Archive for the 'Field trips' Category
31
Mar
09
New Orleans
31
Mar
09
oak alley plantation
This was a great field trip experience, since we are about to study Civil War, slavery, abolitionist movement and Reconstruction. Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana.
31
Mar
09
kaleidoscope
Hallmark Kaleidoscope is a place for kids to unleash their imagination. We had a 4-H field trip there recently.
14
Feb
09
Discovery Center
Three Saturdays in Discovery Center.
Week 1: Birds
Building bird feeder. Amazingly Sophie did not smash my fingers.
Week 2: Owls
Dissecting owl pellets. Sophie was excited to dig in a “dry throw up”.
Skull of some rodent eaten by the hungry owl.
Week 3: Eagles
Did you know that eagle has about 7000 feathers? Kevin did (from the Internet- he said). Whenever you see an eagle feather laying around, think twice before you want to keep it, the penalty for possessing it in your home is $ 10, 000.
05
Oct
08
night vigil
This was on Friday night, in the old town center of Wroclaw, Poland. Beauty of the surroundings helps to focus and inspires enormously.
People from Hallelu Jah gather there monthly for a 3h night vigil. This time we prayed mostly for the evangelism which was to take place in two days in the main square of Wroclaw.
I walked these streets millions times before…
08
Sep
08
Mc Cain Palin rally
our family at the McCain - Palin rally
Growing up in a Communist country, and being now an American citizen, this is my second time I can vote in the USA. That’s why my whole family went today to a rally in Lee’s Summit, MO to support John McCain and Sarah Palin.
the crowd
I grew up in a Communist, Eastern European country, during 70-ties and 80-ties. We longed for freedom of choice, for validation of our individual voices, for freedom of speach. I am an American now. I will be voting for the second time. I am Christian. And I am shocked seeing how Christians in this awesome country, are making choices based on pure convenience and personal interest. I still can’t believe that the followers of Jesus, who should follow ten Commandments, are even considering voting for a person who is so bluntly (although charmingly) pro-abortion. What happened to their conscience?
Sarah Palin
That’s why this Election Year in our homeschooling household, I am trying to teach my children (11, 9, 5) that their choice matters and it is precious. It will be noticed by God and by their fellow citizens. It will be engraved in their conscious forever, so they need to be aware of what the candidates are saying, believing in and living for. We talk about what is most important in life, how to prioritize your political choices, and according to what standards they should be aligned.
JohnMcCain
As we walked just two weeks ago around the Mall in Washington DC, we saw the sign engraved on the Korean War Memorial Wall: Freedom is not free. Somehow that took me back to my childhood, when I remember my grandfather longing for a free country, and dying not seeing it. I remember decade after decade without any prospects for political independence. I remember demonstrations on the streets, people dissapearing suddenly, schools full of propaganda, fear and ridicoulousness. I remember that a life of a person was considered nothing in comparison to the collectiv needs of masses. How could I vote against life of the speechless? That’s why I’d rather see USA as one nation under McCain, then one nation under Obama.
Freedom is not free
I want my kids to hear that over and over again, so they will not take their choices lightly, when they grow up and one day will be offered an opportunity to choose the next president of the United States.
kids for MCCain - Palin
It was Teah’s real birthday day. She shook the hands of Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin and was briefly interviewed by a local TV station.
Teah being interviewed
This was definitely homeschooling at it’s best!
On the technical side: why was the building so small? It could fit hardly 3,000 people and few thousands were still waiting outside.
And for the Hillary’s supporters: there was a Hillary Clinton supporter speaking (sorry, don’t remember the name) who decided to vote for Palin this year. Guess why…
CNN clip from Sarah Palin’s speach.
Read about:
Obama’s unrestricted abortion Freedom of Choice Act
21
Aug
08
on the way home
After all day in Washington DC, touring for 12h, we headed toward KC. At 3 am, we stopped to get some gas. We’ve had an unusual group of friendly visitors. Kids woke up…
Sophie wanted to take one home…
Cool place. Kevin kissed me all over right after he got inside. He couldn’t believe he could see all the “space stuff” in one place. That was a dream place for him.
We’ve got to the see an IMAX movie “Sun” and the planetarium show ” Cosmic Colissions”. Both were spectacular.
We were there for few hours, but we did not see everything.
Click on the pictures below to see them bigger or click here to them on black:
Awesome place for the kids and adults. We could easily spend there the whole day or longer. Sophie liked the animals and live butterflies in the Butterflies Pavilion. Kevin was fascinated by the minerals, precious stones and dinosaurs. Teah liked diamond collections.
Click on the pictures to view bigger size or click here to see them on black
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- T-Rex bones
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- old old turtle
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- touch the teeth
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- mammals hall
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- entrance to the butterfly pavilion
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- metamorphosis
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- butterfly
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- main entrance
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- it really grows like that
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- amazing pyrite cubes
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- attack
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- are we different?
20
Aug
08
Washington Monument
We got up pretty early, around 6 am, to get to the Washington Monument by 8am and get in line for the FREE tickets. The day was beautiful, we got to the very top of the Washington Monument and had a spectacular view of the city.
Click on the pictures to see them bigger or click here to view them on black
19
Aug
08
Great Falls – Potomac River
We slept and slept, then decided to have a walk… actually a hike… it was hot, but it was worthed.
Located just 15 miles from the Nation’s capital, the Great Falls of the Potomac (so named by the first European colonists) is considered the most spectacular natural landmark in the DC metropolitan area. Here, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through a narrow gorge. We were told that the water level was very low, but still, it was a nice view.
Great Falls - Potomac River
Great Falls Park stretches along almost 2 miles of the Virginia side of the Potomac providing a series of trails and overlooks from which to view the falls and the gorge. Administered by the National Park Service, Great Falls Park also preserves the remains of the Potowmack Canal. The canal was initiated by George Washington as a way to link the upper Potomac and the Ohio River Valley to Washington and the Chesapeake. Great Falls Park offers numerous recreational activities: bird watching, climbing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, nature walks, and whitewater rafting.
on the way...
Kevin and Sophie in Indiana Jones poses
18
Aug
08
TheCall DC
Read about it here (my other blog).
- kids in front of Capitol
17
Aug
08
the Mall at Washington DC
We drove for 17 h, seven of us (2 guys from Poland and our family), and arrived at my friends, Magda & Ron’s house, on the afternoon. Had big dinner and slept well. The next day, after kids swim, we headed to the Mall. We walked from Washington Monument toward Lincoln Mausoleum. The weather was perfect.
Washington Monument - view from The Lincoln Memorial
I must say, that Washington DC is the first American city that impressed as much as Moscow did long time ago. I would say that the vastness of space, lots of historical and patriotic, symbolical spots, make the Mall one of my favorite “city places” in the USA.
It was wonderful to be there, especially that we will study a lot of American history this year.
two colors of Washington Monument
The Washington Monument looks much shorter when you stand by it. It does have two different shades of the bricks.
our group by Washington Monument, Capitol on the far right
The WW II Memorial is very peaceful and solemn. Kevin was reading the writings on the walls. The fountains make you calm and reflective.
WWII Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial impressed me more than anything else. It has a character. There is nothing else but the giant Lincoln sitting in front of you, and fragments of his speeches engraved on both sides of the Memorial. Kevin wanted me to read all of it to him. Quite inspiring.
our group on the steps of Lincoln Memorial
Sophie with her American daddy in front of Lincoln Memorial
The Korean war memorial has a writing, which I never new about: Freedom is not free.
Freedom is not for free - Korean War Memorial
The Vietnam wall is much smaller than I thought.
Teah by the Vietnam Wall
names of the people on the Vietnam Wall
Other observations:
people are walking!!!!! Walking everywhere they can!!! (not that many fat people in the center of Washington DC) The architecture is great. My hunger to see something else than McDonalds and King Burgers on every corner, was satisfied by the enormous buildings, almost each of them important and significant. You could breath the history in…
sunset at the Mall
walking was awesome
We walked around for about 3 h or so, then came home for a great big dinner.
sites I found
who said what about it