Virginia Day 5

Today we decided to head to the actual Jamestowne colony site and the Yorktown Battlefields.  Both are units in the National Park System so rather then historical recreations, these are the actual locations.  

The colony at Jamestowne was actually on an little island.  The Army Corp of Engineers has built a road to connect it so that visitors can drive to the island.  To get to the actual site of the fort you have to walk over a boardwalk through the marshy areas that surround the island.  

The view on the walk...

 We found a bunch of these little turtles.  The "adventure guide" the kids were completing listed a bunch of animals we might see on the walk- including turtles and alligators.  We didn't see any 'gators however

 The church

 Part of another structure they are recreating.  There are actually multiple archeology pits on the site as there is still active exploration going on.  Apparently, no one knew the true location of the fort until the mid 1990s- so there is still much they are discovering

At the Yorktown Battlefield.  The site is actually a series of multiple sites that are connected by a loop drive.  

I don't know exactly what a redoubt is (nor do I really need to know) but these are redoubts 9 and 10.  X fancies himself a soldier- he didn't think I saw him pretending to fire his musket

Another (Not Really) Unbelievable Adoption Story

Remember this story about the undocumented immigrant whose son was adopted while she was in jail?  Or this post about the situation?

The court's initial ruling that her parental rights had be wrongly terminated.  Rather than award custody back to his mother, the courts ordered a new trial.

And this time...

On Wednesday, Missouri Circuit Court Judge David Jones ruled that Bail Romero had abandoned her son and that the Mosers' adoption petition will proceed.

It is unbelievable that the court has ruled against this mother, despite the ruling that her rights were unjustly terminated.  While the records are sealed it appears the crux of the argument is that the adoptive parents are more fit to parent him.

Which leaves me still believing that these words are truer than ever

But in this regard- biology does matter and when we begin to decide, contrary to law, who is fit to parent and who isn't- well it becomes a slippery slope before anyone with a better education, bigger house or larger portfolio can argue they would be the better parent to our children than we are. 

Ethics must be at the forefront of every adoption, and even more so when one party (the adoptive parents) hold significant power over the other (the birthmother) 

Most adoptions don't end like this because most agencies and attorneys are ethical and follow the letter of the law. 

But when people become so desperate that they latch on to anyone promising a baby,

when they look for the quickest way, 

when they ignore obvious warning signs or refuse to do their own due diligence, 

when they believe they are so much more superior that the other person, 

when they believe they have the moral high ground- 

when they make ethics a lessor priority than getting a baby,then the only real loser is the child.

While I certainly sympathize with the adoptive parents- this is not the way. 

Hopefully, this mother will be reunited with her child.

Virginia Day 4

Day 4 brought us to the Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center.  Both places provided more opportunities to go back in time to the first colony and the last battle of the Revolution. 

The Jamestown Settlement

 Wow these buckets are heavy

 Of course, the buckets are much less heavy when they are still resting on the ground

Apparently K was done with the photo shoot

At the Yorktown Victory Center

 Learning how to do surgery to remove a musket ball (should they ever need to do that)

 Okay maybe the skill of removing musket balls might come in handy after all

Ending the day at the beach at Riverwalk Landing

Virginia Day 2 and 3

Day 2 was actually at Water Country USA.  We took photos with a waterproof disposable camera with actual film (gasp) so until I find someplace that can not only develop but also provide a digital copy of the photos you will have to trust me that it was hot and fun.

Day 3 was Busch Gardens Williamsburg- also a fun day with some challenges however.  A is not a rider.  D is a rider but is too short to actually ride anything "cool".  K also wants to ride but is another shorty which mades for several crying episodes how "not fair" it was.  

"I want to go on that roller coaster!"

At the the cheesy show that took a bunch of actual Broadway songs and added them to a "musical" that had something to do with fairy tales.  I am just not sure what.  But the kids were amused they recognized some of the songs and towards the end K observed "hey this is a musical"  Honestly, we really wanted to see it- it had nothing to do with the fact the theater was air conditioned.

But the girls LOVED it and had to pose with all the characters.

 

 

 

 

Along those same lines, the kids really wanted to have dinner with Elmo and Friends.  It also had nothing to do with the fact the restaurant was air conditioned.  Actually the little ones were so excited to have dinner with Elmo (and the big ones played along)

 

 (I have to wonder if they scotchguard those furry bodies)

 

Don't worry Ernie-It gets better.

  LOVE

And speaking of love...

 The world famous Clydesdales

 I will leave out the parts where I took X on a rollercoaster called Verboten- (it looks tame on the map) and I succumbed to their nagging and let the girls go on a ride called Dark Castle.  Let's just say one is proud she was brave (although she never even put on the 3D glasses) and the other cried in fear the whole ride.  

Just call me mother of the year.