From My Windshield

My Son Wants to Camp

2010-10-12T11:59:00.007-04:00

What I like about camping is you can get really dirty. Either you're all by yourself, so no one else sees you, or everyone you're with is just as dirty as you are, so nobody cares.
~Anonymous former Boy Scout

A few weeks ago we were camping at the Grand Tetons in a National Park campground with no electric/water/sewer hookups. We had a picnic table, a fire ring and a spot of dirt to park on. We were surrounded by trees and the smell of campfire and burning hotdogs. Since we had no water hookup we had to pack up our towel and shampoo and go down the street to the campground communal shower and pay to clean ourselves (which we hadn't done in three days). As we were headed back to our campsite my son was examining the campground and with a tone of envy announced that he "wanted to camp, too". Anybody see the irony in this? How do you explain to a four year old that he camps for a living?

Last week we were staying/living/camping in San Diego and once again we were surrounded by tents, campfires and hotdogs. Once again he announced that he wanted to "camp". As full-timers we typically cook "normal" meals in our "normal" kitchen, sit at the dinner table, say grace, eat and do the dishes... sans fire pit. We don't camp. Quite honestly, I don't even like the smell of campfire stinking up the house. However, since we are kindof on vacation right now we promised him an evening of stinky campfire, toasty hotdogs and burnt marshmallows.

It had previously rained but we had some wood that didn't seem TOO wet. We had a firestarter log but I didn't want to cook over the chemicals contained within. So we stacked the damp logs and pulled out some scrap paper and a cardboard beer carton and attempted to start our fire. We lit and blew and lit and blew and went inside for come more paper and lit and blew and lit and blew. We were sweating and choking, we stunk like campfire and we had exhausted our supply of scrap paper and had started burning the important stuff...but we were determined to give our son a camping experience. The fire gods finally shined down on us and we had a fire!! Then Caleb announced that he would really just rather eat his hotdog cold (cut up and with ketchup, please). However, like good parents, we stuck his hotdog on a stick and made him at least attempt to raost it!! And don't even get me started on the shopping trip we took just to buy marshmallows for him so he could gouge them in the fire and fling them just to watch them burn (which really was kind of fun for us all!)

To him we don't camp in our BigTruckNewHouse, we live. To him our life has wheels and our front yard changes....from the mountains to the the Pacific to a casino parking lot. To some our life would be an unbearably rustic experience but to him it is not even camping....and he wants to "camp".

I think this means he wants to sleep in a tent but it might just mean he wants to watch his parents huff and puff while he sits quietly and eats a cold hotdog. Brian has promised Caleb they will "camp" in a tent when we get to Grandma's. Have a campfire, get dirty, gaze at the stars, pee outside. He's very excited. I think I'll just stay inside the cozy, clean camper while the boys go outside and camp...and I'm betting I'll have a little warm body next to me before dawn...and I hope he smells like campfire and burnt marshmallows.

Happy yet Unsatisfied?

2010-04-18T10:47:00.004-04:00

"I can't get no satisfaction..."
-The Rolling Stones

I'm happy with who I am.
I'm grateful for my family.
I'm proud of my son
I'm comfortable with not being wealthy.
I'm enjoying my age (with the help of hair dye).
I'm learning to love my body (especially in those one pair of jeans).

But for some reason I can't seem to be satisfied with my home. I'm cool with the size of it I love living the lifestyle. I've adapted to the kitchen and bathroom. And the cozy small bed is quite a marriage booster.

It's the decor. It's the curtains.

Our house is a 2001 model. When we first walked in it we were pleased with the neutral tones. We did, however, hate the mirrors on the walls and they quickly came out. When we moved in we became less than pleased with the lions and tigers and bears (oh my) on the couch and we decided the wallpaper was unsightly. We had a water spot on the slide surround and the bedspread had funky corner tucks. So we changed the bedspread, threw a blanket on the couch and thus began the upholstery conversion.

Caleb spilled paint on the dinette cushions so that, of course, had to be recovered. This somehow gave me the idea to remove the window boxes and make new curtain which led to recovering the slide surrounds. A flood from a broken toilet led to ripping out the carpet and replacing with wood floor. Scratches on the table let to a refinish job and I'm not sure why we ripped out the sink and cabinet and put in a new one (although the added floor space makes for a great dance floor).

The fabric I chose for the original reuphostery was on sale and after a few weeks I decided it was heinous (there is a lesson to be learned here). So off to the fabric store (and I actually duct taped the new around the old dinette cushions) and new pictures and new curtains. Then I decided my son's sleeping arrangements weren't working so it's out with the couch, as in disassemble and throw it out the door. Brian built a very nice storage compartment/bed thing that doubles as a couch with the addition of a few throw pillows. Got some non-clearance upholstery (with a coupon) for it and the throw pillows and I love it. But now the dinette upholdery doesn't match and I began hating that, too. Off with it and back to the original cushions with the paint stain.

Everytime I look at new motorhomes I get new ideas. While Brian is envious of large basements and carefully planned out electrical panels and dump connections, I am inside absorbing ideas.

My newest idea is to put a new picture (or maybe even a beveled mirror) on the wall where the old mirror came from (yep). I want to cover my slide surround with wood moulding (believe it or not I've figure out how to do this with a little stain and velcro). I want to put frosted vinyl on the shower doors to hide the underwear that I flung over the top that didn't hit the laundry basket. And I want to get a new bedspread. And the baskets I put on the front dash for shoes just have to go.

Brian rolls his eyes and tunes me out everytime I begin to talk about a redesign. I keep telling him that as soon as I get a piece perfect I'll stop. I use the couch/bed as an example, and I do love what I've done with the bedroom curtains, and the kitchen backsplash, and the painted walls....well, I kind of want to put a glaze on those...but for the most part I'm satisfied.

Satisfied with a patient husband and my a creative mind. Satisfied with that no-sew iron on stuff, duct tape, safety pins, spray on stain and wood glue. I like change and sometimes I don't get it right the first time but I'm satisfied with that.

He's Ready...But am I?

2010-02-17T14:20:00.002-05:00

There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.
~ Mark Twain
Since being on the road I’ve always known in the back of my mind that school and socialization for my child was going to be a bit unconventional. If we are still living in the BigTruckNewHouse then homeschooling/roadschooling is the route we’ll take (no pun intended). And by the way, there are about as many opinions on this issue as there are opinions on whether or not I fed him from my boob, give him processed sugar or bribe him to behave (kindof, I do now, and of course).

All of that aside, I have wrapped my brain around the idea that Brian and I would one day be responsible for his formal education, at least to a point. For now we are focusing on his social skills by taking him to McDonald’s Playland and roadside parks. But inevitably both his education and socialization are developing just a little differently than his peers. For instance, he has a bad habit of getting in another child’s face and hollering. I fear that he’s not really going to gain a lot of friends with this little habit.

Our lifestyle has taken a bit of a turn and we’re able to stay in the same place for a couple of months at a time. In fact, we’ll be living in South Dakota more often than not. Since we are in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of snow, in the middle of winter I’ve made a quest to find other mothers in my predicament. Well, not actually my exact predicament…any mother with a kid would work.

My search started at the library. No storytime but the librarian told me I could come in and hang out. So that left me feeling a little like a predator waiting to pounce on my prey as the next mother walked in. But the one morning I got my courage up to go there and hunt the library didn’t open until midday and we went away hungry.

Our luck got better at the next stop. In the post office parking lot I found an unsuspecting mother with what looked like a little girl of three. I cornered her ever so politely and asked her if there were any others like her in town. She directed me to a Mommy & Me meeting just around the corner. In fact, their group started in about 15 minutes and I was just on time. This was Caleb’s opportunity to actually socialize with other children outside of Chuck E. Cheese. I was more than nervous. Both for myself entering the new environment (fearing that whole boob/processed sugar/bribing stuff) but mostly for the fear that my son would attack the first child to look at him the wrong way.

My fears were somewhat justifiable. The other mothers were warm and welcoming and no one even mentioned sugar or boobs; however, my son did whack a kid, push a kid and scream more than once. I was slightly mortified but I knew as soon as I left that I had to come back and teach my son how to play well with others at the expense of these darling little children.

In the meantime I found out the local YMCA offered an abbreviated preschool program. After comtemplating for a few days I got the nerve up and enrolled him. When he found out he got to go to school he could hardly sleep. Every day for three days straight that’s all he talked about. The night before I layed out his clothes and tucked him in with the promise of a new adventure in the morning. We were all up early, looking sharp and ready to go. I didn’t get nervous until I was on my way there. Was I supposed to bring him a snack? Did he have on the right kind of shoes? I park, take a breath, look around to see if there are other kids to verify I’m in the right place. This is almost worse than my first day of middle school. Before I could get a grip on the situation, Caleb had unbuckled himself and was half way out the door.

He reluctantly agreed to hold my hand on the walk in. We found the right room, he threw off his coat and ran to play. I was left standing with his shot records and a knot in my throat. The teacher welcomed me (because obviously Caleb needed no welcoming) and directed me to sign him in and hang his coat. Then off I went. I walked down the hall, got into my car, started it, took a deep breath…..then got a little excited about the fact that I had THREE HOURS. I went to the gym, I took a long shower, I actually fixed my hair. It was awesome!

With time, I am learning the preschool ropes and so is Caleb. I now know that you should include candy with your Valentine cards. Caleb knows not to eat all of that candy (or at least not to get caught). I know that he might take his shoes off so make sure his socks are clean. And Caleb knows not to throw his shoes at the other kids. I know to relax and allow him to be the fun, spirited little boy that God made him to be. And he knows how fun it is to be the spirited little boy that God made him to be.

I’m not ready for preschool germs or influences not filtered by me. But I’m ready to see his little face beam as he runs to me and tells me about his day at school (or even if he screams “No Mommy, don’t be here”).

Beautiful People

2010-01-10T15:43:00.011-05:00

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.
~Helen Keller

Living in an RV forces you to live more simply; however, traveling the various climates in the country complicates the beauty regime. Seems that the products I accumulate to keep my skin and hair in balance increases with each state we visit.

There are the standard summer bronzers and winter lotions. Evening eyeshadow and daytime dewy blush. Basic am and pm moisturizer (and wrinkle cream after I turned 35 and only if I remember it) and always always mascara and lip gloss.

But there are so many various beauty roadblocks across the US.

There are parts of the South that are so humid it takes a few towels and an industrial fan on full blast to dry off after a shower. Here my hair is frizzy and all I need is gel and a diffuser and a sense of humor to embrace the 80s hair. The mascara has to be waterproof or you'll be a raccoon by noon. And let's not forget that you're in the South so makeup in general is a must...even just for a trip to Walmart (and big hair is still cool...especially for a trip to Walmart). But the South is home to some warm, welcoming and beautiful folks.

The Southwest is quite the opposite. There I don't even need a towel to get dry out of the shower and it's so hot I don't really want to put clothes on either ...but the management at the grocery store frown upon nudity in the produce isle. I buy lotion and hair conditioner by the gallon. Everything that touches my body has SPF in it and the only makeup I wear is mascara and lip gloss, even in the pool...which of course brings on another set of problems with red, chemical burned skin...or is that margarita induced. But the Southwest is home to so many healthy, energetic and beautiful folks.

In the Midwest I haven't quite figured it out. It's dry sometimes. It's humid sometimes. It's cold sometimes. It's hot sometimes. The hair is 1/2 curly and 1/2 straight but usually windblown or in a ponytail. My face is dry 1/2 the time and makeup is always optional in these parts. Mother Nature is at her moodiest while swirling around in the Midwest. But it is home to many friendly, kind and beautiful people.

Right now it is frigid across pretty much the entire country. I can't even get enough lotion on my skin to make it soft so I've resorted to soaking in olive oil and for some reason Brian keeps craving Italian food.

Seems I'm always running to Walmart to grab a different kind of moisturizer or hair product to fix my regional beauty woes. Thank goodness there are so many options to help make me beautiful. Thank goodness there are so many beautiful souls in America that are loving and kind no matter what my hair looks like or whether I have on mascara and lip gloss...and some don't even care if I have on clothes.

Is Different Normal?

2009-12-15T11:02:00.004-05:00

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.
~Cecil Beaton

Is it normal to be different?

I recently had a previous neighbor say to me..."We don't think differently of you for what you're doing." She was referring to our lifestyle and it was said in a way to assure us that she didn't think less of us. I thought it an odd thing to say. After all, why would you think differently of us? And why would different be less? I guess for all my joking of my house having a steering wheel I never stopped to think that someone might really think that quality of life is poorer living this way.

So we don't live normal according to suburban American standards; however, consider the idea that only 300 million people live in the US. Are the other 5,700,000,000 million people abnormal? I know alot of Fox News fans might be surprised by this thought!

1. We live in a small space, about 300 square feet. The average home size in the UK is 850 square feet, Tokyo is about 600 square feet and it's even less than that in some areas of China and India. And let's not even mention the fact that there are usually more than three people living in these small spaces. These are numbers that make execs at IKEA squeal with joy.

2. Our son sleeps on a custom made couch the size of a twin bed. It could be a cot on a dirt floor (which would probably make him very happy). He doesn't have to share it with anyone except Mr. Bears. There is no mosquito net needed...but I feel certain there's at least two squooshed yogurt raisens somewhere in it. He isn't awakened by urban noises he would hear if he were in a city like Tokyo or Rome (but there was this one campground right beside a train that kind of freaked him out a few times in the night).

3. We'll probably roadschool/homeschool our son (unless he surpasses my capacity about mid way through 1st grade). It is estimated that up to 2 million children in the US are homeschooled. Once again, there are 5,700,000,000 other people in the world not included in that figure.

4. My convection oven can't hold a pizza larger than 12 inches. But it can burn the hell out of just about anything. My fridge can only hold a whole chicken if we eat nothing else and my freezer can't handle the amount of chicken I'd really like to buy when it's on sale for $2.99. But it has two crisper drawers, a meat locker and even a cool little slide out thing to make room for my wine bottles. My kitchen faucet is the low, old timey kind. But this has nothing to d0 with living in the RV and I'm praying very hard that it soon breaks so I can justify a cooler one. It is a privelege not shared around the world to have clean running water and a coffee maker.

5. Our yard changes often. Over 18 million people live in New York City and very few of them mow a yard. We don't pick weeds or buy fertilizer and we can grown our herbs just fine inside. Unless you put them in the front window and they get fried and shrivel up and die.

6. We have to dump our poop tank. OK, so this one I can't turn into a positive but I've heard stories that lots of people around the world poop in a hole.

So if normal means the way most people do it, seems that we are closer to normal than most suburban Americans.

This neighbor lady opened my eyes. She made me aware that there are people out there that really think what we're doing isn't all that cool. She defined the word "different" as a negative and she prided herself on accepting us even though we didn't do it her way. I guess there are some people that are just different than us.

2009-11-27T10:38:00.005-05:00

A man must have grown old and lived long
in order to see how short life is.
~Arthur Schopenhauer, Paregra und Paralipomena

I'm not too old to be cool but I might be too young. They say you get wiser with age but there seems to be a trend that says you might be getting cooler with age.

A few days ago I read an opinion article about the idea that being old is cool. That those who are getting old today aren't giving up their cool from yesterday. A couple of weeks before that I read an article discussing that in today's times those that are old have come out the best. By that time in your life you have probably retired and surpassed the danger of losing your job and therefore have a bit of financial freedom and a little less stress. This alone doesn't make you cool but it does allow you the resources to be cool.

Age, of course, is relative (as is everthing else according to my Father). But to give you a better perspective of this blog, I'm 35, Brian is 41, Caleb is 3 and our dog is 6...or 42, whichever way you look at it. Since we live in an RV many of the people we encounter on our journeys are retired folks. Some are cool and some are just old.

My 15 year old niece reminds Brian and I pretty often that we aren't even close to cool. In fact, while picking out new cell phones (with her help) her response to our interest in a touch screen phone..."you guys couldn't handle that one". Being cool isn't necessarily about having the newest phone or ipod (although being able to send a text message increases your cool factor). Being cool doesn't mean wearing the newest trend (although you lose cool points for shorts with black socks). Being cool isn't about the convertible or motorcylce (although it helps).

Cool is a state of mind. It says you don't have to be old just because you are old. Cool is retired Barb and Frank who take their camper and jeep and go 4-wheeling in some amazing parts of the country. Cool is Sue and Ed who after 51 years of marriage enjoy their retirement by traveling to the beach for her and to the mountains for him (again...four wheeling). Cool is flying in a helicopter for your 80th birthday because you'd already skydived for you 79th. Cool is a widow riding her Harley across the country. Cool is running four miles every morning since 1974 on a New Years resolution.

Whether it's getting a degree at 65, learning a new hobby at 82 or skinny dipping at 70...being old can be cool. Brian and I may be too old to be cool to my niece but we have hope that one day we'll be cool again when we're old.

Adaptation

2009-10-16T14:10:00.006-04:00

"Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome"
~Clint Eastwood as Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway in "Heartbreak
Ridge"

One truth about this kind of living is that we have to adapt different rules for a different kind of space. I've previously written about the change in cleaning style, the joys of learning a new way to cook and living with a toddler on board. But there also have to be some changes made to the way we live our lives and the reasons behind our decision making.

This past month one of our fuzzies (Mogi) bit Caleb on the forehead. Surprisingly it was unprovoked. We had to make the decision pretty immediately to get rid of him. It was sad and emotional because we had him almost five years and he was part of our family. But it was necessary. We couldn't keep a 90 lb dog in 36 feet if we were afraid of our little boy being bitten. Would this situation been different if we lived in 3600 feet?

On a much lighter note...we previously never had a tv in the bedroom. But since our child sleeps in the front of our house and goes to bed at 8:30 (unless we allow him to eat graham crackers, bounce on the couch and play Lego while he sings Old MacDonald until midnight) we sometimes watch a little tv in our bed...and sometimes eat in bed and have been known to drink wine in bed. If we had a two story house and a family room would we still do more in our bed than what we should be doing (OK, I regress here).

We recently went through Caleb's toys and had to donote what seemed like car loads. Maybe it's because we are older parents of an only child but his stash tends to grow larger with every retail stop. And we've learned that bribery is an excellent parenting skill no matter what Dobson says. Would the kids at the charity center be as lucky if we had a playroom?

Along those same lines we realized that after a year of living in the BigTruckNewHouse our closet was getting smaller and smaller. We must part with at least half of these clothes. We must invest in a 3-in-1 parka and shed all of these jackets and coats. After all, we calculated that if you wear your jeans twice in a row and do laundry once a week you really don't need 16 pair. Would we keep them if we had a walk-in closet?

And let's not even talk about the accumulation of hair products, potions and lipstick...

So we're learning to make decisions differently. I like that quote above from Heatbreak Ridge. I've remembered it for many years. Seems like a good way to view life and maintain some serenity no matter how you live - whether it be in combat or in an RV or combat in an RV.

Now if I could just hold onto that serenity when I'm in Walmart and Caleb begins to scream for a new toy.

Knitting Makes Me Cuss

2009-09-29T15:15:00.007-04:00

Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either. ~Elizabeth Zimmerman
Bullshit. ~Kelly North

I first taught myself how to knit in preparation for a plane trip from Phoenix to TN in our little plane. Not that I took for granted the fact that my husband was flying us across the country but I knew West Texas was going to bore me to death and quite honestly the whole trip was a bit boring (ok...so maybe I did take it for granted). So anyhoo...I taught myself to knit and made six dishclothes in those two days even though at one point I lost a needle and Brian wouldn't let me look for it until the next fuel stop (I really almost went berserk during this wait). When we finally landed in TN I was proud of my work despite the uneven stitches and oblong shapes. And I didn't lose my mind in TX.

My next attempt at knitting was a hat for my husband. It took me three years to finish and it was so small it fit Caleb's head and the matching mini-me hat I knit for Caleb fit his stuffed bear (now I must mention that they both have really big heads). So I stuffed all my knitting paraphernalia in the super cute knitting bag my mother made for me and shoved it in the back of the closet. Knitting just isn't my thing.

But there is something about the Fall weather that makes me want to knit again. Maybe it's the picture perfect image of the family wrapped in matching scarves and gloves or maybe the feeling of sitting all cozy in front of the fireplace (or steering wheel) and knitting. Whatever it is I wish it would just go away. Afterall, a scarf isn't exactly expensive so why knit one.

We stayed at Walmart last night and we had a long trip ahead of us today. I bought some yarn. I pulled out the knitting book to remember how to "cast on" (and that took me way too many miles to relearn). I started knitting. I decided on a scarf for Caleb. One color, simple stitch. I can do this. I had to make a couple of phone calls to friends and family for interpretation of the four lines of instruction then off I went.

The problem I seem to be encountering is that my scarf keeps getting wider as it gets longer. I don't think I like how the "purl stitch" is supposed to be crafted and maybe I'm subconsciously trying to reinvent it. The road in SD is bumpy. I don't hold my needles correctly and Caleb is sitting on my lap. Maybe that has something to do with my triangle shaped scarf or maybe I just can't knit. I cuss and tug and try to concentrate but seems I just can't get it right. So my Irish Moss pattern turns into my own helter skelter pattern and I think when they labeled this project at "Easy" in the book they must have made a mistake. I cuss some more.

How can something so simple that is supposed to be so relaxing be so frustrating.

The thing about knitting is one little mistake messes up the whole damn thing. I thank God that isn't the way my whole life works. And I also pray to God for the patience and skill to get this scarf finished before the winter is over.

I can't sew either!

2009-09-12T10:55:00.003-04:00

"I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool? I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you."
- Rodney Atkins

At the helicopter store Caleb gets the chance to watch any one of six helicopters take off and land all day...but his favorite is his daddy in the "black helicopter". Caleb has his own special set of earphones and a special chair to stand in and look out the window to watch the pilots fly in and out. He can name the moving parts and loves and admires all things helicopters.

As a wife I've always been excited to experience Brian learning to fly helicopters and even more proud to walk along this career path with him. However, prior to this summer I did not work with him and had only seen him fly a handful of times. Now I load his customers and wave him off multiple times per hour. I have to admit my heart beats a little faster and my throat knots up just a bit every time he takes off and lands - and I've even been known to get a little teary. And every time I turn around and trot back to the helicopter store I see Caleb standing at the window with wide eyes watching his Daddy.

When I look at Caleb's face at that moment I'm always overwhelmed with the responsibility of parenthood and amazed at the love God has given me to feel. What the heck am I going to do with all that admiration oozing out of that little three year old?

The love, pride and compassion I feel for my husband and his career can easily be defined by our lifestyle choice to live in an RV so he can live his passion. The love, pride and compassion I see in Caleb's eyes as he watches his Daddy I haven't yet been able to wrap my brain around.

I do not read the news details about aviation accidents for fear of losing it, when one of the pilots run long on a tour I get more than a little uncomfortable and when the weather gets inclement and Brian is in the air I get scared. But not alot of people know this. The customers that come in see the pride, love and compassion in my eyes as I look at Caleb and he looks at his Daddy with that same pride, love and compassion. And sometimes they'll even see me blow Brian a kiss.

When He Flies for Hours

2009-06-03T17:31:00.006-04:00

“It's not the hours we put in on the job, but what we put into the hours that counts. ~ Sydney Madwed

I am a helicopter pilot's wife.

Five years ago my husband came home from a business trip to Phoenix and told me he wanted to move to the Southwest. You can read about the beginning of this adventure on our BigTruckNewHouse entry .

So we're off on this crazy ride into aviation. After we arrived in Phoenix, Brian convinced me that he needed to buy an airplane because it was cheaper to get some hours in that first and it would save on helicopter hours which are more expensive. (For some reason I bought this story but the fact that I had just given up everything comfortable to me and moved across the country tells you that I wasn't in my right mind during these months.) So to save on hours we bought a plane. I have since learned that pretty much everything aviation is measured in hours. I have also learned that buying an airplane is not cheaper no matter what he says (and he's still sticking to his argument). But it sure was fun to fly to Sedona in our plane every Saturday morning for french toast and crispy bacon.

Now being a student at 35 after many years in the corporate world wasn't the easiest thing for either one of us to live through. Lots of hours studying, lots of time flying at odd hours (there's that hours thing again). But with perseverence and his natural God given brains and charm he completed his training (got enough hours) and was officially a commercial helicopter pilot. And I do not hesitate to tell everyone I know how proud I am of him ... and neither does his mother or mother-in-law. And I finally became a helcopter pilot's wife.

Two years in Phoenix, training complete and we're back in the south in Atlanta for a job teaching so we could be closer to the Grandpeople (Caleb was four months old now - that's about 2900 hours). One year into Atlanta the company he flew for closed down. Cuss. Cuss. Cuss. Two weeks later he was very fortunate to get another teaching job across town. He had an hour communte each way (more hours) but he got to fly. It was a hard time for so many people that were affected by the company shutting down but the fact that Brian was in the air (racking up hours) got us through.

The economy has hit the aviation world as it has so many other realms and his student based dropped and the job he was offered in the Gulf flying transport was put on hold. It was an even more difficult time for us because now he was not in the air and his hour accumulation ceased. So we decided to make the most of the BigTruckNewHouse and we head off to do some contract work and travel the country.

Most of you already know what happened during our Black Hills Family Field Trip. Now we're in South Dakota for the season and flying tours and I'm behind the counter selling tours and here we are. We were headed to Sacramento. We were going to go to Yellowstone and Yosemite - we even bought the National Park Pass. But we're here and it is beautiful and it is crazy and it is wonderful. We're working lots of hours, he'll get lots of flight hours and this adventure is all ours!

Rainy Days

2009-04-03T12:42:00.013-04:00

“One thing a mother must always save for a rainy day is
patience”
-unknown
I'm in Indianapolis right now. It's rainy, it's cold and it's windy. We're inside a tin can that rocks with the blustering wind, generously welcomes the frigid air and amplifies the sound of rain. And I can't even begin to discuss how I feel about the gritty limestone grime that's been tracked in the house by our creatures.

It's days like today that my motherhood skills get put to the test. Do I have it in me to entertain the masses (or at least one active two year old)? Not only am I sharpening these skills but I'm going to graciously share my tricks.

1. The obvious. Put on rain boots and go splash. Take your trucks and buckets. This activity can be hazardous so make sure and watch for traffic. It also requires patience - remember it's cold, windy and muddy. Pick some dandilions along the way and let them float in the puddle (the wind does a fabulous job of creating a speeding flower show).

2. Arts and crafts. I've recently discovered the mecca of kids craft websites. I bought a bunch of plastic boxes, filled them with buttons, pipe cleaners, felt, scissors, glue, etc. and stuck them in some of the top storage cabinets. Pull a few boxes out, grab some construction paper and WHAM! You have fridge art.

3. Tent. Blanket over the table. Pillows in the corner. Towels in the shower. Sheet on the bed. A few stuffed animals, some cracker and milk and hours of fun.

4. Getting smarter and more imaginative. I find most flash cards to be boring but these BrainQuest cards are cool and I highly recommend them. Puzzles are hit and also fun for Mom. I also found a small set of ABC/123 blocks that are so much fun to knock down and fling across the house and they are perfect for a small space. Duplos are also one of our favorite things. Plain old chalkboard to draw flowers or "paint" on with water.

5. Just for fun. Matchbox pop up playsets are just one of the best things ever made. Video games and movies are excellent mind numbing, trance inducing activities. Music instruments will evoke screams of joy and barks of annoyance.

6. Cooking. I've been a fan of having Caleb in the kitchen from a very early age. We make goodies and he helps me with dinner almost every night. It keeps him out of trouble when I'm distracted with cooking and makes him confident with each skill he learns. He has flung flour over the entire house, he has poured baking soda into a box of Splenda, poured an entire bottle of vanilla into our granola bars and eaten more cookie dough than cookies. But we have a blast. I recommend Metal cookware that you can really bake in and small spoons and scoops. A bonus to this activity is that the oven help heat up the house from that frigid air pouring in.

7. Naptime. There is no better way to entertain a toddler on a cold, rainy day than dreaming.

Dinner Disasters

2009-03-27T22:17:00.004-04:00

"Say...I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them, Sam I Am!"
~Dr. Seuss

I'm a cook. Not like Hell's Kitchen kind of cook. Not a professional but to me it is a mood altering event. There is something about the menu making, ingredient gathering, anticipation, preparation and presentation that moves me. It brings the odd balance of structure and creative flexibility to my world. I'm good at it.

Then I moved into an RV with a convection oven/microwave combo, a smaller than normal crock pot and a Foreman grill and suddenly I'm not quite as good as I thought I was.

Let's start with the convection thingy. First, nothing larger than 12" diameter fits into it. Then there's the whole "it's a microwave" no "it's an oven" argument. It has metal trays to cook on. How do you microwave with them without blowing it all up? There are also alot of presets. What exactly is the difference between Cook and Bake? How about Roast and Grill? When I push the Pizza button am I microwaving or baking? I read the instructions and that didn't clarify it at all. With experience I've learned to adjust the temps and time to compensate for the air cooking method of convection but I'm not sure I will ever master that. I've learned how to reach up over my head to grab the 400 degree tray without scorching myself (although not without some blisters and profanity). And I've learned the difference between Bake and Cook, although not without microwaving some chocolate chip cookies instead of baking them (Brian ate them anyway).

I was told I needed a slow cooker for the BigTruckNewHouse but my extra large, oval one just wasn't going to fit. So I found the perfect three quart crock pot with a seal on the lid so it won't spill while moving (if you turn the generator on you can cook while you travel and when you arrive at your destination - chicken and dumplins coming right up). This one was perfect and I could get used to the small size. Afterall, I didn't have my FoodSaver so I wasn't going to be making large meals for freezing and I don't have room in the fridge for leftovers. I seem to be struggling with the size adjustment. Every time I make a soup I put in too many beans or tomatoes and I wind up with something that resembles a casserole. I then finish the dish and add the required broth to make a soup. But then I have too much and it won't fit in the crockpot so I have to scoop some out and put in a regular pan. But that part cooks faster on the stove and I have to let it cool, stick in the fridge and mix it with the leftovers from dinner hours later when the crockpot is done. Now I have four quarts of leftover soup that I made in my three quart pot.

The George Foreman grill is another gadget that was recommended to me. I like it and it allows us to have grilled, healthy food inside on cold rainy days. Here's the problem. I have the cheaper version with no temperature control. It's hot. I mean the outside edges. On a small countertop I sometimes have the need to skooch it over just a bit... I have quickly learned to resistant that urge with my bare hands. Instead I grab some tongs, spatula, dishtowel or even a diaper (I'm trying to repurpose my leftovers since Caleb is now potty trained) and carefully slide it slowly out of my way. And another thing...there is a little grease trapper dish that goes under it to catch all of the ewy - I am quickly learning how to be diligent in remembering this dish.

My Father recently told me "Everything is an adventure". I think he was referring to something a little larger than cooking. But if he had seen the blister on my thumb, eaten those cookies or watched me stuff containers of soup in every corner of the fridge . . . . if he watched us sit at the dinner table every evening and pray, eat and laugh together he would undoubtedly agree that cooking on the road is an adventure.

Toddler On Board

2009-03-09T08:00:00.002-04:00

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan

When we first started telling people about our plans for this adventure we got alot of feedback about our son. Some were worried about his schooling (he's only 2), others had concerns about his socialization, his daily schedule, his sleeping, and the list went on.

Brian and I tried to remind the nay sayers about the beautiful world and marvelous adventures that Caleb would experience (and we were hoping that we would be right).

So's here's a little about life with a 2 1/2 year old in 36'

Our Daily Schedule:
It is pretty much the same as it was in our old house except we spend more time outside. We get up, eat cereal, watch Mickey Mouse, do an activity that resembles something educational, take the dogs on a long walk and pick up rocks and sticks, do some artwork with our rocks and sticks, eat lunch, another walk, play cars, read, take a nap, eat a snack, color, another dog walk, start dinner....

RV Friendly Fun:

1. Put all of the couch cushions on the floor and tumble.
2. Cover the entire dinnette in a clear shower curtain and fingerpaint
3. Wall mounted/over door basketball hoop (the dogs prefer that the basketball be soft as they get hit with it often)
4. Matchbox cars (there are a million different places a toddler can hide these in an RV, I find them everywhere)
5. Cooking (whether you want them to participate in this activity or not, it's almost unavoidable in such a small space).
6. Jump on the bed while watching yourself in the closet mirror (not reccomended for anyone over 40" as the ceiling is quite low)
7. Climbing from the dining room to the living room without touching the floor (this is easier than you might imagine.
8. Sit on the couch or bed and ride the slide in and out when we set up and break down.

Socializtion:
1. McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds (and a little Chuck E Cheese). Every single time we take him for an ice cream and playtime he finds friends imediately. He talks with them, plays chase with them and cons the cute girls into helping pull him up when he can't reach the next step on the playground.
2. Storytime. Libraries, community center and bookstores all over the country have storytime. The traveling experience comes in handy here when you have a wild child like I do. When he runs and screams throughout the entire story you know you'll never have to come back to this particular library again.
3. Campground. We've haven't run into other children; however, he has made some great friends that take him for rides in golf carts and shower him with attention. This is the priceless socialization that we wouldn't have found in our old life.
4. Parks. They are all over the country. They are full of other kids-and bugs and rocks and worms and everything dear to a two year old little boy.

Sleeping and other daily habits.
1. We took out the lounge chair in the living area, put in a toddler bed and installed a ceiling mounted curtain. We've attached some fun pockets around his bed for his stuff and a moonlight on the ceiling so he can read at night. He loves it and it's another bed for jumping.
2. Below his bed we have containers of toys, we have a storage ottoman with more toys and one of the drawers under the dinette seat is toys. We have two bookshelves full of books and two more with games and puzzles. He does not lack for entertainment although I lack for storage space for the rest of my stuff.
3. We have found room in our basement for his outside entertainment. Big wheel, skates, wagon, sandbox (plastic underbed storage container filled with sand), Tonka trucks, balls and bubbles. If we drag it all out at the campsite we look a bit like our own little carnival.
4. He has his own closet. He has his own potty. He has a small stool to help him reach the sink and his closet (and the kitchen counter when I'm cooking).

Education:
He knows his colors, numbers and alphabet. But he also knows about squirrels, deer raccoons and deer. He can tell you an acorn makes an oak tree, a catepillar makes a butterfly, and rain makes flowers. If we are still living this lifestyle when the time comes I will roadschool - at least until 1st or 2nd grade and he surpasses my capacity!

There is no doubt, we live a life fuller than we ever did pushing the stroller up and down the same sidewalk every afternoon seeing the same houses. I hope someday he will remember even a little piece of his big life.

It's Good To Be Me

My Son Loves to Shower in Public

2009-02-27T17:39:00.007-05:00

"Childhood is that wonderful time in life when all you need to do to lose weight is take a bath."
-Richard Zera

The idea of showering in the campground public facility kind of disgusts me. I don't even need to go into all of the reasons why. As a result of that snobish opinion I learned how to take a shower in our BigTruckNewHouse. That means only six gallons of hot water and a 30" triangle to wash my long, thick hair, shave and hopefully finish off the rest of me. I became pretty good at it.

Getting Caleb to enjoy this experience was another story. I first tried the shower but since it was the size of a phone booth there was no way for him to avoid getting water in the eyes. In our old house he loved a shower more than ice cream... but that shower could have comfortably fit about five people.

After the shower failure I ran some water into the bottom of the shower to make a little RV bathtub. It was about three inches deep. To lessen the torture I bought green soap, bubblegum shampoo and this weird purple mousse stuff that sprays everywhere. It didn't work. My poor little guy would stand outside of the shower and scream "No, no Mommy. No bath" and he would hold on to the outside of the door frame with all four appendages like a cat. We suffered through a few baths and showers whenever he started to stink and he's gotten to where he will at least endure. However, he looks forward to a few nights at the Grandpeople's house where he can take a real bath.

When we stayed at a campground for a few days that had their water turned off because of the cold weather we were forced to really make conservation efforts with our water supply. We decided to shower in the campground shower. Ew. I bundled Caleb and I up, grabbed our shampoo (and toys) and headed out. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was that it didn't have a real door or a lock but only a shower curtain. This conjured up some pretty scary images....you might be thinking Psycho...but I'm thinking naked Kelly in the shower and naked Caleb running out the door. But that didn't happen.

What did happen was my little guy had a blast. He washed his own hair, he played, he giggled and he splashed. I knew right then that campground showers were going to be a part of my future. So, I put on my flipflops and grab my industrial sized can of Lysol and off we go so my son can shower in public.

Clean Windshield

2009-01-30T13:48:00.005-05:00

There may be dust in my house but there isn't any on me.
~Author Unknown

I like a clean house. I like it orderly, neat and dust free. I used to spend hours cleaning. I vacuumed every day, I wiped down the kitchen every time I was in it and my bathrooms sparkled.

Then I moved into our BigTruckNewHouse. I tried at first to keep it sparkling but I soon learned that I had to adjust my standards. When you live in an RV you must embrace the great outdoors and realize that it is going to creep into your indoors.

With two dogs you would think I still need to vacuum every day. Not true. Now I just wait until I see Caleb covered in dog hair when he plays in the floor and then I know it's time to vacuum.

As for the bathroom, hair in the tub and sink still disgusts me. I still wipe down the bathroom every day. I used to say that the key to a happy marriage is a double vanity... some days I still believe that.

The kitchen gets used the most and it is cleaned the most. The small frig is crammed full of food so you never see the shelves to know if they are dirty or not. The microwave/convection is mounted so high you can't really see in that either. The countertop is about two square feet so even after boiling spaghetti sauce or frying chicken it's still easy to wipe down.

The dirtiest part is the front of the house (aka "cockpit"). We have 14 feet and alot of toes in our family so you can image this is the main portal of the outdoors creeping indoors. I have trained Caleb and Brian to take their shoes off when they come in. The dogs, however, have yet to embrace this habit.

The BigTruckNewHouse may not sparkle like our previous home but it's clean enough that we could comfortably welcome company (even though there really isn't any room for them to sit down).

And I now have much more time to spend coloring on the hairy floor with my son.

Bigger Windshield

2009-01-11T09:21:00.003-05:00

They say travel broadens the mind; but you must have the mind. - G.K. Chesterton (1921)

You see alot more when you have a bigger windshield.

On the road the other day we were at a stoplight and I saw a Snyder's potato chip truck. It was decorated with a striking design. I don't think I'd ever seen a Snyder's potato chip truck before. I'd eaten the chips. I've seen the chips in every grocery store I'd ever been to. Why hadn't I ever seen the truck before? Is it because we have a huge windshield and I sit up high above the road? Or is it because as we travel down the road I am absorbing the world around me in a way I never have before?

At my desk the other day I was working diligently on a rush project. I looked up and saw a deer. I stop working and watched the deer as it meandered through the woods. It made for a beautiful afternoon, I was more relaxed and the work got done before naptime was over. I never would have watched this deer if I didn't have a bigger windshield.

A couple of months ago I was at the laundrymat and I met a man who drove a truck, lived in a travel trailer, was recently divorced and seemed very sad about his new situation. Last week I ran into him again at the same laundrymat and he had met a woman (well, he actually had never met her but he has been texting his secretary's aunt in New Orleans for about a month). He was very excited about his new friendship. It was interested to hear about how the friendship development and it was lovely to experience his joy as he told me about her. I never would have met this man if I didn't have a bigger windshield.

A couple of weeks ago we parked beside an older couple (as are most of our neighbors). She was in a wheelchair and they had outfitted their RV with a handicap friendly bathroom, a hospital bed and a really cool lift in their rig so she (and their elderly dog) could easily get in and out. One afternoon we talked. She had spent much of her younger days alone while her husband traveled with both military and work. She had great interest in our choice to travel and keep the family together and she praised us for our decision. However, I had great interest in her lifestyle and despite her disability she had made the incredible choice to see the world through a bigger windshield.

Now if I could only keep my windshield clean!

What I Have to Say

2008-12-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple. ~Doris Janzen Longacre

The is my blog. Not my son's or my husband's (you can see those by clicking on the links to the left). It will be all about what it is like to live in our BigTruckNewHouse from my perspective.

I'll be sharing things like RV housekeeping tips; Organization and small space living ideas; Cooking advice for crockpots, Foreman grills and convection ovens; Creative ways to entertain a toddler and two Shepherds in a small space on a cold rainy day; and the softer, emotional side of ridding your life of possessions and living smaller.

I hope you are able to enjoy and take something from my words.