Life with Dylan

Category: outdoors

  • It’s a beautiful day for a balloon ride

  • Treasures in the sand

    You never know what you will find when you walk along the beach. Sometimes all you see is sand and maybe some kelp that has washed ashore. Then there are those rare times when you find something special – something unique. I like to call these findings treasures in the sand.

    To some this is just a small shell and some pieces of colored glass. To me it is much more. This was once a home to a small ocean creature – a sea urchin – and the glass has been washed in the tide so many times that it is now smooth. The contrast of colors and textures speaks to me. The shell tells a story – the story became a photograph – and this photograph is now my treasure.

  • I spy with my little eye

  • Do Your Kids Play?

    A new school year has begun and we are finally getting back in the swing of things. Homework, packing lunches, nightly reading, and so on. And as this school year begins, I once again find myself contemplating how I can make this year better than last year.

    The emails and papers coming home from Dylan’s school about various after-school clubs and sports are well … to be honest, a little overwhelming.

    They all sound wonderful, but come with a price. Yes, the clubs and sports programs will cost me money – money that isn’t really in my budget – but the other cost is much greater in my opinion.

    The cost of my son’s childhood.

    He loves Cub Scouts and the after-school science program. He joined the science program last year and really got something out of it. I don’t mind paying for this. The program meets right after school one day a week and lasts only one hour. It ends just in time for me to pick him up after I get off work.

    So what about soccer, tennis, Spanish, keyboard, chess, art, music, and swimming? These are all excellent programs for children, but do children really need to participate in all of them? Many parents will sign their children up for multiple after-school programs. Who makes this decision?

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  • Blue Whale Trip with Aquarium of the Pacific aboard Harbor Breeze Cruises

    Dylan and I recently had the opportunity to join Aquarium of the Pacific on a special Blue Whale Trip with world-renowned Blue Whale expert, John Calambokidis aboard Harbor Breeze Cruises. This was not an ordinary whale watching trip. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that required me missing work and Dylan missing school.

    Anyone who knows Dylan, or reads this blog, knows how much he loves animals and learning about how to save the planet – one animal at a time.
    Me, well I’m partial to marine animals. Specifically dolphins and whales. Many people don’t know this, but many moons ago I majored in Marine Biology. Yes, this was my first choice of study … until I realized how much math and science were involved, which have never been my strong point.

    So tell me, how many people can say that they have seen a Blue Whale, the world’s largest animal, up close and in person … swimming wild and free in the ocean?

    Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific, Kera Mathes

    Well, you can add two more people to whatever that number may be because Dylan and I saw not one Blue Whale, but four Blue Whales!

    The weather wasn’t looking good – it was pouring down rain! By the time we arrived the rain and slowed to a light mist and things were looking good. Nothing was going to stop us from this adventure.

  • Eli’s Lids Giveaway!

    I know that many of my readers are familiar with Eli’s Lids and those of you who are not … You should be! These “Lids” have got to be the coolest thing ever. Sun, surf, snow, and skate … no matter what your outdoor activity, Eli’s Lids has something for you.

    Much like myself, the owner of Eli’s Lids had a difficult time finding cute and stylish hats for her son. The difference between Kara Noel and I … I searched hundreds of stores and she created Eli’s Lids! These snowboard hats are perfect for a boy or a girl and come in two sizes. Newborn – 1 year and 1-5 years. Unlike most hats that your child will outgrow every 6 months, Eli’s Lids are made with Lycra and will stretch to fit the shape of your child’s growing head without stretching out and losing their shape.

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