I promised myself once we moved and got settled, I’d add to my blog, which has been woefully overlooked in past months due to selling our apartment, moving twice and ultimately landing in the suburbs, all while my husband was on a heavy international travel schedule for work. I can characterize the first half of 2012 as nothing less than hectic, riddled with uncertainty and BUSY ! Looking forward to returning to life as usual and smooth sailing, allowing me to turn my sights back towards the world of Me On A Tee.
A trip planned with relatives months back happened to fall the weekend after we moved in, but I decided to press on with it, as we were going to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Even though I was exhausted, I figured it’d provide me a break from unpacking boxes and a nice exploration of this epic battle during the Civil War. Here are some photos of the highlights. I have included multiple photos, but by no means all, of my 3 year old running around the area. Of all the battlefields, statues and monuments that Gettysburg has to offer, the stop that held her interest for more than 2 minutes was the statue with Sallie the Dog, who served with the Pennsylvania 11th.
Sonya with Sallie the Dog – a great statue for kids to see
Perhaps Gettysburg is not ideal for little kids, but at least they’re not terribly disruptive if they’re acting up, shouting in quiet museum galleries or religious buildings. Here they can roam.
As for my 6-1/2 year old daughter, I sure hope I handled the concepts of war and slavery well enough. The guide mentioned them, but I should’ve done my research on how to explain them best ahead of the trip…. then again, there were all those boxes and floor installers and painters and chaos. So, I’ll do my homework post trip and share some links for kids below. Weeks after the trip, she still asks about slavery, and I’m trying to carefully explain it to her, not over-educating her, but giving her bite size pieces she can process in the moment. I imagine the questions will continue to pop up from time to time.
- Civil War Trust
- And for Kindergartners, recommend the Jack and Annie series by Mary Pope Osbourne – brings history to life and my daughter loves each adventure through time. Here is the Civil War book on Amazon
- Finally, I like the ideas shared on eHow
If you’re considering a trip to Gettysburg, 2013 should be a banner year, as next July marks the 150th anniversary of the events! Book your hotel rooms early….
View from Big Round Top
- Catching up with our favorite fearless leader, Abraham Lincoln, outside the Visitor’s Center.
Devil’s Den at Night
Running from Eternal Light Peace Memorial
Reenactors (and some 2012 tourists) atop Big Round Top
- Straying from the group again ! Perhaps a future American Historian? Think the jury’s still out on that one…
Me On A Tee
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