On October 4th, 2011 my class and I got to go on a tour at the Wisconsin State capitol and the state Historical Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was there I learned some really cool facts like the capitol’s dome is the 4th largest in the world and that the Wisconsin capitol has 700 rooms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Or did you know that on Saturday mornings there is a farmers market around the building?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The WI Capitol
The original Wisconsin capitol was built in Belmont, Iowa.The 2nd capitol was built during 1837 in Madison, Wisconsin. On February, 26, 1904, a gas jet lit a ceiling newly-varnished in the 3rd capitol building. The building did have a fire-fighting system but the reservoir was empty and the building burned down. The 4th Wisconsin capitol was finished being built in 1917 and cost $7.25 million. If the standing capitol was built today, it would cost $2 billion. The capitol is 284 feet, and five inches from the ground floor to the “Wisconsin” statue on top of the dome, making it only 3 feet shorter than the nation’s capitol
The “Wisconsin” statue is 15 feet, 5 inches and weighs 3 tons. Dainel Chester French sculpted the statue “Wisconsin” in 1920.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wisconsin capitol is made from 43 different kinds of stone from 8 states and 6 countries. In the rotunda is marble from Algeria, France, Greece, Italy, and Norway, syenite (Labradorite) from Minnesota and limestone and red granite from Waupaca, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite thing to find out that the railing on the inside balcony is from Italy and France. I think it’s cool that there are so many kinds of rock from so many different kinds of places.

So, I don’t know how it is at your house, but at ours there live two little girls that have grown more and more likely to use the word yuck when looking at the food being prepared for dinner.  We have been working on the concepts of “don’t knock it ’til you try it” and “you can start saying yuck when you start cooking your own meals.”  Well, that’s all fine in theory.  One too many days in a row and that’s it – “You are cooking Thursday night!!!!!!”  The look on our 7 year old’s face was great.  “But I don’t know how to cook……”

So she says.  As soon as she realized that we were serious, she said that she wanted to make her own mac and cheese.  She put together a list in ingredients and asked that they be there for her on Thursday.  Thursday rolls around, and I look at her and say “Where do you want to start to make dinner?  I’ll help, but you have to tell me what to do – you are in charge of this meal.”

Start the water.. and the oven

Get the heavy pan and we’ll melt the butter

Can you reach the flour?  I can’t get that high

Stir that please, I’ll add the milk

Please get the pasta down

grate the cheese

I’ll stir, you add cheese…. we need to save some for the top too

And thus it went.  Into the oven she placed dinner once we arrived home from our Yoga class.  Then a few minutes later I hear “Daddy – I need help.  Will you get the pot holders out of the oven – I forgot and left them in with the pan.”

Dinner was excellent!

Bedtime rolls around and I am talking to her and let her know that we would like her to cook once a week.  She groaned, but then said “well I guess we will have mac and cheese or pasta with red sauce once a week then.”  I said that was ok, or she could plan other things and we could work together to figure out a new to her dinner.  “Yeah – I could be your sous chef”  Who knew?

A moment ago Ella was playing by the computer while I paid bills.  I glanced over just as she said “Hi Mama, I’m Trotsky” as she bounced her finger puppet covered hand toward me.

I can’t stand it anymore.  Because I want to know who is going to be the president in the White House.  I know in 25 hours I will know and I hope it will be Barack Obama!

Who are you voting for?

(Editor’s note:  I’m a little anxious as well!! SMN)

When we were eating dinner we were eating a pomegranate and my baby sister said “Obamagranate”. And it was funny.