The Wild Side

I swear this time of year is busier than the the holiday season.

My calendar is jam packed with school events.

Guess that's what I get for having four kids at four schools.

(Kill me now)!

Today was Reese's day.

All the fourth graders in her school district (there must be

about a thousand of them)-- had their big field trip.

 It's called Rendezvous and is the highlight of 4th grade.

They learn about American and Idaho history all year long

and get to "live it out" on this day.

There are 44 stations for the kids- each school only gets to visit

about 13-- but it is quite the production.

This was one of the first stations:  an old cowboy singing

mining and Idaho history songs to our group.

The booths are pretty cool-- ranging from panning for gold

and calf roping to Indian artifacts and prehistoric tools.

This booth below is the highlight for the students.

They "earn" trapper dollars by keeping their desks clean,

turning in all their homework on time and having good behavior.

Those trapper dollars are spent at the Trading Post where they can

buy all kinds of goodies (homemade Indian arrowheads, rain makers,

jewelry, masks etc.).

 It was going great until the winds picked up and the rain

came down-- cold and hard.

Rather quickly we had a huge group of shivering, blue lipped,

teeth chattering, soaked 9 year-olds.

 I think most of the kids (I know mine) were relieved

when the organizers said they were cancelling the rest of the day.

Another storm was coming in (supposedly with lightning). 

So they herded all of us into the gymnasium

(can you say crowded?)... where the kids got to eat lunch...

see a few wildlife exhibits...

and act a little wild themselves!