Many, many thanks for all the wonderful advice on "How to Teach Responsibility"!  As my oldest just turned 13 yesterday, I shall be putting those tips to good use. 

(Look, Emily!!  Photos!)

We just returned from a three-day trip to our state's largest aquarium, about 3 hours south of us.  My kids are really into sea creatures and other shore life so this was perfect timing.  And it made Chad's birthday extra special.  Instead of parties, we usually like to go somewhere for our kids' birthdays.  All three kids loved the aquarium.  My younger two are especially taken with jelly fish.  We saw lots of jelly fish.  They are certainly more interesting swimming around in a tank than they are washed up on the shore, half-dead.  Been there.  Anyway, there is also a marine science center near the aquarium that we visited twice (this place was free), and it had even more jelly fish.  Carmen was in jelly fish heaven.  She called it "Jelly Fish Day".  She and Alec each bought a jelly fish stuffed animal and we got her a jelly fish t-shirt and pencil.  (The day after we got home, the kids got their "Ranger Rick" magazines and guess what?  There was an article on jelly fish!  Do you see a theme here?)

What I thought was so great was that the kids had already spent a lot of time drawing and reading about sea life.  At the aquarium, I didn't need to teach them - they taught me.  They already knew what a lot of the species were.  This was a visual, real-life experience that enhanced what they have learned.  I can't take credit for their knowledge of all these things, all I did was supply them with tons of books (bought over several years) and lots of time to read and learn from them.  Anything Alec draws, Carmen draws.  And they label everything, sometimes asking how to spell something if they are drawing from memory.  Learning, learning, learning.  I love it.  They will sit for long periods of time, drawing whatever is the current subject of interest.  Makes me wonder what they will go onto next.

Remember how Alec likes to dream big?  Like wanting to build his own submarine or Concord Jet?  Now he wants to build a giant salt water tank to hold jelly fish.  Sigh.

I am tired.  Very, very tired.  Some day, a trip away from home will actually be fun and relaxing for me.  Currently, that's just not an option.  Well, there were a lot of fun times, like when I was totally exhausted but my sweet dh asked me to go for a walk near the shore - just the two of us.  Couldn't say no to that!  But these trips are so much work for me.  I stress a lot.  Plus all the discipline in the car ("Don't touch your sister, don't hit your brother", etc.)  I am glad we went, though.  I loved the jelly fish, too.