You know those days. We all have them. You struggle to get phonics done. You struggle through math. You're moving about the speed of a slug stuck on something sticky, and the kids aren't moving at all. They keep falling out of their chairs. They keep whining. And at some point, you decide to chuck it. This just isn't working for you today.

I had one of those days yesterday. I peered out the window, and I said, "You know what guys? Let's go to a sugar bush!". And we did.

For those of you not blessed enough to live in the Great White North, where we sit under mounds of snow for months on end, you do not know the joy of maple syrup. For in March, the sap begins to run. And many of our friends operate small maple syrup "factories". So we headed out to the woods, and emptied about 35 10 gallon drums of sap into even larger drums for them, all ready to boil down. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too! And we came home with a whole lot of syrup.

The funny part is that once we arrived home, we did actually finish geography. They didn't get that behind. But sometimes you have to know when to give up, and that's the beauty of homeschooling. When you're in school, you only take field trips on the assigned days, and who knows if those assigned days would have actually been productive ones to work? We can take off anytime when we really need a break.

Our family has several places that we take off to. One is a nature conservatory/wetlands boardwalk where we look at toads and frogs and tadpoles and snakes and turtles and geese, all at different times of year, to see the changes.

Another is the waterfront, where we take bike rides and watch turtles and fish. This time of year we start planning picnics occasionally, when we'll bike somewhere nice to eat, and then come home for the afternoon. I've tried doing school on these picnics, but I always find the paper blows away or someone loses a pencil. So it often sounds more idyllic than it really is!

Field trips are great, but sometimes you need somewhere to disappear to, if only for an hour. That's why I love these little outdoor places we can run to. What about you? Where do you run? I'd love to know!

Cross-posted at The Homeschool Post.

Sheila is the author of four books, including To Love, Honor and Vacuum: When you feel more like a maid than a wife and a mother. She blogs at To Love, Honor and Vacuum!

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