Saturday, June 30, 2012

Historic Jamestowne

Today, we went to Historic Jamestowne.  We found out that a major storm a day or so earlier had left the area without electricity.  The visitor center was running on a generator, and the Voorhees Archaearium (museum) and Glasshouse were closed.

T was a happy, albeit hot, boy!


We traipsed around in 100+ degree heat and saw lots of interesting things.  :)

Trying to stay hydrated!


Jamestown was founded in 1607 and became the first permanent English-speaking settlement in mainland North America.


These are reconstructed foundations of some of the earliest buildings.



The James River was a lifeline.  Ships from England brought tools, seeds, cloth, food, more settlers -- and hope.  The colonists sent back timber, tobacco, pitch, potash, furs, iron ore -- and stories.


Cobblestone and brick foundations supported the framed church of 1617, the first church on this site and Jamestown's third church.


The Old Tower was a part of the first all-brick church which was begun in 1639.


The present Memorial Church was built in 1907 and rests on the foundations of that first all-brick church.



Captain John Smith was the Governor of Virginia in 1608.


Pocahontas, daughter of Indian Chief Powhatan, was a friend of the earliest struggling English colonists.


In April 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe, a settler in Virginia.  She visited England with her husband and infant son in 1616, and she died there in March 1617 at the age of 22.

This is the earliest known burial ground of the English in America...settlers, the founders of this nation, who died at Jamestown during the first perilous years of the colony.


This monument was erected in 1907 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.


Friday, June 29, 2012

Virginia Vacation

We left this morning for a week-long vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia...my husband and our son (T) and my parents.  There is so much to see and to do here; I'm sure we won't get to everything we have "planned."

Our proposed itinerary is:


  • Saturday - Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown Settlement
  • Sunday - Colonial Williamsburg
  • Monday - Colonial Williamsburg
  • Tuesday - Virginia Living Museum
  • Wednesday - Historic Yorktown, Yorktown Victory Center
  • Thursday - Zoo (in Norfolk, Virginia), Hunter House Victorian Museum
with shopping and letterboxing sandwiched in somewhere!

We'll see what happens....

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Sahara

I made this "hot" lunch for T today...camels and pyramids in the Sahara.


  • large camel = sandwich cut with camel-shaped cutter
  • blanket on large camel = cut from Extremes Rainbow Berry Sour Candy
  • small camels = chocolate chip animal cookies
  • large pyramid = sandwich cut into triangular shape
  • small pyramids = bread crust cut into triangular shapes
  • sun = peach-flavored ring-shaped jelly candy with two mini yellow m&m's in the center
  • sand = crushed Nilla Wafer cookies
  • hay = shoestring potatoes

Check out some other "hot" meals....

Bento Blog Network

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

New Roof

Our roof suffered damage from the last hail storm to pummel our area. Consequently, we had to make arrangements to have it replaced.

Our roof was replaced today...the entire thing...in one day! I was astonished!!

The workers were here at 6:30 am, tearing off the old shingles. I have never heard such a RUCKUS! One would have thought the house was collapsing! (The plastic fan/light cover in both upstairs bathrooms did come off and fall to the floor.)

There were many workers, and they were here all day. (I guess maybe they took their lunch break in shifts, because there were always workers here.) I suppose I got used to all of the noise...because all of a sudden at 3:00 pm, I realized how quiet it was. I figured they had gone home for the day. They had...because they were finished, not because it was "quitting" time for the day. Wow.

It looks sooo good. They did a superb job...and even cleaned up all of the mess. I was impressed. :)

T and I went outside to "inspect" the roof...


that, and T's purple pipe cleaner snake! Ha. (His red snake is MIA right now.)


Even T's play house got a new roof! :)


(I can't believe I'm this excited over a new roof. Hmmm...what does that say about my life??)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Thank You

~A huge "thank you" for your votes for T's camping-themed meal.  We are excited that it was chosen as the bento of the week on Bento Blog Network.  We are happy campers!  Eeeww...that was bad.  :P

Sincerely, I appreciate your visits to my blog.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll return often!  :)


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Let's Go Camping

This camping-themed meal was T's supper tonight.


The tent is a sandwich with pretzel sticks for tent pegs.


The camper in his sleeping bag is a sandwich with a Wheat Thins cracker for a pillow and chocolate jimmies for his facial features and spiked hair.


The campfire is pretzel sticks with red and orange mini m&m's for hot coals.
The mini marshmallows on sticks (toothpicks) are ready to be roasted!
The s'more is graham crackers (cut into small squares), a Hershey's chocolate bar (chocolate wafer cookie cut into a small square), and a mini marshmallow.


The moon and stars are out (Goldfish Space Adventures crackers)...and so are the critters:  caterpillar, ladybug, and butterflies (Bug Bites cinnamon graham crackers).


After inspecting his meal...


the first thing T did was put together his s'more...


to eat!  :)


Check out some other camping-themed meals....


Bento Blog Network

Friday, June 1, 2012

The End

In recognition of the end of this school year, I created the following lunch for T to enjoy today.



  • elephant - sandwich (details piped on with chocolate icing)
  • "THE END" - Cheez-It crackers
  • peanuts - Nutter Butter cookies (letters piped on with chocolate icing)
  • peanuts
  • applesauce with chocolate jimmies
  • milk

Check out some other "end of school" meals....

Bento Blog Network