My Week in Review/ Weekly Wrap-up/THMJ- 9/19

What a great and adventure filled week here at the Home to 4 Kiddos!  :-)

The kiddos have been working hard on their schoolwork/classes, but of course, there has to be some fun hands-on activities in there like mummifying apples.  You can't study the Ancients without doing some fun experiment regarding mummification!  :-)  We will let you know in the next few days how our "mummies" turned out.  :-)

On Thursday, my birthday, my hubby made me a yummy breakfast and then we headed with some dear friends to the Sight and Sounds Theater in Lancaster, PA too see Joseph. (they were offering an extremely generous homeschool discount and my friend gave me my ticket as a birthday present!!!)  What an amazing production.  Wow!  And, to top it off, one of my friends made me cupcakes and I got serenaded with "Happy Birthday" right there at a bench on the grounds of the theater.  :-)

My parents made me a delicious birthday dinner, so we headed there upon returning from the show for some yummy eats and some Thursday night football.

On Friday, we again trekked up to Lancaster County (I just LOVE it there!) to the annual Cherry Crest Adventure Farm's homeschool days.  If you have never been able to visit Cherry Crest, I strongly encourage you to take the time and do it.  There are over 50 hands-on fun activities for kids as well as a 5-acre corn maze.  The maze has all kinds of fun surprises inside including a zipline, sliding board and even a cafe, water stations and port-a-potties!  It is a family-centered and wholesome place; one that I am pleased that my children ask to visit every year.  We were glad that some good friends got to join us.  It was so much fun!

My posts this past week:

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- so many delicious recipes shared!
TOS Review- Stinky Kid Math- a great resource for Algebra and Geometry
TOS Review- Super Teacher Worksheets- over 10,000 worksheets and more!

Linking up today with My Week in Review, Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap Up, 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!  God bless!  :-)


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Field Trips in Southeastern PA

There is so much to do and see here in Southeastern Pennsylvania!  Are you looking for a good day trip or coming to the area for a visit?  Here are some trips that we have taken.  Many have little or no cost involved!

There is the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology in Philadelphia.  What a gem!!!  Read all about our visit here.

The Wings of Freedom Aviation museum asks for a donation only.  There is SO much history, including Amelia Earhart breaking a record right there in Horsham.  Read all about it here.

The Peter Wentz Farmstead was President Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Germantown.  So many hands-on activities and a working farm, too!  Read about it here.

The Three Arches historic home, originally built by the steward of William Penn just recently celebrated it's 300th anniversary.  Read my post here.

Of course, what trip to this area would be complete without visiting historic Philadelphia?  This post talks about the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Independence Hall and the Mint.  All free of charge!

Graeme Park is another wonderful field trip opportunity.  Dr. Graeme was a respected doctor, justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and port physician for colonial Philadelphia.  The mansion and grounds are open year round, but they also offer a homeschool day that we have enjoyed every year.  You can read it about here.

If you are visiting Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute science museum is a must-see!  Read about our visit here.

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Lancaster County, PA is a game and activity filled outdoor extravaganza.  They are open May-October.  Read about it here.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show held each January in Harrisburg, PA is a free event that is sure to please everyone on your list.  If it is not the animals, or activities, it will definitely be all of the food!  Read about it here.

Crystal Cave is not only beautiful and breaktaking, but quite educational, too!  See all of the details and stunning photos here.

Lake Nockamixon State Park is lovely and filled with many things to do such as going on a pontoon boat ride.  Check it out here.

There is so much to do and see in Hershey, PA.  Many people don't know about the museum called the Hershey Story.  It not only tells of the extraordinary life of Milton Hershey, there are lots of hands-on things to do like make your own chocolate.  Read about it here.

We have also visited Pottsgrove Manor, (a 1752 mansion and estate) where the kids did all kinds of activities including cooking, dipping candles, crafts and more.  It was only $2 per person.  

The Ardsley Wildlife Sanctuary is not only breathtaking, but completely free.

The Philadelphia International Airport offers FREE tours (on the tarmac!).  Look at the photo below, we were actually THAT close to a jet that has just come in for a landing.  

The Philadelphia Zoo has some new and incredible exhibits where the animals are actually walking over you!

Valley Forge is a must see for any freedom-loving American.

Again, completely free.

I mentioned Hershey, PA above for the museum, but of course, there is Chocolate World. Fun and Chocolate!  And, Chocolate World is free to enter.

Many people do not know that a WWII submarine and a warship from the Spanish American War are docked in Philadelphia.  You can visit both (and tour the inside!) for a nominal charge.

If you have sports fans, you can tour the sports arenas, including Citizens Bank Park where the Philadelphia Phillies play

These are just some of the things to do and see in Southeastern PA!  It is a treasure trove of field trip opportunities, that's for sure.  If you come to the area, I hope you enjoy.  :-)

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Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum

Kiddo #1 turned 17 a couple of weeks ago.  Oh, how the time has flown!!  When did our precious preemie grow up?

In our homeschool, the birthday boy/girl gets to choose a field trip on their special day.  On Kiddo's birthday, we visited the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Willow Grove, PA.

The museum's mission is to preserve aviation history in the greater Delaware Valley, including the contributions of Harold F. Pitcairn, as well as the men and women who served at NASJRB Willow Grove for the education and benefit of future generations.

For the last decade, the volunteer-run Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association has worked meticulously to preserve, restore and display dozens of regionally significant small and medium-sized aircraft inside and outside its 4,800 square foot Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Museum in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

The indoor portion of the museum houses an amazing collection of artifacts from the last century of aviation and warfare.

and some hands-on fun, as well

Did you know that Amelia Earhart broke a record right there at the Willow Grove base?  We didn't!!  Wow!  :-)

We also didn't know that the first drone was developed and flown back in 1962!  It is here at the museum for all to see.

Many view Harold Pitcairn as the forefather of rotary wing aircraft.  In 2012, the museum was bestowed with its crowning jewel, a striking black and yellow 1931 PA-8 Pitcairn Mailwing.  Only one other Mailwing of this model remains.

There are so many historic aircraft on display at the museum.  Click here to read about all of them. 

Here is one that was very impressive:

The A-10 "Thunderbolt II" had deadly effects during the 1991 Gulf War and in Iraq and Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks as a close support and anti-tank aircraft.  It is also known as the Warthog.  You can read more about the aircraft here.  

When one of the volunteers (all very friendly and knowledgeable veterans) found out that it was Kiddo's birthday, he went and got the keys to an aircraft that he flew (on and off of an aircraft carrier!!!) and gave us a personal tour inside of it!  How cool is that?!

It is called the Grumman C-1A "Trader."  It was used primarily as a carrier transport.  This particular one saw service with multiple squadrons and ships around the world.  The "Trader" became one of three C-1As operated out of Willow Grove by the U.S.S. Independence carrier on-board delivery crew.  Its last flight was in 1987.

This gem of a museum has free admission.  The all-volunteer staff just requests a donation, as the museum receives no funds of any kind from the military or government.  They are hoping to expand to house even more of their collection.  I hope, with the generosity of kind benefactors, that that will someday become a reality.  If you are in the area, be sure to check out this popular destination.  You will learn so much about our nation's aviation history and will have fun while doing so.  We sure did.

Linking up with Field Trip Friday.

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