Claude and I had Family History Center on Tuesday, April 29th. After finishing there, we enjoyed dinner together at Red Lobster. Then I headed to LaGrange and Claude headed to Sadieville. There were nasty thunderstorms around but I managed to get there without any of them hitting my path. There was flooding of the creek by our home when I left Eagle Bend at 9am. You couldn't tell where the little dam was for the water running over it. But by the time I took the back roads to LaGrange the creeks there were back in their path and not flooded. Hayden was to have had his running class but it was canceled because the thunder, lightening and rain hit right before it was time for the class to begin. We would enjoy a family time inside.
Wednesday, April 30th, was the field trip. Michael took the Mini's to school. I got ready and headed across country via 'The Snyder' to the Riverside: Farnsley-Moorman Landing. This is an old plantation with a brick home made by Farnsley and owned lastly by the Moorman family. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana. The kids were divided into three groups to rotate through the three areas of focus for this field trip.
The kids all met in a multi-purpose room in the Visitor's Center. Here is Hayden in the green t-shirt waving at me.
Hayden's group was to start with the brick making craft. Unlike Bailey's field trip, I was not assigned a certain number of kids to shepherd. This was great because I got to be right close to Hayden and give him hugs as needed.
The guide took the kids to the lobby of the Visitor's Center first and showed them a diagram of the layout of Farnsley-Moorman Landing, explained what they know of the history so far, and point out some artifacts found during their archaeological digs.
Then the kids headed outdoors to a huge pavilion with a brick fireplace in the center and a small building located beside this pavilion. In front of the building were rows of tables on which the kids would work. By now it was cooler under the roof in the shade with a breeze. Andie had given me a jacket for Hayden 'just in case'. Hayden was sure happy to put it on. The kids were given instructions and history about bricks at this location. Then they each had a ball of clay given to them and they set to kneading that clay and getting it ready to put in a small jewelry box which served as a brick mold. Once the mold was filled with their clay, their teacher cut the mounded top part off and the kids set to work writing on their brick with a toothpick. The only thing they were required to write was the date.
After the brick making, we toured the brick home. Hayden was surprised. As the class had talked about their field trip and the probability they would tour an old home, Hayden's mental picture was of a log cabin type home.
When we exited the home, we were taken to a white frame building behind the house. This is built over the spot where the kitchen building was located and built as close as they can to what they have learned it would have been like. As the kids started to exit this building, Hayden noticed a place in the floor that looked like a door. He asked if they could open it and go down there. The guide assured him that was not a good idea. I admired his attention to things around him and his willingness to ask the question about seeing what was in there.
Lunch was at big picnic tables under the trees. Andie packed a lunch for Hayden and one for me and I had carried it in the back pack Andie prepared for us. He and I enjoyed our lunch tremendously. I think being out in all that fresh air helped us work up an appetite. Hayden commented this was the best lunch ever. Then he qualified it by saying, "Except Monday." I asked him about Monday's lunch and he explained it was a chuck wagon lunch. When it is Derby Day time, they have chuck wagon lunches and the kids love them.
After lunch Hayden's group would do their archaeological dig. The park service people know there were many additional buildings on the grounds. The digs are on the grounds looking for artifacts and locating the layout of these buildings. Hayden's group was given instructions on artifacts, digging in units, etc. Then the group was divided into three smaller groups to go to three locations to do their dig. At each of these three locations, a guide would split these three smaller groups in half. One half would actually dig in a unit and fill a bucket with dirt from that unit. The other half would go to a screen, put on a big glove and help the dirt go through the screen to the ground below, leaving any little artifacts for the kids to give to the guide. It was great fun.
It was a little cooler under the trees with the breeze. Even with Hayden's jacket he was still cold. I had taken my jacket off so I gave it to him. He now had his jacket with the hood outside and of my jacket and my jacket sleeves rolled up a bit. My jacket was purchased large for me so I could wear it with a sweat shirt. On Hayden it was way down his legs. He snapped it all the way up the front. My he was a cute picture (which is on my camera!).
Our kids finished and really had to hustle to get to the bus to head back to school. It was about an hour drive for me and I am sure the buses were slower. We only had an hour to get to the school so the kids could catch their rides home.
I met the Mini's at the bus stop. We walked back to the house and enjoyed some of Andie's homemade Banana-Nutella bread. A little down time and then we got some homework done. Andie got home and after a very short bit of time, she and Bailey were off to a doctor's appointment. Hayden and I finished homework and then headed to the basement so he could show me his new Wii game. Hayden and I also read a complete book before Andie and Bailey returned.
I treated everyone to dinner at Dairy Queen. It has become our tradition. Then I returned to Sadieville and Andie and the Mini's headed home.
Totally enjoyed being with Hayden for the day and learning about a neat historic site. Being a Gramma is the best!!
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