Field Trip

Leia's last 3rd grade field trip was to the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks.
 
Hubby and I have lived in the county for a looooong time and we didn't even know there was a Chumash museum.
 The Chumash didn't have drums; they used  clapper sticks instead.

Turns out it's pretty cool.
 
A Chumash elder told stories (they were educational, but don't tell the kids. . .),
 
the kids made abalone necklaces,
 
using sand and their fingers to polish the shells -
 
and then we hiked down the dusty trail - keeping a sharp eye out for rattlesnakes - to the full-size Chumash huts where the kids could explore at will.
 
The weather was cooperative - slightly overcast and cool - and the bugs were tiny and cute(ish).
 
All in all, a great day and a nice way to (almost) end a fun school year.