 |
|
Our chilly children and their “dark,”
“crumbly” California sand castle.
|
The verdict is in. The Pacific Ocean is colder than the Atlantic Ocean according to our children. True, we weren’t visiting Southern California. We were staying in Pacifica, California, just south of San Francisco.
“The water’s too cold!” Our son proclaimed as we shivered trying to allow the waves to wash over our feet.
I got up to my knees. The children, however, ran back to dry sand. And that’s another beef the kids had.
“The sand is too thick!” The twins complained as they tried to make their sand castles stick together.
“We’re not on a tropical island, you know,” I told them.
My husband put it another way.
“You guys have come all the way across the United States—a whole continent—and all you can think of is how much you like our warm South [New] Jersey beaches better than this northern California beach?” My husband asked them, dumbfounded.
I had to agree with him. Look what we’ve just done. We’ve traversed a continent. This was ridiculous!
But it is interesting. Although Pacifica is warmer than our little piece of New Jersey, the Pacific Ocean is indeed colder.
So I told the children we should research a bit. “Let’s stop at one of the marinas to question the experts about it.”
All of them—including my husband—rolled their eyes at me. It must have been the “r” word I dropped. I didn’t realize it at the time.
“We’re all about learning new things together, remember?” I told them. “Right, Dear? I looked for confirmation from my husband. “Especially when we camp with five kids in nature.”
A hush fell over the trailer. We were getting ready for bed at the time. Then the whispering began. My husband started it. He whispered something to our family Brainiac, our second daughter.
“It’s the warm gulf stream in the Atlantic that keeps New Jersey’s beach water warmer,” she spouted.
My eyes widened.
Then our son piped up. “The Atlantic Gulf Stream goes north along the coastland.”
“Really,” I asked, impressed.
My husband steamed up his ear again.
“Yes, Mom.” Our son beamed. “It comes from the Caribbean and heads up to Greenland.”
“But why was the Atlantic so cold when we visited Maine last summer?” I asked him.
It was his turn to widen his eyes. “Dad?”
I tried to conceal a smile but couldn’t.
My husband rolled his eyes again. “Because the warm gulf stream bounces off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and heads out to sea,” he finally said. “Any beach north of the Cape is colder.”
“But what about the Pacific Ocean, Daddy?” Our oldest daughter asked.
My husband addressed all of us in the trailer. “In the Pacific, the current runs down the coast coming from Alaska.”
“That’ll make it cold!” The oldest said.
I looked over at the twins. Their eyebrows were still knit. “What’s the problem, angels?” I asked. “I think Daddy answered the question pretty well.”
“But why is the sand so dark and heavy?” One twin asked.
“Well now you’re talking about the geology of the land,” I said. I looked at my husband. He just shrugged. “Hmm,” I said. “Maybe we should find a geologist or a museum.”
“No!” The other children chorused.
I looked at the twins. It was their turn to shrug. So I told them what I thought.
“It’s probably from the waves hammering at the dark rocks along the coastline in California. I’m sure the thicker shells and the forests and plant matter along the coast help to make the sand darker and thicker too.”
They seemed to be satisfied with this explanation. As long as their sand castles held together!
Children are sponges. They really do want to know everything. It’s just that they don’t want to search for information while on vacation. Our children didn’t mind my seeking out a park ranger for clarification, but they didn’t want to make a specific side trip to a museum to find out further information.
When we got home, I researched on my own about why the water was colder in the Pacific at California beaches. The kids and I found researching fun and interesting.
It was more difficult to find a good site about California’s sand. Sand is indeed a product of its location, from rocks, plants, and sea shells. This site offered some pictures and explanation of sand in general.
Have you ever shared the extent of your knowledge with your children? They’re a great audience and can easily ask enough questions to surpass what you know. Do your children like to research with you for answers or would they rather wait for you to figure it out and explain it to them?
Enjoy your holidays!
Enjoy your holidays!
Hi Maria – it's keeping one step ahead of them, and two of yourselves! Questions, questions, questions … we be the source for their sponges … bet you get a complete range of thought processes …
Interesting though to read about your thoughts re the difference between cold and warmer oceans – all true! cheers Hilary
Hi, Hilary! Thanks so much for your thoughts on this here at Camping with Five Kids. Parents definitely need to keep one step ahead of our children. I was very proud of my husband jumping right in there during our family discussion. Between the two of us, we helped satisfy the children’s questions—at least until we got home.
Enjoy your holiday season, my dear.
My son doesn't talk yet, but I'm sure he'll ask lots of questions when he does.
Great post! I always learn something new.
The time to worry is when they are no longer asking questions and the tables have turned and you are asking them! Such is life.
Thank you for your kind words, Michelle. They are greatly appreciated. Oh. My. Gosh! Once your son starts to talk, there will be no stopping him if he's anything like my kids.
It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Camping with Five Kids. Merry Christmas to you and your family, my dear!
Boy, is that true, sir! If we are truly blessed, our children will always seek our counsel. Thanks so much for your comment on Camping with Five Kids. I hope you are well. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Sounds like your trip offered some great teachable moments. I always learn the best when I experience something and ask questions. Glad you and your husband could answer their questions and that they were interested to find out more when you located information and videos. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! I learned some new things.
~Jess
Our trips usually do offer teachable moments–even for me. The park rangers have a wealth of info that they share at programs offered at National Parks.
It's my pleasure to share what we've learned with wonderful people like you, Jess, who follow Camping with Five Kids. Thanks so much for your comment. Enjoy your holidays!