For Thanksgiving this year we wanted to get out of town. We couldn't afford to go all the way to Utah, nor do we want to do anymore 4-day weekends there - it's just too hard. So we decided to go down to San Diego. We took our trailer, and brought along all that we needed to make our Thanksgiving meal (except for a turkey - the oven in the trailer is only big enough for a chicken). We left Wednesday night, but we only went a couple of hours, and then camped for the night. We headed out on Thursday morning expecting to arrive at our destination in the early afternoon. We figured the roads would be clear on Thanksgiving, because everyone would already be where they were going for the holiday. We were soooooo wrong. Due to a bad combination of 1) having to drive 55mph, because that's the law in CA if you're towing a trailer, 2) very weak bladders of four children, and 3) insanely bad traffic, we didn't get there until 7:30 at night. On top of that, there was NO phone reception at our Campsite, which I needed to be able to contact my sister, who we were meeting the next day. We wasted extra time driving around, trying to decide if we really wanted to stay at that campsite or not. We finally decided to stay, because at least we had wifi, and I could send messages on fb. By the time we were settled in I was tired, frustrated, and in no mood to cook. For our Thanksgiving "feast" that night we had 7-layer dip and 2 pies. It was comical, almost, and reminded me of this.
It definitely was not what we had been looking forward to, but it was delicious, and we were just glad to be together as a family.
Things got better the next day, especially my attitude;) Marie and Antione had Thanksgiving with his family in Fresno, and they were coming down that Friday to hang out with us until Sunday. While we waited for them, we went and toured the Midway museum, which is a decommissioned aircraft carrier. Huge does not even begin to describe it. We walked around forever, and didn't even see half of it. At full capacity they said there was a crew of 4,500. Joe is from Manti, and it only has a population of a little over 3,000. I've just got to say, though, it is NOT big enough to accommodate 4,500 people comfortably. It was so cramped in there, at times I was feeling claustrophobic. I cannot imagine actually living on it. But it was really cool to see. They had a lot of planes on there, some of which the kids got to climb into. And Joe was able to talk to a World War II vet that was there, and we also got to talk to a guy who had served on the Midway.
Kids in the brig.
How many of these knots can YOU tie?
After the Midway we had enough time for frozen yogurt, and then we met up with Marie and Antione at the Maritime Museum, which was right down the street from the Midway, and featured some other cool ships, including the Star of India (the world's oldest active sailing ship), the HMS Surprise (the second ship we've been on that has been in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), a couple of submarines, yachts, and other boats. These were a lot of fun to see, especially because there was hardly anybody else there (unlike the Midway, which was very crowded).
The HMS Surprise
She's queen of the world.
No head room for the tall.
The next day we got to go to SeaWorld. It was a beautiful day. Perfect weather. The first thing we did was go to sea, I mean see the Shamu show. I headed for the seats that were just above the soak zone, but everyone said they wanted to sit IN the soak zone. Oh, how I tried to explain the consequences of the soak zone. But my warning fell on deaf ears. I especially tried to help Madelyn recall how unhappy she had been when she got soaked at California's Great Adventure, just a few months ago. But in the end, I let people make their own choices. Everyone went to the soak zone except for Me, Joe, and my sister's baby. Here is the picture of the beginnings of the FIRST wall of water that landed EXACTLY where they were all sitting (Almost like it was planned that way. Ya think?), immediately followed by 3 or 4 more walls of water .
I really, really, really wish I had turned my camera onto video for that one, because it was HILARIOUS to watch their reaction. They ALL jumped up and ran, but nobody faster than poor Madelyn.
She was not happy. And you'd better believe I said, "Told ya so!", although I did not get to revel in that for very long, because shortly after that we went to the trailer (which we parked at SeaWorld) for lunch, and she was able to change her clothes.
After these people all ran away from the soak zone, we finished out the rest of the show ;)
Later we watched the dolphin show, and NOBODY even thought about sitting in the soak zone.
It was a fun day, even though there wasn't time to see everything that we wanted to. It went by so quickly.
There was a beautiful sunset that night....
....but once the sun was down, it got cold! The kids were fine, burning off all their energy, but the adults were cold. Finally we called it a night and headed back to the trailer for dinner. That night we camped at a different spot. THIS spot.
Right on the beach! It was awesome falling asleep to the sound of the ocean. The next day we headed home. Traffic was bad again, although this time we had expected it. What we didn't expect was this.
We didn't even feel it - no bumps, no pulling, nothing. A guy had to flag us down before we knew we had a flat. We changed it quick, and got back on our way with no other misadventures.
Overall, it was a good Thanksgiving, even though we didn't do any of our normal traditions this year. There's always so much to be thankful for, if only we look and recognize. This video is a good reminder to me to do just that, each and every day.
This ship has been in Star Trek Generations, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Once Upon a Time (which is what we were most excited about). It was docked in Moss Landing for a couple of weeks, and we were able to take a tour of it. Pretty darn cool.
2. We got to go the Jelly Belly Factory. There were free samples, a tribute to Ronal Reagan (who loved Jelly Bellies so much that he had a special jar made for them on Air Force One that wouldn't move during turbulence), a behind-the-scenes tour (where we couldn't take any pictures), and sooooooo many Jelly Bellies in one place that I wanted to dive into them and swim around.
3. Finally, Cora was able to go to Expanding Your Horizons, which is a free conference for girls to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) role models and hands-on activities for middle and high school girls. This one was held at Hartnell College. Cora got to choose 3 workshops offered, out of about 10-15, and then was assigned to 2 of them. She got something about marine invertebrates, where she got to dissect a squid, and another one about sharks. She went with a couple of homeschool friends, and she had a lot of fun.
Okay, let's talk pros and cons of homeschooling.
Pros -
I've loved it - I really have. I love knowing what my kids are learning. Not just a general idea, but EXACTLY what they're learning. If the curriculum leaves out something that I think is important, I can add it in. If it teaches something in a way I don't like or agree with, I can go ahead and teach it (or not), and then I can teach alternative viewpoints/methods, and have a good discussion with them about it. I don't have to waste time on something if I know that they already get it - I move on, and spend time on what they actually need to spend time on. It's fun when we notice things outside of school that relate to what they're learning in school, and I can point it out, and they are able to recognize the application. I love that we're all on the same schedule, and how incredibly flexible it is. I love all the fieldtrips that we get to do TOGETHER. I love the other homeschool families we've met. The kids are great. I love watching my kids struggle with, practice, and then master a concept. I love watching them grow. I've learned so much about my kids, who they are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how I can help them - not just in school, but in their lives. I've learned a lot about myself too. What I'm capable of. What I need to work on in my own life.
Cons - It is very time consuming teaching all four kids. By the end of the school day, I feel like I need a break from them, and I just want to go lock myself in my bedroom for the rest of the night. They get "school mom" all day, but then they get less "regular mom" at the end of the day. My free time is VERY unproductive. I feel like I'm falling behind in ALL areas of my life, other than homeschool.
The pros far outweigh the cons (at least quantitatively), but the cons are starting to feel overwhelmingly heavy lately. Soooooo, now that we're going to be staying here in California until June (if you hadn't heard, Joe got rolled back into a class that is 6 months behind where he was - this will give him 6 additional months to build a strong base of the language before he has to test out of it, so it's a good thing), I've decided to put my kids back into public school after Christmas break (except for Cora). I don't feel like it was a mistake to homeschool them, and I don't feel like it's a mistake to stop now. There are other things in my life that I need to be working on right now that I think will make me a better mother and wife, so that's what I'm going to do. Wish us luck:)
We've been doing a lot of camping lately. A lot. Maybe not enough? It's hard to tell. In any case, we love it:)
Over the weekend before Veteran's Day, we found a place to enjoy a few days of perfect fall weather. PERFECT.
We do not have enough beautiful fall foliage where we live. It's pathetic, really. It makes me homesick for Utah.....or Korea;)
Anyway, it was officially fall where we camped.
Do you know what I love as much as fall? Veterans! Okay, that's more of a who than a what, but you understand. My grandpa, my dad, my mom, her brothers, my sister, my husband, his brother, and his grandpa all have served, or are serving in the military. I am very proud of them all. I am very thankful to them all.
Joe has been in the Air Force for over 13 years now. Here's a picture we got when I went to visit him at Basic Training (back when Joe didn't wear glasses, I still highlighted my hair, and we were young and carefree)
In some ways the military has been a hard road, but it has also blessed our lives in innumerable ways. If we had to do things over, I wouldn't change the road we've taken.
I don't think a lot of people get what being in the military is all about....not even every person IN the military. Early in Joe's career we heard some higher ranking guy, at a graduation, say something to the effect of, "Your job is to kill people, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." We didn't know whether to laugh, or to shoot the guy (because apparently that was our job, right?) Actually, I think a lot of people see military members that way - as killers, and tools of war. The few bad apples get plastered across the media, and suddenly the whole barrel is rotten. Grrrrrrrr.
That's not who members of the military are. That's not what they "do".
Have you ever heard the United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment? Here's the first part of it:
"I, ___________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...."
THAT is what it means to be in the military, and that's what millions have died for - to protect the Constitution - to protect YOUR constitutional rights. Yes, people join the military for different reasons (for love of country, for schooling, for travel opportunities, for a career, etc.), but at the end of the day, they're all working, and sacrificing, for the same thing. Are they all heroes? No, probably not? But are they all (or even most of them) just a bunch of war-hungry, killing drones? Ummmmm, no. I'm grateful that most people get that, and are quick to come to the defense of military members when someone tries to slander them.
Here are some of the fun field trips/outings that the kids have been on for school this year (these are with the military co-op, so they get printed in the CYSS monthly newsletter). The great thing about these is that I don't always have to go with them. Sometimes I just get to drop them off and have 2 1/2-3 hrs. BY MYSELF! But sometimes I like to go anyway;)
The octopus was more active than we've ever seen it before. It was really interacting with the kids, moving to where they would move. Awesome!
And yes, the kids LOVED feeding the rays with little chunks of fish:)
On our own, we also attended a free jazz concert. There is a big jazz festival in Monterey every year, and they always put on a free concert for students the day before the festival starts. It is performed by a group of high school students from all over the country, and they are very talented.
With very few exceptions, I do not like jazz music. It's just not my cup of tea - I like order to my music, not impromptu chaos. However, I am not going to impose my opinions on my children. I didn't tell them that I don't like jazz. I just took them. I want to expose them to all kinds of music, and if they want to like jazz music, then more power to them. Alex sure seemed to enjoy it:)
Another thing we did (not a fieldtrip, per se, but an interesting firsthand observation nonetheless) was go and watch a controlled burn in Fort Ord. There were a lot of other cars lined up on the road closest to it - many people with binoculars. There were 6 helicopters. Fun to watch. The video makes it look like it was far away, but it wasn't;)
I love Halloween, and the last two years I just don't feel like I've done it justice. We didn't even buy pumpkins this year, or watch any Halloween movies (although I did text quotes from Young Frankenstein to my sister - she thought I was watching it, but I said no, I just have the whole thing memorized). Also, I did wear my skull and crossbones earrings ALL month. That's an accomplishment, right? I can't show you a picture of me wearing them though, because Joe says I have mutated ears. Don't worry, he has mutated toes, so we were obviously made for each other. What was I talking about? Oh ya, Halloween.
During our last week in Korea we took a trip down to Osan to buy some souvenirs? What Korean goodies did I come away with? Two wigs. Have I ever mentioned that I love wigs?
Anywho, I didn't know what to dress up for this Halloween, I just knew that I wanted to wear my pink wig.
I'm sorry, but that's just an awesome wig;) I finally settled on a fairy with big wings that wouldn't stay in place, and hit other people in the head whenever I walked by. And yes, flipflops. What?!
Cora was Cleopatra, Joseph was Superman, Madelyn was a vampire, and Alex was Percy Jackson.
Dang it, I love my kids!
Dear children,
please remember that you will never be to old to dress up for Halloween.
Love, your awesome mother.
Cora and I got some fake eyelashes. I put hers on first, and they looked really great.
I put mine on, and realized that I had just gotten lucky with hers. It is VERY hard to get them on there just right, and then they kept falling off on one side all night. They're still pretty cool though;)
That's all I've got. Next year Cora is determined that we all go as Star Wars characters. Even Joe can't get out being the Han Solo to my Princess Leia;)
