WELCOME TO KIRSTEN'S WORLD - Swedish girl, Minnesota Territory 1854
Our family first celebrated Santa Lucia day on December 13th, 2004, when Autumn Heather and Giselle brought us breakfast in bed, consisting of Santa Lucia buns and hot chocolate. This was our first experience with Kirsten, the Swedish girl from Minnesota Territory.
Autumn Heather baked Santa Lucia buns the night before, and got everything ready for this Swedish Christmastime tradition. Our family, or at least the girls of our family, knew about the Santa Lucia tradition for many years because of the Kirsten doll and her stories.
The legend of Santa Lucia or Saint Lucy includes this: Santa Lucia was an early Roman girl who converted to Christianity and took provisions to the persecuted Christians who dwelt in the catacombs. Since her hands were filled with food and drink she wore candles on her head to light her way. Later she was denounced as a Christian, tortured and killed.
The Swedish celebrate her day when the oldest daughter dresses in white with a red sash and a candle wreath, bearing sweet buns and hot chocolate to the members of the family.
In the summer of 2004 Jasmyn traveled to Sweden and brought back drip-less candles specifically for Autumn Heather and Giselle to wear on a Santa Lucia wreath. I also found some Christmas tree candleholder clips at the dollar store which Autumn Heather used to make her wreath.
Even though Autumn Heather did the work, she let Giselle
wear the wreath and bring food to her Daddy.
If Hal IV and Chase were to be given their breakfast in bed, Autumn Heather had to wake them up before seminary, at about 5am. I have photos of Hal IV and Chase holding their hot chocolate, but I don't think they want those here!
Autumn Heather and Giselle continued this Christmastime tradition for several years.
Autumn 2005
Giselle 2006
Autumn Heather built almost an entirely new wagon using the boards from our old water bed. The only part she used from the old wagon was the cover I had made eight years before.
Now the girls had another place to sleep in.
Their nightgowns were hand-me-downs from their older sisters.
Giselle, Sara Patterson, Autumn Heather
Autumn Heather shortened Amber's old pioneer dress,
and then made accessories to match the Kirsten doll's outfit.
She made her own set of American Girl paper dolls using pictures of herself. She set up a photo studio against the bookshelves in our living room and I took the pictures of her dressed up in her various outfits. Four American Girl dolls were represented, with a paper doll in undergarments, and two outfits for each doll.
Here are some of the photos--The girls in undergarments became the paper dolls,
and the heads of the of the girls in dresses were cut off and tabs added
to make dresses for the dolls. She made some funny faces in those
photos with dresses since her face wouldn't be used.
I don't remember everything we did that day because I didn't plan it,
but I taught the older children how to make soap
My friend's Swedish mother came to our home and shared some Swedish traditions with just my girls. She brought some Swedish treats and other things she purchased at a Swedish store. This was a very quiet gathering, but it left an impression.
Autumn Heather, Giselle, Sister Britt Nilsson
Almost four years later, in December 2008 Giselle dressed up specifically
to take Santa Lucia breakfast to Sister Nilsson.
to take Santa Lucia breakfast to Sister Nilsson.
Sister Nilsson was so touched by Giselle's thoughtfulness. We sat and ate breakfast with her. She told us of the times when she was chosen to be the Santa Lucia girl for her town, and how the dark morning streets would be filled with girls in white nightgowns, carrying trays from house to house. She said that the young women are given the keys to their bosses homes and awaken them and their wives in their bedrooms! I suppose everyone wanted to be in on this tradition.
Sister Nilsson's Santa Lucia figurines.
Closing day of Kirsten
We got a little behind in our school schedule so our group met together to end our study of Kirsten's world, and begin our study of Addy's world. I don't remember everything we did, but we I know we made rag rugs and ate Dutch oven rabbit stew.
We got a little behind in our school schedule so our group met together to end our study of Kirsten's world, and begin our study of Addy's world. I don't remember everything we did, but we I know we made rag rugs and ate Dutch oven rabbit stew.
Giselle and Haley Manutai braiding calico for rugs
WELCOME TO ADDY'S WORLD - Escaped Slave girl, Philadelphia 1864
That afternoon Mary Todd Lincoln and other historical figures from the Civil War period visited us. I learned about these re-enactors when I saw an interview of Mrs. Lincoln in the local paper. She is a grand niece of Mary Todd Lincoln and shares the same physical characteristics--height, weight, and hair and eye color. She brought her husband and grandchildren along to teach us about the Civil war and the fashion of the period.
Autumn Heather and Giselle with Mrs. Lincoln,
in front of the White House trailer which held their props.
in front of the White House trailer which held their props.
A little later we went to our first Civil War Reenactment at Calico Ghost Town. This field trip turned into an annual event for about eight years, as we continued to return every President's Day weekend to this reenactment.
(This was the same lady who visited our home)
In the afternoon Abraham Lincoln gives the Gettysburg Address, and because we had memorized this for school it meant so much more to us.
Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with
Autumn Heather, Giselle, and Haley Manutai
A favorite part of the day was the square and other dancing in the street
Giselle and a few of her partners
Lincoln Memorial Shrine, Redlands
Closing Day of Addy
WELCOME TO SAMANTHA'S WORLD - Victorian Girl, New York 1904
(I know that technically Samantha's era is not Victorian, but I just followed the eras as set out by the doll company.)
Giselle didn't want to attend the opening day of Samantha. She didn't like the period of this American Girl doll so she didn't want to come. I recently asked her about this and her response was, "I was a brat!" She was adamant about staying home, but since that wasn't an option she came with us. By the time we got home she said it was one of her favorite days of the school year. Kids!
Symbria really was the queen of field trips. One of her relatives lives in a Victorian home, where everything is turn-of-the-century, or looks like it. Even their entertainment wall is covered by a huge velvet curtain so that we felt that we were walking into Samantha's world.
To top it off, the teachers for the day were Symbria's unmarried nieces who taught them all about Victorian life and even played duets on mandolins and such, like good Victorian girls would have done. We learned the language of fans, played croquet and enjoyed a Victorian Tea.
Autumn and Giselle are on the right, with Haley in between
Field trip to the Huntington
During the Jane Austen-Charles Dickens Literary Society year we took these same photos in nearly the same kinds of dresses, though I hadn't remembered these photos.
Same path in 2010, but the trees are grown over
Kimberly Crest Mansion
The mothers of our group sometimes dressed up too. The morning we went to this mansion I put together a Victorian outfit. I went out to the garage and found a skirt and blouse, but needed a hat too. I grabbed the hat I had spray-painted for a pirate outfit the year before:
I pulled out some of the staples so that only one side of the brim was attached to the crown, then stapled a bunch of lace to it. It looked Victorian to me!
Closing Day Samantha
We were instructed to bring our calling cards which the butler
collected on a silver tray when we arrived
collected on a silver tray when we arrived
The children presented their projects at this closing day. Autumn Heather proved Henry Ford's assembly line idea--Each person drew one part of a car, then passed the page on to the next person at the table, and the next until the entire car was completed. The assembly line car was drawn faster than one person could draw the same car by herself.
We wrapped a Maypole
This is one of the few photos of mothers taken throughout the years.
WELCOME TO KIT'S WORLD - Depression era girl, Ohio 1934
After completing six components we only had a month left in school, so we only did one Kit activity: we were invited into the home of Deena's parents as they told about the Great Depression and how it affected their lives.
Our lunch that day was very memorable--not because of the food but because of the dishes. Polly never brought paper plates to a picnic--we always ate on the best, thematic dishes available. That day Polly brought tin pie plates and empty vegetable cans to eat and drink from!
Sara Patterson and Giselle in her flour sack skirt, which we made just before this activity.
(My mother used to make me skirts from these sacks when I was little)
WELCOME TO MOLLY'S WORLD - World War II Era girl, Illinois 1944
Field trip to a WWII airplane museum
An informal interview with a World War II veteran--Symbria's father
Making our own newspaper kites
Closing Day Molly
We returned to the place where we began the year, only in stead of an Indian camp, it was a Molly version of a girls' camp.
The kids pitched this tent and learned other camping skills.
They swam in the creek during the day,
and performed skits around the campfire at night.
CLOSING DAY OF THE YEAR
Symbria hosted the closing day at her home. She asked every child to come dressed in his/her favorite time period costume, and to bring a favor each student which was inspired by that same time period.
Autumn Heather leads our group in singing our school song one last time
We sang 'Happy Birthday' to all the American Girls who turned ten that year.
I loved this sweet, yet adventure-filled school year which took us from pre-colonial to modern American times. It set a standard for all the other years to come.
