Beaches, Neighborhood, & Lazy Summer Days

This was a week filled with lazy summer days, loud chickens and parades.

Our 4th of July Parade

Our neighborhood has had a small parade on Independence Day every year for as long as I can remember. It is a chance to catch up with old acquaintances, reminisce with neighbors, and generally enjoy the small town-aspect of our neighborhood smack in the middle of a large city. The parade always starts with the local fire station engine, followed by all the kids in the neighborhood on bikes and skates and some pushed in strollers.

Next come the new baby cars: convertibles and old classics showcasing the babies that were born in our neighborhood in the past year. My husband and I rode in a convertible, twin babies in laps, over a decade ago – our next door neighbor was the driver. He bought a brand new cap for the occasion and rented a fancy convertible to show off the babies in style! At every parade, I count the new babies. For a number of years I was concerned as the number dwindled, but this year we were up to a healthy number again. Our neighborhood will continue to thrive, I think.

For me the parade is a celebration of our future, the next generation of our neighbors, and by extrapolation the future of our country. Many children will graduate and move away, but many come back when schooling is complete and they settle into the neighborhood to raise a family. And that is how our little neighborhood will continue to thrive.

A Beach Trip

As one of our children has been begging and begging for a beach trip, we headed off this week to explore a local part of our coast, play in the waves, and hunt for marine life.

And while we did not find any sign of the pyrosome (a bioluminescent tunicate) infestation that our coast is experiencing, we did find some gems. Here is a link to a great article about these creatures as well as some video of them that is fantastic!

An entire Giant Kelp plant (Macrocystis pyrifera), complete with roots, was floating a bit away from the beach and my child waded out for it. She was rewarded with a find of a teeny tiny crab hiding in the roots (a whole host of small and juvenile animals makes their homes in the tangled roots of Giant Kelp – even baby octopi!)

Even our hound enjoyed the sea breeze and a swim!

The Homeschool Lessons

This week was filled with biology (Fascinating Biology – review coming soon!), a bit of math, and a lot of reading. When only one child is home, it is really hard to convince her to do much schooling. All will be back to normal by the weekend, though, and both kids have a full week on lessons planned for themselves.

Blog Posts This Week

• When Is Your Homeschool A Success?
• Best-Ever Cookie Recipe
• Timelines & Homeschooling | A How-To (with a download for you)
• Y is for Yon Time

Now, How Was Your Homeschooling Week?

Please stop by the Homeschool Coffee Break’s Homeschool Highlights Linkup to read about the week of some really great homeschooling families!!