Salvation Mountain - Leonard Knight created this art piece as a tribute to God and his gift to the world with the powerful message: "God Is Love." The message is clear throughout the man made mountain area that God is the way. The heart below reads, "Say, Jesus I am a sinner, please come upon my body and into my heart." This art piece is bright and colorful.
8/12/16
Salvation Mountain off Highway 111
Labels:
Field Trips
Location:
Beal Rd, Niland, CA 92257, USA
8/4/16
Drivers beware kids are watching you text and drive.
My
kids love to play video games as they sit in the back of our car while we run
errands. One day, I decided that the kids needed to
leave their video games at home to be more present. I wanted them to enjoy the view outside. I asked them to look for plants, birds and just everyday life. All of
this in the hopes to get them engaged and thinking creatively. What I would find out is that my kids are super
funny and my parenting skills would be tested.
As
soon as the observation began, the kids noticed that drivers seemed to
forget that other people could see inside their cars. The first thing they
noticed was a driver picking her nose and eating her boogers. “Mom! Mom! Mom!
That driver just ate her boogers!”, said my son. I responded by saying, “Aaugh, WHAT? Please
tell me that you are trying to be funny!” My son replied, “No mom, it really happened!” I stated, “Okay, let’s look away and not make a
big deal.” I wanted to laugh but I
couldn’t. With a straight face I tried to change the subject by asking them to
look for specific street signs.
Of
course, now they were very interested in looking out the windows with
eager excitement to find more wrong doings. On our trip, the kids
saw people texting and driving, people falling asleep at the wheel, feet on the
dashboard, and fellow drivers weaving in and out of traffic as though we were on a
racetrack. We were even witness to an Angry Bird moment, yes, the flipping of the bird! The worst was a pedestrian stumbling across a crosswalk with his
eyes rolling back, most likely from taking drugs. Each time they saw something out of the
ordinary, there were more questions.
Some of their questions were hard to answer. My response was usually, “Adults are responsible for their own actions.”
Another answer I gave was, “People make mistakes all the time.” When I
couldn't answer their question, like the guy on drugs, I said, “Let’s pray for
him.”
That
day, we had many open conversations about adults making bad decisions and being unsafe
on the road. One of the biggest questions they had was regarding people driving
and texting. It was clear to the kids, those drivers who texted, drove erratically
and were being very unsafe. I explained
to them that sometimes people break the law because they think nothing bad will
happen and no one is watching.
It
goes without saying, I am now happy to let the kids use their video games on
our car trips. It’s less stressful for
me while I avoid drivers who text. By
the way, texting and driving looks just like a drunk driver behind the wheel. Please stay
safe and do not text while you drive.
8/1/16
Aquarium of the Pacific Whale watching!
Whale
watching with Aquarium of the Pacific staff and Harbor Breeze Cruises is always an
adventure that you won't soon forget. We have been whale watching for
almost (3) three years now. Every year we secretly wish the whales come closer
to the boat. This year our wish came true.
We weren’t prepared for the
encounter. As we sat on left side of the boat just enjoying the ocean breeze, when
we saw the blow hole and spray come up alongside the boat what seemed only feet
away. Of course, I screamed the kids just laughed. Okay, the whale was way to
close for comfort.
The other passengers did not see this happen because they
were all at the front end of the boat looking for whales. The truth is the boat
was surrounded by them on the day we traveled. We saw whales near the Palos
Verdes Peninsula as a baby whale and her mother made their presence known on
another side of the boat. There were
several moments we did not know which whale to follow with our eyes. The kids
and I had a great time enjoying the search for the giant of the ocean. It was an experience we won’t soon forget.
Whale
watching has been part of our yearly family field trip since 2013 and let me
tell you that it is a must do. The kids now look forward to doing some whale
spotting while discussing what the ocean means to us. It’s a fun family time
just hanging in the middle of the ocean for a few hours. The memories we have
shared and created through this field trip is out of this world.
We are
so thankful for the educational opportunities the Aquarium of the Pacific and
Harbor Breeze Cruises has opened to us. Their programs and events have been
instrumental in educating us on ocean life and loving the ocean.
The Aquarium is offering Job Shadow classes this summer and fall. This includes interacting with
animals and the staff who cares for them. It is a unique learning opportunity for young adults. Classes
start August 6th, 2016 at 9am. To attend the class advance purchase is required. Please go to their website for more details.
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/job_shadow_aviculturist/
General Information 100 Aquarium WayLong Beach, California 90802
(562) 590-3100
aquariumofpacific@lbaop.org
(562) 590-3100
aquariumofpacific@lbaop.org
Disclaimer: Sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are all my own.
Labels:
Field Trips
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