Seasons, by Erika

Jill's Journal: This little poem written by Erika about the seasons, an assignment in her language arts class, just absolutely tickles me. I had to share:



Seasons

In spring babies are born,
And so are plants, plus corn.
In summer swimming is the best,
Some kids stay up late, why don’t they get their rest?
In fall is Thanksgiving – food galore,
It also has no insects trying to get in the door.
In winter their (sic) is snow and ice,
Tho (sic) I wonder what happens to the mice?

Medieval Times

Jill's Journal: If there’s one part of their history studies the girls have enjoyed almost as much as Ancient Egypt, it’s the Middle Ages. We really delved in deeply in second grade history this year, complete with several books in our literature classes to back it up, and skimmed over it pretty nicely in kindergarten as well. Of course, the great thing about homeschooling is that when one child in the family learns it, the others also absorb quite a bit without even meaning to. And so, with visions of knights and castles dancing in the girls’ heads, I knew just the perfect place for us to visit…

…Medieval Times! To our delight, the five other members of our immediate family on my side drove the many hours to join us. We so love getting the whole family together anyway and then Grandpa and Beppy made it even more special by being kind enough to treat us all. There’s eight or nine Medieval Times in North America, including this one in Buena Park, California, and it is so fun to indulge and get lost in another time. If you’ve never been to Medieval Times, it goes something like this... You come to a feast at the castle as a guest of the king. You’re treated to a three-course Medieval-era meal, which of course means no utensils. You eat with your hands, drink your soup, and are served by serfs and wenches. While eating you enjoy Medieval-era entertainment, including some spectacular horsemanship and falconry. Finally, a tournament ensues, with knights jousting and fighting to the “death” with lances, swords, alabaradas, bolas, and all the other deadly weapons of the time. Each section of the castle has its own knight to cheer for and he plays to the crowd, tossing out flowers to selected ladies and choosing one to be his “queen of the tournament.” Beppy got a flower, as did Erika and Madelyn. Poor little Victoria was feeling mighty left out until our knight chose her to be his special lady and gifted her with a keepsake banner. The entire experience is such a grand time. Sure, maybe it’s a little goofy, but that’s part of the fun. I knew Erika would love it – and oh, she LOVED it and is wishing time travel were possible – but Madelyn surprised us all by proclaiming repeatedly it was even better than Disneyland. She wants to go again for her birthday. All our girls can’t wait for another chance to visit.

Have I mentioned the horses? Andalusians, Friesians, Lipizzans, and more. These stunning, beautiful equines are the true stars of the show. Is it any wonder we all loved it?

Of course, pictures and a description don’t do the experience justice and my camera didn’t appreciate the lighting so the snapshots are all a little blurry. No matter; I think the girls will look back at these photos and the joy they felt at the time will all come rushing back to them.

Excellent Pursuits

Jill's Journal: Much to the girls’ consternation, Rob’s trip to New Jersey got extended. There were real tears when they learned the news a few days ago…how they miss their Daddy. I suspect there will be some serious jubilation when he steps off the plane tomorrow, eight days after he left. Here’s some random photos from this week, just to make Rob even a little more eager to hurry home!

They’ve been such good girls this week. With the exception of Rob’s absence, the quiet week has been lovely for both them and me. School has gone so smoothly and I have gotten many projects around the house completed while the girls have played, dressed up, and played some more…all excellent pursuits.

Rob knows this, but I had to put a picture up here: Victoria is officially reading. She started in earnest a couple of weeks ago and is doing an amazing job, not deterred in the least that she’s just four. I tried to put her off since she’s so young but she would have none of it. Then I was sure she'd lose interest because she's so young, but she's proving to be a determined, avid learner. She’s also just days away from being done with the entire curriculum for her first year of preschool, which was supposed to last until June. She’s going to give her big sisters a run for their money if she keeps this up.

Apparently Victoria has a secret to her success. I was teasing her this afternoon, asking how she’d gotten so big and strong and clever lately. Without missing a beat, she said, “It’s because I drink milk.” I suspect her Grandpa, who has been in the dairy industry my whole life, would be awfully pleased with that answer.

Guest Post by Beppy: Tangleweed Farm and Family

Jill's Journal: After my parents went on an Alaskan cruise this summer, I’d asked my Mom to write a guest blog post for us. She didn’t do it, but (even better) surprised me with one today! I’m so thrilled to have her speaking in her own words on here about our day together. I love the thought of the girls reading them someday. Thanks so much, Beppy! :)

Today was the day to explore Tangleweed Farm, a family-owned farm in Tehachapi with lots of fresh produce. The produce is grown organically, harvested, and sold right at the farm. John and Laurie Thorpe started the farm as a homeschooling project in 1999. Jill talked about homeschooling and travelling with Laurie while the men talked about crops and farming with John. I tried kale right from the plant and it had a wonderful, sweet flavor. The girls found a pond to explore and rocks and sticks to pick up. The weather was perfect.

It will soon be time to say goodbye to the last of our family after Thanksgiving. We will miss the grandkids ringing the doorbell and spending the afternoons with us. As each of our family members left this weekend, I felt like they were leaving home for the first time. But, we treasure the time we get to spend as a family and look forward to the next time.

Not All Campgrounds are Created Equal

Jill's Journal: We left Louisville, eager to hit our first new town. Here we are, officially on the road, and our first weekend is the Fourth of July (which means everything everywhere is completely booked)! Not the best planning on our part, but sometimes you just can’t anticipate these things. We of course thought we’d have a month of this under our belts by now.

My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown had a cancellation for two nights and we snapped it up a few days ago. We are not yet schooled in campgrounds, but I think today was a huge lesson. The Horse Park was palatial compared to this! I had no idea. This is very rustic and tiny, which is fine and charming all on its own, but the spot we were assigned to is meant for pop-up campers and tents, not a 42’+ fifth wheel. It’s surrounded by trees and odd angles and when we saw it, I was certain there was no way to back our home into it. It would take an act of God to fit…or at least Rob’s amazing driving skills. Somehow he, with the direction of our new neighbor Johnny (who drives truck for a living), backed this thing into that crazy space. I think all 38 of our new neighbors came out to watch and I’m certain several bets were placed on whether it was even possible. But Rob did it!

We have woods right behind us and trees so close we can touch them out windows and are on such a grade that it feels like we’re going to topple right over, although Rob assures me we won’t. Our new neighbors are the friendliest things in the world. This must be what camping is all about – everyone is instant best friends. There are campfires everywhere tonight and the 65+-year-olds are the biggest and noisiest partiers out there! Hilarious.

We did meet another full-time RVing, homeschooling family, which was awesome. I spoke to both the mother and to the now 21-year-old daughter, who is now settled down with her own family but has grown up doing this. Both raved about it. The mother told me we’d never want to stop and settle down and the daughter told me it was the most fabulous childhood imaginable. She said she loved it. Very encouraging.

Welcome!

Jill's Journal: If only I had a penny for each time someone asked if we had a blog! We finally decided it was time to go public. I’ve been keeping an occasional journal of our preparations to travel with the intention of sharing it with our girls someday. (Because surely someday they’ll wonder what possessed us to pack them into an RV and hit the road). Since my typing skills are stronger than my handwriting skills, it seemed a natural to make it a blog and that way my parents could track our travels as well. And now it’s morphed into something a little bigger…we’ve decided to also share it with our friends and family.

If you’re just joining us, the brief version is this: we’ve sold our house (closing in a matter of hours!), have bought a fifth wheel, and plan to travel North America for the next three years. We have a loose itinerary that includes 49 states and parts of Canada. Rob telecommutes already and can work from anywhere, so we realize this makes us incredibly blessed and very, very lucky. Our three girls are young with our oldest just finishing kindergarten tomorrow, so I’m going to try my hand at homeschooling for a few years. We can’t think of a better education for them (and for us!) than seeing the country firsthand.

As people have learned about the adventure that awaits us, we realized how many either long for this type of opportunity or think we’re completely off our rocker. Either way, it’s clear many people are very curious. We thought this blog would be a way we could take everyone along for the ride.

Both Rob and I will post. His entries (like the one immediately below) are labeled with an “R.” Mine will always begin with “Jill’s Journal.”

It will take another week or so for us to completely wrap up things here in Lexington, Kentucky, and then we’ll be on our way. So, stay turned and join us on our journey if you’d like. And welcome!

Epiphany City…or Maybe Just a Bitch Fest

Jill's Journal: We’re going on day #11 now since Rob left to pick up the fifth wheel. Even though I’m not the one on the road with the hours of silence and nothing to do but think, I’ve still had a few minor epiphanies (or maybe complaints?!) here.

*I love being a parent, but doing it all alone day in and day out is not the easiest thing in the world. Worse still is that Rob was gone in Vegas for a week of poker in July and will leave again in early September for another eight or nine consecutive days. That makes more than a month of “gone time” in a span of 2 1/2 months. It’s going to wear on me at some point. The very fact that I’m writing this down may prove it already is! I’m so looking forward to our family being on the road together.

*Here’s a very personal one: A year ago, I was at a wonderful weight. Thin and feeling fabulous about my body. But I’ve gained close to 20 pounds since then and no matter how hard I’ve tried, it doesn’t want to come off. Some major things have happened during that time – I stopped breastfeeding, I went on birth control for the first time in several years, and yes, I’m getting older. All that combined means inevitable weight gain. I’ve clearly known this for a while, but this week brought a realization as I’ve felt some serious sadness about an old family friend who had part of a lung removed in a second fight with cancer. I realized after she is gone, no one is going to remember that she was always a little plump. People will remember her warm, welcoming spirit instead. So here’s my epiphany: I can continue to fight my weight and be miserable or I can embrace myself the way I am and be happy. I choose happiness. I don’t have the time right now to battle weight. And, I want to be the kind of Mom who bakes cookies with her kids and enjoys the moment; not the kind who eats like a bird and makes her children weight-conscious at way too young of an age. We eat healthy and should enjoy some of the good stuff too. So, a couple of days ago, I finally bit the bullet and purchased some new clothes that actually fit. Yes, they’re two sizes bigger than my fabulous post-baby body. But this body of mine has given birth to three amazing children and I’m grateful for it. This is me. Today I will be purging my skinny clothes. Seeing them in my closet just makes me sad, so there’s no point in keeping them. I’m closer in size to where I was before children and that’s okay. I embrace me! This positive attitude is right in line with what we hope to teach our girls through the grand RV adventure.

*And the final epiphany of the week: I cannot wait to homeschool. Driving 4 1/2 miles one way through heavy traffic twice a day (and past nine other schools until we get to the one we were assigned) is killing me! I know people do it every day and I used to too; in fact, I used to commute 90 minutes each way in the brutal Southern California traffic daily. However, I long for the simple things these days. Having to get three kids out the door at the crack of daylight and fight traffic under a time clock (since three tardies in a school year is considered truancy) in order to get one child to kindergarten causes me great stress! We’re only two weeks in and I’m miserable. I thrive on routine and schedule, but this is not the good kind! Thank heaven Erika is loving kindergarten. That makes it all worth it, but I still cannot wait to homeschool!

Huge Strides

Jill's Journal: Ridiculous strides have been made and at lightning speed lately. Rob has been the driving force behind it all. He promises to fill in the blanks, but for now, a quick synopsis...

*We pulled the trigger and bought a fifth wheel! It's absolutely everything we had been looking for, with the grand exception that it's currently located about 2200 miles away in Poway, California. We absolutely cannot wait to get our hands on it.

*We bought a truck. A big truck. A really big truck meant to pull said fifth wheel. A Ford 550. See photo.

*Rob literally just left a few minutes ago in said truck to pick up said fifth wheel. Long journey for him and although I know he is more than completely capable, I still worry about him. Erika started kindergarten this week (another big step in our lives!), which means the girls and I are tied down here and couldn't go with him. I nearly pulled her out and started homeschooling a year early!

*And in other news, Rob told his mother and sister our plans. It did not go well, as we expected. It's the only negative blip in what so far has been (and will be!) an incredibly positive life experience for our whole little family.

Our First Homeschool Fair

Jill's Journal: We went to our first homeschooling fair today. The homeschooling crowd is certainly…different (for lack of a better word) from the rest of society, but after getting past the initial “culture shock,” I think it’s in a good way. It’s a more wholesome crowd and everyone just seems more polite and open and well, nice. Yes, there were several females wearing long skirts and long hair and looking like that large and unusual Duggar family from Arkansas, but that’s not a bad thing. I’d take them for neighbors and friends and classmates for my children any day over most of the rest of society, that’s for sure. The whole place and all the attendees just seemed like a lovely community, not afraid to march to the beat of their own drummers, and it makes me all the more pleased with our decision.

Sonlight Curriculum was there, as was A Beka and several others. I’ve done so much research already that I didn’t learn much new. However, the highlight was getting to talk to several Moms who already homeschool, especially one who uses Sonlight and another who uses Calvert! That was very exciting and getting their insights was helpful and wonderful.

The best part of the day was hearing the Sonlight Mom tell me that she uses completely individual curriculums for each of her three children (who were all about two years apart, just like ours). That’s been one of my biggest concerns – everyone (including Sonlight) advises you to combine the programs and teach all your kids the same thing. I've never felt comfortable with that. I figure they’re all individuals and will be (and should be) at different stages of learning. I don’t want to hold Erika back so she can be on the same page as Madelyn, nor do I want to push Madelyn too hard so she can be on the same page as Erika. And that doesn’t even take into account Victoria, who is 3 1/2 years behind Erika.

This particular mother I spoke to does what I want to do – separates each child’s schooling – and it was so incredibly nice and encouraging to hear that she does it and loves it and recommends it. She is seriously the first one I’ve ever heard of doing that! She had the same reasons that I do and says that it simply makes it a little harder on the Mom. Well, I can handle that! I just want what’s best for my kids. If it takes a little extra work from me, so be it.

It was also wonderful for Rob to be able to be there and get a little glimpse into all this homeschooling stuff. It opened a few nice little opportunities for discussion.

Lightbulb at the Library

Jill's Journal: My girls are voracious readers, but strangely, we’ve spent very little time at the library. We’ve always bought them books, mostly because then they are available to be enjoyed over and over (and over) again. And, with three kids so close in age, it made sense to build a children’s library. It never dawned on me to borrow books, which is strange as I spent many, many hours at the library as a child with my own mother. But, I’ve recently rediscovered this wonderful resource and in the last month, I got the first library card I’ve held in probably close to 25 years.

We checked out four books in our first visit and the girls thought it was pretty much the neatest thing they’d ever seen. We returned them today and left with another 19. When I told the girls we were heading to the library, there was much celebrating in the land. I cannot even express how excited they were – literally bouncing off the walls and acting like we were going someplace so supremely special, like Disneyland or the zoo!

And then we checked out the books and the girls could not wait to be strapped into their car seats so they could delve into the titles on the ride home…and they could not even bear the wait to start reading together at home.

Their reaction pleased me greatly. (It also made me smack myself on the forehead for not utilizing the library earlier in my parenting years!) And it gave me an epiphany. The Sonlight homeschool program is based so heavily in reading, something they love so deeply, that it gave me even more of an assurance it’s the right program for us. I’m so excited about it! Rob still needs to be convinced, however…

Sonlight

Jill's Journal: The Sonlight brochure and catalogue finally arrived. This is the homeschooling information I’d been waiting for so eagerly and I quickly devoured all 162 pages of it. If it was completely up to me, I would very comfortably say this is THE one for us. It has all the things I loved so much about Calvert, plus all the things I wished Calvert had. It looks wonderful, beyond outstanding, and simply perfect for us.

It’s a pretty traditional program, but literature-rich, which is right up our book-loving kids’ alley. It combines all the best things about regular school with homeschool and appears to meld them together beautifully for the optimal experience. The only downside (and I’m not sure this is a total downside) is that there aren’t traditional tests throughout the program. Sonlight feels you delve so completely into each subject that you immediately know how well the kids grasp the concepts and testing would be just an extra exercise with no benefit. I don’t necessarily disagree, but it does make me worry about the challenge of smoothly assimilating our children back into conventional school someday.

On the plus side, Sonlight seems to make school an exploration, almost like an expedition of learning for kids. The emphasis is on learning through literature, yet it has all the usual subjects. And as an added bonus, it has a strong basis in ethics and values and family connection. It’s everything I wanted.

Here’s the most bizarre part to me: Sonlight makes me want to start now. It makes me yearn to pull Erika out of the kindergarten class she’s scheduled to start in the fall and start homeschooling even before our RV adventure. It also makes me want to homeschool long after we put roots down somewhere. This is coming from someone who never wanted to homeschool in the first place!

Another plus: like Calvert, Sonlight has pre-packaged curricula “in a box” for preschool through fifth grade. This is designed for newcomers, people like me who are just starting out and not yet confident enough in their homeschooling skills to design their own program. Unlike Calvert, once I become secure enough in the process, I can deviate and design a program best suited to my kids, if I so desire. And, looking to the future, if we decide to RV for years beyond what we anticipate or even do decide to continue homeschooling after we once again have a fixed residence, Sonlight can take us all the way through the senior year (Calvert only goes to the eighth grade).

I’m in love with this program. Finding it makes me feel nothing but promise and excitement about homeschooling, as opposed to being overwhelmed and daunted like I was before. Sonlight appears to be everything I hoped and more.

Now to discuss with the husband, who listened attentively to all the great things I had to say about Calvert and has since become a great fan of that program…!

CLASS

Jill's Journal: Another of my top picks for homeschool curriculum was CLASS, or Christian Liberty Academy School System. Notice I say “was.” I received the brochure, which sadly told me virtually nothing about their program!

I have no doubt CLASS gives a Christ-centered education, but I can’t be sure what that education is as they specifically “do not send samples of CLASS materials or review copies of books” or do any sort of curriculum preview. How can I make an intelligent, informed decision without that?

I’m afraid they just eliminated themselves from consideration for our family.

Calvert School

Jill's Journal: The first of my top three homeschooling programs to get their brochure in my mailbox was the Calvert School. It’s an extensive, 40-page brochure (!), but I’ve now read it from cover to cover. The length of it was actually appreciated, as it certainly educated me about their program and answered virtually all of my questions.

I’ve heard about Calvert before, as has Rob, and from all appearances it seems to be an outstanding program, quite close to a perfect fit for us. My only reservation about it is that it is completely secular. And that, unfortunately, is a big drawback for me. I really, really want a Biblically-based program.

My other two top picks are both Protestant-based, so this is a testament to how academically exceptional Calvert looks to be for it to remain in my top three. If we decide to go with Calvert, I’ll find what is called a “unit study” program and at least add a Bible class to our homeschooling. What a pain though – I’d so prefer for it all to be melded together and not to have to make a judgment call every time things like evolution are taught. I mean, of course my kids need to learn about evolution as a theory, but I don’t want them taught that as fact. Perhaps a better way to say it is that I’d really like a Christian perspective rather than a worldly approach. If Calvert wasn’t secular, I’d probably be signed up already – it looks that good in every other way.

KRS 159

Jill's Journal: No one will be able to say I’m not going into homeschooling with open eyes. I just finished reading Kentucky Revised Statute 159 on education and an 80-page accompanying booklet in layman’s terms about the legalities of homeschooling (both federally and specifically in the state of Kentucky).

I just want to make sure all my “i”s are dotted and all my “t”s are crossed, especially with my children’s futures at stake. Now armed with much more knowledge than I should conceivably ever need on the subject, I believe I’ll be able to accomplish that with flying colors.

The Mailman?

Jill's Journal: I got some homeschooling advice from an unlikely source today: the mailman! I answered a knock on the door to see a sheepish-looking mailman going through my mail. He said, “I’m sorry, honest truth is I’m just being nosy, but I’ve noticed you’ve been getting some homeschool information lately and I’m really curious.” We ended up having a lovely conversation!

He proceeded to tell me his daughter was homeschooled for two years, his wife is a Christian school teacher (4th grade), and his sister homeschooled all of her children from start to finish (and they were all brilliant and are now in college on major scholarships). He raved about homeschooling, but wasn’t entirely sure what curriculum his family used. He said his best piece of advice was to join a homeschooling co-op because he said the support and shared knowledge with other parents is invaluable.

The mailman left with a promise to return in the next few days with a list of names and numbers of people for me to talk to and network with – talk about full-service! That was awesome.

Tidbit Tuesday

Jill's Journal: Random tidbits swirling around my mind today, most dealing with homeschooling as that’s my major focus at the moment:

*I’ve learned that the term “umbrella program” has different definitions for different groups. What we’re planning to do is more commonly called “all-in-one curricula,” a comprehensive package, or “school in a box.” It’s meant to recreate the school environment at home and comes with extensive guides for the “teacher.” The concept was originally developed for isolated families, such as missionaries in the field.

*I’ve got more research to do, but I believe I’ve narrowed down our homeschooling program to three major choices! Extensive information on each is due to arrive in our mailbox any day! More to come.

*I’m reminded of a conversation I had with my mother a year or so ago. I said something to the effect of swearing I would never homeschool. Not for me, I said. No desire, I said. Oh, how we eat our words sometimes.

*And speaking of my dear Mom and the rest of our parents, Rob and I remain very trepidatious about telling our family members (on both sides) about our venture. We think they’ll have a difficult time understanding our desire to step outside the box and do something entirely different. And it turns out we’re not the only ones. Found on a website, FamiliesOnTheRoad.com: “One of the most difficult parts of actually doing a trip of a lifetime is gaining the support of your family and friends. It’s not that they really don’t want you to have this incredible experience; it is that we are all resistant to change, and your leaving means adjustments in their lives.” We anticipate that will ring very true for us.

We're Not Alone!

Jill's Journal: During my hours and hours of homeschooling/RVing research, I came across a delicious discovery: we are most certainly not the first family to be doing this! There are hundreds upon hundreds of families, just like us, on the road right now! They live in an RV, they homeschool (some call it “roadschool”), and they THRIVE. Some have been doing it for years, some have many more kids than we do (some even keep having babies on the road), and they all love it. It’s a veritable community – groups meet frequently for rallies, some have online forums, etc. This is all a comfort in that we knew we could do it, but it’s fantastic to hear we’re not alone, it’s been done, and it’s been a success!

Positively Daunted

Jill's Journal: Score for book #2 in preparing for this undertaking. I just finished “Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum” by Cathy Duffy. Several pages in, I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea there were so many different options, methods, etc. for homeschooling. Literally.thousands.of.choices. Ooooy.

One must take into account everything from learning methods to philosophy of teaching to education/style approaches. And if you can narrow all that down to one particular route or a combination of approaches, you’ve got another kazillion categories with another trillion subcategories under those – and then you get to search for one of the curriculums that might compliment it IF you choose to go with a pre-packaged curriculum as opposed to designing your own curriculum. Again, it’s all just overwhelming. Positively daunting.

But, I plodded through the book and am actually feeling quite encouraged. Fired up, even! I think an “umbrella program” is probably the best way for us to go, at least starting out. It’s where you find a pre-packaged program (and believe me, there are hundreds and hundreds to sort through) you agree with that basically provides an entire year’s study for you as opposed to choosing a different one for each subject (the latter of course provides the very best, custom-designed fit for each student).

Apparently experienced homeschoolers think that pre-packaged curricula is for wusses, but I’m okay with that – I’m not here to please them and just want to do the very best for my family. There’s not as much flexibility in umbrella programs in comparison to other homeschooling methods, but that’s actually good for us since we do plan to return to conventional schooling after our venture and I don’t want to stray too far from traditional methods. Plus, I’m not overly creative and I like the security of it all being laid out for me to follow.

This is a huge decision and really a very big step to have made this much progress. Good thing I’m starting early! Narrowing it down this far is actually quite monumental! Now to sort through the bazillion umbrella programs out there…I’m going to be researching until the cows come home.

Schooling on the Road

Jill's Journal: Since home schooling was never something I envisioned in our future, it is with a bit of trepidation that I approach it. A conversation with a pediatrician this week gave me some enlightenment. Much to my surprise, he said Kentucky does not regulate home schooling in any way. I had learned previously that I just need to submit some paperwork to the school district when we decide to do this, but I expected there to be a curriculum to follow, something in black and white to get me started and hold me accountable. He said it’s totally up to us as to what kind of approach we want to take. A Christian or secular route? A general overview or study focused more on one aspect? Yikes. I want the best, most well-rounded education for my young children. This is going to take some research to find what suits us most effectively. The doctor said he’s come across quite a few home schooling groups over the years and I guess one of the first steps is finding them. Thank goodness for the internet.

RV FAQ

Jill's Journal: At this point, we’ve shared our RV plans with just a very few people. They all seem to have the same questions. So, without further ado, here is a list of common RV FAQ, complete with answers!

What about Rob’s job?

That one is easy – Rob already telecommutes, so as long as he has a computer and an internet connection, he can literally work from anywhere. We’re envisioning doing most of our driving on the weekends and setting up base camp for a week at a time, giving him an uninterrupted work week. I’ll spend lots of time exploring kid-friendly activities with the girls to give him plenty of peace and quiet for work.

What about school?

I’ll home school the girls. Erika will be in first grade, Madelyn will be in second-year preschool, and Victoria will still be too young for anything at all official. My girls love to learn and we already do little educational sessions here at home for fun. I don’t think this will be a difficult transition for them. We do worry a little bit about a lack of social interaction for them, but it’s only for a year. They have each other and we have lots of friends we plan to visit who have kids their ages. And surely we’ll find other kids to play with at campgrounds and various places. I also have no qualms about hunting down parks and all sorts of fun places in new cities where kids come in spades. In addition, we have many kid-friendly activities already on our developing itinerary (i.e. Crayola Factory, Sesame Place, etc.).

Are you crazy, doing this with little kids?

Maybe! It’s something we’ve always wanted to do and for a long time we entertained the notion of doing it sometime in the future. But when? The kids likely won’t enjoy it when they become teenagers and we don’t want to wait until they’re all out of the house because we’ll be too dang old! We’ve decided there’s no time like the present. They’re young, enjoy adventure and travel, and still like our company right now! What a wonderful life experience and incredible education for them. Plus, we want them to always follow their dreams. This is a pretty good example for them.

Do you realize how tiny an RV is? Especially for five people?

Oh yes, we know. But we’re already in a very small home and Rob also works from home, so we’re all used to spending lots of time together in a small space. Lots of larger families in history lived in a smaller space with a lot more people. It’s only a hardship if you believe it is.

Won’t you get sick of being on the road?

That’s always a possiblity. But we don’t think so. Rob and I have always loved road trips. Loved them with a passion. We really can’t think of any better way to travel right now than in an RV. To be able to move our home and necessary belongings pretty effortlessly, to see the country but still sleep in our own bed every night appeals to us tremendously.

When your trip is over, will you still live in Lexington?

Honestly, we don’t know, but that’s part of the reason for our trip. We had been planning on buying a new, bigger house in 2010 and really had no intention of living anywhere but Kentucky for the rest of our lives. However, lots of things have made us rethink that stance lately. We really do love it here, but since we got out of breeding Thoroughbreds (a whole ‘nother story but primarily because our focus is 100% on our children right now), it’s not as crucial that we live in Thoroughbred “Mecca.”

Moving is something we’ve been thinking about for a while – are we 100% certain we want our children to call this area of the country home forever? We’ve been here for 12 years and it’s a lovely place to raise a family, but is it a perfect fit for us? We’re open to other areas too.

This RV trip is partly to let us “live” temporarily in a few of the places on our list that we’ve been considering and let us “scratch the itch,” so to speak. We hope it will tell us if Kentucky is going to be our “forever home” or if that might be somewhere else. High on our list is the Central Coast of California, a place we fell in love with on a recent trip and, as an added bonus, a place where Kristi and Adam will be moving after school. The four of us have had many conversations about the “compound” we want to build together! Another place that really appeals to us is Montana. Or we may find somewhere else…or we may recommit entirely to Kentucky. We shall see, but we don’t see any point in buying a new house until we know exactly where we’re going to live for the rest of our lives. Enter the RV plan. Perfect timing.

Why?

Think of the adventure! This will be something to remember for a lifetime. We only live once and we’ve always believe in making the most of it.