lincoln logs, army guys, and a couple of books

This year has been our American History year. I teach American History to my family ever 3-4 years and love it when it rolls around. We talk about the bravery that our Founding Fathers had and their intense faith in God. This year we’ve already read about Captain John Smith {Brennan’s favorite quote — if you don’t work, you don’t eat}, the Pilgrims and the Mayflower, Squanto, the French and Indian War, and the start of the Revolution.

Now,  we’re starting to talk just a bit about the Revolutionary War. Of course, we go more in depth depending upon age, but even my younger ones enjoy the readers and discussions. We talk about how even the little ones — like my Brennan’s age {just about 8} were called at a minutes notice to help.

And we read. And read. And read.

There are these two great early readers called Sam the Minuteman and George the Drummer Boy that Brennan and I just read while Caleb listened on.

What’s great about these stories is that they give the skirmish on the way to Concord {when the British soldiers were going there to see if the Colonists had a stock pile of ammunition} a perspective from two little boys.  One boy, Sam, had a father who was a minuteman, and he went along. The other, George, was a drummer for the British forces. He too went along. And in both books the boys were brave and yet still scared, sad, and proud.

More often than not, we read both books at least twice  — partially because the kids find them so intriguing, but also I think they’re letting the two sides and perspectives sink in.

Which led Brennan and Caleb downstairs, with the Lincoln Logs and Army guys recreating their own version of the battle. They gathered those pieces of wood and set them up carefully — having the British soldiers walk in straight lines and the militia men crouched behind the logs and buildings. After a bit they both came running upstairs asking for me to take pictures of their work.

Who said history was boring?
Not here.