The kids and I went down to enjoy the festivities on Friday. I wish we could have stayed the entire weekend, but Saturday we headed out on our Albuquerque trip. We had a great time and the kids were pretty good, wild, but good.
Amanda and her children were also there for the day and the kids got along great. We rode the train as soon as we arrived and let the kids know that we were all going to have to take turns. 'Mom turns' (talking with the public, hanging out with the soldiers, singing civil war songs) and 'kid turns' (riding the train, visiting the petting zoo, going to the old fashioned playground).
I have been meaning to make all my kids bonnets and the night before I realized I still had not accomplished this task. So I began. I wanted Kendal to have a purple one with some gorgeous reproduction fabric I purchased in the Clara Barton collection. So I made one up. Too small. Emmitt got this one. I made another. Too big. So Kelsey got that one. I could not bring myself to having 3 matching bonnets, so Kendal finally got one the correct size in plain old muslin. I think they turned out darling.
The kids loved singing Goober Peas and listening to the dulcimer. So did everyone that heard Amanda playing. They could not help but join in.
Here is Austin, Skyler, and Jamin. Amanda and I set up our things in the Confederate camp and enjoyed the shade from the great trees surrounding the Rich home at This is the Place Park.
The kids were always hungry and continually snacking. I guess that is why they didn't eat their lunch we actually purchased at the park! Lesson learned!
This fellow just joined our group this summer and Emmitt climbed right up into his lap. He didn't seem to mind and told me how cute all my girls were. It was then that I went into the whole 'boys wore dresses' kick again. He thought it was great!
Our Union boys drilled a little for the public on Friday. On Saturday, the day I missed, they actually had 3 skirmishes that were such a hit. The soldiers loved it and the public loved it. I wish I could have been there for the all the smoke and action!
This is on our way to one of the 'kid turns' - the horses. They were so excited!
We were all singing songs while Amanda was playing her dulcimer for the public and Emmitt was just behind us playing around. A handful of the folks listening to us took pictures of him and I decided that I should too. He was such a good little boy.
The kids were so excited to ride the horses. It completely cracked me up. Both of their grandpas have plenty of horses to ride, but for some reason riding a horse tied up to a round machine that made it walk in a circle was just the highlight of the day. Maybe the clothing added to the experience! Ha ha!
I felt bad for these horses -walking in a small circle all day with rotten children on their backs! The horse I rode while growing up was named Roxy. She would have NEVER handled this abuse! One summer day my brother had her saddled up and was giving my little sister who was around 4 at the time a few rides up and down our lane. Now my parents' lane is long, like hundreds of yards long. After about 3 or 4 times up and down the lane, Roxy had had enough and bucked Tori off into the barbed wire fence. She still has a little scar on her cheek to prove Roxy's sauciness. She would have NEVER walked in a circle all day! Maybe for a few minutes, and then the horse behind her would have been kicked a few times too!
We went to the petting zoo and Emmitt loved the goats. The goats were being lazy and resting in the shade. Emmitt found this the perfect opportunity for a goat ride and promptly sat down on one. When it tired of the weight, it would get up and Emmitt would sit on another one. He was so cute.
Amanda hid a goat under her dress and the kids thought this was the funniest thing they had ever seen. They laughed and laughed. So did I actually.
Kelsey was such a great help all day long. She is a sweetie and loved the day also.
The kids were interested in the pigs. Of all stinking things! Pigs! Here is Kendal, William, Lydia, Amanda, and a few assorted children loving the pig pen. I thought Kendal might topple over right into the muck!
Kendal was a good girl too. She likes to dress up in 'cibal war' dresses and is a pretty good sport. She wouldn't keep her cute little bonnet on though - figures!
Another 'kid turn' was at the playground. Emmitt was so happy to just run and play like a wild man. Earlier he had gone into a little play house with this kid and Emmitt came out with his sucker! The little boy didn't cry, just followed him out with a worried look on his face!
To buy us more 'mom turn' time, we sent the older kids on the train. They were great. The train conductor watched them for us and everyone was happy. Amanda and I got 15 minutes in the Union camp and with the public and the kids got 15 minutes of their fun time. It was so great, we did it 3 times!
Kelsey, Kendal, William, Lydia, and Thomas
I just love that bonnet!
Kelsey took this picture of Emmitt and I. The afternoon was getting a little warm so we found some wonderful shade near the playground. Everyone was happy.
Kelsey wanted to learn about pottery, so we found the pottery lady, Bethany, and Kelsey watched her for awhile. She was in awe. Kelsey loves that sort of thing; she is such a creative girl.
When the afternoon wore on and the temperatures climbed, Kendal and Kelsey felt the need to get cool. They took of their dresses and played in the shade in their chemise, petticoats, and stays.
This is Kendal's petticoat. I meant to make her a stay and have separate petticoats that buttoned onto it, but I liked Emmitt's strapped petticoat so much, that is what I decided to do for Kendal. Here is the back of her strapped petticoat. She loves it. There should be two more buttons that attach the straps to the back of the petticoat, but alas, time is my enemy and so safety pins are doing that job. (the bonnets were more important!) So now I need to sew on buttons. The buttonholes are made, just no buttons yet. This type of petticoat is much more suitable for Kendal than the kind I made Kelsey. She thinks it is great!
Snacks under the trees in underthings! Oh the life!
Emmitt was barefoot; we took the hot shoes and stockings off, and so I thought he wouldn't stray too far. Wrong. I chased the little turkey down the boardwalk for the length of 4 houses!
Kendal was a true lady and got dressed again for dinner. She is such a funny girl. We had a wonderful dinner. Sugarfoot John cooked us an amazing civil war dinner. If only the real soldiers could have eaten as well! Matt came and got the kids after dinner when he finished work. I stayed for the evening and enjoyed that 'mom turn.'
After dinner when the park closed, we had a skirmish around the church. Some producer folks are making a civil war movie and they wanted to film some footage for it. They filmed the ladies (us) walking out of Sunday services at the church while a Union soldier ran up to us and told us to run, the Rebels were coming. It was wonderful and fabulous. They guys had a blast and we giggled after we ran from the church and hid behind the building.
Amanda and I
Here is 'Jimmy', Amanda, and I. Jimmy is really a female that dresses up and plays the part of a soldier. She does an excellent job. She came last year to this event for the first time and it took 2 days before the guys knew her impression. There really were hundreds of ladies that dressed as men and fought for their side of the war between the states. Some of them were found out, and many were never discovered. She does this impression to honor them.
We gathered around the artillery tent to watch the footage they recorded of the church skirmish. It was very fun to see the guys in action.
Friday night the guys rolled cartridges for the next day's battles. It made me imagine what an evening in a real civil war camp might have been like, well, not really because 150 years ago those boys had lost buddies that day in battle. Very sobering.
We have a great group of people in our organization. I appreciate everyone's friendship and the good times we have together.
Caleb and Amanda played together during the day and at night we sang with them for awhile. Okay, a long while. It was fun to sing with everyone. We love the civil war era songs. Actually, last night Kelsey was reading a Magic Treehouse book about the civil war and yelled at me to come to her bed. I went in where she was reading and she showed me the page and the words "tenting tonight on the old campground." She thought it was great that she new the song and the tune that the characters in the book were singing. She then said "I love that we do civil war mom." Me too.
1 comment:
I love these pics,,, it looks like you had a great time, and the kids too.
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