Although several points of interest were over our kinder's head, Hamilton and I brushed up on a lot of Civil War history, and Belle was able to make a few lasting connections. Being intrigued with battles, she found the cannon balls lodged in the walls and the missing levels of the fort fascinating. With daddy as her personal tour guide, she also took notice of certain details she may have missed on her own. For instance, he explained why the cannons were mounted on parapets, and the kids kept making humorous attempts to turn the cannons. Another amusing memory took place at the memory wall, when Belle pointed out, "a lot of Johns fought here." After that, John thought every sign at the fort said his name.
Afterwards, we had a picnic lunch and played in the beautiful pineapple fountain in Waterfront Park. We couldn't have had better weather for our day excursion. On the way home, we stopped for an icecream treat at Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe and shared memories with our little ones of eating there together as high school kids!
Several days later, the fun continued at home when the kids painted memories of the fort. I love John's choice of all black for his picture to represent the cannons and Belle's inclusion of the parapet.
Joyful Heart Reminder: What a blessing it is to be able to combine learning and family time! It is such a joy to see my children experience new things! Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
