It all starts with the permission slip.
Yes, when teachers send them home before the bell rings so parents can rubber stamp the bumpy yellow bus trip to the museum, then it’s on, my friends, it’s on.
Soon the days count down and the buzz builds up as the class gets ready for the day away from school. The middle-ages unit wraps up at Medieval Times, paintings are handed in before the art gallery, and everyone mails a friend a letter before the tour of the post office.
On the morning of the big day you wake up with some extra pep in your step because you know we’re all going far away. It’s time to skip the portables, soggy sandwiches, and long afternoons with the Spanish teacher.
It’s time to do something different.
It’s time … to go for a ride.
Yes, whether it’s the petting zoo, chocolate factory, or a long hike in the woods, it’s time to enjoy the school vacation with some of the following perks:
1. Subs in the house. Taking thirty screaming seven-year-olds to the planetarium is a bit much, so most teachers call in backups in the form of parent chaperones. These subs act like a sweet and sweatered army of substitutes and don’t know enough names or have enough power to mess up the fun. Of course, that’s assuming they’re not your mom or dad. If that happens, your day is done.
2. Wheels on the bus. They go round and round on the way there and back. Yeah, we all gang rush into the slippery seatbelt-free seats and enjoy a loud, laughing party on wheels. There are loud screechy songs, secret makeout sessions, and some friendly gestures at passing motorists. This is also when the classroom’s social structure is on display too — from the cool kids at the back to the nerds sitting with the teacher up front. I really did love sitting up front though. I mean, how about that view?
3. Sealing it in. A friend and I were strolling quickly through an art gallery a couple years back when we stumbled on a group of kindergartners holding a rope and looking at splotchy art paintings. I’ll never remember the jaw-dropping look of pure head-tilting amazement from the little boy at the end of the group — eyes twinkling, mittens hanging out his winter coat, and his whirring brain soaking and swallowing up something beautiful on the wall. And it’s true: field trips often help seal in the learning. Chalk one up for school.
So… let’s enjoy the memories, let’s enjoy the moments, and let’s enjoy the parking lot speed bumps. Yes, let’s all love those special days when dusty chalkboards fade away and buses wheel us down the freeway, far away, far away, far away.
AWESOME!
Pre-order The Book of Awesome
When something random adds up perfectly to a 00 number. You have exactly 1500 books not 1501 or 1499. Or there will be 100 attendees at a conference.
Seeing your suitcase come around the luggage carousel thing at the airport.
Reunited and it feels so good! :)
Aggghhhh…. I’m not logged in but it’s still me….
Scoring the username without changing it…
e.g. Woohoo
And you won’t have to add numbers.
e.g. weohoo10375
Very Awesome.
yes i totally agree!
i applied for a new youtube account for when i get famous covering various songs on the uklulele, and the name i was after (which was totally perfect in every single way imaginable) was available! it was an epicly awesome moment for me.
the name’s ‘justukeandme’. keep an eye out – i’ll be famous one day :D
all i need is a video camera now lol
one day…
AWESOME THING: “Being the last person to make it through the yellow light”
You see the cars that got stuck at the red light in the rear view mirror and feel totally superior.
To give someone an origami.
Cause when somebody recieves an origami, he/she can make a wish. You can’t keep a shooting star, but you can keep an origami, look at it every day, and smile by remembering the wish and the person who gave it to you.
i think it’s awesome!
Throwing a milk bone high into the air and watching your dog jump up to catch it the first time in her mouth. Awesome!
Finding out things about your house you didn’t know before. (Eg. The attic has a tiny window, there’s a hidden drawer in your bathroom, etc)
:D
Anything that FOAMS!
soap, mousse, bubble baths, you get it.
the smell of ozone and cut grass after a rainstorm in the suburbs
a cat and a laser pointer… its just awesome and effortless fun
winning a draw when you didn’t know your name was in there
Its been said but getting out of the shower and grabbing a towel fresh out of the dryer… Heavenly!
Grabbing a fly with your bare hands!
God i could do on all day…
beating that last super hard level/boss with a friend and doing a victory dance!
Cushion forts!!
bed time stories! … to be continued tomorrow… Nooooooooooooo!
Street performers playing random instruments.
Like ukuleles.
And didjeridoos.
And flugel horns
And bongos.
i play ukulele!!
i spent all day yesterday teaching myself the glee version of ‘over the rainbow’
it’s awesome.
Sleeping in your own bed after a long trip away.
and/or
Your birthday.
(Both of which I’ve experienced this weekend)
A hard work-out at the gym. You get on the elliptical, set the resistance and training level…you are exhausted, your heart is pounding so hard you think it is going to burst out of your chest and sweat is pouring off your body while every muscle SCREAMS. Then it gets to the final minute and you work harder and faster as you watch the clock….5, 4, 3, 2, 1…AWESOME.
Hunting around in your freezer for some cilantro you froze so you can make soup and finding a lone muffin wrapped tightly in seran wrap hiding at the back. AWESOME.
Having something stuck in your tooth for ages. You wiggle your tongue around, poking it and trying to get it unstuck. Finally, you escape to the bathroom and find some floss and get that piece of vegetable out of there. AWESOME.
Using your blog to vent a whole bunch of jumbled thoughts just because you need to get them out somewhere, and having somebody take the time to read through your incoherent rambles and leave you a really sweet and thoughtful comment in response. AWESOME.
Teaching a child something YOU used to do as a kid.
Being a positive story on the news. You know your whole family and all your friends are watching and proud! Or if it’s in paper, they each have their own copy.
Body parts that do unusual things. My daughters can pull their belly buttons out. My friends have shown me eyes that pop out, folded eyelids, and thumbs that look they they have an extra joint. I can drop my shoulders to make it look like they fell out of place.
Hearing an older relative curse for the first time. They taught you not to, but it can be hilarious when they are finally caught!
Mysteriously putting a gift on someone’s doorstep, knocking, and running off. May Day anyone? Try it throughout the year with giving cookies and simple gifts.
Can’t nobody read anymore? Contest is CLOSED!
talking to someone you havent talked to in a really long time is pretty awesome!!
Congrats to whoever won!
Scratching an itch or mosquito bite.
…how about when the rain starts pouring down on your perfect camping trip, and instead of packing it in for a challenging game of uno by candle light, (I have such a hard time with uno! Dont laugh!) you take a deep breath, close your eyes, and jump off the dock into the freezing cold water. The sound of the rain hammering down on the lake as you become submerged in that icy muffled world makes you forget all about the blazing hot sun, and the toasted marshmallows. It makes you realize that when the clouds start rolling in and your plans for that great sun tan are fading away, maybe its time to change it up a bit and get ready for some relaxing, cold and very wet….AWESOME!
Just had to add a few awesome things that came to mind…
-watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid.
-being a kid and seeing your teacher outside of school, like in a store or restaurant.
-finding that perfect spot of sunlight streaming through a window and sitting in it, soaking up that perfect feeling of sunlight on your back.
-watching a child blow out birthday candles at his or her birthday party.
A bouquet of Wild violets
When you take the time to painstakingly pick a bunch of wild violets, you will be rewarded with a fistful of deep purple splendor. And not only that, but the scent is an ethereal indescribable aroma with a hint of spice! Best thing is to find a patch, park yourself right in the middle and gently slide your fingers down each stem, gently tugging the blossom loose. Hold them in one hand, adding the stems one at a time. It’s going to take a while, so be patient. Keep smelling as you go-the scent grows stronger as you add more flowers. You’ll know when you get enough. Trim the stems and put the bouquet in a tea cup. Enjoy.
Current information – Lots O Fish, the World’s Largest Free of charge Dating Site, announced that they will start charging for memberships as of July 4th. If you’ve at any time compensated for a dating web page you already know that LotsOfish.com has much more members than almost every other courting web page, and it has usually been totally free. Just wanting to give my fellow members here a heads up, simply because who doesnt like a good Free courting web site. So obtain a free of charge lifetime membership, but do it before July 4th! After that it will most likely be expensive like all of the rest.not certain of registration web page, but the web page is right here Free dating Websiteif this may be the completely wrong place for this please move it… i couldn’t come across a “public service” catagory (pehaps we could include a single?)
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i went to the phillip island chocolate factory last year! it is totally epic – they’ve even got a life size chocolate replica of michelangelo’s “david”.
awesome.
btw i’ve asked my family for a copy of ‘the book of awesome’ for my birthday on the 1st of feb. if i get one, i’ll send in a photo ;D
xx
There are over 2000 comments on this thing…but who can resist the awesomeness of awesome field trips? :)
What is TRULY awesome is the fact that you have a photo of a little obscure Australian chocolate factory on Phillip Island in Victoria. My kids have been here on a school excursion and it is REALLy awesome. you can make your own flavoured chocolate from spinach to chilli flavours and they have all sorts of wierd things made of chocolate check it out at http://www.phillipislandchocolatefactory.com.au
Wow! What an amazing journey this has been; mixed with business, family and friends, I’m happy to have experienced this adventurous field trip.
I had no idea how huge this was when I joined Dec.31st.2010.
I especially admired Freddo’s love-ly policing and alter-ego of Neil.
Pages 19- 22 are my favs. Rachel, “I’m being swallowed by a moon shadow,” great relate and laugh. Mathew on #549. Jimmy-jive64, heart felt.
Mandy’s awesome journal. AND she taught, “heads up” means good luck. So when someone throws something…”good luck on the catch”…confused somewhere along the way?!
Oh and I love the one, “When you discover someone has your back!”
Yasmin, page 21, beautiful.
Dee, on origami, last page.
*The best thing about growing up in and around Vancouver, were the field trips; far too many great ones to list; but I will say the ones to the big parks, the ocean; Capilano and Lynn Canyon were my favs.
Rec beach, both enlightening and frightening at 11 years of age.
Although not by bus, but small chartered airplane, Paris, grade 8.
Alaska, by way of the last sailing of “The Northland Prince”, grade 10…mostly spectacular!
As an adult, I was invited as a chaperone. The hikes with some of the healthier teachers, were wonderful. And when too many parents wanted to go, and my name was drawn, for a week long field trip, from where we live now, to Vancouver with 2 grade seven classes, I was ecstatic! What a win!!!
I was able to re-experience high-lights of Vancouver, with some children who’d never been out of the 3,000 population town we were living in. To hear and see them; all their senses wide open at the ocean, there are no words I could use to explain.
We were “after-hour students, in the walls of the Aquarium”; then rolled out sleeping bags and slept there with the Belugas! Well, not much sleep really! TOO MUCH FUN!
*Neil, your way with words on every subject tells-tale that Montessori, Waldorf, Open Learning; Free school/exploratatory, hands-on eduaction does. The way you speak of your attentive parents who opened your eyes; to make every single thing matter more; be thought about and explored some more…make for a field trip every day of life.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the awesome bus ride.
HA! I spelled education incorrectly! HA! When you can laugh at yourself=)
Thank you! Is it alright to put a number of this on my site if I include a link returning to this site?
I took a fieldtrip to New Hirizons in 5th grade
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I love those half joke replies you give and receive with friends when you ask a question like “what’s new” every time you see them and you know that the same joking answer will come each time, and you look forward to that answer even though you know what it’s going to be.
When you win some small little contest at your local store like guessing how many jelly beans are in a container
When you go to adjust your glasses or hat… And then you realize your not wearing them! Sort of a “oh,whoops” moment where you can just sort of smile and quietly laugh at yourself.
When after half a dozen bad jokes you finally make a good one
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