Thursday, September 4, 2008

Colonial Life





Hardtack! What kind of appealing name is that for something you would eat? Well, according to most books I have found, this is the food of choice when traveling across the Atlantic in the 1600's. So we made some today to take with us to our group class. It is made of flour, salt, baking powder and water. It was fun, but no one is really excited about eating it. Olivia is excited because she loves Slim Jims and considers that dried beef which they also ate. In her imagination, she could survive; but we who know her, know the truth. There were not enough hair products back then, or denim readily available.

Yes, we are studying history and learning the ways of the world if we lived back then.

Don't get too excited we are not giving up electricity or spices or daily bathing. We are just learning about it. Stephanie gave me quite the laugh today when I read over her list of topics comparing today's world with colonial times. Here are a few-

making clothes from sheeps wool OR buying it at Wal*Mart (she included the star)
using herbs and water to cure illness OR Dr. Thomas
punishment for broken laws by hanging OR spanking, timeouts and hot sauce
attending meetinghouse on Sunday OR going to church at church

Another funny she said today...
" Mom, do you know what they did back in Colonial times when wives spoke back to their husbands?"
"No" (even though I have read the book and did know)
"Well, they dunked the wife into the lake."
"Really."
"Mom, if you lived back then, you would be wet all the time!"

Okay, so we all laughed. Hmm...talking back... I better work on that. You know that whole "begat in your own image" thing.

4 comments:

lori said...

HA HA HA that was too funny, I think almost all the wives today would be in that lake

Xandra@Heart-of-Service said...

The hardtack experiment is great! I always wondered what it looked/tasted like when I read the Little House books.

I love it that the girls get so much hands on learning like that! You are a great teacher...
Xandra

Jeanne said...

Jill, how darn funny about you getting dunked in the lake! Oh, makes me laugh so hard!! That Stephanie!

Leslie said...

I would also be wet all the time. I love when kids pick up the funniest parts of learning. My class and I watch the PBS serious Colonial House together last year. It a little rough at times, but oh so good.
Les