A Home for the Holidays

  Good Morning Lovelies! You'll never believe how crazy last week was. We heard from our insurance adjuster and he told us to get the fifth wheel "dried out" as soon as possible. We started calling around and the mobile techs told us that it would take a while to dry out the underbelly of our rig and it wasn't ideal to have the insulation removed from the kids room, while it dried out . Our weather in Golden last week was mainly a high of 40. This is exactly what we had predicted. While I don't think the damage is too severe, we want it to be taken care of to prevent any warping or rotting of the floor. Meanwhile we can't leave the bottom of the flooring exposed to the outside and expect our kiddos to stay toasty warm....so we're spending Thanksgiving in a house! YAY! Take a moment for a happy dance....
            The fact that we were even able to secure a house this close to Thanksgiving was a miracle. I started looking last Wednesday and the last one I could find on vacation rental by owner was taken that very day. I was trying to stay out of a hotel, because I still wanted to cook and I was really excited about the idea of spreading out for a few days. The insurance told us our housing allowance set in our insurance coverage and said we could use it however we wanted. A friend told me about www.airbnb.com You have to check it out! It's basically a site, where people rent out part or even their whole house to you. So this house is completely furnished and we have it for 2 weeks. You guys, we were so flipping excited. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms ( a bathtub...say what???) laundry inside , a dishwasher...my head was spinning. So we moved in on Friday. We immediately started breaking things (mainly Waylon) ok , just a pantry door and I melted a knife in the dishwasher so far, whoops! Just having space has been amazing. The house has wifi so Wrex has connected his ipod to it and has been face timing family members. Did you know  you could do that? Our wifi in the trailer is expensive, so this is a whole new privilege fore him. He is constantly texting Grandma and walking around the house on facetime. It gives us a glimpse of our future.  Houston is obsessed with the fire pit outside. He really wants to have a bonfire and make smores. Waylon loves the bathtub and tells me that he doesn't take showers anymore. He only takes baths.  I was on the phone with my bestie yesterday  picking apart the house and all of its details. The pictures online are gorgeous and in real life, it actually reminds me of home. It's just those "do it yourself" imperfections that my eyes are so keen on. Just to be in a house, with all of it's imperfections and noises is such a comfort right now . It is fricking windy out there this morning! I have a lot to be thankful for. Today the boys and I are going to drive up to Boulder to fill the freezer with Trader Jo's goodness. Usually we have to be so choosy in what we can fit in our freezer, we plan on going all out. I'm going to bake up a storm this week and enjoy that big kitchen. We have the house for two weeks. I'm pretty confident our trailer will be dry by then. If not....we'll cross that bridge when it comes. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Here's a few pics of our home for the next 2 weeks...

25 Days until the Marathon

   I believe a marathon post is due! I didn't post one last week because ....I was sulking. That's the truth.  I was going to attempt to put a positive spin on it, but there it is. So my last long run was suppose to be 18 miles. My running schedule was all off, I had rested my knee the week before and my foot started to hurt out of nowhere and I just knew that the right thing to do was get back on schedule. So I ran 7 miles on Friday and by the end of the run my foot pain had gone away. It was suppose to snow that Sunday, so I decided to get my 18 miles in on Saturday. The loop I run in 6.75 miles long and I usually do that twice and then run circles around town. During the first loop, every time I put my foot down it was like "ow, ow, ow" It hurt but I definitely felt like I could run through it. After the loop, I stepped onto a trail to switch it up a bit and the pain intensified so much that I decided to call it a day. I walked back to the campground. I was so disappointed in myself, I felt like I should have pressed on, but I convinced myself  that  the  18 mile triaging run was not my goal. My goal is to get to save myself for the marathon. I went straight to a Dr Scholls Machine and bought myself a fancy insert, hoping that would fix me. It didn't. That day the pain got worse and as I hobbled around a baseball tournament , I was convinced I was done for. Very upsetting. So I googled everything and looked up podiatrist in my area....In the end I diagnosed myself.
Peroneal tendonitis- Peroneal tendonitis is inflammation of the peroneal tendons which run behind the lateral malleolus or the bony bit on the outside of the ankle causing and swelling on the outer ankle.

The red is where it hurts

   So basically there is a tendon that connects the leg and the foot and it was angry with me. This is an overuse injury that people often trying a new sport or increasing  their activity level repetitiously end up with. The advice was to rest, ice it and stretch it. I of course thought the world was so unfair because I had a schedule to keep. Resting last week would mean that I never raised my mileage past 17 miles before my marathon and that scared me. Would I even be prepared? Then a few things happened.
    I went to the running store, again. I made a close friend with a gal whose name I never thought to ask . She poured on me a wealth of experience and knowledge. I ran on a treadmill while she videotaped it and I was relieved to see that I actually have good form. I'm not doing anything funky with my ankles, not running pigeon toed or inverted . So she sold me moon shoes (at least that's what they look like) They are basically anti- injury shoes that she said people with stress fractures have actually ran races  in them. I have not paid this much for shoes since I wore Creepers in high school and the last pair of Creepers I bought were for my wedding. So I came home with these magical, ugly shoes and renewed hope. She explained to me that with my schedule modified , most likely my body was starting to heal and healing hurts. But she thought I was spot on with my diagnosis and she said even if I didn't run any higher mileage I would still be ok for my marathon.  I had hobbled around  all week and I decided to rest a few more days even though I have my magic shoes which are called Hoka' s. you can read about them here http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/footwear/Sole-Power-Nicolas-Mermoud-Minimalist-Running.html


No one mistakes me for a fashion icon, but this is a tough look for me to sport

    The other really cool thing that happened is that I realized that I miscalculated my training schedule and left otr a whole week before the marathon. This means that I found a whole 7 days extra to train. So even though I missed out on last week, I can still run 20 miles this weekend before I taper my mileage down to rest before the marathon. I was amazed at this oversight!It was so unlike me to make a mistake like that on a carefully , color coded schedule! But  I was OH SO Grateful!
    Last week was rough. I iced my ankle and the whole trailer smelled like tiger balm. I should have done something helpful like cross train or work on my abs but instead I ate a lot of candy and started watching Downtown Abbey. That's what made me feel better. On Friday I ran 4 miles and Saturday I ran 5. Then I rested. I'm hoping to get back into my schedule this week but I'm going to take it easy. My ankle does feel much better and I really do want to run 20 miles this weekend. I wish I had a better update but as of now I am counting down the days til my Marathon and hoping for the best.
That's my little story but how about those runners in Boston yesterday. AMAZING! Talk about inspiring. We all start one mile at a time though, right? Are you going to get out there and get your mile in today? I am.

Go RVing!

      Go RVing! It's a sticker on the back of our friends trailer. We say it whenever things get way too complicated with our fifth wheel. Sometimes people thing we're on a never ending vacation and we say this phrase to ourselves because it makes us laugh. You have to keep your sense of humor when you live on the road...otherwise you'll probably end up in tears in a straight jacket. This was one of those weeks. You turn on the news and they say something like "Good news, it's not negative today." Well yee haw. You know you're insane when you cheer for weather in the teens! Let me back up...
        We knew the temperature was going to drop and that there would be snow. Up to this point, this season, the snow has been minimal and has melted pretty fast. On Sunday, Ian tried to gather some supplies and skirt the trailer for extra insulation. We've had heat tape on our water hose for a while so we were ready enough. I stocked up on groceries because I do not like to drive in the snow. I'm actually a bit afraid of being stranded on the road with three children in a ditch with no family around, so my motto is "it's not worth it." When I woke up on Wednesday morning, the water in the kitchen and the kids bathroom was frozen in the pipes. I was just grateful for the water in our bathroom working. Hooray for hot showers! I did dishes in the bathroom and overall I didn't get my feathers too ruffled. This stuff happens. It would have helped if our whole trailer was skirted, but Ian's been working overtime and well, this stuff just happens. The next day, all of the water was frozen. This was starting to get old. Ian asked me to go to the store and pick up supplies so he could insulate some more when he got home. Keep in mind the weather is negative this whole time. I did not go get the supplies because I was terrified to drive on these roads . So he insulated until bedtime hours and we tried to thaw things out as best we could. By the time our heads hit the pillow we had water in one bathroom. This was a huge success. Lets get some details here. Remember what it's like to go camping ? When you brush your teeth without water. How about using the toilet? You kind of need water for that. We used water bottles and at one time I shoveled snow into the toilet and waited for that to melt. Cooking is challenging without water. You can't wash your hands, dishes are piling up and we only have so many in these tight living conditions....So you can see the tension rising right?
     The next day was Friday. Still only have water in one bathroom, which I'm grateful for but still frustrated about. That's when I started to notice the creek behind the trailer. At first the way the snow accumulated was beautiful. It looked like we were above the clouds, then it started to melt in some areas. It appeared that it was partially frozen so when the water started to thaw it was looking for a path around the "iceberg" the path it chose was covering the sidewalk and creeping closer to the trailers. I was getting a little panicked but the water would rise and then freeze again. When Ian got home that night, he finished insulating and by that night we had water! Success! I made dinner and did dinner in the kitchen, we really lived it up!

This I what it looked like when the snow first fell, like beautiful puffy clouds!

    The next day, everyone was looking at the creek and getting antsy. It was definitely rising but then it would freeze into a slushy like substance. I mean how much can it thaw in 3 degree weather? We went out for frozen yogurt that night because, well we're crazy. We were siting on the couch singing duets while Ian played on the guitar...oh what a perfect life we live....then our neighbor knocked on the door. The water was rising. That was the end of our peaceful night. Ian started helping some of the neighbors that were already getting water creeping up on their rigs. Some people moved forward a few feet, some people didn't and this is what happened  to their trailer.

The jacks were covered in ice. The fire department came, at one point they said evacuate, then they said we were on pre evacuation status. We were told there would be cots for us waiting at the rec center. I did not find this comforting at all. All of my children were asleep. It all happened between 9:30 and midnight. It was one of those should we stay or should we go moments. At one point we were near the creek and we could hear the ice breaking and water flowing. It was so creepy. I packed a few days worth of clothes in my car along with the laptops and school stuff. Grabbed my insurance papers and declared I was leaving. Ian  tried calming me down and we decided to sleep in our clothes and wait for the fire department to come knocking on our door to evacuate us.
    We woke up and were surprised to see no water under our trailer. Again it was that decision, do we wait it out? Will it really happen? It's not super easy packing everything up. It's possible but it's definitely a hassle. Kids bikes and nerf guns are everywhere and we just put the skirting up on the bottom. You also risk all of your pipes freezing up in transport, and we just got our precious water back. So we waited for something to happen until my mommy hormones kicked in again and I declared we were leaving. I just can't wait for something bad to happen , you know? So my husband didn't protest, he packed up everything and we got to a new park. The whole time Ian was helping older couples get their stuff all packed up and moving people rigs for them. He's quite a stud muffin my man. So it's no surprise that Fox news wanted to interview him. He told us about it but we didn't think the clip would be so classic. I don't know if it's because I love pictures so much, or it's my husbands love for facial hair or if it's just that my knight in shining armor got me out of there. I got such a kick of the interview and I'm so proud of my man. Here's the YouTube complete with family commentary in the background. Enjoy.

This was Friday morning when the water started to thaw. Who knows how this weeks weather will affect it.

I admit I'm horrible at this!

I have to tell you, I have such blogger guilt. There are so many times when I'm taking out the trash or folding laundry and I write up a post in  my head. The thing is I never sit down in front of my computer anymore. Our little guy doesn't take 2 naps anymore so that has cut down on my free time. The other thing is our oldest boy uses this computer for school. He's reading right now so I am bringing you an update in the 15 minutes that I have! We're getting ready to spend Christmas in the trailer. Last year we went to see family on the East Coast but this year we plan on staying put. Can't wait to see how that goes. We had a really fun November, Here are some of our highlights...

Halloween! Okay it wasn't November but I love this picture , so I'm including it. It was so cold and windy Halloween. We trick or treated from 6 to 7:30. Everyone looked at us like we were  loony because we were the first ones out in the neighborhood but it was so flipping cold that I'm glad we started early! The boys mocked me for bringing gloves but soon they each had one of my gloves on each hand...So silly these Californians!

Then we had a visit from our California Grandparents! It was so fun to have family visit us and show them how we do things in the trailerhood. We went to red rocks amphitheater and explored and of course we had to take them to our favorite ice cream spot. We didn't realize how much we missed home until they brought a little bit of home to us.

I took the boys to Garden of the Gods. I would love to spend more time there. It really wasn't what I expected. If you didn't know, it is an amazing free National Natural Landmark. It was free because at one time it was owned by a private citizen and he gifted it to Colorado Springs on a condition that it would remain a free park. How cool is that. We took a picnic and did a little exploring. It was amazing to be looking up a crazy narrow red rock jutting out of the earth and then realize there's a person rock climbing up at the top. It gave my boys wild ideas.

This would bring us to Thanksgiving. We decided to smoke a turkey on our Weber. Ian did and amazing job. It was a huge turkey and not a small task. He spent hours outside basting it with butter. In the end it had an amazing smokey flavor and we had enough food to feed a small army. Which we did. WE had our friends over which meant 6 kids and 4 adults in our trailer. It worked out perfectly , it was a memory I will always treasure. Oh yeah! Also, the day before Thanksgiving I got my act together and we cut out hand prints and wrote down things we were grateful for and made a Thankful Tree. I'm keeping it up for a while. We're working on teaching our kids to be grateful for what we have. It's probably going to take us their whole childhood to drive in that point, but with Christmas coming, its worth trying to reiterate it. Also, I really like our thankful tree.

Okay I know this was short and sweet, but that's a bit more practical for me. I'm going to try to work on a home school resources page. I would love to get that going. Our homeschooling takes up most of my time these days. Its a lot of work but it's also very rewarding. Hope all is well in your hood. P.S We are getting tons of snow today.

We also made snowflakes out of coffee filters, so it's snowing outside and inside.

Home EC and Homeschool tricks

   Hello, from Denver! I'm so sorry I haven't written. I had such a great summer. The boys and I went to visit family that we hadn't seen in a while and that took us to North Carolina, Maryland and a few states in between! We came back refreshed and ready to take on the school year. I also did a lot of reading this summer. I have been totally sucked into the Voyager series by Diana Gabaldon and I'm still trying to extract myself. So that's where I've been in my free time. Last week we started kicking our butts in gear, getting ready for school . I was trying to organize myself for weeks in order to make our home schooling go as smooth as possible. So when I asked the boys to tidy up their room last week, they obliged me by throwing everything into the closet and then I exploded. In my haste, I grounded them from all electronics for the rest of the day. I don't know where you are but here in Denver it has been in the 90's and all of the public pools, mini golf's etc are closed down because Denver has already started school. So I had to think of something to keep them busy.
    This led to our day of cooking. We started off making meatballs. This was a big deal because I have a child who doesn't like to get his hands dirty. I made these boys chop garlic, measure oregano, cracking eggs, crumbling crackers (we ran out of breadcrumbs.) I admit, this day was much more hands on for me then I had anticipated, but we went with it. I had to make dinner anyways. After I made my children slave over the stove ...OK I fried them up, but they did roll the balls, we threw our meatballs into the crock pot and I let them choose a dessert to make. My oldest chose a chocolate pie out of our family's favorite Hershey cookbook. This was extremely exciting for them. Our toddler especially. One of the boys showed him how to pull up his chair to the counter. I am really regretting that they did this. He helps with dinner every night now, but the pie making was great fun. He took every task very seriously. I was trying to sneak him chocolate and he kept putting it  in the bowl. He was in a rare mood. Around 4 in the afternoon , we started the laborious task of making home made noodles. I tried this out with my mom this summer and we loved it. It took forever to make but fresh noodles are the best.

     If you didn't know, I am an extreme Master Chef fan. It is my favorite show. The boys watch it with me every week and they had an episode where they made noodles in the wilderness with nothing but egg , flour and a rock. Very impressive, so we were convinced we could manage. If you didn't know, Master Chef is coming out with a kid version of it's show in September and we are really excited for it. I'm grooming my children to become chefs. I feel confident that I can get at least one to cook professionally. My personal goal is to have them duel it out in the kitchen over the holidays and I can reap the rewards of their labors. Of course this is a long term plan....ANYWAYS!
    They were so impressed with themselves. I was equally impressed by how many dishes we dirtied and how exhausted I was afterwards. I think it took me a week to recover. I went back to reading, it was much less tiring, but I kept thinking of back in the day, when there was settlers in the colonies and parents taught their kids everything and every one was so self sufficient. Can you imagine teaching your child to survive in a world without so many conveniences? There's a pin on pinterest, that haunts me. It has ages that your child should have learned tasks by different ages. It overwhelms me, thinking of the things they still haven't mastered. Maybe not the best frame of mind to start home schooling but maybe it is. I don't know.

 
 I remember starting home school last year and after the first week, I drove by the public schools in the area to see what my other options were. I was so overwhelmed but I feel pretty strongly that having my kids switch schools several times during a school year is unfair to them. I have no way of telling when or how often we move. So homeschooling works for us. I am happy to say that this week has gone very smoothly. The programs with our online school are very familiar to us and I planned crock pot meals this week so I wouldn't have to juggle it all. My biggest concern was what Waylon was going to do, while my attention was on the older boys. Last year he was crawling on the ground attempting to get at the computer wires. Now a toddler, I didn't think he would care for all of us ignoring him all day. I received a brilliant idea from a friend. I do not take credit in any way for this but am so excited about it. She instructed me to come up with several different boxes of activities to occupy his time. I came up with three. These items are not to be brought out until it is school time. They are put away after school and I give him each item one at a time. So he doesn't get a box of new stuff in the morning, I dole out a new toy which is expected to keep him busy for about 15 minutes. So in essence I have my own little preschool boxes for him and it trains him to be in the mind set of school when we are. I have things like a puzzle, a special school snack, a new book, a tambourine, play food, an educational DVD, a hammer and foam board or Crayola's color wonder pages and markers and a cool superhero costume. On a side note I scored a slew of incredibly cool Halloween costumes at a second hand store! This approach has really helped keep him busy. Yes he still is coming up to me every 15 minutes or so when he is bored of whatever he's got, but I feel like he's staying active and at least I have something to give him instead of sitting him in front of PBS until nap time. Which, on occasion,  I've totally done, who hasn't? So day three of homeschooling has gone quite well, I'll keep you posted.
    

Homeschoolin' Momma

   

Last art project of the school year!

     Must blog... having a hard time finding the time....There's a lot of things I can tell you about Denver, but we're going to save those for another day, because today is our last day of school. So I'm finding time to write you this while the chicken nuggets are in the oven and the kids are kicked outside.
      I cannot believe that I made it through one year of homeschooling! I told my husband this morning " Can you believe I made it through without losing my mind?" He said that this was questionable. I agree, we've had some ups and downs on our journey. If you didn't know, we home school through an online program which means, I have teachers to report to and I facilitate the assignments they give the boys. Most days this works pretty well.  I feel confident that the kids are not behind in their studies and will be neck in neck with their peers when they return to school someday. I'm comforted by the fact that they're not in Kristina's school of hard knocks. If there's anything I want most,  it's for my kids to have a happy, normal childhood.  Normal seems to be questionable these days. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing but in the end,  I think keeping our family together is the best decision for us.
        You can't imagine how ecstatic I am to get through one year of homeschooling and still have my children like me.   Friends, you may think I'm a patient person, I am not. I get flustered at the end of the day when I think we're almost done and I'm ready to do a happy dance and realize we have an art project to do. I sympathize with my first grader when he says "are we done yet?"  We have had a lot of fun and have been able to bend the rules  with our flexible schedule. We've schooled in Colorado, Utah, Maryland, California and Nevada this year.  I am so comforted that we have not had to pull the boys in and out of schools with all of these moves. We skipped class a few times and went to the movies. We've taken field trips to Chimney Rock,  Mesa Verde, the hot springs, you know wherever.
      Some of my favorite moments were when Ian helped us build a scale out of gift wrapping rollers and tin cans. I remember making homemade paste because when you live 30 minutes from the store it's just not worth it. I didn't particularly enjoy that memory but I'm dang proud of myself for doing it. I remember when Wrex had to write a poem about Cleopatra. It sounded much better as a rap but I was also very proud of that moment too.

      One amazing thing is,  that in every town I've been to, I've been able to connect with another home school mom and be very encouraged. They make me feel like one of their own, even though sometimes I think I'm an impostor. They're always so cheerful as they charge along getting the best education for their children. Sometimes I feel more reluctant than the rest, but today I did get it done. If you can't tell I'm extremely proud of myself, but I am even more proud of my children, because they have learned independence this year,  among many other things. Wrex was a bit distraught yesterday when his PowerPoint presentation of 1910 to 1919 would not work on application sharing to present to his class. I tried telling him that this was  something that most adults can't,  even do but he didn't really believe me . 
     As one son goes into junior high and the other into second grade I feel that they are definitely ready for the challenges ahead of them and I pray that I am too. We're transitioning into our summer learning program, which consists of me teaching them to do whatever I want them to do. As I was instructing Houston to make meatballs in the kitchen this afternoon, I stepped out to prop the door open with my jogging stroller, because the door opener thingy  has broken off quite some time ago. When I came back, I saw him trying to stick his fingers in the can and I stopped him because I knew he would get hurt. So instead, I stuck my finger in the can and pop tomato sauce everywhere along with bloody fingers. Which reminds me, how much I have to learn and how  grateful I am that my kids are graciously learning with me. This is one thankful homeschooling mom who is so happy for the end of the year. Now id you'll excuse me, I am late for PE which just happens to be "Just Dance 2" today. Thanks for checking and happy summer!

A clay lineman for his service worker project

Science projects

We created our own time machine

A mosaic of a horse....you could tell that right?

 

 

Off to Denver

      Hey Guys! So we found out last week that we were headed to Denver. We thought we would have until Tuesday to get here and that Ian would have the whole weekend off. We thought of how nice it would be to not be in a rush for once....Wrong! Ian ended up working Saturday and even part of Sunday. When he left for work on Sunday, I figured we would just be leaving Monday. The trailer was pretty much packed up, so I had just finished my coffee date with my friends and was relaxing outside around 11 am when I heard Ian's truck pull up. It was so sudden, yet I should've been mentally prepared to go because I knew it was coming for several days, but it kept getting pushed back, and  I was in denial that it was really time to go. So I said goodbye to Tarah and Chandra, I think we were all a bit stunned that I was actually leaving, and just like that we left Alamo. I wasn't sure how far we were going to get. From Alamo to Denver it's a twelve hour drive, but towing a fifth wheel and traveling with children can just about double that.  We made it to Green River Utah that night and stayed at the KOA. Green River is one of those towns that I've driven through before and imagined it would be the end of the world to work out there, but after Alamo, I realized how many stores they had and all of the amenities I didn't notice before. Funny how that works. The next day was much more eventful . The truck had been running pretty hot the first day and an air hose that went to our jake brake had melted. A jake brake is an additional braking system that makes it safer and easier to slow down when you're towing a heavy fifth wheel behind you. Semi trucks have them too! Anyway our air hose had melted, so Ian fixed it before we left the campground. We went through some amazing mountains. It reminded me of "Thunder Railroad" at Disneyland, because we drove inside of mountains. We came out of the mountain and there was a train on the other side of the river and amazing pine trees. It was breathtaking but especially so after our time in the desert. As I admired the beauty of the mountains, the truck was running hotter and hotter. We made pretty good timing and made it to an hour outside of Denver in about 6 hours. That's where everything turned south for us. The truck was just too hot and we had to pull over and rest for about 15 minutes every mile. This was not ideal for the children, who had ants in their pants from being in the car for  6 hours. It was also extremely frustrating for Ian who had already done some serious work to his truck this year. Truck troubles are never ending, can I get an Amen? So anyway, we had been pulling over every mile for about an hour and a half and I pulled out behind Ian and looked in my rear view mirror and realized that the dirt bike which I tow on my 4Runner was no longer in sight. I asked Houston if he could see it and he said "No" so I honked twice and pulled over. Ian however, didn't see me and kept on going another mile. So I get out and we have a hauler that plugs right into my hitch and its big enough for one dirt bike and the KTM was laid on its side, thankfully not on the road but the tires had come off the track. So I called Ian, and he and Wrex pulled over and we're running back a mile down the highway while I gave it my best to lift the 250 lbs bike back up. Yeah, that was not going to happen. An amazingly kind truck driver came to my rescue and pulled over and lifted it up and strapped it down. I called Ian and told him I would meet up with him, he was so apologetic. In reality I don't think it was his fault at all. I know how I drive, I probably hit every pot hole from Nevada to Colorado and then flooring it from the shoulder to the freeway traffic was probably bound to loosen the bike. My bad, luckily nothing major broke on it and I didn't drag it a mile up the freeway, Phew! So another hour and we had made it up the mountains. Our air hose on the jake brake had melted two more times during this jaunt in our journey.
       We finally made it to our park. Oh yes our park! So when I found out we were moving I started calling around and everyone told me they were completely booked. Some people told me that even people's backyards had been taken and that the nearest long term solution was in Cheyenne Wyoming. I called at least 16 places and got nowhere. I called upon all my line friends and everyone was trying to get us a spot. Finally a guy we had worked with , who had stayed in the company yard in Denver a few days waiting for a spot for himself,  found us space at his park and called dibs on it for us. I was so grateful to actually have a spot, but I forgot about all that when we pulled up. It had been such a long day when we pulled up to our spot right next to the freeway. If you're driving on the 285 in Sheridan on your way to Costco, wave to me! I haven't been in a city for a long time and I was completely overwhelmed yesterday. Yes, I am right next to a Super Target and a Costco. so no more 6 hour shopping trip days, like in Alamo, but dang. The constant hustle and bustle which I can hear as I type this is frustrating. I was on the phone last night and the boys couldn't hear their movie over my conversation and likewise for Ian in our bedroom, so I took it outside, you know next to the freeway. Finally I went into the bathroom to finish my call. Such a glamorous life I live!We took the truck in yesterday so I'm car less. Yes, this all sounds a bit discouraging to me too. I had to remind myself, that usually when I get into a new place, I immediately find the things that make me uncomfortable but by the time I leave, I'm not ready to say goodbye. I think it's just human nature to dislike change.  Who would've thought I'd miss Alamo? Truly I don't, because that just can't be, but I miss my friends, my support, those girls that know what it's like to cook dinner in a mini oven and take a 6 minute shower using yoga poses to shave your legs. I miss them. But I am determined to stay positive today. I did have a few highlights yesterday. I went to a park further from the freeway and brought all my boys and gave my best puppy dog eyes and showed off my adorable toddler and she is trying to find us some room there. After I realized I do in fact have to stay at my park for a bit longer, I paid the rent and the very kind manager told me about a trail right outside our park. So opposite the freeway there is a trail that goes throughout all of Denver and we all went for a nice long walk last night. It was actually very serene and peaceful, just what I needed to clear my head. So I'm sure Denver will be just fine. Ian started work today and it looks like he'll have a more normal schedule and we'll actually get to see him. I've got a few leads on kids camps that I'm going to look into and the boys are trying to convince me to walk to the movie theater today. We will see. Ill keep you posted ~Kristina

#40 and the Flu

Our ice cream didn't look as pretty but tasted great

Source: bloomingonbainbridge.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Making snow Ice cream

 
 Well I posted an update yesterday and then deleted it accidentally while cooking breakfast burritos , so lets try this again! Well we have been out of work for a week now and right after the layoff our trailer was hit with the flu. This was something I had been fearing ever since the idea of tramping around popped into our heads. Ian was down and occupied the bedroom, Houston had it the worst , he took over the boys room at times or the couch. That poor, sweet boy was vomiting for five days.  I finally took him in and the Dr took pity on us and gave us anti nausea medicine. Little Waylon had a fever and wouldn't let me put him down for a day and a half but I was so happy he didn't get the "pukes." Wrex somehow stayed healthy, as did I. This was one of the worst situations I could think of just because there was no where to hide from each other, but in the end, we got through it and no one threw up on the carpet or the couch so it's really the small things I'm grateful for.
     When Ian started to feel better he was a huge help. He has never been laid off in his adult life so he wasn't use to the downtime and at first kept himself busy with homework. If he was bored I'd ask him to do the dishes or the laundry, it didn't take long for him to stop saying we was bored! His best one liners would come at the end of the day. One night he said " this stay at home gig is BS!" Once Waylon was up at dawn and Ian observed " I feel like we're in prison and Waylon is the Warden." Seeing that my husbands witts are still intact I'd say he's doing just fine.
     My schedule hasn't changed too much except now I can leave home without all the kids in tow, so I tried to take advantage of that this week. Also I am promoting Ian to our homeschooling "art teacher" he is much better at it than me and the kids are so proud if his work!
     So we still have 39 guys ahead of us to get put back to work. It's any one's guess how long that will take to get to us, in the mean time Ian has his monthly class in Salt Lake City next weekend. We've decided to move our trailer there. In the event that the books don't move very fast , it makes sense to be near class, it's also a better central location to wherever we get called out to next. We're pretty confidant that the work in this southwest corner has dried up a bit and If  we do go to Denver next, the mountain pass from here to Denver is not ideal for towing and we'd be better off on the highways of Salt Lake. It would also be nice to be in the city for a bit before our next adventure. Think Target and In-N -Out -pretty motivating!

     We did get some snow over the past few days . Not too much but enough to add a new fluffy layer on top of the melting Christmas snow. I'd say there's about 18 inches of snow on the ground . The kids and I hadn't been here for the fresh snowfall last time so we took the opportunity to make snow ice cream for our ice cream night on Friday.  The boys loved it and had fun collecting the snow for it, it really is the simple things isn't it? Needless to say, we spent a lot of time inside this week, so yesterday we hit "Chapman's Hill," a local skating rink where there's an outside area that kids can learn how to snowboard or ski but on the other side is the perfect hill for sledding! So we got all our snow gear on (double checked it)  and bought a disk and a tube and went out for some fun. The kids had a blast , I think it was the first time they didn't need me prodding them to play in the snow . Wrex even felt inclined to teach me how to sled down because he had become an expert in his hour of sledding . We had so much fun and ended out our day at our favorite pizza joint in town.(Which incidentally is closing down, must be  our sign to move on.)  It was a fun family day but I think we're ready to move onto new adventures. I'll let you know next week how our journey to Salt Lake goes, wish us luck!

Ian and Houston's art project

This Thanksgiving were getting a little out of our comfort zone

This is my kitchen this morning as I make mashed potatoes and Sweet potatoes, be grateful for your counter space!

  
    Happy Early Thanksgiving! So here is what I've decided to plan for our menu for our trailer living extravaganza! I really tried to tone it down, but there are somethings you just cannot live without, when it comes to Thanksgiving. So here's what I got cooking:

Hot artichoke dip- one appetizer is proof that I've toned it down!

Kings Hawaiian rolls - store bought!
Cranberry jelly I love it straight out of the can!
Turkey Gravy- I bought a packet because gravy is still something that I really haven't mastered, or I just like the packet better~I'm not sure
Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes
My friend Tanya's Sweet potato recipe, complete with pecans and marshmallows
My mother in law gave me her stuffing recipe which is my favorite part of Thanksgiving
I'm going to try to recreate these really yummy green beans which involve bacon and pecans that my really cool sister in law made last year.
I ordered an oven roasted 10 lb turkey from the grocery store- My aunt gave me that idea, because if you haven't seen the inside of an fifth wheels oven, let me say, they are tiny and there is only one shelf in there!
Also, I ordered an apple pie from a bakery in town that I have heard fabulous reviews of, oh and of course I got some vanilla ice cream for that too!

When I told Ian our menu he asked "who was coming over?" Just Us!
    But then....we were invited to share Thanksgiving with a friend of mine who lives on a farm a few miles out of town. Now I have all the stuff, I'm ready to go but the kids got really excited to go to this gals house and they heard there would be a lot of kids and 40 acres to run around in....So a part of me thought, NO, it's a family day!  But then I thought, my poor kids, have family days everyday. I know my mother in law is back home spending this holiday in a way that she's not use to, I thought of my brother in laws (in Georgia and Hawaii) and my brothers (in North Carolina and California), none of us are going to be together, I thought of my mom opening her house up to anyone on Thanksgiving and how I'm usually the one thinking "why does she do that? It's a family day!" Then I realized that maybe this year I'll get out of my comfort zone, do something different, put myself in someone else's shoes, not the person running the show, the person in the corner maybe feeling a little awkward. If the kids have a blast , which it sounds like they will, then that's what really matters. We have the rest of the weekend to have family time and I am still making all this yummy food because I want more than a plate of leftovers, I WANT a FRIDGE full!
    So family, all of you. We miss you, we are thinking of you and although we are far apart you will be with us in Spirit. Love you. Happy Thanksgiving.

We made some no bake cookies that we got from pinterest, Houston and I had a ball and Waylon swiped some chocolate while we weren't looking...sneaky kid..Theyre suppose to look like pilgrim hats and acorns

Bayfield Heritage Days

   So Saturday did not go at all as planned. Saturday was the town of Bayfield's celebration of "Heritage Days" I had heard that this would include sheep being herded down the highway. What a sight! But I was severely distracted by the itinerary of the day and decided I wanted to do it all. What a surprise? So this meant the morning would start off with a fun run 5k to support the local boy scouts. Somehow, the boys were really excited to participate and I have never done a 5k, but I thought I would give it a go, in the spirit of trying new things. Well, I grew up in Carlsbad, CA home of the "Carlsbad 5000" so I was surprised to see all eleven of us show up for the fun run on Saturday. No worries though, I prefer small crowds, less pressure. So when they told us to go, my boys darted off and I'm thinking " wait a second I don't know where I'm going." You see in a race of this size the signs are pretty small, you gotta keep a watchful eye. Anyway my kids decided they could no longer hold their water bottles after about 1/4 of a mile, pretty soon we were in last and walking . I tried to encourage my kiddos but they weren't buying it. I started to get frustrated , they were almost in tears (they had walked about 2 miles by this point) so I called Ian to pick them up. It was not very well thought out by yours truly but I had such high hopes. I did however finish second to last, behind me was a family with a newborn, but I finished, I got the t-shirt to prove it.
     So as this drama laid out, it took longer than I thought and I missed the herding of the sheep. The boys however passed the sheep on the highway so at least they got a good look. Then came the parade. You remember how much "fun" we had at the last parade right? If not just look at the picture on this page . Well,  we learned from our mistake, this time we were the parade. That's right, Ian's foreman offered us a spot to sit in a buggy being pulled by horses and of course we did it. When I heard about this opportunity I almost died of embarrassment right then and there because I knew I HAD to do it. Anyway, I wasn't nearly as embarrassed as I thought, and Waylon loved waving to the crowd. After the parade there was another carnival of festivities that including wool dying  and spinning and I had every intention of participating but instead we all took turns riding horses. It was not what I had planned but probably more fun. After all this excitement, to be honest, I went home and  took a nap. It was a long couple of days and I was worn out. Ian had to work that night. So the  boys and I hung out around the trailer and then we got quite a show of fireworks that evening, thanks to the "Heritage Days." The day did not go as planned but I think all in all it was a big success. It ended up being more relaxful than my incredibly long list of events we were to partake in and when Ian came back at 3am he showed me a picture of a bear that was roaming around town while he was working, so it was pretty exciting after all. So I don't have anymore spectacular adventures up my sleeve, we will have to see what life throws our way. See you soon.

Heres an article about Heritage Day http://durangoherald.com/article/20120929/NEWS01/120929449/Warning--Sheep-crossing--

Mesa Verde

    Guess where I got to go yesterday? That's right Mesa Verde National Park! I have been wanting to go here since we came to Durango. Finally some other home school moms were going because the park was putting on a "Free Day" and that was the push I needed to get out there. Mesa Verde is only an hour away and then you half to drive a half hour up there mountain but what a spectacular view. The Fall colors were exploding all over the mountain. I am such a dork but I really love when trees turn colors and that just doesn't happen too much where I'm from. So witnessing all the foliage had me grinning ear to ear. Anyway, I checked Mesa Verde out online before we went because I wanted to have a game plan. The other moms had told me that the park was so big we would probably split up. So first we went to the visitor center and I got my kids some souvenirs. I'm the kind of mom that gets her kids postcards and squished pennies, so that's what we did while I gathered brochures. Oh yes, I did break down and buy them a mini "adventure scope" because I told them that we're all in the "Danger Club" it's a long story but I wanted them to have an adventurous spirit and the Danger Club has been founded since about 1990. ANYWAY. So we had our scopes, our brochures and we drove another five miles to the museum. Well first we saw a picnic table so we stopped for lunch and my kids got to experience something called peace and quiet. You know when you're in a naturally beautiful place and there is that stillness, I don't even know if they noticed, but I thought "what a gift, I've given them." In the days of constant stimulation, I'm glad they got to experience stillness, even if they were fighting over whose sauce belonged to whose lunchable and who gets to hold the bag of cookies. I heard it , the stillness was there.
       So then we went to the museum and picked up an activity book to become a Junior Ranger for the park. That's right, I read the pamphlet and I'm the kinda mom that loves dorky stuff and my kids dig it. So this activity book sent us on a scavenger hunt and we went through the museum to fill it out. We then went on a hike to "Spruce Tree  House" this was the only ruins that the stroller could make it down to see. People looked at me like, "lady, you know you have to come back up the hill right?" It was worth it, absolutely! To see these cliff dwelling up close, WOW! The Puebloan Indians also made "kivas" which we're round rooms that they used for different things, they had solid roofs with a little square opening and the kids got to go inside , I think they just liked climbing the ladder, but they had a blast. I did not hear one time that my kids we're bored or there feet hurt. Thats' the kind of fun we had. So after, we huffed our way back up to the museum and since we had completed the activity sheet, the boys were sworn in by the Ranger as a JR Ranger, to serve and protect all National Parks. It was really cute and silly but boy were they proud of their badges.
     Lastly, we went on the "mesa top loop" which is a driving tour that takes you by ten different sites that you can park and see more cliff houses , kivas and pit houses. It was a lot of getting in and out of the car, but the boys adventure scopes came in handy and they got to see some amazing cliff dwellings.
      If you have the opportunity to go to Mesa Verde I highly recommend it. The kids had a blast. I know it was weird. I am so fortunate to have these little adventurer's by my side. I think 6 and 9 are perfect ages because they're not "too cool" yet. Little Waylon is such a trooper, that kid is going to be a traveler some day, the things he's seen before his first birthday. Amazing. Anyway, I wanted to get this out to you before today started because yes, today we have some pretty special, wacky things to do . I'll tell you about it soon. Enjoy your day and find a little stillness if you can.

Pictures cannot do these cliff dwellings justice, they are amazing!

Kristina the mortified!

 

Could leaning over daily to bathe this cutie possibly be causng my back to spasm? He's so worth it

 

 

    Hey Friends! We had quite an interesting week last week. I have quite a story for you...So for weeks my back has been pinching me. It felt like there was a rubber band between my shoulder blades being stretched and released. I was quick to blame it on Waylon, (he's getting so big) when I lean down to pick him up I really feel it in my upper back. Well on Tuesday I was practically in tears. Ian advised me to ice it and take Advil but NO I couldn't listen. I want to see an acupuncturist! I exclaimed to mostly myself. No one challenged me, but I knew wherever I went, the kids would go also. Ian had a lot of overtime that week, and I couldn't see asking him to take off so I could attempt to see an acupuncturist, which by the way I've never gone to, but I was desperate for relief. So I would have gone to an acupuncturist but the thought of the kids watching someone poke my back with needles and possible having Waylon cry in the backgroundconvinced me take the normal route and call a Dr. Maybe he could tell me if it was heat or ice I'm suppose to use and just how much Advil I could take. Well, when I spoke to the receptionist and explained how I'm from out of town and I have extreme back pain, I must have set off a red flag alert. Now I was hesitant to go to the Dr anyway. I knew there was nothing they could really do, but I have insurance and I thought that if I was flat on my back, it would be too late for me to cry for help. No one would be here to help me. So back to the receptionist, before she ended our call, we had already decided on a time, she asked me " You're not a drug collector are you? " I was thinking "what did she ask me? So I said "Uh..what? No , I don't think so." ( In retrospect, this was not a time for me to be a smart alec) She said "oh never mind, I'm just being silly." and I thought, weird sense of humor, but to each their own. So I arrive at the doctors office and the pain is worse and yes on my way over there it has started to pour buckets of rain. So I get all the kids in, I'm filling out the paper work, I get into the office and as I start to explain to the nurse what my issue is, I started welling up with tears. At this point, I can't imagine not getting relief and how I'm suppose to continue as a mom/ teacher/ housekeeper/ entertainer in all this pain by myself without extended family around me. So the doc comes in . Not a friendly gent at all.He turns to the kids and says "why aren't you in school?" they say in unison "we're home schooled"  He asks me how I injured it, I say I don't know. He asks me when it started hurting, I say gradually for the past few weeks. So I have no clear idea of how I injured myself and again this must be another red flag. He asks me very unsympathetically. " Is there a reason why you're crying?" and I say because I'm in a lot of pain. He asks me to touch my toes, put my neck side to side and I tell him when it hurts. He says he wants to see my back and lift up the back of my shirt and then he asks" Is there a reason why you're sweating?" OH MY GOSH! What a jerk! I said "probably because I'm upset, I can't imagine what I'm going to to if I can't fix this." So I told him I don't really want medication I just want to fix this, what can I do? I have a thing against chiropractors I was thinking about acupuncture. Then he says "what you are describing is a back spasm in your upper back from too much tension. There's no easy fix, I can give you some back stretches. I said "ok fine, that would be great, "(get me out of here!) He said he was going to give me some non-narcotic medicine to relax the muscles while I home school and something to take at night. Then he told me to go for a walk this weekend. ..Um thanks, I actually do exercise ... I really don't know why he even bothered. It was so incredibly awkward. So we left, naturally I fell apart at my embarrassment. They absolutely, thought I was there for drugs, I was mortified and in pain and embarrassed. I think the lesson here is if you're from out of town, don't let your first doctors visit be for back pain. Or maybe the lesson is there must be a lot of pill poppers n Colorado. I'm not really sure.
       Ian was shocked when I told him what happened... let me rephrase that..He was shocked that I fell apart in the doctors office....well of course I did!
    So that night, the boy we're extremely excited to try out Awanas! We found out there's a church right down the road that offers this and the kids were so excited about it. Which was a bit odd for them because they weren't interested in it back home. I think they really were anxious to play with other kids and get away from their ailing decrepit mother. We dropped them off and I took one of those anti narcotic "for the daytime"  pills the doctor had given me and guess what? It knocked me on my butt. I was spinning and telling Ian what a great man he was...Yes needless to say, I was in no shape to pick up the kids from Awanas at the local Baptist church.
    So what this lesson really taught me, is that I in fact am not superwoman. I would like to do everything perfectly with one hand tied behind my back but I can no longer be a wife, mother, teacher, entertainer for small children, blogger and bookkeeper. So I believe it's time to drop my bookkeeping responsibilities. It means going on a tight budget but I think the reduction of "tension" will be worth it. This brings me to my next point. You will notice I now have ads on my blog. I am embracing the $3 dollars (my estimation for the year) I will get from googles Ad affiliates. I will try to make them not too annoying , bear with me while I figure it out.
    My week was not all that bad. That day was especially mortifying but the boys and I did take some long walks and we ended up going to church on Sunday. I met another home school mom and we are actually going on a very exciting adventure today that I will tell you about next week. We ended our Sunday walking around Pagosa Springs as a family.Actually, we went on a bear hunt. We were looking for wildlife and Ian showed us where they were insatlling "bear guards" because the bears were using the poles as scratching posts. We didn't see any bears but we did see a big bear doo doo with fresh urine and that was as close as we needed to get. We did run into a road block, when someones cows got out. Houston was saying "YAH!" from the backseat.It worked too! Then we walked by the hot springs and felt the hot, stinky water. We drank chocolate floats and had ice cream. It was a nice relaxing day. Especially for Ian, who had worked a 14 hour day on Saturday. Thanks for listening. Next time you feel really embarrased, think of me! I'll keep yall posted.

Kepping it real

    
   HA! I'm getting a head start on my weekly update because I have a moment of peace. I only have a moment of peace because all the children are on time out for hitting, but I'll take it! All in all, it was an average family of five normal week.
    I gave the two older boys buzz cuts. I was looking at them one morning before school started and I realized that they are never going to brush their hair, so I offered them haircuts. After the fact, I wondered if I might regret this. I really don't know when the "cold" hits around here and they might need all the body warmth they can muster being California kids and all. Too Late! It grows fast and since they insist on wearing shorts everyday, I  don't feel bad... yet. School went pretty well, our only obstacle is this history/art class they have called Paragon. From what I hear, the kids in the actual school love it. For me and Wrex it means cramming in art projects on a Friday night before they're due.
    Little Waylon, whom I just realized is 7 1/2 months old is officially crawling! I saw it happen on Monday but chose to stay in denial until he almost crawled out of Houston's bunk. I dashed from the couch and caught him, he thought it was hilarious! By the end of the week, he was trying to climb up our two stairs. Right now, I have it blocked off with cardboard boxes. Ian will love that.    Now that he can crawl anywhere, with speed, he has taken to obsessing about any power cords. It must be the "power lineman" in his blood. I realize this is serious and no baby should ever play with cords. We have the kids laptops plugged in under the table and he is obsessively trying to get to the wires. It seems like we need a gate for the table, time to get some more cardboard boxes!
    The weekend has been pretty slow. I ran out of propane Thursday night in the middle of frying up tacos. I assumed Ian would get some more but he's worked all weekend.So  I've been using the grill outside and the burner on the grill but today I had enough and figured out how to fill the dang thing up. it was HEAVY! so I only did one tank. We're talking about buying a larger tank for when the winter comes. The heater apparently runs on propane, so it's not something you want to run out of.
        Actually we got quite bored this weekend so we did what any good family would do. We got some ice cream and watched dad work. We actually haven't gotten around to spying on him yet and we keep seeing awesome pictures of him hanging from poles. Unfortunately, today was more of a filling in holes kinda day. So we ate our ice cream while he worked and came back home. We did decorate the boys room today. We brought some of those decals from Target when we moved in, back in May, so today we put them up. We had Super Mario and Angry Birds. So the kids positioned the characters into fight scenes. Who knew Mario didn't like birds?
    Sorry this isn't action packed. I'm just keeping it real. Now I shall go make chili because it was suppose to be raining. Take care.
   I was hoping to see this...

...but today was more like this...ahh the life of an apprentice