Environmental Learning Center

Click on pic to album

Last week we had a great day at the Environmental Learning Center .. we were there for hours and the kids were just so inspired and happy, it was a beautiful fall day, sunny, and warm.... just perfect! ...It was also so healing and empowering to be surrounded by the trees of this forest preserve.

We had 2 guides that helped the kids to recognized different animals tracks and signs, so we were walking and trying to find signs of animals and also identifying what kind of animals left what "evidence" behind. How nice to see the kids so interested in poo and trying to find out what animal left it there, and what kind of food that animal eats... etc..

Vincent even found a turtle shell!! and after the hike they had a nice presentation about "producers, consumers and decomposer" and the kids run though the forest with magnifying glasses finding different kinds of decomposer.

I thought it was great for the kids to understand those biological concepts, and in such a fun way!

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

La semana pasada tuvimos un dia precioso en el Centro de aprendizaje ambiental, pasamos ahi horas dentro de estos bosques rodeados de una belleza natural que me llenaba el espiritu. El dia fue perfecto, soleado y caliente....

Teniamos dos guias que ayudaron a los ninos a reconocer distintos tipos de hueyas de animales, asi que caminamos por el bosque y los ninos estaban totalmente involucrados en reconocer los distintos tipos de hueyas y que podiamos aprender sobre los animales atraves de su excremento o el porte de las patas, sus casas etc..

Vincent incluso encontro una concha de tortuga! y despues de la caminata los guias tenian una clase de biologia sobre organismos productores, consumidores y descomponedores

y los ninos corrieron por el bosque con lupas buscando distintos tipos de descomponedores.

Me encanto ver como los ninos entendieron tan facilmente la diferencia de estos organismos y de una manera tan entretenida!

Sailboat adventure!!

(click in the image to go to the album)


So, finally, after two years reading books about boats, carving boats, and making sailboats out of anything available, (including sticks, leaves, bottles, pieces of wood, etc) Vincent had one of those days I know he will not forget...My husband brought home a beautiful sailboat !! Vincent couldn't believe it...his happiness was bigger than his body, ah! what a beautiful moment!!, (specially for me that I knew Ashley didn't spend money on it, but he got it as payment for a job that he made.:0)

So then we had the problem...Ashley and I, well... we had no idea what to do with this sailboat!.. we never did sail a boat before, so we were pretty scared about taking the boat with the kids.... but last Sunday, we took kids and boat for the adventure..
So of course Vincent after all this time in studies of boats, and Ashley being so smart as he is.. both of them had the opportunity of being the first ones trying the boat... or better said... the opportunity to try to do something with this boat and come back save to shore... And they took the boat in the water while I looked at them from shore with a huge smile..I'm pretty sure Vincent felt something similar at what Columbus felt while sailing to the unknown.. but what a smile he had!!!...And then everything was so much fun, Vincent literally thought was the "Capitan" , and was yelling to us, "pull that rope!!", "move this way!", etc, etc.. it was just so funny...

I'm so glad and grateful to see my kids do what they love.........

***********************************************************************************

Finalmente, despues de dos anos de ver a Vincent tallando y construyendo botes con cualquier cosa disponible, (como palitos, botellas, tapas, plasticos, hojas, etc,etc), Vincent tuvo uno de esos dias que se, no olvidara. Ashley llego del trabajo con un velero!!! Pobre Vincent no podia creerlo! no cabia en su cuerpo de tanta felicidad...Que cosa mas bella poder verlo asi...( lo bueno es que Ashley no pago por este velero, sino que se lo dieron como parte de pago por un trabajo que hizo)

Pero depsues nos enfrentamos al problema de que ni Ashley ni yo, tenemos ninguna experiencia o en armar o navegar veleros!, asi que estabamos medios asustados de salir a "navegar" con los ninos...Pero bueno.. el Domingo pasado nos atrevimos y partimos con velero y ninos a una aventura...

Por suerte que teniamos a Vincent , que alguna idea tenia despues de todo este tiempo viendo libros de botes y teniamos a Ashley (siendo tan inteligente como es el... )... asi que los dos fueron los elegidos para salir en el primer intento de nevegar...O mejor dicho... tratar de hacer algo con este velero y volver sanos y salvos a la orilla..

Por suerte todo resulto bien.. no tuvimos heridos y el velero no se dio vuelta..Yo los miraba desde la orilla y no podia parar de pensar que estaria pasando por la cabecita de mi Vinchi...seguro que estaba tan asustado y emocionado como Colon cuando navego hacia lo desconocido...Y Vinchi definitivamente penso que era el "Capitan" del velero.... nos gritaba todo el tiempo "Suelta esa cuerda!!", "Muevete para alla!!" " Cuidado con esa vela!, suelta la vela!, etc, etc...fue tan divertido.... Yo fui una vez con ellos y era un chiste!

Que feliz me siento de poder ser participe de estos momentos inolvidables en la vida de mis hijos... que rico verlos haciendo cosas que los apasionan, no hay nada mas bello que ver a alguien apasionado por algo.... no es verdad?

Finally I feel I have time to sit down and process all this ideas and experiences we have been gathering during the last month. We did go to New Mexico and it was spectacular!. The road trip was hard on the little ones, it took us 3 days to get there, but once we got there everything was just so nice...I was learning so much in this Herbal conference, I met great people, the teachers were so nice, so down to earth, the classes were so informative too, but there was not too much time to process in those days, I had full days of learning, I was exhausted walking in this hills from one class to another with a broken toe, and coming back to the camping so tired to just eat , and be with the kids and Ashley. And they had the best time!, enjoying the grandparents, going on walks, exploring... Vincent felt he was "Vincent v/s Wild" like the guy in the show in Discovery Channel.. he wanted to do everything!!, be on charge of the fire, cook, lead the walks...
Coming back to IL, my MIL left to Chile and I had to get back on my routine and start getting ready for a talk about herbalism to a group of people... and that class happened yesterday and it was great!!,I felt so good sharing my passion....I love what I do, working with plants and homeschooling my kids. I feel so grounded now. A couple of years ago I lived so much in my head.. that is one of the biggest presents plants give me everyday... they keep me literally "grounded"..