Posted in Field Trips
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Over the last couple of weeks, I have been preparing for a Charlotte Mason Discussion Group that I will be hosting at my home. It's good to read back through CM books and notes I've taken previously and websites, etc. It reminds me of where I should be in educating my children. Last Friday I had the thought that we needed to take a field trip. We are studying Ancient Rome and I kept trying to think of a way to get mosaics in. I have a hard time with the construction paper cut in squares glued onto other construction paper. I guess it gets the idea across of making a picture with little squares.
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Posted in Field Trips
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Isn't it amazing how when you return from a vacation, even if the vacation was only a couple of days, that it takes time to "recover" from it? We went to Niagara Falls, Canada two weeks ago for four days and I feel like our household is just now getting back to "normal". Weird. Our vacation was great. It was sunny and 70 degrees the entire time. We stayed at Embassy Suites that overlooks the falls. The price of the hotel was a little more that what we might normally pay, but we got so much. We stayed in a suite that had a living room area, a small area with a microwave and refrigerator and a bedroom. With 3 children, that was nice because the oldest slept on the pull out sofa in the living room. Plenty of room for everyone.
 The hotel included a breakfast buffet that was out of this world. There were omelet chefs and you could get eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc, etc. We took the kids to eat breakfast around 10 or 10:30 and that lasted through lunch. For dinner we went to a local grocery store and got frozen dinners and stuff for salads and sandwiches and sat in our room looking at the falls while we ate. Since we did that, we didn't feel the need to go up in the Skylon Tower and have dinner. That was $35 a person!
 Yes, we did go on the Maid of the Mist. "Maid of the Mist" sounds so delicate, but it was quite the adventure. Despite the perfect weather, when we got to the base of the falls, the boat rocked and we were pelted with rain. My 4 year old son will tell you right out that he hated that ride. The rest of us loved it. My daughters brought home their blue ponchos for souvenirs.
 We also got to see a rainbow on the falls every day.
  We had plenty of opportunity to stand and look at the falls and just marvel at the enormity of it all. We were reminded of God's power every time we stood there and heard the thundering of the water pouring over the edge to the depths below. In his own words, my 4 year old son explained to the rest of us that God spoke the falls into being because that's all God has to do if He wants to make something.
I could go on rambling about this trip. It was one of the best vacations of my life and it was one of those where I didn't want to leave. So I'll just add a few more pictures here and stop typing.
Hubby got a picture of me doing what I always do - taking pictures.
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Posted in Field Trips
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Posted in Field Trips
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The last Saturday of July is always the Hanover Dutch Festival. There are lots of food vendors, craft vendors, etc. This particular festival had a German flair to it. The area was originally settled by German immigrants. During the festival you can listen to a German band and see german dancers. Of course we enjoy doing all of this and again, I count it as school in my mind, but don't tell the children. They just think they are having fun. We are able to count the music and dancing as music appreciation and social studies (world cultures). Any time I go to one of these festivals, my husband teases me because I like to get italian sausage and funnel cakes. He tells me the festival is an excuse to indulge in these treats. So now, I'm trying to figure out a way to include the funnel cakes and italian sausages in our portfolio. ;-) This year, as part of the festival, I learned that there were many facilities in the area giving free tours. Yesterday we went to the firehouse that houses a museum and we went to the post office. While we were at the fire house, the newspaper arrived and today we are in the paper. I'm not sure how long this link will be any good, but I'll post it anyway because the paper quoted me. I tried to choose my words very carefully and I feel they didn't misrepresent anything I said. http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_10005912 We truly did enjoy the tour. My husband is a professional firefighter and it was neat to see some of the antique stuff and how it worked. |
Posted in Field Trips
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The 4th of July in Gettysburg is an event that lasts 3 or 4 days (at least). Typically, we stay home away from all the crowds and tourists. In the evening, we usually trek over to Hanover, Pa (about 7 miles away from our house) to see fireworks. This year, the weather forecast is calling for rain, so I figured fireworks were not a possiblity this year. Instead, we decided to go to Gettysburg to see what we would find. Here is what we found: A surgeon's tent where he showed us the bone saw and a metatarsal knife. I actually started getting light headed so I had to quit listening. I felt I couldn't leave because the kids were fascinated. There was also a bowl of (fake) hands and feet sitting on the ground next to this table.  A woman making lace by hand that dd9 had to get her picture with. Notice that dd had to dress according to this occasion, but I would be shocked if she didn't.  The Lincoln Train Museum where we took a virtual train ride with Abraham Lincoln.  The Rupp House where we learned about how a woman hid with her six children in the basement during the battle. Then she decided to cross town with her children and her valuable possessions through enemy territory to a safer place. (I have a great respect for this woman considering I have a hard enough time going to the grocery store with 3 children.) This gentleman at the Rupp House is showing us a gun used during the time.  At one point, ds4 spotted what we call a "real-life army guy". This was an active serviceman in his fatigues. Ds kept staring and the soldier waved to him. I turned and shook his hand and thanked him for his service to our country. I explained that our family appreciates the freedoms we have and realize that it's because of his service that we have them. He actually started to tear up. He took the American flag off his uniform and gave it to my son. (Note: I thank those guys every chance I get. Toby Keith's song Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue runs through my head when I see them. Especially the part where he says "...There's a lot of men dead so we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads") I didn't tell my children that any of this was school. I purchased paper doll books for all three kids and it's neat to see them so interested. Dd9, my reluctant reader, keeps reading and "teaching" me all about 19th century clothing. On the way home, we stopped by a homeschool family owned fruit stand/pottery store and purchased corn on the cob for our 4th of July "feast". Now we are home and it's raining. The girls are cutting out paper dolls and ds4 is playing with his plastic Civil War soldiers that he got today. He has informed me many times that his soldiers have "saved the day". It's been a good homeschool day. |
Posted in Field Trips
We decided to visit my mom for her birthday this year. We hadn't been to Pittsburgh since last August and I felt it was time to go. Although it cost us $100 in gasoline (a reality that occurred to me at the end of the trip), it was well worth it. On the day we arrived, we celebrated her birthday with food from the grill and a chocolate peanut butter cake the kids and I made. The next day, we took the "T" downtown and walked around the city for a bit and met my mom for lunch. The city is getting ready for the Three Rivers Arts Festival (that we attended last year).
Here is a picture taken at One Gateway Center.
 Then we headed over to the Gateway Clipper for a sightseeing tour. The weather couldn't have been better. It was in the mid 70's with little humidity. Perfect!
 Oh, and when visiting Pittsburgh, you cannot get away from the Black and Gold. It's just everywhere!
 While eating lunch with my mom at Macy's, my kids and I couldn't help but notice the bookstore right there. After we ate and my mom had to go back to work, we went to check it out. To my amazement, all the books were bargain priced. The books were all new and most were priced between $1 and $3. Since we will be studying Ancient Rome and Astronomy next, I scooped up a bunch of books on those topics. They also had nature field guides with list prices of $5 to $7 all for $1 each. I purchased one of each. I love finding a good bargain. The only problem was that we were on foot and I had to carry these books for the rest of our day. Dd (10) and dd(9) actually offered to help me carry them.
It was a good day in Pittsburgh!
Our trek back home was via I-68 that goes through West Virginia and Maryland. I wanted the kids to see Sideling Hill in Maryland (south of Breezewood, Pa - I think). There are picnic tables there and a little museum (free admission) displaying the various types of rock in the layers that can be seen in the cut. On a clear day, you can see for miles from this spot. It is absolutely beautiful.
To my amazement, the kids actually seemed interested in this. I think it's because I didn't tell them it was "school".
 "Little Man" really liked the bears inside the museum.
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We enjoyed 4 fabulous days at Cowan's Gap State Park near McConnellsburg, Pa. In Pennsylvania we are blessed with our state parks. We went to Cowan's Gap on Memorial Day and stayed in one of their cabins for 3 nights. Our favorite cabin is cabin K because it has an outdoor patio under cover with a fireplace. So if it rains, you can still have a fire. This time, we were in Cabin C, which was just as enjoyable. We like the week right after Memorial Day since it's still considered off season, but it's warm enough to swim (usually). The cost of renting a cabin in a Pa state park is only $33 a night. There are no bathrooms in the cabins, but they are close by and they are clean. I don't know about other state parks, but Cowan's Gap's cabins have a full size refrigerator and an electric stove with oven. This helps to keep the cost of this vacation very low. Here are some pictures of our trip. My husband taught the girls how to make a fire with flint and steel.
  We took many nature walks and found abundant wildlife.
  One day, some good friends of ours came to visit. When I took ds(3) to the bathroom, he found a snake on the driveway that was flattened. He picked it up with a stick and couldn't wait to show his friends. When we arrived back at the cabin, his friend found a snake just like my son's except his was alive!!!!!
  This one found a salamander.
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Posted in Field Trips
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We attended a Greek Festival in Camp Hill, Pa today and we had a blast. It took us about an hour to drive there, but it was worth it. There was lots of food, Greek dancing, music, art and a tour of the church which included a history of the orthodox church dating back to 25 A.D. It was fascinating.
 The food was amazing. They had an "A La Carte" section where we ordered. We put all of the food on the table like a little buffet and everyone got to taste everything. I didn't try anything I didn't like. Did I say the food was amazing? Oh yes, and they had desserts, too. Just amazing. I even tried a Greek coffee. It got a little gritty toward the bottom of the cup, but it was very good. I guess I drank it around 4:30. Right now it's close to midnight and I think I'm still feeling a little buzz.
 The traditional dancing left me a little envious. My mother's family is Serbian Orthodox and all of my cousins had the opportunity to learn the traditional Serbian dances while we were growing up. If I lived closer to Pittsburgh, my kids would learn those dances as well. As it stands, we live in a cultural wasteland where zoning denies any culture from infiltrating into our area unless you count tattoo parlors as art. (Ooh, did I say that out loud?) Anyway, we had a great time and I highly recommend this festival as a field trip.
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Posted in Field Trips
Our homeschool group raised money through various fundraisers to get a bus to take us to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Once there, each family could do their own thing according to their homeschooling goals and objectives. At the Inner Harbor you can find The National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Maryland Science Center, USS Constellation, USS Torsk (submarine) , Baltimore's World Trade Center. .JPG)  We had a great time "Finding Nemo". We also spotted Dorey there.
The trip was well worth it. Although Baltimore is only about an hour and a half drive from where we live, getting the bus was worth it. I wasn't stressed when we got there because I didn't have to navigate city traffic or find a parking space AND I had a chance to talk to friends during the trip.
The giant Barnes & Noble bookstore right next to the aquarium was a huge temptation to me (there are four floors!!). It took all there was in me NOT to go there. My kids even commented that I should stop staring at the bookstore and get into the aquarium FAST!! Oh well, maybe next time.
.JPG) Did I mention that our trip was on a bus with a bathroom? Once my little man learned this, he had to go to the bathroom an awful lot! The picture above is about his 5th trip to the bathroom in about 20 minutes.
Two other moms in our group posted about this trip on their blogs. |
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We felt like the Griswold's trekking cross country in the family truckster to visit family on both sides of the Mason Dixon Line in August. We started our trip visiting as many Pittsburgh sites as we could including Kennywood where our family fun day was threatened and cut short due to tornado warnings. |
Posted in Field Trips
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What a fantastic way to document a family trip! We went to Washington, D.C. in March and my kids are still showing off their trip journals to everyone who comes over. The model I followed for this project is from the SimplyCharlotteMason.com website http://simplycharlottemason.com/progress/index.php/cm-time-savers/narration-ideas/trip-journal/ . This website has a blank trip journal that you can print out. We modified it only slightly to suit our families needs. Our trip journal is on 8.5 X 11 and is broken into sections as follows:
The route we took- This section includes blackline maps where they drew a red line to show which way we went. The other option is to get a map and have the kids draw a line on the route you took. There is also an outline map of the United States. As the children spotted license plates from around the country, they colored in the respective state.
My Trip Journal - This section includes any writings or drawings they did on the trip. I made a scavenger hunt page with all the national monuments that we would see on the Mall. The children labeled them and checked them off as we saw them.
My Trip in Pictures - I gave each child a disposable camera to take pictures of whatever they felt was important on the trip. We went at the peak of the cherry blossoms and they have some fantastic pictures. This section of the book is the photos they took with captions and journaling.
Guest Pages - These pages are blank. Whenever they share their journal with someone, they ask them to write a comment and sign their names on these pages.
I feel this was worthwhile. The kids seemed to get so much out of the trip and memories are reinforced with each sharing. As they share, they also get to practice their oral narration. |