Category Archives: History

This is my normal and Pawnee Bill Ranch

11/01/2018 Danielle Huddleston Leave a comment

We went to the “Fall In Love with Pawnee Bill Ranch Festival” this year. They had a blacksmith work the event and he was amazing.

Several of my kids could have stayed and listened to him all day. He was a great teacher. Some of the things to do needed tickets but they had free activities also, including a wagon ride! The wagon ride took us right into the Bison and Longhorn herds! We had actually just dropped my husband off at the airport for a work trip and my mother in-law was with us.
I struggled with needing to have her come and needing extra help while Nick was gone but decided to accept it as what our family needs and that it is normal for us. Sometimes it is hard when you feel like your family is not “normal” but it is normal.

Just a different kind of normal 😉

I heard someone say that on instagram and latched onto it.

The last time he went was a bit of a disaster but this time went so much better. I am so thankful for lots of fun events and places to go like this one to help the days go fast! I had not been to the Pawnee Bill Ranch before, it was smaller than Woolaroc but still a fun stop and the fall event was a great distraction! The boys really embraced the “lookout” part of this tower 😉 I would really like to attend a Wild West Show at the ranch someday.

They hold it every spring and I think it would be so much fun!

Do you feel like you are not “normal” sometimes also?

Know that you are not alone.

History, Homeschooling

If you give a child Jonathan Park…

10/17/2018 Danielle Huddleston Leave a comment

The children and I have been listening to Jonathan Park and The Hunt for Beowulf(a creation science audio adventure series) because it touches on Noah’s Ark and Creation.

Which we have been studying.

But they became really interested in Beowulf because of it and asked that I get it for them.

I had been wanting to do the Brave Writer Boomerang on Beowulf but thought they might find the book too difficult.

Since they requested it, I got them the book from the library.

Because they were going to read it anyway we are doing the boomerang.

Because the boomerang had them recite the first 11 lines I had them listen to the “Eve of Saint Crispin Day Speech.”

Because I was already on youtube, I had them watch the “Old English Version of Beowulf” and found “Seamus Heaney reading Beowulf.”

Which was amazing.

I felt a bit like “If you give a mouse a cookie” but I think it is my favorite way to teach

So if you also want your child to read Beowulf, listen to Jonathan Park 😉

Hiking, History

Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch

07/02/2018 Danielle Huddleston Leave a comment

My favorite thing about this place is how peaceful it is.

You can tour the inside of the house which is beautiful. My kids like all the animals they have. They even have a little petting area in the barn. This peacock scared my oldest girl!

It was making a bunch of noise in the barn loft.

I did not know there used to be a state park where the ranch is and that they have some hiking trails there. The trails went through tall grass so we did not go far.

It has been a bad year for ticks and chiggers.

So we have been sticking to nice, open hiking trails.

Beautiful views of the lake though. We walked on an old road down to the lake. This boy was concerned that cattle were roaming and he was wearing a red shirt… This looks like a nice peaceful scene but Mayflies were out in droves… They would fly all in your face.