Visiting The Hermitage

Yesterday we took a completely impromptu field trip--yep, one that wasn't in my weekly plan! But we just couldn't pass it up. I've been wanting to visit The Hermitage for a while now, but admission for my family would cost over $50 and that's just kind of pricey. However, it turns out that once a year, on January 8th, they offer free admission for everyone in honor of the the Battle of New Orleans (the battle that made Jackson famous). So instead of following my "plan" and going ice skating today we switched it up and made a trip to Nashville yesterday to The Hermitage instead. It was totally worth it! Here are some pictures from our day there:

On the front porch

A bench on the front porch

Gorgeous doors on the side of the mansion

On the back terrace of the mansion

The rear of the mansion

(I wish we had been allowed to photograph the inside,

nearly everything was original--really beautiful!)

The lovely grounds

More beautiful farmland around the mansion

Learning about the rations that soldiers ate in those days

(pork and biscuits)

The Jacksons' stagecoach

Meeting "The Jacksons"

If you are in the Nashville area and have the opportunity, The Hermitage is really a wonderful place to visit! While we had a beautiful, 60F, sunny winter day to visit, I think going in the Springtime when the garden is in bloom would be perfect. However, I am glad we had the chance to visit yesterday and to cross one of my field trip goals off of our list!

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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