up view of native birds and animals (those that have been injured and could not be returned to the wild), and a rent-a-pet program. After oohing and aahing over the golden eagle, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, and gray foxes, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch. And the best part- it's all free! (well, not the rent-a-pet program). I'm definitely taking other home-schoolers there!

Not pictured (because I forgot my camera) was our trip to Sycamore Grove, which is ten minutes from my house in Livermore. Sycamores are perfect climbing trees (remember Zaccheus?) and the walk is not strenuous for children. The cost there is $5 per car, and again, there are tables for lunch. Spring is the perfect time to go there, because it isn't too hot.

I'm planning more field trips for the summer! Last summer, we learned a little about California history with visits to Sutter's Fort, Sutter's Mill, and Mission San Jose. I'm hoping to go to Angel Island this year. We'll see what June brings!

Spring Waking

Oh, spring is here! The diapers are waving happily from the line, and the children are outside, flitting about, as busy as the birds preparing for their first brood. I feel myself waking up with the trees and flowers; somehow, the sun always makes my soul feel lighter, no matter what the situation.

I took advantage of this glorious day of sunshine to take the children to the Livermore airport. Did I mention that I really, really, really like watching airplanes and visiting airports? How lucky I am then to live practically down the street from one! And because the children are learning about maps and our neighborhood, it was the perfect opportunity to take a homeschooling field trip.

Besides watching the airplanes on the runway, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my children. My younger daughter spent the whole time diligently drawing the airplanes. My youngest, 19 months old, said "Bump!" whenever an airplane landed and waved to airplanes as they took off. The older children ran in the sun, up and down the stairs of the observation deck, chatting about planes and marveling at the beautiful scenery that surrounded our valley.

With the weather warming up and the sunshine being more than dependable, I am planning many more field trips for the children and me. Last summer was our California-history summer, with trips to Sutter's Fort, Sutter's Mill, and Mission San Jose. This spring, we will visit the beach, the redwoods, the marshlands, the Livermore hills... there is so much of Him to enjoy!