Summer Travel and Plans

For the Summer Blog Challenge, the focus is on travel and plans for the summer.

During July, the main focus is preparing for entering exhibits at the County Fair. Both Sophia and Olivia are in 4-H, and have been working throughout the year on projects in different areas that interest them. June and early-July are always busy times with finishing the projects.

Sophia meeting with the foods judge.

They were talking about the jam Sophia made.

She also had cream-filled cupcakes she made.

(This was in 2010 - when Sophia was 9 years old.)

With 4-H, the girls meet with a judge for each one of the projects they enter. They discuss what they learned and answer the judge's questions. Then they are awarded a ribbon (and receive a monetary award in the mail) based on their knowledge (50%) and project (50%).

Olivia talking to the judge about the painting she did.

It was a paint-by-numbers of a dog.

(Olivia was 7 years old when this picture was taken in 2010.)

The girls also are continuing with their equine vaulting lessons. They started at the end of May, and have thoroughly enjoyed learning this new sport. It's a combination of gymnastics and dance on the back of a moving horse.

Sophia in the half-box position.

(Taken in 2012 when Sophia was 11 years old.)

During the current six-week session, they are focusing on standing on the horse while it is moving as well as getting into different positions (e.g., plank). At each session, the girls learn about safety and properly getting onto and off the horse.

Olivia dismounting from the horse. 

They have to jump off the horse while it is walking or trotting.

(Taken in 2012 when Olivia was 9 years old.)

During August, we participate in another county fair in the county that we live in (the one the girls participate in 4-H is the county adjacent to ours). In this one, they exhibit projects through open class - meaning they are competing with children and teens up to age 16 years old.

Olivia earned the grand champion award 

for her embroidered pillow in 2009.

She was 6 years old.

There are only six awards per category, so if there are more than six projects, only the top six will receive ribbons and monetary awards.

In 2007, Sophia earned the grand champion award for 

her candy dish that was sculpted from clay and glazed.

She was 6 years old.

During August, we have two trips planned - one to Des Moines, Iowa; and the other exploring southeastern Minnesota. Both of these locations tie into the United States geography unit study they are doing.

Then, during early September, Sophia, Olivia, and I will go on our annual trip. This is a perfect time for traveling because children who are not homeschooled are back in school.

Because it will be a quiet and peaceful time, we will be traveling to Lake Itasca in north-central Minnesota to see where the Mississippi River starts. At the headwaters of the Mississippi River, you can walk across it.

While at Lake Itasca, we may also drive to the border of North Dakota and drive in a bit so the girls can say they visited another state in the United States. (North Dakota is also a state they studied during the 2011-2012 school year for geography.)

We're looking forward to the next couple of months; and being able to do things that we traditionally do each summer as well as visit new places.