Sunday, March 29, 2015

Civil Rights in the Sunshine State

 photo DSC_0108_1.jpg 

After the homeschool International Fair on Friday, we walked over to the Museum of Florida History. Most of the museum was closed for remodeling, but the special exhibit that we were there to see was still open. Civil Rights in the Sunshine State shows the struggle for civil rights here in Florida. There were photographs, artifacts, and videos. There was also a scavenger hunt for students, to make the exhibit more engaging.

 photo DSC_0105_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0110.jpg

 photo DSC_0165.jpg

 photo DSC_0117_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0122_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0134.jpg

 photo DSC_0147.jpg

 photo DSC_0153_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0158.jpg

 photo DSC_0162.jpg

Entry into the museum and the exhibit is free. The exhibit will be at the museum until April 5.

Friday, March 27, 2015

The Tallahassee Homeschool International Fair

Blaze finished his project about the Vietnam War yesterday.

 photo DSC_0017_4.jpg

Today, he presented it at the International Fair at the Leon County Public Library.

 photo DSC_0011_4.jpg

 photo DSC_0031_1.jpg

The board included photographs that my uncle had sent home during the war and some that DH's father had taken.

The t.v. on the right, was made from a cereal box. It held Blaze's Kindle, which was playing actual news coverage of the war. The paper to the left of the t.v. (which is hard to read, since the pencil writing doesn't show up well in photographs) says that 90% of all American households had television by 1960. The paper just below the t.v. talks about how television news affected popular opinion by bringing the horrors of war into our living rooms.

The rest of the children at the International Fair did a wide range subjects and presented them in a variety of ways. Some had boards like Blaze, some gave Power Point presentations, some even had food to share with the group.

 photo DSC_0004_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0046_3.jpg

 photo DSC_0100_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0005_6.jpg

 photo DSC_0037_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0078_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0059_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0090_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0088_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0080_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0096.jpg





 photo DSC_0007_3.jpg

I'm very happy with how Blaze's display looked and am proud of him for all the writing he has done for it (writing is not easy for Blaze).

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Spring Break

 photo DSC_0007_2.jpg

Today is the last day of our week long spring break. We didn't go anywhere, but we tried to make our time at home as relaxing and vacation-like as possible.

 photo DSC_0002_4.jpg

The weather was gorgeous this whole week.

Tomorrow we return to math, science, reading, and lots of history. Blaze only has four days left to finish his display board for the homeschool International Fair at the public library on Friday.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Our Weekend With a Rental Car: Arti Gras, St. Augustine, and a Fairy Garden

We have not been getting out much. Our car has become very unreliable. I can't start it at all. Although DH can get it started, he has only been taking it to work and taking us to the grocery store, since the mechanic told us that the more we drive it, the more likely we are to kill another starter.

We rented a car from 5:30 p.m. on February 20th, until 5:30 p.m. on February 23 and fit as many fun activities into those three days, as we could.

Saturday we got dressed up and went to Railroad Square Art Park for Arti Gras.

 photo DSC_0026_2.jpg

This is a small Mardi Gras style event with live music, food venders, and a small parade.

The parade:



 photo DSC_0038_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0060.jpg

 photo DSC_0067_2.jpg



Sunday was also a day to play dress-up, only this time we headed to St. Augustine for an outing with members of the Central Florida Steampunk Association and The Cowford Steampunk Society.

 photo DSC_0011_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0017_3.jpg

 photo DSC_0009_2.jpg

 photo DSC_0033_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0035_2.jpg



Monday, Blaze and I went to see a private garden we had been told about, here in Tallahassee. Lichgate is a lovely little cottage with an enormous live oak tree in front and gardens on two sides.

 photo DSC_0005_4.jpg

The children's Shakespeare garden:

 photo DSC_0010_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0011_3.jpg

 photo DSC_0023_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0028_2.jpg

The maze:

 photo DSC_0032_1.jpg

 photo DSC_0058_2.jpg




Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Green Tea Swirled Pound Cake


 photo DSC_0013_3.jpg


Green Tea Swirled Pound Cake

2 3/4 Cups sugar

1 1/4 Cups softened butter

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup sour cream



Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a large bundt cake pan with Baking Pam.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream beat until well blended. Scrape the bowl occasionally. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Gradually add the dry mixture to the batter, beating in between each addition. 

Place 1/3 of the batter in a separate bowl and add 4 teaspoons of green tea powder (macha). Mix well. 

Use 1/3 of the remaining white batter to make the first layer in the bundt pan. Cover that layer with 1/3 of the green batter. Continue alternating white and green batter until all the batter has been used. Smooth out each layer after it is added. When the top layer has been smoothed, take a butter knife and stick it into the cake at random spots all the way around (this will cause the swirled effect). Smooth the top of the batter again.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a skewer stuck into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

 photo DSC_0003_3.jpg

 photo DSC_0005_5.jpg

Crafty Crow