American Symbols

In an attempt to create/foster a love of learning, we have been doing a little homeschooling.  This all started around President's Day which gave me the idea to study American presidents and symbols.  It seemed rather challenging since the symbols we tackled were originally abstract and foreign to the girls.  They had to grasp freedom which is hard for a five year olds; apparently not so hard for eight year olds. 

We dove into books and read, read and read some more.  The girls never once asked for books off the topic.  They were fascinated and wanted to hear the stories time and again.  This kind of learning is a stark contrast from what the girls do in their public school day.  The schools are very focused on reading fluency - word rings and timed reading passages, and math facts.  This leaves little focus on social studies and science.  We are missing some of the organic learning that Savannah experienced at her old school.  No school is perfect.  I have decided that it is up to me to give the girls hands on, authentic learning experiences. 

Our unit of study began with George Washington.  There was such a steep learning curve that I initially felt very overwhelmed.  The little girls didn't know what a president was, understand the make-up of our country or have any concept of government.  They also had not learned about life 200 hundred years ago which meant I was teaching about the Revolutionary War at the same time I was explaining the absence of electricity.  By the end of our unit, we made lists of all that we learned.  They were huge!  They really got it.  Just ask them, they will go on and on!

Here are some highlights. . .


We looked at MANY images of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  The girls paid close attention to these details when drawing their portraits.  They got a kick out of the way Mr. Washington powdered his hair and curled it with rollers.  They even got to see some of his rollers preserved at Valley Forge.  Adeline especially liked his ponytail with a blue bow. 

We visited Valley Forge where the "Red Winter of 1777" took place.  Everyone loved seeing his headquarters and the soldiers huts.  Savannah is still working through this tough moment in history.  I am sure we will be back to explore some more.  When asked, the little girls will explain the details of this war by describing the mean King and all of the ways he was taking away freedom from the colonists. 

A trip to Washington DC allowed us to visit the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.   Baby Kate was able to join us. The girls were mesmerized and spent a lot of time analyzing Lincoln's facial features and comparing them to what they drew in the above portrait.  Lila has an intense interest in Lincoln.  She focused on slavery and wasn't able to move past it.  Surprisingly, she seemed to understand how wrong and appalling it was.    When asked why there are memorials for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, all three girls chime in with an idea that highlights the importance of these two men and their quest for freedom.

A funny aside. . . One book about Abraham Lincoln's life had an illustration of man holding a gun to the back of his head while he sat in the theater (Don't ask me why!).  I always skipped this page and the little girls didn't seem to notice.  Well, Adeline found it one day and showed Lila.  Lila pointed out that Lincoln was getting his hair cut.  Adeline corrected her and said, "No that is a hairdryer Lila."  Sheltered!

Next, we were off to Mount Vernon.  The girls had so much interest in George Washington's home that we looked it up and found that it was a family friendly place to visit.  We were absolutely blown away upon arrival.  If you have a chance to visit, go.  There is so much to see and do.  We left the place with a great appreciation for George Washington.  He was amazing on many, many fronts!

How crazy it is to see your children run up to George Washington like the children that run up characters in an amusement park. 

His swanky abode.

Next stop, the Statue of Liberty!  After studying the Statue of Liberty, we drove to NYC and took the ferry into Manhattan.  Next, we caught the boat to the island where the Statue of Liberty stands.  The girls were fascinated.  We made sure to do some drawings before we left.  We also made predictions about the size of her foot and then cut one out to scale.  It's 25 feet long in case you were interested. Her nose is taller than the twins!

We didn't forget about the bald eagle and it's representation of power and authority.  After tuning into bald eagles, the girls found them everywhere.  From money to statues, bald eagles are plentiful.  Lucky for us, my friend shared this link and we are now anticipating the hatch of three baby bald eagles this weekend.  Click here for a live broadcast.  If anything else, it is great white noise for an office!

We also learned about the Liberty Bell but between all of our excursions, we never made it to Philadelphia.  We plan to do so.  They LOVE the bell and the story behind it.  They really want to see the crack and where it originally hung.   We plan to knock out the American flag while there too.  Here is Savannah's freehand drawing of the flag.  She got carried away with the stripes but I thought it was pretty good considering she didn't use a ruler.  She must have been at school when the girls and I discussed the number of stripes. 

For the moment, the girls are loving learning at home.  They know more about US history than I did at a young age for sure.  However, the point of our learning is to bring us together around one subject matter with the hopes of it cultivating a love of learning.  By doing so, we get the opportunity to learn with our family members and the freedom that home provides.

We are very fortunate to live where we live.  There is so much to see and do that supports our learning which makes it that much more exciting.  The pictures above are only a brief snapshot of our last month.  We shared some wonderful moments and created many great memories.


Hold on to your helmets.  We are taking off into space for the next few weeks.  I know one little astronaut is very happy about this topic selection!  First stop, the sun!

She's Growing Up

There is no denying the fact that 8 has been a HUGE change for Savannah.  Kids change each year but this past year has been vastly different.  And no, I am not talking about the gigantic adult teeth that are bursting through her gum line.   I think the most noticeable change is that the blinders are off.  We are known to shelter our girls and preserve their sweet innocence.  Savannah is still sweet but she is no longer living in a world that her parents filter.  Worldly innocence is lost. 

Lately, Savannah has fallen head over heels for history.  Wars, cultures and the idea of freedom fascinate her.  A year ago, I wouldn't go into the details of war because I didn't want to tell her that  people kill one another while fighting for a cause.  She knows this to be true now.  In fact, it is all she can read about.

George Washington's leadership during the Revolution was the first piece of history to captivate her.  From there, she hasn't stopped asking about the Civil War, 9/11, aspects of slavery, World War II, civil wars in Africa and much more that I know I am forgetting.  Her maturity when discussing these topics astound me.  She looked at me one day and said, "It seems like the more you learn, the more you feel you don't know."  Pretty profound for an 8 year old.

Alex and I are enjoying our second go around at history as we try to dredge up the answers to Savannah's questions from the far corners of our minds.  There is something much more meaningful about these topics now that we are describing them to our child.  There is so much more meat when you do more than just read out of a book.  My next post will show how we are trying to bring our country's past to life for the girls. Who would have thought that it would turn our daughter into a want-to-be historian. 

I can't close this post without noting the other changes that make me celebrate in the moment but sit up late at night with a heavy heart.  When traveling, Savannah listens to my old iPod.  (Please don't mistake it for an iPod Touch.  They seem to be the gift for 8 year olds but this 8 year old isn't getting her hands on one.)  We have been out of town a lot lately which means hours in the car.  In the way back of the van sits my big girl with earphones.  In the moment it means one less opinion about what we are going to watch or listen to which makes life easier.  The picture in my head looks more like a 12 year old and makes me miss years past when we watched endless Elmo movies in the van.

Another successful step towards independence has been her ability to shower, get dressed, comb her hair and put it in a ponytail.  She has been showering for years but this is different.  I can stand in the kitchen and ask her to take a shower.  Savannah will disappear and return 30 minutes later having done all of the above WITH NO HELP.  Again, I celebrate it in the moment.  However, it is times like this when she is in school that I sit back and miss when I helped her get dressed or needed to constantly redo her ponytails; which were always adorned with bows.

Another milestone has been her independence in the morning.  She actually set her alarm this morning because she had an early dentist appointment.  Before I was out of bed, she was dressed with teeth brushed and headed downstairs to pour herself some cereal.   I never have to ask her if she got her homework done because she has both papers laying out on the island for me to sign each morning.  She is always packed up and ready to go well before I am chasing Lila down to get her in the car.  It is nice I suppose.  No battle.

Just to reiterate. . .  I miss this and at the same time, I celebrate the above!