The boys and I went on a leaf hunt today. Really it’s past the prime time to do that, but one of them asked if we could do a leaf hunt instead of school. I can’t remember how many times we’ve done this, it wasn’t that many, but it’s something they remember as something we did. The exciting thing was way back when, when I let them go on the trails without me.

They divided into groups with big kids in change of little kids to gather as many different kinds of leaves that they could. Once we were home we spread out the leaves sheet that took up the space of standard wall poster. In retrospect I’ve become more and more aware how it’s not always so much about the knowledge. It’s the experience.

I told them we all had to work until noon. That gave us two and a half hours for me to wrap up the last of my presentation worksheets, and for them to do their usual schoolwork. We finished right about on time. It was cold outside and I said for one to put pants on. They have their reasons. There are plenty of oaks here but I also knew where the other ones are.