Learning on the Sly

I am a huge fan of having fun while you learn! I mean, really, who wouldn't be?! I'm so grateful that I seem to be passing that trait along to my kids as well.

This weekend Fort Smith, AR celebrated it's 2nd annual *Heritage Festival*. So we headed downtown today for lots of educational fun. We had such a great time! I really love historic downtowns anyway, and Fort Smith has an especially colorful history.

First of all, we started the afternoon right with some good ol' Mexican food. You just can't beat chips and good salsa~not to mention bean & cheese dip! Then we were ready for some walking.

The Fort Smith Historic Site, which includes the oldest building in Fort Smith, the remains of the original fort and Judge Parker's courthouse and gallows, was hosting re-enactment tours throughout the grounds and courthouse. There were lots of volunteers for the re-enactments along with Park Rangers, too. Everyone did such a great job and was so informative, our kids loved it! It wasn't our first visit, but it was the first time to have people in period costume.

{some period music}

{federal marshals rounding up some outlaws}

{getting read for a hanging}

{Vince & the kiddos watching the preparations for the hanging.
Don't worry~they ended the tour before the ropes got on the
lawbreakers' necks:)}

{enjoying some ice cream at the old fashioned soda fountain
of the Fort Smith Historic Museum}

{the newly-reopened Park at West End~so cool!}

{Not sure about CJ, the cow, but she sure likes her lipstick!}

The weather was perfect, the learning experiences were wonderful (& free!) and the family time couldn't have been better. I'm having a great weekend!

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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