Posted in FieldTrip

I love field trip days.  I look forward to the time learning more about nature or history whatever out topic of the day may be in a fun and hands-on way.  I look forward to seeing our friends.  I just look forward to all the day has to offer.

As our field trip day approached last week, it was raining and the forecast was grim.  It was calling for rain and our field trip was an outdoor nature one.  I wondered what the day would hold.  We were assured that it would be a go - rain or shine - as shelters were available (unless it was storming). 

As we drove over to Falls Lake, a few drops were hitting the windshield.  A number of people had to cancel for various reasons.  When we arrived, we were a small group.  It was overcast and dreary  ... and yet beautiful.

The haze obstrucing the view.  The brilliant colors of the leaves, muted through the fog.  Can you see God in views like this?  So many times, I want my path to be clear.  I want to see where I am going.  I want to know what lies ahead.  I want God to tell me what His plans are.  I want.  I want. 

What I don't want is to wait, to wonder, to worry.    I don't want to let go of my hopes and dreams.  I don't want life to be so unfair for so many.  Again, it is all about what I want.  Sigh.  It is hard when you can see so clearly that your focus is on yourself instead of on God. 

I want answers to so many things right now.  Things I've been praying about for a long time.  It is hard to wait and yet I really do want what God wants for my life.  I know He loves me.  I know He is working in my life.  I know He is there - even when I can't see clearly. 

There is beauty in so many places if only we will stop and look.  There is often beauty in places that may at first not look beautiful at all.  My eyes see things so differently now than they did a few years ago.  I'm thankful that God has given me that gift.  I continue to pray that God would give me His eyes to see things.  It is an area in which I fall short often.  I think that the many struggles that our family has been through have helped to open my eyes to so much.  I'm not the same and for that I'm thankful - and yet there is still so much work left to be done in me.  I think the more I learn about Him, the more I can see that I lack.  I'm thankful that I don't have to earn His love, but that it has been freely given to me. 

Now, on to the field trip.  We split into 2 groups.  The younger children were learning about Dangerous Plants and Animals.  The Ranger talked with us about spiders, snakes, fire ants, bees, ticks, poison ivy and unfamiliar dogs.  He gave the children a lot of good information on what to do when you encounter these animals/plants.

We looked at pictures in order to recognize various species such as the Black Widow spider.

And even saw some that had once been alive.

The most dangerous snake in our area is the Copperhead.  It was good to see what it looked like so that we could hopefully recognize one we might see.   (Though I hope we never see one!)

Due to its coloring, this snake can easily hide among the leaves.

The Ranger also shared the most poisonous snakes have larger triangular shaped heads and eyes shaped like slits.  One of the snakes that breaks these rules though is also found in NC, though typically not near us.  It is the Coral Snake.

 In order to help remember this snake, the children learned a rhyme.

Red and yellow kills a fellow
Red and black, OK  Jack

They looked at some snake skins.

We walked around a bit and looked at the poison ivy vines growing on some nearby trees.  Then we just played.  It is a beautiful area and I'm thankful we had the opportunity to be outside today. 

While we were with the younger children, the older kids had a class on Compasses.  They learned about how to read and use a compass and then were tested on this by having to put their skills to a test.  There were directions given and then they followed them to see where they ended up on a numbered line.  The teams were given points based on how close they were to the right numbers.  I heard great reports on this class, but unfortunately have no pictures to share.  Please check out my friend Lynn's blog (click on her name) for more details and some pictures of this group. 

A couple of hours later, some of the fog had lifted and the view was a little clearer.  I love the reflection of the trees!

At lunch, we had a scare as Joshua's blood glucose numbers were very, very high.  I haven't seen numbers like this since the week he was diagnosed.  It was frightening.  I had him wash his hands again and then we did a recheck.  The number was accurate.  We treated it and thankfully he was down 200 points by mid-afternoon and another 100 points by dinner time.  Yes, it was that high! 

He ALWAYS spikes on our field trip days.  Always.  I'm not sure if it is just the excitement of being with friends on a fun outing, but I've come to expect higher numbers on those days.  Just nothing like this.  It usually evens out by later in the day too.  I'm not sure if there is more I could or should be doing about it either.  I have talked with his doctor about this.  I'm going to try to make sure he is well hydrated on these mornings and just continue to do our best.  (There is no other factor that is different in terms of food, carb counting or amount of insulin.)  It's a mystery as this disease often is.  It can be a hard thing. 

So often I'm asked if his diabetes is "under control".  I'm not sure if it ever will be under our control.  We are doing our best to manage it day by day and I think that is all we can do.  Just yesterday a friend told me that it was still a struggle for her dh who also have Type 1 and that he still has highs and lows.  I think part of the challenge is that so many different factors can affect your numbers.  We are learning though and hopefully we'll continue to improve and get better.  There is a high incentive to do well and with God's help we will continue to work at it each day.

I feel like I've been rambling and want to end with some things I'm thankful for.  I'm thankful for our health.  I don't think I'll ever take this for granted again.  I'm thankful for a wonderful medical team.  I'm thankful for friends.  I'm thankful for a great FIAR homeschool group.  I'm thankful for the many things in nature that God has made - each pointing back to a wonderful Designer.  I'm thankful for my family.  I'm richly blessed.

With love,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Today was field trip day.  It was a beautiful, sunny day - just perfect for an outing with friends.  We visited Historic Oak View County Park.  This is a 19th century historic farmstead.  Our larger group was split in half and we then toured the grounds.  We viewed the home from the outside only.  The left side of the house is the original house (1855) and is built in Greek Revival style.  The right side of the house (Colonial Revival) was added on in the 1940s. 

There was a lovely gazebo in the front of the house.

We went into the kitchen, a separate building behind the house.  We talked about things that we used and done differently than today. 

The children helped start the making of butter by using cream in a jar.  (Much easier than using a churn, though mine have liked doing that in the past.) 

Next, we went outside and the children had the opportunity to try using a washboard to clean some clothes. 

Three children at a time were able to wash clothes.

Eliana loved this.  Of course, she loves anything with water!  Her wonderful big sister was helping her!

Just thought this was a fun picture of Isaiah and Joshua with their buddy Joe.

The cash crop for the plantation was cotton.  Until the boll weevils came through destroying cotton in the US.  They switched then to pecan trees.  The children were able to go into this  "field" of cotton and pick one. 

I know you can't see it, but I love the he wears a Down Syndrome Awareness bracelet on his right arm.  :-) 

Getting the seeds out is hard work.

I think this is a really pretty plant.  Feels so soft too!

Next we went into an old barn and learned more about cotton. 

The children twisted cotton to show how it strengthened the fibers. 

We saw an old gin,

a huge bale of cotton and even a boll weevil.  (It was much smaller than I had imagined.) 

Eliana loves hanging out with her friend!

The children learned about artifacts.  We were told that to be an artifact it had to meet these three criteria

*must be old

*must be made by humans

*must be used by humans.

The children were given several artifacts and then tried to figure out what they were used for - and it wasn't as easy as you might think!  Two of the items are in the next two pictures.  See if you can guess how they were used. 

After figuring it out, a spokesperson from each group shared with the rest of the group what the tools were used for.  Did you have a guess?

The first one is a tool used to remove the nails from horseshoes.  The second is to scrape away the hair and skin from a pig in order to have clean meat.  (yuck!)

We stayed for a picnic lunch.  There are large grassy areas (where the pecan trees are growing) that are an ideal spot to picnic and play.  Daniel loves hanging out with his friend Miss Lynn!

We played for a short time in the museum.  There is a really cute hands-on children's area.  Eliana loved the dress-up. 

A beautiful fun day.  I had fun hanging out with my children and my friends.  I'm so thankful I have the opportunity to do these fun things!

Blessings
Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

We had a wonderful field trip last week with our FIAR group to learn from the people of the Occaneechi Tribe of the Saponi Nation.  This is a field trip that I was very excited about coordinating and it fully lived up to my expectations and then some!!!  I highly recommend a trip if you are in this area.

We visited with the link and learned more about their life in the past and their contributions to our culture.  It was a fascinating day.  It was made all the richer for the many wonderful men and women that took part in the day.  They were kind, patient, interesting and informative. 

We learned about the archeological work that is going in excavating an old Indian village (thought to be Occaneechi).  (Click on links to read more.) 

Some local university students talked with us about foods that were native to the Americas.  We also heard from a man representing the Trading Path Association that is working to locate and preserve old trading paths.

Next we watched a tribal dance.

Then we participated as a group in a large circle.  (I'm carrying Eliana in a bright pink sling and holding Daniel's hand.)

There was a run-down shell of a home on the land and the man that was there told us that he lived in this house many years ago.  It was just part of the original home where he lived with his 10 siblings.  He told us about what life on the farm was like.  He also demonstrated using a saw, splitting wood and shucking corn as he told about the chores he did before school started.

Some of the children taking a turn at getting the dried corn off of the cob.

Playing at the well - which still worked!

Just a picture of my little cutie just hanging out.

We listened to some storytelling which was fun and heard the story behind this dress.  It weighs 45 pounds!!!  Can you imagine wearing that?

We learned about tools used in farming and fishing.

We also learned about weapons.  This table was fascinating for the children - especially the little boys!!! 

The interpreter had made all of the weapons on display. 

He told about each one and patiently answered questions. 

He also demonstrated making a dart out of a thistle.  I thought this was so cool!

He shot the dart many times so I could get this picture.  Can you see the dart to the right?

Here is the target and many darts.

A cricket holder is fascinating.

Or maybe it is just playing with a bigger friend.

We also learned about foods and cooking.

Above are some tools and things used in daily life.

Below, we learned about dream catchers.

This gal was so very patient and had a sweet chat with my little Daniel.

Just another shot of my little cutie pie.  I can't resist.

We had an awesome day.  The weather was beautiful!  The site was interesting and fun.  The company was sweet.  What more could we ask for!

Blessings
Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Last week we went on a field trip to Durant Nature Center.  They planned a couple of classes for our kids.  One on "Insects" for the K-5 group (actually 2 classes full) and one on "Amazing Avians" for the 6th and up. 

We had a beautiful sunny day for our trip.  It was hot actually.  The instructor started out talking about insects.  She had some of their homes for the kids to look at.  Then she talked about the body of an insect in a really fun way.  She asked questions and let the children share what they knew and then dressed up volunteers like an insect. 

Then the children went to an area with tall grasses to see what they could find. 

They were trying to catch insects using jars with lids

or large nets. 

 They found a great variety of things!  (Even a couple of snakes that we tried to stay away from since we were learning about insects.)  Daniel's favorite was a snail - slow moving and easy to catch (and yes, I know it isn't an insect.  lol)

I have no pictures of the older kids as I wasn't with that group.  I hate missing out on all their outings, but am thankful we have a large group and are able to tailor things to a wide variety of ages.  Here is a link to my friend Lynn's blog with some photos of the older kids.

Afterwards, we had a picnic lunch and time to play in the park.  It was a lovely day spent with friends.  I'm thankful to have a great group of friends to do these things with!

Blessings
Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Today with our FIAR group we visited the Duke Lemur Center.  It was a cool (for the south in September) day - just perfect for an outing.  We split into groups based on the children's ages.  I had 2 in the oldest group, 1 in the middle group and I was in the youngest group with other 3.  That left Joshua in a group without anyone in his family.  I had several sweet friends who had said that would help keep an eye on him.  He was comfortable with it too.  We checked him just before the start of the outing and he did just fine.  He took his kit and supplies with him, but thankfully didn't need it.

We learned about lemurs - who come from Madagascar. 

We learned about the different types of lemurs.  We visited both some nocturnal ones (in darkened cages) and those who were up in the day like us.  The lemurs are really cute!  I love watching them jump!  They are social creatures and live in family groups.

We also saw a short film that explained more about what type of research is being done here and how the lemurs are cared for.  This is quite an interesting place.  If you live nearby, you can call to schedule a tour.  He said that no group is too small. 

After our outing, we went to a nearby park.  We just played, talked and ate lunch.  It was a relaxing time and so nice to be back with friends - both new and old.  Even a little sprinkle did nothing to dampen the fun.  (Though it did mean that I put away my camera and got only a couple of pictures here.)  I did get this cute one of the girls though.

A fun day with our friends.  I'm thankful for time to spend with friends learning and going on field trips.  I love field trips!

On an unrelated note, tomorrow we go to hear the results of Isaiah's testing.  I would love prayers for our hearts to hear the news and be ready to do what is needed to help our wonderful son.  I'm expecting it to be a little hard - you never want to hear that anything is wrong.  I know that there is something going on and I'm eager to know exactly what we are dealing with.  I'm not sure when we'll update on this as we learn and deal with the news.

Blessings
Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

We started a fun tradition last year by ending our year with a Field Events Day.  Everyone had so much fun, we decided it should be an annual event.  We held it at the same park with a huge field for games, a covered shelter for a picnic lunch and a playground.

The day started overcast and a little drizzly.  We waited it out and had a blast! 

This is a fun day to do some of those games and events that as homeschoolers, we don't often get the chance to do.  We split the children into several groups by age to do the events.

One group did races - egg and spoon race, 3-legged race, sack race and backwards race.

 Trying to figure out timing on the 3-legged race is always a challenge. 

These two hopped on one foot and kept their tied feet off the group.  Clever - and pretty successful too.

The other group competed in softball throw, broad jump and horseshoes.  This is Christopher throwing the ball.  I think his football is paying off here as he had the longest throw.

 The broad jump.

Horseshoes.

The youngest children had a small area where they could play tee-ball, bean bag toss and races.  They mainly just liked to play which was fine.

Rebecca showed Eliana how to play tee-ball - and she loved it!

We took some group photos - and some photos of the winners in several catagories.  Here is one that I wanted to share.  Rebecca came in 3rd in the broad jump.   She fell back on her bottom (hurting it) and was short just an inch from 2nd place (her brother - who didn't want to fall backwards and told me that he had the perfect landing).  Love the effort in going up against the bigger guys!  Their effort was great too!

We took a break for lunch and then played a few more games.  First we played "Melt the Ice".  It's a simple game and I loved seeing kids from 4 to 16 playing it!  We divided the group in half.  The goal is to melt the ice the fastest.  You pass the ice around the group trying to melt yours first.  You can't put the ice in your mouth.  We started with 3 ice cubes in each group.  We did a few more the next round. 

We ended the formal games with kickball which is always a hit. 

Once again, I'm thankful for good friends and the ability to share these memory making times with them.

Blessings

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

We had another awesome field trip day.  I had wondered if it were going to work.  This same field trip was rained out a month ago and this day was looming a little dark and uncertain.  We needed to make the decision by 8:30am - and at that time the skies were grey and  ominous and it had been raining most of the night.  I prayed and asked God to help me make the decision and to make it an easy one.  Well, He didn't make it easy, but He surely helped to make the right one.  We went for it - and it was a gorgeous day!

We spend the day at Camp Chestnut Ridge.  What an awesome facility with wonderful staff!   

 We divided up by ages for this outing as the oldest children were going on a low ropes course.  We had two groups going out - 3rd to 5th graders and 6th grade and up.  They did some team building exercises and games before setting out on the course.  Each of the spots on the course was set up as a story - Indiana Jones or crocodiles in the river.  There was an obstacle and they had to figure out as a group how to overcome it.

They had to all get on top of a small platform, swing from a rope across a "ravine" and all get on a moving plank bridge.  Now I didnt' see any of this and this is the best of my memory working here.  I'll update tomorrow when my children are awake if I can remember.  LOL

One of the up sides of splitting into groups is that we are able to tailor activities for each age group that are challenging and fun.  I know that even my 16yo was looking forward to this trip!  The downside is that I miss seeing what all of my children are doing.  I miss experiencing it with them!  I rely on their stories and the stories of others.  (Thanks Lynn for sharing one in the comments yesterday!)

When the kids came back from the outing, the gal with whom I'd been talking to set up the outing shared with me about her group.  (The middle group of kids.)  She told me that she had one boy in her group that was very quiet.  When the kids were trying to figure something out, he would say the answer but nobody heard him because he was so quiet.  She noted that he was saying the right answer so she asked everyone to be quiet so that they could hear this boy speak.  She then made him a leader which she said he was quite excited about.  She then went on to share how this quiet boy took on this new leadership role and did a great job with it - guiding his team well.  I was curious by now and pointed to my son Joshua, who was across the shelter, and asked if he was the quiet boy.  She confirmed my suspicions not realizing that he was my son.  I loved that I was able to hear this story!  It did my mama's heart good.  She also said that on the return to the shelter that "Captain Joshua" said that he thought he would become "General Joshua" now.  LOL  I'm not thinking it went to his head, but that it was a wonderful opportunity for him to have a chance to lead.

While the older two groups were out, the younger kids had some hands-on and interactive classes.  The first was on bees.  We looked at a variety of types of bees (pictures).  Then they talked about the hives and the special shape in the hive - hexagon.  She asked why this shape was used instead of a circle.  They did an activity to demonstrate why the hexagon is a better use of space by placing together a group of circles and a group of hexagons to see which worked better.  You know the answer. 

Next they each got a piece of beeswax and a wick.  I took a close-up of the beeswax so that you could see the hexagon shape made by the bees.  Isn't it neat?

The children placed the wick on one side of the beeswax and rolled it up into a candle. 

The next class was at the garden.  There are a number of children who come to an after school program here that help to maintain this beautiful garden.  We took a tour and saw the many wonderful plants, some bantam chickens and the composting area. 

TThe children then made some snacks - right from the garden.  First they picked a lettuce leaf.  Isaiah did not want to do this as he informed me that he didn't like lettuce.  I finally convinced him to make it for me.  A really good call!  lol  After rinsing off the leaves, they layed then on a napkin and spread cream cheese on them.  Then they added "nature's sprinkles" - sunflower seeds.  The final step was to roll it up. 

I don't know how this sounds to you but it  tasted yummy!!!  I'll definitely be making this again!

The children also made coleslaw.  Isaiah and Daniel preferred plain veggies - snap peas (Isaiah only) and carrots (both).

My boys chatting with a friend

There was a big dog that liked to hang around and Eliana was thrilled when he came up for a visit.  She really likes dogs.  (No, we don't have one.)  She would cautiously approach him to give him a pet and then back away to look at him. 

This pic just cracked me up as it looks like she is talking to him!

The third and final class for the younger kids was on matter.  They learned about the three stages of matter - solid, liquid and gas.  The gal teaching did a great job bringing it to their level. 

Their first experiement was making flubber.    This was a very easy thing to do and I do recommend it as a fun thing to try with children.  They were excited to see this liquid turn to solid - and it's a fun solid to play with as well!

Here is Isaiah demonstrating the end result.

At this point in the day, Eliana, who had been a little fussy, became a lot fussy!  She was crying and not quiet.  I went to the van to get her lunch thinking that she could eat quietly while the children finished their class.  Well, Daniel came to the car upset because he has lost his seat beside his brother.  I took him back and squeezed him back onto the bench.

He wasn't thrilled with this.  Eliana is still crying.  The children are told to pair up.  He wants to be my partner.  Did I mention that Eliana is still crying?  I told him I can't be his partner and find another child to be his partner.  Well, he doesn't know this little boy and does not want to be his partner. 

The partners are making ice cream in baggies.  Cream, ice and salt.  It's super easy and yummy to boot!  All of the kids loved it - except Daniel.

By this time, I'm frustrated.  I don't handle it well either.  I'm frustrated with Daniel's inability to just deal with the situation.  I'm not patient with him.  Ever solution I come up with is rejected and he just doesn't listen to anything I say.  Then I just dont want to help him either.  Not a pretty mommy moment at all!  A friend tries to help include Daniel, but he only wants me.  Another offers to feed Eliana - but I don't take her up on it as she really likes me to feed her.  Its been this way for most of her life.  I should have let her try though as it might have worked.  Next time I will.  I will admit though that at this point, I didn't want to be with Daniel as he just wasn't listening.  He was trying to hold it together and he had a mom that just totally missed the boat. 

After I dealt with my frustration, I just felt horrible.  I was impatient and mean.  I apologized to my sweet boy and also to my friends.  I wish that I could say that it wouldn't happen again.  I wish that I could just get it right all of the time.  I wish that I wasn't able to hurt those I love so very much.  I'm thankful though that I make mistakes as I need to be humbled and it reminds me how much I need a Saviour.  I hope too that it helps me to be a little more understanding of my children and other stressed out mommies.  What a lesson to get right before Mother's Day, huh?  I learn sooo much from my precious children.  I'm so very thankful for the blessing of being a mother.  I can't imagine doing anything else! 

After the classes, we just hung out and played.  Daniel was fine after spending some time playing with Isaiah.  We ate lunch and the children just ran around and played.  It was a sweet afternoon with friends.

We all learned a lot - some of us more than we thought we would.  Thank you God for leading us gently.  Thank you for your example of love that never tires, never gets frustrated and is always available.  God is good!

Blessings
Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

This was field trip week.  One of my favorite things is to go on field trips.  We ended up with a beautiful day though it began a bit cool and overcast.  (The first pic below is from the end of the day.)  We went to Cedarock Historical Farm.  What a great place to visit and our tour guide, Harry, was wonderful!

We had a large group so we were split into 3 groups.  I enjoyed that on this outing we were able to split by family so I was able to enjoy being with all of my children.  :-)  Often we split by age and I can't be in several groups at once.  I understand the need and benefit for this, but for this outing, I enjoyed being together.

Our group started by visiting a blacksmith.  He told of his work as he demonstrated it.  He had a good sense of humor and shared a lot of interesting things with us.  My boys especially enjoyed watching him work.

Next we went on a tour of the site.  We first visited the original homesite built in 1830. 

Some of the original pieces were still in the house.

Next was the newer big house built in 1835.  We learned that the Polly, the mother/wife was never comfortable cooking in this house due to the wooden floors and continued to use the first house for cooking in for the rest of her life. 

While we were touring, our guide Harry told us how impressed he was with homeschoolers.  He went on to tell of a competition on their site that had been won by homeschoolers for the last 7 years.  He praised our work and told the kids what a great benefit they were receiving.  It was really nice to hear that affirmation of what we are doing.  Did I mention that we really enjoyed him?!

Also on the site were a smoke house, post office (run by one of the sons), grain shed, barn with old farm implements and some animals.  Lots to see!

Our next stop was a hayride.  This was no ordinary hay ride!  We rode for 30 minutes and not in a circle on flat roads either.  We went off-road and up and down steep hills, through the forest and close to a river.  It was so much fun!

All of the children enjoyed it and Eliana was delighted with the ride. 

The site is in a park that is about 400 acres of beautiful land.  There is a river, disc golf, canoe/kayak, playground and lots of beautiful undeveloped land.

After our tour/hayride, we went down the park for a lunch.  The kids played some on the playground and then a few of us decided to hike to see the Old Mill Dam.  It was a lovely view and a short, easy hike to get to.

The children liked exploring, though we were trying to limit it a little bit due to an abundance of poison ivy.

The sometimes elusive photo of me with my children - and one additional friend.  :-) 

There were so many things I enjoyed about this day.  The chance to learn about history.  I've loved learning about the history of our state in a hands-on way with my children.  I enjoyed spending time with my children and learning with them.  I had fun being with friends.  It is a nice break to hang out with other moms during the week too.

Our day didn't end here though.  A friend shared about a warehouse sale.  Since we were about halfway there, we decided to drive over.  It was the semi-annual Carson Dellosa warehouse sale.  It was amazing.  I was stunned.  (I should have taken a picture.)

There were boxes and boxes of workbooks, posters, stickers, etc all over the floor of the warehouse.  Oh, and lots and lots of people.  We arrived about 1.5 hours after it had opened and I could tell that we missed getting some of the things there.  Even still, I bought a lot of neat activity books for my children for very cheap prices.  Many of the books were $1 and some were 4 for $1.  Unbelievable prices.  I had a coupon to save $10 too. 

The children watched napped some (Eliana napped the entire time!), read and watched a movie.  They also had fun rolling down a hill just before we left.  Rebecca wrapped our little boy with sensory issues in a blanket.  They all liked this idea and all began doing it this way too.  I have pics of all of them -but this was the best of the bunch.

On our way home we made a pit stop at McD's.  Eliana had her first try of french fries!  I couldn't believe she would eat them!  We also visited Sonic.  YUM!  Love a cranberry limeade slush.  We hit some traffic and ended up at home after 8pm!  It was a fun and long day. 

I used to do long field trip outings like this before Eliana was born.  It was nice to be able to do one again and have her enjoy it.  It just felt good.  In some ways it felt like a little slice of "normal" again. 

Just wanted to share some of our fun with you.

Blessings

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Yesterday was field trip day.  I love field trip days.  The day was beautiful!  Sunny and a little cool - just perfect for being outside. 

We visited the site of an historic mill and had a short tour of the mill.  We watched the wheel turn and heard about the comunity that lived around and depended on this mill.

We then split into groups for classes.  The older kids (middle and high school) had an intro to geology class.  The reports that I heard from the kids and adults were that it was an interesting and fun class.  I was hopeful because the man who taught the class sounded excited about the subject when I talked with him on the phone.  (The topic though wasn't one that I found all that exciting.  I'm thankful that someone who did love the topic could share it with my children.)

The middle group of children (2nd to 5th graders) did a pond study.  They had a class time first to learn about the food web.  Then they went to the pond - to get wet, explore and learn.  They had a blast and found a lot of neat things.

I tried to get photos, but we left to walk around the pond before the kids did - and totally missed them while we went on a mile hike.  LOL

You can see some photos of this group on my friend Lynn's blog.

The younger children were free to do a number of things.  We could go on a hike, do a scavenger hunt through the museum, play with colonial dress-up clothes or read some books in the reading corner.  We did a little bit of it all. 

First we went on a hike.  I was hoping to find the pond study group, but we found some of our own finds.

Turkey tail fungus

A goose

A turtle

There were also snakes, but I didn't get a picture of one of those. 

Daniel enjoyed the hike and Eliana rode contentedly on my back.  We shared the walk with a friend which was nice too.

When we got back to the museum, we did the scavenger hunt.  They had a set of picture cards.  When you found the item that matched it, you turned it over and read the question on teh back.  You could then answer the question on a separate piece of paper.

When you finished the hunt, you were allowed to draw a wheat penny from a large barrel.  They chose these because of the wheat that was milled at that site.  We learned about the various types of wheat pennies.  I even got one made of steel that was made during the war.  Copper was needed for the war effort.  Its a lighter penny and obviously different in color. 

The kids enjoyed the hands-on nature of the museum.

Eliana had fun playing with puzzles, looking at the various animals on display, playing with a friend and just wandering freely about.

A photo of the kids and I.  This doesn't happen too often as one of us is usually behind the camera.

If you live nearby, this is a delightful site and I do recommend a visit.  I look forward to going back again one day to explore some more. 

We ended our day at a nearby park.  I didn't take many photos except for those I shared yesterday.  I did take one of a vending machine though that just made me giggle. 

Thanks for sharing our fun day!

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

The week-end before last, we went to visit our sweet friends in VA.  We had planned to go to the homeschool day at New Market Battlefield State Historic Site.  As the day got closer, the predictions for rain kept going up - to 70 percent.  *sigh*  The Dads decided to stay home with the little ones and Catherine and I took the older children and hoped for the best. 

As we were driving there, it started to sprinkle, but though the day remained overcast and dreary, it was also mostly dry!  Yeah!  Thank you God for a small blessing. 

We had a blast!  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy living history?  The people at this site did an awesome job!

We started out in learning about soldiers in a hands-on manner.  The children enlisted.  They were asked how some got around the age requirement of 18 and I was surprised that Joshua knew the answer.  You could write "18" on a piece of paper and stand on it.  When asked if you were over 18, you could technically say that you were.

After enlisting, they had more to learn.  Such as putting up a tent.

Digging a hole for a latrine.

Getting rations.  We learned about the various types of foods the soldiers ate.  One that surprised me was hearing that canned oysters were a treat. 

They learned a little about the "discipline" that some soldiers received.

Next, were rifle drills.  Some were very serious about this.

They looked at some of the tents.  One even had a make-shift fireplace.  They wrote a letter home.  And dressed in clothes of the time period.  

As we were experiencing all of this, Joshua (9) kept saying that this was the best field trip ever.  As we were walking to the next area, Joshua fell in the mud.  As he got up and then walked with me, he again exclaimed what a great day this was, even while his pants were wet and muddy.  :-)  Gotta love a happiness that is not dampened by wetness or mud!

The children played several games.  One was a ball toss into various hoops placed at a distance.  You got more points for getting the ball in the hoop the farther the hoop was from you.

They also played ring toss.

The last game was a type of bowling.  The reenactors were wonderful, helpful and interesting.  It made several of us long to do this.  We had begun to pursue this prior to Eliana's birth and then let it go.  It may be time to consider it again.

We toured the home.  The family that lived in this home, was in the basement while the battle raged around them.  Can you imagine?  The horrors of war can seem so distant, and while there, it was easier to imagine how it could be in your own back yard.  Literally.

We saw a wonderfully done movie about the "Field of Lost Shoes".  So named because so many of the soldiers lost their shoes in the muddy field while running across it.  We learned about acts of bravery and also kindness.  We learned about Moses Ezekiel.  A soldier that went back to find a friend and stayed with him for 2 days before he died.  He went on to become a very famous artist and was even knighted by the King of Italy.  We saw one of his sculptures in the museum.  It was of Thomas Jefferson.

As we toured the museum, we learned about individuals and their stories.  We learned about the war and it's toll on our country.  It was well done on a topic that is difficult.  This beautiful stained glass window was made to represent the battle.

We also toured the battleground.

Found a beautiful scenic overlook and even an old trough in the woods that had been a place where a spring bubbled up.

The children did some crafts - made harmonicas, flags and quilts.  There were games and dancing to round off the day. 

I have so many more pictures (about 240) that it was hard to choose which ones to share.  We had so much fun!  I highly recommend this site if you are ever in the area.  It was well worth the trip!  Call in advance to arrange programming if you are interested. 

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Today was a field trip day for our FIAR group.  We had planned to do some classes for the younger children and a ropes/challenge course for the older kids.  The day loomed dreary though and the rain started early.  After talking, thinking and praying - a decision was made to cancel our outing.  We thought that more fun would be had in better weather.

After playing lots of phone tag, we regrouped and some of us went to the NC History Museum instead.  They have an exhibit on pirates and this seemed a fun way to spend a rainy day.  It was nice that it only cost $5 for adults and the children were free!

Posted in FieldTrip

A retropost - just for fun!  We went on another really fun field trip with our FIAR group!  This was to Noah's Landing.  We did this in Nov - just before the holidays - and I'm just getting around to sharing it.  I've had the pictures loaded, just late getting to finishing it.

We had to postpone our trip due to weather and we ended up with a beautiful day.  When we arrived, we were divided into 3 groups.  This site is run by a mom and her 2 grown daughters - one is a vet and the other does educational outreach. 

Our group included my 4 youngest children.  We were treated to see so many different kinds of animals!!!  I couldn't begin to name them all.  We learned about each animal and were able to ask questions.  We were also allowed to touch many of them as well.  We saw lemurs, an armidillo, wolves, a skunk, a porcupine, raccoons, birds, snakes, zebra, llama and so much more!  I highly recommend this place for a visit if you live in NC or are travelling in the area!

Here are some photos from our day!

Eliana really loves animals - even the (to me) yucky ones!

I thought this little guy was cute!  (Hedgehog)

I think that feeding the animals was the highlight of the day!  The children fed carrots to a zebra, horses, donkeys and llamas. 

What a blessing to learn more about God's creation in such an up-close and interesting way!  I love field trips! 

Blessings,

Posted in FieldTrip

We spent a beautiful day today out with our FIAR group on a field trip.  We went to Elodie Farm which is a goat and dairy farm.  We were met by the nicest man that owns and runs the farm.  When asked about the story behind the name of the farm, he told us he named it for his mom.  It is pronounced like Melody without the "M".  He said a friend told him it is because the "mmmm" is in the cheese.  (I agree!)

We started the tour by walking down the pastures.  It was a lovely, peaceful site. 

When the farmer called, the goats came from a far pasture.  It was fun to watch them coming - and Eliana started signing "dog".  lol  Close - but not dogs. 

We then split into 2 groups with the youngest children going on the first (shorter) tour.  We were shown the areas in which the goats entered the dairy area to be milked.  He explained the milking process - which is done on a platform. 

Then we went into the "kitchen" area and learned about how he made goat cheese.  Someone asked him how he learned and he said he bought a book.  He also has talked often with the author who he said helped him a great deal.  He also confessed that he made a lot of bad cheese his first year. 

The cheese is drained like this.

Cheese by the window drying out.

He makes all varieties of cheese with the exception of mozzerella.  He had samples ready for us to try.  I tried the feta - and it was delicous!!!  So much better than any other that I've had.  He told us that this was because it was fresh.  YUM!  Feta is in the bowl on the left and chevre on the right.

There were a lot of baby goats which the kids had a blast petting and playing with.  Eliana and Daniel liked feeding the kids grass.

The goats liked nibbling on their fingers, hair, clothing - pretty much anything that they could get to.  lol  All of the children enjoyed holding, playing with and watching the goats. 

After both groups of children toured, we stayed for a picnic lunch on his lawn.  He was so very gracious to us!  It was such a relaxing, beautiful setting. 

Rebecca asked if I would like to live on a farm like this and I said yes.  Then she asked if I would like to have goats.  I said yes.  Then she asked if I'd like to make cheese.  Again, I said yes.  The final question was if I'd like getting up early in the morning to milk them and I said that she could have that job.  LOL  I know it's a lot of work!  I loved the setting!

It was another great outing with our group of friends.  If you live in the area, I highly recommend a tour!  And a taste of the cheese of course!

Blessings,

Posted in FieldTrip

We had a wonderful field trip this week to Crowder Park.  It was a beautiful day!  After starting the week with snow, I wasn't sure what the day would be like, but it was gorgeous.

The Rangers lead programs for the older kids (12 and up) on a pond study.  They found various things in the pond and examined them under a microscope.  My oldest two shared that they found a crawfish and a red worm.

The middle ages of children (6-11) had a study on the water cycle.  They were split into teams and played a game to illustrate how the cycle works.  I didn't get any pictures of the game, but here are some of the boys afterwards.

Most of the younger siblings were hanging out with parents at these classes.  A couple of us though took the little ones on their own study.  The Rangers supplied activity boxes that we could use. 

Eliana was delighted to have her own card to carry.  She did a great job walking on the path too!  (That can't be my baby walking like a big girl!)

We played "Pondgo" which is a Bingo game.  This card would be an easy thing to do for your own children.  It's a laminated sheet with various pictures on it.

The children used a crayon to mark off the things that we found.

After the programs, we had a picnic lunch.  It is always such fun to just hang out with these precious friends!  I wish we could do it more often, but I treasure the times that we have.  There was a large playground there that the children enjoyed.  We ended up hanging out at the park for quite a long time and some of the kids went searching for geocaches (and found 5!)

The pond was a little murky - though still pretty.

It was a beautiful day. 

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Guess what we learned about this time?  Need a hint.  America's pastime.

Another fun outing with our FIAR group.  This time we went to see the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP).  The Bulls are a minor league baseball team which is the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.  We toured the park and learned more about how things work.

It was a very, very cold day - but the children had fun.  The little ones, including Eliana, had a hard time with the temps though.  She fussed and had a runny nose.  I began to wonder if she was getting sick.  When I finally was able to put her down, inside a warm area, she was fine.  I'm thankful.

This is the entrance of the ball park. 

This is a bull sculpture near the entrance.

We toured the rec room and the locker room.  Nothing fancy, but functional.  Christopher was amused to see a football in the locker room. 

This is a view from the home team's dug out.  If you look to the upper left, you can see the Bull.  When they score, his tail moves, his eyes turn red and smoke comes from his nostrils.  Also, if a home player hits the bull, he wins a steak dinner as does a fan.

Look again at the picture above.  Can you see the scoreboard (green in the middle of the blue wall).  Well, we were able to go see how it works. 

You enter from the right side of the "wall" and go down behind it. 

Then up onto a platform to look out the "windows" which is were each of the numbers are placed for the scoreboard.  This is a view out of one of the windows onto the field.

This is Daniel beside one of the windows and you can see some of the numbers used for scoring.  It is one person's job to change all the numbers for the game.

Next, we went into the press box.  Here is the view from there.

The stadium holds about 10,000 people and several "party boxes" for large groups and a play area for children.

This is just a cute picture.  You can't tell because of the sunlight, but Joshua is wearing a Durham Bulls baseball cap just for the outing.

At the end, we took a group photo and then went across the street to the Mellow Mushroom for a pizza lunch.  Daniel had a pepperoni sandwich again - and a bite of pizza!  Woo hoo!  It was yummy food and good to be in a warm place with friends. 

Looking forward to our next adventure - a trip to visit my sister and her family this week-end!

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

This is a catch up post from last week.  We had another fun field trip with our Five in a Row group!  We visited Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill.  We had tours set up for the children that were 5 and older.  There was a children's museum just around the corner which was an option for those with younger children.

We first went the museum and the younger children had a tour (ages 5 to 9).  The older kids went to Starbucks with some of the moms to play games and have a cup of hot chocolate.  I took my two youngest plus a friend's 1yo with me to Kidzu Children's Museum.

What a fun museum!  It wasn't big - which was a great option with 3 small children (one of whom is a wanderer!). 

Doesn't she just look sassy?!  lol

Fun construction area.

Loved this kitchen area and would love to have our play kitchen area organized like this.  Doesn't this look like a fun place to play?  To the left was a large table and farther to the right a refrigerator. 

Can you guess the game that Eliana liked playing?!  Yes, taking off her shoes and socks.  She doesn't wear them a lot at home and I guess she was just making herself comfortable.  lol

For the second hour, the older kids were in the museum and the middle kids joined us at the museum.  I don't have any pics in the museum.  The reports that I heard was that it was very well done.  The docents were great with the children - and complimentary of our group.  One of the activities that Rebecca enjoyed was writing a dossier on one of the figures in a painting. 

Since our group was so split up, we didn't get a chance to see everyone.  We grabbed a few folks and got a picture outside of the museum.

Afterwards, we walked down Franklin Street (the main street in Chapel Hill) for lunch.  We ate with 4 other families at Subway.  It was a fun lunch.  I was excited that for the first time I ordered Daniel a sandwich!  We've been working hard on his food/sensory issues and he is making great progress.  One of the foods he really likes is pepperoni.  So, he got a pepperoni sandwhich - plain.  The sides were applesauce and chips.  A perfect lunch for him!  I was just excited to order from the menu.  Typically, I have brought food for him for our lunches.  I didn't do that today and figured we would do the best we could.  This was a great step!  Way to go Daniel!

Another fun outing with our FIAR group.  We are thankful to be a part of this group!

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Our first outing of the year was to go bowling.  This has been a hit in the past and it's always fun to go with friends.  It was a bit of a challenge keeping up with Eliana as she kept bolting for the door.  Thankfully she could not get out by herself. 

My children bowled in 3 different lanes.  They had fun.  A couple had the highest scores -and it was 2 of my children that really didn't care about scores.  How does that happen?! 

My pics were OK - not so great.  I have a group shot, some blurry ones of some my boys and f friend's boys doing jumping jacks and push-ups.  Yes, at the bowling alley.  LOL  And most of the pics are from the back, like the one above.  The one above is my favorite.

Afterwards we grabbed lunch at Subway and then went to a park to play.  It was a chilly day, but pretty and the children spent several hours running around.  I got some great shots (I think) of some of our children, but not all of them unfortunately.

Rebecca put Eliana's hair up in rag rollers the night before which is why she has curls.  None of my children have natural curls despite my head full of them.  It's clearly a recessive gene!  lol

Eliana loves playing with the big kids and climing on the play structures.  At one point she was holding her hands to her mouth and yelling something.  It sounded like she was trying to call someone.  Cracked me up!  I tried to get a photo, but missed it.

Once Eliana was ready for a nap and falling asleep, we headed for home.  Just after we got to the car, it started to POUR!  What great timing.  It was a fun day.

Our next field trip was two weeks later.  (We plan outings for every other week.)  This time we went to the Ackland Art Museum.  I'll post more when the pics are uploaded.  Snow pics coming soon (well, hopefully this week) too.

Blessings,

Leslie

Posted in FieldTrip

Posted in FieldTrip

We continue to enjoy wonderful field trips with our Five in a Row homeschool group.  I'm thankful to be a part of the wonderful group of families.  We go on field trips every other month and I enjoy these so much.  One of our trips this month was to Duke Homestead which is one of our State Historic Sites.  (Click on the name if you'd like to visit the website.) 

Because we had a large group, we were split in half to participate in the planned activities.  We started with a film in which we learned what life was like on a farm in the early 1900s.  Next, the children learned how to play townball.  It is similar to baseball in some ways, though different enough that the younger children were not at a disadvantage in playing.  It was a lot of fun!

Listening to instructions.

My biggest and smallest boys.

It is hard to tell, but the bat is longer than a typical bat and flat.

The children ran clockwise around 4 bases (not including "home").  The tall sticks in the ground are bases.

Next, we did an archeology project.  The children worked in groups to discover things hidden in a box of sand.  They learned about measuring and recording data.  They then discussed what they might learn from the things that they found.  My younger boys loved doing this!

Lastly, we learned about food preservation.  They talked about types of foods eaten and how to save or preserve them.  They helped to churn butter and then ate some buttered bread.

When we finished, we had a picnic lunch at the site.  It was a beautiful fall day and it was a great time to relax, play and spend time with friends. 

Blessings, 

Posted in FieldTrip

I'm thinking that this is my last retropost for September.  Then I can focus on the month at hand - for a fwew days anyway.  lol

We have had an extended study of this fun FIAR title (The Salamander Room).  I love the story and it's been a big hit with all of my children.  We've learned about various aspects of nature and had some fun field trips that tied in beautifully with our lessons. 

We visited the Stevens Nature Center and went on a hike to learn about mammals.  The younger children first played a game.  Each child was given a picture of an animal tied onto a necklace.  The photo hung behind them and they were to ask questions to figure out what type of animal was on their card.  We then went on a lovely hike and stopped all through the hike to learn about each of the animals on their cards.  It was interesting and informative.  The only live animals we saw were not mammals - we saw a skink and a frog.

Love this picture of my girls!

I enjoyed finding a couple of neat books in the gift shop to add to our library.  Some that we read to go along with this study include A Skink's Tale, Are You a Butterfly? and Are You a Grasshopper?  All have great illustrations and were helpful in learning more about those particular animals. 

For a fun activity, the children made clay salamanders and painted them.  (Thanks Candace for the great idea!)  I enjoy watching them create and to see their strengths, talents and interests displayed in this way.

We had a second field trip with our Five in a Row group to the North Carolina Botanical Gardens.  As I'm typing this, I'm remembering that this one happened the first week in October!  (Makes me feel a little more caught up.) 

The children were split into 4 groups by age and led on a tour of plants of our state.  They specifically learned about the "Pitcher Plant" (carnivorous plant) and were able to dissect a leaf (to see what the plant had eaten!).  I don't have many pictures of this as I wasn't with these groups.  I'm thankful that others were though so I'll get some later.

The youngest children went on a scavenger hunt/tour through the herb garden with the moms and the older teens. 

It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time.  We went to a nearby park afterward to picnic and to play. 

I'm thankful for this wonderful group of families with which to go on field trips!

Blessings,