Memorial Weekend

Memorial Weekend was great! We stayed at the campground and watched the kids' interactions with all the other kids here. And Boy, were there a lot of kids here this weekend! We usually have the place pretty much to ourselves, but it came alive this weekend. At first the kids had a hard time adjusting to all the action, but they eventually found their groove. It started out with a lot of name calling and pushing, and our poor boys couldn't figure out why the others were so mean. We're definitely not used to typical school yard behavior and there was plenty of that going on. They eventually met a really nice boy and his two sisters and they spent the weekend "Pokemoning". We became the unofficial playground police, and it was funny to watch the other kids. They'd throw sand at each other, hit, name call, but as soon as they saw me.....they stopped dead in their tracks. Not because I was mean, but I let them know if they wanted to play with my kids they had to play nice......and it actually worked! It was a surprise to me though how many kids just ran around all day with absolutely no adult supervision. I know our kids appreciated the fact that we were there watching. Without us to protect them, they would have been forced to turn into one of them!

We also spent a lot of time on the lake. It was quite depressing though watching all the boats on the lake pulling kids around tubes, knowing our boat is just sitting in our garage back home. :( I got a blow up floating island and some miscellaneous floaties, and we had a great time anyway.


We also had people stopping by camp all weekend, drinking beer and telling stories. My favorite was Herb, and how he tried to go to Vietnam but the military wouldn't allow him because of his eyesight, so he went to Height-Ashbury and ended up protesting the war. He met all the cool rockers from that time: The Doors, Janis Joplin and so many others I can't think of right now.

We treated ourselves to huge crab legs. The kids caught toads and Jonas even caught a snake. (


All in all it was a great weekend and we never even left the campground. Thanks Chuck, Herb and Tim of Welcome Woods Campground!

Big week

What a Big week! It finally warmed up and the kids and I have started exploring. First we met up with some unschoolers at a park near Kalamazoo. The kids had great fun rolling down a huge hill...who needs playground equipment when nature makes it's own great play places!

Yesterday since the weather was still so nice we decided to hike some trails. We went out to The Pierce Cedar Institute and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty.


Jonas even met a friend, which he's holding, Cat. There were tons of frogs around that pond but they were too quick for my little amphibian lovers.

Driving home after hiking I couldn't resist taking the kids to the coolest playground ever: Tangle Town. It's totally interactive, so much so that even I can't control myself. Guess who can swing the highest?

NOTE: Video removed, but can still be viewed here.

After the park it did start raining again, but at least it was warm this time. We sat outside and watched the kids play in the rain for what seemed like hours. Life is good.

Camp LIfe

Things are going good. Yesterday while garage saling we found bikes for the boys. Originally they wanted $20 a piece, but since it was near the end of the day, and I wanted both bikes, and I only had $9 left on me....we scored two new bikes for only $9! Talk about a bargain. Other than laundry, grocery shopping, and dishes, we're just trying to stay dry. We seem to be bring bad weather with us wherever we go. It's been almost non stop raining, and pretty cold.

When the days are nice we hang out at the lake and hike around the trails. Here's a little video clip to bore you with:
NOTE: Video removed but can still be viewed here.

If you camp without full hook-ups

I will be forced to call the honey wagon to suck up all our crap

In order for crap sucker to do it's job, I have to move my car, where it's convenient for me

Then the owner of the campground will have to bring his tractor down

Pulling my truck out will leave ugly marks in his lawn

Plow down ugly ruts

Make it even uglier?

So sorry!

If you buy yourself a hula hoop

Everyone will want to get in on the act

NOTE: Video removed but can still be viewed here.

Welcome Woods Camprground

Just thought I'd share some pics of my rough day at the campground yesterday.
Yes, I had to watch the kids while they played at the playground, and I had to endure the horrible view I have of the lake.....all while staying in my bed all day. Jacob told Dad I must be afraid of the outside....
Not as afraid as I am of letting them in!!

Hastings, MI

We finally got to our destination yesterday, and of course, there's no wi-fi to be seen. I don't know what took us so long. We used to be able to drive over 1000 miles in a single day but on Tuesday it took us 12 hrs just to go a little over 200 mies! To say we're taking our time and enjoying the ride would be an understatement. The campground we chose is great so far. We picked the closest spot to the beach, which is actually the farthest spot to drive in the campground. We're also directly across the dirt road of a big playground which Jewel is absoloutely in love with. The weather is super, but being parked on Mosquito Ave. does not give me any illusions of a bug free time.

Someone from my Unschooling Families on the Road group wrote the other day that fulltiming is not what they were expecting, and they are cancelling their trip early and heading back home. For some reason this has really been bothering me...and I can't really figure out why. I think it just saddens me because for us, getting back into the motorhome is like reconnecting as a family again. At home we have so many things to occupy our time and thoughts that we kinda do our own things, but being in such close quarters brings about interactions that we might not have had otherwise. I love the closeness that happens to us when we're in our motorhome, and the kids love it as well. We originally were not going to go with Joey on this job but I decided last minute to go along, since I really had nothing that important keeping me home anyway, and everyday since we left, Joey has been very vocal in telling me how happy he is that we all came. It's definitely a lot more work hauling 5 people, rather than him just going it alone, but there's a much bigger reward for us being together. Granted, I can still leave whenever I want and go back home, so not having that option does make it seem more daunting. It just saddens me that they couldn't find the joy that we find being on the road.

May everyone find what brings them joy.

where the fuhkaui?

On the road again....just can't wait to get on the road again. Wait? There was no waiting involved. We are on the road again. I'll be blogging more regularly now since I'm on VACA...woo hoo!! We're sitting in a rest stop while Joey stretches his legs and I couldn't miss a chance to use free wi-fi. My battery is about dead so I have to keep it short....peace out, and happy birthday to me!

self reflection tuesday

Jewel self reflection
Originally uploaded by jakesmome.

OK, maybe it's Jewel's self reflection so it doesn't really count... but those are my feet...

Algona POW Museum

Last weekend the kids and I joined two other homeschool families at a POW Museum in Algona, IA. I had no idea before that it had even existed, in fact I didn't even know we EVER had foreign prisoners in America. Yep, I graduated our public school system. Anyway, it was completely fascinating for me....but by the time I finished socializing and started actually exploring, the kids had seen it all. Afterwards we joined the others at the park until it was too cold to stay outside any longer, then the kids and I met Joey for supper. I don't care that all the help were wearing paper pirate hats, it was sea food dining at it's finest.....and I didn't have to cook or clean up.

Sheila B.'s

Sheila B's Popcorn Factory gave a great tour for our little homeschooling group. The factory is actually just a small building off the highway in even smaller, Manson, Iowa. I arranged a tour with the owner a week or two in advance. When we first arrived we had a brief orientation about the factory in the lobby, where the owner explained a little about their company, such as who they supply, and where they get their wrappers. He also explained that his now deceased wife's name was Sheila B., for whom he named the company.



The tour lasted about an hour long total, I guess...and was pretty interesting. The owner walked us through the entire process, from putting the butter into the bags, to folding and wrapping, to packaging. Nothing was left out. The owner was very proud of his company and really seemed to enjoy giving us the tour. (I've been on two here and both times he was just as pleasant as could be.)

At the end of the tour each kid got their own bag of microwave popping corn, and a little education on How's That Made?

UNSCHOOLERS

Can't.Stop.Learning.

Snow Day

So much for spring cleaning, we must play in the new fallen snow on the first day of Spring. Isn't that what everyone does?

The weather here is so wacky, but we haven't gotten much snow this year and since we got a few new inches last night and it's melting quickly, we had to go play in it. Jewel was afraid to go down a sled so her and I had a snow ball fight, until I got her in the chin...Then it wasn't so much fun anymore.

Wish daddy could have been with us. But at least the boys got in a lot of practice and are now ready for the big slopes!

Work is a calling

But Joey has to go it alone this time. The kids and I are staying behind and doing some Spring cleaning. I intend to clean out every closet and cupboard and hopefully discard a lot of junk. All that work should count towards getting some exercise, right?

Joey's only a couple hours away and will be home on the weekends, so it's not so bad. I'll get to get all those things accomplished that I never can get done when Joey's home. Who wants to work when we can hang out together all day.

archives

Until I decide how to link back to all my old blog entries this post will have to do. The old stuff can be found at www.homeschoolblogger.com/watkinsexperience

GameBoys

GameBoys
Originally uploaded by jakesmome.

Jacob has been highlighting my hair for the last 3 yrs so when I asked him to do my hair a few weeks ago I just figured it'd be no problem. Well, that boy ain't dumb. He's demanding money now. $3. Whew. At least he's cheap. Then a few more days go by and it's time to do the job. I waited too long, he's wised up and now demands a new X box game. I figured I'd get away with a $20 game, no problem. I should have bought the game then. Yesterday he tells me that instead of that game he'd like a new Gameboy game and a link cable so him and Jonas can play and trade Pokemons. $40 later.........Oh well, it's still cheap for 3 yrs worth of coloring, and the way they cuddle up together and have friendly battles. Priceless.

Jewel wants a Gamegirl.

woodchuck

woodchuck
Originally uploaded by jakesmome.

He's a big friendly critter, but he digs a mean hole! We live on 200 acres of CRP, County Restoration Project, land so we have lots of wildlife, and no dog to chase them away. For now I love them all but we'll see how I feel come this summer and they're trying to eat my crops!

As of today

We are home. We decided to come home from California early, not sure at the time that it was the best decision, but it has turned out to be a great decision. Not really one reason I can narrow it down to as to why we left, but with all five of us getting sick, we just wanted to go home. I'm the only one that hasn't completely recovered, but I'm pretty sure it's just the tree pollen that's bothering me now.

Since coming home we've decided there is no way we're giving up this farm if we don't have to, so we've decided to keep it and just keep doing as we have been. We still plan on getting a bus conversion, we just don't have to go full time. We can actually have our cake and eat it too....my what grown ups we're becoming.