(As portrayed by Mom & Dad)
Daddy has been working his tush off for the last week or more trying to get ready for garden planting season this weekend. Today we all helped in the yard to mix the dirt and spread mulch. I LOVEd laying in the dirt and mixing it around.
Working hard to get out veggies! 🙂
Mommy actually got a shot of all of us working at the same time!
It is really coming together.
I opted to plant myself! Wonder what I will grow into?
We loaded up the car and drove out to Cracker Country on the state fairgrounds. We met up with a bunch of other homeschool families.
My new buddy(Hudson) and I watched as the blacksmith was pounding the glowing iron. I learned that it was dark in a blacksmiths shop so that they could see the red hot iron better.
*Above photo from Julia Roberts
Hudson and I found a bucket over a post. Well, that just had to be explored! It was a mill for grinding corn. Mommy quickly spotted a Black Widow spider and the adventure was over. The docent came over and took care of the spider with his handy hammer.
*above photo from Julia Roberts
We learned all about how they used to make soap for laundry. Apparently it was a bit boring to my friends (haha) but I really enjoyed it… maybe it was the honey stick I was sucking on that made it all better.
*above photo from Julia Roberts
Mmmmmm, honey!
*above photo from Julia Roberts
I learned how to iron clothing. I was actually pretty good at it!
*above photo from Julia Roberts
We checked out the little chickens and all the eggs that they had in the coop. A nice docent gave us food to feed the chickens and that entertained all of us for a long while.
I liked the BIG chickens and the HUGE rooster! Emmerson could make him crow!
We took lots of tours of the homes and other buildings. I really enjoyed looking at things and seeing how they were like what we have today, over a hundred years later!
They had a model railroad. Still sucking on my honey stick, I watched the trains go round and round and round.
This man was demonstrating morse code. He offered for me to try but I got totally scared and scurried out the door.
We played games like they did back in the 1800s. I was horrible at roll the hoop with the stick.
I liked the gee-wah something or other.
We learned how to wash clothes on the wash board.
I scrubbed really hard and got all the stains out.
Hard work!
We found lots of places to explore and hide in. Fortunately, no more Black Widow spiders!
I really enjoyed working on the loom.
I got to help make rope!
We enjoyed a cool breeze in the old school house. The “teacher” had us write our names. If we didn’t follow the rules we had to sit in the corner with the dunce cap on! No one in our group had to wear the hat!
We all worked so hard.
Breighton!
Breighton ReR? I meant it to say Breighton Reed but I guess I got distracted!
Right before we left we saw a sign for a new “African American” area coming to Cracker Country. Mommy read the sign and it talked about how the African-Americans had crop shares and owned land. I commented to Mommy that I thought that Cracker Country, based on the signs and dates I had read, was about the mid 1800s. I was confused why they weren’t talking about slavery instead. We did a bit of research and found out that the buildings were from the early to mid 1800s but the life they were portraying was from the 1890s…. almost 30 years after Abraham Lincoln helped free the slaves. Mommy was very impressed that I was paying attention with my homeschooling and was able to think on that level.
One of the homeschool groups I am involved in had a fossil dig at Philipee Park in Safety Harbor. We each got a little block and some tools and had to chisel out the dinosaur bones. It was really fun. It was really messy. It was really labor intensive!
Mommy was amazed how well all the homeschoolers sat at the table and followed the directions. We all lasted a good half an hour before people started to get bored and wander off. Pretty good!
We went down and played in the water near the indian mound. I had a blast splashing around with all my pals. Mommy didn’t have a change of clothing but thank goodness found a towel in Daddy’s car for me to wrap up in to go home. What a day! 🙂
Now that we have our new clubhouse together we had to find a place for the old one. I didn’t want to get rid of it because it was a gift to me when Emmerson was born. Mommy and Daddy worked hard to make a spot where the palm trees died. The yard guy took out the stumps and Mommy and Daddy levels the ground and got rid of all the roots. Daddy laid down indoor outdoor carpet over the dirt. Then the playhouse was placed on top. It is like a yard of AstroTurf! We love our new street of homes. Emmerson can visit my new house now. I can visit his old house.
I had a nice time at Cousin Nick’s 7th birthday bash. When it was time to go we walked over and fed their cows. I liked shouting MOO at them. Silly I know! But that is who I am!
