Almost Ready - We think

Well, it looks like we are about a week away from having the camper ready for our trip South.  I think we have now dealt with all the recent problems we've discovered with the main systems (water, heat, AC, etc) and are now just down to working on those things that will make living in less than 400 sq ft for the foreseeable future a bit more comfortable.

I'm excited because we are about to embark on an adventure.  I'm a bit scared because we're about to embark on an adventure.  I'm a planner and I like to know what I'm getting myself into.  I don't know anyone who's done what we are about to do.  I've tried researching ideas on how to organize the camper so we can sleep, eat, teach, and work from it, but I haven't been able to come up with anything.  I'm also stressing a bit over the fact that we will no longer have access to a library to check books and DVD's out once we are on the road (a staple so far while homeschooling).  Not only that, but gas prices are skyrocketing and I'm just watching our bills go up with each place we are thinking of driving to.  It's making me think our adventure will be a bit more subdued than originally planned.

Who knows, maybe I'll keep a journal of things learned and done while on our adventure and I'll write a book about it.  Perhaps we will be the beginning of a trend where people try to work while on the go in their camper.  I'm certainly hoping so, since we've made some modifications to the camper designed for that purpose.

They're Watching

I haven't been at this blogging thing for very long and when I first set it up, I did so very quickly and without really thinking much about how I wanted it to look and what information I was willing to let people know about me.  Over the last few days I've been looking at some of those things.

For example, I've changed the design that appears in the background.  I've updated some of the personal information about me, and I've removed the list of names of people who are "following" my blog.  I still have a few more things I want to do, I just haven't had the time to get to it all.

Today I discovered that basic information is being collected about how many times each blog entry is read (the most popular being my tribute to my mom - which I think is really cool).  It can even tell me what kind of computer most of my followers use (Mac) and which web browser is the most popular (Firefox).  Don't worry, if you are not one of those people who is "officially" following my blog, I have no idea who you are.  All I know is what county you live in (most popular is US, but there is at least 1 person from 9 other countries that have at least looked at one of my blog posts).  Kinda cool since I can only account for 2 of them.

It is amazing to me, how computers and the Internet has made such things so easy.  (To be honest, part of me thinks it's cool and another part is scared!)

I am surprised though, that anyone who doesn't know me would even be interested in reading anything I've written.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have considered doing this if I was worried people would stumble across what I've written.  It's just that I'm writing stuff about my daily life and I just figured it's not that interesting to people who don't know me.  That said, maybe those people who are considered paranoid because they are convinced people are watching our every move are onto something.

Change of Plans

One of the reasons I liked the idea of homeschooling (for this year in particular) is that it allows me to be flexible in where and how I teach.  After helping my son with homework last year I realized that he learns better if things are made a bit more fun.  Doing pages and pages of seat work is not appealing to him (and I get that).

Yesterday, we learned about the classifications of animals.  I let the kids go through magazines and cut out pictures of different animals and then we glued them onto pages based upon their classification.  My son enjoyed the project so much that he made a book out of the pages and then started to add facts to the different categories (e.g. birds all have feathers).  Yesterday, was one of the longest "days of school" we've had to date, but he didn't complain because I'd found a way to make it fun.

This morning we learned about George Washington Carver.  My son has always been into inventing and making things so GWC, was of particular interest.  It didn't hurt that we got to shell and eat peanuts while watching a DVD about him and some of the things he invented. 

We are currently taking a "break" from school for today (another benefit of homeschooling).    You see, I've also learned that sometimes a break helps him focus better (and it can help me focus better because I can get a few things done now and then without feeling like I'm ignoring his schooling).  After lunch we will start up again and do a few worksheets and read a book before heading out to the playground and the library.

Another benefit to homeschooling is that when a child is sick on the day of a scheduled field trip, you can change the date on said trip.   You see, today I was going to take the kids to the zoo in DC.  I figured it would be appropriate since I've been teaching the kids about the different categories of animals.  Luckily I did not tell my children of my plans.  If I had, there would have been a LOT of complaining when we didn't go.  You see, when we went to bed last night, I was still not confident that I should be taking my daughter 1.5 hours away from home since she hadn't been feeling well lately. 

Today, she seems to be doing much better.  It's too late to go to the zoo today, but since it is so nice out I think I will take the kids to the local playground and the library (which is a couple blocks away) instead.  

I'm still hopeful that we can get a trip to the zoo in soon (Saturday looks nice - but more crowded of course).  Who knows what will happen.  Things can change, and probably will between now and then, but that's ok.  We're homeschoolers and we can roll with the punches.

Normal

Today the kids and I are home for the 3rd day in a row.  I know I've done this before, but when it's not by choice it becomes old and annoying very quickly.  I've lived on a mountain where the snow stranded us for 4 days or more at a time.  That was annoying, but I think more annoying than that, is being stranded when the weather is not the reason.  You see, my daughter is not feeling well right now so we are stuck at home till she feels better.

As I sit here, I keep thinking that it would be nice if things were back to "normal."  But even that normal will not last for long.  In fact, we hope to be ready to leave Virginia in the next week or so.  Then we will have to create a new normal for ourselves.  I'm kind of looking forward to that, but I'm also wishing that our new normal would be a bit more permanent. 

I realize there is nothing normal about my life right now.  At this point, I'll just be happy if I can leave the house tomorrow to get a few errands done that have been waiting for a while.

One Crafty Lady

My grandmother is an artist.  I mean a REAL artist.  She just turned 92 so she's doesn't have the mobility and hand dexterity that she used to, but she used to be a prolific painter and sculptor.  She's never sold her work as far as I know;  she just did it for the love and enjoyment of doing it. 

My mom and little brother can draw and paint like her, but not me.  I can do stick people and some basic animals (butterflies and bees).  When growing up, I remember being in art class and wondering why I didn't get any of those skills. 

Yesterday, I realized that my artistic gift is not so much in drawing, painting, and sculpting.  Mine is in crafts.  As a mom of 2 small children, crafts have become a staple in my house.  You know what - I have come up with some interesting ideas too.  I have been cross stitching for years.  I can follow patterns for cross-stitch, but I can also make adjustments to them to make them look better and meet my specific needs.  I have also recently learned how to knit (a skill I am hopeful I will become really good at).  I can also sew. 

Until yesterday, all I did in the relm of sewing was to repair things or to make fleece baby blankets.  My confidence was lifted when I made a pillow yesterday.  Not just any pillow, but a 3D pillow.  I sewed together 6 panels (one of which had a 30" zipper in it).  Oh, and none of it with a pattern... just the measurements of the space in the camper that I needed the pillow to fit.

To borrow a phrase a friend of mine likes to use... I think I have mad [crafting] skills.  Thanks Grandma for passing some artistic skills along to me after all.

Warm Weather = Progress

Here in Northern Virginia the weather the last week has been quite nice.  This has made it so hubby and I have been spending quite a bit of time working on the camper.  Granted we have all the incentive in the world right now to get things done.  You see, there is snow expected tonight as well as the record breaking temps of the last few days are going to be a thing of the past. 

Our goal right now is to try to leave this coming weekend.  I'm not sure if we will be ready to leave this weekend, but I think we will be able to leave sometime early next week. 


Part of me is excited, and part of me is a bit nervous.  I'm looking forward to being in "our" house.  I'm not looking forward to driving the camper from place to place.  You see, the length of the truck and the camper combined is going to be 40 ft.  We're going to have to stop at truck stops for gas and food.  We're also going to have to plan any trips off the highway carefully so we don't get stuck in a position where it's hard to turn around.

We did find out that Google map on our iPad is AWESOME and allows us to scope out our route.  We were a bit worried that our truck didn't have a GPS when we first got it, but to be honest, we like the iPad better.  Considering there are many other people traveling with a travel trailer, I'm sure we will find other things along the way that will help us get around. 

It's All About Who You Talk To

We did it!!! Yippy!  We got the registration on our truck fixed.  All we did was show the lady at the front counter the manual from our truck and explain to her why it was important for us to get it fixed and she got it done! 

It only cost us $2 to get the registration reprinted and maybe 15 minutes of our time.  If only she had been there the first time we went in to get it handled, I'm sure we would have gotten it done a long time ago.

Sure does feel good to have that done.  I think I will now relish the fact that I FINALLY get to check that task off my to-do list.