Beaneath the Streets, Havre, Montana (Part 1)



Poker table in the Sporting Eagle Saloon



While we were on vacation last week, my in-laws took our family on the most interesting homeschool field trip to date.  We got to go under the streets of Havre into shops that had been built in the early 1900's.  An arsonist set a fire in the business distric of Havre in 1904.  The fire destroyed a majority of downtown Havre.  Building materials were scarce and expensive, so the proprieters moved their businesses underground.  Think of it as an underground mall.  With nearly 20 stores in the tour, there was a lot to see!  Each room contained authentic pieces from the time period, and many that were original to the stores represented in the tour. 



One of the Bordello rooms



The Bordello was first used as underground living space for the Chinese railroad workers.  Racism was prevalent in this area and time period, so most of the Chinese workers "hid out" in their underground rooms to escape poor treatment from the white and Native population.  After the railroad tracks were completed in this area, the small rooms were converted into a "cozy" bordello.  The guide didn't go into more detail than this due to the large number of children (mostly mine) in our tour group.



Some of the equipment in the Casady Blacksmith Shop



The Casady Blacksmith shop had more tools and equipment than I ever would have guessed!  (Check out the huge bellows in the bottom left of the picture!)  There was also a tack shop (Bruce Clyde, Dray and Tack Shop) attached with an old Singer sewing machine, an Antique Stetson hat, and a saddle that was handmade by a local leathersmith. 





 

Boones Drug Store was my favorite stop on the tour.  When taking a prescription in to be filled, you could pass the time in their department store shooping for fine china and toiletries (like the toilet waters and egg shampoo in the picture at right).  You could also settle in at the soda fountain (pictured above) for an ice cream treat.  Each summer, there is an event held in the city beneath the streets and they actually serve ice cream and sodas in the little fountain area, baked goods in the bakery, and deli items from the meat market!

We had a great time, and this is just the beginning!  I will get another post ready with more pictures next week.  Come on back.  I'd hate for you to miss the Opium Den or the Holland & Bonine Mortuary!



Homeschool PE 101: No more training wheels

I love that we can choose from so many activities for homeschool PE. The kids express interest in something new every day, and we add it to our list of things to look into. However, we decided that our first PE activity should be learning to ride a two-wheeled bike.
Our oldest is ten and already knows how, but the next two, ages six and seven haven't learned yet. Our oldest son learned to ride in three days, so I just assumed the other kids would be equally as quick to pick it up.

I. Was. So. Wrong.

The first thing my daughter said to me was, "What if I fall down and scrape my knees?"
"Well, you will. It's going to happen. It might happen even AFTER you learn to ride. You just have to suck it up and keep trying."
"But I don't want to."
"I understand. No one WANTS to get hurt, but it happens. Sometimes that's the price you pay to have fun and learn new things."
"It doesn't sound like fun," she replied.
"Well, no. Getting hurt isn't the fun part. Being able to ride and the freedom is the fun part. If you just keep pedaling and steer, I will help you balance so you don't fall."

*insert look of skepticism here

So, she geared up, walked her bike out to the (very quiet and safe) street, and climbed on. I reassured her that I would be holding on. She put one foot up on the pedal and shot me a look that clearly implied that I would be held accountable for any skinned knees. Finally, she started to pedal.
I ran next to her on the down slope. I practically pushed all 75 pounds of her and her bike back up. She wobbled. She jumped off. We repeated this several times. It was hot, frustrating (for both of us), and took a lot of practice, but guess what...
Well, never mind. She didn't get it, and I'm pretty sure I had heat stroke by the time we were done. We both walked away annoyed, exhausted, and dehydrated. Two days later I was still thinking we should have started with something easier and less dangerous... Maybe archery or knife juggling.
On the other hand, maybe there is such a thing as over teaching on things like bike riding. She took it upon herself to go out and practice. She risked the safety of her knees, not to mention our neighbor's mailbox (which she only hit once) and was successful. She's still wobbly and uncertain, but the training wheels are gone for good.
While I'm still mad at myself for being so impatient and not knowing exactly what she needed from me in order to learn, I'm also wildly excited for her, and so proud of her determination!