Traveling with the Patriot Kids

A Kennedy Space Center Adventure for Justice and Mrs. Karnes

2011-05-26T21:30:00.000-04:00

My trip to Florida was out of this world! I made the very long ten hour drive to Orlando, Florida with Mrs. Karnes and her family. We were hoping to see space shuttle Endeavour’s last launch on April 29th. The space shuttle program is quickly coming to an end. This would be the next to last shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center ever! Mrs. Karnes’ son, Christopher, loves anything having to do with space and I have never seen a space shuttle so what a perfect trip! This would be STS 134, or the 134th mission of the space shuttle program. On the 16-day mission, space shuttle Endeavour will deliver spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, and additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. An Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer will also be transported for installation on the International Space Station. If you want more information on this project you can visit http://ams-02project.jsc.nasa.gov/index.htm.

We had to wake up very early to load the bus to take us to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was still dark. We arrived at the Visitor’s Center around 6:30 am. An astronaut looking down on us greeted us at the gate! We did not have much time to visit the center because we would have to get back on a bus to travel to the causeway. We visited the Rocket Garden. They were like huge statues. It was unbelievable how big these rockets really were. We saw the Redstone, Atlas and Titan rockets that first put sent astronauts into space. They also had models of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules. Boy, there sure was not much room for astronauts to move. There were so many people at the visitor’s center hoping to see the shuttle launch we did not see much else. Even President Obama brought his family.

We loaded the bus and began our quick journey to the Causeway. It is the closest public viewing area for a shuttle launch, about 6.5 miles away from launch pad 39A. It is a very narrow strip of land that connects Merritt Island to Cape Canaveral. On our way over, we heard over the radio that the shuttle launch had been scrubbed due to a problem with one of the heaters. We were given the chance to get out and view the shuttle sitting on the launch pad. It was amazing! We were hoping to video chat with Mrs. Karnes’ class while we were there, but there was no cell service on the Causeway. We were able to keep the class up to date using texts as we were on the bus and at KSC. We were really disappointed that the launch did not happen, but the safety of the astronauts is the most important thing. We got some great photos and met some very nice people.

The next day we returned to the Space Center to tour the exhibits. It was much less crowded. We were able to walk inside a model space shuttle to see what the cargo bay area looks like. We participated in the shuttle launch experience. This was AMAZING! You got to see what it would feel like to be in the orbiter as it prepared and took off for launch. It would be so cool to be an astronaut. In the Exploration Space Exhibit we got a glimpse of the future of space exploration. We were able to see that you need a lot of Math and Science to work behind the technology that makes this type of exploration possible.

We saw a model of the Ares rocket that will be used to transport people to space when the shuttle program ends (http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/.Ares_V). We went on a guided tour that took us past the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where the shuttle is prepared for launch. It was so big that the Statue of Liberty could fit inside. We were able to go the observation gantry and take photos of Endeavour with the RSS (rotating service structure) in place. We also saw the crawler transport that carries the shuttle from the VAB to the launch pad. It can only travel 8 mph. It is so heavy that it crushes the gravel to sand! Next, we toured the Apollo/Saturn V Center. This took us back to those first Apollo missions where man first dreamed of reaching the moon. We saw a real Saturn V rocket. It was enormous!!

We toured the Apollo Treasures Gallery that included Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard’s spacesuit, Apollo 16 astronaut John Young’s cuff check list with instructions on how to deploy the American flag on the moon, and Apollo 13’s spacesuit repair kit and service module rescue book. Back at KSC we watched an IMAX film about the Hubble Telescope. The pictures this telescope is sending back to Earth are amazing!! We were able to see a T-39, also known as the “astronaut taxi” because it brings the astronauts to KSC for shuttle launch preparations. It is also the aircraft they use for training. We learned so much in just one day at the Kennedy Space Center. We cannot wait to go back!

Endeavour finally made it into space on Monday, May 16th at 8:56 am. We watched the launch live on NASA TV using the data projector in Mrs. Karnes’ room. We were glad to all be together to witness the launch of this giant vessel that has been transporting people into space for over 30 years. It is sad to see it ending. You can follow this mission and other exciting space news at http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts134. For interactive adventures status.htmlin space you can visit http://shuttleexperience.nasa.gov/home.aspx.

Justice in astronaut suit

Endeavor pad

Saturn

Shuttle

televised launch shown in classroom

Liberty Goes on a Field Trip to Airlie Gardens with Mrs. Tobin's 3rd Grade Class

2011-05-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

We are on the bus to Airlie Gardens for a field trip. We will see the big oak tree and learn a lot about soil. There are lots of trees. One is the Sassafras. It makes root beer. The Dogwood is our state flower and the Pine tree is our state tree. Sap comes from Pine trees. It is sticky and makes a lot of stuff. Matt, our guide, found a Ring Necked snake. We are also looking at different types of soil; clay, sand and humus. We get to count how old the trees are by counting the rings. The tree parts are called tree cookies. You count the years by counting only one color ring.

A Spring Break Vacation in Washington, DC for Liberty and Grace

2011-05-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

My name is Grace Robertson and I am in the 1st grade in Mrs. Blanchard’s class. I went to Washington D.C. with my mom and dad and my sister Hannah during spring break. I got Liberty as my patriot. When I first got there I went to the National Archives. It had beautiful art work. I also saw the three documents, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. And it was the real ones. And I also went to the Natural Science Museum. It had real dinosaur bones. I also saw real animal bones.

The next day I got on some subs but not the food kind of sub and I got on the wrong ONE! I fixed that because of a map. I went to the White House. I went to the Lincoln Memorial. And I went to the art museum. It had the Thinking Man there and the famous ballerina there too. And most of all there was the portrait by Leonardo Da Vinci. And I also went to Union Station and Arlington Cemetery. I saw the tomb of Kennedy and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I went to Ford's Theatre where Abe Lincoln was shot. I saw a play there and saw the real gun he was shot with and the real seat he was sitting in. I saw the coat he was wearing that night.

Then I went to the Natural Museum of American History. I saw the real Star-Spangled Banner. I went to the Supreme Court. Then I went to the Library of Congress and while I was there I saw Thomas Jefferson’s library. Some of the books were replaced but the other ones were real books.

Then I went to the Capitol. It was a beauty there I tell you! I also went to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. One of my favorite parts there was how I could watch money being made right in front of me.

We also went to the Air and Space Museum. I saw Amelia Earhart’s plane. I went to the World War II Memorial. It was very pretty there.

Then I went to the Washington Monument. It was very high up there and very pretty up there too. And then I also went to the Jefferson Monument. It was pretty and it had a speech about “liberty” on the wall. You can see it in one of my pictures.

I thought the trip was really fun and I had a lot of adventures there, but now it was time to go home.

Liberty went home because she wanted to see Justice and Freedom.

Freedom Attends a Wedding in Massachusetts with Jocelyn and Nolan

2011-05-17T19:52:00.000-04:00

Jocelyn, Nolan and Freedom took a trip to Massachusetts for the wedding of Jocelyn and Nolan’s Uncle Gil and his fiancée Emilie. It was a very busy weekend, but very fun. Jocelyn, Nolan and Freedom arrived in Boston on Friday afternoon. Next they travelled to Waltham, MA which is about 20 minutes outside of Boston (without traffic). They checked into their hotel and then got ready to attend the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Jocelyn was asked to be a flower girl and Nolan was the ring bearer, so they had to rehearse their parts in the wedding.

At the rehearsal, the families and friends got to meet each other and practice their roles in the wedding. Everyone was very excited. Freedom even got to help out with the rehearsal, as Jocelyn and Nolan’s father was an usher and needed to practice seating wedding guests, so Freedom helped out. After the rehearsal, the wedding party went out for a delicious Italian meal to celebrate. It was nice spending time with family and meeting new friends.

On Saturday, Jocelyn and Freedom got to attend the bridal shower for Emilie, the bride-to-be. The shower was held at a fancy bakery in Brookline, which is a town right next to Boston. Freedom and Jocelyn enjoyed all the yummy food and pastries that were served at the party.

On Sunday, the day of the wedding, Jocelyn and Freedom got to have their hair done at a hair salon with the bride and bride’s maids. They had to sit very still and be patient while they got their hair done. After their hair was done, they got into their wedding clothes and got Nolan and the rest of their family and headed to the church. The wedding was beautiful and everyone in the wedding party remembered what they rehearsed on Friday night.

After the wedding there was a reception down the street. The reception was a lot of fun. There was delicious food and cupcakes. There was also a very special ceremony that took place during the reception that all the guest got to watch. On the trip, Freedom learned that Jocelyn and Nolan’s uncle was adopted from Korea when he was a baby. Emilie, the bride, was born in Korea and moved with her family to the United States when she was four years old. Gil and Emilie had a traditional Korean bowing ceremony to celebrate their Korean heritage. Before the Korean bowing ceremony, both Gil and Emilie changed into traditional Korean clothes. During the ceremony, the bride and groom took turns bowing to each set of parents, their aunts and uncles, and siblings. After they bowed to their parents, the parents threw figs and chestnuts at the bride and groom and however many they caught in a cloth they both held signified how many children they would have (figs for girls and chestnuts for boys). According to the ceremony, the bride and groom are going to have 11 girls and 3 boys. After the bride and groom bowed to their aunts and uncles and siblings, they listened to words of advice from those relatives.

It was a beautiful ceremony and Jocelyn, Nolan and Freedom really enjoyed watching it and seeing the beautiful traditional Korean clothes that they wore. At the end of the ceremony came a fun part. The groom had to give the bride a piggy back around the room in a circle. It is said that the bigger the circle the larger the house they will have. Uncle Gil made a very big circle with Emilie on his back. They sure will need a big house for all those kids!!

At the end of the night, Jocelyn, Nolan and Freedom were exhausted. They got up early the next morning and caught their flight back to NC. It had been a fun and exhausting weekend. They had a great time at a very special wedding and one of the most exciting things was that Jocelyn and Nolan have a new aunt.

Lindsey's and Freedom's Spring Break in Washington, DC

2011-04-27T14:34:00.000-04:00

My name is Lindsey and I am in Mrs. Hughes Kindergarten class. For Easter Weekend, I went to Washington, D.C. with my parents and grandparents. I took along one of our school mascots, Freedom.

Day 1

We left very early on Friday morning. It’s a long drive. Friday was cold and rainy so we used this as our travel day. We did stop and do a little shopping at the Potomac Mills and the giant IKEA store. We also visited the National Cathedral that evening and attended the Good Friday Service.

Day 2

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Alexandria, VA which is just across the Potomac River from Washington. Saturday morning we got up early and rode the metro to the Smithsonian. This was my first trip on a metro. It was fast and I rode facing backwards. It was fun!

Our first stop was the National Museum of American History. We saw the Star Spangled Banner Flag from 1814 which inspired our National Anthem. They keep it in a special, dark room where photos are not allowed. We also saw all the First Ladies fancy dresses, shoes and accessories. These were worn to their husband’s inaugurations. They also had life size photos of the current president and past presidents so Freedom and I posed for some pictures here. When we were leaving this museum, you won’t believe who we ran in to?! George Washington!

Next we went to the National Museum of Natural History. This was my favorite. We saw huge elephants, dinosaurs, cavemen, mammals, insects and the famous blue diamond, The Hope Diamond. They also have a room of plants and hundreds of butterflies. We went in and a butterfly landed on my head. The butterflies were very beautiful.

We grabbed a quick lunch at the Museum of Air & Space and then took off for our tour of the US Capitol Building. Our tour guide was great. She was very nice. We learned all about our government, The Senate and The House. Did you know that the statue on top of the Capitol Building is named Freedom just like our mascot? We walked in an underground tunnel from the Capitol to the Library of Congress which is the largest library in the world. We saw Thomas Jefferson’s collection of books!

The US Botanical Garden is right beside the Capitol so we went here next. My parents are big gardeners and this was one of their favorites. From there we stopped in the American Indian Museum and then headed back down the mall towards the metro. We walked all day and were very tired. We grabbed some dinner and called it a day. We rode the metro back to our hotel.

Day 3

We started out early again and went to the Jefferson Memorial. I brought my scooter from home so I really had fun riding it around the Jefferson Memorial and then later at the Lincoln Memorial. We also visited Arlington National Cemetery. John F. Kennedy is buried here and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier is here. Robert E. Lee’s house is on the grounds as well.

Next we visited the World War II Memorial. My Great-Granddaddy fought in this war so this memorial meant a lot to all of us. Right across, is the Washington Monument. We walked around it but weren’t able to go up. All the tickets were gone. So we walked over to the Old Post Office and went up in the bell tower. It’s really high up and has a great view of the Washington Monument. From there we headed over to Ford’s Theatre to see where Abraham Lincoln was shot and learned the history behind that event.

The next stop was 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – The White House. There was a lot of security everywhere and even a sharp shooter on the roof. This is one of the most popular spots in Washington and there were tourists and cameras everywhere. It was starting to get late and everyone was getting tired so we made a quick stop at Union Station, had dinner and went back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep!

Day 4

Today is the day we head home but we decided to take in just a few more sights before we left. We went back to the Natural History Museum for a view more exhibits. Then we headed over to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for a tour. We saw how all of our bills are printed. We walked up high on an observation deck and watched the workers print money down below! We saw a pallet that held 64 million in bills! WOW! That was a lot of money.

Before leaving, we went to Harry’s which is the oldest Hotel in Washington, D.C. They have a great restaurant and we had lunch. I had the biggest grilled cheese sandwich that I have ever seen and it was great! We drove home and got home very late but it was worth it. We had a fantastic time and we learned a lot! We made some great memories too! Freedom really saw some sights and I know she was anxious to get back so she could tell Liberty and Justice all about it!

Zoey and Freedom Spend Thanksgiving in Ellenboro, NC

2010-11-28T19:41:00.035-05:00

My family and I took Freedom on a trip to my grandparent’s house for a traditional Thanksgiving celebration. We traveled five hours from Wilmington to Ellenboro, NC. Ellenboro is in Rutherford County and is located in the foothills of western North Carolina.

My grandmother and I planned and prepared our traditional feast of turkey and stuffing with all the trimmings. I was the sous chef, which means that I helped to prepare ingredients for the recipes. I also made brownie cupcakes with cream cheese icing!

After our big family meal on Thanksgiving day, my aunt, grandmother and I talked about our game plan for “Black Friday” shopping. We got up at 5:00 a.m. on Friday and shopped, shopped, shopped!

On Saturday we had our traditional bonfire down by the creek. We had fun riding four wheelers, visiting with our cousins, and roasting marshmallows!

Sunday morning came and it was time to head back to Wilmington. Only four more weeks until Christmas!

Disney World Adventures for Liberty, Alyssa, and Wes

2010-11-24T15:52:00.010-05:00

We went to Disney World and it was lots of fun!! We stayed at the Polynesian and it was the best hotel that we have ever stayed in, because it had great restaurants and a private beach. The restaurants were very exciting, entertaining, and the food was delicious. We stayed on the monorail so we could get to the four Disney Parks very fast.

My favorite park was the Magic Kingdom and my favorite ride was the Buzz Light Year ride. Wes’ favorite Park was Epcot and his favorite ride was Space Mountain. In Magic Kingdom we also loved the Speedway because we both love to drive cars. I also liked the Presidents Presentation because it taught me a lot of things that I didn’t know. Like did you know that Theodore Roosevelt named the President's house the White House? Before that, presidents called it the Executive Mansion or the Presidents Palace, but in 1901 Theodore Roosevelt came up with the current name that we know today, the White House.

In the Magic Kingdom, Liberty rode with us on the Jungle Cruise. I don’t think she laughed at many of our guide’s jokes, but Wes and I got some of them.

At Hollywood Studios we both enjoyed the Indiana Jones Stunt Show because there was lots of action; something was always blowing up or on fire. Wes also liked Lights, Camera, Action because there were lots of interesting cars. We both loved Test Track because it is fast and you go through testing that real cars have to go though before they can be sold.

In Animal Kingdom, Wes, Liberty and I enjoyed the Animal Safari because it makes you feel like you are in South Asia, the Amazon River and the Nile River; the animals are very exotic. Liberty also liked the Bird Exhibit. It was really neat because there were birds from all different countries and they all had unique colors and designs. I think that this has been the best trip to Disney World yet!!

Freedom Joined Hunter and Amber in Disney

2010-11-19T22:52:00.009-05:00

We left at 5 AM on Wednesday morning to Florida. We drove to Orange City FL and spent the night before heading to Disney World. We went to Animal Kingdom the first day. We saw lots of animals and rode lots of rides but our favorite was the safari ride where we rescued a baby elephant. All the animals were so close to the truck. It was very up closse and personal.

The second day we got to visit the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Freedom loved getting to see a show in front of Cinderella's castle. It started raining when we were riding on the Tomorrowland Speedway. Luckily we had Freedom all covered up so she didn't get wet. We got SOAKED!!

The next day we visited Epcot all day. We rode Spaceship Earth and Soarin'. They were great rides. On our last day we spent all day at the Magic Kingdom. We took Freedom on lots of rides and we even showed her the Liberty Bell. To finish the day off we stayed and saw the fireworks and the electirc parade. Then next day we left and headed home. It was a GREAT vacation!!!

Ms. Froehlich and Freedom Experience a Cultural Exchange in Japan

2010-11-16T09:52:00.006-05:00

In June 2010, Ms. Froehlich and Freedom traveled to Osaka, Japan with other teachers and professors from UNCW. They visited many historical and cultural sites and visited several Japanese schools. They participated in classes and were also able share with the students what school is like in the United States.

View Ms. Foehlich's slide show to see pictures and read about her trip.

A Vacation in New England for Freedom and Olivia

2010-08-29T17:35:00.021-04:00

Freedom joined Olivia and her parents on a trip to New England. On Friday, August 20th, they flew into Boston and walked around the Boston Harbor where the Boston Tea Party took place. On Saturday, Freedom walked along the Freedom Trail with Olivia where they saw the Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, The Granary Burying Ground and Paul Revere's grave.

They also saw The Old State House, The Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall where they did some shopping, Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, The USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill. It was a long walk but everyone learned so much about the significant history events in Boston. The weather was really nice so the walk was enjoyable. They also used the subway system to move around the city which was fun.

On Saturday night, Freedom and Olivia met up with Ms. Froehlich at the Boston Red Sox baseball game. The Red Sox won on a walk-off home run in the 11th inning. It was very exciting.

On Sunday, they went to the American Girl Store in Boston before heading into New Hampshire.

Their hotel in New Hampshire was really cool with an indoor waterpark. On Monday, they took a scenic train trip in North Conway, New Hampshire and had lunch on the train. They headed back to Boston driving through the state of Maine on Monday afternoon and returned back to Wilmington on Tuesday, August 24th in time to start the first day of school on Wednesday.

Spring Break in Virginia with Alyssa, Wes, and Liberty

2010-04-12T13:03:00.024-04:00

For Spring Break we went to the mountains of Virginia. On the first day, we went to the Luray Caverns. There we saw a rock formation that looked like fried eggs, and a white one that looked like a ghost. After that we went to an old car museum. Wes really liked the old cars. That afternoon we went snow tubing. This was one of the most exciting things we did, but one of the coldest. We were all surprised that there was still enough snow to go tubing.

On Sunday we went to James Monroe’s house, the 4th President. The house was named Ash Lawn-Highland. After that we went to Michie’s Tavern, a really old restaurant and hotel. The hotel was built in 1784. We ate lunch there and then got a tour, during which we got to play an old card game that they would have played in the 1700’s. Afterward, we went to Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. His house had many cool features and he had collected many interesting objects.

The next day we went to an indoor water park. Wes went on a ride where there were waves like he was riding a surfboard. My dad and I went on big slides and we all went in the lazy river and the water jungle gym. There was a huge barrel of water that splashed over the gym every few minutes. Once, it poured out on Wes and knocked him down and he was pretty scraped up, unfortunately!

On Tuesday, we drove across Virginia to go to George Washington’s house, also known as Mount Vernon. We got to see slave quarters and lots of buildings from long ago. We got to see all of George Washington’s house, his belongings, and his grave. On Wednesday, we went back to the water park in the morning. That afternoon, we went hiking on a mountain ridge. It was a beautiful view!

Our last day, we traveled to Appomattox, where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the end of the Civil War. There were many artifacts found after the war ended and it was really interesting to learn more about our country’s history.

That was our amazing Spring Break!

Alyssa and Wes

Freedom's Disney Adventure With African Tribal Dancers

2010-04-05T20:56:00.003-04:00

Freedom and I went to Disney World's Animal Kingdom and we both went on the ride Mt. Everest and she got blown away (not really). Then when we walked through Africa we saw these African Tribal Dancers and we played wonderful music with them. We had a great time!

Thomas and Devin Take Justice Skiing in Boone, NC

2010-02-23T17:47:00.014-05:00

Justice traveled to Boone, North Carolina for a long weekend with Thomas and Devin. They left a day early to avoid the four inches of snow that fell over night in Wilmington. On Saturday, they arrived in Boone to a blustery winter wonderland. First stop, the Appalachian Ski Mountain where everyone piled on layers of warm clothing to keep out the winter chill. The boys found a mound of snow where Justice joined in on the fun. Next, was ice skating which was tons of fun but after about two hours their toes started to freeze! Sunday morning was a picture perfect winter day. There was not a cloud in the sky and there was plenty of fresh snow on the ground! Justice was with Thomas and Devin as they prepared to hit the slopes for the first time! Skiing was great and everyone had an amazing time! In the afternoon Thomas, Devin, and Justice played in the snow, had a snowball fight, and built a snowman family. Thomas, Devin, and Justice said it was "the best weekend ever"!

Liberty's Snowy Winter Break with the Hamiltons

2010-01-14T22:48:00.000-05:00

Snow! That is the word to describe my vacation with the Hamiltons. First we traveled to Washington DC during the worst blizzard in five years. Our visit was supposed to included a tour of the White House and of the Washington Monument but the 2+ feet of snow that fell put a hold on those plans. The Hamiltons used to live in D.C. (more specifically Bethesda, MD) so we visited with a lot of their friends. That was fun because there was sledding and snowball fights. Once the snow let up we were able to drive to Baltimore to visit the Baltimore Aquarium. Our favorite part was the dolphin show because the dolphins did a lot of exciting tricks. Walking through the shark tank was also thrilling.

After D.C. we went home for Christmas then off to the mountains of NC for New Year’s Eve. We stayed on the Rocking B Farm which has tons of cows. The house was up on a mountain and boy was it cold. One morning we woke up and it was seven degrees with a wind chill of -37 degrees. During the day we bundled up and went out to play with the cows and horses. We actually stood in the middle of a herd. You can see Daisy, the girls’ dog, trying to show the cows who was boss. The cows did not even blink an eye. Although it was cold we had a great time. The Hamilton girls were a lot of fun.

Liberty

Justice's Winter Break in Massachusetts With Jocelyn and Nolan

2010-01-12T21:02:00.016-05:00

Justice traveled with Jocelyn and Nolan to Bourne, Massachusetts for the winter break. They arrived after a huge snow storm and found that there was 21 inches of snow on the ground. The kids and Justice were able to go sledding, build a snow fort and have snowball fights.

Jocelyn and Nolan took Justice with them to visit Edaville Railroad in Carver, Massachusetts. Edaville Railroad is considered one of the oldest heritage railroads in the country. It opened up in 1947. Jocelyn, Nolan and Justice were able to ride the train at night and view beautiful Christmas light displays on the property. Edaville Railroad also has outside amusement rides, which were very fun, but cold as it was only 18 degrees the night they went. They also got to go into a museum at Edaville Railroad and learned about harvesting cranberries. The area of Massachusetts they were in has many cranberry bogs. Justice, Jocelyn and Nolan got to see and sit in all different types of tractors/harvesting machinery that has been used throughout the years to harvest cranberries. It was interesting to see how harvesting cranberries progressed from using a hand held wooden rake like baskets to the machines that are used in more modern times to pick cranberries.

Nolan and his father went to see a Worcester Sharks AHL hockey game, the AHL teams are like the minor leagues for the NHL. The Worcester Sharks are the minor league team for the San Jose Sharks hockey team. So, the players on the Worcester Sharks will sometimes be called up to play for the San Jose Sharks and injured players for the San Jose Sharks will go play on the Worcester Sharks to help them get used to playing again before they go back up to the NHL.

Instead of the hockey game, Jocelyn and Justice went to see the “Enchanted Village” in Avon, Massachusetts. The Enchanted Village is very well known in the Boston area. It used to be owned by the Jordan Marsh Dept. Store and every year at Christmas time they would decorate their store windows with scenes from the Enchanted Village, which included quaint New England winter scenes with motorized mannequins and folks would come from all over to see it. Jordan Marsh has since gone out of business and the Enchanted Village was put up for auction. A local New England furniture store, Jordan’s Furniture, bought the entire Enchanted Village and had the antique scenes and motorized mannequins refurbished and brought to one of there show rooms (8,000 sq feet) and allowed people to come for free to view the Enchanted Village during the Christmas season. They owners of the furniture store felt so strongly that they wanted to keep up this tradition alive that they didn’t want the set to be split up at auction. It was beautiful and every 10- 15 mins. they made snow, which was really fun to have falling around while you viewed all the scenes.

Justice also joined Jocelyn and Nolan at the Boston Children’s Museum. This was a really fun day. The kids and Justice got to climb in the New Balance Climb, which is a three story climbing sculpture made of curved platforms. They explored the bubble room, toured an actual Japanese house that was 100 years old and was a gift to the museum about 30 years ago. They experimented with putting balls on different raceways and seeing how they moved. Jocelyn and her father also got to participate in a production of The Three Little Pigs at the Kids Stage. After 6 hours at the Children’s museum, they had to leave because the museum was closing, but they could have stayed and played for much longer.

It was a great trip to Massachusetts for Justice, Jocelyn and Nolan. They look forward to having more adventures with the Patriot kids on another trip.

Freedom Cruised to the Caribbean with Claire

2010-01-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

During the Christmas Holiday from school, Freedom went on a cruise with me and my family. We got on the Italian Costa Cruise Line in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We were at Sea for two days before we got to our first destination, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. We went on a tour and got to see the island and many of its landmarks. We even saw a giant Termite nest!

The next day we arrived in San Juan, Rico. Freedom went with me to explore the ancient fortresses and great stone walls of "El Morro" that guard the entrance of the San Juan harbor. We climbed down to the inside of the fort where they used to keep their cannons to shoot at their enemies. While we were there we saw a couple of cats inside a little tunnel.

The next day we were at sea again where we enjoyed many activities on the ship. We swam, went down a water slide on the top deck of the boat and met lots of people that spoke different languages. On our last stop we arrived in Nassau in the Bahamas at a place called Atlantis. We took Freedom to Dolphin Cay were we got to swim with dolphins.

It was a wonderful trip, especially because I had a Patriot Kid along the way!

Freedom Goes To the State Fair With the Hall Family

2009-12-11T09:03:00.009-05:00

I had an exciting trip to the North Carolina State Fair this year with the Hall Family. We woke up early and headed to Raleigh for a day of fun.

Sydney, Peyton and I couldn’t wait to get there and ride the giant Ferris wheel that Mrs. Hall and her sister, Catherine had told us about. At first I was a little frightened but once we got moving, I enjoyed the ride a lot. You could see the whole fair from the top of the Ferris wheel!

There were so many interesting things to see while we were there. We saw many exhibits like the 4-H displays in the Education Building and many beautiful entries in the Hobbies and Handicrafts Building. We also saw many different plants and animals. Sydney, Peyton and I had fun participating in the Lego Challenge. There were four different areas in the challenge but our favorite was building with the Legos. The lady in charge asked Sydney what her favorite letter was and everyone had to create an object that began with the letter ‘S’.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when we walked by the PBS tent and I saw many of my favorite TV characters. There was Curious George, Maya and Miguel, characters from SUPER WHY! and Dragon Tales. Peyton and I had fun dancing the Hokey Pokey with them.

I was so surprised at how much food was at the fair! There were corn dogs, sandwiches, blooming onions, funnel cakes and other yummy smelling treats. We ate candy apples and cotton candy while we were there. Ms. Catherine bought a turkey leg for Sydney and Peyton’s uncle and it was as big as I am!

Freedom's Weekend Getaway in Charlotte With the VanNotes

2009-10-21T21:59:00.013-04:00

Freedom enjoyed a weekend getaway to Charlotte, NC. She got to meet our new baby girl cousin and had a special evening out at Disney On Ice. She enjoyed watching the ice skaters perform all kinds of celebrations including holidays and traditions from around the world. Freedom was in good company, bringing along her second grade Parsley friend, "State Mate."

Freedom Traveled to New York City with the Black Family

2009-09-22T21:15:00.015-04:00

Freedom took a ten day trip with the Black family to New York City.
She traveled by car and stopped for one night in Virginia, then saw some cousins in Maryland before staying with family in the city. The first city day included the Museum of Natural History, where Night at the Museum was filmed, and the Planetarium. She also took a hike in Central Park and saw some rowers.

The next day was in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees played the Tampa Bay Rays at the new Yankee stadium. Go Yanks!!

Tuesday, we went to the borough of Brooklyn and to the 9-1-1- call center. The building walls are made of the same material that's in bullet proof vests and security was very high. Freedom passed all background checks and was allowed on the floor to visit with the brass.

Tuesday night we went back into Manhattan for Shrek the Broadway musical. Great performance!

Wednesday was a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Statue is made of thin sheets of copper. It is only 3/32 of an inch or the thickness of two coins! She is an amazing site and Freedom was in awe. To the left is a photo of a life-sized replica of Liberty's face. On the right we are with a park ranger in front of the original torch from the Statue of Liberty. It was replaced with a new one in 1986.

Other sites Freedom visited included Saint Patrick's Cathedral, FAO Schwartz toy store, and Rockefeller Center where she took an elevator up 70 stories to the top to see the entire NYC skyline. Good thing Freedom isn't afraid of heights! What a great trip for Freedom, Lauren, and Gregory Black along with the rest of the Black family. Can't wait to go back!

Freedom's Summer Vacation in Sedona, AZ with Mrs. Rizzo

2009-09-21T14:12:00.062-04:00

My summer vacation this year was in Sedona, AZ. I went with Mrs. Rizzo and her husband. We landed in Phoenix and then drove two hours north to Sedona. When you arrive in Arizona, one of the first things you notice is that the scenery is very different from what we are used to seeing on the east coast where we have lots of trees and green grass. Arizona, because of the hot, dry climate, is mostly dessert. Green grass generally grows only where man plants it. Instead, you see plants that require little water and can withstand the summer's triple digit temperatures. (One night when we were there, at 9PM, it was still 103 degrees!)
As we headed north and into unpopulated areas, we saw lots of saguaro cacti growing in flat areas as well as up the sides of hills and mountains. The saguaro grow naturally only in southern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico, though a few stray plants can also be found in southeast California. When we were about two thirds of the way to Sedona we no longer saw any saguaro.

The saguaro (pronounced "sah-wah-roh") is a very slow growing cactus. A ten year old plant might only be one and a half inches tall. It might take fifteen years for the plant to reach one foot in height! The average life span, however, is usually 150 to 200 years. They start off growing straight up and may take up to 75 years before they grow their first side arm. The arms allow the cacti to have more areas onto which to grow flowers as the flowers only grow on the top of the plant. This cactus flowers from April to May and the sweet, ruby-colored fruit matures by late June. The flowers are creamy white with yellow centers and its major pollinators are bats because it is a night blooming plant. It is the state flower for Arizona. They are an important part of the desert as they are used for shelter by birds. Woodpeckers drill holes in them and they and other birds live in them. Even after the plant dies, it is useful. Its woody ribs can be used to build roofs, fences, and parts of furniture. Mrs. Rizzo bought a doll made from saguaro. To learn more about this fascinating plant you can view a short video on this website: http://www.desertusa.com/video_pages/saguaro_movie.html.

Mrs. Rizzo was disappointed when the saguaro disappeared from view as they continued to drive to Sedona, but she didn’t have to wait long to see more of nature’s beauty. As we were driving into higher elevations, there were mountains around us and then it seemed like we turned a corner and the red rocks of Sedona suddenly appeared. We were speechless! Their beauty is beyond description and these photos cannot begin to show their magnificence. These red rock formations are unique to this area of Arizona. After doing a little research, we learned that the rocks in this area have six layers of sandstone, two thin layers of limestone and on top of all of these is one igneous layer of basalt stone. This area, millions of years ago, was underwater. (The shells from sea creatures made the layers of limestone.) When the land was underwater, the abundant iron in the water easily leeched into the porous sandstone and then it rusted. That’s why the rocks are so red. Over the years, the land shifted and caused cracks to form. Rivers flowed between the cracks and carved out the rock formations we see today. They have names such as Bell Rock (below right), Cathedral Rock (above), and Steamboat Rock.

The first pioneers in this area settled in Oak Creek Canyon in 1876. It wasn’t until a few years later that Sedona, just a few miles north, also became settled. It got its name in 1902 when Theodore Schnebly submitted his wife’s name when applying for a postal permit. Today, Sedona is famous not only for being Red Rock Country, but also for being an artists’ community. We visited one art gallery and saw bronze sculptures, paintings, pottery, jewelry and many other beautiful things.

Though visiting the art gallery was lots of fun, Mrs. Rizzo’s main desire was to get up close to the red rocks so we decided to take a hike up to Cathedral Rock. We walked about three quarters of a mile and then it began to get really steep and we realized we couldn’t go any further. We rested for a while, admired the scenery and took a few pictures.

That is the top of part of Cathedral Rock behind me. If you look at the photo or Cathedral Rock above, you can see this same area. Click on the picture to make it larger and see if you can see two people. They will give you an idea of how tall the rocks are. It took us about 30 minutes to get where I am in the photo to the left. We climbed a little higher after this but not much since we are not rock climbers!

On the way back to the car, we stopped to take a good look at this Century Plant which was blooming. Though called a Century Plant, it is not 100 years old. It blooms only once, after anywhere from eighteen to thirty years. The flower stalk grows five to six inches a day to a total height many times taller than a man. The yellowish flowers bloom June through August. It takes all of the plant’s energy to grow this fast and this tall so when it is done blooming the whole plant dies, but new plants begin to grow from the roots. Native American used this plant as a source of soap, food, fiber, medicine, needle, and weapons.

Native Americans have lived in this area for thousands of years. We visited Montezuma Castle which was built by the Southern Sinagua who flourished and lived peacefully here from the 1100s to about the 1400s. It was discovered in the 1860s. This five story, twenty-room pueblo is one hundred feet above the valley. There are forty-five rooms in a six story dwelling to the left, but it was not as well protected from the elements and has deteriorated over the years. Living here was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The Sinagua were skilled farmers and grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton. They used the nearby creek for irrigation. The last record of the Sinagua occupying this part of Arizona is 1425. No one knows why they abandoned the area.

One day we took a trip on the Verde Canyon railroad. This canyon is accessible only by rail. The thirty-eight mile long route goes from Clarkdale (east of Sedona) to the ghost ranch of Perkinsville. This thirty-eight mile route, using 250 men and 200 mules, took only one year complete finishing in 1912. It was built to support Arizona’s richest copper mine in nearby Jerome. The four hour nature show tour travels between two national forests and is adjacent to a designated wilderness area. Over thirty bald and golden eagles winter in the canyon, but only one pair of bald eagles lives there year round. We saw where they nest, but they weren’t home at the time we rode by. The train ride also goes through a 680-foot man-made tunnel. It was pitch black when we went through. You couldn’t even see the hand in front of your face! When we got to the end of the route in Perkinsville, the engines were moved from one end of the train to the other and then we headed back on the same tracks to Clarkdale.

There was one other thing about Sedona that was unusual.... the McDonalds! Look at the arches. They aren't 'golden'; they're turquoise. This McDonalds is supposedly the only McDonalds that doesn't have golden arches.

I will never forget my trip to Sedona. Even without these photos, I can close my eyes and remember how beautiful it was. Mrs. Rizzo says she hopes to go back there in a couple years. Maybe I'll get lucky and get to go with her again!

Freedom Travels with Jocelyn and Her Family to Emerald Isle for Memorial Day

2009-06-02T16:02:00.010-04:00

Freedom traveled with Jocelyn and her family two hours north of Wilmington to beautiful Emerald Isle, NC. The place they stayed at was overlooking the beach and all the kids loved hearing the ocean, especially when eating ice cream on the balcony and at night. Freedom and Jocelyn had big plans for the weekend. They took turns going back and forth between the indoor pool at the complex they stayed at and the beach. In the pool, they enjoyed swimming and practicing lots of tricks like swimming under water and turning somersaults in the water. While on the beach they enjoyed digging in the sand and finding tiny clams and boogie boarding. One night they went out for ice cream at Ben and Jerry's which was fun since Jocelyn's father is from Vermont and that is where Ben and Jerry's ice cream is from too.

On the last day of their trip, Freedom, Jocelyn and her family went to visit the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. It was a really great aquarium. They saw the otters get fed. It was neat seeing them catch the gold fish in their pond. They learned the difference between land, aquatic and sea turtles. Sea turtles have flippers, aquatic turtles have webbed feet with "claws" and land turtles have feet. Also, the shells of the aquatic and sea turtles are flatter and more sleek to move through the water. Land turtles have more of a dome shells that they can pull their body into, whereas the aquatic and sea turtles cannot pull their bodies into their shell. Jocelyn and Freedom also took a walk outside the aquarium on one of their walkways/trails and couldn't believe the hundreds and hundreds of fiddler crabs that they saw. They learned that the fiddler crabs with the one big claw are males and that the claw is mostly for show rather than function. After a great day at the aquarium, seeing lots of great creatures, Freedom and Jocelyn sat in a lot of traffic leaving the Emerald Isle area, but is was worth it. They had a great time with all the swimming and learned a lot at the aquarium.

Freedom Attends a Dance Competition in Greensboro with Sydney

2009-04-21T12:36:00.012-04:00

On Friday, March 27th, Sydney and Freedom helped load the car and then headed to the Nexstar Dance Competition in Greensboro, NC. Sydney is a member of Techniques in Motion’s Petite Dance Company and invited Freedom to come along and learn about one of her favorite past times.

On the long ride to Greensboro, Sydney and her friend Emily explained to Freedom what to expect while she was there. The days are very long and there are lots of dancers and dances to watch. The girls checked into their hotel rooms so they could get a good night’s sleep before dancing the next day.

Everyone had to be at the auditorium early the next morning. Sydney’s mom helped her put on her makeup and once that was finished she was able to put on the costume for her first dance. Sydney did a jazz dance to “Girls of the USA”. Freedom loved the pink costumes and thought the girls did a great job. Later in the day Sydney and her friend Emily did a tap dance to “In the Summertime”, Freedom thought the music reminded her of being at the beach. There were many types of dances to see while they were in Greensboro: ballet, tap, jazz, clogging, and lyrical. Freedom thought taking a tap class might be fun!

At the end of the day when awards were given out, the Petite Dance Company did a fantastic job. Freedom was so excited for the girls when they found out their dances earned Platinum and High Gold ranking as well as Overall 1st and 2nd places.

On Sunday there were more dances and dancers to watch before loading the car and coming home to get ready for the school the next day. Freedom enjoyed learning more about the different dance forms and would still love to take a tap class.

Justice Cruised The Gulf of Mexico with Alex and Elizabeth

2009-04-20T15:13:00.010-04:00

Alex’s Blog

My spring break was awesome! It has lots of adventure and fun. My family went with me to Mexico, and not the dangerous part of it.

First we had to stop in New Orleans, Louisiana, before going to Mexico. It has a lot of gambling, jazz, bars, casinos and Mardi Gras (fat Tuesday) stuff. New Orleans is home to the big Mardi Gras party. My favorite place we visited first was the aquarium. I saw an anaconda that was bigger than my dad’s leg! There were also parrots, piranhas, penguins, sharks, jellyfish, turtles, even an owl. Phew, that’s a lot! I even saw an albino alligator. Outside we saw a robotic dinosaur…weird!

The next day we went to the D-Day museum. We saw huge planes in the main room! I also saw a tank, a rusty army jeep, a big machine gun, a wicked motorcycle, battle boats, and other stuff. D-Day is the day when the USA attacked the Nazis (German army) who had captured France. We saw videos about D-Day and some other weapons. At the end we got cookies and Sprite.

Then we got on our cruise ship, the Norwegian Spirit. We went to a pool with two water slides. We just looked around. It had thirteen floors and about ten restaurants. My favorite restaurant is Raffles Court. Our room was on the ninth floor. It was a small room with two folded beds and two regular beds. An announcement came on that told us to watch a video on channel two and then go to your emergency station. After the video we got on our life jackets and we went to our station for the drill. The drill didn’t take long. We looked around the ship for the rest of the day.

The next day was a full day at sea. We swam in the pool. We even saw a pool that doesn’t have water slides. At night, we played in the arcade.

Our first stop on Tuesday was in Costa Maya. First, we went zip lining in the Costa Maya forest. I went really high when I zip lined! Next we went to the beach. While I was swimming I saw a crab and fish. At the end, we looked for souvenirs. I got a necklace. The symbol on the necklace stands for late August which is my birthday. Then we got on the ship.

Our next stop was Guatemala. We took a boat from a harbor to a water park. It had water slides, turtles, iguana, table tennis, even a bar in the middle of a pool. My dad and I went to the top of a small, stone, old lighthouse. I got an old drum-like instrument with a wooden stick.

Our next stop was Belize. We visited the one ruins of the Mayan tribe. We even climbed to the top of the biggest ruin. A man told us the Mayans sacrificed children for something from their gods. We were at a beautiful restaurant. I got an old mask.

Our last top was in Cozumel (Mexico). First we drove in a blue dune buggy to a beach where I snorkeled. I saw lots of fish, even an eel! Then we went to a celebration place called El Cedre. Then we went to another beach. Another dune buggy ran out of gas. Next we went to our shop so we could go home. I got a shark tooth necklace.

We had a great trip!

Elizabeth’s Blog

Our vacation was a blast! There we so many things to do. On Saturday we landed in New Orleans. We went to places like the aquarium, French quarter and Jackson Square. The next day we got on a boat to Mexico. The boat was huge! It had 13 floors. Sunday we spend the whole day at sea. We did almost everything on the boat. They were playing, eating and adventuring.

Costa Maya: The next day we were in Mexico. We took a bus through a jungle to go zip lining. Alex did it but I was a little too scared. When we got back on the van we went to the beach. We had lunch and explored the water. Most of the time I was in a hammock relaxing.

Afterwards we went shopping. I bought a dolphin key chain.

Back on the boat, after dinner, we went to the Star Dust Theater to see a magic show. The magician had broken five Guinness World Records!!! I loved the origami trick.

Guatemala: In the morning we took a smaller boat to the Amatique Resort in Guatemala. The water park was awesome! There was a castle and a pirate ship with slides. We ate lunch by the pool. On the resort there was a playground and everything in it was made of wood. There were even some turtles and iguanas. We climbed the old lighthouse and cracked open a coconut.

What was funny about being on the ship was that every time you came back from dinner the maids had folded the towels into different animals like an elephant, rabbit, lobster, dog and frog.

Belize: In Belize we all took a van to some ruins. We also learned a lot about sacrifices. Afterwards we went and had lunch at a garden-like restaurant. We went shopping and then went back to the boat.

Cozumel: In Cozumel we took dune buggies to the beach and went snorkeling. I didn’t want to go snorkeling because swimming with animals makes me nervous. We spent the whole day riding dune buggies and visiting beaches until it was time to go back to the boat.

Spring Break in Northern California with Liberty and Olivia

2009-04-12T20:44:00.030-04:00

Liberty went with Olivia and her parents to Northern California on Saturday, April 4, 2009. They flew into the San Francisco Airport and then drove down the coast to Monterey for the first couple of days. They stopped a few times along the highway to take some pictures of the Pacific Ocean because it was beautiful. They visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium (visit website to see live webcams) and saw neat exhibits on seahorses and jelly fish and watched the Aquarium staff feed the penguins and otters. Then they drove through the 17 Mile Drive along Pebble Beach golf course. Olivia narrated the tour with the brochure that they received at the gate.

The next day, they drove further down the coast to San Simeon and toured Hearst Castle. It was one of Olivia's favorite parts of the trip. A woman designed the Castle and it was awesome. The outdoor swimming pool was really cool.

They drove up to Sacramento and went to the California Railroad Museum the next day which was very nice. Then they drove into San Francisco. The first day in San Francisco they went on a city tour on a Hop On, Hop Off double-decker bus. It stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge and Liberty, Olivia, and Olivia's parents walked to the center of the Golden Gate Bridge and then back. It was a little scary and very windy and chilly. It is 220 feet from the bridge to the water at the center point. That night they went to see the musical "Grease" starring Taylor Hicks (from American Idol) and they liked that a lot.

The second day in San Francisco, it was rainy but they went to Alcatraz. The tour started with a boat ride to get to the island and then an audio tour (with headphones) around the prison cell house. They learned all about what it was like to live and work there. In the afternoon, they went to the Giants vs the Brewers baseball game at AT&T Park and the Giants won. The pigeons were flying over their heads looking for food during the game which was weird.

The next day they went to the crookedest street in the world (Lombard Street). They rode on the cable car several times and Olivia got to stand on the outside and hold on to the pole. They got plenty of exercise walking up and down all of the steep hills around San Francisco. Other things that they saw included Coit Tower, Ghirardelli Square (for yummy chocolate and ice cream), and the Cable Car Museum. Olivia and Liberty learned a lot of interesting things on this trip. They also rode on Street cars that were brought to San Francisco from other places all over the world like Milan, Italy.

On the last day they went to Muir Woods and saw redwood trees that were over 200 feet tall and 2000 years old. It was cold inside the Redwood Forest but really neat to look around and up. They visited the town of Sausalito and did some shopping also.

We flew back home overnight returning on Easter morning. It was a really fun trip!

Samantha's and Freedom's Family Vacation in Orlando

2009-04-06T21:12:00.014-04:00

Freedom traveled with my family and me to Orlando, Florida on February, 27 until March 8. We went to see my grandma and my papa. When we first got there we went swimming. Freedom just watched me swim as I dove under in the eight feet deep side of the pool. On the second day my grandma, my papa, and I went to karaoke. Freedom and I liked the song "Best of Both Worlds" by Hannah Montana. The next day Freedom and I went to another pool. We met a new friend there. We all played together and rode bikes. The weather was warm so we did not have to wear a jacket. My grandma and I went to a carnival and went swimming with my new friend, Miranda while my mom and dad went fishing. When my mom and dad got back my brother grilled the fish they caught but I did not want any. Freedom ate some and said it was awesome!! On the last day Freedom and I learned how to drive a golf cart. It was the best time of our life. On our way back to North Carolina Freedom and I stopped at the Welcome Center in Florida and in Georgia. We had a great time in Florida!!

Freedom's Ski Trip to Taos, NM with Austin and Kate

2009-03-31T21:16:00.006-04:00

Hi! My name is Freedom. Austin, Kate and I traveled to Taos, New Mexico on Saturday, March 21. We skied Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Then we took a break on Wendenday because the parents were too tired. We got back to it on Thursday and Friday. We finally traveled home to Parsley on Saturday. It was so fun! brrrr! It was cold! The plane ride was long! I loved the hot chocolate! Did I mention there was snow and a hot tub? There were! I missed Liberty and Justice but it was still fun.

When I saw Austin and Kate ride up the lift and ski it seemed so scary. I would never do that but Austin and Kate made it seem like it was no problem at all! Austin and Kate where really good at skiing. Austin and Kate have been skiing before at Arizona Snowbowl and Steamboat Colorado. They told me that you had to get used to it then it became a piece of cake!

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!