Heritage Park
After lunch we drove up to Heritage Park to spend the rest of the afternoon. I guess this weekend kinda took on a pioneer theme. We had never been there before, but there was sooo much to do, and it was so much fun for the kids! They have renevated this little old pioneer community where you can walk around and see what life was like back then. Some of the sidewalks are made of wood. They have blacksmiths, mercantile stores, old schoolhouses, tinsmith, furniture-makers, saddlery an old barber shop, and lots of others places to see. There are tons of activites and crafts. We never made it to some of them like basketweaving, making butter, rug-making, needlework, hair-weaving or you can go on a mini-handcart trek - (been there, done that - ALL of us!)

One of the first places we went was the dance parlor. We learned how to do the Virginia Reel. At first I was a little hesitant but we laughed HARD and had a great time!

Making a newspaper print
Riding the train that loops the village
Riding ponies

Josh set this picture up. Thanks for looking for a photo op J-man!
Petting some of the animals

We went to the schoolhouse for a pioneer lesson which was really fun and interesting. This is Josh who is demonstrating one of the ways they disciplined kids back then. He had to stand with his nose to the wall and hold some books. The teacher said if you came unprepared or caused trouble the other thing they did was put you on the stool in front of the class and make you wear a dunce hat. It's a good thing Josh demonstrated the other method of discipline, he might've liked the hat! He said the books were really heavy almost immediately. Now at home I tease him that if he makes a bad choice I will put him in the corner with books. It has worked!
The kids writing their name with the pioneer alphabet.
Grandpa wasn't paying attention to the lesson, maybe he should've sat with the dunce hat!

In one of the houses they made an arrowhead necklace and learned about native americans. In another one of the little houses - and when I say little, I mean little. It was only big enough for a kitchen table and a queen size bed. A family of Eight lived there. Mom and dad on the bed, 3 girls on the floor by the bed and 3 boys in the loft above - that you had to go climb a ladder OUTSIDE to get to. Yowzers! This is where the kids got to participate in some chores. They beat rugs, washed clothes and watered the garden. Then they played a pioneer game of hoops and tried their luck walking with stilts!

After a LONG day in the car, playing in the heat, and virtually no sleep, this is what you get....