We have been doing an in-depth study on Napoleon Bonaparte for the last several weeks, learning lots of details from his birth to his rise to power to his Waterloo.  When we were first discussing Napoleon, the kids and I commented that the actor/interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, who portrayed Lafayette and dubbed my son "the young historian", would do a good job portraying Napoleon.  I don't know why, but we could easily imagine him in the character. Maybe it's because of his French accent.

Anyway, in the course of our studying Napoleon's numerous battles as his empire increasingly spread across Europe, I thought it would be interesting to see some actual pictures of his campaign.  Of course there was no photography then, but there are reenactors today.  And reenacting has been in the forefront of my mind since visiting Colonial Williamsburg last August. After all, one of Colonial Williamsburg's goals is to make history come alive through experience. I decided to research Napoleonic reenactments.  

Wow!  I found some interesting stuff to show the kids!  Reenactors in Europe have been in the middle of the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's various campaigns. And who should they invite from America to portray Napoleon?  None other than the actor who portrays the Marquis de Lafayette from Colonial Williamsburg, who we thought could do Napoleon.  Apparently this actor/interpreter/historian enjoys portraying Napoleon in his free time!  My kids especially enjoyed one piece of trivia we had read about these reenactments.  According to the European news sources, the actor/interpreter does an excellent job portraying Napoleon (we can believe that) and is an excellent horseman (we can believe that from seeing him gallop his horse through CW), unlike Napoleon, who was known to fall off of  horses during his campaigns.  I don't know how much validity there is to Napoleon falling off of his horse since we haven't read about it in any of our books.  But it was certainly amusing! 

Apparently this actor/interpreter has also portrayed Napoleon on the History Channel.  I know my kids would really enjoy seeing him portray Napoleon, and a teacher/mom uses anything at her disposal to inspire learning and maintain the interest. (Especially when my kids quickly decided they didn't like Napoleon after reading about him and I feared that any future lessons were forever doomed.  It's only been this actor/interpreter who has livened things up a bit!) I've been checking the tv listings at the History Channel for anything Napoleonic.  If I find any shows to tape my kids will have fun looking for him, and perhaps learn more about Napoleon!

Here are some great Napoleon reenactment photos and videos.  My kids enjoyed seeing these as they made the battles they had read about more realistic.

Photos from the Battle of Austerlitz-Napoleon's greatest victory

Photos from the Battle of Borodino-impressive pyrotechnics!

Video from the Battle of Borodino-great epic music!

Video from the Battle of Waterloo-old timey with great music. More reenactment photos and some history are within the site.

Then at Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's other home, I discovered a great on-line video of Thomas Jefferson (whom we met in 2004 at CW)

and Napleon (portrayed by Colonial Williamsburg's Lafayette).  My kids loved this since they had enjoyed previously meeting both actors.  During the hour long video, Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon answer various questions from a group of middle school students.  It was priceless to hear not onlyThomas Jefferson's perspective of Napoleon's style of leadership, but also to see his reaction to Napoleon's opinions! The expressions on my kids' faces were classic too! The actors' interpretations of Jefferson and Napoleon brought to life the pages my kids had read in their books.  Even though we had already discussed the Louisiana Purchase, the Declaration of Independence, Code Napoleon, democracy vs dictatorship, etc, my kids were able to view these ideas as through different lenses.  It was interesting to get Napoleon's perspective of his actions, because it shed light on what drove the man to conquer the world. 

After the video, my kids poured forth their reactions to Napoleon's view points.  They were incredulous how he justified everything.  That gave us fresh opportunity to approach his dictatorship from the perspective of various peoples of Europe. Specifically we focused on the lower class of France.  Napoleon claimed he was not a dictator.  For proof, he said the people were happy.  For the first time in their history, the chains of feudalism were gone and they had equality and liberty. Also they had "chosen" him to be their leader. My son was bothered by this because Napoleon was really a dictator who didn't offer a lot of choices to his people.  Their rights were not as free as Americans had in the United States.  I asked him who brought an end to the French Revolution and stabilized France?  Reluctantly, he admitted that it was Napoleon. What were the living conditions of the lower class prior to the Revolution? For generations upon generations, feudalism mandated allegiance to the nobles, no say in government, heavy taxation to support the king (and Marie Antoinette), poverty, hunger which led to the storming of the Bastille, the French Revolution, the guillotine, many temporary governments who could not bring control to the terror...at long last the people were supportive of this man who brought peace, control, and made their quality of life better than they or their ancestors had previously known.  We talked again about Code Napoleon, the civil law Napoleon put into effect for all people under his rule. We compared that to America where we have local laws, state laws and federal laws. But under Code Napoleon, all the people of France were under the same law as the people across conquered Europe, and for a time, Louisiana.  Even today, some countries and Louisiana continue to use parts of Code Napoleon for their law.  Isn't that interesting?  Then we compared that to how the upper class perceived Napoleon. The elite despised him for making the lower class equal to them.  Even though the Marquis de Lafayette willingly risked his fortune and worked for equality and freedom for France, he did not condone Napoleon's dictatorship. Lafayette had been to America and knew what true liberty could look like.  It was his dream that this type of freedom would become part of his people and his country, and from his perspective, Napoleon was missing the mark. Even Simon Bolivar, liberator of South America, admired Napoleon when he first brought stability to France.  But after he became monarch, Bolivar's perspective of him soured as he committed himself to free his own country from oppression, but vowed to never take over his own country as Napoleon did. We talked about the perspective of the monarchs of the surrounding nations who feared Napoleon's seizure of their countries.  Within those conquered nations, we considered the perspective of the common people who had a taste of freedom for the first time, without a monarchy, under Code Napoleon.  Opinions of Napoleon were/are all a matter of perspective.  Historically, we cannot deny the influence Napoleon had on the world. 

From our perspective today, we can see how the poor cheered Napoleon, the elite despised him, the educated were frustrated with him, those in the surrounding countries feared him, the conquered common people accepted him, while Americans kept their distance from him. Interestingly, Napoleon admired George Washington.  My kids wrote comparison/contrast papers on how they perceived these two memorable men.  Had Napoleon made choices like George Washington, hmmmmmm....what would the world be like today?   

Before we went to the IMAX last week, we ate Mexican food on the riverwalk. 

 We had two types of waiters:  the ones on my left who patiently served us food and drink...and the feathered ones on my right who impatiently waited on us to give them our food. 

Here is a greedy duck hogging a tortilla all to himself (obtained from a nearby table).  There was quite a bit of ruckus and chasing going on but the duck managed to keep the tortilla all to himself.

The Riverwalk almost never existed. Because of constant flood issues and city mess with the San Antonio River in the early 1900s, the city nearly paved over it. After all it was no more than a mere trickle of garbage, that during heavy rains, flooded downtown.  Impassioned citizens set out to save the river and convinced the city with a play called "The Goose that laid the Golden Egg" that the river could become an asset.  An architect envisioned a recreation of Venitian canals with gondolas.  The WPA employed workers to build the riverwalk with local stone from a nearby quarry (by the zoo).  The original stonework can be seen in many of the walkways and bridges today.  However, the riverwalk was still a scene of crime and pollution, with the backdoors of businesses facing the river.  Eventually store and restaurant owners were convinced to open their businesses with access on the river side.   The first restaurant to open facing the river was Casa Rio, where we had lunch.   Today there are ongoing extensions and improvements to the river, with access to the streets throughout most of downtown. Floods are now controlled with flood gates and an underground tunnel for overflow.  Big name hotels and restaurants abound on the river. Whenever we have visitors, the one city trip I usually recommend is the river, which is quite unique. The plants and flowers are huge because of the unique ecosystem.  Located below street level, it is warmer than the city streets in the winter and not affected as much by the rare frost.  Also it is usually a bit cooler than the street level in the summer.

Having tediously made their own mosaics when we studied Ancient Rome a few years ago, the kids can appreciate more intricate craftsmanship when they see it.

Across from the Riverwalk is the Alamo. 

We didn't visit, because we have been there so many times, I don't want to see it the same way again.  Instead, after we study it at the dialectic level in history in a few weeks, we will pay a visit.  It should be interesting seeing it through a fresh perspective.  This was how I approached our vacation to Colonial Williamsburg this year.  My husband had made it an option the year before, but I suggested we postpone the trip until we had studied the American Revolution at the dialectic level.  This produced excellent results as the kids were able to actively engage and experience everything in a new way.  We will also be doing a parallel study of the American Revolution vs. Texas Independence!  Stay tuned!

Last weekend we went to the IMAX theater to see Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West.  The only problem with this movie was that it wasn't detailed enough.  Although we saw everything we had read about, there was more to the adventure.  Of course, they could only squeeze in so much into 45 miniutes.  Nevertheless, it was great to see what we had read about, like the dangerous rapids. 

We read some great books while studying about this great adventure.  How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark  was a colorful, information packed book that gave us the big picture.  My favorite part of Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis and Clark was the letter written by Thomas Jefferson, "Of Merriwether Lewis, of courage undaunted..." and then continued to list his qualities for the expedition.  Meriweather Lewis was not only a cousin of Jefferson's but also like minded in goals and attention to detail.  Part of the job of Lewis and Clark was to make maps and meticulously describe the new flora and fauna they would find on their journey west.  I can apprecite this since I've been to Monticello.  When Thomas Jefferson retired from public life, he returned to his beloved Monticello and gave his full attention to details of architecture, gardening, "science" and inventions.  Jefferson had a very specific daily schedule that surrounded the details of his various hobbies.  Therefore, Jefferson's choice of someone like minded and detail oriented to lead this expedition west, to be his eyes and ears, became clear. In fact, Lewis prepared for the expedition by reading from Jefferson's extensive library at Monticello. Additionally, while at Monticello, one can see the Lewis and Clark discoveries in the foyer of the mansion.  If interested, here are some lesson plans from Jefferson's other home, Poplar Forest.

Author Kate McMullan, who wrote My Travels with Captains Lewis and Clark by George Shannon, is a descendant of the youngest member (sixteen years old) of the Lewis and Clark expedition, George Shannon.  My son enjoyed reading this for literature. Additionally, we used Lewis and Clark: Voices from the Trail that has beautiful color photographs of the places they had been to, with excerpts from the journals of Lewis and Clark.  I got this on the clearance rack at Barnes and Noble a few years ago.  It is now out of print, but I often see similar books like this around.  

My son was so taken by the adventure, that he is doing a fun writing project.  He is pretending that he was on the expedition and writing journal entries of some of his favorite events.  I'll print them in old timey font of his choice onto parchment paper and then he'll sketch a drawing underneath each description.  After the entries are done, we'll bind them to look like a journal of the men on the expedition would have carried.  I'll show pictures when he's done!

One lesser known explorer is Lieutenant Zebulon Pike.  In 1806, Pike was commissioned to find the source of the Arkansas and the Red Rivers, which took him into the dangerous Spanish Territory (today's Colorado).  He was amazed by the majestic blue mountains in the distance (the Rockies).  One of those majestic snow capped peaks was closer than the rest. 

 He and his men attempted to climb to the top of the mountain, but failed to do so, since it was November and the snow and frigid winds impeded the ascent. (The top of a 14,000+ foot mountain duplicates conditions of the North Pole.) Pike said that no man would ever be able to climb that mountain.  Well, we have taken 3 vacations to that mountain named after him...Pikes Peak!  We have successfully gone to the top...once in June and again in August. Even in the summer, the peak is 40 degrees on a sunny day!  brrrr In fact, in the late 1800's, Katherine Lee Bates road a wagon to the top of the mountain.  Inspired by the view, she wrote "America the Beautiful."

After Pike descended the mountain, he explored further in Colorado, heading south.  He and his men were captured by the Spanish.  He was accused of spying.  He claimed that he had no idea he was in Spanish territory. The Spaniards traveled with him on El Camino Real (the King's Highway which was the primary Spanish Road through the Spanish provinces from Mexico to Louisiana), through Santa Fe, Mexico and eventually spending time in San Antonio de Bexar (San Antonio), seat of the Spanish province in Tejas. (Texas) Finally arriving at San Antonio de Bexar (pronounced Be-har, today pronounced Bear), the group rested at Mission San Jose  on the San Antonio River. 

Then they proceeded to the Governor's Palace (today in downtown San Antonio) to meet the Spanish Governor.  (Not as fancy as the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg, is it?)

Eventually he was taken to Louisiana where he was released.  He died in 1813 as a brigadier general, during the War of 1812.   

Zebulon Pike and the Blue Mountain is an interesting documentary that I got in Colorado a few years ago.  I also got The Southwestern Journals of Zebulon Pike 1806-1807.  (This is a rhetoric level book.)  I had known that he had been to present day Colorado Springs, but until I read this I didn't realize he had been to San Antonio under Spanish guard! 

Zebulon Pike: Soldier-Explorer of the American Southwest is an easier version that my kids have read on trips to Colorado. The link above is to Amazon and quite frankly I am surprised at the expense of the book.  I get most of my extra resources from Half Price Books and my copy was only about $4.  A good children's biography could likely be found in the local library.  I did like this book though as it had great illustrations and simple yet informative text. 

Early this summer my husband decided to build cabinetry to make our homeschool room more efficient.  Today the base cabinets were ready to be installed. 

That meant I had to start moving my brain...in other words, all the school books, papers, lesson plans, etc for next week, onto our bed.  I needed to know exactly where everything went and have ready access to it so that I could continue preparing next week's lessons.   I was in the middle of major thought processes and disturbing them could result in a tumultous school week! lol 

Then we had to move everything else into corners of the schoolroom and our bedroom and the kids' rooms. 

Then we started moving the old furniture down to the garage.  First was the tall cabinet on the left side of the above picture.  My husband put it on a dolly and had me go down the stairs first and support it as he came down with it, trying not to let it land on me!  He has so much faith in me, the one who has no muscles!  The things he's had me do, trying to hold 50+ pounds over my head when installing a garage door opener, the mega playset in the backyard, moving railroad timbers to border gardens...my poor back and knee!  As we started coming down the first step, and after our first gulp, I recalled that the cabinet hutch can be removed from the base.  So with great effort I tried pushing and he tried pulling while my daughter tried to pull the dolly out from under my husband and the cabinet.  We finally got the cabinet back to the second floor and he removed the hutch from the base. 

Then he had me help him carry them down the stairs, with me at the bottom, again.  This is quite the feat, not only because I have few if any muscles, but also because I am lacking a balance nerve and have to work extra hard to keep my balance.  We managed!

After we got the cabinet and the old file cabinet downstairs, it was time to bring up the base cabinets he had made, which were much lighter!

Coming up...

Watch out...

Steady there...

We brought up the second cabinet and waited for the first cabinet to inhale to make room for the other cabinet to squeeze in!  Will it fit?

Wow!  It's a perfect fit!  What great measuring my husband did!

Then I went back to lesson planning while he worked on leveling the cabinets and cutting out holes so we could access the electrical hookups. Then he was able to bring the rest of the cabinets up himself.  I think he had our son help him bring up the countertops.

Ta da!

Then he put in some time connecting the countertop to the cabinetry.  After that, he brought up the extension for my desk for a trial run.  He purchased a gorgeous French Country style leg which he needed to cut down to size.  I missed the picture of that.  That still needs to be painted and then he'll set up the extension for good.  In the meantime, I'll continue to work at my old desk.  Pictures of that will be later.

Then I had to get back to work, this time moving all of the files from the old drawers to the new drawers.

The files on the inside corner of the cabinetry hold all the school, design, and vacation planning files.  This is directly behind my desk so I can easily access them.

The more general household and personal files are on the outer edge so they will be easy for my husband to access if I am at my desk. 

I need more hanging file folders for all of these files.

When that was done, it was time to bring all of the school books and lesson planning from our bed to my old desk, which will need to sit in the middle of the room until the extension is ready.

Since this is temporary, I only have immediate books for use for the week at my desk.  That way I don't have to haul all of my other desk supplies and papers off my desk again in another week or so.

I put miscellaneous items on this countertop.  This is temporary. The paint has not completely cured yet.  The drawers were sticking and my hands were sticking when I helped to bring up the cabinets.   Once they're cured, the microscope will go into easy access into a cabinet. 

The curriculum in the pile on the left will go into the back of this cabinet, which is normally dead space.  This curriculum is waiting for my son to grow into.  So anything that I seldom need to access will go into the deep parts of the cabinet.

Then I brought in the rest of the curriculum and misc books that are currently in use or frequently accessed.

The baskets contain art projects and misc items.

These are souvenirs I got from Colonial Williamsburg.  I've been accessing them a few times during school this year and I haven't found a safe place to keep them yet.  I also thought I'd enjoy all this space and display the paintings of the presidents which we have studied so far.  Actually, we will study Madison's term this coming week!  That was fascinating to study! Okay, I'm getting carried away with history again!  lol

Over here in a dead space my husband made a bookshelf.  In the link at the beginning of this entry, you'll see the pictures of our old schoolroom and how I stored history and literature books as we completed reading them behind a partition of the old desk. Sometimes we continue to access these books for reference in the 9 weeks of our TOG unit.  Furthermore they are ready to grab to display during our unit celebrations.  Now I have double shelves and we can store even more!

So that's it for today.  Next my husband will paint the leg and then permanently affix the extension.  Then we get to try and take the old desk down to the garage.  Hmmmmm, that should be interesting. It originally came up in a box and then it was put together.  Then he'll build bookshelves to install over the countertop.  Then he'll build doors for all of the openings to the cabinets.   My husband says he plans to be done by the end of October.

Yesterday we had a great discussion over the events of Thomas Jefferson's presidency, which the kids had read about.  Since a lot of my friends are always looking for extra resources, I thought I'd share one that we used after our discussion yesterday.  In 2004 we got to meet the actor/interpreter who portrays Thomas Jefferson at Colonial Williamsburg. He does an incredible job.  He even looks like Thomas Jefferson! 

There are a lot of articles, videos and podcasts about Thomas Jefferson at the Colonial Williamsburg web site.  We've used them quite a bit since we first started our study of him last spring when we studied the 1700's.  Specifically, after our discussion yesterday, we viewed some videos where he answered some questions about his presidency. 

Jefferson covered every key event of his presidency, all of which our readings and discussions entailed.  The first transfer of power between differing political parties occured, from a Federalist president (Adams) to a Democratic-Republican (Jefferson).  Though peaceful in action, it was emotionally charged.  Then there was the Louisiana Purchase, dealing with the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean, the wars between Britrain and France, the agonizing Chesepeake Incident, the doomed Embargo Act and the hopeful Non-Intercourse Act. Finally, Jefferson brought an end to the slave trade. 

We had read about all these things and more (the Hamilton/Burr duel, the Burr Conspiracy, Marbury vs. Madison, John Marshall and Napoleon).  In our discussion we compared Jefferson's views before he became president to his actions while he was president.  

To follow up with Jefferson's intepretation of his presidency (albeit through an actor/interpretor who also has a history degree!) after our reading and discussions. allowed us to evaluate his terms even deeper.  Although Jefferson argued for America to go to war to the aid of the French Revolution before he was president, he adopted varying policies while he was president.   He did have the navy go to war against the Barbary Pirates and squelch that problem with the muslim terrorists of the 19th century.  However, the problems of our ships being "raided" by the English and French and having our sailors impressed, caused Jefferson to hold back for the protection of our young country.  After all, England was THE worldpower at this time and Napoleon wasn't far behind.  England had conquered Napoleon at sea, but Napoleon was predicting that he would conquer the land.  Napoleon said, "To France the Fates have decreed the empire of the land; to England the empire of the sea." 

 In the end, it wasn't Jefferson's peaceful Embargo policy that solved the problem.  During Madison's term of office, the War of 1812 was launched to attempt to put an end to the "sea raiding" and impressment.  That will be our topic of study next week.   

My son has been excited to start Apologia's rigorous science program with seventh grade General Science. 

The first module is a review of the history of science (and you thought you'd escape a history lesson!  lol)  He had fun reviewing ancient cultures, like Egypt and China,  who dabbled with science before they knew what science actually was.  He reviewed how the early Greeks started to get a foothold in scientific discovery, just to be overshadowed by the Dark Ages.  During the Dark Ages, alchemists enjoyed playing with various chemicals, creating strange concoctions that produced amazing effects (chemical reactions). They had no idea what was happening or why.  Nevertheless, they attempted to produce gold from lead and other substances. Vainless attempts at this is what comes from not understanding science. 

Last year my kids read a great literature book, The Trumpeter of Krakow, while learning about the Dark Ages in history. This is a wonderful 1929 Newberry Award book set in Poland with the main plot line about an actual historical event in Krakow that caused the trumpet's broken note...that is reenacted even today if you visit the city.  A side story was of one alchemist, who scared off the bad guys with his eery concoctions (chemical reactions).  My kids had found this scene most thrilling!

Recently I read aloud GA Henty's A March on London: Being a Story of Wat Tyler's Insurrection.   The hero, who helps to tame the insurrection, has a father who is an alchemist.  When he leaves his father to fight for the king, he is worried about leaving his father defenseless against the impassioned mobs who were certain to threaten their home.  The father assured his son, that with his various chemicals, he had a plan.  My kids anxiously awaited this scene (which didn't come until towards the end of the book), when the hero came home, victorious from taming the insurrections.  On arrival home, the son listened to the story of how his father scared the bejeebers out of the attackers with a glowing, gibbering skull and flashes of light emanating from the property.  Every detail hysterically delighted us!  The book explained in detail how nothing supernatural was going on.   The alchemist merely knew that certain substances produced glowing effects (chemical reactions), although he had no idea why.  

My son got to do a lab to show chemical reactions.   He boiled some cabbage leaves in water.  Then he put some of that and vinegar into an empty soda pop bottle.  He had baking soda in a balloon, which he put onto the neck of the bottle.  When he dumped the baking soda from the balloon into the bottle he got to see all kinds of reactions.  The fizzing  (chemical reaction) produced gas which inflated the balloon.   The cabbage water had been pink.  But after a while it turned blue, because of yet another chemical reaction.   

One thing I like about the Apologia books, is that Dr. Wylie explains exactly what is happening!  My son was able to write a great lab report on the checmical reactions in the experiment and the connections he learned between real science and alchemy. 

This week our history study focuses on President Jefferson's second term in office.  One infamous event we'll be studying will be the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.  Over the course of our history studies, we have learned how men of different eras fought for honor.  Although knights usually jousted for fun with blunt instruments, there were times when heated words led to one on one combant while on horseback with sharp lances. Then there's the wonderful story of The Three Musketeers.  Who can forget D'Artagnan being challenged to separate duels with Athos, Aramis and Porthos, one after the other on the same day!  Fortunately, this led to a long friendship which inspired my son to portray D'Artagnan at our  Year 2 Unit 2 celebration last year.

While we previewed this week's information, my son was certain he knew exactly how the Hamilton/Burr duel was done.  So I told him to act it out with his sister.  They successfully acted out an Old West shoot out!  LOL   I showed them a slide show of the infamous Burk Duel portrayed by actor/interpreters from Colonial Williamsburg.  The kids, especially my young historian, were delighted to recognize the French man from our visit last Aug.  =)  After going through the slide show, I read aloud the commentary from the CW Journal (linked in the "Burk Duel" above).  It was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to make lots of connections with the various topics they've been studying the last few weeks. 

John Daly Burk was a radical Irishman who created conflict wherever he went.  He came to America, to the relief of Great Britain, in 1796.  Settling in Boston, he fervently wore his politics on his sleeve.  Burk was an ardent supporter of Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, who believed in freedom for the peoples at all costs, arguing for America's whole hearted backing in the French Revolution.  John Adams attended one of Burk's plays in Boston, which was about General Warren and his death at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  If anyone has seen the movie, "Johnny Tremain", you'll remember Dr. Warren, one of the masterminds behind the beginning of American Independence in Boston, who surgically frees Johnny's fingers.  Yes, Dr. Warren died at the Battle of Bunker Hill.  John Adams did not like the play.  "My friend, General Warren, was a scholar and a gentleman...Your author has made him a bully and a blackguard."  My son immediately spoke up and said that the Alien and Sedition Acts were going to be the downfall of John Burk.  (I just love it when one of my kids make these connections!)  And yes, we got to that later in the article.  

We have studied President John Adams' impassioned justification for the Alien and Sedition Acts, which most historians agree, were unconstitutional.  Adams, like Washington, wanted to keep America out of war with other countries, feeling that America was too fragile to survive another war.  When Adams was president, he put the Alien and Sedition Acts into effect, punishing anyone with fines, imprisonment and exportation who printed slander against the government. (More particularly he was trying to calm all the "hotheads" who were trying to inspire America to go to war and help the French with their revolution.) Adams felt the acts were necessary to protect America from getting caught up in foreign wars, and in the process, being destroyed.  During this time, Thomas Jefferson was Adam's vice-president and he ardently disagreed with Adams.  Their tatterred relationship came to a bitter end, as Jefferson's Democratic-Republican ideas contrasted with Adam's Federalist ideas.   

Indeed, Burk's Anti-Federalist newspaper articles, that protested America's lack of support of the French Revolution and slandered President Adams, nearly put him in prison under the Sedition Acts.  Burk's friend, Aaron Burr, tried to help him avoid prison and leave the country instead.  In the end, Burk fled to Virginia to hide.  He found a new home in one of Virginia's anti-Federalist towns, where Burk continued to be outspoken.  While in a tavern in 1808, a frenchman by the name of Monsieur Felix Coquebert overheard Burk defame the French as "a pack of rascals."  For the sake of honor, Coquebert made his prescence known.  Angry words led to the challenge of a duel...and Burk met his demise.

Today, the kids are reading about the events leading up to the Burr/Hamilton Duel and the aftermath which led to Burr's trial for treason. Apparently he was trying to take over the Lousiana Territory so that he could rule it as king.  The kids will be evaluating Jefferson's response to the Burr Controversy.  Hmmm,  didn't some of his actions go against the very beliefs he held when he debated President Adams? We will also evaluate Supreme Court justice John Marshall and his decision in the Burr Treason Trial.  Will the kids agree with his decision or disagree?  We should have an interesting discussion on Wednesday!   

It has taken my mind quite some time to get back into the 21st century swing of things after a wonderful vacation to the 18th century. It has helped getting back into the history and literature books (my favorite part of school).  When we finished studying the American Revolution last year, I was really sad.  I felt that everything would be down hill from here historically.  I wasn't getting excited about this school year like I usually do.  This year in history we'll study 1800-1900.  As we have read our books and had our discussions, I am seeing that I still sort of have a foot in the door of the 18th century.  After all, we've been studying the presidencies of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson...the Marquis de Lafayette is still around...and James Madison's presidency is around the corner.  

To top it all off, I have found a wonderful opportunity for homeschoolers via Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.  They are offering a reduced price to access the award winning Colonial Williasmburg Electronic Field Trip series.  I've been eyeing this for years, but it costs $500 per school!  (gasp) Through the homeschool co-op, I was able to sign up for $50! (yea!) This window of opportunity closes on Oct 6.  At that time, depending on the number of homeschoolers that join, I might get in for even cheaper!  Last I saw it was down to $49.  Those who wish can also purchase individual series for a reduced price.

About once a month for seven months, we can access streaming videos on-line that are produced and acted out by the fantastic Colonial Williamsburg  actor/interpreters.  Then some of the actor/interpreters will answer questions live from students around the country! (My young historian has already started forming questions!) Lesson plans, on-line interactives, etc will also be provided.  These videos can be accessed at any time after the original session.  Also there is a forum where the students can ask questions that will be answered by one of the wonderful historians at Colonial Williamsburg.  We watched some samples on a series on slavery.  During the question and answer session, I was extremely impressed with how this sensitive subject was handled and quite pleased with the stance that was taken.   We even recognized a few of the actor/interpreters whom we met last month. 

The first one in the series will be Oct 16. Called "The Will of the People," Thomas Jefferson will discuss bitter presidential elections. Ahem, anyone know about those???? A few weeks ago we had studied the brutal presidential campaign between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Connections will be made between the past and the present.

On November 13, "Yorktown" will air.  The kids are hoping the Marquis de Lafayette will be in this one.  We think we heard his voice in the preview.

"Making History Live" will premiere on December 11.  We'll go behind the scenes to learn how Colonial Williamsburg prepares their actor/interpretors.  This one should be a lot of fun, since we posed lots of questions amongst ourselves while we were at CW in Aug.

Then "In Pursuit of Science" will be aired on January 15.  From seeing the previews, this one also looks like a lot of fun.  We recognize some of the science from our books on Benjamin Franklin last spring.

On February 19, "Freedom Bound" will premiere.  Covering slavery and the Underground Railroad, this will be perfect timing for our studies on the same subject leading into the Civil War.

"Remember the Ladies" will air on March 26.  My daughter, especially, should enjoy this one.  Something she and I have realized in the last couple of years, is that history is full of lots of "guy" things.  It will be fun to get a lady's perspective!  ;)

Finally, "Soldier of Liberty" will air on April 23.     

I plan to accomodate the rest of our subjects around this.  It should be a terrific way to interject a little fun of a different venue each month.  I like the fact that this isn't "canned" but provides an opportunity to use higher level thinking skills. Additionally it will give the kids (and me) a chance to relive some great memories while making new ones, making connections between yesterday's history and today's.      

Our Grand Tour of Virginia sadly came to an end.  As my husband drove west from Monticello, he commented he could just as easily head east. Hmmmm, precisely what I had been thinking.  Apparently, George Washington also thought we should drive east!

We had had a marvelous time touring Washington DC, Mount Vernon, Montpelier and Monticello.   However, our favorite was definitely Colonial Williamsburg.  Engaging with people of yesterday at the living history museum made the pages we had read in books pop-up with technicolor and surround-sound!  

Even though we had a wonderfully memorable time in all of Virginia, we liked Colonial Williamsburg best.  We'd love to live there.  We even talked about working there someday.  Last spring, while I was making curriculum choices, it suddenly occurred to me that I only have 4 years left to teach my daughter and 6 years to teach my son.  I've been heartbroken about that.  All summer I asked myself what in the world would I do when they left for college?  I'm not interested in going back to teach public school.  I don't even want to work in private school.  While we were at Colonial Williamsburg, I realized how much I loved everything that was going on and that it seemed to be a perfect fit for me.  What a classroom! 

The American Revolution is my favorite time in history, because I feel that it is pivotal to all of history before and after.  We've been studying history from Creation to 1800 for the last 2 years, as if through a microscope.  Instead of reading textbooks that make students feel like they are walking across a rickety bridge, with large gaps between the slats. across a huge ravine, we read real books that make the bridge of understanding concrete.  Making connections between historical events, reading the literature of the era, and studying the worldview of the times has put depth to our understanding of each new piece of history we study.  Reading, thinking, discussing, writing, experiencing and portraying events of the past have put light to our feet on the road of understanding. Everything we studied up to the American Revolution foreshadowed the desire of the populace for independence.  Last year, while we studied the Middle Ages, I kept telling my kids that the feudalism in France was keeping the peasants in bondage, while the kings were getting stronger, and this would escalate into the French Revolution.  All year I kept encouraging my kids that their studies would get them ready for Revolutionary City, so that they could engage with the actor/interpreters.  I was thrilled to see that my son "got it" when he asked the Marquis de Lafayette about the Hundred Years' War impacting French and British tensions during the French and Indian War and American Revolution. The focus of my teaching last year had been that the Norman Conquest was the root of British and French tensions.  However my son is an independent spirit, much like fiery Patrick Henry, and had formed his own conclusions, which I admit are valid. (In other words, I did not prompt my son to ask this question!) Even the Marquis agreed with my son, so of course I must concur!  LOL  Teaching comes alive when students (especially my son), are able to independently make connections of the various events that have been taught.  

We have 2 years left to examine the rest of history to the current day before we hit the next rotation of world history at the rhetoric level.  We picked up school this year at 1800 and have been studying John Adams, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Industrial Revolution, Napoleon, the Code Napoleon, and now Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase.  So far with everything we have studied, we have looked back at the primary source documents during the formation of our new country: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Even today, our current events reflect the interpretation, right or wrong, of those documents.  This is what drives me in teaching history.  One simply cannot understand today's history unless they understand the past.       

I met a man at Colonial Williamsburg while we were waiting for Generals Washington and Lafayette to address the troops.  We stood in the shade of the capitol, while he asked me why in the world we were visiting Colonial Williamsburg.  He was from Canada and was married to an American. She and the kids wanted to come and were having a blast, while he stood alone in utter confusion. He had no idea what anyone was talking about.  I tried giving him a synopsis of Colonial Williamsburg history.  Then he asked where we were from. When I told him that we were from Texas, he incredulously asked me why in the world a Texan would be interested in Virginian history.  I smiled and said that Virginia's history is America's history.  He walked off, shaking his head in utter disbelief.  Well, too bad for him.  I hope he loosened up and eventually had a good time.  One does not need to be a history buff to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg. Programs are designed at all ages and interest levels to engage one as they please.  Also, one does not need to be American to enjoy it.  We met visitors from China speaking in Chinese among themselves, yet asking great questions in English.  They were obviously understanding the experience and having a great time.   

I don't know if I would ever have anything to offer the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.  But I can dream, can't I?

Waking up to a gorgeous morning, we drove to Thomas Jefferson's unique home in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Visiting Monticello gives one a glimpse into the Thomas Jefferson, Renaissance man of America: statesman, architect, inventor, scientist, horticulturist...  President Kennedy once said to a group of Nobel Prize winners at the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of human talent (ever) gathered at the White House-with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." 

Throughout the house, we got to see his clever inventions. Because he wanted to educate his guests, Jefferson displayed his souvenirs from the Lewis and Clark expedition in the entrance hall.  When we were in the family sitting room, where Jefferson's daughter taught her children, I noticed a picture of the Marquis de Lafayette. (His picture is over the desk to the left of the fireplace in the photo in the link.)  Since this was not mentioned by the tour guide, I asked her about it and she was surprised that I knew who he was!  The kids thought that was funny! Throughout the tour my son asked numerous questions, again amazing the tour guide.  On some of them she said she had to do some research.

Jefferson filled his home with many paintings in the parlour, both to educate his family and to remember his very special friends, including the Marquis, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Paine and others.  The tea room had Houdon busts of the Marquis de Lafayette, George Washington, John Paul Jones and Benjamin Franklin.  

The Marquis de Lafayette visited Thomas Jefferson here at Monticello while on his Grand Tour of 1824.  One hundred twenty mounted horsemen accompanied the Marquis up the winding roads to Monticello.  James Madison and others gathered in hushed expectation to witness the historic meeting of two men responsible for our country's freedom.   

The Marquis and Jefferson had interacted a bit during the American Revolution, particularly while Jefferson was governor of Virginia towards the end of the war.  In 1784, Jefferson became Minister to France and Lafayette offered his home and family to Jefferson while Lafayette went to America to visit George Washington at Mount Vernon.  When Lafayette returned to Paris, he and Jefferson visited often. 

Jefferson continued to reside in Paris through the beginning of the French Revolution.  Lafayette, a moderate trying to mediate between King Louis XVI and the revolutionaries, was made commander of the newly formed National Guard.  He led the National Guard to bring down the Bastille on July 14, 1789. 

One of the most special items hanging on the wall of Lafayette's home, was a copy of America's Declaration of Independence.  Lafayette left room for a similar document of France to hang next to it.  Thomas Jefferson helped him to draft such a document.  The Declaration of the Rights of Man was adopted by the French National Assembly on August 26, 1789.  My daughter and I studied this document a few weeks ago for her government course.  We compared it to our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.  The similarities between the documents made a fascinating study.  

While Lafayette visited Jefferson during his Grand Tour, one of Jefferson's slaves drove the two friends daily. Israel recalled with fondness and hope the Marquis' frank comments to Jefferson.  Lafayette financed and fought in the American Revolution because he believed that all peoples should have independence.  Lafayette admonished Jefferson that slaves should be educated and freed. 

During the Marquis' visit, Jefferson gave a toast at a banquet held in Lafayette's honor.  "When I was stationed in his country for the purpose of cementing its friendship with ours, and of advancing our mutual interests, this friend of both, was my most poweful auxiliary and advocate.  He made our cause his own, as in truth it was that of his native country also.  His influence and connections there were great.  All doors of all departments were open to him at all times.  In truth, I only held the nail, he drove it."

Influenced by Classical architecture, Jefferson enjoyed designing and building Monticello, often tearing down original ideas to try something new.  "Architecture is my delight, and putting up and pulling down, one of my favorite amusements." 

Founded and designed by Thomas Jefferson in his later years, the University of Virginia opened in 1825. "...this institution of my native state, the hobby of my old age...based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind to explore."  

Today one can still see the university through the trees from the pavillion.

The gardens at Monticello have been reproduced from Jefferson's meticulous gardening journals.  "No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden...,though an old man, I am but a young gardener." (1811)  He enjoyed experimenting with seeds from Europe and from those discovered by Lewis and Clark.  Jefferson felt that "the greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture."  Today the gardening staff package seeds from the heirloom gardens.  I bought several types; we'll see how they make it in Texas!  One can only hope!

Here are pictures from the terraced garden overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The vegetables, orchards and vineyards grew here.

Here are the flowers from the winding walk behind the house. 

Finally, we went to Jefferson's grave,

marked with the epitaph he wrote himself.

The morning after a full day in Washington DC, we packed up the van and drove to our next hotel in Charlottesville.  But first, we were going to spend some time at Montpelier.  On the way we saw several Civil War Battlefields, including the Battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. There were also several signs near Chancellorsville marking  Stonewall Jackson's final battle. I told the kids to imagine the fighting, as we drove by the now empty fields with lonely cannons.   

As we entered the Blue Ridge Mountains, we arrived at Montpelier, home of the Father of the Constitution, author of the Federalist Papers and Bill of Rights, and our fourth president, James Madison. 

Montpelier has been undergoing renovations for the last few years.  They are nearly complete and will have their grand Restoration Celebration on Sept 17, the anniversary of the Constitution.  We got to see all the work that had been done.  Our excellent tour guide gave us lots of fascinating information on the restoration process.  It was like "If Walls Could Talk" on hgtv.  After the Madisons passed away, the house and furnishings were sold at auction.  New owners made extensive changes to the mansion.  In December 2003,  the Montpelier Foundation began to restore the home to the era of the 1820's.  Hidden clues revealed former structures.  Neighbors found mantle pieces, etc in their attics and barns.  Paintings and furniture from nearby and abroad have been returned.   

James Madison himself had enlarged his boyhood home, using design ideas from his good friend, Thomas Jefferson. The restoration will take us back to how James and his wife, Dolley, knew their home in their final years.  We got to go inside the house and see almost everything.  It was nearly complete and gorgeous!  The views from the house were stunning: a protected forest in the back and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the front.

The side yards are landscaped in a typical manner of a mansion, beautiful tall trees to block the slave quarters.  The Marquis de Lafayette visited the Madisons here on his Grand Tour in 1824.   As much as Lafayette loved America and his American friends, he abhorred the slavery.  He often appealed to Madison, Jefferson, and Washington that America could not be truely free if slavery existed. 

Knowing how much the Madisons enjoyed plants, the Marquis gave them 3 Cedar of Lebanon seedlings.  All of them survive to this day!  When the tour guide told us about this, my son pointed out to him that those trees were used to build Solomon's Temple.  The tour guide was surprised to hear that from him.  From then on the tour guide relied on my son to answer all of his questions!  LOL Sadly, these beautiful trees are suffering.  Archaeological digs are going on nearby, disturbing the sensitive root structure. The Montpelier Foundation is trying to work with the archaeologists on a way to resolve this problem.

One of the most amazing items recovered in the digs was a piece of china from Marie Antoinette.  Apparently James Monroe brought it back from Paris with him.  It is possible to sign up to join the digs.  I would do this if I could, but Texas is a bit far away...

The property is beautiful and serene.  We saw horses behind the gardens...

We saw horses on the way to the family cemetary...

James and Dolley Madison's graves...

After lunch we took a garden tour.  This is a blend of the Madison's and Dupont's.  The Duponts were the final owners of the mansion before turning it over to the Madison Foundation. 

One of my favorite places was the Madison Temple.  James Madison often came here in the summer time to sit and study and write.  Many thought he chose this lovely spot for inspiration. The scenery would certainly inspire me!  However his choice of sitting here was for more practical reasons. There is an ice house under the temple and he came here to sit to keep cool!

Oops!  My husband found me enjoying the beautifully serene scenery!

We went to a little museum behind the garden to see a movie and see some of the furnishings that have so far been collected for the house.  There is a dining room display with life-sized cardboard figures of James and Dolley Madison, the Marquis de Lafayette and his son, George Washington Lafayette.  It recreates a special dinner given in the Marquis' honor when he visited on his Grand Tour in 1824.

We had wanted to walk through the old-growth forest behind the house.  James Madison did not like seeing all the development going on and the trees being chopped down.  (I agree!)  He left the forest behind his house untouched and the Madison Foundation continues that tradition today.  However thunder and lightening prevented our hike when a storm blew in for the rest of the afternoon.  

One of my son's favorite things to do was to play in the children's tent where he could whack away at wood with old fashioned tools.  

Finally we needed to leave.  We drove down beautifully twisty roads to go to Charlottesville.  On the way I was hoping to purchase some sweet corn to take back home to Texas.  Corn grown in Texas is not good tasty.  As a little girl I remember going to Pennsylvania to see my mom's family and eating delicious sweet corn. Alas, I couldn't find any to purchase, even though I saw tons of corn fields!  On arrival at our Charlottesville hotel, we were pleasantly surprised to see that we were surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains!  I couldn't get enough of the view!  I kept getting frustrated when people would close shades at the restaurants.  I wanted to open them and enjoy the beauty!  Oh well.  Here are some of the lovely flowers from Madison's garden!  Enjoy! 

It was another terrific day with stunningly blue skies. We took the George Washington Memorial Parkwayin to Washington DC and found the free parking near the Jefferson Memorial.  Yea!  We walked all over this beautiful city.  I had hoped to have lunch at Lafayette Park, but that was behind the White House and with all the fencing up, and we were starving by the time we got there, we just found a nearby spot to eat.  Another place we did not have time to go to was  Rock Creek Park and the Chesepeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown.  After the American Revolution, George Washington gained support for a life long dream to improve access on the Potomac to open trade from the Ohio River Valley.  This eventually led to the Chesepeake and Ohio Canal.  We also ran out of time to see the National Portrait Gallery,  and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.   We were never able to get tickets for the Capitol and the White House.  I had hoped we'd have time to do a few extra things the day we arrived in Arlington, but we had had a few unforeseen adventures that day.  

So, what did we see?  Plenty!  We deliberated for months on what to prioritize, but we got to see the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument,  World War II Memorial,  Lincoln Memorial,  Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, White House, Charters of Freedom, Library of Congress, and the  Air and Space Museum.  Whew! 

The kids got to understand the lay of the city exceptionally well with all of the walking and the picture taking they did. It is extremely easy to get around because of the lay of the city.  The Washington Monument is in the center.  To the north is the White House, to the South is the Jefferson Memorial, to the West is the Lincoln Memorial and to the East is the US Capitol.  There is an e-mail running around saying that George Washington planned the city in the shape of a cross with the major monuments at the points, but that is not true.  For one thing, Abraham Lincoln wasn't even born yet!  George Washington worked with Pierre L'Enfant on the design, for the location of the Capitol and the White House and that was it.  Everything else came much later.  So if that e-mail comes around to your inbox, delete it and follow the links above, which are connected to the National Park Service.  The information will be far more accurate!  ;)

Our first stop was the Jefferson Memorial.  It was fun to watch the kids ooh and ahh over everything,  Then I told them to take a look at what Jefferson was looking at.  They looked and boy were they pleasantly surprised...the White House!  When we were at the Lincoln Memorial, they saw that Abraham Lincoln was looking at a reminder of his favorite president, the Washington Monument!

We were thrilled to find the statue of John Paul Jones.  He was one of many favorites we had studied him in school last year!  

One of our favorite stops was to see the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives building.  We had done quite a bit of study of the Magna Charta, Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights last year.  Now we got to see these original documents up close!  We were allowed to take pictures without flash, but it was so dark they did not come out. (The link above will show pictures of what we saw!) There were beautiful paintings and gorgeous architecture. But the lights had to be kept low in order to protect the documents.  The documents are kept in special cases filled with gases that preserve the documents.  Then at night the cases sink deep into the ground to protect the documents.  When I was at Montpelier the next day, I found a great book on the Bill of Rights.  It not only explained the Bill of Rights for kids, but also explained how the Charters of Freedom site was remodeled to house them.  In 1952, the documents were pulled out of storage.  Deep crease marks were embedded into the parchment.  The book explains not only how the documents were written and printed, but also how they were restored.  This book also tells about George Mason and the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was one of the models for the Bill of Rights.  This is mentioned a lot in Colonial Williamsburg, but not often elsewhere.   I bought a copy of the Virginia Declaration of Rights at the Colonial Williamsburg print shop store to use as a hands on in school.  

Another favorite stop was the Library of Congress.  There are busts of famous authors on the front of the building and we had fun trying to figure out who they were.  The inside was gorgeous!  It had been built in 1886 in Italian Renaissance style!  We had studied the Renaissance last year and it ws exciting to see the art form in person!  (And going to Italy was out of our budget!) I was excited to see this quote which matches my teaching philosophy! 

The Library of Congress was established in 1800 as a source of research for Congress.  But the British burned it down during the War of 1812.  Thomas Jefferson donated his personal collection of books.  For the previous 50 years he had been "putting by everything which related to America, and indeed whatever was rare and valuable in every science."  This collection can now be seen in the library.  We also got to see the Gutenberg Bible, which we had studied about last year!   

We finished the day with the Air and Space Museum.  The Wright Flyer  exhibit was incredible.  We got to see the actual plane and there were lots of interactives. 

The museum also had a lot of space stuff but we had been to the Johnson Space Center a few years ago, so that seemed like old hat compared to all the new stuff we wanted to see.  lol  We got see the Spirit of St. Louis, which Charles Lindberg flew over the Atlantic Ocean to Paris.  It was unbelievable how that little plane made the flight. 

Then my daughter pointed us in the direction of the very first hot air balloon!  We had studied about that last spring!  Benjamin Franklin saw this balloon make the first ever flight of a balloon in France.   Seeing this was probably the biggest thrill in the museum!

After a full day, we drove to the new Air Force Memorial.  With 24 years in the USAF, my husband felt this was the perfect ending to our exciting day! 

We got up early to meet the Washington family at Mount Vernon!

George Washington had a long resume: Colonel in the French and Indian War,  seat in the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg, General during the American Revolution, President of the Constitutional Convention, President of the United States of America...yet spent most of his life longing for those he loved at his cherished Mount Vernon.  Imagine...General Washington riding on his horse, after 8 long years at war, finally coming home.  Imagine his feelings of anticipation and excitement.  Imagine an overwhelming mix of emotions, when at long last, he arrived at this gate...at last, home, sweet, home.  And yet he did this not once, but repeatedly throughout his life, as he dutifully responded to his country's call to service.  

We got there so early that we had a private tour!  The tour guides were surprised at how much the kids knew.  The stuff they were telling the kids was too easy and the kids kept stumping them!  Of course we knew that the Marquis de Lafayette visited George Washington here.  We got to see the Lafayette room upstairs where he stayed in 1784.  One of the items I couldn't wait to show the kids was the key to the Bastille, the notorious political prison in France.  During the French Revolution, Lafayette led the National Guard, who stormed the prison on July 12, 1789.  Lafayette sent a sketch of the Bastille and the key to George Washington with this note:  "Give me leave, my dear general, to present you with a picture of the Bastille, just as it looked a few days after I ordered its demolition, with the main key of the fortress of despotism.  It is a tribute which I owe as a son to my adoptive father-as an aide-de-camp to my general-as a missionary of liberty to its patriarch."  Wow!  What powerful artistic wording!  

After touring the mansion and grounds, we decided to take the boat tour on the Potomac.  It was modestly priced and was one of the best boat rides we have ever taken. The kids were elated since they were hoping we'd do a boat ride this year and got to spend time on big water and see big bridges to boot!  lol  We got to see Fort Washington in the distance, and the scary WoodrowWilson drawbridge that we took the day before.  We could see the Washington Monument and Capitol in the background.

After lunch we toured the gristmill which is about a mile away.  

The water supply is activated with a lever indoors...

It was fun watching all the gears move. The gristmill was applying the very principles Leonardo da Vinci designed and we experienced earlier this summer!  My son must have been quite impressed. When we got home from vacation, he spent a week with his gears kit!

Then we went back to see the Mount Vernon museums.  These were new since 2004 and are incredible!  The first thing we did was to look at the Houdon of Washington.  There was a cute movie showing about how it was made, told from the perspective of Washington's granddaughter.  Because of that movie, we now appreciate the works of Houdon which we would see again at Monticello.  My husband and I got to see many of his works when we toured the Virginia capitol in 1989.  My kids now want to go there and see the Houdon sculptures.  There wasn't enough time on this vacation.  We're just going to have to come back one summer!  Or maybe move here?  One can always dream, right?  

I was a bit overwhelmed about to see next.  We toured the grown up museum and saw lots of neat things.  Then we went to the children's museum and that was incredible! Sadly, we ran out of time. My husband and son saw an interactive movie.  My daughter and I tried to see all the life size figures of George Washington that we could. We worked some of the interactive displays and appreciated the ones where we saw how outnumbered the Continental Army was compared to the British.  I also liked the massive wall map that showed the battles of the American Revolution and then you could light up the ones in which George Washington participated.  I was blown away to see the Gilbert painting of Washington. (Here's the link to the interactive portrait!) I remember reading about that as a girl, that Dolly Madison saved it when the British came into Washington DC during the War of 1812.  To see how big it is in a picture is not the same as seeing how big it is in real life!  

One new thing we learned when we left, George Washington started the Purple Heart!

I'll never forget the first time I went to Arlington National Cemetery in 1989.  We got there first thing in the morning with all of the crowds in July.  As we walked among all the graves, I saw high on a hill a mansion and Southern Belles walking around...Arlington House!   

 I couldn't imagine how this house managed to get in the middle of a national cemetery.  The history was fascinating.  I couldn't wait to show this place to my kids.  Since we had gotten lost and we ended up taking busy hwy 1 into Arlington after all, it was 330pm by the time we arrived at the cemetery.  We weren't sure how to get to the top of the hill to Arlington House.  By the time we did, it was 4pm and we just missed the last tour.  We were allowed to do a self tour.  The house is being renovated and this time there were no Southern Belles.  (I thought it would have been fun for my kids to see those dresses and hoop skirts!)  Since it's being renovated, there wasn't much on the inside to see.  The furniture was gone and the walls were being repaired. 

After walking through the house we sat on a bench and reviewed the history.  This lovely home was built by George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington and her first husband, Daniel Custis!  George Washington Parke Custis grew up at Mount Vernon with his sister when his father died.  He adored his adoptive grandfather, President George Washington so much, that he filled this house with Washington treasures and heirlooms as a tribute.  In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette visited Custis while he was on his grand tour of America.  (Everywhere we went on our vacation, the Marquis was there!  The kids had so much finding him everywhere!)  While the Marquis stood in the Center Hall of the mansion and looked at the view of Washington DC across the Potomac River he said that it was the "finest view in the world."  Today one can see all of the memorials (in this particular picture you can see the Washington Monument, Capitol and Jefferson Memorial).... 

...and the Pentagon.

Arlington House was an 1100 acre plantation.  The daughter of George Washington Parke Custis married Robert E. Lee.  Arlington House later became their home.  When Lee made the fateful decision to join the Confederacy, they had to flee.  During the Civil War, the land was used to bury dead soldiers.  Eventually it became a national cemetery.  

Last time I was here, due to all of the crowds, I was barely able to see changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  This time without the crowds, we were able to easily watch this honored occasion.  DS was impressed with the precision.  I highly recommend going in the afternoon.  It is especially calm and beautiful with the sun setting.   Without the crowds, it was easy to listen to the solitude and feel the solemnity.