Field Trip: Pocket Parks

  Topeka just re-vamped its downtown area in an attempt to make it more inviting.  I've been seeing all the pictures of its new "pocket parks" and I've been dying to go!! Each park has to do with Kansas or Topeka.  We started at the south end and made the loop...

Icabod Washburn

some Kansas wheat (this is a Christmas pic I think ;) )

We HAD to stop at our favorite chocolate place - Hazel Hill. They informed us that we can check out checkers for them and monster chess pieces from the business next door for use on the boards on the sidewalk adjacent - yeah, we're going back for that and taking some buddies! After some truffles, chocolate dipped Nutter Butters and a peanut butter cup, we continued!

This picture reflects the kiddos pretty well ;)

These medallions were pretty great.  They highlighted all the state symbols.  My favorite were the box turtle (shown) and the honeybees.  My only complaint... near the medallion for the state grass (bluestem) there was some grasses....plain ornamental grass.  And near the medallion for the state tree (cottonwood) there was one of the few trees planted downtown... a ginko.  What in the world??? Yes, maybe the state symbols wouldn't thrive there, but it did seem a little confusing ;)

Bubby's favorite

 My favorite was the railroading park. The statue of Cyrus K. Holiday is utterly fantastic with a 3D map under his feet and the associated statuary of the train, signal and train wheel benches are just so cool! 

 A fun time was had by all and Topeka definitely made us want to come back downtown again really soon!

Field Trip: Great Overland Station

  I have been putting this blog off for a while.  This is one that will bring on the tears (box of Kleenax is nearby as I write).  Back in October, Bubby and I took a buddy of his, Grandma and Shorty to the Great Overland Station in Topeka.  We'd been before, so it was low on my list but they had a special exhibit on firefighting in Topeka - well, that's all they had to say.  Actually, I almost put it off too long and missed it, but we made it the week before the exhibit closed.
  My Papa Mauzey (Grandma's dad) was a Topeka firefighter.  I am extremely proud of him.  He is my hero in so many ways.  He would be the first to tell you that he wasn't a hero because of his firefighting duties even though he saved lives.  I always thought different though, I like being contrary and I claim that comes partly from him.

My Papa

He was very opinionated (this may be an understatement).  He never let you doubt where he stood on an issue, and would even sometimes take a stance contrary to yours just for the sake of argument  - he loved a good debate ;)  That being said, when we started homeschooling the kids, he was one of our biggest supporters.  I always wondered about that because I had a stereotype in my head that his generation would be more status quo.  It might be that it was because they grew up in the time of one-room schoolhouses and education was much different than what it is today.  I didn't broach the subject, but now I wish I had. 

Me & my Papa, during a bicentennial parade, 1976

  Our relationship wasn't at it's peak though until after I got to be an adult.  I think we could relate to each other better.  We'd have long discussions about anything and everything.  I'd tell him all the new family history I was learning and he'd listen interested.  He loved hearing it, just no desire to seek it out himself. And he would engage me in conversations of anything new he had learned.
  And when Hubby and I had the two older kids and they got past the baby stage - oh, Papa adored them!  They had his heart and he theirs. 
  So, when we got to the Great Overland Station we were all excited to see some of Papa's firefighting stories fleshed out in pictures.

Bubby looking at the Methodist Home display

One of them was the United Methodist home fire.  This was one of Papa's first fires he fought.  It was pretty intense and one that made another newbie firefighter leave the force.
The artifacts from the Grace Cathedral fire were interesting....

Shorty was not very tolerant of the time being spent in the exhibit, so thankfully there was a hands on area downstairs which suited him just fine.

There was a model train set and even a real train too!

We spent most of our time at the model train

The kids stuff was fun for everyone, even cool grandparents!

Bottom line, trains never disappoint and anything that relates to family is always awesome! ;)

Field Trip: Best Laid Plans

We were supposed to go to Council Grove. The threat of rain with the hour long drive kept us close to home though.  So we decided to go close to home and hit the trails close to the Governor's Mansion in Topeka.  Our buddies met us at the main trail at the Cedar Crest grounds.  We started in, but quickly realized that what we really wanted was a wooded trail that would 1) shelter us from the damp cold of the otherwise beautiful fall day and 2) create a more interesting walk.   Although some didn't care where we went, they were just happy to be there ;)

   Our quest for a new trail took us up to the area by the Kansas Wildlife and Parks center.  Grandma has been after me for a while to take the kids to the KDWP building, so we can mark it off of our list now ;)   It is a great resource.  They have all kinds of free identification guides, trail maps, and more.  There are aquariums with little critters...

Lots of furs from different local animals...

After I toned the kids back on taking one each of every identification guide (we would have put quite a dent in their supply), we headed to the great outdoors!  It was a wonderful trail.  At the end, we broke from it and followed a road that headed the direction of the cars.  It took us right into the old Menninger hospital grounds.  I guess it is technically trespassing, but that road wasn't marked, so we enjoyed looking at the old buildings as we made our way to our cars ;)

   I am not sure any one of the field trips we've taken this year was totally planned out, but I'll tell you what, I wouldn't trade a one!  Who needs plans? ;)

Field Trip: PowWow

  There is just so much you can do in your own backyard.  Nearly a month ago (I know, I'm slow!) some of our buddies were involved as part of the attractions at the Shawnee County Intertribal PowWow and it gave us some incentive to make the trip!  Hubby and I hadn't attended since we were first married (almost 20 years ago).  It is a great experience!
  

Our buddy is a early 19th century fur trader re-enactor.  He has used his knowledge to teach numerous school children and even was able to travel the Lewis and Clark trail as a re-enactor for the bi-centennial of the expedition.  So, to hear him give his spiel again was so much fun!

Mookie and her buddy

His teepee is set up with replicas of period accessories and numerous hides some of which he acquired himself!  When he is set up for a re-enactment like this he will stay in his teepee and cook in it too!
  When we moved on to the PowWow itself, we took in all of the interesting booths and got some neat souvenirs to take home, some falling into the theme of the event like Shorty's foot jangles- which I appreciated because I could hear him if he took off, and he loved when we participated in the dancing to Mookie and her buddy's parasols...

The best part of the evening was joining in the dancing.  They had a dance time where they allowed members of the audience to come and join in.  Fantastic!  I didn't really want to go myself but everyone else was a little shy so we all went (Bubby took the pictures). 

I would venture to say that we will head back to this event again in the next couple of years.  What a great way to introduce different cultures to the kiddos!




 

Field Trip: Topeka Symphony

Getting ready!

  We had another Thursday field trip this week.  The annual Topeka Symphony free school day concert!  We've been at least a couple other times and its been a treat each time!  Today they did "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky. 

The conductor did an awesome job of incorporating Viktor Hartmann's pictures that the piece of music was based on in a Power Point presentation. He also gave a brief synopsis of each picture.  The music was so good that Shorty sat still for quite a bit longer than I was expecting. :)
  The neatest part was the performance of Aaron Copeland's Our Town with a Power Point of pictures and video taken by local school children.

After a birthday celebration lunch with Ducky and Grandma, we took off for the Kansas Historical Society.  I had an obituary to look for for work and I bribed the kids with playtime if they were quiet, which worked except for hilarious giggles coming out of the back corner of the microfilm room.  One patron assured me that it didn't bother her :)  Then we were off to play! 

KSHS play area!

  I had to make a promise to go back soon and walk the trails!

Junior Rangers: Topeka

  Ever since our Rushmore trip, the kids have been itching to add to their junior ranger badges.  One that is super close to us is the Brown vs. Board of Education site in Topeka.  We wanted to do something for Black History Month, so this seemed like the week.  Mookie was dying to have her buddy, who attends public school, spend the night last night.  I almost said no.  The buddy didn't have school due to a teacher work day, but we did.  We decided to flop our week and take our buddy with us instead!  So field trip Monday it became! :)
  Since it was just me and 4 kiddos, I knew that Shorty wasn't going to fare well through all I had planned, so we went to the John Ritchie House first.  Ritchie House is the oldest structure standing in Topeka.  The Ritchies were staunch abolitionists, hanging with the likes of John Brown during the turbulent territorial era.  Their house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. When we got there, Bubby was SO excited (really he makes homeschooling easy, the kid LOVES learning!).  He leaped out of the car and shouted "The Freedom Trail!" He had learned about the house at Kansas Day and its been on his mental list to visit ever since.

The kids in the front room of Ritchie House with a pic of John Ritchie

  The tour is free, and actually only open on Mondays and Wednesdays.  There is an education center with a small exhibit detailing the era the Ritchies lived in, and then you get to tour the 1st floor of the house which is next door. The house has only sparse furnishings, and some artifacts, but the tour guide did a fantastic job of explaining the Ritchies and their role in the early Topeka time period as well as their part in the Underground Railroad.  Shorty did a wonderful job, only faltering temporarily when he grabbed a door knob on the artifact shelf and called it a hammer.  *whew*
  On to the Brown vs. Board site.  I explained the background of it on the way over.  The kids hadn't studied that yet and were fairly incredulous that segregation had happened.  I was glad to expose them to these in conjunction with each other, really makes history more easily understandable when you can merge lessons like that.

  Admission is free to this one as well, but both sites would appreciate donations.  We checked in with the Park Ranger & she started us off in the auditorium that had some artwork & video going.  The videos at Brown are so well done.  I had been several years ago and they really do a great job of detailing what led up to that decision and the effects (which is good because between chasing Shorty and trying to help kids find answers to their Ranger booklets I really didn't get to absorb anything).  When she got the intro movie up and running we moved on and watched it.  It was pretty corny, but really if you had young kids it was a good way to introduce them to why this was an important place without getting too in depth.
  The next room is my favorite, it is chalked full of why blacks were treated the way they were, the Jim Crow laws, the court cases, a timeline, and a hallway which makes you feel like you're walking in the midst of one of the race riots (it can be a little overwhelming, so keep that in mind for young kids - Shorty was unaffected though).

The riot hallway.  This pic does not do it justice.

  The whole Junior Ranger process takes on average we've found about an hour and a half.  The number of sections you need to complete varies with age, for instance, our buddy only had to complete 4 since she's 8, but our two completed 6 for ages 9+.  Which is only right since we made her do school on her day off;)  The Park Ranger swore them all in as Junior Rangers and presented them with their badge and certificate.

   Bubby is already planning our next Junior Ranger expedition to Nicodemus, KS.  I'm focusing on something closer like the National Archives in Kansas City:)

Pit Stop!

I was thinking back on today and our wild flat traveler inspired field trip (in lieu of our "field trip Friday" this week), and Guido from the movie Cars's voice came into my head "Pit Stop!!".  Yep, that's pretty much how it was:)

We were dying to see my folks after our big vacation, and when we found out they were going to be in Topeka, we planned a lunch date.  Funny thing is that all three of us adults had the same eating establishment in mind, we're weird, what can I say?

Just in case, I brought our new flat travelers with us.  Since we were close to downtown, I suggested a trip to the state capital.  Ducky had an appointment later in the afternoon he had to be at, so it would be a quick trip.  With Shorty in need of a nap, I knew that wouldn't be a problem. 

It was a super fast trip, but we got to see all the important parts that were open to the public: the murals and statues, the House and Senate chambers, the old Supreme Court, the door to the Governor's office, and most importantly a ride in the cage elevator! :)

House Chamber

Supreme Court

I had never been in any of the chambers before - so cool!  My favorite was the House chamber, it had a flyer describing different items of note. 

I totally love the John Stuart Curry mural of John Brown.  It is just so powerful, it really captures the imagination of what he must have been like and the volatility of that time period.

So, I am so glad that its free to tour the capital, because our "pit stop" lasted 1/2 hour.  It was a quick one, but since we had been there previously we didn't feel too badly, plus we got to see some new areas!  Shorty slept all the way home and then some:)

Field Trip Friday: Ward-Meade Park

   Today we had some errands to run in Topeka, so the thought became, what to do in Topeka that is low cost & something new, educational and exciting for us?  The answer: Ward-Meade Park.  It has been on my list of things to do with the kids for a while.  We called our traveling companions, Ducky and Grandma, to come along with us.  If you don't take the tour, it is free to walk the grounds.  It was supposed to be a hot day, so we got there just after it opened.  That didn't help much, so some of us "accidentally" walked into the sprinklers watering the beautiful grounds. Some really did get hammered accidentally by a rogue sprinkler stream, but that's another story.

Once Shorty discovered the sprinklers, we couldn't keep him out of them.  In fact, he was down to just his t-shirt and diaper by the time we left for lunch because his shorts were so wet.

  The cabin was open and it was so lovely!  It was a spacious 4 room log cabin with 2 fireplaces!  We snagged a picture of Flat Jerrin (Bubby's flat traveler for the month) there.

The best part of the trip was going into the restored Drug Store and having some cool refreshment.  I had a Prairie Dust sundae - yum!  Who says you can't have dessert before lunch;) ?

Mookie waiting for her ice cream

The kids have made me promise to take them back.  I think we'll try for a cooler day though;)

Errands with a Twist

   Since gasoline has gone up in price in the last few years, it really has affected how we do our errands.  We usually makes us cram as many as we can stand into a half of the day since we do most of our big shopping 1/2 hour away in either Topeka or Lawrence.  In order to have happier kiddos while we did our necessary stuff, we took some fun side trips too (plus we get to include them on our flat traveler journals!).
  Our first scenic stop was Burnett's Mound on the edge of town.  It had been a long time, over 20 years, since I've been to the Mound and I thought it would be a fun, cheap thing to do for our Flat Travellers.  The Mound has a legend associated with it and when the tornado of 1966 roared through, it was expected that the Mound would protect the city.  Unfortunately it didn't and my grandparents, who lived a few blocks from it watched it come right over and into the city.  I had to look up the legend and it turns out that once upon a time a tornado tore across the Kansas prairie killing many of the Potawatomie tribe, some family members of Abram Burnett (who the mound is named after).  Apparently, after gathering and preparing the bodies for burial, with prayer and ceremony, the tribe asked that the Great Spirit bless the mound and the area where the bodies were laid to rest and protect all in its shadow.  You can find the story here...http://www.wiskigeamatyuk.com/Burnett_Mound_Story.html

view of the mound

It has a wonderful view of the city.  We respected the closed barrier and didn't go all the way to the top today, much to Bubby's dismay.
  Our next fun stop was the zoo.  We didn't stay long, I was mostly there to renew my Friends of the Zoo membership to be ready for homeschool zoo class in a couple of weeks.  I let Mookie and Bubby pick their two favorite animals to see.  Bubby picked the alligators, which are on loan from another zoo. The really cool attraction is the albino!

   They have a bunch of alligators that you can feed too.  Shorty thought that was awesome, although they weren't too hungry.  Mookie chose the black bears, and we were glad to see one out and about.  The kids were bummed to leave so soon, but field trip Friday is the Kansas City Zoo - we don't want to get zoo'd out:)

Double the Blessing

When I was a child I was able to say I had 6 grandparents.  Not because of divorce, but because of some unique circumstances.  My mom had 2 parents, but my dad had 2 dads & 2 moms:)

My granddad Al and his twin brother Bob Murray grew up on a farm near a small town in Coffey County, Kansas.  When they reached high school they became enamored

The Murray boys 1940s

with Verna and Vera Gentry, who were also twins.  Well, how to know who would ask who out on that date?  So, they flipped a coin and my granddad won the toss and when my grandma Verna answered the phone, the rest, shall we say, is history.  Of course, as you may guess, this is no ordinary love story because four years later they were all married in a double ceremony in 1937 and then took up residence together.

Wedding Picture

 They started out in Topeka where the boys worked in a grocery store along side of their uncle Fred Tichenor.  They eventually branched out to owning their own store at 17th and Clay (which was the first grocery store built west of the Mississippi after World War II).  My Granddad ran the meat department.  I can still remember the smell of the meat refrigerator and the American cheese he used to give me pieces of when I'd come to visit him.  They all retired in the late 1980s and the building is still there, but hasn't been a grocery store since.

Murrays Market

My grandparents house was a magical place in my memory.  It was a Mid-Century Modern style home built on a hill overlooking the Wanamaker corridor in Topeka (for those of you that know the area, it was above the Historical Society west of the movie theater).  It had 15 acres and bordered on a creek that kids & grandkids alike took full advantage of.  It was built in the 1950s large enough for the joined families of what would be 4 adults and 5 kids.  At the time they built it, people said they were crazy for building so far out of town (it is only about 15 minutes from where there store is).  The house had huge living areas, and the lower level was at one end my Grandparents' bathroom & bedroom, and the other end their siblings' with the kids' rooms in between.  Their house was in my memory always filled with love and laughter. 

the front of the house

Oh how I miss the back porch

My Grandmas dressed alike every single day of their life, down to the earrings and shoes.  They would alternate days on who would pick out the outfit.  My Granddads were a little more loose with it, and you could catch them around the house with differing outfits, but even at that the majority of the time they were dressed the same. 

Al, Verna, Bob & Vera

My cousins and I could tell which was our Grandparent at a glance, but if there backs were turned to us, we'd just have to say "Grandma" and then we'd figure out which was ours:)  It's funny each set of twins had a more sociable one and a quiet one.  My Granddad was the more talkative of the two boys - I could probably easily count the number of times Granddad Bob and I had a conversation of more than a sentence or so.  Grandma Ber was the more social of the girls, although they both enjoyed going out and about.

Each Grandma had a specific part of the meal that she was primarily responsible for, and they were outstanding cooks!  My Grandma Ber (Vera) did the main course, and Grandma was in charge of the dessert.  My Grandma made a cherry pie that was to die for!  My cousins & I often fought over who could have the last piece, and if we shared, who go the bigger piece of that:)

My Grandma was the first to pass away in 1996, oh how I miss her.  I wish I could say that I had all her social graces and sweetness, but she did teach me so much and I try to be like her:)  Even though it pained the rest of the twins to leave their beloved "Redbud Hill" as they called it, within a couple of years my Grandma Ber and Granddads moved to a retirement community where they didn't have to worry about such a big house and land.  Of course, the proper arrangements had to be made and they had to find 2 apartments side by side where they could break down the wall and continue to be a connected household - why change it after 50+ years?

One of my favorite pics of them - appeared in the book Happily Ever After by Laurie Wagner

My Granddad Bob passed away in June of 2000 and my Granddad in December of that year.  Granddad couldn't live with out his lifelong buddy around.  I sure miss my Granddad, there wasn't a time that I didn't leave their house where he didn't tell me how much he loved me or ask me if I knew how special I was to him.  Of course, I would shoot back with did he know how special he was to me?

We were blessed to have my Grandma Ber around for 6 more years.  She was a spunky woman and it wasn't surprising she outlived them all.  She was very much like her other sisters, one of which (Elma) would not hesitate to speak her mind and in later years would drag her cane around behind her - because she had to have it, but didn't really want to be bothered by it:) 

I apologize for the choppy nature of this blog.  It was a hard one to write, because I wanted to include so much, but I was afraid if it waited until it was thought out enough to write, it would never get done.