Author: Jenn

1 min read

Valentine’s Day in Orlando, Florida

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

If there is one thing our kids miss about school, it would be sugar class parties. If there is one thing our kids miss about living in Ventura, it would…

If there is one thing our kids miss about school, it would be ~~sugar~~ class parties.

If there is one thing our kids miss about living in Ventura, it would be friends.

Spending ten days in Orlando with other fulltime RVing families gave my kids the opportunity to hang out with new friends. Since Valentine’s Day fell in the middle of our stay, I thought why not have a little party ~~and some sugar~~ with our new friends. We made Valentine’s Day cards and ice cream sundaes. However, Margie Lundy had the best idea of the party. When we were done with the cards, we passed them out around our the “neighborhood”. I think it made everyone smile.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

Family on the Road

The Amusement Park Grinch

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

I’ll just say it. I don’t like amusement parks. There is just not much “magic” in the Magic Kingdom unless you count how quickly your money magically disappears. I’m an amusement park Grinch. However,…

I’ll just say it. I don’t like amusement parks. There is just not much “magic” in the Magic Kingdom unless you count how quickly your money magically disappears.

I’m an amusement park Grinch.

However, like most kids, our kids love visiting theme parks. When we left on our trip we weren’t sure if Disney World was going to be in the budget. As it turns out it wasn’t but we were fortunate to find out a friend of a friend of a relative could get three of us free tickets. Oh joy. I mean YIPPEEEEEEE! For the kid’s sake, I’m grateful.

So we went to Disney Hollywood Studios. And The Animal Kingdom. And Epcot Center. And The Magic Kindom.

All in the same day.

ALL. IN. THE. SAME DAY.

Insanity.

But believe it or not this amusement park Grinch had a blast even though it rained and our feet felt like we had been tap dancing barefoot on rocks for about three days nonstop.

↑ Look how much fun we’re having. ↑

How could you not have fun with these guys.

Brent’s and my favorite park was Animal Kingdom. Thing Two liked Hollywood Studios. Thing One liked Magic Kingdom. He’s a purist. We all loved Spaceship Earth at Epcot.

Over 15 hours later, we headed out to the last car in the parking lot. Not bad for an amusement park Grinch!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

On the Road

Spirit of the Suwannee Music Camp

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

You might be surprised, as I was, to learn that there are quite a few families who live fulltime in RVs. We’ve met a number of them already by coincidence….

You might be surprised, as I was, to learn that there are quite a few families who live fulltime in RVs. We’ve met a number of them already by coincidence.

Our weekend at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Camp was our first planned event with other families on the road. Being a family four with three of us being introverts, joining large groups is not exactly easy for us. Although, we usually end up having fun.

Unfortunately, our one extrovert got sick and spent the majority of the weekend on the couch.

Thankfully, he did get to enjoy his first day.

Thing One loved playing the violin. In fact, a few days later he bought a used one of his own that was for sale at a different campground. It’s a sweet story. During morning prayers he prayed to find a used violin for sale and later that same morning came across one posted on a campground community board. He was excited. Until he broke his E string. Then…

Anyway….at the end of the weekend, the kids put on a little concert.

Here is our whole group!

Most of the weekend, I was feeling shy and I wrapped up in taking care of a sick little boy so I didn’t get any pictures of our new friends. I did get this picture of me putting a sticker on Artist Jema’s RV. She is doing a public art project called Inspire to Inspire.

Speaking of inspiration, I think that is how we could best sum up the weekend. The boys left inspired to play more music and we left inspired to keep on our journey!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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1 min read

National Parks

Escaping Reality at Fort Pickens, Florida

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

Our visit to the Gulf Islands National Seashore was brief. So brief it must have been a dream. It is only in dreams you can convince a grumpy-die-by-the-rules ranger to let…

Our visit to the Gulf Islands National Seashore was brief. So brief it must have been a dream. It is only in dreams you can convince a grumpy-die-by-the-rules ranger to let you in the campground without reservations after the gate has closed at dusk.

It is only in dreams you see turbulent clouds dancing with shadows on white sand beaches. It is only in dreams you hear driftwood silently whistling to the tune of time.

We explored Fort Pickens early morning discovering history in her shadows and mystery in her corridors. Thing Two was on the lookout for approaching enemies. Thing One considered the structural elements and their uses. By the time the sun had made her full ascent, we were piling into the truck and heading east.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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1 min read

Pets & Animals

Letters to Nico

Jenn

1 min read

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1 min read

I had doubts about bringing our dogs on the trip with us. We even tried to find temporary foster parents for them but in the end decided they had to…

I had doubts about bringing our dogs on the trip with us. We even tried to find temporary foster parents for them but in the end decided they had to stay with us. Even if meant some inconveniences.

Thing One wrote this song for Nico and played it for her on my mom’s piano when we visited Indiana.

Some things are worth being incovenienced for.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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3 min read

On the Road

Friendly Fairhope, Alabama

Jenn

3 min read

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3 min read

There is no doubt that what we lack in in familiarity we make up with adventure. Yet there is a part of me that longs for familiarity. Longs to run into…

There is no doubt that what we lack in in familiarity we make up with adventure.

Yet there is a part of me that longs for familiarity. Longs to run into someone in the grocery store who knows my name. Longs to sit with friends and “remember when” which partially explains why parking in my sister’s mother-in-law’s driveway in Fairhope, Alabama, for three nights felt like a family gathering. The other explanation is that Jerri, my sister’s mother-in-law, is just cool. And she’s a great cook. And she’s not afraid of the rattlesnakes that she found hanging out on her doorstep. Oh and she folds towels like a pro. Seriously, she puts the military to shame.

Not only did we feel blessed by Jerri’s hospitality, we got to have lunch with two of her sons and their families when our visits overlapped by a few hours. How refreshing to talk with people who know a little about us even if it was just through my sister. We are hoping to be able to visit Jake and Emily later this year in Pennsylvania.

Our time in Fairhope was mostly spent doing school and catching up on work. Despite what it may seem like on our blog, our life isn’t a “vacation”. Since it was raining it worked out well to catch up.

Our last day in Fairhope, the sun decided to come out and shine. We ventured into the downtown area where we discovered quaint architecture, the lovely Mobile Bay, majestic oak tree lined bluffs, charming shops, and many friendly faces. As we were walking down Fairhope Avenue we passed an art gallery. In the window was a lazy Persian kitty on a mini wrought iron bed with a sign that read, “Please do not beat on the window, it gives me a headache. Thank you for your continued admiration. Love, Matisse”.

A Persian cat. A Persian cat on a miniature wrought iron bed? A Persian cat named MATISSE!

I’m not a cat lover. Oh no not all.

Of course, when the owner of the gallery, Christine Linson, said we could come into to pet him ~~I ran in full speed like a crazed woman~~ we couldn’t refuse. (Don’t tell Meow Cow.) After admiring Matisse, we met her other rescued Persian, Toulouse Lautrec and we spent some time chatting with Christine. In 1998, she visited Fairhope and fell in love with the town. Not long after she decided she wanted to start a new life in Fairhope. She now owns the Christine Linson Gallery where she also does all her work. If you are in the area stop in to say hi and pet the cats.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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3 min read

On the Road

New Memories in New Orleans, Louisiana

Jenn

3 min read

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3 min read

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and after four marvelous days in New Orleans I could write thousands and thousands of words. I could write… About the…

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and after four marvelous days in New Orleans I could write thousands and thousands of words.

I could write…

About the artists, musicians, and street performers like the funny robot man or the homemade Transformer at Jackson Square.

About muffalettas, mules, meltdowns, and Mississippi River sunsets.

About beignets and the mounds of powered sugar that stuck to our finger tips. Our favorite was Cafe Beignet. (Thanks Lynn!) The atmosphere was quaint and the beignets delicious. Cafe du Monde was good but overrated in comparison.

About how much fun it was to sit in the more than a century old building of the Napoleon House for lunch. It didn’t even matter that the food was mediocre.

About, despite what you might think, New Orleans is great for kids as long as you steer clear of Bourbon Street. Trust me, you won’t truly enjoy a whimsical street performer until you enjoy him or her with a child.

About the WWII museum and how Thing Two was dressed ready for “battle” the moment he heard we were leaving. I learned more about WWII in three hours than in all my years of school combined. You don’t want to miss the movie Beyond All Boundaries.

About walking on sidewalks cracked from tree roots in the Garden District where houses that have as much history as beauty line the streets.

About how an all day Jazzy pass for the streetcars is the best $3 you’ll spend. Make sure to ride the St. Charles line to the end and back.

About how after a long day of walking, the streetcar we were riding broke down. So we walked back to the ferry only to be passed by the trolly at our would-have-been-stop. Thing One and Thing Two were troopers that night.

About the pralines and how eating a freshly made praline from The New Orleans School of Cooking is nearly ecstasy and the ones we bought from a lady in the Algiers terminal come in at a close second.

About how our boys practiced haggling in the French Market. Thing One bought a clarinet was a man wearing a beret.

About how Jambalya and pizza should always be served together.

About how much fun it was taking the Algiers Ferry (it’s free!) everyday from Algiers Point to The French Quarter

About the Hurricane Katrina exhibit in the Louisiana State Museum.

About the music but my words would could never express the magic that filled the streets.

About the armadillos that waddled through our campground every night bringing huge smiles to two boy’s faces.

About how our campground, Bayou Segnette, was a perfect place to stay. It was close enough to the city to be convenient but far enough away to experience a different side of Louisiana. A bit of beautiful bayou, bustling city and free laundry. Yes, FREE, laundry.

About how I will never forget our family trip to The Big Easy.

New Orleans, thank you for the wonderful memories.

I’ll leave it at that and 80 pictures.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

On the Road

Charm and Carousel Horses in Meridian, Mississippi

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

When I think of the south I think of plantations, sweet tea, and alligators. I also think of southern charm. And Missy. Missy is a sweet charming southern girl who…

When I think of the south I think of plantations, sweet tea, and alligators.

I also think of southern charm. And Missy.

Missy is a sweet charming southern girl who I met through blogging. When Missy heard we were in the south she gave us some suggestions of what to see. It was Missy who recommended Tannehill Historical State Park. She also recommended we stop in Tuscaloosa Alabama for Dreamland BBQ and to see the devastation left by the tornado.

I was delighted when I found out her town, Meridian, Mississippi, was on our route to New Orleans and we would get to meet in person. Our budget stretched tight, we stayed at beautiful Lake Okatibbee for $7 a night using our Passport America membership. We spent the first part of our day following our typical morning routine, school. Then in afternoon, the boys and I ventured out to downtown Meridian to meet Missy and explore the town. Missy treated us to drinks and dessert at Jen’s Place. Afterwards, we walked around the downtown getting a quick peek into the Meridian Railroad Museum and enjoying the many carousel horses scattered around the city as part of public art project. The proceeds from the Around the Town Carousel project benefit Hope Village for Children. Why carousel horses? Meridian is home to the last remaining Dentzel Carousel House, a national landmark, located in Highland Park.

The next morning, we decided to visit Highland Park before hitting the road. Unfortunately, the carousel is closed on weekdays during the winter but Missy called the park just to be sure. Much to our delight, the carousel was being shown to someone who was planning an event there and the planner said we could come on down for a peek. The peek turned into a private tour and ride! Talk about southern hospitality! The carousel is beautiful and as we spun around I couldn’t help but think of the generations who had ridden before me. It is definitely worth a stop for those traveling through Meridian.

Thanks Missy for your hospitality and recommendations. Thankful you could be a part of our adventure!

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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3 min read

Homeschooling

Chickmauga and Trouble in Tannehill

Jenn

3 min read

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3 min read

We’ve been busy and a little bit lazy. I think it’s the Florida sun. It’s hard to stay indoors and write when there so much beauty outdoors. Except I miss…

We’ve been busy and a little bit lazy. I think it’s the Florida sun. It’s hard to stay indoors and write when there so much beauty outdoors.

Except I miss you.

I miss sharing our adventures with our little circle of friends.

So here we go. Catch up time. This week. For sure.

After we left Tennessee, we headed to Alabama but not without a stop at Chickamauga National Military Park. We are in hot pursuit of the special Junior Civil War Historian Badges which requires completing 3 Jr. Ranger programs at participating parks or 2 Jr. Ranger programs plus an online activity. Chickamauga is a participating park and we were ready.

Except we weren’t.

The time change. We drove as fast as we safely could to the park thinking we had an hour to browse the visitor center. As it turned out we had about 2.5 minutes before it closed.

Awesome.

Still we drove around and read the brochures I begged the ranger to give us before he locked the door to the visitor center.

The next day was better despite waking up in a Walmart parking lot.

We rolled out of Wally World and 20 minutes later arrived Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. It was early, leaving us with a whole day for school and exploration. Tennehill Ironworks Historical State Park is a ~~home~~ roadschoolers dream. It’s hands on history complete with a museum and numerous old buildings in a beautiful setting. We took off on our bikes for the Iron and Steel museum of Alabama. Afterwards we checked out the cotton gin and made our way to the old furnace. I watched as the boys explored with excitement.

Yes, these are the days I dream of.

Almost.

Feeling overly ambitious, I suggested we take another route back to our trailer.

We headed over the bridge to what looked, on the map, like a short trail back to our campsite.

All was well and lovely until I looked back and saw this…

Somehow Thing 1’s back wheel had gotten out of alignment and it was sticking on the break making it extremely difficult to peddle.

And extremely difficult to stay calm. Notice the distance between Thing 1 (in the top right corner) and his bike? I’ll let you guess how it got there.

We carried on because “according to the map” the campground must be right around the corner. Wrong.

We rode and rode.

And I had some very unhappy, hungry, thirsty, tired, little boys.

What felt like miles later, we came to the end of the trail except there was no campground in sight. Uh-oh. Thankfully, there was a maintenance man and he explained to us that we had missed the short loop and had ended up on a different trail. He also offered to take us back to our campsite.

What started off like this.

Ended up like this. Thing 2 won’t even look at me.

Sigh.

At least there were deer right out our window. That always makes for smiles.

I think Meow Cow agrees.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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2 min read

National Parks

Day 90: Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Jenn

2 min read

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2 min read

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the first national park I can remember visiting. Although I think my first national park visit was really to the Grand Canyon when…

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the first national park I can remember visiting. Although I think my first national park visit was really to the Grand Canyon when my parents looked like hipsters and drove a van. A real van with a moon shaped window and an airbrushed mural. I probably rode on my mom’s lap while she warmed my baby food in the dashboard window.

We aren’t as cool as my parents were. We drive a big white diesel Chevy that hasn’t been washed since October. But at least we use seat belts.

The Great Smokey Mountains is the first park I can remember visiting. I remember the river churning with rapids as white as doves but as unpredictable as cats. I remember the mountains poking out of the clouds like giant tombstones in a foggy cemetery. I remember my teenage self getting ticked about something and pouting on the Appalachian trail. I probably didn’t get to curl my bangs that morning.

I didn’t remember John Ownby’s cabin. Or the history. I didn’t remember the land was originally home to the Cherokee Indians who were driven out. I didn’t remember settlers were evicted from their homes and lives to make create the park we now visit.

So many old and new memories being pulled or created and stashed in this already challenged brain of mine.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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