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| Snack tray! |
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| We did themed school (and fun) activities all day. |
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| Rainbow rain. |
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| Shaving cream "marbled" shamrocks. |
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| Lunch! |
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| Gold Coin Hunt-- always the favorite annual activity :) |
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| Breakfast! |
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| Growing crystals on a rainbow. |
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| Carson's breakfast-- Carver was not about to eat green pancakes. |
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| Treasure left by the Leprechauns. ($2 bills) |
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| A note from the leprechauns. |
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| Carson's leprechaun trap. |
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| Carver's leprechaun trap. |
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| All the prep work... |
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| Carson make "Lucky Charms Treats"-- they were good! |
Last week had several beautiful weather days and it made me in the mood to take the boys on an outing.
I miss regular outings with the boys. I think I have really tried to do the best I can to continue going some places and making special memories with the boys despite Covid struggles of the last year. But, clearly we spend most of our days at home, more than we ever have before.
So last week I picked a day and we headed out on a field trip. A history-related one of course 😊
Both boys went to the Vance birthplace in first grade for a school field trip. But, it is nearby, free, and easy to do-- it is all self-guided and completely possible to do safely.-- so I decided to take them back again.
I love the Vance birthplace. I like the old buildings and reading the information provided. What I really like is the focus they put on the slaves that lived on the property and were owned by the Vance family. I think that it was very well done and a lot of interesting and important information was presented in clear ways.
Zebulon Vance and his family owned a large piece of property in the Reems Creek area-- including owning slaves that helped with agriculture, household work, and child-rearing. One thing that struck me was when it was pointed out that the slave woman tasked with raising the Vance children would one day be owned by those same children. A sobering thought.
The boys had a good time-- but the highlight was definitely the lizard they found....
But, even if it didn't overwhelm them with insight and fascination--- it did get us out of the house on a gorgeous day to experience history in a new way and enjoy a quick picnic.
And, when they asked if we could "rescue" the lizard and bring it home, I said a resounding NO.
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| The lizard. They named him Sylvester. |
There are many things I enjoy about homeschooling the boys this year. I think an important part, and something that I really love, is getting to teach history to them.
I have always loved history-- I was reading historical fiction in elementary school I think. But it wasn't until college that I really took a deep interest in studying history. I love sitting in lectures and taking notes. I like to see how civilizations grew and progressed over time. I love learning about marginal groups and gender roles and how societies functioned on very basic levels. I find it all so fascinating.
I love to travel to historical places and walk where these civilizations existed so many years ago.
I love to find historical things nearby and learn a little about local history.
And this year, I have been able to introduce a bit of this love of history to the boys. And they like it too. Time will tell if they develop any real or deep interest in history, but for now they do seem to like it best of the subjects we study.
History is important. Understanding and respecting the lived experiences of people from the past is important. It allows for study and reflection and critical thinking and hard conversations.
I hope the boys develop at least a little love of history and carry it with them through life.
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| A Greek feast in honor of finishing out unit on Ancient Greece! |
After leaving Bartow we arrived at Fort Wilderness! We were there for three nights and it was absolutely perfect. We rented a very nice camper and were super cozy in there. We rented a golf cart and spent a lot of time riding around on it. We went swimming; did some gem mining; played on playgrounds; visited the Trading Posts; watched the water light parade at night; made s'mores and ordered most of our meals from an on-site restaurant.
It was just perfect. I can't wait to go back 😀
