The girls and I needed a fingernail painting night so we went to a friends house and had a Girls Night Out. B. painted hers green - just one hand. J. did the brighter pink nails and mine were the pearly pink.
J. and I did magenta toenails. Our friends S. and M. also did nails. One did a different color on each nail. Fun evening.
B. & J. have been participating in a Sensory Group - this group is especially for kids who have sensory issues like those who avoid normal sensory input or who seek more then normal sensory input. They usually do activities that focus on each one of the senses - hearing, seeing, tasting, touching, smelling, and vestibular (where you are in space). The closing activity included bouncing all around the facilities at NRV Gymnastics.
The amazing foam pit must have an interesting collection of socks etc. at the bottom. I jumped in and had to maneuver myself to a mat so I could get out. I noticed that as I stepped in to get some leverage, the foam seemed to wrap around my socks and want to keep them as I stepped out. I feared for my cell phone, which was in my pocket - but we emerged unscathed.
J. on the trampoline. Don't you just love J's unmatched socks - she, her sister and some friends seem to have made mis-matched socks an art form.
A week ago Friday our home school group kicked off the study of the Industrial Revolution with a trip to the local transportation museum. The first thing we saw was an impressive "O" gauge train set up. The kids were fascinated. It even has the Star at the top.
Under the main train set was smaller train set ups to be viewed through windows. One included a circus train, another was a playground.
Next room over was the history of cars. The front car here was one of the early cars that rolled off the first manufacturing lines. It had a tiller style stearing system. The following cars are a parade of how cars developed. There was even a sample "Burma Shave" sign.
This room was full of stuff about trains, many different aspects of it. Here D. is ringing a bell. The kids had a great time ringing it. Bells used to be on the top of trains and were moved to the front above the cow catcher.
One of the highlights of the museum is a presidential train car. It is in the process of renovation. Above is one of the bedrooms. We also saw the living room with a piano.
This is the hall that goes past the sleeping compartments to the dining room.
The Dining Room. The kitchen hasn't been renovated.
An early big rig.
Horse and buggy.
Covered wagon
One of several steam engines.
The wheels were huge.
There was a playground at one end with all sorts of toys and an old bus. The kids had a great time pretending they were riding on it. We ate lunch in this area.
B. & C. playing around the "spaceship".
L. on the bus.
R. flying a helicopter.
The "O" gauge train from upstairs. On the second floor was an amazing miniature circus set up. Impressive details.
It took over sixty hours just to do the canvast for the big tent - and that was just one of the tents. There were countless eyelets and inside the tent
were people, trapeze artists, horses, balloon salesman, elephants and so much more. There was even a miniature of Emmett Kelly - an old time, famous clown.
While some of the kids and a couple of the parents browsed the gift shop a couple of the kids tried on firemen clothes. J. was swamped by the size of the jacket.
Here is M. in a fireman's hat. We thought it was a fun place to visit. It is all volunteer run. It sits next to the railroads and was an old depot. Real diesel engines go by every now and then.
B. waiting for the parade to start.
J. waiting for the parade to start.
The parade started.
One of several bagpipe groups.
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Cheerleaders.
The mascot.
Another bagpipe group.
You know the end of the parade is near when the Fire Department is there.
The real end of the parade.
Photo Op!
B. & J. at the fountain. This area is used for a Folk Art Festival. Artisans from the Appalachian region come and demonstrate how to do various crafts. There was a fascinating beekeeper who entertained us with facts about bees and their hives.
The above gentlemen is making apple butter. He said it takes something like16 hours to boil it down. Our friend S. is helping him. Other artisans included quilters, tatters (she made little butterflies for the girls), blacksmith - with his portable equipment, leather worker - it reminded me a lot of what my grandmother taught me, -- and there was an auction going on.
The sheep herding collies were fun to watch.
The highlight was probably the drumming. The Music Department kept a regular rhythm going and the Music Therapy Department had all these instruments for kids and some grown ups to play with.
There was quite a variety. There were lots of flat drums in different sizes and tones to play as well as a variety of maracas and other shakers.
Even C. had a good time. Other unusual instruments were a cylinder with a spring attached to the bottom - which was also a drum like a material that made thunderstorm type noises.
