My parents recently asked for "normal everyday" pictures of what's happening with the children on board. It's hard to say what a normal day is, since they change as often as the scenery around us- but there are common themes. Here are a few snippets from recent days on board Totem.
Niall has been working on knots and splicing with Jamie.
The girls crafting designs from popsicle sticks. Siobhan made a pretty spiral and announced it would be the top of our christmas tree (not sure exactly how that's going to come together, since December is summertime in Australia). Flotsam from the morning scattered about the table- a book of Greek myths, biology lab projects, and a field guide for fish identification.
Niall is an excellent teacher to Mairen and Siobhan- ask them, and they'll tell you, he taught them how to swim. Siobhan loves her dinghy lessons.
OK, so this isn't "normal everyday" stuff- it was a special treat- but it's the kind of cooperative learning that happens all the time on board. We have some packaged science projects stashed, and I broke out the owl pellet dissection kit on a flat passage day recently. They had a blast going through the pellets, guessing what might be inside, and using the tools in the kit to try and identify the skeletal remains of different critters within.
When we're in a pretty bay, hardly a day goes by that we're not swimming. One of our last days in Fiji, Mairen and I snorkeled from the boat to shore and did some beachcombing. Siobhan has the eagle eye for cowrie shells, but Mairen amazes me with the natural beauty she finds.
Resting in the evening on our new-from-IO hammock, strung up on the bow. They were all belting the classic "Lollipop"... Siobhan just couldn't stop!
