The Red Cooler

Whenever I'm packing for a family roadtrip, I always wonder what my children will remember most about our travels.  Will it be the places we go?  The sights we see?  Will it be the people we meet along the way?  When they think of their parents packing and preparing, what will jump into their minds?  It'll probably be the most random things that I won't even remember 10 years from now.

We traveled quite a bit when I was growing up.  We lived in the midwest, and my grandparents all lived in Florida.  A lot of hours were spent on the road traveling to see our family.  Before each trip, my mom would carefully prepare.  Amongst other things, we had our suitcases, the 'kitchen' (a basket with all the plastic utensils and kitchen-y extras we could need), beach towels on each seat, coloring books, card games, and the red cooler.

The red cooler fit perfectly in front of my seat in our van.  It made for a great footrest!  It also worked well as a table for playing solitaire.  Packed with lunchmeats, cheeses, and egg salad for my dad, it became a sort of symbol of family vacations for me.

About twice a day while traveling, we would pick up a bag of ice along the way.  This, of course, had to be hit against something repeatedly to break up the ice and make it fit in the red cooler.  Then, there was the careful dumping out of the water that had accumulated from melting ice cubes.  Once we were at our hotel room for the night, there was more dumping of water, and numerous trips to the ice machine to fill it back up again.  The cycle started again the next morning.  I loved that red cooler!

I spotted it just recently in the bottom of a cabinet when I went to go get the cooler we currently use for our roadtrips.  We now have the kind that plugs into the car and doesn't require constant refills of ice.  That's a good thing, too.  If you ask anyone in Europe for a bag of ice, they'll look at you funny.  But just seeing our red cooler brought back so many great memories.  It's one of those random things that I remember about my childhood travels.  When we move back to the US, I think we'll have to start using that red cooler again.

Poland: The Rest of the Story

Rainboots and Umbrella?  Check!

Every trip has a story.  Normally, it's filled with the highlights of "we went here, we saw this, we did that".  On our recent trip to Poland, we went to some incredible places. We went to probably the most somber and emotional place in Europe.  But what's the rest of the story?  I don't even know where to begin, except to say that I don't think I've ever been happier to be back home.

Things started to go wrong before we even left.  Over a week before our departure, I began attempting to contact a specific pottery store in Boleslawiec.  I had read that it was possible for children and adults to paint their own pottery and then the store would fire it, and ship it.  I thought it would be a fantastic souvenir for Tootsie and Turkey.  After numerous failed attempts to contact the store, I was finally able to reach them...only to find out they only did the pottery painting on Saturdays.  We would be there on a Thursday, and were unable to alter our itinerary.

Our hotel on the first night was...well...sub-par.  Amongst other problems with the hotel, the listing on the website I use to make hotel reservations said that it had a restaurant attached.  When we went to the 'restaurant', we discovered it was pretty much just a banquet hall.  When my husband asked if the restaurant was open for dinner, the staff member made a phone call to ask about it, and afterwards said "We can make you schnitzel".  Ummm...ok.  So we all had schnitzel.

The plan to wander through the Krakow didn't go so well, either.  Mother Nature decided to assert herself through rain and heavy winds.  Our first day of attempted wandering started out innocently enough...it began to drizzle, so we pulled out our umbrellas and stroller covers.  Once we got into the open square, however, umbrellas were turning inside out.  The support spines broke on one umbrella, and the handle on another snapped completely off...popping springs and all.  In the midst of all this, we also lost our city map.  So, of course, we got lost trying to find our way back to our hotel that evening.  At least by then the rain had stopped.

Our second day of wandering in Krakow found us fighting the wind to go up the Wawel Hill.  And then the rains came.  (At this point, of course, we were down two umbrellas)  We took shelter under the arches of a building at the top of Wawel Hill.  When the rain subsided, we thought we'd give it another try to see just one more thing....but the wind nearly took us away.  Our stroller (with Tiny inside) was barely stopped from flipping over.  We gave up, and went back to our apartment for a fun family game night.

There were other travel oddities that occurred...but I think I've relived enough for one blog post.  Through all of these difficulties with our trip to Poland, I'm still glad we went.  We were able to see some amazing and deeply moving sights.  The memories of this trip (both good and not-so-great) will stay with me always.  "And now you know the REST of the story"

Weekend in Review

Remember that post about the uncertainties of military life?  Travel Daddy returned Friday night after a two week trip.  Sunday evening, he got a call which resulted in a plan to leave again Wednesday.  That plan was scratched by a phone call this morning with a plan to go somewhere else..."oh, and by the way, can you leave today?"  This is our continual reality.

We also tried to plan an itinerary for a possible trip in the next month or so.  The planning went something like this...

PLAN A:
TD: "How about we do a quick tour of Eastern European capitals? (Budapest, Bratislava, Zagreb, and Ljubljana)
Me: "Ok!  I'll start researching"
(After a trip to the library, checking out 7 different travel books on Eastern Europe, and some research)...

Me: "There's too much to see near Ljubljana for the time that we have.  We'll have to divide up the capitals"

PLAN A2:
"Why go to Zagreb when the sites in Split are so much better?  We could see a Diocletian Palace!  Oh!  and check out the Plitvice Lakes National Park!"  (In all honesty, I have NO CLUE how to pronounce Plitvice...so this was more like..."check out this place with the lakes!")
"If we drive to Dubrovnik, we will get to go through five miles of Bosnia-Herzegovina."

**discovered that one of the sites near Ljubljana does not open until the beginning of April**

PLAN B:
"New Plan!  How about Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna?"
"There's too much to see in Vienna to combine it with Budapest and Bratislava with the time that we have"

PLAN C:
"What's if we go to Poland instead?  Warsaw?"
"If we go to Krakow instead of Warsaw, we'll be right by Auschwitz...I'd really like to go there"
"Do we want to take the children to Auschwitz?"
"Do I want to celebrate my birthday with a trip to a concentration camp?"

PLAN D:
"How about Vienna?"


At time of posting, I have come up with 7 different itineraries, complete with mileage charts and fuel cost estimates...and we are no closer to actually going anywhere.  I have, however, learned how to pronounce Ljubljana, and discovered that Slovenia is a BEAUTIFUL country.  Hope we make it there someday!

Book Recommendation...

I don't know how often I'll do this, but I really feel compelled to let you know about this book we've happened upon.  It is clever, it is cute, and Tootsie and Turkey really enjoy it.  Drumroll please............................

Exclamation Mark!
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenhelf

Follow the journey of a punctuation mark, as it tries to figure out it's role.  Other punctuation marks make their appropriate appearances.  As I'm typing this, it all seems very silly, but REALLY...check it out from your library.  You won't regret it :)

Dino Days!

We just finished up a fun couple of weeks here, with a Dinosaur theme!  There was stomping...there was RRRRROOOOAAAARRRRIIIINNNNGGG, there was even redo of the 80's tune "Walk like an Egyptian" to become "Walk Like a Dinosaur".  I just now realized that we SHOULD have gone with "Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was).  DOH!  Maybe we'll extend our theme for an extra day to fit that in :)

The highlight of the week for the T's was making fossils with salt dough, and then going on a 'dig' to find them.

We had some fun books for storytime...

• Dinosaurumpus! by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
• Stomp! Chomp! Big Roars! Here Come the Dinosaurs! by Kaye Umansky
• Countasaurus by Megan E. Bryant, illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell
• What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by John Morris and Ken Ham
• Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House, No. 1) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca

And we had a great time using the Dino Stomp Number Line Activity Mat from Excellerations during math.

We even had fun with our food :)  We just happened to have a sandwich cutter that makes dinosaur shapes, and I found dinosaur egg oatmeal at the store.  Happy coincidence!

Up next week: the Water Cycle.  Makes me thirsty just thinking about it.  

Have a wonderful weekend!!

A Tale of Two Mornings

Hit the snooze, hit the snooze...how much sleep do I have to lose?
Check the time, check the time...rush a shower, looking fine.
Baby's up? Time for milk...sneak a cuddle?, spit-up on silk!
Wake up one, wake up two, do they know what to do?
Rush through breakfast, brush the hair..."Brush your teeth!"  Do they care?
Time for clothes, time for socks...keep them moving, trip on blocks
Shoes for one, two, and three, But where are the shoes for me?.
Jacket? Jacket!  Zip it up.  "Mom...MOM! my zipper's stuck!"
Out the door...out the door...Keep them moving a little more.
Carseats buckle, buckle away..."Whew!" the exhausted mom will say.

<<Breathe>>

Wake up to joyful chatter, snuggles, cuddles, love abounds
Yummy breakfast, happy talking, extra time can always be found
Not a schedule, but routine, as we move throughout the day
Still accomplishing our tasks: household cleanup, school and play.
Linger longer in the joy
With my girl and two young boys

Selective Thinking...

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" ~Luke 12:25

There are things that I choose not to think about, for I know that they would just cause unneeded and unhelpful worry.  In the forefront of my mind, today, is this image of my husband standing in the back of a cargo plane that's opened up to the sea.  This is part of his job, I know, and I'm so proud of him for what he does, but, I simply cannot think about the risks he will take when he leaves on a mission.  Instead, I choose to trust.  I trust that he knows what he's doing and is taking every precaution.  I trust that the people he's with are also taking every precaution to ensure the safety of the crew.  Most importantly, I trust that no matter what happens on that mission over those waters, "God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28  

If I do think about it...after he's home safe, of course...it's pretty awesome.

My Military Adventure

We're probably not the typical military family.  In the eight years that we've been married, we've only moved twice...once for military orders, and once for an improvement in housing.  We also haven't had to spend as much time apart as many other military families.  I'd estimate that my husband has been gone around 2-2.5yrs of our marriage.  This includes two deployments and many other missions.  The separations always come with unique challenges...which generally include a long list of things that break as soon as he leaves.

I think the biggest challenge of military life, though, is that the only certainty we have is that we will be met with great deals of uncertainty.  At any point in time, our soldiers can find out that they are leaving in two days and will be gone for a month.  Weekends are not our own...they can be obliterated by missions, exercises, inspections, etc. with the blink of an eye.  How common it is to make plans, then have to rearrange plans, only to find out that they have once again changed...all within a matter of an hour. And just when you think your husband is deployed to Turkey, you get a message that he just landed in Kuwait, where he'll be for the next two months.

My job as a military spouse and mom?  To try to maintain as much continuity and stability as possible for our family...and to be prepared to try to fix whatever is going to break as soon as my husband leaves.  It's always an adventure...and one that I wouldn't change for the world.  Love  and blessings to all my fellow military spouses!

Recipe for a Military Spouse

1 1/2 cups Patience
1 cup Courage
3/4 cup Tolerance
dash of Adventure
1 pound of Ability
To the above ingredients: Add 2 tablespoons elbow grease and let stand alone for one year. Marinate frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess fat and sprinkle ever so lightly with money then Knead dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake 20 years or until done. Makes unlimited servings
SERVE WITH PRIDE

The Silent Ranks
I wear no uniforms, no blues or greens.
But, I am in the military, in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But in the military world is where I live and am rarely seen.
I am not in the chain of command, orders I do not give or get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I am not the one who fires a weapon, Who puts his life on the line.
But my job is just as tough, I’m the one who is always left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and pride filled man.
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines, I see things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do my kids and me.
I love the man I married. The military is his life.
So I pledge to support my hero and stand among the silent ranks known as
THE MILITARY WIFE.

Cuckoo for Curriculum

Lately, I've been on a curriculum kick...trying to decide which curriculum we will be using during the next school year.  The way I figure, I better start trying to decide early...there are SO many choices!  Some things have been working really well for Tootsie, but her learning style is so different from TurkeyBoy.  I know I'm going to have to change things up a bit as he progresses with his schooling.

Here's what we've been doing this year:

Calendar Time - Each day we go over the day of the week, yesterday/today/tomorrow, and the weather.  TurkeyBoy is our official weatherman.  Sometimes I think his weather reports are wishful thinking.

Number of the Day - We have a chart to which we add a straw each day.  This is helping the T's to learn counting and place value.

Handwriting - Turkey has been working on his fine motor skills through tracing and cutting activities.  Tootsie has been working through "A Reason for Handwriting."

Phonics & Reading - The Explode the Code series.  Tootsie has done a great job learning to read with these books, and TurkeyBoy seems to enjoy casually going through the preschool set to learn the sounds of letters.  We've supplemented these books with BOB books, and other easy readers, and have had regular storytime every day, as well.

Math - Horizons Math for kindergarten.  At first I loved this math curriculum...then I detested it...now we've come to terms :)  Tootsie says that math is her favorite subject, so I guess it's working well for her.  I see no reason to switch her math curriculum at this point.  However, I think for TurkeyBoy, we may try out Math-U-See instead.  I think a more hands-on format will work better for his learning style.

We've been switching between science, history, and the arts throughout the year.  The T's have learned about outer space, our bodies, the food groups, the life cycle of butterflies, the first Thanksgiving, and Mozart.  The remainder of the year, we'll be learning about the water cycle, dinosaurs, rocks & minerals, matter (solid/liquid/gas), animal habitats, Monet & da Vinci, and a few presidents.

We are about halfway through our first year of homeschooling, now, and it's been such a great (and challenging!) experience.  It's wonderful to be the one to share in my children's excitement when they learn something new.  They are loving learning...and I love teaching them.


    

Let's Start a Tidal Wave!!

Today, I was caught off-guard.  Out of nowhere, a woman (a mother, and soon-to-be-grandmother) whom I deeply respect and admire, complimented my parenting.  It felt like a wave of calm had washed over me...because, you see, I, like most moms, am often second-guessing myself and my parenting abilities.  When days and weeks are challenging, I worry that I'm not giving my best to our children.  But, being the recipient of a heartfelt compliment seemed to help wash that away and ease my mind.

Nowadays, I see so many posts about moms being judgmental of others, or playing the mommy-wars.  I'm going to sidestep all of that completely...and instead...offer just one piece of advice...

Moms...build each other up.  

Build each other up by praying for one another, when you know another mom is struggling.
Build each other up by offering to help wherever a need may be.
And today...right now...let's build each other up by starting a tidal wave of compliments for fellow moms...because you never know which mom in your life could really use it right now.

To my sister-in-law...I can't even imagine how much energy it takes just to make it through the day with your three little ones.  I'm so impressed with your determination to do everything in your power for your children.  You're doing a great job!

And to my sister...You have steered your family through circumstances that no mom should ever have to face...and you have done it with AMAZING strength and faith.  You are the embodiment of trusting God's promise that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Romans 8:28)  

You are both raising fantastic children.  Of course, I may be a little biased about my nieces and nephews, but really...they are AWESOME! :)

Now, a challenge...keep the compliments going for one another...comment on this post with your appreciation for the efforts of the moms around you.  Share this post, and let's build each other up!

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, 
but you surpass them all."
(Proverbs 31:28-29)

Speaking of Rearranging...

Aside from changing the blog, I'm planning some other changes, too.  Today, I'm specifically thinking of our school area/room.  

We started the school year working at our dining room table, adjacent to our office area.  Tiny was content enough in his playpen to get through the basics (handwriting, phonics and math), and it worked really well for about the first two months.  Then, Tiny got a bit more mobile, and a bit less patient with his homeschooling siblings.  Thanksgiving break rolled around, and it was time to make a move. 

In a matter of a few days, we rearranged our playroom to accommodate a school area.  This way, Tiny could walk around and play while Tootsie and Turkey were working.  But, it still needs a bit of fine-tuning.  We have two challenges right now...our school area doesn't have adequate desk-type space for seatwork, and we have a set of stairs that aren't as well-guarded as they need to be.  Stairs + toddler = BAD combination.

Homeschool Area 2.0

Here's the plan: Handy Husband will build a simple, but solid desk.  (Handy Husband likes a good woodworking project!).  The desk will run across the wall next to the stairs, providing a solid base to attach a sturdy gate that is safe for stairwells.  

I'm just a bit excited about this prospect...and, I confess, a little bit of this enthusiasm is because I get to check out how other homeschool rooms are organized thanks to Pinterest.  I think I may be a Pinterest-junkie.  There's a 12-step program for that, right?....maybe I can find the link for it on...well...Pinterest.  

Adventures in the Kitchen

People always seem surprised when it comes up in a conversation...but I really don't like to cook.  It's not because I'm so terrible at it, or anything.  It's just that, to me, cooking is one of those necessities of life that I have to deal with.  There are so many other ways that I'd rather spend my time.  I try to get enthused about new recipes, but, unless they are super simple and only require a few ingredients with minimal prep time, they probably won't be added to my menu plan for quite some time.

The non-culinary delight

A few years back, I tried a new recipe.  It was supposed to be a great family casserole dish, prepared in minimal time, so I allotted my usual hour for fixing dinner.  After 45 minutes of peeling and chopping (and being nowhere near finished), I gave up on that recipe for the night, and threw together something else for dinner.  After 3 days, I finally had finished the prep work for this single recipe.  I decided to go all out for such a masterpiece of a meal.  I pulled out the fine china, glasses with stems, candles, you name it.  I decided that since this meal took so long to prepare, we would really live it up.  Our daughter was so excited to have a fancy dinner!...of course, it tasted nothing like the masterpiece I had been hoping for.  Toss that one in the circular file.

Beef Stew? or Pig Slop?

In an effort to save on food prep time, I've occasionally doubled recipes to put an extra meal in the freezer.  Most recently, I pulled out some beef stew that was in the freezer.  I actually have a delicious beef stew recipe that I use, so it's always tasty.  HOWEVER!...it looks absolutely disgusting after it is thawed out and reheated.  Something akin to pig slop.  No, I'm not joking.  How do you get past the looks of something, even if you know it will taste just fine?

I've recently decided that I should give frozen crockpot meals a try...you know...where you put together a month's worth of crockpot meals in one day and then put them all in the freezer.  My plan is to start searching for recipes that I think my family would like, and then have a monster food-prep day in February.  We'll see how this turns out...I'll keep you posted!

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Rearrange

I've come to some realizations in the past few months.  First and foremost, I have far too many interests for the 24hr day.  I also have far too many interests for a blog based solely on travel.  So here I am...it's time to change, so I'm going to rearrange.

Welcome to my new blog...it's really just a place for me to share my random thoughts on parenting, traveling, homeschooling, music...you name it.  Whatever pops into my head just may end up here.  (In reality, this will probably just be the landing place of all those thoughts and stories that are too long for a Facebook post...time will tell).

If you love our travel stories...don't worry, I'll still post those!  Need travel tips?  I'm still your girl!  Want to know more about what military life is really like?  Some of that might pop up here, too.  Random music quotes?  Absolutely!  Thoughts on parenting?  You betcha!

Life is an adventure, and I hope you join us for This Joyful Adventure :)