Camping

We had a great time last week on our camping trip. This time we went just an hour north of us to Hannibal, MO. We stayed at a nice campground called Injun Joe Campground. Although we only spent two nights it was great just to get away.

We spent Thursday in the town of Hannibal doing some sightseeing. We toured Mark Twain Cave, Mark Twain's Boyhood Home, walked up the 244 steps to the lighthouse, ate some lunch, and toured Rockcliffe Mansion.

Trips like this really add to our homeschooling experience. Being able to see where Mark Twain lived and picturing what life was like in his lifetime really imprints on your mind. I have been to Hannibal many times since I was a kid and they keep expanding the museums and adding more information about Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemens) life growing up. I learn more each time and really enjoy sharing my childhood memories with my kids and Mike. I love creating our own memories. I sat Thursday night and watched the boys running around together. Luca was following Nico everywhere and imitating everything. Nico was teaching Luca the art of 'sticks as guns'. Some may say sticks as guns is a bad thing...but boys will create a gun out of anything, trust me having three boys I know. As the saying goes, "It's a boy thing." My kids know they go after the bad guys and they are also aware of the danger of guns. We don't have real guns in the house .

Me and my two babies in the Becky Thatcher Butterfly Garden.

Mike and his boys.

Luca went up and posed in this doorway. He just loves when the camera comes out.

I like this photo of the lighthouse. We walked the 244 steps up to it and then found out we couldn't go up inside the lighthouse. Oh well, it was great exercise. Mike carried Luca up in his stroller - luckily it was an umbrella stroller.

We did some fishing on our first night there. They had a couple of nibbles but no fish for dinner. Nico was glad, he just likes to catch and release, not eat them. I love both of these pictures of the boys. Nico looks so cute with his new tackle box and Transformers fishing pole. He did pretty good casting this time, although I did untangle his line several times! That is what it is all about. Luca did great just hanging out throwing rocks. Mike did come over and let him hold the pole.

Here are a couple of photos from the cave. It was a cool 54 degrees. This cave is not as spectacular as Meremac Caverns as it did not have all the formations in it as there is not a lot of water that runs through the cave. Missouri is known as the cave state because of all the caves found here. If you are ever in MO be sure to check out at least 3 of them. They are all different. Mark Twain cave is neat because they tell the story as based from the book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", by Mark Twain. One can just picture young Samuel Clemens running around in the cave with his friends and creating this story as he got older.

With all the adventure last week I decided that for fourth grade (2010-2011) we will be studying American Literature, with Mark Twain as one of our authors.

I love these family times together away from home. It gets us out of our work mode and into relax mode. I also enjoy these times as these are some of my favorite memories from when I was a kid....vacations and camping with my family. I am planning on creating a "Then and Now" Scrapbook with photos of myself as a child and my children in the some of the same locations.