Here a Moo! There a Moo! Everywhere a Moo-Moo!

Today we had a field trip with our Homeschool C0-op Group to a Working Dairy Farm, this was a family owned dairy (not a corporate owned one). They were a great family and gave an excellent, very educational tour of their farm. The children got to bottle feed new calfs, feed the cows, see a cow milked, feed other farm animals (sheep, goats, turkeys and chickens)...they also learned how milk is gotten from the cows to the holding tanks, from the holding tanks to the trucks that take it to the processing plants, what is done to it at the processing plant...including how it is bottled. They learned about Pasteurization and Homogenization. They learned that milk is actually taken to the skimmed state at the plant and then the fat is added back in according to the precentage of fat in our milk (1%, 2 % and whole milk). They learned exactly what all the farmers duties are on the farm and how much work it takes to run a farm on a daily basis.

Petting a Milk Cow (Sweet Potatoe)
Mommy hand milking Sweet Potatoe

Checking out the milking machine equipment.

Petting a new baby calf

Bottle Feeding a new baby calf.

Just a cute picture

A bucket full of Corn Silage

Feeding the cows Corn Silage

Whales!

Let's start you out this way, did you know that Killer Whales are actually Dolphins? We went to the Exploration Place in Wichita to see the Whale Exhibit that is there. This exhibit is from museum in New Zealand and the whales in the exhibit are of course also from New Zealand. We were unfortunately not permitted to take pictures in the exhibit. They had a model of a Blue Whales Heart (the Largest Whale (is a Baleen Whale) and Animal in the World), for the kids to climb through. It was the actual size of the Blue Whales Heart. We also learned that Baleen Whales have two blow holes, where Whales with teeth only have one blow hole. It was a fascinating field trip. Edward really seemed to enjoy it.

Pictures from Exploration Place

Below are pictures that were also taken on our Field Trip to the Exploration Place in Wichita

The top of the Tornado Simulator!
Edward trying out the Tornado Simulator. This gives you the feel and sound of a Tornado. Edward said it was very loud and windy. He didn't stay inside of it for the whole time.

This is the cute little, okay not so little, castle that they have in the Children's area.

This is another Tornado (okay learning about Tornadoes is a big thing here in the middle of the USA) Simulator. This was shows how it spins down from the sky.

Edward trying out royalty.

A stone path maze.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Homeschool Co-op Group had a Valentine's Day Party for the children! The children were asked to make boxes for receive Valentine's from the other children. Edward and I made one out of a plastic shoe box. He had so much fun making it. He gave out Speed Racer and Animal Valentines with Jolly Ranchers and Blow Pop Suckers on them. We had 2 different kinds because the list of participates grew beyond what we had planned for. About 60 kids were signed up to participate.

Look Mom & Dad at my box full of Valentines!
The Box that Edward and Mommy made together for his Valentine's Day Party at Co-op Classes, they had a Pizza & Roller Skating Party!

Getting to know Kansas and Newton

Today we learned that the Chisholm Trail went right through Newton, where we now reside. It was neat to learn about the history of the little town that we are now calling home. From 1871 to 1873 our quaint little town was known as the "bloody and lawless, the wickedest city in the West." In 1872 the western terminal for Santa Fe Railway and the rail head for the Chisholm Trail were established here. With the railroad came a horde of gunslingers, gamblers, "soiled doves", cowboys and railroad crews of every kind. By the end of 1872, there had been 12 murders documented, although there was evidence showing twice as many.

This is a old one room school house here in Newton, KS. This is the Kellas School.


Edward and the other co-op students, were able to find out what it was like to go to school back in 1800's in a one room school house. This school house was very authentic, complete with a wood stove to heat it, which do to the cold, we utilized. The children sat according to grade with the younger children in the front of the class and the older ones in the back, just as they would have done back then. They also participated in the same school activities as the children would have.

These are Indian artifacts.

Edward is holding a Buffalo bladder. They used these to carry water from the river back to their village to use. The other things he is holding is a sewing needle made of buffalo bone.

Edward is standing in front of what would have been worn by someone during the times of the Chisholm Trail Days. If I remember correctly, this was rain gear.

Here Edward is looking at some of the various Santa Fe and other train memorabilia. Of course with his fascination of trains, he was excited about learning all about trains and what the bringing the railroad through Newton meant for it back then.

I survived 650 feet under ground!!

Edward and I went 650 feet underground this afternoon. We went to the Hutchinson Underground Salt Mine. This salt field runs from Missouri to New Mexico, it is a working salt mine (it produces 500,000 tons of rock salt each year). It was amazing, there more than 67 miles of mined caverns. Salt mining has been a significant industry for well over 100 years. I had a great time apart from having to be stuffed like sardines in an elevator for about 1 1/2 minutes to go 650 feet underground. As a part of our tour we got to bring home a chunk of salt and small bag of salt pieces.

Edward donning his hard hat and emergency breathing apparatus

Edward on the tram, ready to take a ride through the salt mine.

A wall of salt and sediment.

Edward standing in front of a large block of salt and sediment

Edward standing infront of the orginal Superman Costume that Christopher Reeves wore in the movies. There are tons of things stored in vaults in the Saltmines from movies to movie props...even a computer from the 50's...that thing was longer than my couch.

A lite up piece of Salt.

First Play

We have taken Edward to things like Elmo Live, Thomas Live, The Wiggles and so forth. Yesterday though, we went to our first real live play with our Homeschool Co-op Group. We went and saw The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This was based on the book by Barbara Robinson. It was put on by a Childrens Theater Group. It was very well done. Edward loved it and he was very good through the whole play. I was so proud of him. He says he would like to give acting a try sometime and maybe in a play himself one day.

Do Re Mi Fa So La Te Do

This past Saturday our co-op children who take Choir had their 1st Semester Performance. They sang so beautifully. It was like the angels singing and brought tears to ones eyes as you heard them singing such beautiful praise music to our Lord and Savior. Edward wasn't so keen on the idea but he still did well. He will be a candle on Jesus Birthday cake at the church that we are going to for their children's Christmas Pageant. Please pray for us as we are searching for Gods will about a new church family. We love our old one so much but there are some issues that we just can't over look. We need a church with a great childrens program for Edward. This new church has that, we have gone 2 weeks now and so far we like it a lot. The sermons are what we are use to...book by book, verse by verse through the Bible for the most part. That is also a plus for us. A lot of the families that go to our Homeschool Co-op also attend there, so that is another huge plus. This church is only about 3 or 4 miles from our house verses the other one being well over 30 miles away.

Hold Your Children A Little Tighter

Please cherish every moment the Lord give you with your children because you never know when it might be your last. Yesterday morning I received a phone call from the head of our homeschool Co-op letting me know that one of my fellow homeschool moms passed away this morning. She was about my age (35) and had 3 beautiful children (a 12 yr old, a 8 yr old and a 4 yr old (approximate ages of the children)). Her name was Desiree also. There was no know reason for her passing this morning. I don't know when we will know. All I can do right now is think about those 3 beautiful children and the fact that they will never have their mommy tuck them, kiss them, laugh with them, cry with them, hold them when they hurt or rejoice with them when they accomplish something. Please keep her husband, their children and the extend family in your prayers at this time. Please hug your children and let go of the small stuff. Time is just to short.

************** UPDATE ***************added June 11, 2008******************
Desiree had been having some issues with fainting and her heart, they aren't sure if this is what took her life. I haven't heard about the results of the autopsy yet. A correction about her age she was 32 (born on Dec 1975...). When I was reading her obituary in the paper, I found it odd that not only did we both share the same first name, but our grandmas did too (Sylvia). She will be greatly missed. Please continue to keep her family in your prayers as they are facing some huge adjustments in their family right now.

Happy Birthday Kansas!!!!!

Today is Kansas's 147th as a State. Kansas became a state on January 29th, 1861. We had a Kansas Day Celebration with our Co-op today. We learned that Kansas's state song is Home, Home on the Range (didn't know that). That the Fly Swatter and Mentholatum were both invented here. Pizza Hut and Icee's also originated in Kansas. George Washington Carver and Amelia Erhart, as well as the first monkey (Able) in Space were from Kansas. The illustrators of Beetle Bailey and Dennis the Menace were from Kansas. Smokey the Bear was created by Rudolph Wendelin, who was born and raised here in Kansas. Kansas is known as the Sunflower state but also the Wheat state. The most wheat is grown here in Kansas. Newton where we live was one of the large Cow Towns back in the days. Edward husked a corn cob with an old fashion hand crank corn husker. He also hand stitched a Triangle Quilt Block. We saw wool being spun into yarn on a spinning wheel, then we saw cottons being woven into dishtowels on a loom. There was an elderly man who had hand carved wooden animals, which he had on display. We learned about all the rocks and minerals that can be found locally, and about the birds that can be seen (which we have seen quite a few of them around our house).

The Western Meadowlark is Kansas's State Bird.

The Honeybee is the state insect.

The Ornate Box Turtle is the state reptile.

The Buffalo is the state animal of Kansas.

The Barred Tiger Salamander is the state amphibian.

The Cottonwood is the state tree of Kansas.

The Sunflower is the state's flower.

We learned quite alot about about Kansas today, we are looking forward to learning even more about Kansas as we continue to leave here. As time goes by we will also be delving deep into the state History of Washington State, Oregon, South Dakota & Oklahoma.