Day 20 - Field Trip Fun

Last night Glitter reminded me that her field trip was today...that I was supposed to chaperone. Umm...ooops! Totally forgot it was this week! I didn't put it on my phone calendar which means it's a good thing she told me! Luckily Dacia was able to take Buddy for the morning! I had so much to do today trying to get ready for Sparkle's birthday tomorrow...I was a little stressed! But it all worked out. 

Me and my baby...wearing gray!

goober! 

We had a great time learning a bit about our town's history. Every year, the third graders go to visit the Cheney homestead (built in the 1780s!), Keeney Schoolhouse (built 1751), Manchester Museum, and the Silk Factory (built mid 1800s). The Cheney family was a huge part of the history of our town, they brought in the silk mills...probably why Manchester even exists! 

It was a walking tour, and we sure did a lot of walking! It was way more interesting than I was expecting ;) First was what had once been the business office for the silk mills...now it's an engineering firm. They had this awesome safe...they don't have the keys, so they don't know what's inside it anymore...probably nothing...the kids thought it was super cool!

Then we headed to the homestead...which was where the parents of the Cheney brothers had lived. They had 8 sons and finally 1 daughter. The boys were crazy talented...they were the ones who started the mills, but a couple of them were artists.

gotta love the chamber pot

various artifacts found in the ground around the house

professional looking playbills that the kids made for the plays they would put on for company

An engraving of Martha Washington by one of the brothers

dollhouse

baptismal gown

according to the kids "creepy" dolls

but seriously, this is the creepiest! that is a dead mouse head on the baby bonnet!!!! Wha????????? Why???????

After the homestead we headed to the Old Manchester Museum. Lots of cool history there.

The Pitkin Glass Works ruins are actually right down the street from us...these are some of the glass items they used to make in the 1780s 

Old letter jackets

Civil War weaponry

Christopher Spencer was an inventor who made a steam powered wagon in 1862! 40 years before the automobile was invented. 

But he is most well known for his repeating rifle mechanism 

Which Lincoln tested at the White House! Pretty neat!

After checking out the one room schoolhouse and hearing some of the crazy facts there...like how many students they would squeeze in the room (up to 80!) and some of the punishments (4 lashes for boys and girls playing together) it was finally time for lunch! After we ate, then I boogied...I missed out on seeing the silk mill :( But Glitter was so excited...every student got a real silk cocoon!

Then it was off to the grocery store to stock up (talk about a bare pantry!)...not to mention I needed to get the birthday dinner ribs! Still need to put the rub on them tonight...then gonna smoke them tomorrow. Plus needed to finish up the birthday present shopping. But I got it all done. Hope she likes everything! Now all I need to do tomorrow is make the brownies (she's not much of a cake fan)...decorate, wrap, clean, smoke, etc...gonna be good!