Tag Archives: Learning

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Athens, Greece

. European Destinations, Family Travel, Parenting . , , , , , ,

Acropolis: The Porch of the Maidens (Ocbober 14, 2011)

The day had a nice coolness to it, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining. It was a pretty day in the city of Athens, Greece. However, it was so CROWDED! They may be in an economic crisis, but tourism is alive and well. The sites are ancient and wonderful, but it is so hard to step back and absorb the history that is around you.

Haven, Ammon, Carter, & Nana on the Acropolis

Acts 17:16-34 tells about Paul’s experience and sermon there. I particularly like verse 28 when Paul says concerning God, 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ The living and moving doesn’t come from Zeus, Apollo, Hera, Athena, Thor, Quetzalcoatl, Chac Mool, money, cars, television, or any other “gods”.

On our tour that day we also had some delicious, traditional foods: moussaka and baklava. It was quite an educational day.

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Dubrovnik, Croatia: October 4, 2011

. European Destinations, Family Travel . , , , ,

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia is such a tourist treat. It is on the Dalmatian Coast (yep, the area of Dalmatian dogs) on the Adriatic Sea. In the past 10 years, it has become quite popular for summer vacationers who love to swim and sunbathe.  It does seem crowded in the downtown area, but that’s because the main attraction is the medieval walled city. Unlike many middle-ages walled cities, Dubrovnik’s walls (not built all at once  but fortified and added on to from the 12th to 17th centuries) were kept intact and are still utility to the city.

Downtown Dubrovnik

Cavtat, Croatia

It was our second time in Dubrovnik, and we even had lunch at the same grinding mill (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtRNp2Ub9Qg) where we visited in 2009. The embedded video in the previous sentence is from the mill.

The city of Cavtat was an additional stop this time. It is on the coast as well, but the rhythm of the town is much slower than the rhythm of Dubrovnik. The next time we go to Dubrovnik I hope it will be in the summer so we can all swim in the gorgeous waters of the Adriatic there.

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Happy Birthday, Ammon!

. Family, Family Travel . , , ,

Ponte Vecchio: Florence, Italy

Happy 3rd birthday to Ammon! She is such a joy and a blessing from God.

Ammon, I love you so much as well as the whole family. Your
Daddy H

P. S. Birthday party pics on Monday!

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Florence, Italy October 6, 7, & 8

. European Destinations, Family, Family Travel . , , , , , , , ,

Thursday

We stayed near the Piazza de la Repubblica, and it has a carousel.

Carousel: Piazza de la Repubblica Florence, Italy

Because we did not see it October of 2010, we put our bags down and headed straight to the Arno River with the Ponte Vecchio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so cool! I could just imagine ol’ Dante Alighieri running
over and over the bridge trying to catch a glimpse of his Beatrice….so close
and yet so unobtainable.

Dante’s Tomb a Santa Croce

 

As we headed back into Firenze, we stopped for some
delicious gelati (strawberry, hazelnut, pistachio…yum, yum, yum!). We strolled
around the Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s Bell Tower and listened to an accordion
player. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Florence then Carter and Ammon rode on
the carousel at the Piazza de la Repubblica.

 

 

Friday

After breakfast, we went straight to San Lorenzo’s chapel
(Medici Chapel). It took me 25 years to see Michelngelo’s “Day, Night, Dawn
& Dusk”, but I finally saw them! Woo hoo! Around noon, Carter, Ammon, Sean,
and I went to the Mc Donald’s at the train station. It was a great stroll. In the evening we went to go to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see “David”. It was absolutely colossal and impressive: sculpting perfection.

“Night & Day”

“Dawn & Dusk”

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Happy Birthday, Carter!

. Family . , ,

Florence, Italy at the Ponte Vecchio

Of course, the birthday boy is on the far right! LOL

Happy 3rd birthday to Carter! He is such a joy and a blessing from God.

Carter, I love you so much as well as the whole family. Your
Daddy H

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Hard Rock: Rome & Florence

. European Destinations, Family Travel . , , , , , , , , ,

Hard Rock: Rome, Italy

If we are in a big, cosmopolitan, international city and we’re
not too sure about what food we want to eat for an evening meal, we usually
make our way to the Hard Rock Café. From experience in foreign countries, we
know we will get a good, satisfying meal. We truly enjoy experiencing native/regional
dishes, but evening meals can be SO expensive, and why pay $30 a person or more
for a meal that you might not enjoy when you KNOW you will enjoy a meal at the
Hard Rock Café even though it can be expensive as well?

Hard Rock Cafe: Florence, Italy

In Italy, we ate at the Hard Rock Café Rome multiple times
this trip, and we ate at the Hard Rock Café Florence twice during our stay
there. We were never dissatisfied, and we always left those restaurants full
and satisfied. We also bought our city tee-shirts! The music is always good,
and Carter and Ammon have a good time with the music and the food as well.

During this quick visit, Venice’s Hard Rock was only entered to buy t-shirts and to use the toilet facilities. ;o)

My family and I have a penchant for Hard Rock Cafes and other European destinations.

Some of my Parenting with Pride (please cruise and peruse!) favorites include Stunning Santorini, Oslo, Norway, Dollywood (Country Music Singer’s Theme Park) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Marriage Equality in Tennessee .

Give me a “Google” with “Haven Caylor”. Blessings! -Haven

Ammon, Nana, & Carter: Hard Rock Venice, Italy

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Floreat Roma (Let Rome Flourish)

. European Destinations . , , , , , , , , , ,

Trevi Fountain Tuesday October 4, 2011

RomePyramidCestius

Cestius Pyramid & San Paulo’s Gate (Ostiense Gate)

I don’t know exactly what to say about Rome except for the
fact that it is overwhelming. I know there are cities which are older, but its
history is amazing. The area of the Palatine hill, of course, had
settlements way before 753 B. C. (Rome’s official “settling” year), but Rome has seen growths, fires, triumphs, tragedies, desolations, and flourishings. Last Saturday, I stood between theCestius Pyramid and the San Paulo Gate which the Ostrogoths marched through to make the final “Gothic” plunder of Rome, and imagined the  Eternal City’s gates locked and the city desolate. However, a 21st century motorcycle interrupted my image.LOL

I’ll write more about Rome near the
end of the “Fall 2011 Caylor-Brown Travels” blog compilation. By the way, it’s
great to be home! Hope everyone is well, and Happy Tuesday.

Inside the Sistine Chapel Halls (October 5, 2011)

One of Sean and Haven’s few “alone” times (October 4, 2011)

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If you Give a Moose a Muffin

. Preschool Unit Plans . , , , , ,

Happy Monday, Everyone! Educational Tip

I know Big Books are mostly used for elementary-age students, but they are also beneficial to older ESL students. The region I live in and taught ESL in has a huge Hispanic population, and because I am bilingual (I will blog some of my experiences one day…university in Madrid, Spain, and living in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, I was always blessed with newcomer, Hispanic ESL students. I had ESL students who were 16 years old reading Big Books! Why, because they were pre-schoolers when it came to reading in English! You know what? They never complained. I was able to check the Big Books out of the libraries from the elementary schools.

I will talk about Big Books for several weeks. The first idea is to make sure EVERY student reads the book. It may take two weeks, but who cares? Allow your stronger students to read first, and by the end of the time period you have allotted especially after 15 or more times of hearing it, your weakest students will have read as well. It is more holistic than phonics/blending, but that’s okay! Ammon and  Carter really enjoy If you give a Moose a Muffin, and I am looking forward to buying more.

 More on Big Book next week