Family
Charleston: The Charleston Explorer Program
Charleston Explorer Goodies
Since we go to Charleston a few times every year we signed the kids up for their Charleston Explorers Club a little over a year ago. It was a great way to explore the Charleston area, learn pieces of history or science and more plus earn a few prizes along the way. We have always enjoy our trips to Charleston and every time we try to go to a new place which made the Charleston Explorers a great program for our kids.
You could pick up a Charleston Explorer passport at any of the Charleston Area Visitors Centers. It was free for any kid under 18 to sign up for the club. When the kids enrolled they each received a passport, prize, a list of more than 30 participating locations, and information about how the program worked. Each time the kids visited one of the locations they would get a stamp specific to that location and enter the “stamp code” into their online profile and rate the place they visited. Every 5 stamps they would earn a prize that was mailed directly to our house. We never knew what the prizes would be and the kids were always very happy with the neat items that came in the mail.
Some of the places where you got the stamps were free while others required paid admission. Several of the places you could buy discounted tickets if you bundled them together. The program started back in April 2011 and recently ended. It is probably one of the best travel programs we have participated in, it was ran well, the prizes were amazing, and we had a blast doing the Charleston Explorers with the kids. We would love to see them do another program for the kids in the future!
I would encourage you to check out any of these types of explorers programs in your local area or another area where you visit frequently. These are programs can provide great learning opportunities for your kids. It was a wonderful experience for our whole family. I wish more places had kids programs like this one.
Some of the items we received:
- Charleston Explorers Water Bottles
- Charleston Explorers Magnetic Keychains with Flashlights
- Charleston Explorers Binoculars
- Charleston Explorers Pens
- Charleston Explorers Stickers
- Charleston Explorers Bag
- Charleston Explorers Clips
- $25 Wonder Works Toy Store Gift Cards
- iPod Touch
The highlighted places on our brochure are the ones we have visited since we started the Charleston Explorers program! Great places to visit and wonderful times exploring with the kids!
The girls passport books! Here is what two of their pages look like with the Fort Sumter, Patriots Point, Heyward Washington House, Nathaniel Russell House, Edmonston Alston House, and Aiken Rhett House stamps on these two pages. We filled their passport books up. The girls loved getting their stamps at the end of their tours.
One of the prizes they earned was a $25 Gift Card each from Wonder Works a Toy Store in Charleston. The girls can’t wait for our next trip to Charleston so they can use their gift cards!
The girls were so excited when FedEx dropped off a package at our “Google only” household! Guess, we now need to include another platform…. Their final Charleston Explorers prize was an iPod Touch! They were so very EXCITED to receive the iPod! Wow!!! Thanks Charleston for making our trips so enjoyable and for the amazing prizes! It has been a awesome exploring with the family and we look forward to our next visit! We still have several more locations we want to see on our list!
Mom & Daughter Date Night at Hearts of Clay
Brina working on her new plate!
Earlier this year I took the girls to Hearts of Clay to make their first pottery creations. We were super excited when we got the call from Hearts of Clay saying that the items were ready to pick up, however, one of the pieces had broken (Brina’s big flower plate). They were very sweet and offered to let her create another plate if she wanted to come in and do it. Although, she was sad about the broken plate that she had worked so hard on she was a good sport and felt a lot better knowing she could create another one. We made it into a Mom-Daughter Date Night and had a great time being creative together. Thankful for Hearts of Clay and their kindness in letting her come make a new plate. We had a wonderful time and look forward to another fun activity at Hearts of Clay in the future.
Brina’s new plate! She made the plate beautiful, but simple this time around. Instead of a flower she chose a square shape. Her colors are very similar to the last one she created.
We also picked up the pieces that were done from the previous visit to Hearts of Clay! They turned out really well! Glad the girls enjoyed this fun adventure!
All the pieces that survived the first fun creative evening at Hearts of Clay. Karlie’s is the rocket plate and the goat! Brina’s is the purple heart, black lab, giraffe, and cat (whose tail fell off).
Karlie was so thrilled “Oreo” the goat came out well.
Karlie loves space so her rocket, stars, and planet plate was a perfect display of something she enjoys! She was pleased with how it turned out!
We are looking forward to seeing how this Brina’s recent plate turned out along with her other little creations she made with the extra clay. We met up with Jake and Karlie after finishing up at Hearts of Clay and the four of us went out to dinner together. It was nice to spend a little one-on-one time with Brina as well as a relaxing rest of the evening with the family.
Can I Take Those Words Back?
A kid activity that teaches about how our words impact others.
We have been working through two devotional books with the girls lately. One of them goes through the Bible in a year and the other one is more of an hands on activity with a lesson called Object Talks for Any Day by Verna L. Kokmeyer. The kids like both of them, however, we only do the Object Talks devotional on days when we have a little more time because they require preparation, an activity, lesson, and conversation about the lesson taught.
This particular lesson was about our words and watching what we say to others. This was a great lesson for the beginning of the school year as well as a great reminder for all of us (both kids and parents) that our words have an impact on those around us.
Objects: A plate and tube of toothpaste.
Applicable Bible Verse: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 (ESV)
Activity:
- Ask for a volunteer.
- Have the volunteer squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube onto the plate.
- Ask for another volunteer.
- Have them try and put all the toothpaste from the plate back into the toothpaste tube.
Lesson to Talk About: Like the toothpaste our words can come out pretty quickly and easily, however, once our words are out we cannot take them back. We have all said something to someone and instantly or later realized it probably wasn’t the best thing to say. Our words can have a powerful impact on those around us. They can make people laugh, cry, hurt others feelings, and much more. Plus when we speak poorly to or about others it makes us look bad as well. It is important that we allow our thoughts and words to be good, encouraging, wholesome, and kind to those we encounter. What we fill our hearts and minds with will often come out our mouth and reveal what we are truly thinking. Much like the impossible task of getting toothpaste back into the tube we cannot take back the words we say to others. The toothpaste in this example was contained to the plate, however, our words can make a big mess and cause hurt to others for a very long time.
We all could spend a little more time focusing our hearts, minds, and thoughts on good things. Life is short and we want to spend our time being an encouragement and blessing to those around us. May we seek God’s wisdom regarding our thoughts and our speech.
We used a sample of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste I received in the mail for this activity. A sample size is big enough to get the point across!
Brina squeezing out all the toothpaste onto the plate! Like the toothpaste, it’s amazing how quickly our words can come out of our mouths.
The toothpaste is out!
Karlie attempting the impossible task of putting all the toothpaste back into the tube! Once our words our spoken we cannot take them back.
She tried a lot of different ways to get the toothpaste back into the tube – fingers, toothpaste cap, toothpick, and more yet it was a messy and impossible to get it all of the toothpaste back into the tube. The girls like these type of devotional lessons because they are interactive, have a creative and visual way to teach the lesson, and they tend to be more memorable for them. All of us could probably use a reminder regarding our words and the impact they have on others.
Greenville: Playing Around Downtown at McPherson Park
Brina figured out a creative way to swing!
Sometimes it is nice to get outside for a few moments. A little extra fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun will do you good. We have driven past McPherson Park near downtown Greenville many times over the years, but one day I finally made a point to actually stop when the girls were with me. They have a small playground, a miniature golf course (bring your own clubs and balls), tennis courts, and pretty walking trails. It was nice to get out and play for a little bit. The girls want to come back sometime and play miniature golf!
Karlie relaxing, chatting, and swinging!
A Sweet & Simple Note Can Melt a Moms Heart
Occasionally, Jake has to travel for work and there are times when he is gone random craziness happens at home. On this particular week Jake was gone it was busy with a lot of school activities, tutoring, animals getting out of their pen, doctor appointments, sick kids, and more. This particular day had a tough afternoon noon of school work, followed by chasing the goats back into their zone (multiple times), leftovers for dinner, a couple of not-so-cool Mommy moments, and running around trying to get the kids in bed on time.
By the time the girls were in bed I was exhausted and ready to relax, but lunches still needed to be put together, dishes washed, kitchen picked up, bills to be paid, and more regular household duties waiting for my attention. I decided to take 10 minutes and sit down, on the couch, and reflect on the events of the day. While sitting there I started thinking about everything I could have done better regarding my interactions with the girls in some of the sticky situations specifically regarding my actions, words, and attitude.
As I was thinking about the day I looked over at the dry erase board and saw a note from Karlie. Some days you don’t know if they realize how much we love them…..then they do something spontaneous and sweet like this simple note that melts my heart. And brings more tears! We are not perfect parents by a long shoot, but it does a Moms heart good to know that they really do feel loved and appreciated even in amidst those hurried, frustrating, and crazy days. I had no idea this note was on the dry erase board or when she put it there with everything going on that day, but it was the perfect encouragement boost I needed for that evening. Thankful for my kids and for their thoughtful ways of showing love.
She picked yellow so it’s a little harder to read, but it says:
I love Daddy.
I love Mommy.
I love Brina.
I love Oreo, Snowball, and Skipper.
Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals
It has been a busy few weeks and I think we are starting to get into the school groove now. Per a few requests I am going to try to update more regularly again regarding what items I pack for the kids school lunches. We try to pack a variety of items for the girls to eat. They have a snack in the morning, lunch, and an afternoon snack that needs to go into their lunches. Almost everyday of the week we have something right after school so we make sure they have enough to get them to dinner.
Lunch Box Meal
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Tortilla & One is actually a Soy Butter & Jelly Tortilla (peanut allergy)
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- Raisins
- Pistachios, Cashews, and Almond Mix
- Oreo Cookies
- Fresh Red and Green Grapes
- Vanilla with Oreo Cookie Topping Yogurt & One with Soy Blueberry Yogurt (dairy allergy)
- ABC or Animal Crackers (one with non-dairy)
- Strawberry Fruit Nuggets
- Chocolate Milk & One with Simply Orange Juice
- Water Bottle
The girls pack their lunches at least once or twice a week. Since they have so much going on at school plus homework I try to pack their lunches for them on the other nights. It gives me a chance to help them out and after homework if they have any extra free time I want them to be able to relax, read, play, or do something fun (be a kid). I am thankful they are still excited about bringing their lunch to school because I know they are eating a variety of food.
The items in their containers (grapes, oreos, nuts, raisins, tomatoes).
Karlie’s lunch is ready to go!
Easley: Sweet Treats at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
A brain freeze and a sweet treat!
We were out of town this summer when Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers actually opened for business in Easley! While we were not one of their first customers we decided to try them out on one of our recent Family Nights Out! The food was good and the frozen custard was delicious! It would have probably been better to either get dinner or desert; by the time we got to desert all of us were getting full and we ended up taking home a good portion of our custard. The good news is they gave you plenty to eat and the kids got to enjoy the ice cream the next day!
If you are looking for a hamburger, shoe string fries, and frozen custard you might want to check out your local Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers! The first Freddy’s restaurant was founded in 1950 actually in Wichita, Kansas. As far as I know Easley is the first SC store, but I am sure you’ll start seeing more of them in other areas around South Carolina before too long!
Brina enjoying her sweet treat!
Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers Constitution Day
The girls earned their Jr. Historian Badges for Framers Who Were Farmers – U.S. Constitution Event
On September 17th every year we celebrate Constitution Day! Back on September 17, 1787 a total of 42 of the 55 delegates held their final meeting at the Constitutional Convention. It was the day they signed the Constitution of the United States of America!
Shortly after Constitution Day we attended an event at the Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum. The event was called Kids Day at THE AG: Framers Who Were Farmers. It was for students in 4th to 7th grades. They had activities, role playing, field work, and discussions pertaining to the U. S. Constitution. They covered information such as:
- The Preamble
- Separation of Powers
- History, Framers, and Impact of the U.S. Constitution
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- Bill of Rights
Staff dressed up as James Madison. Discussion on the U.S. Constitution.
The Founding Fathers used scientific inventions and various forms of farming techniques. Some of the men who signed the Constitution were farmers, a few of them were:
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Charles Pinckney
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
- Thomas Jefferson
- Benjamin Franklin
There were several things the farmers experienced such as depletion of soil nutrients, purchasing local produce and crops, local insects, trees, vegetation, and being self-supportive farms.
Some of the activities the kids did at the event were discussing the Constitution. Designing a poster. Experimenting with soil and the nutrients in it. Planting some seeds and recording their findings. The kids received a Jr. Historian Pin and a U.S. Constitution pocket guide. The girls had a lot of fun learning about the U.S. Constitution, activities, and experiments.
Timeline include French & Indian War, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, American Revolution, Constitutional Conventional, Bill of Rights, and more!
Brina’s poster!
The poster Karlie made at the event!
Greenville: Exploring the Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Karlie and Brina climbing the rock wall at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate!
We had some great opportunities to travel over the girls summer break so we didn’t get to do some of the fun activities in our local area. Whenever we had a chance we would look over our list of fun local activities and pick one to do together. The girls recently chose going to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate as one of their activities. The Upstate Children’s Museum is located in downtown Greenville and has many fun interactive activities for the kids. We had a great morning exploring and learning at the Children’s Museum. Thankful for such an awesome museum for kids in our area.
When you put your hands on the spots the drum mimics your heartbeat. Pretty cool! Two people can do it at the same time and hear the differences in their heartbeats.
They are smiling a lot for being on crutches! Hopefully we will avoid having family members on crutches.
Karlie pulling herself up!
Brina smiling as she pulls herself up. Testing the different ropes and pulleys.
Karlie at the bank getting some cash for her groceries.
That’s a lot of wind!
Construction crew making bricks!
Brina bringing over a wheelbarrow of bricks!
Karlie’s proud of her creation!
Making a cool structure!
Relaxing in the camping area!
The Light Waves Ahead display is always a fun one to use your creativity on too!
Fun times with the girls at the Children’s Museum!
Driving the recycling truck! Watch out!
Brina in a water bubble!
Karlie having a blast in the music room!
Brina loves hanging out at the Children’s Museum!
Going through the cool jungle gym area at the museum!
Watching the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon
Watching the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon
Earlier this week on Wednesday, October 8th we had a Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon. Since we have one child who really wanted to see the Eclipse I got up at 4 am in to check the weather, scope out a good location to set up the telescope, and check on the eclipse. I woke the girls up a few minutes before 6 am. We were able to watch the final few stages of the Total Lunar Eclipse that we could see from South Carolina. The girls were very excited to watch it through the monocular and telescope. It was neat to see the eclipse. The weather was foggy during the eclipse in our area so it was difficult to see the Blood Moon, but they were thrilled with what they could see.
What is a Total Lunar Eclipse? A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow.
What is a Blood Moon? When the total lunar eclipse causes the moon to turn a red, orange, and brown color from the glow and reflection of all the sunrises from the Earth’s surface it is considered a Blood Moon.
Karlie looking through the telescope!
Brina looking through the monocular at the Total Lunar Eclipse!
The sunrise after the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon! For more information on the Total Lunar Eclipse – Blood Moon check out Space.com
