Rancho Guajome Adobe Field Trip

The adobe was built in 1852 and served as the headquarters of Rancho Guajome, a Mexican land grant. Abel Stearns had given the rancho to Ysidora Bandini (sister of his wife Arcadia Bandini), as a wedding gift when she married Lieutenant Cave Johnson Couts in 1851.
It is a large rambling twenty-room Spanish Colonial style hacienda with two courtyards, an arcaded veranda, and other structures including a chapel in a former small house.^[3][4] It was built with the profits from the cattle boom of the 1850s, when many California ranchos supplied the Gold Rush miners and associated new American immigrants with meat and leather.^[3]
Couts was appointed sub-agent for the native Luiseño people (San Luis Rey Mission Indians) in 1853, and used their enslaved labor to improve his properties in the area, including this one and nearby Rancho Buena Vista and Rancho Vallecitos de San Marcos.^[5][6]

Landmark

The structures were was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.^[2][4] It is also a California Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

wikipedia.com

Working Hard!

Our Desk:  That's about four subjects in process!

 Still seeking the right piece of furniture to go in this space.  It will do for now.

Snack time!  Another interesting creation by Baron.  He knows how to stay busy.

Snake time!

Then there is break time!  Baron has been loving playing in the dirt with his snakes.  Niah usually has her bird out too and all the animals get along and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

Thursday Group

Thursday's are the day of the week we go to our friend's house for social and academic enrichment.  It is a group of homeschooling parents and their children who use this as an opportunity to network, chat, and share the good and the not-so-good.  It is a very positive environment where the kids can get creative and burn energy.  We usually start with a home-cooked, hot lunch, always with gluten-free options, followed by a structured learning game or art project.  Then the kids go off and brainstorm some pretty interesting things.

This game was invented by Therry.  The kids did math facts, planted seeds, jumped into pool to fetch rings, identified landmark historical buildings by clue, played 'Bop It', and math Bingo.

Presenting the play to the audience.

Then the kids went off to create a play, 'Jack in the Beanstalk'.  Baron was Jack and Niah was the Mother.

 

There are always birthdays to celebrate!  Today, the theme was Greek Mythology and the mother put a lot of effort into the activities.  They did a very elaborate treasure hunt and pin the horn on the Minataur then finished with a Blue Party.

One day they started an animal project where each child made animal masks, did a research report, and delivered a presentation to the class.  Of course this took more than one day to complete.

Niah did the Panda.

Baron did the Gorilla.

Talent shows are very popular at Thursday Group.  Niah did her forms one day.

Paper making was fun too!

So many things go on at the Thursday Group!  We are grateful for Therry who graciously hosts every week.  She is a creative genius!