VACATIONS

What do golden eagles, dolphins, sharks and holes-in-one have in common? These are just some of the experiences my grandson has had while on vacation. The other day while walking through their condo complex, he saw a golden eagle. Dolphins swim up and down the beach front and he saw one jump. A few days ago, the lifeguards would not let anyone go into the ocean due to a shark sighting and while playing miniature golf he made a hole-in-one. The best part of this whole thing is that when he saw the eagle he told his mom that he had to call "Grandma" (me!) and tell me about it. That just made my week. He and his dad also have boogie boards and are happily enjoying that experience. I think that it was last week that the news media was discussing the merits of year round school as proposed by Mr. Obama. I am not exactly opposed to it since usually that means that the students do get multiple vacations during the year in about 3 week increments. I have no idea if the new proposal includes that kind of time away from school. I always loved summer vacation and was always a little sad when Brent had to return to school. I realize that not everyone has the same summer experience. My grandson went to Wacky Science camp (as already reported on), vacation at the beach and time to play and participate in make believe. He is enriched by summer vacation and when I am down there, we play school to keep his mind active. Many children though do not receive any enrichment during the summer break and therefore lose some of their hard won learning. Year round school vs 9 month school is an interesting discussion however. On a slightly positive note, my golf game is slightly improving making me a happier person. Have a wonderful 4th of July.