A These-Kids-Don't-Know-How-Lucky-They-Are Family Day

Last Saturday we went to a Family Day at "Daddy's work".

It was not your average company picnic.

This company picnic featured helicopters to explore:

And scramble all over, in, and around:

They ate hot dogs and junk food, played in the giant inflatable obstacle course,

and then went for Humvee rides.

As a group, all the kids did a little PT together, ran uphill and through the obstacle course, then set off in "tactical formation" to accomplish a mission. They got hot, dirty, tired, and didn't want the activities to end.

Most of us are familiar with the saying, "It's not over until the fat lady sings."

Well, for these kids, it's not over until the helicopters leave.

But eventually, leave they did.

So we did too.

A Sunday Afternoon Excursion

Yesterday afternoon we took the kids to a local farm. It was 85˚ outside, and extremely dusty.

We are still recovering.

When we arrived, the kids were cool, clean, and happy. After they had:

*petted farm animals, including a few llamas, goats, sheep, and donkeys,

*climbed up, over, and around massive piles of hay,

*swung in hammocks,

*looked at horses,

*made a few new friends,

*played checkers on a gigantic checker board,

*gone down "The Black Hole", a giant underground culvert-style slide,

(over and over and over and over and...)

*climbed over, around, and under old tractor tires,

*wandered through a past-its-prime, dusty cornfield maze,

*gone down "The Black Hole",

(over and over and over and over and...)

*climbed up on and pretended to drive an old tractor,

*waved at the people on the hayride,

*gone down "The Black Hole",

(over and over and over and over and...)

*watched the final "pig races" of the day,

*gone down "The Black Hole",

(over and over and over and over and...)

*petted and fed the bunnies,

they were hot, dirty, and thirsty...but still happy.

Personal History, American History...and a Little Math

Since we moved to the east/south and started visiting historical sites, I have been trying to remember whose North Carolina log cabin home I visited when I was in 8th grade. I remembered that it was a former president's birthplace, and I thought we went there on a field trip, but I couldn't remember any of my classmates being there.

Today the light bulb finally went on, and everything became clear again. It turns out that I don't remember any classmates being there because they weren't. It wasn't a school field trip. When I asked Mom about it, she reminded me that she, Randy, and I went with Ruby Knapp to visit James K. Polk's birthplace in April 1990, and she sent me this picture.

(Randy, Me, and "Aunt" Ruby Knapp)

Thanks for the picture, Mom!

It just so happens that this week in American History, Jaela and Macey are learning about James K. Polk, the eleventh president. Today I opened our Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Presidents of America to the pages about James Polk, and read that:

James Polk was the eleventh president, and his political career began after he moved to Tennessee from North Carolina, where he was born. (That was my "ah ha!" moment.) I pointed out to the girls that:

Me: He was Governor of Tennessee for a while, but he was born in North Carolina. That's whose cabin I visited when I was a kid!

Macey: (completely innocently) Was he still governor when Mommy visited his home?

Ahem. Insert short math lesson here involving dates from the mid-1800's and a certain birthdate circa 1976.

There. Aren't you glad we cleared all that up?

Another Birthday!

Happy 9th Birthday, Jaela and Macey!

(Jaela chose a sewing theme for her cake, and Macey chose art for hers...of course!)