Science Friday

A recipe for a fun learning science class: an abandoned building, four boats with homeschooled kids aboard, and the internet.

The lesson was about bats. Eight students ranging from four to eleven years, five boys and three girls, participated. Creativity shone with colorful bat pictures and charades of bat facts. A short video related more facts and a quiz reaffirmed them. The finale was a trip to the abandoned building to visit hundreds of sleeping bats. The kids loved it!

Ira Flato would be proud.

Christmas in the Midwest

A huge snowstorm was predicted to hit the midwest over Christmas and we all worried that family wouldn't be able to travel home for the holidays. But predictions aren't always reality and what snow arrived was dense and mixed with rain, creating more mess than trouble. Everyone who was expected made it for Christmas Eve at Grandma Boo's house and we celebrated in family-fun fashion. (Click here for photo gallery of Xmas.)

Upon our return to the boat in Paradise Village (Nuevo Vallarta, MX), our good friends, the Millars, had taken up residency on our boat and welcomed us home. We spent a few crazy days with them, including a trip to Yalapa and zip lines in the jungle.

Now it's time for a change of scenery! Eric, Bear and friend, Andy, motored overnight to Barra de Navidad on Monday. Andy's wife, Liz, and I are going to drive down. Ah, Barra, one of our favorite places in the world! Note: Bear stood his first night watch on this trip!