Price of Liberty

We started the next unit for our school adventure by meeting Thomas Jefferson and James Madison at where else but Liberty Hall.  Ok, so we didn't make it to Philadelphia but saw the exact replica in Buena Park, CA!  It was very inspiring and educational!

Thomas Jefferson...

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison...

James Madison taught us a way to remember the 10 Bill of Rights using our fingers.   It was very helpful!

Everyone got to sign the Declaration of Independence with a  quill pen...

                          

James Madison helped us learn to decipher some of the codes used during the Revolutionary war...

The kids got to put together Patriotic Puzzles (this one is of Liberty Hall, with information about it on the back of each piece).  Notice Charity's feet-she will not keep shoes on -ever!  Or bows in her hair for that matter.

More practice writing with a quill...

The knowledgable James Madison took us on a tour of Independence Hall.  The Liberty Bell...

This is the room that the Declaration and the Constitution were written in.  They do a 20 minute presentation with voices, sounds, and lighting to reenact the discussions that were going on at the Second Continental Congress.  It was very moving and I think the boys got a lot out of it!

Charity knew this is a "Redcoat"!

We have been having fun learning about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence since this trip like drawing Jeffersons home, Monticello...

and learning a smidgeon about each of the brave men who "mutually pledged their Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor" to the Declaration of Independence.

As You Like It

Last weekend Tanner performed in his first Shakespeare play, As You Like It.  He played Oliver, the mean angry older brother.  Oliver ends up repenting at the end, and falling in love.  So his character basically had to show two emotions, love and anger.  He did really well at anger and tried to show love, but that is a hard emotion to show, especially when you are a 10 year old boy, who could care less about romance.  I really enjoyed the play and think all the kids did an excellent job.  It was a lot of memorization and all in Shakespeare's actual words- so this was not an easy task!  Tanner is looking forward to another opportunity to perform!

One last pep talk with director before the performance...

Angry, mean Oliver...

The wrestling scene was a funny ensemble scene...

Falling in love with the beautiful Celia...

 Tanner on stage with his "younger" brother...

 Can you feel the love?  This is the marriage scene.  All of Tanner's co-stars seem to be much taller than him!

 Congrats on a great performance everyone!

Patriots: Great and Noble Presentations

We were invited to a Patriot's Tea Party at a friends house.  

Where a beautiful table setting… 

and a delicious Colonial Tea (sans the tea) took place!

Our gracious host...

Even Charity got her own little spot at the little kids table!  She couldn't get enough of the grapes or chicken!

Each of the children represented a different patriot and did a short presentation.  Hunter was the wealthy and bold John Hancock…

Click here to see Hunter as John Hancock!

And Tanner was the not so well liked, yet very inspiring writer, Thomas Paine.

Click here to see Tanner as Thomas Paine!

 All of the kids did an excellent job!  Hopefully, I will have a youtube video of the boys presentations soon.  Besides John Hancock and Thomas Paine a few of my favorite presentations were these two cuties who presented together as George Washington and King George…

I also really liked this one who played his ancestor who actually fought in the Revolutionary War!  Awesome!

It was a really fun way to learn about some of the inspiring Patriots who sacrificed so much to establish our free country!