Field Trips

I just found this on the list still living as a draft.  I don't remember why I did not post it, maybe it was waiting for pictures, but I don't think it need pictures.  -

Thursday, May 5th was the day Troy and Ethan left on a field trip with 60 of his classmates for Oahu.  They had so much fun sleeping on the USS Missouri and Troy came home with a new respect for how good Ethan is.  He also came home unbelieving how different 5th grade maturity can be.

Monday, May 9th, 2011 was the day I left with Sydney and 14 of her classmates for the Big Island.  It is always an education traveling with the kids that have been part of the dinner conversations over the past year.  Puting faces with the stories and the names.  Puting the parents with the kids.  We have a good kid, there are other good kids out there and it is the parents that are creating these good kids.  There are also plenty of screw-balls out there and that too is the direct off-ect or lack of effect of parenting.

So I feel that if I am to have an opinion on the status of parenting, and if I do not like what I see, then I need to have some suggestions for improving them:

1.  Learn to control your tongue.  Swearing is not cool.  Swearing is offensive, dirty and trashy.  If you don't allow trash to come out of your mouth, then hold your children to the same standard.  There is beauty all around, talk about the good you see.

2.  Respect.  Saying "yes" or "no" when asked a question,  looking the person in the eye when you are talking, smiling at everyone and being friendly.  Not hard.  Good Manners.  Respect.

3.  Be willing.  Try.  Do.  Accomplish.  Help.

That is all, just three little things that I think will make us all better parents and examples.  If we can teach these things to our kids then the world will be a better place.

Santa Barbara

 I love Santa Barbara.  I could very easily live there.  We rented a small townhouse and went out to see the sights.  We visited the mission and took in the history and the beautiful views, we ate on the pier, shopped on state street, visited UCSB, went to my favorite zoo (twice) and played at the beach.  All in 2 and 1/2 days!!!

 Established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786, the

Santa Barbara Mission was the 10th (of twenty-one total) 

California Missions founded by the Spanish Franciscans during the 1700's.

 Little Friers. 

 Portions of five units of its extensive water works, built by Indian labor, are preserved in this park, a filter house, Spanish grist mill, sections of aqueducts, and two reservoirs. The larger reservoir, built in 1806, is used today as part of the city water system. Ruins of the pottery kiln and tanning vats are here, also. The fountain and lavadero are nearby in front of the Old Mission. A dam, built in 1807, is located in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 

one and one-half miles up Mission Canyon.

The Zoo

 Otters.  The thing I learned about otters is that they are latrine animals.  Meaning that they all go to the bathroom in the same place.  One stinky rock and everywhere else is clean.  Pretty cool!

 The SB zoo is clean, casual, fun and it has lots of cool animals.  It is not too big and the paths are shady and nice.  The kids also like the play ground.

The weather was beautiful on our last morning there, so we went down to chase some seagulls and feel the water.  We played jump rope with the seaweed and played tag, but true to the Anderson way, pretty soon all 4 of my brave little kids were in the water....BURRRR!!!

Just a note on the jump rope kelp:

Kelp only grows on rock, except above Santa Barbara, where it seems to grow in the mud. It is used for food by only about 3 fish. Indirectly it is used by other fish to allow them to extend their range by letting them know where the rocks are. They follow the kelp down to the rocks like divers do. Fish population is dependent on the rocks under the kelp, not the kelp. In a rocky kelp forest, the fish population may be up around 35 pounds per acre. This is also true in a rocky reef where there is no kelp such as Guadeloupe Island. In the Santa Barbara area, where the bottom under the kelp is not rocky, the fish are about 3 pounds per acre. Fish need hiding places from predators and kelp helps, but is just not what it takes. The invertebrates, urchins and mollusks (abalone) are the ones that really eat the kelp. They mostly eat the kelp leaves that have broken off and drifted to the bottom. Over populations of urchins may destroy a kelp bed by attacking the holdfasts of the kelp plants.

Hanging out in California

I have not blogged for along time.  We have done so much that I don't know where to start.  

We did just have a wonderful Family vacation to California and Arizona.  We are so lucky to have so many wonderful Familys around that love to play and allow us to enjoy their company in their cozy homes! 

Our first stop was at the Allen's in Torrance.  We felt the emptiness without our cousin Ryan there and we made a special trip to Redondo Beach to visit his memorial bench.  

Then we went to find a warm place to play as the cold wind was blowing.  We found a fun indoor playground with an outdoor ropes course and rock climbing wall.  My 3 big kids loved the outside stuff and the little ones had fun with cousins on the inside.

 Troy     Sydney     Ethan

 Ethan

 Troy

Sydney

Some how I don't have any indoor pictures, but it was a fun day and we made lots of fun memories. 

We rented a minivan and I was designated driver.  Troy was a great navigator and apparently I was born to drive in California...fast - crazy and faster.  We drove north to Santa Barbara and it was so fun showing Troy the sights and history of my parents home state.