So, we homeschool and we try to make everything worthwhile for a learning experience. My family is going to Disney, meaning my brother and his family and my parents. They want everyone there and that means us too.
DH wasn't going to be able to get off from work(and still might not be able), but I planned to go anyway. I am not going to miss Disney!!!!!!
WEll, I began to plan and it just never seemed to be happening because DH and I kept disagreeing. FINALLY, I found out information on discount Disney tickets that include a class taught in Disney by Disney. I sold DH on the idea that we can do a family trip, while making it homeschool and cheap!
I ordered tickets for the 4 of us and Chloe gets to do 2 classes. American History and Ocean Conservation. She is totally excited to be able to do them. I will post how they work and if they are worth it.
We talked about going to FL early and doing Universal and Sea World. Both would be exciting for both kids. Harry Potter and Sea Life come on who wouldn't love that?
We, are leaving Disney before everyone else and potentially headed to Columbia,SC to do a musuem lock-in and learn about life in the civil war maing our own soap and candles and cloth. EXCITING! Then the next day we get to do Body Worlds exhibit. Not sure about it since it is really human bodies donated to science and preserved in plastic.
While is SC, we plan to do the Zoo and the Children's museum and show the kids our own haunts. After, we are either driving to NC to do a homeschool day at the museum there or driving to Williamsburg and doing Great Wolf Lodge.
The Great Wolf Lodge would be to make up for Joel being sick and we had to cancel a previously scheduled trip. It was within the 72 hour window, so we had to reschedule and not get a refund of our deposit.
Anyway, that is a brief synopsis of what is planned.
as we plan more I will post more!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Memories
Today,as part of our school day, we are going through all the pamphlets and brochures we picked up on our cross country trip. It is interesting that you can remember it, but not remember it. Meaning that you have it as part of your memory, but not until you see something to trigger it such as a map or a ticket.
We have decided to place the road maps we picked up on the wall. Then we are putting up the brochures and running string from the brochure to the city it is located in on the map.
I thought it would be a great way to learn about maps,miles,distance,capitals, cities vs towns, interstates vs routes etc. We will see how it goes. We are waiting on daddy to come home so he can help us. He did the majority of the driving, so he is helping us map out our trip.
Our next task will be to add the mementos we collected to the kids own scrapbooks. They made them before we went on our trip, but didn't do what we had hoped and add thoughts and mementos during our trip. I know we are a lot behind, but something is better than never doing it!
That trip was still one of the BEST family vacations we have ever done. We stuck it out and spent so much time together, we grew as a family in so many ways we just couldn't do at home and on the weekends.
I will try to post pictures of it when we are finished.
We have decided to place the road maps we picked up on the wall. Then we are putting up the brochures and running string from the brochure to the city it is located in on the map.
I thought it would be a great way to learn about maps,miles,distance,capitals, cities vs towns, interstates vs routes etc. We will see how it goes. We are waiting on daddy to come home so he can help us. He did the majority of the driving, so he is helping us map out our trip.
Our next task will be to add the mementos we collected to the kids own scrapbooks. They made them before we went on our trip, but didn't do what we had hoped and add thoughts and mementos during our trip. I know we are a lot behind, but something is better than never doing it!
That trip was still one of the BEST family vacations we have ever done. We stuck it out and spent so much time together, we grew as a family in so many ways we just couldn't do at home and on the weekends.
I will try to post pictures of it when we are finished.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Longing
we have been on vacation hiatus for awhile now while we sold our old house. In all that time the kids just don't stop talking about the fun things about our trip. They truly had a great time and wish they could do it again.
Crazily we were going to do it again this year, but drive to California and take a cruise to Hawaii. BUT... life happened and people needed us and we bought a new house and blah blah blah. So, we sit and daydream of our next vacation and wonder where the open road will take us!
Crazily we were going to do it again this year, but drive to California and take a cruise to Hawaii. BUT... life happened and people needed us and we bought a new house and blah blah blah. So, we sit and daydream of our next vacation and wonder where the open road will take us!
Terrible
Ok, so life happened and I never got the pictures up. Here is the kicker somewhere along the way I have lost all the memory cards with these trip pictures. Oh and I never downloaded them to our computer. So, if and when I ever find them I will download them and put a post on.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Link to pictures
For those of you interested, I am getting a photo album together to post a link in the blog if you really want to see our pictures. I warn you there are a lot of them, so grab a cup of coffee or something and sit for a spell.
Greatwolf Lodge
We left Elkhart and drove to Sandusky Oh to the great Wolf Lodge as a grand finale to the trip. I did not know this but Sandusky has 4 waterparks. we talked about going back and doing Kalahari waterpark it is huge and it has an outdoor safari. Anyway, the kids did not know we were staying there so they were totally jazzed when we pulled into the parking lot. We checked in changed and played in the waterpark until it closed at 9. Then we went to Walmart and everyone picked something for dinner. Both kids had lunchables. I went on my ever famous quest for something comfort foodie with no soy. And Tom chose chicken patties. Oh and we had a request for some popcorn. So we went back to the room, threw out the picnic blanket on the floor and began to microwave food. The picnic blanket was by the fireplace so we turned it on and poured our chocolcate milk and ate our microwave dinners and lunchables. It was a great night. KIds slept late again and we were no hurry to get home so we left GWL late.
I will say this one was much smaller than the one in Williamsburg and did not have the wave pool, the flowrider or a few other slides. Still the kids had a great time and wanted to stay longer.
We drove home on the PA Turnpike which is the worst road ever. It was raining off and on, but the pay off of being in our home was great. We did witness a 7 car accident seconds in front of us. That was a bit scary.
Home later that night and the kids ran to their rooms to check on their toys.
I will say this one was much smaller than the one in Williamsburg and did not have the wave pool, the flowrider or a few other slides. Still the kids had a great time and wanted to stay longer.
We drove home on the PA Turnpike which is the worst road ever. It was raining off and on, but the pay off of being in our home was great. We did witness a 7 car accident seconds in front of us. That was a bit scary.
Home later that night and the kids ran to their rooms to check on their toys.
Legoland,American Girl Store and Chicago Pizza
We stayed outside Chicago for a night and did the Legoland Discovery center. For Joel it was awesome. They have 2 little rides one of which is a castle ride to find the dragon. He got his picture taken with Lego Batman and Lego Darth Vadar. Chloe had hers taken with Lego President Obama and Harry Potter. I had mine taken with Lego Indiana Jones
They built in the "sand" which was all tan legos. They had huge Tan lego sheets with Lego bricks and of course shovels and pails. They had a good time. They got to build with a master builder and made a squirrel. They also built their own cars and raced them. We watched 3 4D movies and then shopped in the store.
After Legoland we went to Lou Matanila's pizza(not totally sure of spelling). Got deepdish pizza. I tried to like it because it was Chicago style pizza, but I am a diehard thin crust Pizza Fan! BUT the pizza was really good and the food there was excellent. So was the service.
The next day we got up checked out, and headed to the train. We got on the MERTA and road to downtown Chicago. Came out in Union Station and it was totally grand like in a movie with the long wooden benches. Something you would see in a movie.
We walked out caught a bus and jumped off 2 blocks from the American Girl store. Chloe was way overwhelmed, but she took it in stride and readjusted. She has been saving her money for almost a year now for her own American Girl Doll. we were going to go to New York for her birthday, but we decided when we planned this trip to do it in Chicago. She wanted Lanie originally which is the doll of the year, but changed her mind when we got to the store and bought a look a like doll. WITH HER VERY OWN MONEY SHE PAID! I was so proud of her, she chose some many times in so many gift shops on the trip to walk away from things because she was saving her money and she did it! She saved her money and she bought it.
After she bought her doll, my wonderful husband suggested lunch in the cafe which was awesome. I never suggested cause I thought he wouldn't go for it, but he suggested it! He asked, they had a cancellation so we went in and had lunch in the American Girl Cafe. They brought her doll a highchair and a cup and saucer. Chloe was thrilled. So was Annabelle(her doll's name). I did not know this but you can borrow a doll, so I think if I ever go back I will borrow one for me! I tell you walking through that store brought out the little girl in me and I really wanted a doll of my own.
After the American Girl Store we walked to Navy Pier. It was overcrowed because of Memorial Day Weekend. We walked to and through Millenium Park and then to the train station. Headed back to car and then on to Elkhart Indiana.
We got in to Elkhart late in the evening and ate at Callahan's and then checked in the hotel. We were all so tired we slept until 10 minutes before check out. We had to call the front desk and ask for some more time.
It was all so very fun!
They built in the "sand" which was all tan legos. They had huge Tan lego sheets with Lego bricks and of course shovels and pails. They had a good time. They got to build with a master builder and made a squirrel. They also built their own cars and raced them. We watched 3 4D movies and then shopped in the store.
After Legoland we went to Lou Matanila's pizza(not totally sure of spelling). Got deepdish pizza. I tried to like it because it was Chicago style pizza, but I am a diehard thin crust Pizza Fan! BUT the pizza was really good and the food there was excellent. So was the service.
The next day we got up checked out, and headed to the train. We got on the MERTA and road to downtown Chicago. Came out in Union Station and it was totally grand like in a movie with the long wooden benches. Something you would see in a movie.
We walked out caught a bus and jumped off 2 blocks from the American Girl store. Chloe was way overwhelmed, but she took it in stride and readjusted. She has been saving her money for almost a year now for her own American Girl Doll. we were going to go to New York for her birthday, but we decided when we planned this trip to do it in Chicago. She wanted Lanie originally which is the doll of the year, but changed her mind when we got to the store and bought a look a like doll. WITH HER VERY OWN MONEY SHE PAID! I was so proud of her, she chose some many times in so many gift shops on the trip to walk away from things because she was saving her money and she did it! She saved her money and she bought it.
After she bought her doll, my wonderful husband suggested lunch in the cafe which was awesome. I never suggested cause I thought he wouldn't go for it, but he suggested it! He asked, they had a cancellation so we went in and had lunch in the American Girl Cafe. They brought her doll a highchair and a cup and saucer. Chloe was thrilled. So was Annabelle(her doll's name). I did not know this but you can borrow a doll, so I think if I ever go back I will borrow one for me! I tell you walking through that store brought out the little girl in me and I really wanted a doll of my own.
After the American Girl Store we walked to Navy Pier. It was overcrowed because of Memorial Day Weekend. We walked to and through Millenium Park and then to the train station. Headed back to car and then on to Elkhart Indiana.
We got in to Elkhart late in the evening and ate at Callahan's and then checked in the hotel. We were all so tired we slept until 10 minutes before check out. We had to call the front desk and ask for some more time.
It was all so very fun!
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