Little Known Historical Facts

Ahhhh, me and my Grace :)



And then...since this post is mostly about boys...
I thought I would sandwich the post in between two pieces of eye candy.
Eye candy piece numero uno...



Now then, down to business:

I'm thinking of beginning a homeschool history class review section here on my blog. It would be rightfully named "Little Known Historical Facts" because these facts are, well,....little known...very little. Here, important facts would be recorded, you know, just for posterity's sake. Facts included would be based on the answers my children give to questions I pose to them during our history lessons. It is important for one to understand the these "children" are...'ahem'...actually teenagers who like to keep their poor mother guessing as to whether they really believe these things or they are actually just trying to drive me crazy (its both really). Either way, try as I may to hang onto order and a straight face, these totally amazing and hilarious boys of mine usually end up making me roll with laughter.

I figure this valuable addition to my heart-felt, albeit public, journal here will not only ensure that I never forget this, but also, help to enlighten and expand the historical knowledge of all who read here. If you remember the "historical tossed salad" that I wrote about two posts ago, you will understand the value of these facts.


So...

Little Known Historical Facts

Thoughts on the Industrial Revolution:

Me: What do you feel was the most important invention during the Industrial Revolution?

Student 1: The grill. Because people no longer had to cook their hamburgers over
the fire. Now they could grill them.

Student 2: Yeah, Boy!

Student 1: No, wait, maybe it was grease!

Student 2: No, grease wasn't invented it was discovered.


Thoughts on taming the Wild West:


Me: Tell me what was completed in 1869 that finally linked East to West here in the U.S.

Student 1: I know. I know. The Constantinople Railroad.


Thoughts on the French Revolution


Student 2: You've heard what they did haven't you? They brought salad and all types of veggies and chopped them at the guillotine.


Thoughts on The Netherlands


Me: Tell me something you know about the land in the Netherlands

Student 2: It's below sea level, and there were the dikes and the pumps and, you know, that little boy sticking his finger in the hole, just like Pappy when we had that water shooting out of the pipe at church...oh the heroics of it all! You know, like just when Pappy thought he couldn't hold the water back any more, Mr, Jami got the water main shut off.


Thoughts on Cajun culture

Me: Explain how we got Cajun (French) culture in Louisiana.

Student 1: From the Louisiana purchase. No, no wait, it's because they took those French Canadians and truncated them down the river.



Oh, Dear.

We also had a discussion about the great hymn writer "Sir Isaac Watson"...but that's enough for today. Don't wanna overload you with too many historical facts all at once.

The beautiful thing to me is really hard to explain. It's the fact that my boys know bits and pieces of facts and events that I never learned anything about in school. It's the fact that they actually have these things in their heads to actually "mix up" and "mess up". Things like Constantinople, and the French Revolution, and the plight of the Acadians, and the fact that most of the Netherlands is below sea level. Whether they mix it up accidentally...or purposely to drive their mother crazy...the fact is all those bits are actually in there somewhere...wherever that is...no matter how mangled and gnarled they may be...

Yes, if you really want to brush up on your history....just come on over to our house.

and eye candy two:



Now, Lord willing, my next post will be photos from the week in Paris with the hubby. Since we've been home for about 4 WEEKS I figured I'm falling behind. Anyways, I've had a difficult time finding the time to upload and post them. You know, I'm always so busy teaching history to the boys.