Serendipity

Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident

And that's exactly how I would summarize our recent road trip adventure.

So many treasured serendipitous moments.

954 images
2,664 miles
11 days
5 amazingly bonded adventurers

Camping Encouragement From the Archives

I came across an old post from summer I never shared with you lovelies. Since we have hit the road again in search of nature turning seasons on us, I find this post quite suitable.

We made it back from our week of tent camping and boating and what an adventure we had! A few basic notables for me:

Sleeping in a tent (on an air mattress, of course) is much nicer than I remember it to be. Even if you have 'weather' and it rains, being out in the fresh air and waking to chirping birds is a great way to start most any day. I love the connection to my most basic surroundings; the things I would certainly miss if I was typically huddled in a trailer, RV or cabin.

Cutting a deal with the husband upfront to be on breakfast detail and have coffee brewed and served was a very wise move on my part. He's a little hardier in the elements and doesn't mind getting going on the cups of joe, so who am I to stop him?

Planning your food out makes all the difference. I had all our meals planned, to the day. Grilled chicken, hobo meals, and even tacos are pretty easy camp food. Since we had to live out of a cooler, we had our freshest meals at the beginning and by the end of the trip succumbed to the crowd favorite (except me) of chili dogs. Marinating, even kabobing, and freezing ahead of time gave us a good variety of flavorful food.

We are booked for the same trip next year, but I will be in a camper. The experience was great and my kids loved it with no notice of the wind. Not one complaint from them. I, on the other hand, feel best if I can escape the elements a bit each day. I love boating and being out all day but I need to take a break from the sun, or wind or rain or whatever the weather serves up and reboot.

I'd like the record to show that I will always advocate a family trip of this nature (Pun intended!). It brings your tribe together and gives your kids a wonderful appreciation for what is simple and basic. If I can endure this with three kids, a throbbing sinus infection, too many snake sightings for me and unseasonable wind, then you can too!

Get out there!

Post script: I echo Marta's recent Q&A on camping here. Great tips!

Birthday Travels

This weekend is the husband's birthday. Last year I threw a surprise party AT OUR HOUSE. It was a success if you count that it truly was a surprise and he had no idea about the party. On the other hand, it just about killed me. I can't keep those kinds of secrets from D. Plus getting this place in order without him knowing why I had become so incredibly crazed was something I only want to experience once.

This year there will be far less fanfare, sort of.

We are hitting the road on his birthday for a two week adventure up the coast of California into Oregon -- because we can! (Plus one in the homeschool column.) I can't think of a better way to follow up a surprise birthday bash with all your favorite people than hopping in the car before sunrise with your wife, three kids and thirteen year old lab to drive and drive and drive some more. Can you?!

Last Christmas I picked up this great travel book from Anthropologie for my adventure man. I knew D would love to hit the road in a camper one day and I thought this book was charmingly inspiring for our sentiments. At the time we didn't have any plans to acquire such a treat. We just like traveling and I planned to use the book to chronicle our family trips.

Fast forward almost a year later and we have ourselves a sweet little pop up camper. It's a little brady bunch on the inside and we LOVE it. When searching for a super deal we had planned to redo some things and make a camper our sweet little home away from home. I anticipated sewing curtains and reupholstering, at a minimum. But we got lucky. The ole cliche "they just don't make them like they used to" is so true. Our little gem doesn't need a thing. It has been crafted well and meticulously maintained. A few dishes and throw blankets for cozy times and it's home for us.

And so the birthday boy gets a big treat this year. We are going big and serendipitously living on the road (we have a semi-loose plan of our travels to Portland and back). I have some posts lined up for you during my absence and may pop in here or there from the road (catch the pun?). Wish us happy travels and maybe even say a prayer for us that we stay safe and far away from poison oak and hungry bears.

Peace Be With You

Just a typically peaceful moment in our day.
For real, I did not say a stinkin' word to these zen masters.

Happy Fourth

Literally passing the [pyro] torch...

I had a nice verbose post written for you all today but bagged it to simply say

Happy Fourth of July!

For previous posts related to one of our favorite holidays, check out

a quick and easy pennant banner
making the paper
croissants

P.S. If you are looking for a good read with the kids today, check out The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh. She writes wonderful historical literature for children.

The Allowance Responsibility

We're like a lot of parents out there. We start an allowance/chore program and then fizzle out. We've been more disciplined about the chores ("this is your responsibility as part of the family...blah blah blah") then we have about actually paying out allowance. I admit it. We haven't always had the exact amount owed and before I know it, I've forgotten. Plus what do little people need money for anyway?

Our 'piggie banks' are stackable containers from The Container Store.

Well, Cousin Lauren visited for a good while last summer. She is the exact type of young lady you want your kids to be around for a good while. She's bright, responsible, considerate, and conscientious with a great personality.

I am no fool. I took advantage of the gift before me and interviewed her as often as I thought of something. Exactly what did her parents do in this situation, or that situation? Not everything can be directly translated. Family dynamics are different and having three kids in the house is different than two but the underlying principles and the fundamentals for what you want for your kids doesn't differ between 1 kid or 25.

This brings me back to the allowance/chore discussion. Cousin Lauren is quite financially responsible for a young lady her age (14). She is keenly aware of saving and giving. She is a good shopper and appreciates value but at a good price (sweet music to my ears). So, how did this happen in a world with so many kids having no real value of money, a lousy work ethic and a raging sense of entitlement? Parenting, of course, and a good financial education from the beginning.

It had me realizing I had been going about it all wrong. I had been expecting that our kids would have some sort of internal motivation for money and that would be incentive enough. I thought linking their duties at home to pay would be like a job and give them a good work ethic and fiscal responsibility. But it's not. Kids don't care about money, really. They aren't in the workforce with a mortgage and mouths to feed. They just sometimes want stuff.

I realized if I wanted to teach them how to be responsible with money then we need to give it to them. Not optionally when they earned it but every week. They have to do their chores and they have to take my money! Neither is negotiable. (I do have a negotiable component to our program but it is behavior based. More on that another time.)

So, let's get into it. Here's Lauren's allowance plan:

She receives $1 per week for her age. She is $14, so she gets $14. The money is divided into four categories: save, gift, charity and short-term savings (spend).

: Save: $5 is put in college savings.

: Gift: A portion is for gifts. Parents match. So, if they want to gift a school friend a something that costs $20, they pay $10 and parents pay $10. The real beauty of this, as I see it, is that they are able to consider thoughtful gifts for each other and their parents with a budget. There is something very powerful in giving. (My love language may be gifts so I realize I may be giving this unnecessary attention but the thoughtfulness that comes from this delights me to no end.)

: Charity: $2 is saved each week. At the end of the year Lauren selects the charity she is interested in donating to. Her parents match her contribution. Need I say more on this message?!

: Short-term Savings: That leave a weekly amount of $5 for saving for that something she's had her eye on. From the perspective of a 14 year old who likes to shop, this is plenty of money. She doesn't need more. She saves and spends on stuff she wants.

{Additionally, she is given a clothing budget for school clothes. This didn't start until she was in middle school. She makes different choices than her sister, for example. She would like to spend a little more a very good pair of jeans and a few t shirts. Her sister could care less about the jeans but would rather have more hoodies. You get the drift; freedom to choose wisely and for what suits them.}

Well, naturally I wanted to adapt this program RIGHT AWAY.

Our kiddos don't quite grasp the value of money. They are still young and life is simple (may we savor in that for a moment?!) They see several dollar bills in their stash and think they're rich. I have caught one child paying the other $5 just to make her bed. (I think we know who made out better on that deal.)

With the earning approach it suggests that the chores are optional. If you don't want to do the chore then you don't get the money. Well, guess what? They're rich, remember? They don't NEED the money. They pretty much quit--and that's not what we want to set them up for in life.

Each set is personalized and stacks in their desks.
Periodically we take a deposit to the bank.

So, with a few adaptations, here's our version (tailored to a 7 and 8 year old):

: $1 per week per age

: The money is divided into three categories: give, save, spend (we will add the gifting category when they are 10)
: Save: $3 is put in college savings
: Give: $1 is for offering each week. They can give it at church or save for a specific charity. They determine what they want their gift to go towards.
: Short-term savings: That leaves a weekly amount of $3 (Anna) and $4 (Christopher) for spending on something they have been wanting. Plenty of moola for their needs.

As far as the chores go. Those aren't optional. It's part of being a member of the family. You don't get a choice to opt out because you don't feel like it. And you know what, surprisingly, I haven't had any resistance on this point. I think it's because their chores are so minimal it's not as if they live on a farm and have to really work. (My strategy is to give them tasks that are expected that they mostly can handle but may be needing reminders, and then add one more at a time that equals real work.)

The next time we chat on this topic I'll share my behavior incentives and rewards. Not surprisingly and much to my delight, that is a bigger motivator than money.

Ladybugs and Gardens: A Good Day

We are working on a plant unit for science. We have fresh lettuce, herbs and whatever other veggies we can produce in our very small backyard. So the kids are familiar with gardening and a plant's life cycle. That said, going to a real farm, with real space, makes for a fun (schoolish) field trip to enhance our lesson. If I have initial advice for homeschoolers it would certainly include field trips, lots of field trips.

And so, based on a high review from Kristianne, we hit a local little gem of a garden. It's run by folks with a passion for good, organic food, not high production farming. We happened to show up on volunteer Wednesday so there were a few wise gardeners there to answer our myriad of inquisitions.

Oh the delight to find artichokes (clearly one of Anna's favs) and rhubarb!

As with any good garden we encountered some ladybugs. Naturally, more questions...How can you tell if a ladybug is a boy or girl? (Answer: It can be difficult, but size is an indicator) And so on...

Eventually, the breeze and sunshine beckoned us to the pergola for some sketching and snacking.

Much observation and consideration went into adding our new ladybug friends, Louis and Loretta, to the sketchbook.

As with any good dining al fresco, the ambiance of the garden included a bocce ball set. Parker took a great liking to the idea of it and even felt inclined to change things up a bit. You know, to help his game.

We will certainly be heading back to take a class--from seed to plate--and will frequent the market on Saturdays.

Louis and Loretta didn't make it home with us. So we took a pittstop at the local nursery for our own supply of aphid eaters. Did you know that if you put your container of ladybugs in the refrigerator the little speckled ones fall asleep? And since it's best to release them at night a little bit at a time, the sleepiness factor works in your favor. Just take them out of the fridge and put a group on your intended host and repeat for a few nights in a row. Your chances of the ladybugs making your garden their home are better, so THEY say.

We'll be the judge of that with our first release this evening.

The Sound of Writing

We've been having great fun around here with our new-to-us typewriter. I don't know what it is about a classic hunt and peck return carriage of a Smith Corona, circa 1950s, that I find so charming. Perhaps it's the sound of writing that I love so much.

While we regularly use Spelling City for practicing our weekly words, our portable typing machine has added new charm (and keyboard recognition) to our exercises. It also works well for shopping lists and just about anything else we can muster. Spelling today, stories tomorrow...

Simple pleasures, my friends.

Glamping With Kids?

{Image via Frolic}

Since this appears to be the year to stretch and reshape me, why not just go big and add on tent camping...with the kids.

I used to camp, in college and even in the early years with D. It was fun and even a bit romantic. There weren't children to tend to. I wasn't haunted by dirty feet in the tent or hauling off to a bathroom in the middle of the night with a wee one. It involved good noshing, great books and endless games of cribbage and backgammon. Oh yes, and naps any time.

{Image via Frolic}

D could have a legitimate case against me with a bait and switch. Since I had children, I declared that I had graduated from tenting it. My life involves a lot serving and tending to others. Why in the hay hoo would I to want make things any harder by doing it all in the elements?! I've gone soft.

An RV or a trailer suits me just fine. I can enjoy our outdoor adventures (the more pristine, the better) and then retreat to a warm cozy bed. All nice and tidy. I can escape the wind or dirt or cold/heat and engage in said games. Primarily I can cook good food easily. And so, we have a lovely trailer lined up for our Memorial Day getaway.

But now another trip has landed in our laps. The timing lines up perfectly. A site which normally books a year in advance became available. It was as if it was booked for us. Good friends are veterans of the trip and have a fantastic crew going , with lots of playmates for us. And best of all, we'd be boating for a week on a wide open lake.

Husband and the kids really want to go. I seem to be the hold out, which is a violation of my core self. We are doers and like to try new things and yet I may be the reason we don't do this. To load the deck even more in their favor, (read: me against them) the trip falls on Father's Day. Ugh!

How can I say no to a family who wants to explore and be together...plus a week of boating?! The answer: Because it involves roughing it--TENT CAMPING!

{Image from glamping experts at El Capitan Canyon. Via Cookie Mag RIP}

So, I conceded and I am vowing to have fun. I love a good boating trip. I'm embracing the challenge and not going to be soft. I am pulling out all my archived copies of Sunset (and justifying why I have saved them to begin with) . Pouring through the pages for inspiration and looking for fantastic, but easy, recipes. I do not plan to skimp on flavor, my friends.

I don't know if our adventure will classify as glamping but for now, that's my inspiration. If you, dear lurkers, have any tips or eye candy to inspire me, please share.

For starters, I'm taking a few tips from this article. (via Glamping Girl)

Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes

First spotted at The Winding Road, we also fell in l-o-v-e with Kristin Andreassen's Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes. Mr. (PJ) DJ is looping it over and over and over...

But that's ok. It's too cheery not to like. Does it make you happy too?

Eight is Great

Happy Birthday to our biggest boy.

Christopher turns eight today and we are so, so grateful for him.

Magnet Mamas: Here's To You

These three adventurers pull on my heart so strong. I am so blessed for that daily tug.

We just returned from a great sermon on this Mother's Day and I am compelled to share my encouragement with fellow Mamas. Today's message began with what I thought was a sweet tender story of the power of a mother's love. It goes something like this:

A second grade teacher embarked on a lesson about magnets and their power to draw items close. [I so clearly saw where this was going...It was an analogy of a mother's love and drawing her children near and all those things that aren't important have no power, incomparable to a mother's love.]

The teacher wrapped up the magnet unit with a quiz..."I am a six letter word that picks up things."

Instead of the class recalling their week's lesson and providing the correct answer of M-A-G-N-E-T, the majority of the class answered M-O-T-H-E-R! How often have you said that in your home? "Why I am the only one who picks up around here?!" Can I get an amen?!

Here I was prepared for a lovely story about a mother's love and how her prayer and intention with her children is powerful beyond measure. And that came later but the opening story (and my drawn analogy) sticks with me.

So Magnet Mamas, cheers to you today. We try so hard to be and do so much for our family day in and day out. We try to make all the 'right' choices and to raise our kids up right. Sometimes, the most simple things are the most powerful. Say a prayer for your children today. Draw them near to you and that which you believe. Nothing is stronger than a mother's prayer, not even a magnet.

Homeschooling for Excellence

We started homeschooling Anna this February as a bridge with no idea how our family would 'fit' with this crazy wacky ride. And it has evolved into a full fledged joy.

We brought Anna home because she was not loving learning the way she always had. She was only six and too young, in our book, to have the joy of discovery squashed out of her. So, we planned on a little detox time and simply wanted to slowly reconnect with her enthusiasm for learning.

What we didn't plan for is her very swift shift back to our inquisitive little girl. At the first of the year, she tried hard to convince us that she wasn't a good reader and that it was "stupid". Now she is quite fluent and is on the cusp of not wanting to put the book down (a day I wasn't sure we would see with her--not everyone loves reading, or so I thought).

I am more surprised than anyone that what began as an effort to help our daughter has shifted our entire paradigm of education. We have a new perspective that is very simply focused on each child, each year, and nurturing their love of learning. We are able to be intentional about encouraging our children to be the best they can be.

Homeschooling is not for everyone, but I think it might be for us. At least for another year. Next year we are planning to homeschool Anna AND Christopher. Parker will stay the course and attend our beloved preschool. I am excited for our journey!

I joke that I'm in a masters program (or at least an intense certification program) because I am so deep in research on child development, education, learning styles, curriculum, case studies, etc. Please know this is not normal or required in any way for a typical homeschooler. I am just odd. I like to research things thoroughly and to really roll up my sleeves and dig in. It's my happy place.

One of my favorite recent reads is Homeschooling for Excellence. Authors David and Micki Colfax received unsolicited press during the 80's when there four boys, all homeschooled, attended Harvard. Defacto pioneers in a quiet, seemingly obscure practice of schooling their boys at home, they show how they did it. They didn't set out to change the world or preach their philosophy, they kept it simple and helped nurture that which was within.

I loved this book. It's a good read, even if you aren't a homeschooling family. It provides a great review of the history of public education in our country and a frank discussion of the housekeeping of public (and dare I equate, some private) education. If you are on the fence about homeschooling, this may force your hand. It is encouraging. Whether my kids go to Harvard or not is hardly the point.

Meet Crosby [And I Am Not A Cat Person]

So following my to-do list confessional I see it only completely and perfectly juxtaposed to introduce......

Crosby, the kitten
(I think we have complete consensus on the name but Presley is a close second.)

Compared to my thorough review of homeschooling curriculum (I swear I feel like I'm in a graduate program) this feels so impulsive. But really, anything that involves pulling a trigger at this point would feel impulsive.

We have a cat, Maggie Mae, and our dear sweet Labrador, Liz, both in the twilight of their lives. We've considered another pup but I can't manage that right now (I still have a pup--his name is Parker!). So we ended up rescuing this sweet little guy this afternoon.

The story is simple. He stole my heart. We were heading out to do some field research (I'm not kidding). I thought this adoption thing might be a good activity for Dad while he's wrangling the kiddos this weekend (Mom is getting out of dodge!). I wanted to get some info under our belts, review it with the husband and then get set up before bringing him/her home. You know, a methodical, intentional plan.

But some plans are made to be broken. He pranced over to me, in a rather regal fashion (albeit juvenile) and snuggled in to greet me. You must know I am a dog person. I don't prefer cats. But he's so purrrrre and affectionate....

The thing about cats is you don't really know what their temperament will be. I sense a loving cuddler and the foster care giver assured me he is a masterful snuggler (preferring the armpit or neck cranny). Personally, I think that's what cats should be. Otherwise, why are we cohabitating?!

Anyway, we'll see how he progresses. Hopefully since he's a wee one, just turning eight weeks this Saturday, we can love him into staying a cuddler. If nothing else, he'll be loved, as evidenced by this sweet initation into our family.

Truth be told, the husband is more of a feline lover than I. He tipped the balance in favor of a cat. (I just want the record to reflect that for some reason.)

Christopher has already made fast friends with our little buddle of fur. He made the most perfectly cozy bed for him. Snug as a bug in a rug.

Anna is a nervous mother hen who can't get enough. Crosby (Or Presley) much preferred sleeping in her pit than a harsh cardboard travel box. He had her at hello.

Oh sweet little P. He is quite intrigued by the kitten as well but can barely get a moment with him due to the aforementioned monitoring of his sister. I will say, there has been some obvious coaching that comes with a three year old learning the fragility of a kitten, but he was the first to get a good purrrrrr of out him (at least to my knowledge). He has a tender touch and this might be just the thing to really let that shine (Yes, I dare to dream!).

A Soundtrack To Our Lives

We are big music lovers but my little helper has upped the ante. When he was a babe and had some troubles we provided some music therapy for him. He goes to sleep every night listening to the Beatles (instrumental only). So, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised at how interested (and may I say, specific) he is with music.

But I am.

He sits for the longest time on record playing music or manning the iPod station. He is incredibly opinionated about what he likes and may play it SEVERAL times in a row ("Mama, I need rock and roll!"). He has an interest and intensity with music that I haven't seen with anything else with him. And I can't wait to see how it develops.

In the meantime, he's doing a wonderful job providing a soundtrack to our lives. Rock on!

A Boy and His Grandpa

My Dad has been visiting us. He lives in the midwest and we live out west. Our visits are not frequent enough for my liking but we cherish the time we do have together. Now he is retired and considering a move closer. (Yay!)

My youngest, who shares a middle name with my Dad, has had his mommy time threatened and isn't exactly thrilled with it. I catch him glancing at Grandpa side ways with a bit of skepticism coupled with intrigue. Deep down he knows Grandpa is his kind of people and they could have a lot of fun together.

But, for me, having the lessons of my Dad's life passed down to my kids is completely invaluable. This I know.

The Birthday List

Today is my birthday. In keeping with tradition, I reviewed last year's list of birthday goals. I hit a few really well, but overall I was a shameful disappointment.

I try to explain away my lackluster performance at attacking these goals with excuses like...
: I have taken on homeschooling one of my three for the second half of the year, when I hadn't planned. (But all good!)
: My little helper is really no help at all. In fact, he's a full time job on it's own. Considering much beyond his safety is a joke.
: Life has been full--so so full.

You get the picture. But the bottom line is they are still great goals and I think I need more time and focus to get to them all. So, I will dial back the berating and proceed working through the list.

One more year, means one more goal though. So in this next year I plan to attack 1-37 and add:

38. To lift my hands off the wheel more and enjoy the ride.

Planting Our Seeds

And watching them grow.

Happy Spring to you.

Butterfly Lapbook

Anna and I are having a good time at home learning and growing in confidence--both of us. One of the greatest advantages, in my eyes, to homeschooling is the opportunity for enrichment. We can take an interest or area of study and go deeper with it. Last week we wrapped up a unit on butterflies.

We conducted our own butterfly release (from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly). And we also put together our first lapbook. These are great ways, whether you are homeschooling or just looking for something to enhance your child's interests, or could even be pulled off for a rainy day(s) activity. There tons and tons of resources available. The homeschooling community I have found online is a generous group of (mostly) gals who share. You can consider most any topic and someone has likely developed a lapbook template (often free) for it. You can tailor for your student or even use it as inspiration and create something else more appropriate.

Our first lapbook should have included photos and documentation of our butterflies and their release but we skipped that. We followed components of this template pretty closely.

Anna loved the hands on artsy crafty synthesis of her learning. It was fun for her to share it over and over with anyone who would listen.

This week we are wrapping up a simple resurrection lapbook. Next up up is our study of Native Americans through the Courage of Sarah Noble. This will be a more involved study that we are both looking forward to.

Welcoming Spring With A Little Mother Pucker

My SIL gifted us some of her fantastic homemade limoncello for Christmas. Mother Pucker. Enough said.

Welcoming spring this weekend prompted us to enjoy her libations over ice. Between her liqueur and husband's brewing you'd think we were a bunch of lushes...I prefer to take the angle that I have married into a creative and thirsty family. That is all.