Where the Buffalo Roam

30 January 2012

I feel like Charlotte Mason and Oliver DeMille hit me over the head with a frying pan of inspiration. I took the kids to Walmart today and we bought a bunch of craft items. Quiet activities they can do while I read to them at night so they don't bother each other and I can get through more than a few minutes of reading. The things I bought are as follows:

Popsicle Sticks
Lanyard (boondoggle depending on where you are from)
Friendship Bracelet Thread
Yarn
Knitting Needles
Crochet Hooks
Colored Pencils
Crayons
Watercolor
Paper (white and construction)
Drawing/Writing Journals
Pencils
Beads
Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Scissors

I am sure I forgot something(s) on that list, but that gives you a good idea. We also bought fruits and vegetables we could eat without having to prep (apples, oranges, celery etc) and drove out to Antelope Island which is only a five minute drive from where I live. I had never been there before. Don't get me wrong here, I have only lived here since November, so it's not like I have had a ton of opportunities to go there. Anyways, I decided to pay for the annual pass since I plan on going there often since it is so close and it lets me into all of the other state parks in Utah.

We went to Lady Finger Point and walked/climbed up Lady Finger Trail. The kids had a blast running through the brush and climbing up the rocks. We looked out to Egg Island were the seagulls go to roost. We got a pretty good look at just how big the island is from that vantage point. After we had our fun there we drove up to the Visitors Center and had a look around. Ra was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more extravagant than it was. Ah well.

We saw our first bison sitting around outside the Visitors Center, just south of the parking lot. We got back in the car and had something to eat then drove the 11 miles to the Garr Ranch on suggestion from the folks at the Visitors Center. It was really cold and I had only had the kids bring sweatshirts so by the time we got there and had a potty break the kids were ready to call it a day.

On our way back to the causeway I saw a lookout point we could drive to so I took a small detour there and had the kids pull out their journals we just bought and draw a picture about the island and write something about it as well. All three of them did a wonderful job. Ra drew the landscape scene from where we were parked, looking out over the Great Salt Lake. El drew the causeway leading up to the island and our car on it. Ca drew . . . well I couldn't make it out but he explained it to me and said it was dead fish that the animals killed. Ahhh boys.

I think we should spend the rest of the week at Antelope Island, at least a few hours a day. What a great experience and there is still so much to do and see there.