Independence Hall Grounds

The grounds around the Independence Hall were just gorgeous. They have 5 picnic areas there for parties, so you get to walk around the lake, over bridges and through lush tropical gardens.

The kids enjoyed feeding the ducks and super large catfish in this small lake
Elsie in the midst of the "jungle"
There were roosters everywhere and they literally would follow you hoping to get fed. After lunch, we fed them one of our left over rolls and they were quite aggressive.
Such love they have for each other (when they are not fighting)
Kya enjoyed rocking in this old rocking chair.
You can see one of the picnic areas behind the kids.

Padres T-Ball

Seth has been begging to play t-ball for over 1 1/2 years. Last year, I missed the sign up date and so he had to wait until this year to play. He is on the Padres and loves every minute of it. I am amazed at how focused he his when playing. So far he has played outfield and catcher and once 1st base during practice. He has a great manager and coaches (I hear the best in the league) and his Daddy even gets to help out at 3rd base during games.

Hitting the ball without using the tee. The coach throws the players three balls and then if they don't hit one, they put it on the tee.
Running to 1st base.

Independence Hall

Due to budget cuts, our schools don't do field trips anymore and since I feel that hands on learning is one of the best ways to remember things, I plan on taking our kids to as many fun, educational things as possible.

Around the time of of Presidents weekend, Kya & Seth studied President George Washington, President Abraham Lincoln and President Obama, as well as Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell. On the grounds of Knotts Berry Farm, Mr. Knott recreated the Independence Hall out of his own money. He used the exact amount of bricks and had them tinted to match the original Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This exhibit is free and if you tell the parking attendant that you are only going to visit Independence Hall, they let you park for free as well.

Wayne and the kids standing in front of the Independence Hall building. I wasn't able to fit the entire building in the picture.
The kids standing in front of the Declaration Chamber. This is the room that the making of the Declaration of Independence took place. It was made into a sight and sound experience designed to remind us of our American heritage and honor the memory of those 56 brave men who signed the declaration document. The show is called "A Storm In Philadelphia, July 1776" I have to admit that I was crying by the end of the show. I am so proud of the men who chose to help fight for our freedom.

The Liberty Bell. There is also an audio telling the story of this bell. This bell is the exact replica of the original one, only is weighs 5 pounds less. This is because for the original bell, tin was hard to come by and so they threw in whatever metal they could find.
The British Redcoat, 1775-1782
Brief story of the British Redcoat.
Betsy Ross, who is widely credited with making the first American Flag and George Washington our 1st President.

Post cards of all our Presidents. (Minus George W. Bush, as his were all sold out)
If you live in the local area or are visiting, I highly recommend taking your kids here. Although, it will hold the attention of a 3rd grader or above better, I believe that even young kids benefit. When they study this in school again, I hope that they remember the visual learning they received here and it will help them in their books studies.

Sledding 2012

Southern California got hit with a very late rain/snow storm and we were more than happy to take advantage of it! Wayne and the kids are on Spring break, so we went up the mountain to play in the snow and go sledding. The last time we went was 2 year ago, so it was fun to see how much more daring and independent the kids were this time.

A cute self portrait of us!
Kya made friends with a little boy and the two of them rode down together several times.
Jennifer going down the slope. When I hit the end, I almost took out some guy and his kid, so I turn my sled and dove into the snow. Not easy on the body as one gets older!
Wayne flying down the hill.
Such a handsome man I have! Elsie, as you can see in the background, was all over the place climbing as high as she could go. At one point, she climbed up a part of the mountain that now one else had gone near and got pretty darn high! She would have kept going, had her daddy not told her to come back down.


When others were using the sled, Elsie made her own fun by sliding down on her bum. Wearing the smooth snow suit helped her to actually go pretty fast.
Kya screaming while flying down the hill.
But she loved every minute of it!
As I have mentioned in the past, Elsie is our little dare devil and had no problem taking the sled up the mountain on her own and then flying down with no help at all.


Just before Seth caught air on this bump in the snow.
We found the perfect spot to go sledding. We shared this spot with about 3 other families.

St. Patrick's Day

I am in love with Pinterest these days, as I get so many cute/creative ideas for crafts and my house. Such as, my mantle display. I am trying really hard to be festive with each holiday for the kids. I found this free printable subway art from eighteen25 and the idea for the Shamrock Bouquet came from pinterest.
From my sisters suitcase I found these cute printable's and the idea for a Top O' the Morning Breakfast. The kids thought it was the greatest thing! We had Lucky Charms, Pinch Proof potion (green milk), Rainbow Fruit, Green Pancakes with Shamrock syrup and Irish Cream creamer for me. And it was all served on a Pot of Gold (our gold tablecloth).
My little leprechauns enjoying their breakfast.