Yes, We Are Homeschoolers.

And, like most homeschoolers, we can't just take a vacation. Oh, no! We have to find some way to incorporate at least one day of school on the road! I think it's mandatory or something. Thankfully, my kids don't groan about it. They'd rather do a vacation/field trip than sit at home and do the regular stuff. They don't know that other kids just take vacations.....and we don't need to inform them. Got it!



So, we started our week long vacation Field trip in Ponte Vedra to visit Auntie Fran and Uncle Dave....with a side trip to St. Augustine. How can you be so close to this country's oldest city and NOT take the kids to see it? That is what I would like to know. We started with a tour drive-by the oldest house and several other oldest places. Because admission to those places is not cheap, people! You can see that put my whole heart into this, right? We ended up at the visitor's center just to see what tours would cost the least and pack the most punch. And plus, the principal was tired of driving around.

That is when we got the best news of all. Of course, being the amazing homeschool mom that I am, I totally already knew that it was National Park day. And, that meant FREE admission to the Castillo de San Marcos. For all you laypeople out there, that is the Fort. And free Fort = school day + happy principal! YAY!

The kids got to see reenactors.


And, guess what! They have a totally cool workbook that you get to study while you are there. AND, it is free too! And, that meant Mom the teacher didn't have to come up with anything on the fly! Which is good, because she's on vacation you know! Ahem.

Don't go feeling bad for the kids. The workbook was a lot like a scavenger hunt and the kids actually enjoyed most of it. At the end, they wrote a short essay to turn into the Park Rangers. That is when I snapped these pictures of them being sworn in as Jr. Park Rangers! They got patches and everything....which I am sure they will treasure forever and ever. Or maybe not! Whatever.

Parker already gave one of his badges to Claire. She was quite miffed that she wasn't old enough to do the activities for herself!

Okay, so Isabel was actually proud of these things.

And, here the little monsters are in front of the oldest school house in the USA....which I also would not pay to see! What can I say, I'm cheap.


And, we ended the weekend with the loosing of the loosest tooth in the country!

Thank Goodness!