I Survived a 5th Grade Field Trip

My youngest son recently had his 5^th grade field trip to the Aquarium located at Pine Knoll Shores on Emerald Isle, NC. At the request of his teacher, I was asked to accompany him, as were many other parents asked to come with their children. It was a wonderful experience that I will always remember no matter how hard I try.

All the kids could bring their Nintendo DS’s or any other electronic gadget. So that night he charged up his while I loaded the tablet with as much of his favorite TV shows and videos on it. I packed both of our backpacks with the most essential items that we were going to need; a tablet, comic books, lots of soda, chips and junk food. Coming home that night I wish I’d included aspirin.

We got to school just as the two charter busses arrive.  After the usual mayhem of organized chaos, we all were loaded up and ready for a three hour tour ride to the aquarium. A few parents chose to drive their personnel car. Due to the high cost of fuel these days, I considered them the lucky ones after 30 minutes of seating on a charter bus seat. Not much leg room with little cushion to relax.

But the kids didn’t mind for once we left school, one of the teachers started a movie for everyone to watch. My son loved it because we were sitting right in front of the TV set. I immediately started reading a book, Zits Zombie Parents, the perfect book on how to handle teenagers. Three hours of seat shuffling later we arrived at the aquarium as the organized chaos disembarked and for the next few hours we all enjoyed ourselves.

We saw a presentation on jelly fish and took lots of pictures being in front of sharks, turtles and all other kinds of fish imaginable. The only thing that really got him excited was the machine that flattens out a penny into different shapes for 50 cents. For me it was the Dairy Queen shop by the gift shop. It was lunch time and I was starving.

But after all the fun times there we drove to a picnic area near Fort Macon where we all pigged out on prepared school lunches and home cook foods. My son and I ate junk food and soda from a 2 liter drink. Afterwards we were all herded to the beach for a class picture which became the best part of the trip as there were a lot of women on the beach getting a tan.  They quickly became surrounded by 5^th graders, their parents and teachers. A few women were unable to quickly move away due to the fact they had the top bikini strap undone.

So as all the kids were lined up with the ocean behind them, everyone else was taking their pictures as every dad was trying to get a look at all those women sun bathing or playing in the water. A few female teachers were making joking comments about all of us guys trying to sneak a peek but something else did come to the attention to everyone else. As we heading back to the bus we notice that these 5^th grade boys were also looking at the women on the beach. It was easy to spot them for they were moving their heads and not their eyes.

And so everyone is loaded back on both buses as we drove to Fort Macon. A few blocks away as an invasion force of 5^th graders transformed this quiet place into a warzone of noise and activity. My son started a trend. He ran up to the cannon in the lobby, stuck he whole arm in it and asked for volunteers to blow it up. Within a minute every kid in the place wanted their arm blown up.

But we walked around the place as kids stuck body parts in all the cannons, ran from room to room and simply enjoyed the view of the ocean from atop the place. After a visit to the gift shop to buy some confederate money we all headed back to the bus for our three hour adventure back home. Unable to get comfortable the entire time, I felt like a sardine in a can. But there were a few good moments on the way home.

As we were coming up to Havelock, a few of us noticed a lot of jet fighters in the air. We figured an air show must be going on at the Cherry Point Marine Base for there was a lot acrobatic flying going on. We even notice a lot of people just sitting out in their yards or shopping areas watching these planes fly around.

But as we drove on past the town I struggled the entire way as I was not getting a migraine headache.

Once back at the school I had our backpacks in hand as the doors opened up as my son and I bolted for the car and were half way home before anyone else left the school. Once home my son was non-stop talk as I handed all the souvenir stuff and camera to my wife as I drank a ½ bottle of Nyquil and went straight to bed. I didn’t even eat anything for dinner.

If someone asked me to do that all over again I would still say yes. The reason is very simple. Just as I was falling asleep, my son came into the bedroom and told me how much fun he had being with me. He even promises to let me sit by the window next time so I could rest more easily. I fell asleep as he was still talking to me. But the last thing I clearly remember is him telling me that I’m a great dad.