Happy Memorial Day

Most kids don't even know why they have today off. I make sure my kids know exactly why we have today off and what Memorial Day is.
We thank all the men and women and their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom!!! We pray for the soldiers who are fighting for us today.
Last week we went over some things about the Civil War and read some stories about Children in the Civil War.
We also studied the red poppy and why it was important. The tradition of the red poppy has become a formality of Memorial Day which is often overlooked now days.

Ok, listen up class...Bridget's teaching LOL...
The poppy has become the flower symbol for the Memorial Day Holiday. From the poem, written by Canadian physician and soldier John McCrae,


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

John McCrae, 1915.

The poppy represents the blood shed by soldiers during times of war. Although the poem was written by McCrae, the poppy was first recognized as the Memorial Day flower in 1915 when a woman by the name of Moina Michael began to sell poppies in an effort to encourage further recognition of the day. Michael helped to begin the National Poppy movement and to commemorate her efforts a 3-cent stamp was created in her honor.

The poppy, by nature, is a wildflower. It’s seed will lie stagnant in the ground until it is disturbed. During times of war, soldiers would churn the ground as they marched though fields. The result was a beautiful and overabundant growth of poppy flowers found to flourish in conditions where most other flowers would die. Also during war, poppies were often used by physicians in administering morphine ...wow, I didn't know this....
So, we hung our American flag proudly and the kids made a little poppy wreath for our front door and I was busy planting poppies in our garden...After finding out that poppy seed capsules contain morphine and codeine. haha (I'm kidding)



Another poem I thought was cool.....

Go look in on your children still asleep
within their bed.
Remind yourself they’re safe and warm
because of some long dead.

Go for a walk through cemeteries
lined with little flags.
Take time to ponder homebound heroes
flown in body bags.

Go stand between those granite stones
engraved with names and dates.
Imagine all who died defending
our United States.

Go on and kneel beside a marker
offering a prayer
with gratitude for those who gave their lives
defeating terror.

Go home and count your blessings
from the hands of those now gone.
Then vow to the Almighty that their
mem’ry will live on.
By Greg Asimakoupoulos

Also if you check my side bar you will see the Call2Fall button...check that out!

I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?
Benjamin Franklin , Motion for Prayers in the Constitutional Convention – June 28, 1787

I'll leave the contest of the book open for the rest of the day...I'll announce the winner tonight. I'm off to enjoy a day with my family because I can and have the freedom to:)