Agrirama!

This past Thursday marked the first "real" field trip we've taken with the homeschool group.  We all drove to Tifton to visit the "Agrirama",  the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village.  I had never been there before, and wasn't really sure what it was all going to be about, but I signed the two older kids up for the workshops.  I was told this would involve the girls working in the farmhouse, and the boys working on the farm, followed by some old-fashioned one-room-schoolhouse type experience.  I was looking forward to my kids getting some insight into the fact that what I expected of them at home wasn't nearly as bad as they sometimes think it is!

It was even better than I expected!  The setting was right off the interstate, but you'd never know it.  It was beautiful, clean, peaceful, and charming.  Authenticity wasn't exactly what I expected (the Shop-Vac in the grist mill was a bit of an anachronism), but I truly enjoyed the setting.

 

The drive was about 1.5 hours from our house, but we popped an American History DVD in the car's DVD player and my poor kids got an early start on their Day of Living the Past.  We arrived in Tifton a little early, so I made a dash to McD's for some yogurt parfaits, and everyone's belly was full prior to all the hard work I was hoping they'd get to do.  Once we met up with our group, the kids went to the "costume building" for a quick change into something more appropriate for the day. (Jacob had already had instructions to wear a white shirt and long pants.  The suspenders were courtesy of the costume shop)

Once the kids were dressed, they separated into groups and were led off for their morning chores.  Jacob's group went to feed the animals, and Merrilee's group headed to the "Progressive" house, a "modern" home from about 150 years ago.  Katie Mei and I tagged along with Jacob, hoping to get to see a few farm animals up close.  The best we got was to see Jacob carry a bucket of corn for the milk cow.  That in itself was fascinating for Katie Mei.  She waves to our local cows every morning from about 1/4 mile away.  But this was the closest she's ever gotten to see a cow.  She was awed by how big its nose was!

After we had our fill of watching the cow munch corn, we walked across the road to find Merrilee's group.  The girls were getting some instruction on the layout of the house and how things worked in a farm home 150 years ago.  We could already smell something cooking on the wood-burning stove in the kitchen (which was about 100 degrees inside!), and found the cool of the porch to be refreshing.  The girls were lined up on the porch for a little sewing lesson.

I think it might have been lost on Merrilee, but I was delighted to see the "traditional" lady of the house was a dear Asian woman who smiled and enjoyed teaching the girls about life on an American farm almost two centuries ago.  Made me feel good that the typical stereotype of white landowner wasn't being pursued here.  However, I was a little disappointed that the women working in the kitchens and doing all the cooking in the farmhouses were African American women.  I suppose that is probably the way it was in many of the homes back then, but I don't think it was in all the homes.  Just kind of bothered me that it had to be that way.  I try not to sugarcoat American history with my kids, and I share with them some of the ugly stuff of our past that Merrilee's history book tends to overlook, but I do try to avoid stereotyping by race.

Meanwhile, Katie Mei and I kept trying to go back and forth between Merrilee and Jacob's experiences since I wanted to get pictures of both kids.  Jacob had moved on to shelling corn, and then going to the grist mill to grind it into grits and corn meal.

Shelling the corn requires strong arms!

Shaking the screen to sift the grits

Watching her big brother sift milled corn

Bagging and weighing the grits to sell in the Country Store

Sealing the bags

Water wheel that turns the grinding stone in the mill upstairs.

After watch the milling process, Katie Mei and I dashed back to the farmhouse to see how the girls were doing.  Poor Katie Mei's little legs were starting to get tired!

View from the farm house

We found Merrilee outside sweeping the front yard with a bundle of branches.  She was enthusiastic in her work, but was really wishing she was inside cooking.  After the girls had cleared the yard a bit, their guide had them play a game of hopscotch while they waited to set the tables for dinner.

Sweeping with a branch broom

Time out for hopscotch!

Tired little girls find the sandy dirt fascinating!
 

 Once it was close to dinnertime, the girls went inside and set the tables.  There was a dining area for the men and a separate dining area for the girls.  Jacob ate at the Miller House.  Merrilee was really excited when it was time to get the water and bring it in, but was disappointed when she found out that the local government had already interceded and prevented Agrirama from using actual well water for the guests to drink.  Thus, the water came from a hose attached to the local Tifton water supply.  Not so authentic, but at least I knew the kids weren't drinking 150 year old bacteria.

Setting the table.  Plates must go upside down over the flatware to keep the flies off eating surfaces.

Bringing in the water

Time to eat.  Merrilee volunteered to ask the blessing for the meal.

Meanwhile, Jacob's meal was delayed a few minutes to allow the cornbread to finish cooking.  He also asked the blessing at his meal.

Both groups ate something akin to beans or chili, corn bread, peaches, and sweet pickles.  I heard one child start complaining that he didn't like anything on the table but the peaches, but both of my children came away exclaiming how delicious it was.  It sure smelled good!  Katie Mei and I ate ham and cheese wraps and a banana from a cooler in the car.  We were just glad to have lunch; it had been a long morning!  I have to say, I was kind of glad Jacob's meal was a bit delayed because it gave me time to dash over to the Miller House and find him.  I got there just in time to take pictures and hear him ask the blessing.  He, too, was the lone child to volunteer when the kids were asked who would like to ask the blessing on the meal.  Both of my children really made me proud of them.  I doubt anyone else even noticed which kids asked the blessings, but for some reason, I am so glad my kids are not at all embarrassed or shy about praying in front of others.  They just don't even know that some find it awkward.  It's natural for them, and for that I am greatly thankful!

Once the meals were over, the kids were herded to another part of the property, the one-room school house.

Merrilee working hard on her copy work

Good old fashioned McGuffy Reader.

Jacob enjoyed the novelty of sitting in a desk for about 0.35 seconds.

View from the back of the room.  There were two more rows of students on the right as well.  Merrilee was two seats behind Jacob.

  

Katie Mei was delighted with the slate and chalk, and eager to show her ability to write her name.

 The kids found their McGuffy Readers to be too easy for them, though I think it was mostly because they were given readers according to their age, not their grade level.  Jacob was asked to do some copy work, and he finished almost as soon as he started and immediately began to get out of his desk while the teacher worked with other students.  I really wouldn't expect the experience to be very realistic with all the parents and younger siblings wandering through the room, but I did hope Jacob would take it a little more seriously.  He didn't.  He was turned around in his chair most of the time and had a hard time sitting still when the teacher wasn't directly involved with him.  Very much like at home.  Gives me an idea of how he'd behave in the public school system and rather confirms my thinking that homeschooling really is the best thing for him right now.  He has little self-control.

Merrilee, on the other hand, went straight to work doing her copy work in her best possible cursive.  She was hardly swayed when Katie Mei climbed into her desk with her, took away her slate and chalk, and proceeded to do her own "home work".

We had a great group of kids for the trip, and I was so glad we were a part of it!  It was a fantastic experience for Merrilee and Jacob; one that I doubt we would have had if we hadn't move down to this part of the country.  I am still amazed at how awesome it has been to homeschool down here.  There is so much to do, and the history is so rich!  We are blessed to be able to live here, and even if we don't live here for more than a few years, the experiences we've had will last a lifetime!

Sun, Fun, Food, and Fellowship

We had a wonderful time with friends and church family last Sunday as we hosted a pool party for our adult Sunday school class.  After church everyone met at our house, bringing salads, casseroles, desserts, and all manner of tasty treats!  Jay was the official hot-dog burner, and we all had a blessed time of sharing a few hours together outside of Sunday school and church activity schedules.  It was fun and refreshing!

The children filled the pool.  I think my kids, who are so used to just being the two or three of them in the pool, were a little overwhelmed with the crowd!  They are not used to public pools or even high pool traffic at the base pool.  They had other kids to play games with, show off  for, and chase in the water.

Even the pastor got in on the action!  He loves kids, and really seems to enjoy playing with them a little more enthusiastically than Jay or myself do.  He had them lined up to get tossed in the deep end, and then somehow, when my back was turned, the older kids became a living tower in my pool!

The younger children were able to spend some time before lunch playing with Legos and Littlest Pet Shop toys. Our family was delighted to be able to host this fun afternoon, and we look forward to doing it again soon!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

It's not every day someone in your family has a birthday, and it's even more special when that birthday is a new decade. Today we celebrated Dad's 70th birthday, and the kids and I made a trip to South Caroline to crash the party! Mom knew we were coming, but we didn't tell Dad. Just showed up on the doorstep and ruined his plans for peace and quiet for the rest of the day. I don't think he really minded!

We went to dinner at a local restaurant called The Mustard Seed and enjoyed a lovely meal with friends Barb and Ron. Then we all headed back to the house for dessert.

My sister Paige had told me she was planning on having a cake delivered (sure wish she and my brother could have been there!) and she asked me to get 70 candles to put on the cake. Mom was going to put "7" and "0" candles on the cake, but we felt like this birthday called for the real thing. So I got a BIG box of candles, gave the kids some handsful, and we covered the top of that cake!

The cake was a marvelous layered coconut-cream cheese cake...just heavenly. It was huge, though, and I think the eight of us present only ate a little over a quarter of it. It was at least 12 layers high and oh, so rich! The entire cake weighed well over 10 pounds, I'm sure!

Anyway, Dad, aka, Grandpa, had to huff and puff to blow out this challenging number of candles. But his first blow took out all but three of them. Not a bad start. He managed to get the last three with a couple more blows.

The kids made handmade gifts, and after dinner Grandpa got a phone call from my brother's son Hayden. I think Grandpa felt very loved tonight.

Katie Mei is never one to let a party get by her! I should probably be embarassed to even show this photo, but she thought the wine glass was hers and she made a big show of it. This kid's going to be our problem child when she's older, I think.

We all enjoyed a glass of wine (except for the kids, I promise!) and a delicious piece of cake (yes, the kids did eat cake...and plenty of it!). It was the most wonderful evening, and I'm so glad we were able to be with Dad on his big day.

Happy Birthday, Dad! We hope is was a special day for you, and that you found it memorable. Even if we did tucker you out and you went to bed shortly after the kids!

Love,

Pet

The Good Life

Contrary to how it might appear on my blog, we're not always dashing off to kids' sports, the zoo or the aquarium, doing school work, and accomplishing scheduled activities around here. We do have our share of down time when we just hang out and don't really accomplish much at all. I'm going to make sure I share some of that on this blog, so in the future my kids can't say I was always a task master!

Here are a few snippets of life around here....

A couple weeks ago Katie Mei noticed the cat's ball was stuck behind the 'fridge. It really bothered her that it was stuck there and she wanted to get it out. She tried with her short little arms for a bit, but couldn't reach it. Since I was in the kitchen getting dinner started, I offered her one of my long wooden spoons. She thought that was great and gave it a try. Apparently, she had a hard time seeing the ball behind there because she got up and announced she needed her peeg (pink) sunna gwasses, and off she ran. She came back with the appropriate attire for cat toy rescue, and set herself to work.

There was a bit of a struggle, and she had to get down on her belly to get a really good advantage on the ball.

She must have been doing something right, because Dusty came by to encourage her and check on her progress.

In the end, she never did get the ball out, and it still sits there because I pretty much forgot about it. When she finally gave up, she went to put the spoon back in the drawer and I told her it was dirty and needed to go in the sink. However, she had already gotten a glimpse of all my other wooden spoons in the drawer and she started exploring. She found my short bamboo spoon and snatched it up, saying "This is a leedle spoon, Just Like ME!!! I want to play wif it!" (She loves to compare herself to other little things for some reason.) She then started to walk out of the kitchen with my small spoon. I told her she needed to put it back in the drawer because I needed it for cooking, but she continued to walk out of the kitchen saying over her shoulder "Mom, you need to share!" Well, at least I know she's putting in to practice what we try to teach her about playing nice.

Last week we had one of many thunderstorms in the early evening. Since the temperature outside had cooled off and felt so nice, I decided to go outside for a few moments of quiet, solitary relaxation. Never one to let Mommy spend too much time alone, Katie Mei followed me out. Since it was still raining but no longer really a storm, I gave in and said "yes" when she asked if she could go out from under the porch into the rain. She was already in her "nighnow" (night gown), but I figured it wasn't that much trouble to change when she was done playing.

As you can see from the photo, she had an absolute blast! I had to grab my camera and get a couple pictures of that wonderfully lit up face!

Well, upon hearing Katie Mei's squeals of delight, Merrilee soon followed in her night gown and asked if she could also go out in the rain. I had to say yes again.

And of course, two is always followed by three, so I ended up with three screaming, jumping, splashing, wet kids and no quiet time for myself, afterall. But it was fun and they were all brimming with laughter and joy. It was quite worth it. Who knew rain could be so much fun?

They dropped their wet clothes at the door and went back upstairs to dry off and put on clean jammies. Everyone was happy and sleep came quickly.

This weekend we had another couple of very mild, beautiful days and I let the kids get in the pool. The water had cooled off considerably, so it was a bit of a shock to get wet. Katie Mei wasn't feeling perfectly well (we've all had a summer cold for the past week), so for the first time since we've lived here, she said she "no" when asked if she wanted to swim. This was perfectly fine with me, because I really didn't want to get in the water, either. So she and I sat on the porch while the other two kids swam. It was just the perfect afternoon to sit and read a magazine, watch Katie Mei play with Jacob's plastic animals, and supervise the older kids in the pool.

Did you know dinosaurs, their skeletons, zebras, and horses all enjoy a community bowl of lawn weeds every now and then?

Camels seem to like to get in on the action, too.

But they're messy eaters, and when they're done someone must clean up their scraps. I had just the right girl to do it! (And you can never start them too young on learning how to handle a broom and dustpan!)

Merrilee and Jacob had a fun half-hour swim before the next round of thunderstorms headed our way, but it was enough to give everyone a little R and R, and then get ready for dinner.

That's it in a nutshell. We work, we chill out, we swim, and we play. I hope the water in the pool doesn't get too much cooler, though, or we'll be down to only three out of the four. I'm not ready for fall to step in quite yet!

Theresa needs our prayers

Do you remember my post last August regarding the three little girls with CHD who needed families? All three girls have been adopted, and you can read their stories here. However, today I learned that Liu Fang, now named Theresa, is not doing well.

Her family is asking for prayer for her. The family's blog is http://ourplacecalledhome.blogspot.com/ . Theresa recently had a heart cath done, and to quote their blog, "The results of the cath. were very bad. Nothing can be done, the Doctors just want to keep her comfortable with medicines. She could have a stroke or heart attack at any time.Thank you everyone for all of your prayers and words of encouragement." You can view the interview with Fox news here.

So I ask that you please lift up this family, and this dear three-year old, before the Lord. It is so hard to hear the words that "the results of the cath were bad" and know that our own daughter could have been in the very same position. Any of us who step out in faith and adopt a child with severe heart disease know the risks, but it's never enough to prepare you to hear difficult news. Theresa's condition is such that she may not even be eligible for a heart transplant. They are asking for a miracle.

Please pray. Thank you.

Love,

Petrie