Family Favorites Friday: Super-Duper Field Trip, Arkansas to Pennsylvania

This is Part Two of our trip from Arkansas to Pennsylvania twenty years ago. Part One, which reviewed our family friendly camping spots can be found as a guest post at 9PeasMom.

Originally, I had planned for us to stop at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park , which looked like a very fun place to have some hands on learning, but they were closed the day we were passing by. If you ever get a chance to visit, it still looks like a fun place to go!

Because we homeschool, our two week vacations are more like super-duper field trips. Due to the area we were traveling through, this trip focused mostly on forts and life in the 1800's.

Our first big excursion, however, was the U.S. Air Force Museum  in Dayton, OH. This was listed as a 'must see' by AAA and it did not disappoint. Lots of interesting history here and everyone enjoyed it.

WHAT MY ENGLISH TEACHERS DID RIGHT

Reflecting recently on what students need to do well on the (sometimes) dreaded SAT test, I started thinking about my high school English classes.

Even though the SAT test was not recommended much at my high school, the teachers were giving the students the skills needed to do well.

Homemade Hard Candy Recipe

Today I am making hard candy.  Mostly because I can.
 

Raspberry hard candy

Yesterday, while deep cleaning, we found a candy making kit that one of my boys received as a gift quite a few years ago.  There were a couple activities still in the kit so Jesse and I decided to try the lollipops.  

Family Favorites Friday: Camping

Today I have the privilege of guest posting at 9Peas. 

 Kathy wanted to hear more about some of our family camping trips, so I wrote about a trip we took almost twenty years ago.  We camped from Arkansas to Pennsylvania and back again with 5 children aged 5 months to 6 years.

Head over to 9Peas to read about Family Friendly Camping From Arkansas to Pennsylvania.  You are sure to find some places you would like to visit.

Do You Only Expect, Or Do You Inspect?

"It's not what you expect, it's what you inspect."

It was a light bulb moment when I first heard this phrase many years ago.

I had many expectations for my children:

Music: How to Get Leadership and Community Service Experience

This conversation took place at lunch about ten years ago:

“Hannah, Mrs. Johnson wants to know if you would teach piano to her daughter.”

“No”, Hannah replied.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to.”

“I will!” 13 year old Andrew exclaimed.

“Hmmm, let’s ask your piano teacher if she thinks you could.”

At the time of this conversation, Hannah had been taking piano for at least ten years, but she had no inclination to teach younger students.  

Family Favorites Friday: The Ranger's Apprentice Book Review

Today, my son is reviewing a favorite book series:  The Ranger's Apprentice.  

The Ranger's Apprentice is a thirteen-book series written by John Flanagan. 

The first book was released in 2004 and the thirteenth and final book was released last year, 2013. 

The series centers around Will Treaty, an orphan boy who lives in a government-sponsored house for children who had tragically lost their parents. He lives in the fief of Redmont in the Kingdom of Araluen, which, although a fantasy world, is loosely patterned after medieval England.