Flat Jeremy

Have you ever heard of the book Flat Stanley?  Several years ago my friend Stacy's son Jeremy had to trace himself and mail it to someone, and they chose us!  We had lots of fun taking him all over the place and snapping pictures.  Of course, I turned it into a homeschool project, and each kid had to do a different report, on our house, our city, and our state.  We then mailed the pictures, reports, and Flat Jeremy back to his school.  Out of this project, Mary Anne and Jeremy became real pen pals.  You know, with real pencil and paper!

So you can imagine how excited the kids were when they realized they were actually going to meet the real Flat Jeremy!

Pen Pals!

Look Jeremy! You made the blog!!!

Hanging out with Lincoln

Hollie:
Gettysburg was a little too much for the kids.  The reality of how many people died was heartbreaking.  This is the first time my kids have been exposed to war in a video.  They didn't like it.  Neither did I.  But it is good that we teach our kids history, so they learn from it.  This is also where Roy began his obsession about the civil war.  By being onsite at so many of these historical places in a row, and reading the primary sources firsthand with no filter or spin or bias, a whole new picture has been emerging.  For example, the Civil War was not primarily a war to end slavery.  It has been hard for Roy and I to undo the teachings we received in school, and then reeducate ourselves with the truth.  I am sure that at some point Roy will write a blog on this.  He is still in the fact gathering stage.  He keeps buying more and more books!  Then I get to learn all the interesting things he has learned.  It is quite fascinating!

A funny thing did happen in Gettysburg.  I had all the kids sit on a bench while I went to go try to find Roy. (A common occurrence in museums!) While they were sitting there, a group of Asian tourist came in.  They all immediately started snapping pictures of the kids sitting on the bench.  The kids didn't know what to do.  Should they smile? wave? pretend they don't see them? The kids said it felt super weird.  It has since happened again several times, especially in DC.  And especially of Ellie.  She is a super star with her fat cheeks and thighs and bright blue eyes.  They actually lined up to get their pictures taken with her!  Who knows?  Maybe she will show up in the next Gangnam style video!

Amish Country

Philly in Pictures

The Plimoth Plantation

Mary Anne:

 After Boston, we headed down to Plymouth, and saw a replica of the Mayflower, called Mayflower 2. There were a few people dressed up from the 17^th century scattered about the ship, acting as if they had just landed the real Mayflower. We could ask them questions about the journey to America and about the ship, and they would answer as if they had just landed.

 Afterwards we headed up to Plimoth Plantation, which is a little village of pilgrims, all dressed and in character, and all living in little houses and tending gardens and taking care of animals. They all acted as if they actually lived there, making their own food and eating it, sweeping and cleaning their houses, tending their gardens, cutting wood, etc. 

Jackie helped grind corn to make flour.

Caleb helped saw logs.

Caleb is doing 9 pin bowling.

Caleb says he is shooting Steven from the cannon.

Steven watches me fall on stilts and is like; “I can’t believe you fell. It’s really easy! Let me show you.”

Steven showing me how not to walk on stilts.

Katie Marie just plopped herself on the ground and looked at rocks.

We got dressed up in typical Pilgrim clothes and pretended to be pilgrims.

 We had a really fun time! It was really cool to see how pilgrims lived and to meet them all.

A short walk from the pilgrim village was a Wampanoag tribe.

Katie Marie playing a native game.

A typical winter home.

The pelts that kept them warm.

Outside kitchen.

 It was kind of funny that our family does a lot of the same things the people in the early days did (grow food in their own gardens, grind their own flour, make our own bread, collect eggs, chop wood, get water from a spring, etc).  But we're not quite ready to live exclusively in a movable tent like the one Ruthie's standing in front of, all crowded together for weeks on end.  Oh wait, that's exactly what we're doing on this sabbatical!  Maybe we would have made a good native or pilgrim! J