Flat Traveler Adventures

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If you've been around for a little while, thank you very much, but you may also remember our post Homeschool Swapping Adventures from earlier this year on flat travelers. We haven't been doing any structured learning since the beginning of June. For now we are just enjoying summer, getting ready for fair since Yang is a Cloverbud in 4-H, and learning as things come up.



Poppy has been hosting a flat traveler, Rosie, from Texas since late April while her traveler Ellie is in Texas having fun. When Rosie arrived I was still recovering from being on bed rest from my back injury I sustained in March and Poppy was getting ready for state testing. There is not a lot to do in our area without having to drive to Cincinnati or Columbus but recently we have been able to take Rosie to Hopewell Indian Mound, Adena Mansion and Gardens, and Columbus Zoo.

The Hopewell Indian Mound is located in Ross County in southern Ohio. While there is still a lot to learn about the Hopewell Culture, they did leave behind many clues and objects that have defined who they were and what their life must have been like. The Hopewell Indian Mound is the second historical earthworks we have visited and each time it is absolutely amazing.




The Adena Mansion and Gardens are located right down the road from the Hopewell Indian Mound. Since it is a 2 hour drive we hit both destinations in one day. The mansion house was built in the early 1800's by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for the sixth governor of Ohio, Thomas Worthington. The mansion is one of the three remaining house designed by Latrobe that remain in the country! The home has since been restored and contains some of the same wall paper and carpeting that were originally in the house, as well as many original Worthington family furnishings.

This window is also a door. Mrs. Worthington
would walk out of her bedroom right into
the gardens.

Rosie hanging out in Mrs. Worthington's beautiful
gardens.

Although we haven't been doing structured learning over the last month, our traveler give us a wonderful opportunity to learn while having fun. Not only do we visit and learn about historical places locally but when our traveler returns we get to learn about the area our traveler was visiting. While we are hosting a traveler we collect brochures to send from our area, souvenirs, post cards and treats. We include a journal that tells our adventures and a passport to stamp the locations the traveler has visited. When our traveler returns we mark it on our world map with a thumb tack. 

Interested in learning more, or joining in the fun? Hope on over to Homeschool Swapping Adventures on facebook and join today. Be sure to check your "other" folder on facebook from a group admin. 

Homeschool Swapping Adventures

Looking for a fun and educational way to learn about other countries, or even other states? Come check out Homeschool Swapping Adventures on facebook. Each month there are Flat Stanley type swaps, holiday card swaps, funny fact post card swaps and more.

 

Yang's traveler is a giraffe named Zuri, in memory of the baby giraffe from the Cincinnati Zoo. Poppy's traveler is her favorite animal, an elephant named Elly. Owlet has the Gryndorf shield but isn't to interested in swaps. Each month we look for a swap partner. We mail our traveler, passport, journal page and questionnaire for the hosting family to fill out about the area they live in. 

Owlet & Yang with Flat Brittani & Princess Sophia

 Zuri's first visit was to Georgia. This swap was enough to make me throw the towel in but with some great support we carried on. In the end things turned out okay and Yang received a cute giraffe shirt! Zuri's next stop was Tennessee and she had a BLAST while we hosted Princess Sophia. We received enough photos to fill a small handheld photo album! Zuri got to visit the zoo, went shopping, to the dentist and out to eat. Our hostess sent us a cool snow globe magnet from the Knoxville Zoo, a postcard, and a magnet in the shape of a giraffe.

Zuri at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee

Right now Zuri is in the UK. She has been there since November and will return at the end of February. Most swaps are a month long, and international swaps are two months. It really is up to the pairs to determine the actually length of the swap.

Zuri took a trip around Europe

While Zuri is in the UK we are hosting Oshwott. He is a cute Pokemon then has been having a ball!

Yang and Oshwott during a birthday party at McDonalds

Steve sat in on Poppy online math lesson

Currently Elly is in Missouri and Steve has come to hang out with us for a while. This is both Elly & Steve's first swap. We attempted to swap Elly with someone in Alaska but unfortunately they Ellynapped her. After 2 months of our swap partner saying she was mailing us her traveler she was asked to return Elly and freaked out blocking the admins for the group and myself. Unfortunately, from time to time you will run across a bad swap. It really is sad because the adults set up the swaps and never take into consideration that children that have invested their time and heart are involved. I'm sure some are wondering why I would mention this. Well it is simple, it's the truth. I know when we first started that I never imaged that something like this would happen. Luckily, we have some awesome admins in the group that have recently done some revamping to hopefully weed those out that are not interested in participating.

I look forward to seeing where are travelers take us. It's fun seeing all the things our travelers have done while visiting other families and learning about their adventures.



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Thanksgiving and Deviled Reading Eggs

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Normally on Thanksgiving I cook the entire meal but this year we did things different. Poppy & Yang helped Daddy prep the turkey, while my Mom is cooking all the sides and dessert at her house. This gave Yang and I some time to cuddle on the couch to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Since our flat traveler, Oshawott, is visiting from the United Kingdome we've also been teaching him about Thanksgiving.



Hubby asked Yang & I if we would make deviled eggs. Looking back I now realize I was being setup! Monday when Owlet & I had to go to her orthodontist appointment, I made a list of things I wanted Yang to work on with her Dad while I was gone. When she was done with everything she asked if she could play Reading Eggs. He told her he did not see any reason why she couldn't. When I got the eggs out the fridge today I realized they played another version of Reading Eggs while I was gone! Hey, as long as she is learning and having fun, it's fine by me!

So what do you have to be thankful for this year? I am thankful for my 3 beautiful daughters, my loving husband, my family and my friends. I am thankful that my Mom & hubby are healthy, at least for today. I am thankful we have a roof over our heads and food to put on the table. I am thankful I have the right to educate my children in my home. I am thankful that we all of a sense of humor, even if it is a warped one sometimes. I am thankful for all the information I have learned from Angie Voss and making this year a of accomplishments for Yang. I am thankful you, my followers!

I hope everyone has a blessed day!

Oshawott has arrived!

We ended up skipping the tour of the replicas of The Nina and Pinta yesterday due to a bad sinus headache that I had. When Owlet & I returned from her orthodontist appointment I came home and laid down. My headache was somewhat better after my nap, but still pretty bad. Luckily when I woke up this morning it was gone.

We've decided to do very minimal work this week with Thanksgiving being Thursday. There is just so much that has to be done to prepare.

Oshawott arrived from the United Kingdom yesterday & Zuri arrived in the United Kingdom today! We are happy to have Oshawott visit with us for the next 2 months! Since Oshawott is a Pokemon from the United Kingdom he knows very little about Thanksgiving. I did warn his family that he may come home a little on the hefty side! She said no worries as he looked a little "flat" when he left! Oshawott already looks like he is at home!

Today we looked at the globe to see where Oshawott lives in the United Kingdom and we discussed the path Oshawott would have traveled to get to the United States, as well as what means of transportation he would have used.

Tomorrow we will teach Oshawott about the history of Thanksgiving, finish reading Magic Tree House Thanksgiving on Thursday, discuss what we are thankful for and perhaps do a craft or coloring page. We will start to prep for our Thanksgiving feast.

Upcoming:

Next week we will begin a lapbook on the United Kingdom and continue to work on our Human Body lapbook. December 17th I will be posting my first ever book review and e-book giveaway brought to you by Innovative Online Book Tours. 

Flat Travelers

We have attempted to participate in a flat traveler swap. We found a great group on facebook, Homeschool Swapping Adventures but our first swap was a flop. We found a match, sent our traveler out and waited to receive a traveler in return. We waited, and then waited some more. Finally after several weeks I contact one of the group admins and explained what was going on. She offered to contact the individual to see what was going on. No response. So I sent her a message asking for our traveler back as we where looking to actually "swap" with someone. She seemed upset, and perhaps even insulted that I would ask for our traveler back. I understand life happens. Things come up that are out of our control. Never once did she ever say, Hey, we've had a situation. I apologize, we will get it sent out ASAP. Or that due to certain circumstances they would not be able to participate and would be sending our traveler back to us. With appearing that she would be sending our traveler back to us we made arraignments to swap with an adorable little girl from Tennessee. I had spoken with her mother about our previous ordeal and she assured me that Zuri (our traveler) would be in good hands. Since we had not received our original traveler back we made up and new one and sent Zuri on her way to Tennessee.

While Zuir #2 was having fun in Tennessee we where having lots of fun with Princess Sophia. We took her to The Pottery Place and painted a spider!

We went on a nature hike and did a scavenger hunt at Lake Vesuvius.










We went on a field trip to an apple Orchard. We learned how an apple grows, why apple trees are planted on hills, and how to pick an apple. We got to see how the apples are cleaned, sorted, packaged and stored. We went in a corn maze and learned the different ways farmers use corn. Afterwards we had cider slushies and carmel corn, YUM!

This month Zuri is off to the United Kingdom! So exciting. We kissed Zuri and packed her up this morning in her padded envelope. It will take Zuri about 10-14 days to travel from Ohio to the UK. Since her travel time is so long she will actually be visiting the UK for 2 months! Can't wait for our newest flat traveler friend to arrive and show him around that US. I just hope they don't get jet lagged to bad!

Check back as we add photos from our flat travel fun!