Grandpa Kurk came for a visit. We really wanted to do lots of fun stuff, but between rainy weather and Government shutdown, most of our plans were null and void. We did go to the Mudd House, which was really interesting. I would highly recommend everyone making the trip. When we walked in, our tour guide (for just our group) seemed liked she was going to be a bit unpleasant about us having our 3 small children with us. After taking for a while in the main room, the kids got a bit restless. We reeled them in and she said, "oh, they're fine, Mrs. Mudd raised nine children in this house, they aren't going to bother anything." After that, it was smooth sailing. We really enjoyed the history of the home. It has been in the family for two centuries. Many of the items inside are the same ones that were present the night that John Wilkes Booth made his fateful appearance. It is also interesting just to see an old home from that time period. It was 3-bedrooms and considered large for its time, but I couldn't imagine 11 people living there. In addition to the house, you can also walk around the grounds, and because the farm is so large, we really felt like we were stepping back in time. It was easy to imagine what it must have been like in 1865. Since it was our first nice day in quite a while, the kids were so happy to just run (and run, and run). Anna and Kara pretended they were horses and galloped all over the farm. We had a great time! So, feel free to take your kids and enjoy some great history!
Besides the trip to the Mudd House, we also enjoyed a visit to Cedar Hill pumpkin farm (Thomas and I had already brought the kids to Bowles farm, so we decided to try something new). At the farm, we did the traditional stuff: corn maze, hay ride, barn visits, etc. We visited the Mudd House and farm on the only two days of Grandpa's visit that it didn't rain. We also took the kids to Toys R Us to spend gift cards they received for their birthday from Grandma Kathy. They LOVE "the giant toy store" and it can be difficult to narrow their interests. Jack was content to just grab the first thing he saw that looked fun. Anna vacillated and wanted to get the most from her card. We were probably there for over an hour. Other than that, we essentially just stayed close to home. It was a very low-key visit.
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| the only picture I can find that includes Grandpa Kurk |
On to the next topic. We had our first ever school conferences. Jack is a teacher's pet!!! He brightens their day with his friendly, good-natured attitude. He has exceeded every test they've given and loves to contribute to class discussions. Anna, who is not in the same class, is unfortunately having some self-control issues. She has a bit of a hard time sitting still and staying quiet. Apparently, she likes to sing and hum to herself and is thus relegated to a table all alone. None of her behavior is malicious in nature, she is just an active kindergartner (half days probably would be perfect for her). She is doing great academically and I am sure her behavior will be fine as she matures. According to Kara's teacher, Kara is extremely quiet. She speaks only if spoken to and I got the impression that her teachers think she is pretty shy. She is already capable of doing most things that are year-end goals for Pre-K and when I asked about her behavior, I was told, "with Kara (puzzled look), behavior is never an issue." It was interesting to sit down with their teachers and hear how they are spending their days. Anna and Kara get daily calendars, so we knew, at least somewhat, what to expect. We haven't had much feedback from Jack's class, so it was a huge relief to hear such a glowing report. I hope he can maintain the outstanding behavior. I was a little surprised to hear how quiet Kara is. I know that she is a bit slow to warm up, but I thought by now she would be acting like the gregarious, chatty child we see at home on a daily basis.
The kids also had their first field trips of the year. They all went to a pumpkin farm. Unfortunately, the Pre-K and Kindergarten went on the same day. I had already signed up to go with Kara's class when we found out Kindergarten would overlap. Jack and Anna went to Bowles Farm and Kara and I went to Forrest Hall. For whatever reason, Anna was not excited about the trip. However, they all had a fabulous time. When Jack and Anna got home, I sat down with each one for about 20 minutes while they recapped their entire day. When we finished, Kara wanted to do that same, even though I had spent every minute with her. Funny kids :)
And that concludes this quick recap.
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