We used to play the "telephone" game or a variation of the ABC concentration game (A is for apple, B is for balloon, etc.), but the bus rides became infinitely better when we started playing the Quiet Game. Whomever stays quiet the longest gets an extra sticker when we return to SLP. (I use stickers as incentive for good work. When the kids fill their sticker sheet, they can choose a prize from a basket of cheap crap I find at the stationery store. They love it, and so do I. I'm ashamed to calculate how much I've spent on stickers here. It's become a bit of an obsession -- my friends are probably chortling at the understatement.)
The itineraries on these field trips are poorly outlined, so as soon as we arrived, we sat down on mats under the trees to eat a snack. Not only was it 10:15am, but the kids don't even have snacks on a normal day. I can't imagine any of them were hungry, but they all bring sweet crackers, cookies, and candy to share with each other.
Bobby, Jude, and Nathan looking their best.
Dog pile on John Teacher
After an unnecessary snack and rest, we began the hunt for fat, healthy chestnuts. Spiky chestnut shells littered the hillside from schools before us who also took part in the fall tradition. Some chestnuts had holes bored by insects or some mold on the underside, but the kids enjoyed searching for quality nuts. They used their shoes to pull apart the shells and expose the chestnuts within. The weather was beautiful and the kids worked together to fill their bags and keep each other from tumbling down the hill. It was pretty darn cute.
Each kid got to take home a bag of roasted chestnuts. Sorry Dad, but I still think chestnuts taste like overcooked baked chicken.
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