Every year I make a list of 100 things I’d like to do that year. Big, small, silly, dead serious.
Every year for the last three years I’ve had ‘go on a mini break adventure alone with the kids’ and never managed to get around to doing it.
While this may not quite count as ‘alone’, it does to me as Suzy wasn’t there and she’s definitely the more adult/responsible one.
So that’s a big tick off 2016’s list. We had such a good time I think I can probably backdate my tick to 2014.
Score!
About a week ago, a friend said, ‘Hey, do you want to go to Spain with us?’ A couple of days after that we were on a plane with her and her adorable kids.
Today’s our last day here. After a few days of sun and heat, it’s cooler and windy. Obviously we feel at home on cold beaches. Ha.
I was worried if I’d cope on my own with the kids. All the bedtimes, all the nighttimes, all the picky eating that new countries and food allergies bring. But you know what?
It’s been a joy. A time out from normal life which has reminded me a bit more of what I’d like normal life to be like, what it once was before all the classes and clubs and meet ups.
A little bit slower, a little bit more joy and instinct led, a little more flexible.
Of course, excellent company helps. So does Spanish sunshine and water with lemons picked fresh off a tree.
Perhaps the biggest lesson (and reward) in these past few days comes from the reminder of how good it feels to say a resounding YES whenever you can.
We have done car math for as long as I can remember, whenever the mood strikes us. These little oral challenges encompass adding, subtracting, multiplication, division, fractions, critical thinking, and even algebra.
All the questions below were asked today, except the last two which I remembered being particularly amazed with correct answers about a year ago.
No pressure or expectation to get things right, but they nailed every question. I need to up my game!!
——-
M had two pumpkin pies and gave you half of one. How much does he have left?
You had eight Spider-Men and gave one to A and one to B, how many left?
How much is four twos?
How much is three fours?
If you had two chickens and a cow, how many feet would there be?
If there were two cars, and one popped a tyre, how many tyres would be left?
If you chopped an apple in half, then each of those pieces in half, how many pieces would you have?
Count the seats in our car. If we had A and B come on a ride with us, how many empty seats would be left?
How much is two fives? And five twos?
If you needed fourteen Lego pieces to build a set but only had eight, how many more pieces do you need?
If you had twenty fish fingers and the two of you had two friends over, how many fish fingers would everyone get to make it even?
——
Who needs a curriculum. Not us. Ha.
Curious Adventures 