Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Jamestown Rocks



Emma's Kindergarten class went on a field trip to the Jamestown Settlement here in Virginia.
Mia stayed home with her beloved Mrs. Erin and I went along with Emma!

Here are some of the highlights.
No Williams Sonoma back then!  You had to make your own pots out of local clay.


Corn grindin' was done in a hollowed log and mashed with a stick!
Guess which lucky gender got this chore.
This handsome lad was in charge of the basket showing.   

Another devilishly handsome worker.  Where do they recruit these guys?

Sweet Mrs. Tucker stands with the Kindergarten class as they listen to another (no doubt attractive) Jamestown employee explaining life long ago.

This would have been your home, if you were a Powhatan Indian.

The darling woman leading our group explained to stunned kindergartners that this deer skin would have been cured by rubbing a smashed up bowl of deer brains into it with an oyster shell.  
The Europeans flaunted their cotton garments and the glamorous life they led...

Fences made of weaved sticks... 

Boats with sails...

axes made of metal... (don't forget those sweet outfits)

fishing nets...
Barrels to hold their fishing gear.

Our guide was especially thrilled to display the fish trap.
Fish cannot swim backward.  So when the trap was brought into the river, the fish would swim in but could not get out.
Lovely lady out shopping for... uh... some dried up stuff.
Here's a hollowed out canoe that the Powhatan Indians would have been seen cruising around in.

Large trees were partially burned and then hollowed out with oyster shells.
Something tells me the men were out hunting while the women folk enjoyed this one.
Loads of fun.

More work for the women.

At least the Europeans had metal hoops for their buckets.  

The Europeans also had covered sheds were they worked on their boats.


And sharp pointy fences with peep holes.

To protect their fort.

Sweet Mrs. Tucker standing by a canoe.
She is one amazing Kindergarten teacher.
I somehow remember reading about starvation and the like.  But, whatever.

A garden!  Whose job was gardening, you ask?
If you guessed the women's job, you were right again.
Speaking of women... 

Let's move onto the cannons.

The peep holes were less for peeping, more for blowing the asses off of anyone who threatened the fort.
Next was a trip through the indoor museum where photography was prohibited.
Shame that.  One of the Kindergartners took sick once inside and threw up everywhere.
Whew!  Enough learning already.  Let's go get some lunch.
Hooray for Jamestown!  And hooray for field trips!

Happy Half Birthday to You!

Look who's 2 and 1/2!!!

She's smart, beautiful, and now potty trained~

She's MIA!

They don't sell 2 1/2 candles.
But we want to celebrate the JOY Mia has brought into this world at every chance we get.

Make a wish, Mia!
"Uhmmmm.... I wish for an orange motorcycle and an orange helmet."

Go Mia!
If I were going to use a fork, and I am not, but if I were going to use a fork, this would be the one I'd use.

Mia loves chocolate as much as she loves the color orange.


Out to the back yard where Daddy falls out of the tree just to show Mia why we don't climb them.

Smooches for Daddy

Silly face smooches for Mom

Hooray for 2 1/2 year old Mia!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Rarring Dinosaur

Martha the Kindergardener has officially made way for Tyrannosaurus Mia!  At least for today.
Mia was an orange dinosaur (her idea and she would NOT budge from it) for our pre-Halloween festivities.  She decided to be a butterfly for the actual trick-or-treating bit, though.  
I know, I know, I'll post those pictures soon!
Here's Tyrannosaurus Mia trying to figure out how she is going to get that headband on top of her costume

"I'm a RARRING dinosaur!"

Holy crap!
"Hey Mia, let's play Martha the Kindergardener again."

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Introducing Martha

Meet Martha The Kindergardener! 

One morning last week, Mia announced that she would like to be referred to as Martha The Kindergardener.  She has taken to wearing a size 12 pair of Emma's shoes (generally on the wrong feet) everywhere we go.  Martha also insists on carrying a backpack full of her kindergarden gear and dragging a roller suitcase behind her (also full of gear).  
It was brought to my attention by Martha that we needed to set up a tent in the house so that she could attend kindergarden in it.  Martha has decided that there will be no dogs allowed in her kindergarden tent.
Martha soon informed me that there would be a kindergarden field trip.  Emma had gone to a pumpkin patch last week, so I could see where this was going.
We loaded up the wagon with our porch-pumpkins and dragged them back to the playhouse.  And we were in business!  Martha played the part of the reluctant and unwelcoming shopkeeper.
Setting up shop
Taking a break to pet Sam, the kindergarden class pet.
"What do you want?"
"Ugghhhh... I don't have that in stock."
"GO AWAY!  We are closed."

Stay tuned for more adventures with Mia... I mean Martha!