In which Calvin learns to make fire

I'm hoping to work backward to fill in some gaps here... So I'll start with today! Best field trip ever, says Calvin. His class spent the day at Rancho San Antonio, learning about how the Ohlone Indians once lived. They learned about how local trees and plants were put to use for medicine, tools, and more, and spent hours in a replica village learning how the people played, lived, and hunted. (Cheryl, we thought of you — I've been seeing buckeyes for years, but only learned that's what they were this year! Did you know they were used in fishing — as poison?!)

Calvin threw a blunt spear in a game designed to teach Ohlone children hunting skills, but couldn't bring himself to touch sinew used to tie on arrowheads. It was little-boy heaven! The crowning moment: being chosen to help create fire with good ol' friction and sticks.

Calvin came home, face streaked with body paint made from wet stones, and raced through his homework so he could spend the afternoon playing Indians with Finn. He had fruit and nuts for snack — because that's what Indians would eat — but had no misgivings about deploying a hot glue gun to stick feathers to his "spear."

The boys made simple cardboard headdresses, fashioned wooden dowels into feathered spears, and pretended to have a powwow. Calvin's begging to go searching for bay nuts to toast (I didn't even know bay trees produced nuts), yerba buena to brew medicinal tea, and so on. I think the time has come to finally make our own bows and arrows.

Doug came home to find all three of us with painted faces, Native American drums playing on the stereo, and all manner of makeshift weaponry around the house. He barely got his coat off before Calvin showed off a slideshow of pictures from one of the best school days ever. If only they were all so much fun!