Road Trip to San Francisco

Mom flew to San Francisco to run the Nike Women's Marathon (with Tiffany necklaces for finishers), while everyone else flew into northern California to visit family.....though they were nice enough to drive down, tour the city, and pick her up once the race was over.  While in San Francisco, we visited Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge park, and the Ghirardelli chocolate factory, amid other stops.

      

   

       

We headed back up to Sacramento to visit with the family some more, and spent the day at Old Sacramento, learning about California state history in the 19th century.  The kids were into Thomas the Tank Engine at this point, so we rode the train.  If you go, definitely spring for the First-Class treatment!!

    

          

One of the best things about the Nike Marathon was that it was girls' weekend out.  I had one of my best girls there exploring the city with me by foot.  She got up early and watched the race in the rain.  When hypothermia began to set in (I was not dressed for it to be so cold and rainy), she even weathered the cold to give me the sweatshirt off of her back!  You can't find better friends than that!

 

See these ugly old feet?  If I can run on them, day in and day out, then YOU can run, too!!!  Lace up and get outside.  And be happy that your feet are normal, and aren't capable of performing funky party tricks.....

Since this road trip, there was an accident that resulted in numerous surgeries and my owning my very own little scooter and handicapped parking pass.  I can no longer run, and some days can barely walk, but these memories continue to propel me forward.  The doctors cannot always predict the future, and I fully intend to prove them wrong.  

If there's anyone more stubborn than myself, I haven't met him or her yet.  If neuro-rewiring is a thing, I intend to make it happen.  Come back in a couple of years to see pictures from my next marathon!!

Check out our San Fran-themed unit studies!!!

  

Road Trip to Mississippi

What better place to study the history of the Confederacy than on a road trip through Mississippi?  With beautiful landscapes and a multitude of small and large museums and historic sites, our drive straight up through the state provided a unique look at aspects of the Civil War...

The only stopping point we had in mind on the one-day drive straight through this state was the Vicksburg National Military Park.  The boys had heard that there was an ironclad housed there, and since reading about the Monitor and the Merrimack, they have been obsessed with finding out more about these boats!

The park itself is quite photogenic, lending almost an eerie quality in the daybreak hours.  The little one, who enjoys photography, had himself a time taking several pictures to play with and filter later.  This one is of the gate at the entrance to the driving tour.  

A short history lesson --
The siege of Vicksburg in 1863 is sometimes considered the turning point of the war.  After holding out for more than forty days, with their supplies nearly gone, the garrison surrendered on July 4, effectively yielding command of the Mississippi River to the Union forces, who would hold it for the rest of the conflict.  It cut off the Trans-Mississippi Department (containing the states of Arkansas, Texas and part of Louisiana) from the rest of the Confederate States, effectively splitting the Confederacy in two for the duration of the war.

The USS Cairo is housed within the grounds of this national park, located at one of the stops along the scenic driving tour that shows visitors where various events within the battles occurred.  It has its own museum, separate from the park museum, located beside the boat, and this was the favorite attraction of our road trip through Mississippi!

In January 1862, seven ironclads were commissioned by the Union, including the Cairo.  It's job was to be a problem for Confederate supply lines.  In December 1862, after participating in only two skirmishes, the Cairo was rocked by explosions that tore a hole in her hull and bow.  She took on water and sank into the river.  No life was lost.

The boat sat underwater until its excavation in 1977, followed by a lengthy restoration.  Explore the USS Cairo Gunboat, including a virtual museum and other articles exploring the unique stories of the ironclad.

Nestled up against the Gulf Coast lies Beauvoir, the private home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.  You can tour the property and home, learning about both his personal and political life, with the accompaniment of Civil War-era, hoop-skirt clad tour guides...some of whom can be pretty amusing!  This was an impromptu stop...we saw the sign during a long drive, and decided to stop and check it out...

The home itself has a long and varied history, beginning in 1848.  As with most homes, it has been added on to and repaired multiple times (including after Hurricane Katrina), and it was also used as a hospital during the Civil War.  You can learn a lot about daily life in the deep south just from walking around the site and observing the construction and uses of each room.

The tour was shorter than we'd imagined, but did cover quite a bit of Confederate history that you won't find in today's re-written history textbooks.  The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library is also located on the property, containing many original manuscripts, diaries, journals, and other primary sources from the southern side of the Mason-Dixon line.  While we probably won't come through here again, it's nice to have stopped and shown this part of history to the boys.

Ancient Mayans - Roadschool Unit

If you're lucky enough to hit the travelling history exhibit on Mysteries of the Mayan, you should definitely go!  We stumbled upon it at a science museum, and learned much more than we could have imagined from this hands-on exhibit!  (Text in post; unit at bottom.)

The Meso-American Mayan civilization is known for its script, art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems.  The Ancient Mayan lived in the Yucatán, around 2600 B.C., in the area that is southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras today.

The Maya had no central king ruling their huge empire. Instead, there were as many as 20 separate areas, similar to ancient Greece city-states. Each major city had its own ruler and noble class supported by smaller cities and the surrounding farms and villages. 

The Ancient Maya developed the science of astronomy, calendar systems and hieroglyphic writing. They were also known for creating elaborate ceremonial architecture, such as pyramids, temples, palaces and observatories. 

The Maya writing system was made up many glyphs, which were pictures that represented sounds. They chiseled the glyphs into stone and inside books that were folded like an accordion. The pages were made of fig bark, covered in white lime, and bound in jaguar skins. The Maya wrote hundreds of these books. They contained information on history, medicine, astronomy and their religion. 

The Mayas wove beautiful fabrics and designed musical instruments like horns, drums, and castanets. They also carved huge statues. Archaeologists can tell a great deal about the ancient Maya from their wonderful pottery and clay figures. The art they created honored their leaders, gods, and their daily life. 

About AD 300 to 900 the major centers of the Mayan civilization were mysteriously abandoned.  Many theories have been considered such as disease, invasion by another culture, natural disaster or collapse of their trade routes which would have destroyed their economy. No one knows for sure what happened.

Ancient Mayans Field Trip Lessons

• Hands-On / Fun Stuff
• Ancient Mayans lapbook
• Mayan Myths worksheet  
• Interactive Mayan Adventure
• Writing in Mayan Glyphs
• Mayan Timeline
• Mayan Cities / Map
• Mayan Numbers / Calendar
• Why did the Mayan Civilization Fall?
• Lesson Plans
• Middle School Mayan Lessons
• In-depth unit on Aztec, Incan, and Mayan Cultures 

Home Cookin' - Comfort Food

The nights are getting longer and the days are getting colder. There's nothing like a warm soup with some crusty bread to warm your tummy! 

Here is an easy freezer autumn dinner from Freezer Cooking Through the Year......we like to make a big batch, with half for dinner and half to freeze for later.

  

A Slow-Cooked Year This book includes : the whats and whys behind crockpot cooking, how-to tips and tricks, safe crockpot guidelines, printable planning sheets, and more than thirty seasonally-appropriate, kid-friendly recipes!

Another Year of Freezer Cooking For anyone who wants to get a leg up on getting healthy meals on the family table, without much fuss...this book includes : the whats and whys behind freezer cooking how-to tips and tricks pantry freezing guidelines, printable planning sheets more than thirty seasonally-appropriate, kid-friendly recipes!

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2-3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
• 6 cups low-sodium, all-natural chicken stock
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup whole wheat elbow pasta
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas
• fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute onion, carrots, and celery until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add garlic and saute 1 minute.
2. Add garbanzo beans, chicken stock, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning (crush in hand before adding), salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add whole wheat macaroni noodles and cook for 4-5 more minutes (or a few minutes less than the directions say to cook it.)
4. Then, add green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower and cook for 4-5 minutes (or until crisp-tender).
5. Stir in the frozen peas and turn heat to low (no need to cook these, as they will warm up in the soup). Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf.
6. Serve warm and topped with chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
1. To freeze and prepare later, fully cook the soup, let it cool completely, and freeze in a BPA-free gallon freezer bag or other air-tight freezable container for up to 3 months. 
2. To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight and warm up over low heat on the stove.

Crusty Bread

Ingredients

• King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• King Arthur White Flour - 4 cups
• Yeast - 1 packet
• Water - 2 cups warm
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1/4 cup
• Salt - 1 tbsp

Directions :

• Note - While a bread-maker is a great kitchen tool and very handy, it is not suitable for this particular recipe.

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, yeast, whole wheat flour, and warm water. Cover with towel and let rest until bubbly.
2. Stir in cooking oil and salt.
3. Stir in 3 cups white flour, one cup at a time. Measure out one more cup of flour and sprinkle half of that onto the sticky dough. Work into dough.
4. Flour hands and turn dough onto floured surface. Knead well. While it is resting, wipe oil onto inside of bowl.
5. Knead a little bit more, then put the dough back into the bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for an hour and a half.
6. Punch down down. Divide into half and form into loaves.
7. Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet, and cover with a towel. Let rise again for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 375.
9. Remove covering, slash tops of loaves, and bake 30 minutes. Let cool, and enjoy!
1. To Freeze : Let cool completely and place in a gallon freezer bag. 
2. To Reheat : Thaw and slice.

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