some history & titles

June 6th.
D-day.
This date would not have even entered my thoughts... not that long ago.
Nothing "history related" would have.
But, I'm encouraged to learn more about our country's rich history because I have been adopted into it.. serving along side my husband... he who actually deploys for our freedom, myself who tries to keep things intact and showing the kids that while we miss daddy.. we can still have fun, and the kids who serve as well by adapting and learning to appreciate the significance of the military..... and passing it on.

Garrett has passed it on.. to me!


 
Garrett has been interested in WWII for as long as i can remember.. seriously.  He was captivated by it all when we went to Hawaii. He drew Japanese flags everywhere... he was 3 so it was easier :)   We went to the Army museum next to the Hali Koa (military hotel) nearly every day.  He built bunkers in the sand. His sweet innocent eyes looked for the dead soldiers over the side of the Arizona ... then proclaimed that he saw "some red shirts" so he knew they were there.  He taught me the other ships that were destroyed that day.  He learned the ones that sank, the one that capsized (i think the Oklahoma) and the one that ran ashore (i wanna say the Nevada.. but don't quote me). He fell in love with the Mighty MO .. again I learned that it was a battle ship that housed the ending of the war. 

the Army museum

in a fox hole... ready

Mighty MO

Addison turned 1 in HI!

Basically I learned right along with G on that trip.  History.. was not an interest of mine.  In school it was easy to memorize and then dump.  It never seemed important to me.  I cringed when my mom would suggest touring some historical area for vacation. I still have never been to DC.

Obviously being a Military family.. i have come to see the important things about history.  I've actually even read a few books for pleasure! (crazy i know.)  If you are looking for a great summer read, I completely recommend Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.... amazing story!  Lost in Shangri-La is another good read and true story.

We enjoy some Great books geared for kids as well.  and today, being June 6th.. we will pull out some of these to read and check out the links listed .... and we will all learn :) 

if interested..
the books below can be viewed at my Usborne Books and More website.

this is a lift the flap book.. really neat!

wave your magic wand

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wave a magic wand and Poof! things change :)
       tantrums would stop. bad hair days fixed. headaches gone. time would slow down. time would speed up. friends & family wouldn't be so far away. laundry would be done, folded, and put away!.... you get the picture. our lists could go on and on and on...

We don't have any magic wands that actually work at our house... but it is Fun to see what a magic wand will do if we let our imaginations work as the wand waves!
      we visit princes lands far and near. we have tea parties on the moon. we are In a nascar race.

I love to see what the kids imagine and create using their very active imaginations!

yesterday addie wanted to make a magic wand to do "special magic things".
she got out her Book of Fairy Things to make and Do and went to work.. with limited help :)

we traced 2 stars on cardboard and cut it out.
then we glued them to tin foil and put a book on them to dry flat.

addie cutting around the tin foil

 we used packing tape to stick the ribbon strips to the stars and the straw for the handle.

then we used a little of the clear packing tape around each point to stick the 2 back sides of the stars together.  She later decorated it with sparkle jewels... but i didn't get a pic of that.

ready for some magical fun!

the book addie was using is actually out of print now.. but there are many fun activity books with great ideas to "make and do" for the summer! here's a few favorites...
 
please see my Usborne Books and More site if interested  :)

the Lowe's car.. remade by G

today i watched Garrett give his book report and project presentation. he has been excited about this project (they do one a month). he started his the first week back to school. (thought he was not my child... but then he was finishing up some last minute ideas last night.. so we are cool). We got a huge box in the mail and he knew right then what book he was reading.. based on what he wanted to make for his project. that's my boy! plan the craft first!



for the second consecutive month he chose a non fiction book. last month he learned all about tanks.. and built one of his own. complete with "ammunition". there was a straw on top and he blew the paper pellets through! His favorite was the "challenger tank" so that is what he made and he got one for christmas!






this month it was race cars. specifically "f1 cars" ... the Lowe's Car. He reported to the class all sorts of interesting facts on f1 cars... making me question again if he's my son because he remembered so many exact facts. i never could do that. i thought he did a great job picking out his favorite pages to share.

then it was time to show off his project!


#48 Lowe's Race car

.... driver Garrett Griffin!










many thanks to his generous sponsors! ;)













Pit Crew Chief, Addison Griffin poses for a photo while G checks the body of the car.












wind shield wipers are working... for all the races in the rain :)
there is one on the rear window as well.







and no worries... there are head lights for night time racing!

he used two of my battery tea lights! genius!
so this of course was the big finish at school today..

he crawled in his car... told everyone to imagine it was dark... and then Flick! on came the lights! yay! big hit. "how'd you do that, Garrett?" i heard one friend ask. ......

ok.. i know he's my kid now..... G said, "oh, they are just tea lights!" :) love my creative boy!