I have to admit that one of the really tough aspects of our small camper is that we don't have room for an RV size washer and dryer. Originally these two amenities were high on my list of needs...or so I thought. When we found this camper we were so amazed that it was much nicer than what we ever imagined we'd be able to purchase with the little bit of money we had. Our list of wants were superseded by what we needed and that was easy, we needed a cheap camper and everything had to work, especially the air conditioner since we'd be spending most of our time right now in the South. The Lord answered our prayers and we were so amazed by the camper we received that I truly forgot about the wants on my list. Until today, and almost every laundry day in the past couple of months.
But even now I don't want to seem that I'm ungrateful and I certainly wouldn't want to trade anything that I do have in my camper for the washer/dryer combo. OK, so maybe personally I'd trade the TV or even the microwave. But that would mean that my kids would be mighty upset with me and my husband wouldn't be able to feed himself when I'm away.
My husband has realized this is a concern for me without my vocalizing it. I wonder if it's because I no longer do laundry until I HAVE to. That means that we probably don't have any clean socks, underwear or towels and the boys are scrambling for jeans before I decide to head to the campground office/store or laundry room to do a load or two.
I know I shouldn't be that way. But maybe I should give you a bit of background about why I feel like this. On the mountaintop campground, it was hard to do our laundry because it was the rainy season and the washers and dryers were often in use. So I went to the nearby laundromat and spent $40 to do our laundry and it didn't come clean!
At our last campground, after I put our clothes in the washer, at some point in the cycle the water didn't shut off and wasn't noticed until I went to put my wet clothes in the dryer. Imagine my horror as I approached the front porch of the office and water was streaming from beneath the door! It had flowed all through the campground office creating a huge mess. I quickly shut off the water, cleaned up the best I could and alerted the campground hosts. They were gracious, thankfully.
At our current campground, last week someone removed my clothes from the washer so they could wash their clothes. I thought the washer lasted for 30 minutes. I was mistaken. Its 20 minutes.
I know that none of this is something to get upset about. I'm not really. And I also know that my own mom still goes to the laundry mat every week. So I am grateful that I don’t have to pack up and load the car and try to find another laundry mat to frequent. I just have to grab my stuff and trek across the campground as soon as the office manager appears in the morning so that I can get my stuff in the washer first. I guess I could kind of look at it as a fun race, but mornings aren't really my thing. It's not a big deal. Just today, right now, I miss my washer and dryer. Okay, just venting...now off to dry my clothes. Now where are my quarters?
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Live the Adventure
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Lately I’ve been receiving a number of questions from some of my readers. It finally dawned on me that if they had questions, some of you may as well. So, I decided to begin posting some of the questions and my responses.
I’ve had one question several times, just worded differently but it boils down to this:
Are my kids always happy to go on outings and if not, how do I handle it?
Apparently, I’ve given the mistaken idea that my kids are up for anything. Yeah right, maybe when they were five. Now I have three children that are teenagers or almost teenagers and to be frank, they don’t want to do anything other than play Xbox, listen to their iPods or text message their friends. Well, I guess the boys get excited to shoot each other or their friends with their air soft guns. That’s about it. Left on their own, I’m sure my children would chose to play Halo instead of eating. Maybe some of you can relate to this and understand what I’m talking about.
So, with that in mind, I feel it is my duty to force them to experience the world around them. If they had a choice, they really wouldn’t agree to anything. This is what my husband and I came up with; during the weekdays, or our ‘school time’, I choose our outings solely at my discretion. Basically, what I say goes. However, I have promised my children that I will not choose an outing that would be really torturous to them, but that doesn’t mean that they will love every single park, memorial, museum, art center, battlefield or national park that we visit. I chose outings or field trips based on our current area of study, because I think they can learn from it, grow from it or I hope that it will spark an interest and lead to a new hobby other than playing Xbox. They may not appreciate all the outings at the time, but with the exception of just a couple, none of us can say that anything has really been terrible for us to endure.
However, since they are teenagers, we do try to allow them to feel like they have some options. On the weekends, or our ‘family time’, we decide what we do as a family. We discuss what we want to do and if no agreement can be reached, my husband has the final word. Normally, my husband and I will have a couple ideas that we will present to the kids and we’ll all discuss it until we amicably come to a decision.
And since we all have different likes, dislikes and preferences, we don’t often agree unanimously. But I don’t expect to hear a lot of grumbling and squabbling. Last Sunday, my husband wanted to go for a hike, of course the kids didn’t want to, but Saturday we’d allowed them to stay around the camper and play their games and watch TV so Sunday afternoon we really wanted to go somewhere. We corralled the kids into the car, pouting and glaring and headed to the mountain. The first part of the hike, which was uphill, we heard about how hot it was, they were sweating, their feet hurt, they knew they weren’t going to make it to the top, on and on and on. By the time we reached the top of the mountain, they were thrilled because we made it and the trip back down was really pleasant. We had a great outing with them.
Sometimes an outing won’t appeal to all of us, but that doesn’t mean the next one won’t. Everyone gets a chance to plan something according to their interests. So the kids may not enjoy the tour through the plantation home, but they know next week they’ll really love the tour through the chocolate factory; especially the samples!
And if you're just joining me, you may want to read this cute story I posted about field trips. Here are some pictures of outings we've enjoyed over the years:
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Live the Adventure
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Since leaving Ohio, we’ve encountered quite a few homeless people on the streets at various places we’ve visited. I guess part of that reason is because the climate is warmer, at least, certainly during the cold winter months. I’ve had mixed feelings when I’ve seen people in this position. Sometimes I feel compelled to help and then I remember things I’ve heard over the years and I have to admit that I've struggled a bit on this issue.
I’ve always been told not to give people on the streets money because they’ll only use it for drugs or alcohol. That may be true for some, but I believe that many, many people on the street have never touched drugs or alcohol and have found themselves in a bad and scary situation. Certainly our resources are limited, but even the little we have could mean so much for someone else.
Jesus said in Matthew 25 (verses 37-40 NIV), “…. whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” How do we spread the love of Jesus if we simply walk past someone in need and pretend that they don’t exist? And even though I am concerned with their spiritual well being, I don’t think its right to offer them a tract sharing God’s love, if I’m not willing to give of the resources that God has blessed me with.
And yet there have been times when I’ve seen someone that probably needed help; only I didn’t have any cash to give them. A friend of mine shared with me what has worked well for her family and since it’s something that is made up in advance, you’ll have it when you need it. They make care packages for the homeless and those in need. Each package is held in a plastic Ziploc bag and contains an assortment of the following: a bit of change (for bus fare), a couple dollars in gift certificates for McDonald’s or another local fast food restaurant (so they can have a hot sandwich or meal), a power bar, a bag of peanuts or sunflower seeds, a package of cheese & crackers, a bottled water and a tract sharing the love of God. You could add whatever you’d like socks, toiletry items, a small Bible, etc. and since the packages are pre-made, you can leave them in your car, backpack or purse and you’ll have them when you need them.
I’ve also been told not to approach ‘those’ people because they’re crazy. Well, that may be true of some. In fact, there are many people that aren’t homeless that we should probably steer clear of. Like many people, I’m often afraid of the unknown or what I don’t understand and I’ve come to realize that if I’m not careful, those prejudices are passed on to my children. To remedy that, today the kids and I served at a soup kitchen. It was a very humbling experience and though today’s menu was a mix-match of leftovers, not one person complained, they were all very polite, kind and grateful for what they had been given.
We all left with a deeper appreciation of what we have and understanding and empathy for those who are less fortunate. We know that homeless people are no less human than we are, if we ever doubted. Everyone appreciates a smile and kind word or two.
Of my three children, one was extremely nervous to go. In fact, they did not want to go and probably didn't sleep good last night after I announced our plans for the day. But, after today, they are all eager to return and even decided that they’d like to sponsor a meal and prepare it for the soup kitchen at some point in the future. They even began thinking of their favorite meals and how easy it would be to prepare for a large group of people.
Back at the camper, the kids opened their books to begin school, but I knew today’s lessons wouldn’t be found within the pages of a textbook.
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Live the Adventure
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Since my husband missed a few days of work last week when we went home, I tried to make up on what we spent by cutting back on what I spent for groceries this week. I'm pleased to say that I spent much less than I have since we've been here and we didn't eat out all week! All of our meals were prepared in our hotel room with the addition of a family size griddle to my portable kitchen. Here are some meals that I managed to prepare this week:
Chicken/Stuffing Casserole - this one is super easy!
2 boxes of Chicken flavored Stuffing
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-2 cups Diced Chicken (at home I would cook and cube 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts; on the road I purchased the chicken already precooked, diced and flavored)
Heat the chicken. Prepare the stuffing as you normally would and add to the crockpot. Mix in the cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for a couple hours.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches- prepared on my new griddle
Tossed Salad
Pasta Salad
My son loves pasta salad but that’s one thing I haven’t figured out how to cook yet unless I was to purchase a small electric burner, which means I would also have to pack pots and pans. We wondered what would happen if we tried to make pasta salad using Ramon noodles. We tried it and it turned out pretty good. This is what we did: Cook Ramon noodles as you normally would, but don’t add the seasoning packet. After the noodles are softened, rinse with cold water. Add Italian dressing and raw vegetables of your choice.
Mexican Rice and Beans Meal - this is something I made up, but it’s pretty good. I normally add Cilantro to the rice but didn’t have any in the pantryJ.
1 small package of Instant Rice (at home I wouldn’t use instant, but instead would prepare whole grain rice in my rice cooker)
1 can of Black Beans
1 can of Pinto Beans
1 jar of Salsa
1-2 cups of Diced Chicken
Sour Cream
Shredded Colby/Jack Cheese (you could also use a Mexican Blend or Cheddar)
Tortilla Chips
Taco Seasoning
Add the Taco Seasoning to the chicken and heat through. Warm the beans (I warmed these in the cans by soaking in hot water…our hotel water is that HOT!) Prepare the rice by following the package directions (I used my crockpot). To serve, each family member scoops what ingredients (rice, chicken, beans, cheese, sour cream or salsa) they would like on their plates and eat with tortilla chips.
Pancakes and Turkey Bacon
My husband doesn’t like to eat breakfast food for dinner, but it certainly shaved some $$$$’s off the food budget this week. Besides, he’s been watching all those Ihop commercials and the thought of pancakes for dinner was beginning to sound pretty good to him. It was at his insistence that I purchased the griddle! I just used a Complete Pancake Mix that just required water to make the pancakes. I normally like to add a hint of Vanilla, but that was one of the items that I left in my cupboard at home. Maybe next time….
BLT with French Fries
I cooked the bacon on my griddle and the French fries in my toaster oven. Easy enough..
Well there you have it, a few more meals that can be created fairly simply in a hotel room. I did have a question from a reader that I wanted to respond too. How do I wash the dishes? Well, this may change, but this is what I do currently: I have a small plastic tub that I wash things up in. The water is very hot here, but you can use the coffee maker that is normally in the room to supply what you need. Wash your dishes and pour the water down the toilet and flush. I don’t pour it down the sink or tub because even though I try to make sure there aren’t any food particles on the dishes before I start washing them, it seems that there is always something floating around in the water and I don’t want any stopped up tubs or sinks! Until next time….Happy Traveling!
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Homeschooling…Live the Adventure
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It doesn't seem to matter what time we plan to leave home and head back to Alabama, we always run late. After finishing our last minute packing, loading the vehicle and stopping at the Dollar Store for some snacks for the road, we were on I-71 at 10 till 11. Only 2 hours later than we had originally planned! I can't say that I was really looking forward to being back on the road so soon. After all, we were only home for 3 days before heading back out and driving our second 500 mile stretch in less than a week. But, if we want to receive a paycheck this week, the drive is also a necessity.
We weren't on the road long before the puppy fell asleep while two of my children that have also developed colds spent the first half hour of our trip bickering. That is until they finally wore out and decided they really didn't have the energy to argue and dozed off for a bit, a very unusual occurence for them. Traveling back and forth between the warm and cooler temperatures has left each of us with a bit of chest congestion. Since my husband was driving and I felt awful, I actually slept off and on as well, until we reached Cincinnati. Right as we were crossing the bridge over the Ohio River the puppy woke up and started climbing all over the kids to look out the windows. After a few minutes of enjoying the scenery, he whined a bit and we knew that he needed a potty break. We stopped at a rest stop near the Louisville exit and to Vinnie's delight, there were other dogs, so of course he wanted to play and not do his business. I took him for a quick walk while the rest of the family used the facilities.
Back in the car, we played a Professor Noggins National Parks game. I think it's fun to read the questions and remember places we've been or find intriguing parks that we may eventually visit. When we bored of the trivia, we began to play I'm going on a trip and I'm going to take....we took turns naming an object and reciting the list back in order. We made it through underwear, Vincent's diaper bag, a tazor, computer, Frito Scoops, and five more rounds before I got sidetracked and lost the game. No one complained today though, I think everyone was tiring of our game and were glad I threw or ummm...messed up... besides, it was time to stop for gas and fuel for our bellies.
At just after 2 o'clock EST, the GPS has calculated that we will arrive at our hotel at 5:54 p.m. CST. We're not quite halfway. We'd originally planned to make a quick stop at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site to break up our trip and strectch our legs. Just as we approached the exit to the NHS, it began to rain. Secretly, I think we were all relieved to cancel our stop and continue on our way. I guess that stop will wait until our next trip home.
Having played enough games, we settled back to listen to some CD's the kids had packed and slept a bit more...off and on. The GPS was nearly right on, we arrived at 6:00 p.m. CST. We unloaded another batch of goods from home, ran the puppy around the hotel, the boys hooked up the xbox 360 and my daughter jumped on the computer....just like home.
© 2009 Tonya Prater/Homeschooling…Live the Adventure
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