March 7, 2014 Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

Yesterday Rowan and I went on an "official" school field trip.  We haven't done any for this school year.  We tend to work very diligently in fear of falling behind on our work.  There was the one break we took for two weeks last September and I feel like I'm still in catch up mode for that.  Once I decided to take a peek to see where we were in comparison with the public school calendar, I realized that we were way ahead of schedule for finishing this year, like a month and half, I decided we should take things a little slower and enjoy the roses so to speak.

Yesterday was homeschool day at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.  This was also our first field trip meeting up with other homeschoolers.  Not just ones from close-by towns but in our state.  Aside from paying $8 for parking, it is the big city after all, admission was free.  We spent a total of four hours looking at exhibits and watching short films.  I was disappointed that my camera didn't have the battery life I was hoping for, and was left taking the rest of the pictures with my phone.  I'm sure this never happens to anyone else.

 

Her favorite exhibit was Extreme Mammals.  I would really want one of these if they were still around.

 

 

Lots of exhibits showing the usefulness of different parts of the body.  You'll notice there are lots of references to evolution in all the displays.  We haven't covered those issues yet at home.  I am certainly always grateful I did not come from a skunk one way or another.  

 

 

This is a prehistoric tooth we were allowed to touch.  It has lots of grooves and serrated but dull edges.  There's a feeling one gets when touching something from so long ago. 

 

 

My very own saber toothed cat.  This display showed outlines of various animals.  We tried being hippos and bears.

 

 

Rowan loved seeing this narwhal tusk.  In fact, she thought they were already extinct.  It was a highlight of her day to tell her dad that narwhals were "really real and still alive today."

    

 

This was a lock and spear from early settlers in Texas.  I was captivated by the ornate work put into making it.  I think Rowan was laying down on a bench thinking we would never get out of the museum.

 

 

A call for people to move to Texas.

 

 

Texas innovation, oil fields, and the role Texas played in World War II.  I'm always a keen observer as to what grabs her attention.  She really liked this plane.  She ran her hands over the wings several times.  Did it spark her imagination?

 

 

A shot from the top floor looking down on a mural.

I was impressed with the quality and quantity of displays.  I thought they did a wonderful job telling the history of this state.  I even learned a few things.  I have some new ideas for field trips to expand on the things learned at the museum.  Not too far down the road from us is Goliad where a massacre took place after the fall of the Alamo but before the Battle of San Jacinto.  Even though we're not officially studying Texas History I think it's always good to know your state's past.

After the museum we had lunch at Magnolia Cafe.  A charming place to eat on the touristy South Congress strip.

Our last stop was Teacher Heaven.  I needed a different approach and course material for spelling.  This is Rowan's most difficult subject.  I found what I needed and then we made our escape from the big city and back to the safety of our little acre in the country.

I'm looking forward to next week's field trip...The Rodeo!  It's a surprise for Rowan, so don't tell.

 

February 26, 2014 Rainy Day Thoughts and A Throw Together Sundae

The weather today is chilly and very windy.  That will make this an inside day.  We're kind of in an open spot and really get hit with wind.  It's at its worst in spring.  The wind will howl day after day for a few months.  It can be frustrating gardening through this.  It's time to plant but you don't want your plants getting beaten up and torn to shreds from the wind.  I've had this happen.  It's very disappointing.  I'm getting better at arranging plants to be protected from the wind.  At this time there just aren't enough plants in the garden. (Remember, all those gardens in the magazines took 15 years to grow.)

 

(I just learned how to take a screen shot!  Woo hoo I'm feeling smart.)

As you can see from this screenshot the winds are up to 24 mph.  I temperature part is making me cranky.  It's getting colder after 11 am.  It looks like tomorrow will be good, though.

I went outside and let the chickens out.  They are always so full of bluster when they first come out.  After finding out it was cold they ran back into their coop.  Silly birds.  The daffodil has decided not to open yet.  I wouldn't either with this rain.  I'm grateful for the rain so I don't have to water the new trees, potatoes, onions, and garlic.

There are a couple of inside projects I'll be working on besides the usual housework.  I think it'll be a day for making comfort food, too.

We ended up doing all of that.  I completed some overdue housework, Rowan worked halfheartedly on her school work.  The dogs were happy to stay in the warm house and even let the cat sleep with them.

I made an appointment for Lizzie to get her hair styled.  She always looks so cute after she has it done.  There is so much cute I can't even look directly at her.  It's just too much cuteness.  I'll post a picture when she is done on Friday.

Jace came home from work and made some delicious pork chops and mashed potatoes.  I had a sweet tooth later in the evening.  Thinking back on some blogs I read today, they were all about dollar store desserts, I was inspired to pull some ingredients I had around the house to make my own small sundae.
  

 

Starting at the bottom I filled with a chocolate pudding snack cup, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of homemade strawberry jam, and topped with crumbled walnuts.  

It hit just the right spot and now I'm ready to tuck myself in for a long winters nap.