No, My Hands are NOT Full!!! An Open Letter to the Old Lady at the Bank

Yes, They are all mine and no my hands are NOT full

Well, maybe they are sometimes full of peanut butter or soft baby hair going into a ponytail, or they are full of love for my kids as I hug them tight…

An open letter to the strange man at the park or cashier at the supermarket, the old lady in the bank:

My hands are NOT as full as you suggest because to be so, then by what you are implying is that my kids are a burden when in fact they are a blessing, thank you very much…

My response to the unwarranted comments we receive:

“You’ve got YOUR hands full” The only thing my hands are full of is blessings!

“Five girls…that’s a lot of weddings.” And a lot of funerals… you’re point?

“I feel bad for you when they get their monthly (really)” I don’t even know what to say to this appalling rude personal invasion.

“Are they all yours?” No, I picked up a few strays at the park. (I know some people babysit and such but it can be in an offensive tone like asking a pregnant woman if it’s twins because in your eyes she is huge!)

Well, I know this all sounds like I’m angry but truth be written, I’m not. In fact I’m quite content with my little piece of heaven on earth and to be completely honest, I pity those that feel the need to make such remarks. It tells me they never had the joy of feeling what I feel because if they did, they would be smiling or telling me how lucky I am(which I have had my fair share of joyful commenters to prove this point). I also find that most of the people telling me how full my hands are never had any children of their own. How would they even know?!

Anyway, next time you are in the supermarket or bank or wherever and you see a mother or father with a gaggle of kids please bite your tongue unless to offer some normal conversation without judging a parent just living their hectic life. We don’t have all day to parade around answering to strangers about our choice of contraception or in my case, lack thereof.

Thank you!

10 Reasons I Homeschool My Kids

So, after yesterday’s post about the different ways we implement learning in our home, I thought it appropriate to share some reasons we decided to home school in the first place.

Don’t forget to leave a comment with your reasons you do or don’t and to tell me how ridiculous mine are.

As a mama, I feel it is important to let my little ones grow and explore without pressure and negative energy forcing them into a classroom to learn something they are not interested nor emotionally or academically ready just because a group of scientists and educators say so.

Here is a list of 10 reasons I home school my kids:

#10 Identity– I am a product of a public school system. A good one! I have fond memories of my schooling and my teachers but during those years I did not flourish or become anybody. It wasn’t until I was left to my own devices that I found myself and felt I was anybody important. In a public school system (as well as most societal places) I am just a number in a crowd, not LISA. Not anyone special.

Achieving identity has rarely been reached by the end of High School. (Arnett, 2000) In a home school setting, children have the chance to express themselves freely and in some cases learn what, how and when they want. This freedom to explore the world at a pace suitable to the child’s individual needs can only help them set and achieve goals providing them building blocks for a successful approach to a happy life. It might even facilitate the early achievement of work towards a career of their specific interests.

#9 Taking the bus– In rural communities, bus riders will travel between 30 minutes and 3 hours per day. (Biofuels) Some people will say the bus helps mold these youngsters to have great social skills but sitting on a stinking bus with people you may or may not like or even get along with doesn’t sound like fun. This approximate hour and thirty minutes could be spent sleeping, reading, eating a more nutritious breakfast or spending quality time with family or friends. The commute in a car is not any different, however the exposure to diesel fumes would be minimal, but time still underutilized.

For a homeschooling family, being late for the bus or the first bell is not a problem.

#8 Freedom from schedules– This might sound like a reason NOT to home school; I disagree. Freedom from the bus, freedom from the bells, from the clock can do a lot for a person’s stress levels. Entrepreneurs who work for themselves in a deadline-less career have fewer heart attacks attributed to stress. The expression “live by the clock die by clock” comes to mind. According to Forbes, PR Execs, Event Coordinators, and Newspaper Reporters are among the 10 most stressful jobs of 2014. (Adams, 2014) What do they have in common? Deadlines. They are hurrying and scurrying to meet the needs of others because their job is please or report by a certain date and time. Mirror this stress to adolescents going to school, catching the bus, turning in their paper. Hurrying to make it to class before the bell rings. What if they have to use the bathroom between classes? They’ll almost never make it and be detained after school or worse on a Saturday for bladder control.

#7 Using the “facilities” – They don’t need to ask permission to use the restroom at home. Although, they do feel the need to tell me about their ins and outs, it’s not a requirement to receive permission. In public school, I understand the need for orderly conduct and such, but restricting when nature calls and belittling kids by having them announce to a room full of practical strangers is not promoting healthy bathroom habits. Children may not want to use the toilets at school and will voluntarily hold urine for prolonged periods of time which cause urinary incontinence later developing urinary tract infections and leading to an irritated or overactive bladder. (Health, 2012)

#6 Sleep – When we can sleep according to our individual needs we create a basis for maintaining optimal health. Being disrupted by an alarm clock before our body is naturally ready to awaken is harmful to our ability to ward off ailments, focus throughout the day and handle stress appropriately. Children are no different.

School going children were studied according to sleep habits. The results support the theory that sleep matters. It showed kids who sleep more perform better at school, they are less hostile show more happiness and seem more relaxed, they also do not get sick as often as sleep deprived kids. (O’Brien & Kellan, 2010)

Another study verified high school start times play a part in depriving our adolescents necessary sleep. It showed students performing better academically later in the day rather than early in the morning. This same study concluded the need for strategies that focus on the epidemic of sleep deprivation among juveniles to increase school performance and improve students health. (Hansen, Janssen, Schiff, Zee, & Dubocovich, 2005)

Until such strategies exist, we’ll be just fine sleeping in and schooling at home.

#5 Socialization– Don’t scoff at me yet. Dr. Patricia Lines of the Discovery Institute published a report with staggering results. Homeschoolers scored better than public schooled kids in a key area of controversy in the Home Schooling debate: Socialization. Homeschoolers were “well-adjusted” and demonstrated fewer behavioral problems. Dr. Lines concluded “there is no basis to question the social development of homeschooled children.” (Weight, 2006)

Now that business is out-of-the-way here is my philosophy: It takes an army to home school!

We recently took a trip to Mt. Rushmore. Our 5 and 6 year-old daughters participated in the Junior Ranger Program. The Park Ranger interviewed my kids. He stated boldly, “You are homeschooled.”

Astounded by this observation, my husband questioned how he knew. His response, “They looked me in the eye.”

Where in an adult life are you required to sit for hours against your will with people of your exact age for 13 years of your life? Nowhere. In the real world you need to speak and work with people of all ages in all walks of life. Homeschooled kids have more opportunity for real world socialization. So, who teaches my kids? Well, besides the obvious contributors, the supermarket checker, the chiropractor, the priest, the librarian, a waitress at the diner, Elmo, our dog and cats, the neighbor, Tom. Everyone we meet, everywhere we go, we have and use our opportunities for learning. It’s a worldwide classroom and the possibilities are infinite!

“Once upon a time, all children were homeschooled. They were not sent away from home each day to a place just for children but lived, learned, worked, and played in the real world, alongside adults and other children of all ages.” -Rachel Gathercole, Shansgazette

 

#4 Round peg, Square hole – People are unique. There are no two people the same. Everyone has a way of talking, tying their shoes, and yes, learning. Some are good at taking tests, some are better at hands on approaches. Unfortunately, public schools and some educational institutions in general pigeon-hole children into one uniformed way of teaching, learning and achieving. This sets some of the students up for eminent failure. If Billy has poor penmanship but is an impeccable public speaker he will get an incomplete in his debate class because his written arguments aren’t as compelling as his performance.

“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.” -Beatrix Potter

 

A homeschooled student has the freedom to learn at his/her own pace practicing methods that cater to their own unique style of learning.

Freedom + Learning= Success

 

#3 Bullies– “One in four kids are bullied at school (htt).” either on the bus, on school grounds at recess, in a classroom or the internet. One. In. Four. That’s 25% chance that a child will be ridiculed, name called, made to feel inferior, worthless or suicidal.

#2 Innocence- “More than 4.5 million students are subject to sexual misconduct by an employee of a school sometime between kindergarten and 12th grade.” (Shakeshaft, 2004)

#1 Family– Raising children to the age of 5 years and letting them go off to an institution for six hours a day, at a minimum, sounds more like punishment than incentive for a good education. No one can take the home schooling memories, these moments away from me and my kids. Every day is filled with love, laughing and especially learning. Mostly, I’m the one learning from them. They teach me how to live life like there’s no tomorrow. They teach me humility and most important, patience.

These tiny humans are everything to me and my ability to be home learning alongside them is more rewarding than I imagine winning The Pulitzer Prize. We are building a strong unit of trust and understanding, gifts these girls will reap benefits of until their last breaths.

Quality education is a huge part of our little home school but we are first and foremost a family. Our house may not always be clean or our beds made but rest assured we are here, we are learning and we are loving it!

 

 

 

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying-statistics.html

Adams, S. (2014, January 07). Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/01/07/the-most-stressful-jobs-of-2014/

Arnett, J. J. (2000, May). Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development From the Late Teens Through the Twenties. American Psychologist, p. 477.

Biofuels. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.biofuels.coop/archive/diesel_part2.pdf

Hansen, M. M., Janssen, P. I., Schiff, B. A., Zee, M. P., & Dubocovich, P. M. (2005, June 1). The Impact of School Daily Schedule on Adolescent Sleep. Pediatrics, pp. 1555-1561.

Health, U. D. (2012). Urinary Incontinence in Children. NIDDK.

O’Brien, M., & Kellan, A. (2010, November 15). Retrieved from National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/sleepdeprivedkids.jsp

Shakeshaft, C. (2004). Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature. Huntington, N.Y.: U.S. Department of Education.

Weight, M. (2006, May 19). Retrieved from Discovery Institute: http://www.discovery.org/a/3479

Schooling At Home: Unusual learning

We love our little home school!

I’m not about to preach and boast my kids’ test scores or reading levels.

I’m not about to try to lure you’re public-school-going-kids over to the dark side.

I’m about to share some of our unique ways of incorporating learning in our everyday lives.

These ideas are suitable for home school, unschool or to support their public school education at home, and let me know what you think!

Within These Walls:

Your home, whether you realize it or not, is full of free educational resources. The key to a well-rounded education doesn’t exclusively mean reading, writing and arithmetic. Sending your kids out into the world without common life skills is, in my opinion, worse than not teaching them to read. We all need to be able to manage money, prepare a meal or fold laundry. So, LET THEM HELP!

I know, it’s easier to brush them off and faster to do it yourself, but you’re not doing anyone any favors. Loving them is letting them do.

In the Kitchen

Math and reading tools:

Cookbooks and measuring cups support reading, calculating, understanding fractions and the process of following instructions.

Science:

Achieving a meal using ingredients is like performing experiments and learning science. Try a recipe that calls for baking powder twice, once with the baking powder and once without. Have your little one observe the difference and draw a conclusion.

You could simply boil a pot of water and watch what happens.

Try this musical experiment:

Water glasses experiment

Need: Water and glasses

Instructions: fill glasses with different amounts of water.

Wet finger tip and run around mouth of glass.

Do the same for all glasses and hear the difference in sound.

Draw conclusions

The kitchen isn’t the only place to home school, we’ll get deeper into these walls in another post.

Out In The World

The Backyard

Observing wildlife is an intrinsic part of childhood. Any little person marvels at the site of a squirrel or bird. Encourage your child to follow the bird and see where it goes. Did it hop? Fly? Walk? Where is it going? To a tree? Nest? Water?

Walking down the sidewalk or road is helpful to teach nature, geography and social studies. Point out a mailbox and explain how sending a letter works. Then, send a letter to someone asking for a return letter. Who doesn’t love getting mail? (as long as it’s not a bill, of course)

Observing the weather, saying hi to the neighbor, watching the garbage truck and other neighborhood experiences are all opportunities for learning!

The Grocery Store

Choosing products by reading labels and observing nutritional value teaches comparison by value as well as price and healthy eating habits. Teaching that the unit price is a portion of the purchase price depending on size, weight or quantity is invaluable. I didn’t learn this trick until I had a family of my own and I save so much money keeping an eye on the unit.

Watching for deals and coupons helps emphasize the importance of not paying more than you need to and saving money. Money that your child may have earned at home doing chores and how to manage while shopping will definitely teach the value of the almighty dollar.

The Public Library

I have yet to come across a paid library as I’m sure they exist but your local free public library will have the obvious, books, but also magazines, movies, computers and internet, as well as forms publications and a plethora of information about homeschooling and education.

The World Wide Web

This blog is free! Along with many other blogs teeming with free lesson plans, printables and downloads. A simple internet search of the grade level and materials will provide days of learning and seat work (if that’s what you’re going for).

Many websites offer free ebooks in exchange for subscribing for emails or newsletters. *you can always unsubscribe after downloading your goodies. Then again, why would you, when you’ll risk missing out on future deals and promotions being offered?

A popular shopping website known for books and great deals has free ebooks for download to any mobile device. The application is also available for pc or apple download. Finding the free books can be time-consuming but that is where the free subscriptions come in; websites devoted to sharing home school deals have done the work for you, just check your inbox.

Sites that offer free products need to earn money to keep what’s free, free. So, it’s important to make a purchase now and again. Be sure to never pay full price and search for coupons as well as get rebates on your shopping by joining that website that pays you a percentage of your purchases, you know the one.

So obviously, this post only touches the tip of the iceberg of homeschooling resources. I have not included any affiliate links because i do not have permission to do so (a quick search will get you there), I’ve only listed the ones that we use regularly or know to be helpful. As alway, share your thoughts or add your own free resources in the comments.

 

I’m working on getting more out here about our schooling life and hope you’ll stick around! Don’t miss a post; subscribe for emails.

Mammoth Heeey Boo-Boo

September 29 Day 49

We woke up 14 miles from the Kentucky line and made our way into Mammoth Cave National Park just before lunch. We checked out the Visitor’s Center and bought our 3:30 cave tour tickets then ate lunch and while Papa Bear and our younger three daughters took rest, I brought Juniper and Lemon to the exhibits in the museum. We learned about the different rocks and how this cave system was formed by an underground river.

 

Upon waking we had about an hour to have a snack, use the restroom and finish our Ranger booklets before descending into the cave.

It was chilly walking down the 62 steps and once inside, our guide showed us into a big “room” where early settlers extracted minerals and used them to process and make gunpowder.

It was cool to see the 200-year-old equipment preserved in here like it was just used yesterday.

Our tour was more of a talk and less of a tour, we barely entered the Mammoth Cave system and then it was time to turn around and come back out.

We were left wanting more cave and less guide.

He did tell us about early cave explorers that died in the cave and because of the cave’s steadfast temperature and humidity, their bodies and artifacts did not decay they would mummify.

No Flash Allowed
Earning our Badges

 

After our cave talk, we were walking back to the visitor center when one of our many fans…I mean a stranger approaches; comments how beautiful all our girls are, proceeds to count them, comment on my looks and hand each of our daughters a $2 dollar bill. Yep, another random encounter… a day in the life…

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Juniper and Lemon received their 10th Junior Ranger Badges. Then, we went to the gift shop for a postcard and souvenirs. While there, a friendly lady approached and we began talking. Before we knew it, it was 9pm and we were neighbors at a nearby campground exchanging phone numbers.

Some times things just click and this was no exception. Our commonalities linked us inexplicably. It’s eerie and weird that I felt like soul mates with this wonderful couple but fun and comforting to know them and their beautiful family.

It is funny how things work out because we didn’t much enjoy the cave but hope a long-lasting friendship arises from the ashes of the Mammoth Cave and the end of our trip.

Tuesday Sept. 30 Day 50 (holy cannoli… 50 days!)

Jellystone Campground is cute with Yogi Bear and all his friends. This particular place has a humongous trampoline-like-pillow that we all had an absolute blast bouncing around letting off steam. I did some laundry, the kids played at the playground and Darryl caught up on some work.

This slide show is a bit long but the joy is immeasurable!

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This break from the road is just what we all need to replenish our spirits enough for the final push(800+miles).

We’ll stay here and rest one more night and our last leg from Cave City, KY to our home in Pennsylvania will begin tomorrow.

 

 

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I and Music City

Sunday Sept. 28 Day 48

Ash, since learning the state song, has asked to go to Mississippi, I guess because it’s just so fun to say, it must be the most fun place in the world! It’s not on our itinerary but we’ll be passing through Memphis, a border city just miles from the MS line we obliged our 3-year-old explorer and another dream come true.(even if only for 10 minutes)

We made a geocaching trip out of it which led us to a target parking lot. (whisper: it was in the light post) When we lifted the cover to expose the cache, bugs fell out. Not just any bugs. THE. BIGGEST. BUGS. I. HAVE. EVER. SEEN. ever. Because this one was hers, Ash was excited to grab the container until we saw the bugs. She cried, I ran and Papa Bear was left to fend for himself against these big bugs. Did I mention they were dead?

We scooted around Memphis and entered Nashville to walk the streets of Music City and enjoy burgers at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. As we wandered dusk in the most musical of places in our country we heard rock, country, blues and folk. The music poured from bars, restaurants and mainly from the musicians on the streets.

If you can make the squint, this is a kids folk band playing on the street. THEY WERE GOOD!

It was amazing. (Darryl and I will be returning here for sure!) As we waited for our table we danced on the sidewalk and enjoyed the southern sunset.

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Sitting in the restaurant, live music ringing in our ears, the surprising tunes of our favorite playlist including our wedding song which we rarely ever hear without having requested it, we couldn’t help but stand up and dance right there in the middle of the crowded tables.

Nashville is the kind of place I wish we’d planned on spending more time in, we’re anxious to how close we are to home though so off we go!

Health Foodies Fishing

I’ve done some serious soul-searching… in it all I’ve begun overhauling everything in my world to create a happy, healthy stress-free existence. I’d love to be able to share it all with you but I respect you, reader, enough not to leave you floating at the balloon museum…so I’m not giving up. I’ll take you home with us. Then, when I’ve worked all the “other stuff” out, you can try it with me and see if you, too can get happy, healthy and stress-free. If you want.

Wednesday September 24 Day 44

On our way out of the park we went for a walk for a geocache. We met fellow northeasterners and chit-chatted about RV’ing. The heat of the day hit us fast, so we were back on the road in no time.

Sun salutation
Taking a break
PRAYing Mantis
Keeping the baby cool…
HUGE beetles in the desert.

Another long day of driving and we entered TX and strived for Amarillo. Darryl was craving steak dinner and without Costco or healthy edible options in the grocery store we had dwindled our supplies of snacks and easy meals so we were all craving something other than carrots, macaroni or cheese sandwiches.

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We spent the night in Amarillo and made a point to get grocery shopping as soon as possible.

Thursday, September 25 Day 45

These days of straight driving are long but go by quick. They’re also running together in my mind making it difficult to recount for journalling’s sake.

Into Oklahoma and it’s a “drag-our-feet” kind of day the girls alternated playing with their dolls, singing songs, coloring-workbooks and snacks…lots of snacks. Days like today i pump ’em full of snacks hoping they won’t notice we’ve been riding more than not, lately.

A visitor’s center packed with pamphlets, maps and books proved our suspicions 100’s of miles of nothing; well that’s not entirely true and if you are a Oklahoman, I’m deeply sorry to offend.

Even the friendly volunteer had little to offer besides obvious water parks in Oklahoma City. (not our cup of tea)

We like to go off the beaten path so we picked up the outdoor guide and found a state park close to the interstate with our must-haves, water and electric hook ups, a playground and a minimal camping fee. This park also offered a lake for fishing (something Lemon has asked to do).

It was perfect! Only it was on the other side of the state.

Friday September 26 Day 46

Our mission was to find a grocery store, of which we found…one.

We bought orange juice.

Everything in the store was sprayed with, made with or just chemicals in a box.

Not in line with how we eat and we were sad.

We thought maybe there is no demand for organic non-GMO gluten-free food in a small town grocery so we swallowed hard and ventured the nearby Walmart.

As we’re walking in we see about a dozen locals meandering either in or out and we had an observation: all but one of them was severely overweight.

Darryl and I discuss the cause for this and its a topic for another post, another day but i feel like shaking these sheep and yelling “Wake up! You’re dying a slow miserable death.”

Is it the water? Culture? T.V.? Technology? Education? Lack of options? Just plain stupidity?

EGH!

We picked up what little of “our” food we could find and chugged along across the state landing in Eufala Lake State Park just about lunch time. The girls played while Darryl and I got our fishing gear ready- Off he went with our little cherubs and I blogged while the 3 youngest of our brood slept. We cleaned up , they played, we ate dinner and after a game of bingo we all went to bed.

Awesome side note about Lake Eufala Park: The nature center was educational, fun and just really cool! With an amphibian house we entered a sweltering jungle-like atmosphere to see frogs all over. on the floor the ceiling the windows, we could literally reach out and touch them. The turtles were cute too swimming in the water feature. The main building had its moments as well, the touch table was the highlight but the girls wandered exploring and learning like crazy.

Some fun from today:

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Saturday September 27   Day 47

More fishing, cleaning house and bodies then into Arkansas we go. Rest time ended at a welcome center at the state line and another geocache found.

We walked around and stretched our legs before eating dinner at our favorite pastime, Panera Bread in Fort Smith.

Miles and miles and hours and hours to make it into Forest City, AR where we crashed. Not literally, figuratively we were exhausted!

This part of the trip is just as boring and miserable as I had agonized over it in Las Vegas.

We have the best kids in the world though, occupying themselves with card games, pretend play, Nintendo DS, watching movies quizzing each other in Math problems, reading stories, telling jokes and simply being sweet and silly.

I know riding down the road may sound miserable but we all had fun while looking forward to getting home.

Full of hot air

Tuesday September 23…. Day 43

New Mexico is warm at 7am. Lazily I went into the convenience store for coffee, juice and fruit. We ate breakfast and shuffled into the trading post just after they opened their doors.

The two-story gift shop was littered with wooden beams and indian artifacts mostly pottery and jewelry but the girls found these handmade dolls that are just darling and I fell in love with a turquoise ring with onyx inlay! As we wait for our purchases to be wrapped up, the sound of pounding metal is in the background. Oak and I follow the noise to see a lady pounding silver strips with a mallet. She’s preparing them for the craftsman to fashion them into earrings, necklaces or whatever their destiny.

It makes us feel good to support the locals and make it a constant decision not to purchase anything that isn’t home(USA) made.

The girls even know why we don’t, or hardly ever step foot in a Wal-Mart “China-crap”

We kept heading East on I-40 and into Albuquerque for a visit to the balloon museum.

This trip is filling up with fulfilling dreams. The trip in itself is my long time dream come true only my original version (quite askew) involved only me and a Volkswagen. Years later, more dreams piled up; like seeing the Redwoods and driving through a tree or walking along the Grand Canyon; riding a “duck” down the Wisconsin River or visiting Mount Rushmore.

If you’ve known me personally or been to my house you’ll see balloons- paintings, calendars, puzzles, sun catchers, garden wind spinny thingy. Hot Air Balloons Everywhere!

When Darryl and I officially got engaged, his proposal was accompanied by a gift certificate for a Hot Air Balloon Ride. In fact he expressed we would have been in a Hot Air Balloon for the proposal if life hadn’t gotten in the way, as it too often does.

See, at the time, Darryl was about to receive a corneal transplant and the altitude and pressure would put him in danger. So, we waited- then a year later we were married and a few short weeks after expecting Ash’s arrival.

needless to say we’ve been busy working, having babies, and just living our life.

Well, this day I didn’t ride in one but I learned a lot and we got to play with simulators, try ballooning experiments and see a ton of memorabilia. It was a very special place and the very next best thing to an actual Balloon ride. It’s the kind of day and place I will never forget!

Albuquerque, NM

After lunch, we worked our way almost clear across the state and into Santa Rosa.

I feel bad coming into towns like this-more empty lots, dim lights and boarded windows. A motel, gas station, bank and grocery store.

A grocery store with not more than five aisles. A grocery store with dusty cans and brown meat-meat that’s been frozen -thawed and relabeled because they just can’t throw out another piece of it. They’re about to go under holding onto a thread of beer sales and the ever popular rice and beans meal of the locals.

This town sits on historic Rt. 66. A town that’s flailing in this terrible economy and corporatacracy of Wal-Marts and interstates. I’m again reminded of Radiator Springs.

Towns once filled with life and lights are now dead and dim. Crippled.

So, what brought us here, you ask?

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While looking for a place to spend the night, we found a campground here in Santa Rosa Lake State Park. The fee is minimal and we managed full hookup with a great lake view.

It was quiet and peaceful with a playground where Darryl took the girls for a while so I blogged before we all showered and hit the hay.

Petrified and Painted

We continue our tour of the nation’s parks, something we hadn’t planned on but after Mount Rushmore have made it our mission to visit as many as possible along the way. We’re loading our sashes with badges and patches galore!

Monday, September 22 Day 42

We woke up surprised at the base of a mountain and continued East on I-40. Something made me get off the interstate in Winslow. It might have been a crying hungry baby or ants-in-the-pants of my two-year-old but Darryl had an epiphany in the Winslow Visitor’s Center.

He was standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ. Just like the Eagles song Take it Easy.

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We learned after the popular song topped the charts, an artist commissioned a statue that now stands at a historic landmark corner. In fact the corner is classified as a park complete with a mural and permanently parked flatbed Ford!

Among the shops and tourists, we took our turn taking pictures and standing by the “man.”

As we were leaving Darryl said he never knew that just down the street from his regular truck stop he frequented was a very cool thing.

It’s a great day. We blessed a hungry man in need with food and water and went on our way.

Expecting an actual forest, Darryl was disappointed in the park. We entered and made our way to the museum. He asks, “this is it? where are the trees?”

Petrified Forest, AZ
We found a friend!

Petrified trees are not trees at all. Not anymore. They also can be found anywhere in the world.

This place, The Petrified Forest National Park, though holds the world’s largest natural collection in one location.

These are ancient trees that grew some 200 ft. tall thousands of years ago in a rainforest that used to be Arizona. Dinasaur-like creatures climbed on their limbs and over time, eras passed. There was a great flood. The trees were ripped from the earth and carried away. They were water-logged with clay, sand, silt and sediment. All the while the earth’s plates shifting as crystal formed and inhabited the wood.

Darryl laughs at my analogy but it reminds me of zombies. The rock comes up to the tree and says, “now you will become like me, I’ll take you over.”

The transformation takes decades but eventually this masterpiece is formed and it is beautiful.

Unfortunately, preservationists weren’t the first to discover this treasure chest of history. No. It was explorers, settlers and entrepreneurs looking for riches and fortune out west.

They stumbled upon the wood and saw quartz. Saw $$$.

They used dynamite to split the rocks and extract anything that could fetch a price so we are now left with small chunks of trees with holes in them.

Sad, but true and fascinating to learn about their awesome journey and this place. I’m proud to say it’s protected by our National Park Service, for now. Every U.S. Citizen needs to do their part.

By visiting the parks, purchasing or just donating we can ensure they will continue to provide our children’s children with the awe-inspiring beauty we’ve witnessed here today.

After the Petrified Forest the drive back to the interstate is gorgeous as it is littered with more geologic history in the Painted Desert. Wood, rocks, hills and valleys. the view from the road is one the best throughout our trip. It really looks like someone took a paint brush and chose all these earthy tones to paint this place.

Back on I-40 East and out of Arizona, we tried to find indian reservations without straying from our path and it proved difficult so we settled for trading posts and gift shops to learn about the local tribes. In Gallup, our final stop for the night was a trading post that had closed for the day so we camped in their lot.

A Canyon is Anything but

What’s in the Grand Canyon?

Nothing.

Or is there?

This place is filled with many things one of the most beautiful places in the world (my world) is filled with magic. Beauty. The awe-inspiring look on first time visitors (mine included) reflects out of this trench in the earth. A trench dug out of the earth that stretches for hundreds of miles. Standing on the rim it goes as far as the eyes can see.

It’s full of fearless visitors climbing out to the edge of the cliff for that all important selfie and status update to share on instagram. it’s full of pounding hearts, trembling hands and sweaty foreheads of the many climbers, hikers and the like.

Day 41 Sunday, September 21

We packed up and checked out of the campground to make the 65 mile journey to the canyon in our RV.

Travelling much lighter with only one stroller a nursing cover, diapers and some water we went to the Yavapai Geology Museum for the Geo-Glimpse Ranger talk. Darryl especially enjoyed learning about the canyon’s history and origin. I was particularly freaked out with how cavalier the ranger was leaning on the guard rail at the edge of the south rim’s cliff.

After our 30 minute “schooling” we trekked along the Rim’s trail following a timeline of rocks and gazing out over the edge high above the Colorado River.

I’m in awe of the kids and how they don’t take it for granted but also don’t seem the least bit phased by the majesty either.

They’re just here with us walking along rubbing the ancient bedrock chunks displayed along the trail.

The trail, a little over 1.5 miles brought us to the Vercamp’s Visitor Center where we finished our booklets and toured the gift shop.

We wandered around to find a ranger for our badges but wasn’t resolved until a shuttle bus ride back to the RV and drive to the Canyon Village Visitor’s Center in the nick of time-they locked the doors for the day just as we entered.

Badges in hand and the sun setting we ate dinner and started out of the park.

Next stop the Petrified Forest!

Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon, AZ

 

Quadrennial

Linen, the recommended gift of a 4th anniversary. Ours is today. Four years since we tied the knot. Four years since we got hitched and attached the old ball and chain.

Sorry for the expressions but this year our wedding has as much meaning as it did the day we did it. Which we didn’t even want to do.
That doesn’t sound right… let me explain.

When we were younger and hadn’t yet met, we both explicitly did not want to get married. Neither of us wished for a family, a house or kids, none of it. I’ve explained this before but if you haven’t read it read it now.

I was never happier until I met him. He is kind. Gentle. Sweet. Strong. Silent. Safe. Everything I never thought I’d find attractive but even now after nine years together and four years married we still got it!

Whatever IT is.

It’s something different for every couple and for us it’s the look in our children’s’ eyes when they’re swinging on a swing. It’s the way their hair falls down their back after pulling out their ponytail. Their deep peaceful breaths as they sleep.

This bond of being parents together. Seeing each other love our kids and take care of them is part of the glue that holds us.

Then there are the other bonds… the ones that really keep us together. The ones I don’t wish to divulge on the world wide web.

Four years of celebrating our marriage. Four years of wearing these rings. These rings that symbolize our never-ending love and commitment.

rings

Something about wearing this thing on my finger makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Barbaric as it is; I am owned. Owned by my husband and kids but I choose to be owned. Owned by the love that we share and fills our home and hearts.

I wish EVERYone in the world could feel this feeling. It abounds and I can only thank God every single day that I am lucky in love. As well as thank Him, I pray to continue being graced by this glorious love and to keep my family forever.

Our wedding song, Forever and ever, Amen, is perfect because I have had some medical troubles where my hair falls out in clumps. Just last night on our anniversary I say, “I’m going bald” Darryl responds I’ll love you anyway, even if you’re bald. Our song specifically mentions aging and “I ain’t in love with your hair. If it all fell out, I’d love you anyway.”

I can only hope these past four years are a great indication for the next forty years and the forty after that.

I love looking back at our wedding photos and I hope you enjoy them too.

Happy Anniversary!

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