Field Trip Friday: Falls Mill

Our field trip this week was to Falls Mill located in southern middle Tennessee just about an hour northeast of Huntsville.

The mill, which was originally used as a cotton and wool factory was built in 1873 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The privately owned mill is used as an operational mill and museum and was recently featured on the Discovery Channel.

Our self guided tour of the mill began with a short movie which explained the history of the mill which we followed by exploring the mill’s exhibits that included the millstones, a printing press that is used to print the bags that the cornmeal, grits and flour that is ground at the mill are sold in.

   

On the second floor we found a collection of looms and wool carding machines, a general store and a coin operated player piano that will play forever!

 

The century-old waterwheel is still used to power the milling equipment. Though the mill was not in operation while we were there, it does operate nearly every day of the week.

After our tour we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the scenic grounds while the kids enjoyed playing in Factory Creek that runs beside the mill.  

   

Before we left I purchased a bag of Multi- Grain Pancake Mix that even came with a few recipes, which was delicious.   

It’s easy to see why Falls Mill has over 200,000 visitors a year.

You’ll find the mill nestled along the creek at 134 Falls Mill Road in Belvidere, Tennessee. If you have a group of 10 or more you can arrange a guided tour by calling (931) 469-7161. Normal prices are a reasonable $4 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens and $2 for children between the ages of 14-2. 

In addition to the mill there is a cozy historic log cabin that can be rented on the grounds- making it a perfect romantic hide-a-way.

If you do plan to visit, just don’t stop on Wednesday- the one day that it’s closed.

That’s our field trip for the week- I can’t wait to read about what you’ve been up to!

Until next week~ Happy Field Trippin’!

Things To Do

Our Very First Cruise, Mainly in Pictures

I guess it’s time to quit putting it off and share with you all the nitty gritty details of our trip. I’ve put it off because frankly, I’m just not sure where to begin, so allow me to start by asking YOU a question.

Have you ever been on a vacation that seemed better AFTER it was over?

If so than you will understand how I feel about the cruise.

Though it certainly had some enjoyable moments, it had some equally un-enjoyable ones as well.

Thankfully we all survived and we’ll be able to hopefully laugh about those not-so-fun moments sometime in the future.

Remember when?…. Haha ha ha hehehe…Yeah…that’s what I’m hoping for….

Where to begin? Well you already heard about the turmoil leading up to the cruise so I guess I better share some of the highlights.

Thankfully, we all made it on the ship! I don’t think I breathed a breathe until we all stepped off the gangplank and into the atrium.   

We had fun exploring our new floating accommodations and couldn’t wait to leave the port and get the show on the road…

   

Checking out our tiny room where six of us slept…shhh…there were only supposed to be five of us but the kids were out late each night and I didn’t want them to disturb my parents’ in their room. 

My husband, daughter and mother-in-law pretending to be sea sick. Little did we know most of us would genuinely experience sea sickness at some point during our cruise.

Showing off my delicious yam, pumpkin, squash something or other that I had in the dining room the first night…and our adorable towel creature that we found in our room at bedtime…

Our cruise started a bit rocky and got much worse as the week went by. Little did we know there was a hurricane brewing in the Gulf which had stirred up some choppy waters. As a result, some of us got really queasy. 

We enjoyed dressing up for dinner our second night on the ship…and I had fun goofing off with the kids afterward…

  

We docked in Progresso and exited the ship with my mother-in-law to view some of the Mayan ruins…we enjoyed the Mexican folk dancers and driving through the town of Progresso on our tour bus… 

   

Hiking to the ruins in the hot, humid tropical weather that oddly enough reminded us of home…not only did we see the ruins but we also saw tarantulas (thankfully dead by the time we got to them) and iguanas though I failed to get a good picture of them. 

After climbing the stairs to the House of the Seven Dolls, we rested by the cenote while the kids dove in and tiny fishes nibbled at my toes...

We loved visiting the ruin and my husband was so thankful to find that the gift shop sold Pepsi!

Our next stop was to Cozumel and we were excited to snorkel with sting rays! That was truly an experience!

 

One of the few pictures I got with my dad…who didn’t feel well on the ship…and a picture with my mother-in-law and my mom…

 

Beautiful sunset before the choppy seas began. We couldn’t wait to get back on land but it took us nearly three hours to get off the boat. Uggghhh…

We were so happy to get back on dry land that my daughter even allowed her brother to give her a kiss on the cheek! Rare indeed between the two of them…

This about sums up our trip. We got off the boat thinking we’d never take another cruise again…EVER…but have decided that maybe we’ll give it one more try and take a super short trip…but certainly not in hurricane season!   

If you’d like to see more pictures, you can stop by the Live the Adventure Facebook fan page. I’ll be posting them over the next couple days.  While you’re here, did you read about the car trip home? 

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Math Tutor DVD: a Review

As a homeschooling mom, I sometimes worry about gaps in my children’s education. Though some subjects don’t necessarily require a sense of mastery to continue, when it comes to math, that is simply not the case. Basic math concepts have to be fully understood and mastered before your student can successfully continue to a higher level of math instruction. If there are gaps, by the time your child begins pre-algebra or algebra, you may begin to see some frustration like I have in my own home. The beauty of homeschooling is that you don’t have a classroom of children pushing your child ahead if they aren’t ready, you don’t have the pressure to unnecessarily rush your child along when they aren’t ready. We have the luxury and ability to slow down, back up or start over if needed and when it comes to math, we’ve done just that.

One of the products that I discovered to give my children a boost in their math comprehension has been the DVD’s sold by Math Tutor DVD, so I was thrilled when I received not one but two videos from the company free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of the product.

Before I continue with the review, I’d like to mention that the company, Math Tutor DVD is known for their award winning DVD’s. In fact, their slogan is ‘Press play for success.’ The company is so confident that your child’s grades will improve that they offer a money back guarantee. Math Tutor DVD is exactly what the name says it is; a math tutor on a DVD. With the purchase of each DVD, your child will have access to a math instructor in the comfort of your home 24-hours a day for a mere fraction of the cost of a live tutor. Your child can watch each segment over and over again until they have mastered the material and are confident to move forward.

Pre-Algebra Volume 1 is a two disc set that contains 5 hours of video instruction in the following areas:

· Real Numbers

· The Number Line

· Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To

· Absolute Value and Adding Integers

· Subtracting Integers

· Multiplying Integers

· Dividing Integers

· Powers and Exponents

· Order of Operations

This DVD is currently sells for $26.99.

I also received The Texas Instruments T1-83/T1-84 Calculator Tutor which is a 3 DVD set that contains 8 hours of instruction. I was really excited about this because I’ve not seen a similar product on the market. In all fairness, our family does not own a scientific calculator, and though I’ve tried to use one in the past, I was never quite able to figure it out. I wish I’d have had this product then. The step-by-step instruction is perfect for students that learn best by seeing and not reading a lengthy manual.

This program can also be purchased for $26.99.

Though I did watch part of the DVD’s that I received with my children, I thought I’d share some of their thoughts.

What my children like about this program

· The instructor walks your child through each problem step by step.

· The instructor speaks clearly and concisely and is easily understood.

· The instructor is thorough.

· The instructor does not complicate things, but systematically teaches in a step-by-step fashion, simplifying the procedures as he goes.

· The instructor assumes that your child has no knowledge of the subject at hand so he starts at the beginning when walking through a concept.

· My children enjoy the DVD’s offered by this company better than others we’ve used in the past.

· The sections on the DVD are clearly labeled and easy to skip back to if they feel that they don’t quite understand something.

· If they have a math question, they can simply watch the DVD instead of waiting for me to figure out how to help them.

What my children did not like about the program

· The instructor is thorough meaning the video may contains too much repetition- depending on your child may or may not be a negative factor.

If you are a homeschool parent that is fumbling to teach basic math, algebra or physics or if you have a child enrolled in a program outside the home and are looking for a product to reinforce what they are learning, allow me to encourage you to check out the products offered at Math Tutor DVD. The website offers sample video tutorials, articles and free mental math podcasts.

I was also excited to learn that Math Tutor DVD now offers a member’s only area that allows you to view all video courses online for only $19.95 a month which is perfect for families with children of varied ages and grade levels. As a member you are also able to access new material as it is released, as well as participate in member’s only discussion forums.

Math Tutor DVD has programs for all ages and can be purchased online at their website or by calling 1-877-MATH-DVD.

You can read other reviews of these products at The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew blog.