An "Embarrassing" Mom goes on a field trip.

So, it happened today.

Today was the day that I became "embarrassing."

Seriously? At SEVEN? I'm already embarrassing?! And here I've been thinking I'm pretty cool! (That right there probably makes me even more embarrassing.) Matthew and I were leaving the house and he kept asking questions about if I was going to park and walk him in or drop him off and when I told him I'd be walking in with him he said he was "sort of embarrassed." He did say that it was because he was worried that someone might think he's a new kid. I'm sure it had more to do with that, than me. Right?

He did still hold my hand while we walked into school so clearly I'm not THAT embarrassing. And I've been quite liberal with my reminders on how COOL his classmates seem to think I was when they came in from recess. He just smiles when I say that.

I was really happy to get to chaperone Matthew's field trip to the Rice NW Museum of Rocks & Minerals. It is a museum in Hillsboro, OR (Shannon ~ your Dad would LOVE it). It houses a collection of rocks and minerals in a home of a couple that collected these pieces then wanted their home to be turned into a museum after their passing. It is now on the National Historic Registry. The reason it is on the registry is because of it's age and also because all of the wood in the house is myrtlewood. Which is only grown in Oregon and the Holy Lands. This house had the most interesting finish work.

This was a hearth made from stones that the couples friends brought to a party then was made into a "friendship hearth." I don't think my friends would bring these kinds of stones if we asked them to bring a "stone" to our house. :)

Top left is a nest of dinosaur egg fossils. Isn't that something? Top right is an actual baby dinosour fossil that is unusual because it is not flat. They think that it must have gone into a hiding place during a volcanic eruption and the ash just settled softly around it allowing the three dimensional shape to be preserved. Full grown, this dino would have been the size of a cow.

Bottom left is a piece of the largest meteor to ever hit earth ~ which hit in Africa.  That small piece weighs over 200 lbs and is mostly iron.  The bottom right is the "Alma Rose" Rhodochrosite which is extremely rare and known world wide by geologists.  The Smithsonian in Washington DC tried to buy it for a very lage sum and the family said no because it meant so much to their father.

Matthew's sweet classmates. Some of them. :) I arrived while they were at recess and when they came in they gathered around me excitedly saying, "Hi Mrs. Zeamer!!!" and sharing news and stories and it was so, so sweet. Oh my goodnes, I could see how teachers would just love that part of their job. Their little smiling faces were just precious. It's so fun to know them.

There were rooms full of different rocks and minerals and even a "rainbow room" that showed how the rocks beautifully glow under black light ~ it was all really impressive.

I was responsible for this little parcel of boys.  I've used the term "herding cats" on this blog before.  I could use it again here.  :)  They were a sweet group of kids.  Lots of energy. 

This is Matthew and his friend, William. He is one of Matthew's best friends from school. They are together every opportunity they get. They went to Kindergarten together as well, but really became friends this year.

This was when I hit the wall. The kids got to climb the "rock pile" and choose a rock to bring home and then we started the hour long bus ride back to school. Between my five and 3 more boys sitting behind me on the bus I was WIPED out by the time the bus pulled into the lot.  We were sitting right behind the bus driver and when I was leaving she thanked me for the effort to keep these guys seated.  It was a JOB.  Oh my goodness.  All the parents were saying how tired they were and I asked Matthew's teacher if she was tired or if she was used to it and she smiled and said, "I'm exhausted."  Bless her heart, she still had an hour and a half to go. 

(The field trip was from 9-2).

I had such a laugh with Matthew later in the day when I was driving him home from school. I was asking him what he thought of the field trip and he said it was okay but "No matter how many times she (the tour guide) says 'rocks are cool' I'm not going to become interested in rocks." 

Clearly,  he was on to her. 

We do not have a budding geologist. :)