How to Eat a Banana, Matthew Style

1. Drag the whole bunch of bananas to your mom and say, "NUH!" loudly to get her attention.
2. Suffer through being coached on the proper way to ask for things.
3. Say, "Peas ... have ... NUH!" and be rewarded with a banana - just what you wanted in the first place.
4. Rock back and forth on your toes and heels, squeeze your hands together, and alternate between screeching excitedly and saying, "Um, um, um!" while taking bites of the air in front of you while you wait for your mom to peel it part way and hand it to you. She's smart - she knows you would never even consider holding a banana without the peel.
5. Thoroughly enjoy eating half of the banana, saying after bites, "Nuh ... ummy!" and "I ... uv ... nuh!" and wiggling in excitement and taking little jumps.
6. Watch your dad get a powdered doughnut out of the cabinet.
7. Say, "Maff-you ... hate ... nuh!" and try to give the half-eaten banana back to your mom.
8. Turn to your dad, point at the doughnut, and say, "Share ... me!" and try to give the banana back to your dad.
9. Get frustrated. Tell your dad, frantically, "Give ... that ... me! Want ... eat!" and start to cry.
10. Throw the banana across the room and scream, "No ... want ... nuh!" and launch yourself into a fit on the floor.
11. Sit in the naughty chair for 2 minutes for throwing food.
12. When you are allowed to get up, take the banana from where your mom placed it on the kitchen table.
13. Make sure no one is looking.
14. Take a bite and smile. Say, softly, "Maff-you ... ike ... nuh!"
15. Finish the banana down to the last half-inch, happy again.
16. Throw the empty peel and the last half-inch nub in the garbage. Your mom knows you never, ever eat the last half-inch of a banana and she is OK with that.

Passport Photos and Paperwork, Oh My!

Yesterday I got my passport book application out in the mail. I imagine that under normal circumstances, this is kind of no big deal. But because I am a procrastinator and took too long to apply for a copy of my birth certificate, the whole application process was harried and riddled with anxiety.

First, I filled out the application online and printed it. It comes with 4 pages of instructions and rules, all in tiny print. I pored over them several times - what to bring, what to include, how much it will cost, how long it will take, where to send the application, etc.

One of the things on the list of things to bring are 2 color passport photos. Now, I have been known to take a few pictures in my life (ha!) and I really, really thought about tackling this job myself. The requirements are that the picture has to be taken on a white or very light background, be a certain size, and then your head has to be a certain size within the picture and has to be a certain distance away from the sides, etc. So I decided that it would be worth it to just have someone else do it and get it over with.

I looked around the Internet to find a place that does these pictures. Sears charges $15 and no appointment is required. But, man. Fifteen dollars is a lot of money for 2 tiny pictures. So I chose CVS Pharmacy instead. The cost was only $8. BUT - there was a coupon for $2 off. So for $6 I could get my passport pictures in seconds and be done with that part.

So I packed Matthew into the car (without shoes - couldn't find them anywhere so I *assumed* they had been left in the car. Nope.) We drove to the closest CVS that does passport pictures which happens to be in Indiana. We have been to this store plenty of times.

A side note about CVS Pharmacy: Did you know that if you plan your shopping carefully, clip coupons from the paper, and use their Extra Bucks program, you can get stuff for literally pennies at CVS? I still have 12 bars of soap and 3 tubes of toothpaste that I bought last year for some insane amount of money, like $0.12 each. Some day, I will get back into shopping at CVS but it's a lot of work and can take a lot of time gathering coupons.

By the way, I did have the presence of mind to call the store first to make sure that they really did sell passport photos, that someone was there to take the picture, and that the machine that printed them was working. And it's a good thing I did, because the first store I called had a faulty machine. See? (tapping temple) Smart.

Anyway, when we get there, no one is at the photo counter. I wait there for a few minutes with my coupon and watch the lady working at the register. I keep thinking that she must see me standing there, why doesn't she call the photo person over to help me? Finally, I ask her if there is someone who can help me and she says that she is it - be right with you!

I tell her I need a passport photo, and she pulls out this rinky-dink point and shoot camera and leads me over to the milk coolers where they have a white screen they can pull down for a background. I'm thinking, "Great. This isn't going to be good." And I was right.

She took a second to pull the previous passport pictures that had just finished printing out of the Kodak machine and they were awful. I got a glance and told her that I was very, very concerned about the darkness of the picture since the requirements are to use a light background. She did show me (again) the white background that she was going to place me in front of, and I told her I understand that the background is white in real life, but that if the pictures come out as brown as the ones I just saw then I know they will be rejected and my application will be sent back.

She assured me that she was familiar with the time sensitive nature of passport applications, and that she would do her best to take a great picture. So, we began the picture taking business. Blech. After a few tries (under the yellow incandescent lights of the store, mind you) I asked her if maybe she could try using the flash on the camera. Would you believe she had the nerve to tell me that she had been using the flash already?!

Right. Despite being the one standing on the receiving end, and despite being really concerned about this picture and therefore really paying a lot of attention to what is happening, I must have somehow missed the blinding glare of a flash going off 3 feet from my face. Right. (Bill Cosby, anyone?)

So I asked her, very sweetly, if she would please check her camera settings and try one more time? Amazingly, she got the flash to go off. She then proceeded to change the mode of the camera between action and macro and landscape modes, trying to get a good shot. I am sure that I was the world's pickiest passport photo customer and she didn't seem to be having a good time at all. Fifteen dollars was starting to sound pretty reasonable, but I persevered because I am stubborn like that.

There were now about 3 people lined up at her register and I could see that she was getting agitated. We looked at the pictures on the Kodak machine and I gritted my teeth and picked out the one that I thought might work. If only I could just adjust the colors/brightness on the Kodak machine for her ... but no. She is adamant that there is no way to do that.

I wandered around the store for a few minutes while the picture printed. I wasn't thrilled with the end result but it had to do because I was bound and determined to get the application out in the mail, and it was already 1:00 p.m. The girls get out of school at 2:30 p.m. and I wanted to get it done before then.

We headed back to IL to our local post office since I had a bunch of packages to mail anyway (those clothes are selling pretty well!) I got all my packages mailed and then pulled out my passport application. Turns out that, even though our local post office is listed as an authorized passport processing center, it isn't. I guess I should have phoned first.

The lady at the counter, honest to goodness, asked me, "Do you want to go ahead and mail all your documents anyway?" I mean, come on now. Seriously?! No, thanks. Thankfully, she was able to tell me where to take my forms to get them processed. It's 1:45 p.m. Yikes!

On we go, to the post office in the next town to get our paperwork processed. Matthew has fallen asleep, now, so I have to carry his dead-weight body and try to sign forms, write checks, seal envelopes ... oh my aching arms! But I'd rather have them aching from carrying him than aching from not having him, so it was ok.

In order to make the best attempt at getting my passport before we leave around June 16th, I overnighted my application, birth certificate, photos, copy of my driver's license, and check to the facility in Philadelphia. I paid to expedite the process. I paid to have the passport overnighted back. My checkbook hates me.

But standing on Prince Edward Island in just a few months and pretending with my children that we are part of Anne-with-an-e's world, full of hope and promises of the future ... well, there's a lot of "scope for the imagination" in that thought.

Birth Certificate and Passport Card

Since the last part of our trip takes us to Price Edward Island and Nova Scotia in Canada, I needed to get a passport or passport card. And in order to get a passport, you have to have a birth certificate.

After a thorough search for mine, of course it's nowhere to be found. And since I was born on an Air Force Base in Germany, of course it's a little more complicated to get a duplicate.

On April 14th, I sent off my application for a replacement Consular Report of Birth Abroad along with my $35 fee. And I waited. And waited, and waited. I just knew that after our FL trip, I would come home and it would be here waiting for me. But no.

On May 1st, the Department of State cashed my check! It was exciting to see it come through my online bank statement. I didn't think it would take long after cashing my check to get my birth certificate. So I waited some more.

On May 19th, my birth certificate was printed by the Vital Records Section of the Department of State. And it was postmarked on May 22nd.

I know this, because I received it in the mail today, May 26th. Woo hoo!!! It's about time.

I do realize that the range from April 14th to May 26th isn't all that long. Just about 6 weeks, which is what they say to expect on the application. But the question now is this: Will I have enough time to get a passport card? I am thinking that I am going to have to get an actual passport instead and pay to expedite it. I really wasn't planning on spending that much money - the passport card costs $45. A real passport costs $100, and an expedited passport costs $160. I am just thankful that the laws haven't changed for the kids - they will be allowed back into the USA with their birth certificates which I have already packed.

Why didn't I apply for my birth certificate even one month earlier than I did? I knew I should! I even talked about it with my mom. But I put it off and now I'm dealing with the consequences of my actions. And even still, with expedited service, I might not get it in time - I might have to have Tyler overnight it to me someplace when he gets it! Yikes!!!

At least I got the birth certificate, though. I am one step closer. Now I just have to stay on the ball and get my passport application sent out no later than tomorrow!! Stay focused, Jennifer!

A Trial Run

Yesterday was a really nice day, so the kids and I decided to have a trial run of putting up the tent all by ourselves. Tyler says he wasn't laughing at us as he was looking on, but I have my doubts. We must have been a funny sight, so I can't say I blame him if he smirked a little here and there.

Here's the cast of characters:

• a Coleman Stockton 8-person tent
• a 12x16 tarp
• a rubber mallet
• a can of weather-sealing spray
• a container of seam sealant

And here are my lovely assistants, left to right:

• Matthew, 2
• Rebecca, 5
• Hannah, 8
• Clara, 7

First, we got out the tarp and opened it out. The tent is 9x14 and the tarp is 12x16 so we had to fold it up a little. The breeze made this a little challenging but I got it figured out. Four kids, four corners ... perfect.



Wave 'Hi' to Grandma, kids!!

Next, we opened out the tent and got it spread out over the tarp.



We lost a kid along the way, but that is ok. Three kids on three corners works almost as well as four kids on four corners.

Becky asked at this point, "Do we have to inflate it?" Trying to explain the mechanics of the poles and stakes to a 5 year old can be frustrating. After a few minutes I just said, "Watch and see!"

Then, we got all the poles put together and threaded into the proper sleeves. Getting them pushed through so it was tight was a little scary - I had to have the kids hold them on one side while I pushed them up from the other. I was worried that the poles would somehow come loose and smack one of them in the face, but thankfully that didn't happen and all was well.

Here it is part way up.



Finally, I staked it down and then put on the rainfly. I was also concerned about doing this part with no adult help because the tent is tall and I didn't know if we would be able to get it all the way over without help. But we did! We even did it a second time ... since I put it on backwards the first time!

So now I have no worries about getting this tent up without Tyler while we are on our trip. As long as we're not trying to set it up in heavy winds or pouring rain or in the middle of a hurricane or something, I think we'll be ok. And if we're in the middle of a hurricane, we'll camp out a the Motel 6 right down the road instead. Yet another advantage of not being out in the middle of the wilderness. ;)

The kids couldn't wait to get inside the tent and play.





Look (chuckle, chuckle, snort.) They're laying down, pretending to be asleep. We'll see how excited they are after they've done it for real for a month.



And so, we did it. We were proud! We were happy! We coated the whole thing with water-sealing spray, so that the rain would just roll right off of it, should we encounter any rain on our trip. We let it dry and then took it all down and put it away.

We forgot to seal the seams.

Refilling the Vacation Fund One Shirt at a Time

I have four children. And they need to have clothes even though they don't actually like wearing them. I learned a few years ago that if I buy quality, name brand clothes and then take care of them, I can resell them for as much and sometimes more than I paid for them. In the wake of this knowledge, I have gone a little crazy buying some of the cutest clothes ever made for kids. I finally realized that this has become an issue in my life, and I regained control of myself. I haven't been inside a Gymboree since right before Christmas, 2008. I am doing well.

Now, in my defense, I never paid full price. I never even paid 50% off - I always tried to wait until the clothes had been marked down to 60% off or more. I watched the sales and used coupons to get the best deals I could. But the truth is that I did overbuy. Every season. So we have an overabundance of these adorable clothes.

Anyway, a couple of years ago some friends and I started a consignment sale where other women who overbuy really adorable, quality, name brand clothes, can resell them when they are done with them to recoup some of the cost, and we keep a percentage of what they sell. It's really fun but it's a lot of hard work. Somehow, though, I hardly ever get my act together long enough to get my own kids' clothes sorted, ironed, tagged, and hung for our sales. Because of this, I have boxes and boxes and boxes of these clothes just waiting to be sold.

Wandering around Disney World with the kids and worrying about whether I would be spending the days afterwards cancelling campground reservations and returning supplies to the store, it occurred to me that if I could just get with it for 2 weeks, I could probably sell enough clothes to go on this trip. I had to make a conscious choice right then - do I want this trip or do I want to keep these clothes? I chose the trip.

I have been buried in a mountain of clothes ever since. Sorting and listing and selling and shipping ... and at $5 for a used shirt and $8 for used jeans, my vacation fund is rapidly refilling. It's refreshing to have some of these clothes gone and out of my house, and as ridiculous as it sounds, it's nice to know that they are going to other people like me, who will take care of them and love them the same way that I did.

Some other things have helped, too. The biggest of which is that "Tinkerbell" left us a sizable gift when we left Disney World for home. Somehow, "she" found out that our van was sick and that the repairs would be expensive. It was so nice of "her" to think of us and help us out like that. It meant so much to us.

Isn't it funny how, when you really feel led to do something, the means of doing so come more freely? I really feel like taking this trip with the kids is something that I am supposed to do this summer. I'm not much of a religious person but I almost feel called to do it; that I need to make this happen. In the time since we've come home from FL, besides the Tinkerbell money and the money from selling the kids' clothes, I have gotten 2 paychecks from the college for the note-taking that I did, checks from family for their cell-phones that are on our contract, several of our bills have been reduced leaving a surplus in our budget, and Tyler has had an abundance of overtime opportunities that have been scarce before this.

The vacation fund is nearly full again and it's only been a couple of weeks. I really feel that I am being 'helped' financially so that we can take this trip. I can't wait to go - I just know we are going to have an amazing time together.

Car and Budget Woes

Because I am the budget guru in our house, I knew that if I was going to make this summer trip a reality I would have to figure out how much it was going to cost and then somehow save the money in advance. We are a cash-based family, following Dave Ramsey's get-out-of-debt plan for a couple of years now. We really need to buckle down and get back to it - taking these vacations really isn't helping us pay off debt. But we aren't accruing any new debt either, although not too long ago, in our credit-crazed furor, the incidents of April and May would have easily maxed out a credit card.

So, I planned and saved and planned and saved all fall, winter, and spring ... alongside of planning and saving and planning and saving for our then-upcoming FL trip. And I had the money. All of it! Life was good. I even had some money set aside for car repairs since our check engine light had been on and we didn't want to drive it so far (to FL and back) without getting it fixed.

And so the car saga begins. I took the car to several mechanics and had it tested to see what was wrong with it and to get quotes on having it fixed, because I am paranoid that the mechanics are all out to take advantage of me, a woman toting around her 4 kids ... a little frazzled and obviously needing these repairs done quickly because our FL trip, at this point, is only 2 weeks away. (Nothing like waiting till the last minute, right? Story of my life.)

Turns out the intake gasket was bad which messed up the oxygen/gas ratio in the emissions system. Fixing this is a good thing, because our emissions test is coming up in July and we'd like to pass the test so that our plates don't get suspended. While the mechanic we chose to repair this was looking at it, he couldn't help but notice that our oil hadn't been changed for over 7000 miles and that it had never had a tune-up in all the time we had owned the van. So we agreed to have these repairs done as well.

Remember how I said that we have a tendency to wait till the last minute to have work done on the van? Well, we'd known for a long time that the brakes were bad. So once those repairs were done, we got quotes all around town for brakes. Turns out our guy was the cheapest (and nicest ... took to calling me Jenny right from the get-go, ha ha) so we had the brake shoes/pads repaired and the rotors turned.

Remember how I said I'm paranoid about being taken advantage of at the mechanic? I was really worried all this time that he would cut my lines or somehow damage my engine in some way. But it turns out that he was just a nice guy after all. He even threw in a new air filter at no cost. Because apparently, it had needed changed for a long time and he felt bad for me, poor little Jenny and her 4 kids having to walk home from his shop in the rain, and having to walk back to the shop in the rain to pick the van up afterwards. Maybe the whole "woman and her 4 wet, bedraggled children" angle isn't such a bad one to portray. On the other hand, what's a $30 air filter compared to the hundreds and hundreds of dollars I had paid him for the other repairs? Hmm, maybe it's just good marketing on his part instead of sympathy.

Anyway, when he was done with my brakes, he showed me how the front tires were horribly worn on the inside edges. The outside edges of the tires were like new, but when he turned the steering wheel so that I could see the whole tire, it was obvious that we were not going anywhere until we fixed whatever the problem was that was wearing our tires so much and so unevenly. I could even see the wires on some parts of the tires, so I knew we had to make these repairs. So ... 2 new tie rod ends later ... and 2 new tires later ... and a wheel alignment later ... we thought we were good to go.

And then I talked to my brother.

Brian: "Have you checked your transmission fluid?"
Me: "Um, no. Should I?"
Brian: "Yeah, you might want to get that checked. Just because it's such a long way to go - you'd hate to break down on the way. And, by the way, if he didn't put orange antifreeze in your van then he's a crook. Just look inside - if it's green, then you'll know that he doesn't know anything about cars."
Me: "Um, OK. How do I do that?"

Some of you may have later seen my post on Facebook stating that I didn't think the transmission fluid was supposed to be dark brown with bits of stuff floating around in it.

And I can't even tell you how relieved I was to see orange antifreeze in there. Ack! That I may have trusted our only means of transportation to a guy who didn't even know which antifreeze to use, after all my research, was just unfathomable. It was a real load off my mind to see that orange antifreeze, and the sad thing is that I'm not joking. I was really worried!

Sigh. So I took the van to the transmission place that was recommended by my mechanic. Great guy - very concerned about our car and our trip because the van was doing some funky stuff when it shifted around the 45mph mark. The truth is, I had noticed that, but put my head in the sand about it because, honestly, why am I the one in charge of car repairs anyway? When you grow up with your dad and your brother doing all the mechanic stuff, you kind of just assume that your husband will take care of it. I guess it only took me eleven years to figure it out that this isn't going to happen, so I will stop assuming ... because you know what they say about assuming, right?

We decided to drain and refill the transmission fluid and replace the filter and see how it was running at that point. And, voila! Fixed! Which was a good thing because my car repair fund was DEAD. Wiped clean. The van wasn't shifting hard anymore and Joe said that it might be worth trying to take it on the trip after all, but that we should take his card in case we run into problems on the road so that if something happened, he'd be able to find us a transmission repair person who wouldn't completely hose us since it would be obvious we were on vacation and we would basically have to agree to the cost of a transmission repair while out-of-town. Yikes! Our FL vacation was now only a few days away.

So, can anyone see where this is going? Because, honestly, I shouldn't even have to keep typing this story. I don't think it could get any more obvious.

But just in case, I'll keep going. Fast forward to Friday morning. We were up half the night packing but we still managed to get up way early and get on the road by 7:00 a.m. Now that is a miracle in and of itself. Never mind the fact that I was hoping to get on the road by 5:30 a.m. That's OK! It was still way early and we were on our way to Disney World! At this rate, we were hoping to be in Atlanta for the night by dinner-time.

Yep. We were not even on the highway yet when the engine in our van simply stopped propelling us forward. The engine revved! It was trying so hard! But it just wouldn't work, so we coasted ... shocked and devastated ... into the parking lot of a bank, just 15 miles from home. Desperate, Tyler tried revving the engine a little to see if it would magically click into gear, but no such luck.

I knew that if we didn't come up with a plan of action right away, the shock and unfairness of the whole situation would be overwhelming. The kids were already a little panicky. Tyler looked a little panicky. I felt a little panicky. We couldn't let the panic set in!

We knew the first course of action would be to get the car to the transmission guy. Whatever we decided to do about the trip, the car couldn't stay there in the bank parking lot. In fact, it couldn't stay there much longer at all, because I was sure the bank was going to actually open soon and we were not even in a parking spot. Tyler shook himself off and kicked into action. He knew a guy in the area who owns a tow company, so he started to make calls. In the meantime, I started making calls to the transmission shop.

What would we do? I had promised the kids we were going to Disney World. I had scrimped and saved. The rental house was paid for. The tickets were paid for. Meal reservations had been made. The kids were looking awfully panicky, now. Hannah was starting to cry; she doesn't do well with sudden changes in plans.

The real thorn in the whole situation is that there were 6 of us instead of only 4. And we were in a bank parking lot in Indiana. And our van didn't run. So whatever we were going to do, it had to start by being able to actually get someplace to make new plans. So we started making phone calls to cab companies. Did you know that if the taxi has to cross a state line there is a huge surcharge?! Well there is. So we marked "calling a cab to take us home" right off the list.

And then it hit us. Enterprise ... we'll pick you up!

A-ha! Visions of a car all wrapped up in brown paper being driven and delivered to a happy, smiling family floated through our minds. TV commercials at their finest, I tell you. Guess those marketing dollars were well-spent on Enterprise's part. After calling 5 different Enterprise locations in the area, I found one that had a car available that would hold 6 people. Victory! And the rate wasn't even all that bad. Bad enough, though, since it wasn't expected and therefore not in the budget.

And so we get to the part of the story that actually has something to do with this upcoming summer road trip. Because ... can you guess where the money for the rental car came from? And can you guess where the money for the transmission repair came from?

Oh, my poor depleted summer road trip fund. I mourned the loss of it but I knew I had to do the responsible thing, even though it was painful. And so, in the recesses of my mind during the FL trip, I calculated and twisted and turned and wracked my tired mind about how I could possibly save enough money in the month before we were supposed to leave for this long, quality- and quantity-time trip with the kids, just out roughing it in a tent by ourselves for a month (at KOA campgrounds with all the modern amenities of home nearby) and seeing the local sights.

And I formulated a plan.

Firewood and Sleeping Bags

This morning, Tyler asked me if I had a hacksaw and a hatchet so that I would be able to have firewood. I told him that they sell firewood at the KOA store, to which he replied haughtily, "THAT'S not camping!" He might as well have finished off with a quip starting with, "Back in my day..." and finished it with some well-meaning societal moral about how kids these days don't appreciate the hardships that he had to suffer during his youth. Never mind that we are the same age and that I've explained repeatedly that we are not going camping out in the wilderness. It's a KOA. There's a store, usually an arcade, laundry facilities, bathrooms (with toilet tissue even!) and a swimming pool and playground. The place in Arkansas has an attached water park, for crying out loud. Hardly the same as camping out in the middle of the forest somewhere.

So, anyway, today I went to Dick's Sporting Goods where Matthew and I pondered over sleeping bags and sleeping arrangements. Well ... I pondered and Matthew played with his shoes. But still, it was fun to have someone to bounce ideas off of, especially since he doesn't really say much that's meaningful back. For example, consider this conversation we had while at the store:

Me: Matthew, should we get 2 sleeping bags or 3? We won't be using them zipped up because it will be too hot. So we just need some padded surface area for everyone to actually lay on and we'll bring blankets from home.

Matthew: Yeah!

Me: Maybe we should get this one - see - it's a double sleeping bag. We can unzip them and then we'll automatically have two.

Matthew: I racecar! Vrrrrrr.....

Me: Hmm... but the individual sleeping bags are actually cheaper than buying the one that comes with two. Look at these over here; do you think we should get one red and one green? They're on sale!

Matthew: Go pee potty, now!

Me: Ok, guess we're done!

And so we ended up with one green and one red sleeping bag, lined in flannel. I'll put three kids on one of them (opened out) and myself and another kid on the other one (opened out) and just take comfort in knowing that if it doesn't work out I can always stop and buy another sleeping bag someplace. Because it's not like we are going to be out in the wilderness ... I'm sure there will be a WalMart or something right down the road.

Preparing for a Summer Road Trip

It won't be long before our youngest child is in school full time and I'll start looking for work. Unless that work involves teaching, which I will fully admit I don't think I would enjoy, I will need to come to terms with the fact that I'll be working over the summers even though the kids are home. The time feels short and I feel some pressure to make the most of the few summers we have left together before they are inundated with babysitters and daycare.

We just got back from a wonderful extended family vacation to sunny FL, but school isn't actually out for them until June 9th, so our summer hasn't even begun yet. While planning for our trip to FL, an idea for a summer road trip with the kids took root and I've been making plans ever since.

I grew up on road trips with my family, camping and fishing and traveling from place to place, so I am fairly confident that I have the knowledge to pull this off, and what I lack in skills right now I think I will be able to learn as I go. Building a campfire and staking a tent ... those are things that you learn quickly when your food and shelter depend on it. Some of the other things, like fishing with the kids ... well, we'll see what happens.

Tyler, unfortunately, won't be able to come on the trip with us as it's a long time to take off of work and, like I said, we just took a family trip so he is saving his remaining time off to use around Christmas. It's always really nice to have him home and around the house for the whole week of Christmas so I don't blame him for that.

I am really looking forward to this bonding time with the kids. We'll be camping at various places on the east coast for nearly a month. We have a couple of nights planned with friends but otherwise, we'll be tenting it. While it has been really fun planning the route and making the reservations across the East coast, I will admit to being nervous about it. And I know Tyler has his concerns as well. I'm really thankful that he is willing to let us do this, even without him, and that he isn't one to try to control me. He knows how much I need my freedom and I am grateful that he doesn't hold a tight leash.

The saving grace is that we'll never be more than about 15 hours from home at the farthest, and actually most of the time we'll be within 8 or 9 hours of home. So if we get tired of it or if something goes wrong, we'll be able to just head home and be here within a day. Besides, it's not like we'll be out in the wild, we'll be at KOA campgrounds almost every night. And they have a swimming pool so that we can cool off and keep busy when needed.

I haven't set a firm date yet, but we'll be leaving sometime around June 16th to head to my parents' farm in MO for a day or two, and they'll be coming with us to our first destination - Diamond Crater National Park in AR and then east to Memphis, TN. As the plans firm up and the supplies are gathered, I'll update here so that those who want to see what we're up to can do so.

I thought I'd start this blog so that our family could keep up with us over the summer while we're gone. If it continues past that, wonderful! If not, that's ok, too.