Days To Remember G's Blog

We learned about Outhouses and that the settlers use to use Spanish moss from the trees to wipe their bums. 

They would boil the Spanish moss to get the bugs out then let it dry to use as toilet paper. 

Interesting huh?  I never knew that! 

Eli was cracking me up about the Outhouse.

The lady asked why there was a quarter moon and he said, "To let the stinkies out!"

And she said, "You are right!"

The kids got to pump water and carry it to the wash basin to wash clothes.

Then they got to hang them up to dry.

I asked the boys in the end which job they would have preferred during the pioneer days.

Eli said he wanted the job of grinding the corn.

Hezekiah preferred the laundry.

Today the boys and I went to Fort Christmas to learn about the types of chores that kids would have had to do during the pioneer days.

The boys learned about churning milk to make butter, about how to make cane syrup, they did some laundry, pumped some water, made chicken feed, and tried some butter, cane syrup, and jerky.

They also learned how to make corn meal.

Looks like they are hard at work, huh?

The guide told us about Fort Christmas and why it was established and also what settlers had to do when they moved into this land in Florida.  She talked about the crops they planted and also the animals they hunted.

The first thing settlers had to do was build a place to sleep and then start planting.

Here the kids are trying the butter and the cane syrup.

We watched a Blacksmith make nails. 

We bought 3 nails.

We got to check out the inside of a Tee-Pee (which held at least 14 people).......we tried to see how many we could get in!

And here are the PreK- 3rd graders from our little group! 

Our group of 9 adults and 17 kids, learned about broom making.

This lady taught us everything there is to know about brain tanning a hide.

Never knew that you use the brain of a deer to tan the hide of the deer, lots of emulsified fats to assist in the tanning process.

The kids also got to stretch the hide.

She also taught us how to create a fire from a soft and a hard wood.

I forget the names of the woods. 

She definitely needs to go on Survivor! 

She made her fire in less than a minute!

My kids and I thought that was pretty cool! 

Today with CHSF, we went back in time, to pioneer days.

It only took two hours to go back in time with 3 kids.

I followed another persons map, and almost got lost......and noticed I needed to actually turn right instead of left........but I called others on our trip to make sure.....b/c I had no GPS system and like my 3 kids are going to help me -- are you kidding they were playing either their DSes or IPad???  So, no help had I-- especially in an area of Florida I had never been!

I tell you going back and time takes some going right to go left, huh? 

But we made it, and it was cool........people can actually live there the entire month and pretend they are old timey!

We learned how to make root beer and Sarsaparilla.

Our group, the parents and children learned a little dance.