Georgia Snowstorm 2011

We live in Georgia & have been stuck in the snowstorm that has swept the Southeast.  Since we homeschool we have the option of doing school, however we have chosen to take the time off along with the public school system.  My son has a lot of schooled friends & his friends in the neighborhood are out playing in the snow, sledding, etc.  My husband is also home, his work has been cancelled until Thursday, so it only made sense to put away the books & enjoy some time off.

We bought our son a skateboard for Christmas.  If I had known we were going to be inundated with snow we would have opted for a  Pelican Space Scooter Snowboard...LOL!

The good thing about homeschooling is that you can be flexible with your schedule & roll with the punches so to speak.  If you need help setting up a schedule check out How To Develop Homeschool Schedules.  I have friends who homeschool that are moving forward with their studies.  That is the great thing about homeschooling, you can adjust it to your own personal situation. 

Here are some photos I thought you might enjoy!

Not frozen enough for ice skating...good thing since we don't have any skates!

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Sledding!                                                                                   

Andersonville Prison Camp

 My husband travels with his job & two weeks ago we went with him down to south Georgia.  He was working in Hawkinsville, a very small town, but only 45 miles away was .  In case you are not an American Civil War buff, Andersonville was the site of the most notorious Confederate prison camp for Union soldiers.

So while my husband worked, Noah & I went to Andersonville for the day.  It was a cold & windy day so we started out by going through their museum hoping the weather would warm up as the day went on.  Not only do they have a museum for Civil War POW's but for all American POW's from all the wars.  

Noah is only 11 years old but his grandfather was a POW in Germany during WWII (don't ask me how old I am...Ha!), so it was of great importance for me.  It also gave Noah a chance to see what it was like for his Papa during the war.  He passed away before Noah was born so we make sure all of the family stories are passed down & he knows the importance of their sacrifice.

After going through the museum we watched a 30 minute documentary on POW's  from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, etc.   It was difficult to hear some of the things they had to go through but also inspiring at the same time.  Their courage & love of country was amazing to see.

After that we bundled up & headed outside to see the site of Andersonville prison.  They have some reconstructed walls to show you what it was like & the site is laid out with markers so you can see the size of the prison itself.   There are still some original earthworks left that are amazing to see as well. 

You can see where prisoners dug tunnels trying to escape as well as deep holes where they tried to dig for water.  When they were brought there nothing was provided as far as shelter.  They made tents or lean-twos out of anything they could find.  If they did not have that they just slept & lived out in the open.

The prison was originally 16.5 acres but was later enlarged to 26.5 acres.  The prison was intended to hold 10,000 prisoners but its average occupancy was 26,000.  At its fullest peak it held 32,000 at one time!  The Confederate government was weak economically & could not provide adequate food, clothing, or medical care.   So it turned out to be horrific for anyone who was imprisoned there.

The park is 10 miles northeast of Americus on Ga. 49.  Along with the museum is a visitor center where rangers can answer questions, as well as a gift shop to purchase items from.  My son chose an Andersonville build-a-fort set.  He loves putting forts together & setting up scenes with all of his toy figures.

The amazing thing was that admission is free!  I wasn't expecting that so it was a nice surprise.  If you are going south on I-75 from Perry you would take a right off the interstate onto Highway 26, then left on Hwy. 49.   It is really easy to find.

After we left Andersonville we headed back to Hawkinsville.   We were hungry so we stopped at Yoder's restaurant on Hwy 26 to eat.  It is a Mennonite restaurant & bakery with fresh from scratch food...yum!  They also have a gift shop which we did not go in.  It is out in the middle of nowhere with great views of pecan orchards & pastures.  So if you are passing that way on any trip to or from Florida, it is worth the short trek off of the interstate.

Smithsonian Magazine Day!

Today is Smithsonian Magazine Day!  You may not know but the Smithsonian museums in DC are free to the public every day.  Since today is Smithsonian Magazine Day thousands of museums & cultural venues all across America are offering free admission on Saturday, September 26th. 

Go to http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html to see the list of museums in your area & to download a museum day admission card which will give free admission to you & a guest.

Make Your Own Catapult

Today for science I wanted to do an activity to finish off our study of machines. So I looked at putting together models of complex machines (cars, planes, etc.), or at putting together our own working machine...the catapult.

We decided on a catapult that was easy to put together & only required items that we could find around the house. Any project that doesn't cost money is fine by me! So I found a design that uses office supplies & within 30 minutes we had a working catapult.

All you need for this are pencils, rubber bands, tape & a bottle cap (from bottled water). For more information on how to make this & other cool projects, go to http://www.stormthecastle.com/

From their homepage look on the left hand side under "Projects" & you will see a link for "Make a catapult".

Cards, Coffee, & Cheesecake!

Yesterday I met with some of my mom friends for cards, coffee, & cheesecake! I brought my son to play with their kids & we settled in for our game of Hand & Foot. I am a slightly competitive person...I play to win, no mercy! So I was happy when I won the day, however once the game is over so is the competition & I am back to friend mode. Even if I lose I am bummed for just a second. The main thing was to get together with my friends, have some slightly intelligent adult conversation & let the kids play.

So if the summertime finds you & your kids bored with nothing to do, call your other mom friends & invite them over for a coffee & game day. Put out some games that the kids can do on their own or settle them down with a movie, drinks & pop corn. That way you get your adult time while they keep themselves entertained.

Picnic at the Park

Sunday night a friend called me to invite me to go walking at the park with her & some of my other friends Monday morning. They were bringing the kids, along with her husband, & were also planning a picnic lunch.

I always love the opportunity of getting in some exercise & fun with friends at the same time, so we of course went. My husband had the day off & was able to go as well, so we met them at the park at 10:30. Our park has a walking trail which is a little over a mile long, so we walked it with our kids. Then we wanted to do another lap so we left the kids, who definitely did not want to walk again, with my friends older teenager at the playground.

After our walk we found a picnic table in the shade & pulled out our picnic lunches. It was great to sit & relax with my friends who are all awesome people. If you have read my earlier posts you know that my best friend just moved to the Philippines to help with an orphanage there, so I have been down in the dumps a little. This definitely helped me to feel connected again.

So if you need a pick me up, call your friends to meet you at the park for a walk & picnic lunch. It is a great free way to spend time with your friends & get in some exercise as well.

Museum of Aviation

Tuesday we visited the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia. Our son knew we were taking him to a museum but had no clue what it was like. As we drove up on the street out front he saw the huge planes outside & said, "Whoa". He didn't realize that was the museum & as we turned in he said, "We're going here?" He was excited to get out & explore. The first thing you see is the stealth bomber outside the main building.
This plane is huge...you can see Noah standing under it here.

We then walked over to the B52 bomber. The stealth was big but the wings on the B52 were amazing. The wing span on this plane is wider than the length of the plane. A whopping 185 feet in width...almost the height of a 19 story building. The tips of the wings have their own landing gear with wheels to help land the plane.

After looking at this we went inside the first building. There are four hanger style buildings with more planes, helicopters, artifacts & information on aviation military history. My son enjoyed watching some of the documentaries on WWII.

Some of the highlighted exhibits are: "Down to Earth" in the WWII exhibit hangar, Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame, America's Black Eagles: The Tuskegee pioneers and beyond, The Robert L. Scott Jr. Story: "God is my co-pilot", Robins AFB & WWII Commemorative, 483rd Bombardment Group, & The Korean War: The Forgotten War.

I think we could have stayed there for a long time but we had a time budget since my husband had to be at work in the mid-afternoon. We breezed through the four buildings & still spent over 2 hours there, so if you go plan on spending at least 4 hours. They have a theatre as well in the WWII exhibit hangar which has a nominal fee, otherwise the museum itself is free of charge. There are also picnic shelters out front which will accommodate large groups, so pack your lunch & enjoy the day with your family.

For more information visit their website at www.museumofaviation.org

Free Movies

Tuesday & Thursdays at 10am are free movies at our local theatre, plus you get a free popcorn or drink for each can of food you bring in to feed the hungry. This past Tuesday we went to see "Igor"...couldn't remember the movie when it originally came out so we weren't sure what it was about.

Some of my friends met me there with their kids but I have to say that none of us were impressed with the movie. The kids didn't even like it, some of the younger ones never laughed at all because the humor was geared for adults. I hate when they do that! When will Hollywood get it that if the kids enjoy it, the parents enjoy it.

After the movie we went to Buffalo's Southwest Cafe for the kids eat free day, so the only thing we had to pay for was our adult lunch. They have several lunches for $6.00 & under so we all had a great day for little money.

So if you are looking for free & economical ways to entertain your kids this summer, check out your local movie theatre for free summer movies.

Bakery Tour at Publix

As I stated on Monday we went on a bakery tour. The tour was at one of our local Publix grocery stores. A friend of ours called them & told them we had a small group & they set up a time for us to go.

They took us to the back & we saw people decorating cakes, kneading dough, & the kids got to go in a variety of coolers & freezers. At the end of the tour they gave us free cupcakes for the kids...so it was fun for them. I think the highlight was when we all had to don hairnets - the kids loved that & brought them home as souvenirs.

So if you have a group & are looking for a free field trip, call your local Publix. It lasts about 15 minutes so it won't tie up your whole day. We combined our day with swimming at the neighborhood pool afterwards.

Activities for Kids: Activity TV

If you have On Demand with your cable company you know that there are endless options of different things that are available to watch. Did you know that there is a channel called Activity TV? I didn't realize this until I got my most recent cable bill & they were advertising it on the envelope.

It said to go to Channel 1, "On Demand", & select Activity TV on the channel guide. When I did I couldn't find it so we checked the Kids channel & it was listed under that. They have instructions on different projects like how to make your own bird feeder, build sandcastles & airplanes.

We checked out their magic tricks where they show you the trick & then go over it step-by-step so you can learn how to do it. It was really cool & my son loved this...he was doing a couple of them by the end of the day. We also checked out the martial arts where they teach kids different moves & watched one of the Kite making segments. So there is a lot of things that you can do with your kids from the channel.

I then looked at the Kids section again & realized they have kids fitness shows where they put them through an exercise routine that is geared for kids. This is important if you homeschool & your child is not involved in an outside sport such as little league or martial art classes, etc. It gives you the opportunity to do your own version of PE class.

So if you are looking for activities that you can do at home check out your On Demand channels for great ideas to keep your kids busy this summer.

Historical Rome, Georgia

Rome, Georgia...do you know how it got its name? It's funny that in the 11 years I have lived in Georgia I have never been to Rome, yet this past week I have been there twice. Wednesday night we went to see the Minor League "Braves" play & yesterday we went on personal business.

As we drove into the downtown we saw the Rome Area History Museum & when we finished our business decided to walk over & check it out. It happened to be Greater Rome Bank Customer Appreciation Day, so it was Free Admission & they also had free refreshments.

The workers, I assume volunteers, were extremely friendly & helpful. They gave our son a scavenger hunt paper to work on as he worked his way through the museum. I love it when museums offer scavenger hunts because it makes the kids focus on the information they are reading while they are trying to find answers to questions on their sheet. My husband loved it too, he loves absorbing new information...never play him in any trivia game!

When we were in Rome for the ball game the other night we were discussing with our friends that were with us, how did Rome get its name? Well we found out...it was drawn from a hat! The other names in the hat were Pittsburgh, Warsaw, Hamburg, and Hillsboro. Rome fits it though because like Rome, Italy it sits among seven hills.

The Museum has a wealth of information on Rome: Native Americans in Floyd County, The Georgia Land Lottery, The Founding of Rome (that's where we found out how Rome got its name), The Civil War, The Clock Tower, The Flood of 1886, Home Life, War, Education and Athletics, Cultural Life, Medicine, & Industry.

I also discovered that President Woodrow Wilson's wife was raised in Rome & that one of the writers of the popular cartoon "Popeye" was from Rome. I read about all kinds of home medicinal cures which seem funny today...moms did you know that if you had put an ax under your bed it would have "cut out" labor pains?

So if you happen to be in the Rome, Georgia area stop in for a visit. Today, June 6th is also Free Admission all day. There is also a Clock Tower tour today at 12:00 (meet at the Clock Tower).

The Clock Tower, which sits atop Clock Tower Hill, provided Rome with water from 1871 to 1960. The tower held a 250,000 gallon water tank. There is also a clock on the tower & the face of it measures 9ft in diameter. In 1883 Rome's first public school was built next to the tower, Tower Hill School. It was later named Neely School but was torn down in 1961.

Wednesday, June 10th you can receive free admission to the museum if you bring a recent church bulletin. Thursday June 11th anyone over 60 gets free admission all day. Friday June 12th is general free admission all day. So if you are in the area stop in on these days & enjoy the museum. For more information you can go to their website at http://www.romehistorymuseum.com/

Research Local History

A fun activity to do with your family is to research the history of the county that you live in. It is mostly free to do or you may pay a nominal fee to visit your local historical museum. Where we live our museum is $2.00 for adults & $1.00 for kids, so check out your area to see what is available to you.

We had three Civil War battles where we live: Dallas, New Hope, & the biggest one which was Pickett's Mill. We have old gold mines & today I discovered we also had copper mines that shut down in the early 1900's. We drove the Cherokee out of our area west along "The Trail of Tears".

Also one of our hidden treasures is a waterfall. Most people that live here have no idea it exists. We heard about it when we first moved here 11 years ago & saw old photos at the museum that showed tourists coming to visit the falls. Still it was elusive...we could never find it. We traveled little 2 lane country roads only to find dead ends...or nothing at all.

Finally my husband figured out where it was & took my son & one of his friends today to see it. It is still elusive, most people have no idea it is here. So if you ever visit Paulding County in Georgia, ask someone about the waterfall & see what kind of response you get. If you want to know where it is just ask me...until then it is a secret!

Free Summer Family Activities

If you are looking for free summer family activities check with your local movie theatre. Where I live they show free family movies every Tuesday & Thursday at 10:00am. Today we went to see "Nim's Island". We had never gone to see it when it first came out so it was a great opportunity to do so. I have to say the movie was much better than I had thought...better than the previews.

Also the theatre collects canned food for the needy & if you bring in 2 cans of food per person, you receive a free kids drink & popcorn. So free movie & free concessions in exchange for canned food, not a bad deal.

We went with several friends & after the movie we went to eat lunch at Buffalo's Southwest Cafe (which happens to be right in front of our movie theatre). On Tuesdays kids eat free...no matter how many adults! We had nine kids & 5 adults & all nine of them ate free plus they had a very economical lunch menu for us. The food was great & the service was awesome!!! So check in your area for free movies & kids eat free deals & have a great day with your family!!