So last weekend we decided to take the kids to the coast to force knowledge down their throats have a good time. We went to see the ship wreck of the Peter Iredale that wrecked in 1906. It looked like this after it's crash.

This is what it looked like this weekend. The kids could have cared less what it was or why it was there. They just played in the sand and surf for a couple hours.


After the beach, we went to the Ft. Steven's state park. Specifically we went to their military museum. We lucked out and they had some people who were doing a reenactment of a naval landing party. I don't recall what ship specifically but it was neat. We got to see a practice cannon loading.

And learned that girls had a position in the navy at that time. 7-8 year old children were used as 'powder monkeys' in the ships because the ships were so small. People would bring their children when they couldn't care for them. The girls would work and send money home and would leave the military able to read, write, have manners, ect. and could make a good match above their class. The boys would do the same but had the opportunity to become captians. We learned that Admrial David Glasgow Farragut, who famously said "Damn the torpedos, full steam ahead!" in the Battle of Mobile Bay, became the captain of his own ship at the tender age of 12 years old.


They also had a jeep from WWII(I believe) that the kids could play in. The girls would duck and fire out the back while David bravely drove on. The girls would yell "DUCK!!" and David would look around and say "There's no duck." He was very confused!


Lori learned to spin yarn. She had trouble getting the rythem down. Heel, toe, heel, toe.


Well in all fairness, she just somehow did it wrong cause it kept going the wrong direction, so maybe the wrong order? Toe heel toe heel.. She got to bring home some wool.


David's favorite time was behind the wheel of the Jeep. We must have gone back to that thing 3 times or better. He was a wild driver, making sharp turns and rapid direction changes.


Though I guess he would have avoided being shot. All in all we had fun. The kids got some sun but Mom got burned(shock!). Even Edwin seemed to enjoy exploring stuff. We hope to go back for the Civil War reenactment over Labor Day.