Vacation Yellowstone!!

When you hear the word "vacation" most people conjure up imagines of relaxing, taking it easy, and basically having a break from daily life.  For me, a "vacation" with my kids is really nothing other than taking care of them in a different location.  The problems are the same.  They need food, clean clothing, entertainment and a referee.  The only real difference is that life is taking place in a new locale where you are sure not to have all the things you need. 

When Denny and I decided to take the kids on an RV trip to Yellowstone National Park, I assumed this vacation would not be different from any other.  Our preparation included the usual shopping for items we needed (especially going into a colder climate), searching through boxes for things we already have, and my personal favorite... trying to fit it all into a suitcase. One thing that made the prep slightly easier is knowing that we would have access to any store we needed once we got there. That actually helped a lot.

Since we fly 'space available' on jetBlue, the trip out included the usual waiting in airport(s). The kids are experienced enough travelers to know how to do this with little complaint.  I wish they would have choosen an edifying outlet like reading, but I suppose iPods would have to do.

Passing time before our flight to Salt Lake City, UT

Our first stop after picking up the RV was to where else? Walmart.  It wasn't easy figuring out exactly what we would need over the next week, but we managed to get quite a few things that turned out to be good purchases.  We headed east and north through Wyoming hoping to get a great view of the Tetons; however, due to a nearby fire we only saw haze and a few foot hills.   

The Tetons are in the distance. The smoke was from a nearby fire.

One thing we learned very quickly is that driving in a RV does NOT go quickly. We had hoped to make it to West Yellowstone by the evening but after several hours it became clear that we would be nowhere close.  Thankfully we found a great spot to overnight just south of the Tetons National Park.  It was our first evening in the RV and we grossly underestimated how cold it would get overnight.  I don't think I slept a wink but instead plotted my escape to a hot shower at daybreak. Thankfully, the facilities were close, clean, and unoccupied.  A small miracle in my mind.

The next morning we arrived at the south entrance to Yellowstone and began to take in all the park had to offer. The kids had their iPods, but no WiFi so as far as we were concerned they were as 'unplugged' as we could get them.  At this point they weren't overly impressed with the views out the windows but we kept driving until we arrived at Old Faithful. From there we raced up to the viewing spot and parked ourselves hoping we wouldn't wait too long. A bathroom break was needed by all, but no one wanted to miss the eruption. After 35 minutes, we finally got a to see what the fuss was all about. I had never seen it myself, so it was a treat for me too.

The area was full of boardwalks that led to amazing pools of hot springs, more geysers, and other geological wonders. It would have been a nice walk for all of us if Kat hadn't discovered that she had outgrown her tennis shoes and was now wearing flat fashion boots that were killing her feet. I offered to head back with her - whining in tow - while Dennis went the long way with Emily and James. It didn't take long before I received a text with a picture, no words. Here's the shot sent from Denny's phone:

It was our first wildlife spotting and it was very, very, close to my son!  I was excited, jealous, and completely scared all at the same time.  You'll have to read James's blog to hear his side of the story. By the time we made our exit from the park into the town of West Yellowstone, we had run across several more bison and this adorable female elk.

 

Our campground, The Wagon Wheel, was excellent.  Clean facilities, lots of trees, and a friendly guy named Ken who gave us all the info we needed.  Our evening was far more enjoyable too as we had stocked up on more sleeping bags and extra pillows.  We got up when we felt like it, made a quick bowl of cereal and even found a close by store to get Kat some new hiking shoes. They were super cheap and super cute.

 

Mammoth was the next stop in the park. It's very close to the north end of the park and had wonderful sights to see.  Among my favorite were the elk.  There was a bull elk bugling and charging at anything that got in his way while the female elk hung around in a group grazing unaware or uninterested that crowds of people had stopped to take their picture. 

 

 

By far the most curious thing around Mammoth included a swimming area where the Boiling River and the Gardiner River comes together. If you move your foot too close to the Boiling River it was hot enough to scald your skin. If you move your foot towards the Gardiner River it was freezing.  Right in the middle was the perfect mix.

 

 

 Back at the campground it was back to work... sort of.  There was laundry to do and dinner to cook but with no set schedule, few dinner options, and the kids busy playing pool in the game room it wasn't too bad. Matter of fact, it was somewhat enjoyable. The only tense moments seemed to come in the evening when we were ready to settle down and kids were still spooled up.  You wouldn't think giggling and chatting could get on your nerves, but after a long day in close quarters, it can.

We choose Saturday to stay in town and check out the local color.  Dennis needed a break from RV driving and we were in need of yet another pair of shoes. This time it was Emily whose boots decided to fall apart in the middle of a walk.  She ended up ripping the soles off her shoes which were later put back on with 'shoe goo'. 
 

 

We took in an Imax movie about Yellowstone and also went to the Grizzly Bear Sanctuary where we were able to see some small bears and two packs of wolves.  These two types of animals can be seen in the park but are not often easily spotted. 

 

 

Saturday night we had a pizza delivered to the campsite for the kids while Dennis and I went to a local restaurant.  It was nice to get a way for a few hours and reflect on the trip thus far.  We both agreed that something was different this time.  It was easier, more relaxing, less hectic, and definitely less work.  I actually felt like I was on vacation.

 

Sunday was our last day in the park.  There were so many wonderful things to see. My favorite quotes from the back seat were "Hey!  Look out the window!"  and "Wow! Did you see that!?"  After 6 days on vacation the wonder of all things around them returned. They had fresh questions and a new spark for life and learning. They were inquisitive, engaged, and energetic.   It reminded us both of why we homeschool and why we want to keep the curriculum flexible enough to take vacations and learn on the fly.  As we were about to exit the park we turned around and saw this:

 

 

What a wonderful reminder that this place is God's country!  I felt so blessed on this vacation. Between the wonders of all the surrounding features and animals to the wonder that was stirred up in he hearts of our three kids, it was truly a break from daily life and a reminder of what is out there. 

 

Monday morning we broke camp early and headed down towards Salt Lake City. It was my task to pack up the suitcases and prepare the boxes of all the goodies we had purchased to make RV life livable.  Unfortunately, this is where my vacation ended. The stress of getting it all packed, cleaning the RV, and trying not to leave anything behind ruined the last few hours of the trip. My poor attitude and frustration set back in as I was reminded of how working against the clock often works against my personality.  Nevertheless, everything was completed in the nick of time and we were off to the airport. Our plan was to spend a night in Long Beach, CA, (two hotel rooms were reserved) and then head back to Orlando the next day.  Even though Dennis checked flight loads several times, when we got to the counter (with 5 suitcases and 3 large boxes in tow) there were zero seats for standby travellers.  Flying "space available" can earn you victory or defeat, and it is usually by a razor thin margin.  Thankfully, my quick thinking husband found a way to take advantage of a new policy allowing us to purchase standby tickets on a different airline. Praise the Lord, there was a direct flight to Orlando leaving in less than an hour with seats available.  We made it on board and were home several hours later. 

 

Lessons learned: 

 

1. Traveling off season (or just before the season closes) has many advantages.

2. Clean hot showers and a warm bed makes a huge difference.

3. $20 worth of quarters is not enough when laundry and a game room is in play.

4. Wildlife is more interesting up close.

5. If you're near a grocery store, it is better to buy less and pick up what you need later.

6. A trip to the shower may take several tries as it is easy to forget one or two items.

7. There is no privacy in an RV. Every move and every word will be felt and heard.

8. Good quality shoes that fit can make or break a day.

9. Getting up to use the restroom in the middle of the night is not pleasant when temperatures are low.

10. Space is only available when you are actually sitting in your seat on the airplane. 

 

 

 

 



Time for a Little Celebration

Celebrate
verb (used with object)
1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities.

Don't you just love a celebration?  It's a special time set aside to honor an accomplishment.  As homeschoolers it might be easy to overlook such a time since our days can be filled with many accomplishments OR perhaps on a not so good day, we might feel like we have accomplished nothing at all.  Whether our schedules are jammed packed full of activities or perhaps carefree and easy with little structure, it makes sense to find certain place markers for both you and your students to honor what you have accomplished together.  Granted everyday can't be a "party day" or else it would cease to be special; however, waiting till the end of the school year might not make sense either.  Finding a spot where you can stop and say, "Hey, we did it!" is going to vary from each family along with the frequency of its occurrence.  Just make sure you do it!

Our family has chosen to use our math curriculum as a place marker for celebration.  Math does not come easily for the girls in the LeRoy household.  Our son fares much better with numbers but there are still challenging days for him as well. Our curriculum of choice is Math-U-See.  We love the way they have divided the material into books that are titled by the Greek alphabet and do not necessarily correspond to a particular grade or age.  This allows us to work through them at our own pace without fear of falling behind or finishing too early.  Sometimes a workbook might take us 4 or 5 months to master, and other times it's a little longer.   At the completion of a workbook we have a family tradition of celebrating their accomplishment by baking a cake that is decorated to reflect the book we have just completed.   We've had an Alpha cake using light green icing and Math-U-See blocks to reflect its theme.  Our Beta cake had orange icing and blocks inverted to show subtraction.  Our Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon cakes also reflected the math they had learned.  This year our oldest daughter baked and decorated a Zeta cake all by herself. 

Next time your student reaches a goal in a subject they have been working hard in, consider setting aside some time for a celebration.  It's a great way to mark their accomplishment and honor the time and effort they have put into their studies.  Happy Homeschooling!

Prayer Jar

One of my favorite times each day is the time I spend with each one of my kids saying goodnight.  Sure it's usually past their bedtime and I'm tried and sometimes cranky that they're still up, but when I go into their room and close the door I know it's going to be time well spent. This is the moment when they quiet down, reflect on the day, share their thoughts, and we pray together.  It's this last area I've come to realize we need a little help with.  I admit I'm guilty of something sometimes referred to as "drive by praying".  You know what I mean;  you bow your head and start off with something like, "Dear Jesus, thank you for this day... blah, blah, blah... in Jesus name we pray, Amen."  I want our prayer time to be meaningful and thoughtful, but in those last moments of the day I confess it unintentionally becomes very hurried, scattered, and sometimes lacking in substance.

Yesterday I was reading a devotion book to my youngest, Katherine, and it suggested the idea of a prayer jar.  I had heard of this before but like many good ideas, I had filed it away in my mind for another time only to be completely forgotten.  So when the idea resurfaced, I knew it would be a good project for Kat to present to the family.  She loved the idea so off we went to get the supplies.  Here's what you need:  1) a jar with an opening large enough to fit your hand inside, and 2) several slips of paper listing prayer requests.  It's that easy. 

Kat spent some time decorating our jar (which happened to be a water pitcher we rarely use), cut up slips of paper, and together we wrote down people we wanted to pray for.  Most of them are family and friends but we also included our country, it's leaders, our church, upcoming events, and anything else that was on our hearts.  We tried to include at least three specific things we are praying for about the person or subject on our paper.  Then Kat folded them up, put them in the jar, and made a presentation to our family. 

The LeRoy Family Prayer Jar

Everyone agreed this is a great way to make sure we are praying with purpose.  Each evening the kids get to pick a request out of the jar and pray specifically for that item.  When there are no more slips of paper in the jar we will know that each person or topic has been prayed for. Then we can fill it back up and start all over again.  A great idea at just the right time.




 

Art Day: Friend or foe?

When it comes to doing art (and music for that matter) it's not one of my favorite things. Sure it used to be fun back in elementary school when the teacher put out all the art supplies, explained the project, and cleaned up after you. As a matter of fact, at one time it might have been my favorite subject but there was always one problem with it. The masterpiece that I dreamed up in my mind never materialized into my creation.  I can have all the best intentions of what I want to do and how I want it to look but when I'm done I'm usually disappointed and often times incredibly frustrated in the process.  So the question then is how do you make art a part of homeschooling when the teacher clearly posses zero talent at art?

Yesterday Kat and I went to the library. In the display case were some of the most beautiful paintings all done on pieces of palm trees.  That got me thinking.  We have plenty of palms in the yard.  We have lots of paints and brushes.  Why not plan an art project using the supplies we already have?  It sounded so easy and potentially fun in my mind so on Friday, after our school work was completed, I explained the project to the kids.  The girls immediately lit-up eager to get started.  James said, "Don't you have to have some talent in order to paint something good?"  I could only answer honestly, "Yeah, you do.  But you can have fun trying."  He was not convinced and opted to go back to doing something he really enjoys and is good at, probably Minecraft.  I got out all the art supplies and covered the patio table while the girls collected palm branches. 

 

At first the project started out okay.  Emily had a good idea and began painting.  I wasn't surprised at all since she frequently jumps at the chance to do artistic things and quite obviously has enough raw talent to put her ideas into images.  Kat began full throttle painting her branch purple, then pink, then blue. By the time she was ten minutes into it, there was just as much paint on her and the table as there was on the branch.  I tried to keep my cool yet fumed inside knowing that I'd somehow be the one cleaning up.  I began my branch with a green color (I ended up not liking) and no clear design or concept in mind. I waited for it to dry and then painted over it again which did not go well because the kind of paint we were using wasn't ideal for tree material.  Never-the-less, I kept going and ended up making a palm tree which I know any kindergartner could have improved upon.  Kat got frustrated too and I ended up sending her outside with the garden hose. Emily kept on quietly and neatly painting clearly enjoying every minute of it.  When Kat saw my branch and Emily's branch she grew more and more frustrated not being able to achieve what she wanted.  She started over whining, crying, and complaining while I matched her mood realizing the ever increasing mess that I needed to clean.  "I hate art projects!" I declared in a temper tantrum kind of way.  "They're so messy and they never turn out right!".  I sounded like a spoiled brat instead of a calm and loving teacher.  Not my finest moment.

In the end Kat copied my idea of palm trees. Much to her and my surprise, her finished product looked much better than mine and quite different from what I had done.





 I was impressed with both of my girls.  Was it worth it?  I think Emily would say 'yes' as she enjoyed both the process and the finished product. 










Kat struggled throughout and didn't seem entirely satisfied with her work (until we told her how good it really was).

 I, as usual, loved the concept and the ideas in my head more than the reality of executing the art itself and the finished product.






This day leads me to ask the question, "Art:  friend or foe?".  I think I'll go see what James is up to.




 

Chemistry in the Kitchen

This semester Emily and James are studying chemistry.  James has a keen interest in the subject and Emily hasn't run across it yet so it made sense.  I managed to never take Chemistry is high school or college (except for a very watered-down version at St. Leo) so Dennis is the natural choice to facilitate the subject.  Everyday the kids read a few pages of the book and then Dennis goes over the material with them.  This is usually followed by a YouTube video, white board drawing, and sometimes TV lecture. Then the kids go back and re-read the material with hopefully a new and more complete understanding.  So far it's going well.  James has the Period Table memorized and Emily has the first 20 elements under her belt. 

This week Dennis and the kids conducted their first experiment in the kitchen.  They used ice and salt to create a "super cooling" environment for a glass of water.  After some time the water remained unfrozen until it was removed from the bowl of ice.  Then, right before our eyes, the water started freezing inside the glass.  "Ooos and Ahhhs" could be heard from everyone.  "Wow, that's so cool!" the kids agreed. 

I'm so glad the experiment worked as advertised and although the kids were impressed, I have a feeling that next time they'll want to do something with fire.  I better put a fire extinguisher on my next shopping list!

First Field Trip

Last week was not only our first week of school, it was also our first field trip of the year.  On Friday the kids and I hopped on a jetBlue flight up to Boston for a little adventure and family time.  First stop was Newburry Port, MA to catch up with my cousin Nikki, her kids, and my Aunt Frannie.  Nikki and her husband have a boat down at the docks so we spent the afternoon hanging out on the water while the kids jumped off the boat for a refreshing swim.

This water's not too cold after all!

 
The next day James and I left the girls behind to attend Rendezvous 13 in North Andover, MA.  This is really the reason we came up to Massachusetts.  James is an avid fingerboarder and this is the place to be to practice your tricks, purchase new gear, and meet with other professional fingerboard enthusiasts.  The event was well organized and well worth our while (at least that's how James felt about it!).  I was impressed with my son's skills and was very glad we were able to make this happen for him.  I think it might be the highlight of his year (second only to getting a Mac Book of course). 

We chose Sunday as our travel day back to Florida. Looking back, this was unwise as it is still summer up North and Orlando is a very popular destination.  The first flight we waited for was full, as was the second and third. We got the hint after that and decided to get a hotel in Boston and try again the next day.  Being the homeschoolers that we are, this inconvenience turned into an opportunity to see the city.  We took the train into the center of town and began to walk around.  We had seen a video on early Boston the day before we left; however, it was brief and did not include much detail. We wondered around looking at the beautiful old buildings not really knowing or understanding what we were seeing.  Being a Sunday evening, most things were closed and we were on our own.  We did manage to find Boston Commons and checked out at least one old cemetery.  Pretty cool stuff. 

Monday morning we checked in for our first flight to JFK which was supposed to allow us more flights down to Orlando.  After a minor snafu at security (James had an unknown water bottle in his bag and I got stopped for a random screening) we made it onto the flight with seconds to spare.  The next flight did not go as well. Everything from JFK to Orlando (or any other city in Florida was full).  A friendly gate agent suggested we try LaGuardia so off we went to find a cab.  I was nervous doing this all alone with the kids but I also knew that every experience is a learning opportunity.  We got to LGA in time for a flight taking us to Sarasota, FL.  Not the city we were hoping for, but at least we'd be in the right state.  Once in Florida, we rented a car and headed to Orlando. 

Whew!  What an adventure!  The kids took it all in stride and I think their ability to cope with change, disappointment, discomfort, etc. is good thing in the long run. What's most important is that God was in the details and delivered us safely back home. 

  

   

First Week

"It seems quite early to start school," at least that's what I've been saying to the all the parents of those kids going back to public school on Wednesday.  Yet when I took a look at what we were doing at home for the past few weeks (namely TV watching, video game playing, and just about nothing else) I thought maybe it was time we added a little structure to our day too.  Truth be told, I was raring to go!

So on Monday (after we had slept in of course) the kids and I met in our homeschool room to discuss our new homeschool contract (expectations, goals, etc).  We checked out the new planners, new notebooks, new curriculum, new supplies and then got down to business.

Each day begins with devotions for Kat and reading the Bible (Romans) for Emily and James. This time with God sets the tone for the rest of the day.  Next we move on to math, science, reading, spelling, or html class depending on which student it is. So far we've managed to avoid my biggest fear - everyone wanting me at the same time. We've also been able to keep some flexibility as to when we tackle each subject... another concern of mine.  On the not so perfect side, we've had a few tears during math because Dennis spent a little longer on the subject than his two pupils would have liked.  After a quick chat about taking advantage of a good learning opportunity (i.e, any time Dennis is home from work and available to teach) all was resolved and positive attitudes reappeared. 

As for Kat, most of my time is spent with her.  I've done more reading out loud in the past few days than I have in months, but it's time well-spent, and I already see her curiosity reemerging. She's asking questions like, "What does that word mean?", and "How do you spell that?", and "How come?"  I love that she is reengaging with the learning process.  I don't know what happens in school to stifle all those questions (yes, I do know, it's called 'classroom control') but I'm glad she asks when she wants to know about something.

Tomorrow is our first field trip. The kids and I are going to Boston to check out a large gathering called Rendezvous which is for people who enjoy fingerboarding. It's a sport that includes a tiny skateboard and your fingers. Not my thing, but James is ultra excited about it and I'm so glad that we can make this experience happen for him.  Of course a little American History will be thrown in along with a visit to some family to round out the experience.  Not a bad first week I'd say!