Pioneer Farms

Along with 4th grade curriculum on Washington State History, Garrett's teacher arranged for the class to go on an overnight field trip to a pioneer farm. I went along as a chaprone. I had gone previously with Savanah and knew this was one of the better field trips. As soon as we arrive we are greeted by a pioneer host, all dressed up from the past. The boys are expected to removed hats and girls always go first. The kids climbed aboard a horse and buggy and enjoyed sack lunches from home. After lunch we are lead into the woods for a chat about the area, and how it came to be settle by immigrants from Sweden and how the Nisqually Indians helped them survive the winter and the immigrants helped the Indians survive a smallpox outbreak. The kids learned how to make candles by dipping cotton wick in hot wax. Visited a blacksmith shop, used tools to scrap bark off logs, 2-man handsaw, jumped in the hay stack, played with barn animal, grind corn. Boys got to 'shave' with a straight edge razor and girls got to curl a ringlet in their hair from an old fashioned curling iron. After dinner over the campfire the kids made popcorn and fresh apple cider. Then they played a favorite pioneer game of kick the can.

Kids and chaperones gathered bedding and slept in a large lodge on the property. Girls on one side and boys on the other. Our primary host told the children a pioneer bedtime story and started a fire in the giant fireplace. With my earplugs in place Garrett and I did get some sleep. When I went with Savanah, I didn't sleep at all. There was a chorus of snoring dads, and girl screaming in he r night terrors, a sleep walker ping-ponging between the 2 doors trying to get outside walking over all of us sleeping on the floors. So I am prepared to 1. sleep against the wall away from the doors and drafty fireplace, ear plugs, and air mattress. We slept well this time. :)

Early on the second day after breakfast we gathered at the barn and the kids were issued REAL barn chores. Mucking stalls, fresh hay, food, and water. I knew this too and told Garrett not to offer to clean up after the horse or cow..... they have large wet POOP and it wasn't going to be a fun chore. He is a good listener and chose to clean up after the sheep. We finished up the experience with a visit to the REAL pioneer cabin on site that the immigrants build and lived in.

We stopped for lunch on the hour and a half drive home. I had enough of the pioneer life. That was a hard way to live, dirty, hot, hard work. However, it was simple and pure. that has some allure to me apart from the hot and dirty, and constant cooking and clean up meals. LOL