Journey with the Joneses

Disneyland Comes to Shawnee, Oklahoma

2012-01-29T05:09:00.001-08:00

So it must have been late 80's early 90's - I was in the 7-12 age range I wouldguess. And I was in the neighbor's Astro van - which, side note, Ibelieve vans are cool in proportion to the likelihood your family hasone. There was about a 1% chance my parents would ever own a van, so thisAstro van was the coolest vehicle I had ever seen, aside from a limousine I sawonce. But no kid has parents with a limousine. The neighbor girlsand I were rolling in the back seat. Life was good. Somebody said "I heard they are going tobuild a Disneyland by the Shawnee Mall". My immediate thought was -of course! Why wouldn't they? Where else on earth could you getEsprit shirts and Guess pants than Shawnee, Oklahoma? (Or, OklahomaCity...but they had Frontier City there with two roller coasters. Disneyland could never compete with that.) It was obvious Disneylandwould never make it in Seminole, Oklahoma. Despite the awesomeness of myhometown and my ambitious imagination I knew that Disney would never be coming toSeminole. But the Shawnee Mall had only been built months earlier - andhaving a mall just 30 minutes from my house made me feel like a rockstar. Who has a mall 30 minutes from their house? Probably peoplethat live next to Disneyland, am I right?

Looking out the van window I could already see it in my minds eye. Thevacant prairie land beyond the Shawnee Mall was practically made forDisneyland. It would be the best thing ever. Everyone would come tosee it, and my family would go there once a week. They would have likethree roller coasters and then when you were done at Shawnee Disneyland youcould go to the Shawnee Mall food court and get Sbarros Pizza and Dippin'Dots. How lucky could a girl be?

Months went by, and Disneyland wasn't built yet. When I asked my momwhen the building was to start, she resolutely told me that there would be noDisneyland in Shawnee. I asked her what went wrong? Why wasn't itcoming? And she was so puzzled - as a parent, I now realize she had nocapacity for even imagining a Disneyland in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She didn'teven need to research this intriguing fact at all - she just knew, intuitively,that there never will be a Disneyland in Shawnee. Me, on the other hand,I was just as intrigued by how little she cared about this exciting news. Didn't she want to go read the paper and find out for sure that Disneylandwasn't coming to Shawnee? Didn't she need to demand answers? (Therewas no internet at this point people. Just think about that forfive minutes.)

I bring this up because last night I took my 6 year old swimming. Shestarted playing this game where she was pretending to be an animal in the waterand I was supposed to guess it. She started with shark. It reallywas beautifully executed. I think she was pretending to maul some kind ofprey and shook it until it was dead...I mean, that is what I would guess thatwas. The next ones I couldn't guess. I kept saying dolphin...shewas apparently a drowning baby bunny rabbit, a kangaroo that was doing flips,and a shark again. But it wasn't like she was "pretending" tobe a drowning rabbit - I could see that in her imagination she was totallytransformed. She was really irritated - genuinely thinking I was probablythe dumbest person on the face of the planet because somehow I was missing herperfect execution of "drowning rabbit". She grew tired of thegame not because she doubted her abilities to perfectly pretend to be anyanimal, but because she didn't want to play with someone who was so seriouslyimpaired that they couldn't even guess her very literal translation of flippingkangaroo. I love that kind of imagination that says everything ispossible. I just think that kind of thinking must make life incrediblyfun.

Did Anyone Ever Tell You They Grow Up Fast??

2011-05-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

I remember in July 2005 when I brought home baby Abiona Grace Jones. She smelled so good. Luke took 200 pictures of her toes, fingers, and facial expressions. It took two of us to give her a bath, each of us so unsure of our ability to manage a floppy little baby in two inches of water on our own. Fast forward a bit, and there was night waking, the realization I might never pee without someone watching again, and that uncomfortable manic feeling that life was equal parts too incredibly good to be true, and more sacrifice than I believed I could bear. For several years everything spun so quickly that it all blurred together. Older moms would say silly things like, "Enjoy every moment - they grow up so fast". I couldn't imagine how I could possibly enjoy every moment - my mind was always ten steps ahead, wondering what was next, or all consumed by the worry of the moment.

Now in 2011 I am a little less than a month away from bringing home our first baby boy. I can't believe we are about to do this again. But what is more unbelievable is how quickly it all vanished. I honestly cannot imagine, or even recall, what it is like to have a little baby at home.

Tonight I am sitting at home watching my three year old paint her nails "all by herself", while her big sister that we so recently celebrated for gaining control of her neck muscles hones her pitching skills at t-ball practice. When she comes home, she will snuggle up and READ her little sister a story all by herself. In the morning she will dress herself and ride on a bus to kindergarten, where she quite comfortably spends seven hours a day completely independent of us.

At the moment, Lily most certainly still is our baby, yet despite the fact we call her "baby" she doesn't need the stacks of diapers collecting in our basement anymore. Our baby speaks in sentences, develops complex imaginative stories that she plays out with dolls and stuffed animals, and gets her own water from the sink.

I've always been a bit impatient. A bit controlling. A bit eager to move things along in life. But I can honestly say I am looking forward to enjoying every moment this time. Life really does happen so quickly. So while it feels like the next 27 days until my due date couldn't possibly pass by any slower, I now know that is the great illusion.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Kindergartner

2011-02-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Lily had a rather tragic tumble down some concrete steps, resulting in a painful scrape on her face. Due to swelling and a story from a horse rider I work with, I went ahead to take her to the doctor just in case she had broken her orbital bone (she hadn't - phew!).

Lily told me she was hungry after the long appointment, and I happened to have some leftover discard Sprees in the car (the yellow ones I don't like:). Seven of them. I began doling them out to the children - Lily munching through hers and Abi slowly sucking on hers. After Lily had four Spree candies, and Abi had only two, I gave Abi the third Spree. Then Lily began to whine that she was hungry. I said I was sorry and that there were no more. Then she just stopped crying - good egg!

Abi later said, "Mom, Lily isn't crying anymore because I gave her my third Spree". I told Abi, "Thank you for sharing with your sister - that is so kind!" Then Abi said, "Mom, sharing is when you let someone use something and they give it back. Giving is when you just let someone have something and they don't give it back." She was right. She had done much more than just share with her sister.

Some days, I feel like I referee between the girls a lot over toys, hugs, arguments, etc. I think on those days I set the bar a little low because I just want them to get along so badly. I long for quiet and compliance. It turns out they are capable of so much more than that. Looks like I need to develop my vocabulary.

Baby Boy Jones

2011-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Today we found out we are having a baby boy! Luke, Abi, and Lily came to the appointment. Everything looks good according to the ultrasound, but the real excitement came with the announcment we were having a boy. Abi cried a little (having wanted a sister), and suggested a possible name of "Stinky Tom" (we're not considering that one). Now that we are home though, she is pretty excited about the little brother and was giving me useful advice - such as I can't move when I sleep or I will make the baby cry.

Lily wanted the "doctor" to give her an ultrasound, so Luke used a paper towel, an empty chair, and some hand sanitizer to provide a similar experience.

Let me just say, this baby is huge. Huge people. 1 pound and 9 oz. That may not sound like so much, but my babycenter bulletin this week said that the baby was "weighing in at a little under a pound".

Due date somewhere around the May 31 mark, so we'll keep you posted!

Failure.

2011-01-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

Writing about failure after not writing so long seems like kind of a depressing thing to write about. But then, January is almost over. We're giving up on resolutions, if we still even hang onto the hazy memory of what they were. I imagine that, on January 25th, I am not alone in my failings. And, my failing was what was exceptional enough to write about today!

Today I felt like I had a failure breakthrough. Basically everything I did today was a failure - a failure to be where I needed to be, when I needed to be there, to talk about the projects that in all honesty aren't going that well; a failure to get things moved off the mounting list of things to do...as a matter of fact...did anything budge from that list?? I think not; a failure to understand driving in Richmond, there and back, subsequently followed by a failure to pick up my two year old daughter in a timely manner, subsequently followed by a failure to even be there when my five year old got off the bus. And that's just today, if I think about the week I forsee more failure in the forecast. There are about to be several things that I am just not going to succeed at. But today, the failure all came together in that stormy, "can't one thing go right today?" kind of way. It was all overshadowed by grief, stress, doubt, and pregnancy hormones that made the kiddie pool of failure feel like an ocean of failure.

The breakthrough part came when I realized that, sometimes, in fact, everything can and does go wrong. When it did, I found the joyful surprise of having people there that I didn't know would be there, and patience in me which I never expected was even possible - but it was not a stunt double(!), the comfort of verses I didn't even know were in my memory, and resolve to do tommorrow better. So, basically today I learned that even when I manage to fail at everything, I have a community and a family and a God that will be right there with me in it. I think it's still fair to chalk up any day like that in the "win" column.

Our Little Capitalist

2010-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight as she drew a candy house I commented on how much Abi enjoys the story of Hansel and Gretel, and she offered to tell it to me. Here's how it goes:

"Once upon a time in the deep dark forest a little girl and a boy lived in a candy house. And they wanted to live there forever so they went to the STORE, and they went to WORK, and they got lots and lots of gold and they never lost any money and then they lived happily ever after."

Ah well, I never was really sure what the moral of that story was anyway.

Melanie Jones on tips for Expecting Working Moms

2010-09-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here's what I have learned about being a working mom with young children. I hope this is helpful if you are about to have your first!

Financial Tips:

1. Live on One Salary...even for a little while. Early in our marriage we decided we would live on one salary - which meant that my salary was only for savings and daycare. There are a lot of reasons to live on one salary while you are expecting. If you are even remotely considering the possibility of staying at home, living on one salary gives you a chance to try out the financial side of that experiment. Even if you think you could never stay at home there are great benefits. The reality is that after paying the daycare bill, most working moms just don't make very much. This is even more true with additional children added to the family. Adjusting your budget now will allow you to adapt to a more realistic budget before you start juggling everything that comes with early parenthood. The second salary savings can be used to pay down debt, start a rainy day fund, or provide a financial cushion as you adjust to a reduced budget once baby arrives.

2. Pay down as much debt as possible prior to the arrival of your child. Making decisions based on the well-being of your family is sometimes challenging, but making those same decisions with worries about outstanding loans and debts looming overhead can be even more challenging. "Simplify" is a great word to keep in mind. Less debt means less paper, fewer accounts to track, fewer bills to pay, fewer financial conversations to have with your spouse and that all translates to more time spent doing something more exciting than worrying about debt.

3. Delay Large Baby-Related Purchases. When I was "nesting" I was tempted to make a lot of purchases. I am glad my husband talked me out of most of them! When you are planning on working 40 hours a week, a pump for several hundred dollars, dozens of bottles, and an extra car seat for dad are really practical...but when you decide to reduce to half-time or work from home all of sudden those "necessities" aren't so necessary for you. You never really know what you are going to do until that baby arrives. Friends and family members might be able to help you find gently used versions for expensive purchases prior to baby's arrival. If you discover that you need to "upgrade" it is easy enough to do later.

Child Care Tips:

1. Keep your Options Open. I always felt panicked when someone called to say I had made it to the top of a daycare waiting list, or that I needed to decide immediately if I was going to enroll Abi in a program. Now I know that there is nothing wrong with keeping options open. When you find any place you remotely like at all, get on that waiting list and stay on it. If you find the perfect daycare and your second choice calls and says "we have a spot for you now" go ahead and stay on that list too. Continue looking for options throughout your pregnancy. If someone mentions a childcare they liked long after you make your final pick go ahead and visit. You never know when a center might shut down at the last minute, or the great teacher that you loved switches locations, etc. Having options to choose from is always a good thing.

2. Choose a Childcare based on your Infant:  It's hard to imagine what an as-yet-unseen infant will need when they arrive, so it is easy to get distracted during your search. When looking for child care you will see amazing preschool programs, talented toddler teachers, summer enrichment programs and parent-friendly conveniences like bus pick-up or parent communication journals. Remember to only focus on what infants need. The immediate task is to find the best place for baby snuggles, quiet sleep, and loving attention. That center with the #1 preschool program in town might have eight infants in a room with two stressed teachers that rarely hold the babies. Of course, it could also have an amazing infant program. The point is, choose your childcare environment based on your child's current needs. I have found that I could always move them to another place as their needs changed. It was always easier to find placement for children older than infants.

3. The variables are Quality of Care, Cost, and Hours.  Initially I looked for programs that would work with my previous work schedule, but soon found that to be too much of a limiting factor. I'm picky about price and care, so being picky about time really narrowed the choices down...to zero. Whether shopping around for childcare or relying on a friend or family member, you will find that most childcare providers have rigid schedules. If your work is at all flexible, you can choose a childcare based only on what is best for your child. Maybe your favorite childcare is open from 6:30-4:00 and you currently work from 8-5. Work with your boss to adapt your current schedule because it is unlikely that the childcare can be flexible with their hours! If your job is very inflexible, then you may have to budge on one of the other variables, such as cost or quality of care.

Work/Life Balance Tips:

1. Gradually Back to Work. It's a quandry. At the end of my maternity leave I wasn't making any money at all.  At the same time, I wasn't ready to drop my child off with someone I didn't know for an eight hour day.  If you can't afford to pay a week of full time tuition to let your infant gradually adjust to daycare in two hour increments, choose this solution: Work with your boss to return to work gradually, and work with your childcare to negotiate a shorter day to start.    This is where the whole "living on one salary" thing comes in handy. The childcare may actually require you to pay full time daycare even if you only bring Junior in 10 hours a week at first. That is because they are holding a full time spot for you. If you have saved a little money and learned to live on less, this experiment is more affordable. Once you are confident about childcare and work, you can come back into the workforce fully. Additional benefits of a gradual start include giving your body a chance to adjust if you are going to continue breastfeeding, compensating for tiredness and fatigue, and creating the additional time and space one might need to strengthen relationships with child and childcare provider.

2. What are you working for anyway? One great thing about not making much money after paying for daycare is that it allowed me to really see what I was working for. Once I was down to making $2-$3 an hour it was very apparent what the "benefits" of my labor really were. It could be anything really.  If you are practical then health insurance benefits and the residual pay benefit of just staying in the workforce building a resume might appeal. Certainly the continued interaction with adult friends and even those few peaceful moments alone in the car are benefits as well. Others might just like work in general, or sincerely have a passion about their career. It is easy to become the "disgruntled, underpaid worker" when you return to the workforce - after all, it is impossible to put a price on your child, and the cost of daycare can feel like a big paycut. Just remember - no one is forcing you to work - it is something you choose to do every day, for reasons only you know. Defining what those reasons are is helpful in focusing yourself upon return to work.

3. Don't ask Google whether working moms are happier than stay at home moms, or vice versa. Parenting is a growing experience whether you stay at home or work. There are studies that show that stay at home moms are miserable, overweight, less focused on their children, and unhappy in their marriages. Guess what? The exact same results can be found in relation to working moms. You can find a book to tell you whatever you want to believe about being a working mom, but experience has taught me this: I can't say that work was ever connected to whether I was miserable, overweight, unfocused, or unhappy. The thing that seems to affect my happiness more than anything is my willingness to make life changes that optimize the amount of quality time spent with family, friends, and in solitude. When I have had less rewarding jobs, I just reminded myself every day that I was making the choice to be in that position for some reason - money, contribution to a meaningful goal, time to myself, opportunity to interact with adults, etc. By recognizing my full participation in making that choice, it has been easier to leave jobs when the rewards don't outweigh the costs, and to optimize the time spent at work by recognizing what I am really there for. In general, no single decision has made family life "easy" or "rewarding". It seems every tiny little piece of your life contributes to that kind of happiness in some way or another. For example, if I notice quality time with my spouse is lacking, it is unlikely that work is to blame - areas to consider might be the amount of time I spend on the computer, whether I've allowed dinner prep to become too much of a production, or whether participation in a few evening activities has overwhelmed our opportunities to spend time together. Small adjustments throughout each area of my life usually help bring things into balance. On the other hand, there are times when work really is part of the problem. In those cases it still isn't a simple choice between working and staying at home - part-time work or work from home may bring life into a better balance.

Monticello Sandwich...and poor parenting skills

2010-09-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ah, Monticello - if you are reading this and live in Charlottesville you already know that Monticello is the prized home atop a hill (moutain?) that Jefferson called home. So...the good parenting skill part of this story is that we have already taken our children to visit this historic monument, and that we will take them again. By the time they go to college, they should be able to write a very convincing admissions essay about Mr. Jefferson.

But ever since we mentioned Monticello, Abi got it confused with Nutella, the creamy to-die-for chocolate spread with a touch of hazelnut. So here is the first installation of the poor parenting skills portion of this post. On occassion, I feed my kids peanut butter and nutella sandwiches. Most of the time it is a snack, though I did send one in the lunchbox one desperate day. I used to eat "peanut butter and fluff sandwiches" - mmmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about the peanut butter and marshmallow magic...those are so good.

Anyway, Abi calls the Nutella "Monticello" - as in she opens the pantry and goes - "Mom! Did you buy some Monticello?" The best part is when she says, "Can you make me a Monticello Sandwich?" - So the other bad parenting part of this story is that, as of this posting, I haven't told her that her delicious chocolately treat is actually called "Nutella". I can't bring myself to do it - I've let it go on too long, and now I am trapped. I just enjoy this little mix up so much - especially because in someways a peanut butter and nutella sandwich does seem to merit the name "Monticello" - I mean think about it with me. Imagine this:

Peanut butter and chocolate spread sandwiches sold at the cafe at Monticello for $6 a piece - The tourist walks to the counter and says, "Oh yes, I'll have the Monticello and a Limonata please." Or the tour guide at Monticello, incorporates the sandwich facts into the tour - "A little known fact is that there is a delightful sandwich named after this property - the Monticello incorporates both peanuts and hazelnuts, known as filberts in this area. Filberts are native to this part of the country, and peanuts are an important cash crop in the region - as a matter of fact, Jefferson himself was a peanut farmer." Are you with me? If any sandwich should be named "The Monticello", it's this one.

So Mr. Jefferson, my daughter just ran in and asked me for a "Monticello" after school. As I twist on the lid to the peanut butter jar and fold the sandwich pieces together to meld the chocolatey peanuty goodness as one, I say "This Monticello is for you, sir." Maybe I will tell her about the nutella tommorrow...

That is my thought for today.

Garden Fresh Metaphors

2010-09-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

I got to spend this morning in the yard, contemplating life and talking to myself. Perfection. Enjoy the fruits of my labor! You can contemplate these metaphors as deeply as you would like:

-I love my ugly garden. I didn't plant enough for the late summer, so one bed looks very spare. I got some bargain end of season plants that haven't filled in their spots, and the dahlias are in desperate need of sunshine so they sprawl all over the sidewalk reaching for the sun. I still keep tending my ugly garden. Come spring I'll move the dahlias to a happier spot, I'll add some plants to fill in the spaces, and the stunted bargain plants will have had a good chance to prepare for a new season. When you see an ugly garden, consider it a work in progress. If you have an ugly garden, keep going - everything improves with attention and focus.

-If you planted the butterfly bush, you can't very well be mad at the caterpillars gnawing on your plants. Pick 'em off and move on.

-Gardening has only a little to do with tending the plants you want to grow. The rest is pulling weeds and squishing bugs.

-Speaking of squishing bugs...a garden enjoys the company of spiders and snakes. Don't squish without cause.

-Plants always turn their heads toward the sun. Sometimes that makes 'em grow a little funny. At least they are headed in the right direction. They'd be silly to spend their day looking at you instead of the sun after all.

-Every plant has an ugly season. If you know an ugly plant, just keep watering. Every plant has a pretty season too.

-Some people say they don't garden because everything they touch dies. This seems silly, because everything a master gardener touches dies too. The only difference I figure is that good gardeners expect that.

What is your best garden metaphor?

Life after Kindergarten

2010-09-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Every morning around 6:20am Luke is finishing his shower and my alarm goes off. One of us runs the bath water and I tip-toe in to the girls room and roll Abi out of bed, her limbs hanging loosely around my torso while I carry her down the hall. Just under two weeks ago the girls woke up past 7am, so one might expect that Lily would sleep in. This is not the case - she is so intrigued by the new routine that every morning she sits up in bed expectantly waiting for her escape.

The most fascinating thing about this new schedule for Abi is the fact that it is 'night' when she wakes up now. Abi seems in a daze while she sits in the warm bath water and asks questions about the day ahead. "Is this a staying home day? Can I have jelly beans in my lunch today? Can I wear my hair in a ponytail today?" I've instituted the new bath routine in an effort to keep Abi's curly hair in compliance. So far it has worked out well - I think she enjoys the moment to reflect on her day, and waking up to the warm water is nice. I monitor the clock, and by the time she is dressed for school Luke has her breakfast waiting at the little table by the bay window, where the girls like to daydream and depending on the morning giggle with each other or squabble over condiments and utensils.

Abi picks out her outfit each night and hangs it on a hook beside her backpack just outside her room. I pack a mid-day snack and a lunch each night which goes into the backpack after a few finishing touches in the morning. Around 7:15am we make our way to the school bus stop just across the street. This is my new favorite part of the morning - the parents all gather together at the bus stop and it feels so neighborly. Sometimes after we all wave at the bus we chat for a moment before continuing on to work. It seems like everyone wants to linger a little while. Most of the families come together, spouses and siblings in tow to send off the children. One father of a ten year old stands across the street, his daughter standing proudly and independently at the stop as her dad quietly watches from across the road.

I take Lily to daycare most mornings and she continues to ask each day as we leave the driveway, "Where's Abi? (pause) Skoo Bus?" I think the girls both miss one another a little bit. Today Abi said over breakfast, "I can't wait until Lily and I both ride the school bus together because then we can pray together before school." That is something we used to do together just outside the door of their daycare. Luke reminded her that we could do the same thing at home, but I think it was Abi's way of saying that she liked having her sister around.

I rush to meet the school bus to pick Abi up, and she bounds off the bus with a big smile and a hug. Each day she and a fellow kindergartener in the neighborhood ride together, and each day they excitedly rush to us. That's my favorite time of the day because the new routine has made discussing the day so novel. We sit down with a snack, do homework or watch PBS kids, and talk a for a while. Little by little I am piecing together the way the world of kindergarten looks from her eyes. Hot lunch is slightly cooler than packed lunch, the playground is hot but a good place to make friends, her teacher is wonderful, girls play with girls and boys play with boys (at least it is very important to pretend that is the case). The other day she was so pleased that even the fourth graders and teachers liked her dress. One day she was disappointed because the teacher didn't give her milk money. I like listening to all of her experiences and start watching the clock at noon in anticipation of getting to hear about the day.

Abi is definately tired after her long day, but overall I think she relishes the experience of being so independent. She is becoming a part of a world that her dad and I have little to do with - she is completely responsible for her own experience each day during the time span from bus stop to bus stop. And she is only five years old! I find that both terrifying and reassuring. It is hard to imagine that months once passed like years as I waited for her to do something - say a word, crawl, walk, drink from a cup. Looking back, it hasn't taken long at all for her to become so independent.

Year in Review

2010-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted anything on the blog, but with the beginning of a new year, I thought it would be worthwhile to update you on the whoseits and whatsits of the Joneses.

Our exodus from Pullman, WA took place in December last year in the midst of an epic snowstorm. We loaded up everything we owned and unloaded our stuff into a Salem, OR storage unit in preparation for living with Luke's mom on our return.

From mid-January to mid-May we made our way around the world with Abi and Lily in tow. It was a completely unexplainable event and I am amazed at how much our family changed during that time. Today I was packing up outgrown clothing which included a stack of teeny little shirts labeled "Semester at Sea","Vietnam", and "Thailand". The impact on Abi is unbelievable - she seems to have such an openness to people of every shape and form. Every now and then she surprises us with a memory from the ship or our travels. While it isn't always fun to travel with toddlers, I must say it is entertaining to relieve your travels through the eyes of a four-year old.

May and June were quite chaotic as Luke accepted a job in Charlottesville, VA with Semester at Sea and we purchased our first home long distance. In the midst of it all we were able to enjoy a "extended visit" with Luke's mom while we lived with her for almost two months! Abi and Lily got to play with their cousins more than they have ever been able to. That time was the closest we have ever lived to any of our family and there are definately perks! We were able to celebrate several birthdays together and make lots of memories.

In July it was time to move. This time the contents of our life traveled on the back of an ABF trailer and overall they arrived in Charlottesville unaffected. We arrived in Charlottesville at the beginning of July and signed the contract on our home on July 8th. My mom came out to help us move in and was incredibly helpful. Abi also spent a week with her at Vacation Bible School when we came to look at houses. We could have never done it without her!

Since then, we have been relatively still and life has settled into a predictable little pattern. I was not prepared for the grief I would experience after our move - while we were on the ship it seemed like we would be going "back" to all the friends we have made over 7 years in Pullman. Once we arrived in Charlottesville, the finality of our decision really struck me. I had no idea how important our community was in Pullman - the first month in Charlottesville felt like life on another planet! After spending soooo much time in an environment where I was constantly introducing myself to students on the ship, people around the world, and family friends in Oregon, I just didn't have the energy to really get out and meet people in Charlottesville.

I was blessed to meet the wife of one of Luke's co-workers within the first month we were here. She has been an incredible friend to me! Along with a few people from the ship that also live here in Charlottesville, she has helped our family find a church, connected me to a great women's Bible study, and provided friendship and "insider-information" on Charlottesville.

Another blessing: we arrived in Charlottesville during the most beautiful time of the year and I was able to spend a lot of time with the kids in area parks. We enjoy the weather here so much! (Except for the 12 inches of snow right before Christmas...where did that come from?!)

Shortly after arriving I took a job as a waitress to help with expenses a little bit. This job has been an incredible source of stories, laughter, friendship, and money of course. I hadn't waited tables since 2001, and after a rocky start I came to fall in love with the job and my difficult boss:) It was a great way to get out of the house and meet people that I would have never known otherwise. At the end of September I was also hired as a Data Analyst at an area agency on aging for 30 hours a week. This is also a great job with flexible hours and great co-workers too. I was working both jobs until this week, when I am giving up the waitress stint. I am sad to lose the income and the stories, but we will gain family Saturdays and free time in the process which will be more than worth it.

Luke is getting settled in at Semester at Sea, figuring out what his responsibilities are and planning several events. Through his work he was able to provide two friends from his YWAM days an opportunity to sail with the ship as interport lecturers. Bulelani sailed in the fall from Ghana to Cape Town. He had a life changing experience and is now intending to pursue a college education at Stellenbosch University. Luzuko will sail from Maritius to Cape Town this spring. We hope the experience is equally rewarding to him and look forward to supporting both in their future endeavors. They are incredibly inspiring young South Africans that have a strong desire to change the world.

Abi and Lily have been attending a day care since I started working during the day in September. Abi really enjoys school and will turn FIVE in July and start Kindergarten this fall. She is not at all a toddler anymore and I just can't get past it. Her little blonde curls keep growing and growing along with her attitude:) She LOVES her new house and Charlottesville, and has finally adjusted after what was a year filled with many transitions.

Lily is turning two in March and is very much growing into a toddler. Daycare has been a more difficult transition for her, as she has enjoyed our company throughout the year. At 10 months old she grew quite used to a lifestyle that included the companionship of BOTH parents the majority of the time. Luke beginning a job was especially difficult for her because I don't think she remembered a time when "DaDa" hadn't been available all day long. Just as she was getting used to that change, I started her in daycare. She is finally adjusting too, but still cries most mornings when I drop her off.

Our Christmas was sort of an homage to the previous year. Luke's mom joined us for the festivities. We were supposed to go to Williamsburg to be with Luke's aunt and uncle and some cousins, but the day before we were planning to leave another record-setting snow fall occured - this time in Charlottesville, VA. Our plans were cancelled and Luke's mom was stranded just an hour away for two days due to the unnexpected snowfall. However, she made it out for the week of Christmas and we had a really great, though snow-bound, time. While I wasn't completely excited about the snow, I have to say that a record snowfall provided a start to 2009 which turned out to be a pretty amazing year. I am hopeful that our snow this year is a reflection of another wonderful year to come!

Barbie - the world loves you for who you are on the inside. You don't have to dress that way!

2009-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

I am a 27 year old mother, and usually I feel young and cool, but today I feel like I sound like a grandma. When I was playing with Barbies, I remember that my Barbie had a briefcase. And a powersuit. I always wanted Dr. Barbie, but alas, we never bought her. Sure, Barbie babysat Skipper on the weekends, and eventually had twins. She pushed the twins around in a stroller in her 80's jumpsuit. It covered her WHOLE BODY. Maybe the Barbie of my youth was a little "conservative", maybe somewhat "traditional", and of course there was always that whole body image debate, but as I stood in Wal-Mart today I was in total shock about where Barbie has gone now.

Abi has three Barbies, and today in Wal-Mart I was fondly recalling the time I spent dressing Barbie in different outfits, which could be bought at the Dollar store or Wal-Mart for pretty cheap. From my obesrvations today, I'm pretty sure that Barbie now reads Cosmo, has recently auditioned for the next " Real World", and considers Britney Spears her life coach and primary role model. The only clothing selection was from a collection known as "party". I only found two outfits that I would even consider letting my four year old put on a Barbie, and they were both tragically covered in glitter. So that leaves me with only one solution: when I go visit my parents next week I'm raiding the stash of Barbies in the shed to get together a complete collection of mom approved Barbie clothes. The 80's are back...right?

Organic Coupons

2009-07-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Who knew! I can't believe that I have been paying full price for organics for so long! Shopping in a new city has me searching for ways to cut costs in any way possible, and I have been lamenting the much higher prices on most of our favorite foods. So, today I Googled "Organic Coupons". Here's what I got:

-Organic Valley offers two prints per coupon for $1.00 off of their milk, butter, eggs, and other products:

-About.com has a nice article on Organic food companies that offer coupons on their websites:

We need a pet.

2009-07-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is my fault, for not letting Abi tear down spider webs or kill beetles. But this morning I saw an ant in the kitchen and attempted to smush it with my finger. She pleaded "No mom! That's my ant friend! You tried to kill my ant friend. It is okay if ants want to live with us!" Now my daughter has an ant crawling on her, and she is talking to it. We need a cat.

How much is a fresh espresso really worth?

2009-07-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is Luke here and I bought a newer espresso machine a little while ago and upgraded to the Ascaso Dream. Great machine, looks cool and makes a pretty good cup of espresso. My thinking was that if I bought even one espresso drink a day at $3/day it would definitely pay off in the long run. However, when we moved this past winter I failed to properly empty the water reservoir and with the cold weather the water froze and broke the internal parts. While we were off on the ship I had it fixed and now that we are moving again I wanted to make sure to empty it properly. So began the most traumatic experience with my espresso machine thus far. I read the instructions online and it said to run it until it was dry, then wait for it to cool, lay it on its back, open up the steam wand and turn on the coffee pump, then rotate up and back down. Strange but I thought how hard could this be? Apparently the waiting until it is cool is the most important part, and even though I had waited a while it was not cool enough. How do I know? Well, when I turned on the pump and opened up the steam wand (pictured with the red arrow) hot lava temperature water came shooting out and although I had a cup prepared to catch the water, I was expecting more of a gradual poor, not a laser beam of skin melting water to come shooting out and assault my left nipple. The Ascaso Dream was quickly turning into a nightmare. I screamed, the family and kids were wondering what I was doing, I felt the searing pain of a 2nd degree on/near a part of my body that while not that useful is very sensitive. In the matchup of Espresso Machine vs. Nipple, the espresso machine certainly wins hands down. This week the redness on my chest turned got nasty as the skin came off…I spare you with the details but luckily the most sever part of the burn missed my vital body part and is still intact. I’m still looking forward to using my espresso machine in Charlottesville, but this event has caused me to rethink the cost of a fresh cup of espresso. Had I lost my left nipple my equation would change to something like this: $3/day vs. cost of espresso machine + beans – (loss of nipple X severe pain) = one really expensive cup of espresso. It’s something to think about if you are in the market for an at home espresso machine.

Obsessive-Compulsive Clean Think

2009-07-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

So...did I mention sometimes I obsessively research things as a way to deal with stress? (Both good and bad stress). Well...we're about to move into our house, and I'm about to be at home all day with children. This has me obsessing over the daily routine. I think this is with good reason - if you have ever experienced the sublime thing that is a "perfectly scheduled day" with children - you know what I am talking about!

In the past, when working most of the day, my main focus was feeding my family a good dinner and making sure we made the most of the hours between 5-10pm. However, if I am actually going to live in my house all day every day, I need it to be clean. We are so accustomed to moving every few years, I have quite honestly never cared to clean behind appliances or remove accumulating dust from high places. If we are going to live in a place for several years straight, I want to aim a little bit higher. I found this cleaning calendar online and thought it was well designed. Wanted to share it with you, because I like it.

What I like most is that there is a "catch up" day every three days designed to keep you from ever feeling "behind" on the chores. Each month has an area to focus on as a "challenge", so over a years time you are sure to declutter closets, deep clean curtains, etc., without having to schedule your whole life around it. It is also based around the premise that you will do your daily cleaning throughout the day and at times that make sense - tidying the bedroom and bathroom as you walk out the door in the morning, straightening the house in the afternoon, and making sure the kitchen is "reset" every evening.

Do you have a favorite cleaning schedule?

Countdown to Reality

2009-06-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today Luke and I went to the moving truck and put up the plywood retainer wall that will separate our stuff from some commercial load that is Virginia-bound. We are officially one week away from stepping onto an airplane headed back to reality. (In this case, reality is Charlottesville, VA).

After four months of life on a ship, and two months of living with Luke's mom in Salem, we're off to start our ordinary day to day life up again. I'm anxious and excited in equal measure. Floating out here in non-reality, where both of us stay at home all day with the kids, where we pay no bills, and where the kitchen really does seem to clean itself magically if you let stuff sit too long, I have been able to avoid the fact that we are about to be in a completely new place making a completely new life. I think we are headed for a big shock.

The craziest thing for me has been the reality that I have no idea what I might do in Charlottesville. Starting a career from scratch in a place I am so unfamiliar with sort of makes me feel like I am without bearing - it is really overwhelming. I have a feeling it may be awhile before I get settled into something, but I just keep telling myself that in five years I will look back and say, "now see, that all worked out for the best, didn't it?" So, score one more point for Melanie Jones and her magical thinking.

The most useful thing I've learned in the past six months is that there are scores of things that I don't really need and ultimately don't care about. All of the stuff that we are shipping to Virginia is just stuff. Being separated from it for six months has provided some necessary detachment. I'm sure this will come in handy during the unpacking phase, because we already heard lots of broken glass when moving all of our boxes from the storage unit onto the Virginia-bound truck.

The most exciting thing is that we (fingers-crossed) are buying our first house in Charlottesville. If all goes as planned, we will close on a home on July 8th. This will be the first time that we have had a place that didn't share walls with a neighbor, or that had a real yard with grass. It even has central heat and air. This new development has me completely over the moon, HGTV-obsessed (the cable is free in non-reality, should you ever have an excuse to visit), and watching Craigslist like a hawk for just the right couch to come available in Charlottesville. I don't think I did a very thorough job of nesting with Abi or Lily either one - they were both born at very transition-y times in our lives. Maybe that nesting instinct just goes dormant if you don't fully exercise it, and then explodes all over the first opportunity there is to express it. That's my explanation of what is going on in my mind right now... like we are going to walk into our house and I am just going to blow up and leave smears of fuschia paint all over the girls walls. (It's just a metaphor...don't worry.)

The house-buying process was pretty uneventful, but still one of the most nerve-racking processes we have ever been through together. We were working on a 30 day timeline, and everything needed to happen very fast. I never imagined I could get so emotional over a house, as logical Melanie knows that a house is just a place to sleep, eat, and wash up like a Motel 6 or something. Of course, I also never imagined I could get so emotional over a baby. So there you go. Houses and babies both make me cry and stay awake all night. I guess I am waaaay more normal than anyone ever imagined.

I think that is all for now.

Cupcake Fun

2009-06-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Life being somewhat chaotic at the moment, we celebrated Abi's and Luke's birthdays on the same day - June 25th. Luke really likes Red Velvet Cake, so about two weeks ago I whipped up a batch of red velvet cupcakes and threw them in the fridge. On Thursday, I pulled them out and made up some cream cheese frosting while Abi was on a special breakfast date with grandma. Lily was something close to helpful in the taste testing trials - we decided to add a little more powdered sugar than the recipe suggested. She gave the final result a finger lick and an enthusiastic "Mmmm-mmmm!"

Abi helped with the cupcake frosting during Lily's morning nap. Abi wanted to know if we could lick the knife between cupcakes. A fine idea if you ask me, but we opted to wait when I noted that there would be frosting left over for us to dip Teddy Grahams in. Then I got a cute idea: what if we put Teddy Grahams on top of the cupcakes like happy little dancing bears? I floated this by Abi, but she thought it might be better to put jelly beans on top of each cupcake. So, she completed the final garnish. I think they turned out very nice!

The rest of the party food was a re-work of dinner two nights prior - leftover cuban black beans + cream cheese = black bean chip dip; leftover chicken filling + cream cheese + corn tortillas = taquitos. Ya-Ya added her famous guacamole which was a big hit!

I think we will name this dual birthday party the "Red Velvet Hello Kitty Fiesta". A name that is equally delightful for a four year old girl, and a thirty-three year old man.

Yesterday Abi and I bought a gift for Luke. A bicycle water bottle cage and some of his favorite candy to use as "filler", kind of like tissue paper in the bag. Luke's other gift is going to see the new transformer movie tonight, so I thought movie candy would be in order. We discussed keeping the gift a secret, and Abi has done a masterful job on that count. One fine detail we left out was keeping the hiding place a secret. Abi divulged that one with a simple question from her daddy.

Here are the rest of the pictures from the big event which included Ya-Ya, Lydia and Tyler, Sully and Natalie, and our family:

60th Birthday Party

2009-05-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a 60th birthday party for Luke's mom. There was a great turnout, and I think she was really impressed when the limo showed up to whisk her downtown to her favorite restaurant.

Luke's sister and I spent the morning cooking at a friend's house in the neighborhood. This was perfect. Each of us had two kids that were five and under, so the six kids played together and ruled the neighborhood all day. After the party, while we all cleaned up and returned everything we borrowed, the kids ran around in the sprinkler naked and ran from house to house imagining they were pirates, babies, and monsters. I am so excited because thanks to the party Abi now has friends her age in the nieghborhood and she couldn't be more delighted about it. I think this is going to be a fun part of parenting. I like having friends over!

Happy Feet

2009-05-28T11:37:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about Lily is how she is starting to express her little emotions without words. The best is her "happy feet". If she likes dinner, her right leg starts kicking rythmically in delight. On a walk in the stroller, her little leg gets to going so fast while she just smiles and looks at the world around her. I remember doing this same thing in chairs before my feet could hit the ground. How many times did mom or a teacher ask me to stop kicking when I was full of energy and anticipation?

Virginia is for Lovers

2009-05-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hi people that have been following the adventures of the Jones family! Our voyage ends on May 6th. So maybe you were worried that the Joneses would no longer be Journeying. We simply couldn't let that happen.

So stay tuned because in July the Jones fam will be heading to the opposite coast and setting up shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. Luke is going to continue working with Semester at Sea through ISE, the Institute for Shipboard Education. We'll keep you up-to-date as we get ready for this move - and please let us know what you know about Virginia. Neither of us have spent much time on the East Coast, so we're looking forward to hearing from anyone who has!

Homeward Bound

2009-04-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

It has been well over a month since I posted on the blog - I don't know how it all happened so fast! We've been to Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Japan, and Hawaii. We had been to all the ports other than Hawaii on our 2004 voyage. Re-visiting these countries was such an experience, especially "communist" countries like Vietnam and China where new trade policies have resulted in an explosion of retail stores, affluence, and ideas. These are truly exciting places to be right now. Rather than making this a super-long post, I'll just gloss over the highlights -- ask us more if you are interested!

Vietnam

-Commercial explosion: the economy is not in decline here - in just four years people have become significantly more affluent. Every brand can be found at malls and brand name storefronts.

-Still the most beautiful place on earth as far as I'm concerned.

-The interport lecturer took us out to dinner with his daughter and son - what a relief to know that all children are the same! Amazingly, even though our kids couldn't communicate with words, play bridges every language barrier - they had a good time.

-The interport lecturer also told us Vietnam is not communist - we asked what it was - he said, "well, I don't know yet." I think this perfectly characterized the amazing transformation this country has gone through. PBS series "Commanding the Heights" adds a lot to this conversation, if you are interested in a good documentary:)

-BEST. FOOD. EVER. Night market outdoor restaurant - "Food Countryside" - the seafood is so amazingly fresh. The flavors are so balanced. How amazing that food can be so rich without being heavy with cream, fat, oil, etc.

China

-Hong Kong seemed very similar in comparison to our visit in 2004. It was a nice place to be with kids, very easy to navigate. The weather was beautiful and spring-like, which was welcome after all the heat!

-Shanghai had changed drastically - it is quickly becoming a prominent international city. Construction of new buildings, parks, and roads made the port we visited just 5 years prior completely unrecognizable. I would love to come back in 5 or 10 years more - it is transforming in such interesting ways.

Japan

-Homestay with a family - I have never seen such efficiency in the home. Someday, I will have a bathtub with a computer-regulated thermostat and a toilet with buttons and a heated seat. The kitchen at the apartment we visited was a thing of beauty...if you are into organization. I almost took pictures for those of you whom I thought would appreciate this kind of beauty, but didn't quite know how to explain the purpose.

-Ate squid, raw fish of many varieties, octopus, pickled seaweed...maybe, things that look at you...and every bit of it was perfectly wonderful!

-Abi rolled sushi like a pro - she really did a great job and talks about it frequently. We visited a zoo and had a picnic. I bought bento boxes and spent way more money than any parent ever should on school lunch boxes.

-We met with our friend Dan who is teaching English in Japan - he made us postcards from the pictures we had put on Facebook, and brought us stamps! What a thoughtful gift!

Hawaii

-We ate American style. I had a hangover from all that American goodness coursing through my veins. Seriously, I woke up and still felt all buzzy from the massive plate of quesadillas, 1/2 of a pulled pork sandwich, and a ridiculously rich chocolate dessert. I'm currently on a Dr. Pepper binge.

-Hawaii is beautiful. I would like to go back. Without the children. Grandparents...any takers??

-Spent time with Steve (from Fall 04 voyage) and his beautiful future wife! They took us on a beautiful tour of Oahu and gave us 1/2 lb. hamburgers. They are great with our kids, and Abi really wanted to stay with them I think.

Family

Lily has also grown up since the last post. She now says woof, mama, dada, baby, moo, and ball. She is standing up on her own for a few seconds at a time, power crawling all over the place, and becoming such a personality!

Luke is wrapping up job interview stuff and will know very soon where we are going next. We'll keep you updated.

I am completely ready to be home, but completely neurotic about assembling our little lives back together once we get there. I keep telling myself that everything will work out...but my body doesn't always listen to my mind. All I can think about is moving trucks, 15 year mortgages, preschools, and plane ticket prices. So, in front of all that I am trying to imagine myself tooling around Salem on my little bike, going to the grocery store and taking care of the few responsibilities we will have this summer: feeding our kids, and making sure they don't break anything!

Now we only have two weeks left on the MV Explorer with one port left to visit - Guatemala. Packing, keeping in contact with new friends, and getting in our last seaside sunsets are in order!

Lollypops and India

2009-03-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

India is a wonderful place full of amazingly beautiful people, nature, and historic sites. It is also challenging and exhausting. There is deep poverty, chaotic traffic, and crowded streets. It is overwhelming to all the senses; sight, smell, and touch in good yet paradoxical ways. We stayed with a family while we were there for two nights who welcomed us with an unbounded hospitality and kindness. While in India we ate food that awoke our taste buds, we saw temples that were thousands of years old, and we met the friendliest people in our journey thus far. We were also exhausted by the end of our stay. The kids were off of their typically schedule, their diets were changing, and they spent a lot of time in cars and busses since it takes at least 30-45 minutes to go anywhere in Chennai due to the traffic. So when we got back to our cabin the kids were in desperate need of a nap. Lily went down with no problem and Melanie left Abi to sleep in her new favorite spot, behind the curtain. Abi will often fall asleep after we leave the room and we trust she will behave herself. After about 90 minutes I needed to go back down in my room and I walked in and discovered Abi on the ground and all around her were strewn the wrappers and discarded sticks from no less than 12 lollypops! My mouth dropped and I wasn’t sure if I should laugh, cry, or wake her up…so I just took some pictures. I later found out that Melanie told her she could have one lollypop, but she decided to get into the stash of dum dums and just keep going. After she woke up I asked her if she ate them, she of course responded “no”. When asked again she said she ate four because she is turning four! That left eight to be accounted for. I figured at a conservative two minutes per lollypop, she would have been eating dum dums for nearly 30 minutes after Melanie had left and then collapsed in a sugar induced coma. We have put the candy a bit higher in the closet now and I’m just hoping she doesn’t find something else to devour while we are out of the room. This is just one of the funny moments our kids bless us with, I’m just praying for no permanent dental damage.

Jones Family Update

2009-03-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

Can you believe we are officially halfway through our journey? I thought we should take a break and let you know how we’re doing aboard MV Explorer:

Abiona

Abi has made a lot of friends on the ship. She definitely thinks she is second in command to the captain, and on a regular basis she walks up to random people and asks if they want to see her room. She is constantly at play with her “big friends” (college students) in the evenings. Abi always has “things” with her every where she goes now. She packs a big purse around full of things that she has collected around the ship. She is quite protective of it. We go swimming every afternoon that the pool is full, and spend the morning doing school and projects.

Abi is becoming a good traveler – what is frightening is that she has no inhibitions in the port cities. Every taxi driver is her best friend, and she leads the way down streets and through stores. Developmentally, Abi is becoming quite in touch with her feelings. The other day she told me she was “upset, angry, and frustrated”. It gives us such an insight into the things that are important in her day to day life. She is also getting taller and more coordinated. She looks more like a four year old than a three year old I hate to say. She played Peter Pan with a friend today, and I was nostalgic about the idea of a NeverNever Land. My favorite moments are when she gently takes care of Lily when she is crying. She really has a compassionate little heart.

Lily

Lily has changed significantly – she hardly looks like a baby now! She sports six teeth, has started feeding herself, has mastered crawling, and says a few words like “mama”, “dada”, “up”, and “uh oh”. Lily definitely enjoys the attention on the ship. Most meals she looks over the seat at all the people in line and waves at everyone while “talking” to them. In country, it varies. In India she was followed by a paparazzi like crowd of local school children, grandmas, daddies, and mommies all eager to pinch her cheeks and thighs and pose in pictures with her. She found it a little overwhelming, but was a good sport overall. Her favorite toys are the TV remote, the laptop, and anything that Abi is working on. Clearly, we need to invest in some things that hold her attention a little better.

Watching her pick up eating has been hilarious. We have been feeding her for 11 months because she absolutely refused to put her hands anywhere near her mouth. She would hold onto food all day long, but unless we were shoving it in her mouth it was just a toy. The look of surprise on her face when she put together the hand to mouth connection was so amusing. She just looked so shocked, and then she was instantly devouring food.

Her newest trick is getting out of bed. A few nights ago I heard giggling on our baby monitor at 10 o’clock at night. I went in the room and both girls were sitting across from each other just belly-laughing. I scolded Abi, assuming she pulled Lily out of bed for entertainment purposes. She later told her dad that Lily had been crawling all over the bed and dresser, pulling things into her bed, and that she crawled off the bed and was playing in the floor. Abi had pulled a chair in front of the bed to keep her in, but Lily was determined to be awake to try out her new crawling skills. We haven’t had a repeat of that night, but she does purposefully scoot off the bed. She throws all her toys on the floor, says “uh oh”, and then scoots off after them. I have a feeling that our parenting world is about to change once again.

Mel

I brought 96 Dr. Peppers with me. I thought they would last until Japan if I stuck to 1 a day. They are all gone as of South Africa. The withdrawals were rough, because I am not a huge water fan, and I’m caring for the endless energy duo all day. My solution has been to start training for a triathlon. This is working out really well. I run every day during nap time, and get really thirsty for water. I actually crave it all day long, and now when I drink soda it doesn’t feel that great. Weird how quickly it happened, but now I spend all day waiting for my workout time instead of rationing my DP intake. Someone with a PhD in psychology could probably explain all of this. Basically, I have learned I just need an addiction through this process. So far, running is a reasonable substitute for liquid sugar and caffeine. We’ll see what happens when I get home and Safeway “enables” me by running a 4 for $12 special on DP bricks. I’ve always hated running, but having an “event” to look forward to makes it kind of fun! There is a triathlon in Portland on August 23rd. If we are still there in August, I will be there! If not, I’ll have to find another one to enter wherever we wind up. It will be a good incentive to get familiar with the workout options in whatever place we wind up at.

I have a few students that I am enjoying quite a bit. There is a girl from Stillwater, OK and another one from Snyder, TX. They are both sweet and fun to talk to – I even sacrificed two Dr. Pepper’s when we shared stories and pictures from our Namibia port. We also have a “family” of three girls that we get together with for dinner and conversation. I like getting to know all of the students. There are some really creative and ambitious students on our voyage. I am down the hall from two mothers that are my source of sanity. I won’t lie: being around my children all day, not the easiest thing I have ever done. It has been a complete blessing to have some people to swap stories with. One day, after a few public meltdowns, K & H knocked on my door and said “We’re stealing you!” and took me out for wine and girl time right before bedtime. It was saving grace. Just having some time to talk through the day allowed me to see the humor and appreciate how quickly this sweet time will pass in my life.

Luke

Luke is famous on the ship. I get to eavesdrop on students talking about how good he is frequently, which makes me smile. He delivers the announcements every day, and also does the Pre-Port before we arrive in each country. Students turn out en masse to hear him talk about traffic safety and avoiding pick pocketers. He really does have a gift for talking to the students, and the presentations are relevant, humorous, and engaging. He has made a special point to encourage students to give of themselves in port, whether that be time, conversation, song, a special talent, or just a smile. As a result, we frequently have students approaching us to share stories of the meaningful ways they connected with the local culture of a port. I love that!

Luke has been working a lot as he tries to apply for jobs. Applying for a job at a university is challenging enough as is, but waiting for our internet sometimes adds a new layer to the frustration. The unique thing about this voyage is that he is often able to connect with a student from the university or the city he has applied to. Sometimes students are able to share about the “culture” of their university and the community that surrounds it. I don’t think there is another place where you could get that kind of student insight as you apply for positions. Luke is also talking to lots of professionals from different universities that are on this voyage and asking about their careers and lives. The ship has been a good place to reflect on what exactly he wants from his career. The feeling of being “in limbo” seems to be something that has followed us throughout our marriage, so it doesn’t really feel too stressful to be job hunting.

Well, the computer is dying so I’m going to post this now! Look forward to seeing friends and family soon!

Back in South Africa

2009-03-05T01:29:00.000-08:00

Back in 2000 I had the opportunity to work in a South African Township as a part of Youth With a Mission. Our outreach team of 10 was working at a new South Korean church plant called Green Village located in Philippe Township teaching English, helping with church, and facilitating a debate group where older students could practice their English. There were two students I remember most from that debate group, Luzuko and Bulelani. They were extremely sharp, motivated and determined. I always remember Bulelani because he told us it was his birthday and we made him a big cake and threw him a party. He was so emotional at the time and appreciative because people just didn’t get birthday parties there. The two months we spent in the township flew by but the relationships we formed with the people there were meaningful and we were sad to say goodbye. It was that experience that caused me to start looking for a way to change careers and pursue working with college students so for me it was extremely transformative in many ways; spiritually, emotionally, and vocationally.

I have always hoped to go back someday. In 2004 I was back in Cape Town with a study abroad program for 5 days and despite my best efforts was not able to get back in touch with the church or make my way to Philippe. Since then I have joined the ranks of facebook and about a year or so ago both of those guys found me and we have exchanged notes a few times. Well...I am currently working on the same study abroad program, Semester At Sea, and I just left Cape Town. My last two days there I had a chance to meet up with Luzuko and Bulelani for a few hours and talk. What an amazing experience to be reconnected! I met with Luzuko the day before we left and Bulelani the last day we were in port. I was explaining what I had been up to since being in SA and that the YWAM was a brief chapter in my life that was very meaningful and life changing for me. Both of them expressed how that brief chapter in my life and those that were on the outreach touched and improved so many lives there. Many of the kids we worked with have gotten out of the township, or been able to find work, or done well in school. Luzuko and Bulelani passed their high school exams with good marks but did not have the money to start university. They got involved with a program called SAEP and started a debate team among other things. This debate team won local and regional competitions and gained some amount of notoriety. They both did a little university but then had to drop out to help support their families…mothers, brothers, kids, etc. Luzuko has a two-year old girl now and Bulelani is expecting a girl in about 6 months. Luzuko works for ADT (security company) and goes around to township high schools to train students on basic computer skills. Bulelani works for an NGO called Love Life which educates younger students on HIV/AIDS prevention. They are still bright and ambitious but life is hard there.

Things in South Africa have gotten much worse since we were there in 2000. Crime rates are some of the highest in the world, HIV/AIDS is a big problem, and the unemployment rate is around 46% but is higher in the townships. Life in the township is still very hard, no running water, disease, poverty, etc. They are both going to try and go back to school and are both interested in trying to work or study internationally. It was encouraging for me to hear that my time in South Africa had made a lasting difference and that God is working there and in people’s lives much longer after we are gone. It was nice to see them face to face and know that I impacted someone’s life positively in a lasting way. At the same time it struck me that the investment in those lives and relationships didn’t end when I left back in 2000. They are still there living, working, surviving and I know that I can continue to play a role in helping them however I am able.

For whatever reason I was born in the United States and have unlimited access to resources that these two guys only dream of. What will I do with that privilege, how can I continue to help them and forge a relationship that has endured eight years and thousands of miles? I told Bulelani that if he gets to the stage where he is accepted to a school and needs help I would do what I could to assist him. Sounds like Luzuko may be doing a little better financially. Hard to tell really.

Melanie and I are looking for opportunities to get them some international experience/education…I’m going to look into exchange programs at the university I work at. If you read this and are struck to help them in some way let me know.

On a final humorous note…Bulelani said that for all these years he has been wanting to some day confess that it was not actually his birthday that day in 2000. He just said it was so we would make a big deal about it. I thought that was pretty funny and we both started laughing about it. He said he was really appreciative and that no one ever has a birth day party so I was glad we still did it. God is good and has a sense of humor.

Namibia

2009-02-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

Namibia was easily Abi's favorite port so far. We arrived in Walvis Bay to the sound of a choir of girls singing. The girls were ages 8-17 and gave an amazing performance of songs in English and Damara, after which they came on ship for a brunch. Abi was delighted to play with them, and begged to go with them when they left. The girls were from inland Namibia, and their trip to greet the ship gave them the occassion to see the ocean for the first time.

Afterward we went up to Swakopmund, a German-style beach town where Abi ran off some energy by playing in the ocean and at a local playground. On Saturday, everything in town closes at 1pm. Apparently, the whole town goes to the beach on Saturday afternoon because the water was filled with children. I have never seen Abi be so adventurous in the ocean. She was running through the water and getting completely soaked with all the other kids. The disparity was noticable. Some children played on skim boards, while others took a giant piece of styrofoam and broke it apart to stuff in their swimsuits as an innovative floatie.

We climbed Dune 7 as a family. It is one of the largest sand dunes in the world. Abi was the first one up - she scaled it like a little monkey, never stopping. We ended up going around sunset, so the sand was cool enough for us to go up barefoot and the view was breathtaking. I was afraid to take the kids on that kind of adventure because I thought Abi might get tired. What I realized was these types of activities are perfect because it gives her a chance to be un-controlled for a little while. When we are walking in a city or on ship, we constantly have to tell Abi to slow down, watch out, be careful, etc. On the dune, she could go to the top however she wanted.

Swakopmund and Walvis Bay were great cities for family travel. A map wasn't essential in either city as they were both of a size and structure where you could find your way to any place by walking and looking for major landmarks. There are tons of outdoor activities that are great for kids, lots of familiar meals, and plenty of opportunities to interact with local kids on the weekend when most businesses are closed.

Luke already has pictures up on Facebook - I'll work on getting them posted here over the next few days.

And Finally....Morocco!

2009-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

So, in the right hand sidebar, now you will see pics of Morocco - click and take a look if you like!

Morocco was difficult for us to navigate. We didn't do any trips out of Casablanca except for Rabat. I think in US terms, that might be like visiting Tacoma or some other port city. It isn't like there was anything wrong with Casablanca, but it had an industrial feel since we didn't really get out very far. Morocco is rumored to have a beautiful coast, lush foliage, impressive views from the peaks of the Atlas mountains, and sparse deserts. That's the part we missed, so certainly don't base your decision to visit the country on our experience.

I took a day trip to a Hammam, sort of like a sauna/spa. The hammam experience was excellent! The best part was grommage, or in simple terms, having all of the dead skin loofahed off of you. Sounds gross...sort of is gross if you think about it too much...but my skin felt great and looked amazing afterwards!

We tried to navigate Casablanca on our own without much success. Many of the Petit Taxis tried to negotiate special "tours" with us at ridiculous prices, which is a frustrating experience with the kids. We would get in a taxi, refuse the ridiculous price, get out of the taxi while Abi cried about "Why can't we ride in that red car?", and hail another taxi. We did manage to make it to the Hassan II mosque, second largest mosque in the world and named after the recent monarch of Morocco. It was completed in the 90's, and is an impressive structure. (There are pics in the sidebar!)

Also less successful with children was the bartering at markets. We wanted to get Abi a little princess outfit. Abi picked out some shoes and a little dress thing at the first store and the shop owner wanted 900 dihram (roughly $112 USD) for these two things. At first I thought it was a joke, as I had been caught off guard by some other Moroccan humor. But, when Luke offered 30 dihram (roughly $3 USD), they asked us to leave the store. Then we had to pry the shoes out of Abi's hand and try to explain a new concept called "bartering", which at that moment mostly involved us taking something she wanted away from her, which we had promised we were buying her, while she screamed. After a few more visits we found what we wanted at a price we could work with, but I definately realized that the barterning game is a lot more fun without toddler in tow. We'll have a bit more bartering to do as the trip progresses. Hopefully by the time we reach Shanghai she'll develop a better poker face.

The most amazing experience we had in Morocco, by far, was a dinner with a family. At first we were hesitant to participate because Moroccans don't eat dinner until 8pm, and the meals typically lasted until around 11pm. Typically staying up that late leads to a toddler meltdown. Luckily, our family had a flatscreen TV and tons of kids movies. Lily slept on their bed and Abi went between the TV and the other students that were spoiling her silly. In the meantime I engaged in a real adult conversation with a beautiful Moroccan woman that had lived in Switzerland for eight years. We talked about politics, family life, and motherhood while Luke smoked with the men in another room.

The dinner consisted of a traditional tagine with saffron-scented beef, nuts, apricots, and dates, and a plate of couscous with vegetables and lamb. It was a delicious meal! It's traditional to bring a small gift. I read that the traditional gift was "something sweet from home", so I sacrificed two cans of Dr. Pepper to the cause. The children loved it, and the general consensus by adults was that it was a "woman's drink". Who knows, maybe the next time we go to Morocco I won't have to bring my DP's from home!

Did I really say that? Equator crossing, Family, Making Your Kids Crazy.

2009-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Did I really say that?
Before we got on the ship, I lamented about packing up the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook, but I was crazy! Every day, for almost a month, I have thought nothing about food or cleaning. Not even for Lily! The kitchen staff on board MV Explorer is AMAZING.

I roll out of bed around 8am, the whole family goes to breakfast and we just choose what we want from a buffet of food. Mardy the waiter comes and brings pureed fruit for Lily to try, and asks what we want to drink. When we are done, we don't even clean the table. We return to the cabin to get ready for "school", and magically the beds have been made, the towels changed, and the toys arranged in cute little entertaining scenes by the cabin steward.

Then, it's like rewind and repeat for lunch and dinner. I thought it might be hard to have so little control over what Lily and Abi eat, but in a lot of ways it is much easier. After all, if the choices available aren't favorites, it isn't like I can be at fault for cooking a bad meal. It is clear, even to the three year old, that there really aren't any other options.

Equator Crossing
We crossed the equator today! Now that we are on top of the equator, the weather is warm, the pool is nice, and the girls are sleeping well after lots of outdoor play.

Family
We have "adopted" a family of three girls on the ship. We'll have to put up a "family portrait" eventually. Our daughter's are enjoying this adoption, as the advantage has been even more people to play with.

Making your kids crazy.
Abi's daycare provider mentioned in passing that kids that have their parents around all the time become neurotic. Not like, just staying at home with your kids makes them crazy. But being in the same room as them all the time, where they never have any imaginary time away from you, makes them, edgy or something. I would like to verify that is true. There are so many ways a child can be injured on the ship, and zero places they can be unsupervised. I have been having her play with students more and more, just so she can escape me for a while. She is more relaxed without the constant hovering. Also crazy, Abi prefers to sleep on the floor at night. We're just letting that go. I don't know why the floor is working so well for her, but hopefully it is just a phase!

100 Things List

2009-02-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tracy from My Money Story for this idea - don't know why it looked like fun, but here goes!

An Interesting List

I found an interesting post this week over at Always the Planner, and decided to borrow the idea. Feel free to do the same! Basically the idea is to go through the list and bold what you've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Does the Cheiftain marching band count?)
4. Visited Hawaii (Doing it on April 19th.)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Does cooking qualify?)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort -- I knew there was something I forgot to do before we left Pullman!
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon --totally want to do it!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cellphone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

See pictures in sidebar

2009-02-08T03:13:00.000-08:00

There are pictures of Spain scrolling through on the sidebar now. If you would like to click on the little thingy-thing, then you can see all of them at once. I'll switch the scroller to Morocco once I actually write about it:)

More Spain, Around-the-World Book Club, and Sorry no Pictures

2009-02-07T00:27:00.000-08:00

Seville, Spain
Well, I am picking up where I left off in the middle of the last post, which means we are still in Spain! In Sevilla, we didn't have time to see much, but we visited the Cathedral of Seville. The Cathedral is still a functioning church, with mass and prayer several times each day. However, it was also an excellent place to get a sense of the history of Seville. It is now the largest gothic cathedral in the world. Orignially, the building was a mosque, one of the last constructed by the Moors occupying Seville from 1181-1198. When the Moors were ousted from power, the mosque was converted to a cathedral. The minaret was converted into a bell tower, and the entire mosque was completely remodeled into a grand cathedral. The cathedral was remodeled several times, so it has Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque features sort of pasted on top of a building that still has a few Moorish features peeking through. It is like a museum of Christian history, with many relics and items of historical importance held in chapels throughout the church. It is also a tomb for Christopher Columbus, among others.

Looking at Seville through a lense of Casablanca, I felt like the two were opposite in many ways. The sites of Seville now represent a Catholic presence, one has to look to see the mark left by the Moors. Life in Casablanca is dominated by Islam, with leftovers from French influence visible if you look closely. Both countries have been formerly occupied, like most of the countries we are visiting on this voyage.

The Around-the-World Book Club
The last time I traveled with Semester at Sea I was a student. I miss that aspect of the journey because when you arrive in a country with a sense of its history and political ideology, you look with more critical eyes. When people say things, you can hear underneath their words if you know what some of the current events are. Alas, "Global Studies" is not at an ideal time for the fam, so I'm starting a book club. I'm the only member right now. The library on board has a great collection of books focused on the countries we are visiting (except Namibia - where are you books on Namibia?). On the sidebar, you will see a list of my bookclub books. I'll let you know how they turn out. So far, I am about halfway through a book called "Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail". It's an Oprah book, so definately an easy read. It follows the life of Malika Oufkir and her family, who were exiled after her father attempted to overthrow King Hassan II in Morocco. The book definately takes on a different texture after having visited some of the palaces she refers to in the book, and having sampled the culture she refers to fleetingly in her writing. Anyway, if you are a fan of international reads, this might provide you with a few to add to the list.

Where are the pictures?
No, our camera hasn't been stolen. Yes, Luke, per usual, has been serving as the amazing photo-documentarian for the journey. I blame slow internet. Luke added a lot of photos to facebook - friend him if you want to see some great pictures right away. Otherwise, I hope to go retroactively through the blog and add pictures today...maybe...depending on naptimes.

Spain

2009-02-05T05:25:00.000-08:00

So it has been a while – here we are in Morocco and you have heard nothing of Spain! We learned a lot in Spain about traveling as a family, and traveling with kids, not to mention everything we learned about the Andalucian region of Spain as well. So, here goes the general:

1) Traveling with kids is hard, because when someone says something like “The Cathedral is 20 minutes away by foot”, you should really interpret it as “the Cathedral is an hour away if you add in the time your children will spend slowing your walk to a complete halt.” However, traveling with kids is also easy because I found myself content to spend an hour in a Plaza watching Abi chase birds with other children.

2) I am a jerk when I travel. I like to be in control of life. Travel is like a sick game where someone tricks me into thinking there are like 500 things I can be in control of (what we do, where we eat, do we take nap or not?), and then puts into motion 500 more things I have no control of (like whether kids can eat the food on the menu, how far it really is between “A” and “B”, and whether or not the streets are labeled), and then sits back and watches the madness ensue. I think I will retroactively add this to the “new year’s resolution”. I need to chill out.

3) Andalucia is a most beautiful part of the world. Spanish is a romance language, which always sounded like an odd way to describe a language when I thought of it in a Puritan sense. Is “rojo” really a more romantic word than “red”? Seeing language alive in Cadiz made me think of the word romance though. It seemed like the people in Cadiz were so in love with living life each day. I swear one out of three shops was dedicated to birth, confirmation, children’s clothing, weddings, lingerie or family photography. The remaining stores were for chocolate, wine, flowers and cheese. People engaged in conversation over tapas looked intensely at each other as they talked about whatever for hours. Everywhere we went people doted on our children, proclaiming their beauty, potential, intelligence and general perfection. Mind you, Spain isn’t a country where we stood out from the population. It was anyone’s guess whether the conversation would begin in Spanish, English or French. But most ended with a grandma smothering children in kisses, or running away with the baby to show a friend how cute babies are.

4) Also big in Cadiz: Little dogs. Like, little Paris Hilton dogs. Everywhere. In purses. In sweaters. Riding on bicycles with their owner. I have no explanation for this phenomenon, but it was cute.

And the specific:

On our first day in Cadiz, we went out for a night of Tapas at Cumbres Mayores, and Baladro. Tapas was a culture, so we were a bit intimidated when we first stepped up to the counter and asked for a menu. I think we expected to sit down and enjoy a meal, but it became apparent that we should stand at the bar. It made me wonder if that was part of the secret of Spain. This is a total sidetrack, but Cadiz is all about pork and cheese. Every “local specialty” listed on a menu is some mixture of bread, bacon, ham, and cheese. And then there is the sausage, which comes in hundreds of varieties and might be a part of any meal. Cadiz culture is about waking up late and staying up all night. Yet, the people are pretty moderately sized. So, I see this “stand up while you eat” culture, and I pondered for a second whether there would be room for more bacon in my life if we ate standing up at a counter while drinking and stretching every meal into a two hour affair. If this diet craze ever sweeps through the USA, I am so on board!
We had fresh salmon in a mustard sauce, meatballs in salsa, Manchego cheese, and something else delightful at Cumbres Mayores. All this was complemented by red wine, beer, and finished off with the local Manzanilla – something reminiscent of a dessert wine in texture, but with a biting, oakey flavor.

Baladro offered a “posh” environment with modern furniture and moody lighting. We did dessert with the local specialty, Sangria. We chose a chocolate brownie with heavenly chocolate and orange ice cream for dessert.

Appreciated at both places was the lack of bass-ey background music. Both restaurants were places to gather, eat, and talk with people you know.

Later, we took a train to Sevilla with some friends on the ship. Their teenage children kept Abi occupied for the 2 hour train ride from Cadiz to Sevilla. We only had a few hours in Sevilla, so we went to see the cathedral.

Six time zones from Spain!

2009-01-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

Our ship is averaging about 20 knots these days, which means it is only an eight day trip to Spain. It also means we have to set our clocks forward one hour every night. Lily is making this adjustment more easily than Abi. I am catching up on z's during naptime, so I hope not to be affected as much as everyone else! I am less than delighted about being that parent with the screaming three year old in the floor, but unfortunately I think that will be the case until we get this time change business figured out.

Yesterday we were able to watch the inaguration of Barack Obama live via satelite -- isn't it amazing what can be accomplished in the middle of the ocean? Abi sat through the entire hour long affair while she played with cars. I was glad that we all got to watch together. In the Bahamas, many people we spoke to turned the conversation to our new president. It struck me as interesting that there were people in the Bahamas planning to celebrate the innaguration of Barack as well.

Tonight is an involvement fair on the ship. There will be groups gathering to set up different activities, so I will be attending and looking for a yoga class or something. My hope is that there will be something early enough in the morning or late enough in the evening that I might be able to participate. I'm also trying to pull together a group of students to participate in a Preschool Enrichment Program (PEP). There are 5 children from 1 to 5 on the ship, and I think it would be really nice to have story times, swimming buddies, student-led activities and crafts, etc. Sometimes it is easier for someone other than a parent to direct a group of kids this age, and most of the preschoolers on board have come out of a daycare/preschool setting. I hope we can pull together a nice group of students.

Luke took some pictures of the girls on board the ship this morning. I will try to have them here for you ASAP!

School time, schedules, Bahamas for One

2009-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

We have been getting adjusted to the ship for the past few days. The girls and I have spent a lot of time solo, as Luke gets broken in to his new position. We haven't changed time zones since Florida so we are in a nice little routine now. Abi usually has "school" in the morning, and we do more active things in the afternoon after her nap.

I knew I would need to get the room set up at first, and wanted to have a ready-made project on hand. This paper tissue craft kit from Alex really fit the bill. She spent ONE AND A HALF hours working on this little butterfly, without stopping. She was so proud of herself, and really enjoyed picking the colors.

Luke's job is keeping him really busy for the first few days. As such, we weren't really able to spend much time together in the Bahamas together. It worked out okay though. I put Lily in the Ergo backpack, Abi in a small stroller, and we hit the streets. Most days there were other moms to go out with at the same time which provided entertainment for Abi and an extra set of hands for me. The extra help was amazing! In the Bahamas, we went to Paradise Island and had a short visit at Atlantis to see the aquarium. Abi loved the large fish, jellyfish, and sharks. It really is an impressive aquarium.

At the end of the day, Abi declared that the ferry ride from Paradise Island to Nassau was the most special thing about the Bahamas. Just goes to show you never know what will please kids the most!

Bon Voyage...Sort of.

2009-01-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe you are wondering why it says "three days until we set sail" when we are already in the water. We left port last night, and it is only 50 miles to the Bahamas. However, it saves money to just drop anchor between Miami and the Bahamas. That explains how I was able to spend this afternoon seasick, even though we aren't really going anywhere at the moment.

Right now there are no students on the ship, so we have been able to connect with the children and staff on the ship a bit better. We will arrive in the Bahamas at 8am on the 18th, and then we will welcome the students aboard on the 19th.

Tomorrow the parents of younger children are meeting to discuss how to share childcare and learning opportunities. I'm excited to get the kids together. There are two young men that are near Abi's age, and one little girl that is fairly close to Lily's age.

Portland, Miami Beach, Boarding the Semester at Sea Explorer, and Setting Sail!

2009-01-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

If you use your imagination just a little bit you can probably envision that a Jones family travel experience didn’t go exactly as planned. However, our flight was completely on schedule, our bags all weighed in under 50, and we had a great time in Portland prior to our flight and for the few days we had in Miami.

Hanging out with Rachel and Jayne in Portland – it’s fun to connect with old friends, and of course even more fun to play with someone else’s toys!

The cousins played at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) on Sunday the day before our flight. One last hurrah before we begin the summer of fun!

Luggage for a family of four for 100 days – yikes! (I’m sure the folks at the airline were not amused.)

Unfortunately, the first thing that happened when we got our rental car was a minor accident. You know, we just sort of gently bumped the Jaguar next to us with our car a little bit. Thankfully, that was the only accident we had – surprising considering how the beautiful folks of Miami drive… A minor bump didn’t slow us down! Check the damage on the Pacifica…

Once we got back on the road we went to our motel. We booked a motel on Priceline because we were struggling to find anything close to being in our budget. We wound up at the Whitelaw at South Beach. I’m pretty sure the Whitelaw doesn’t see many strollers. Where some motels have cookies and milk at 6pm, the Whitelaw starts pouring complimentary cocktails and pumping bass.

That isn’t to say we’ve had a bad time though! The Whitelaw is “barbalicious” according to it’s website. Apparently that translates to hot pink walls and ceilings with chandeliers in every room. What is a three year old girl not to love about that? There’s a sundeck up top with bouncy lounge pads – perfect for playing picnic or diving onto and laughing. The hallways looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, and were really indescribable. The Whitelaw Hotel – Hot Pink!
Best of all, the hotel was in the middle of South Beach, so it was really close to the beach. The girls had a pretty good time once they got used to the water. Lily never really took to the water, but Abi had a fun time sitting in my lap “catching” waves.

Girls and dad at the beach – hopefully we’ll be doing this more often!

Of course our real objective with the early arrival was to buy lots of STUFF for the kids, and us too. I met a fellow soda addict in the line at Wal-Mart. Apparently he took the six cases of Dr. Pepper stacked up on our two shopping carts to mean I had a problem. 5 cases of diapers, 8 packages of wipes, a bagillion crackers and craisins later…we left the Wal-Mart with our overstuffed SUV and went to the port to board! Ah…Americans. Sometimes you just can’t avoid being one.

This is 400 diapers. Didn’t know if you had ever seen 400 diapers. Maybe we should’ve considered cloth…

Now that we’re on board we are finally getting into a schedule. Remember, we jumped ahead three hours on this cross-country plane ride, so the girls are still adjusting. Today I woke them up at 7am, made them eat breakfast, and they seemed to adjust for the most part. Hopefully tomorrow we will have a “normal” ship day. Abi made a friend today named Barrett. He is two years old, but will be three next month. He was full of energy and they had a great time playing chase tonight. I am lucky to have a family next door to us. The Dean of Students is from Oregon and is right next door. Abi completely adores his daughter and his wife was a total life-saver today. She watched the kids while I returned the rental car back to the Thrifty counter. I was so thankful to avoid dragging the kids through Miami in a taxi!

So, that’s that – we’ve made it! We’re here! We’re setting sail tonight!

About Salem

2009-01-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, we have relocated to Salem for the period before and after Semester at Sea. It is a little unrealistic to apply for a job in January and say "see ya in May, after our career-related cruise around the world". So, we just decided to move all of our stuff to Luke's mom's house and call it "home" for a little while.

I'm a sunshine girl, so Salem is a little rainy for my taste sometimes, but there are a few amazing things I've noticed so far:

1) At the Wal-Mart they have staff dedicated to wiping down the baskets as they come in so you don't have to get a rainy wet basket. There are often umbrella baskets where you can pick up a free umbrella to use and return at another basket. How cute!

2) The grass is Salem is green, and many of the trees haven't even lost their leaves. On the days when it is sunshiney, you can pretend like it is a cool day in California wine country.

3) Speaking of wine...Maybe you are in Salem, and you don't have a job, and you don't make any money. You have time and no money you say?? Sounds like a good day to leave the kids with grandma and go on a Willamette Valley wine tasting tour!

4) Is there any place on earth with better food than Oregon? Honestly, if you want to go around the world to try new flavors, just buy a plane ticket to Portland instead!

5) We live near a street called "Commercial" in Salem. Holy Cow! On one strip, there is: Fred Meyer, Lifesource, Winco, Target, Costco, Wal-Mart, and Safeway. Seriously! When you open the weekend paper a whole tree worth of ads falls out with all of the deals for the week. I don't know if there is anything that isn't on Commercial street. I like that it is impossible to get lost while shopping.

6) On the flip side of that coin, if you drive for 15 minutes in any direction you hit green pastures, rolling hills, and farmland.

7) People are nice. I think I like Salem people. Kinda chatty the Salem people. The clerks always small-talk and random people in town say stuff to ya. No one seems in a real big hurry. That could be a side-effect of the fact we no longer do stuff on "after-work" time.

8) Even though it rains A LOT in January, there are many activities for children that are indoors. There is a carrousel downtown, lots of indoor kiddie things at malls or kids clubs, indoor aquatic centers with heated pools, etc.

Winter Pictures

2009-01-09T10:28:00.001-08:00

I just updated the little slideshow to the right from our Picasa Web Album. If you want to see bigger pictures, go here.

The pictures are from Seminole and McAlister, Oklahoma for a holiday visit with my parents, and from Salem, OR with Christmas with Luke's mom, and his sister's family.

Parenting Books: You win.

2009-01-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

I've always thought that parenting books were kind of obvious. Especially the ones that say things like "don't reward bad behavior". I feel like calling the author and saying, "Really. You spent how long writing a book to tell people like me 'don't reward bad behavior'? I'm not a Nanny 911 case, I'm just trying to get my daughter to stop telling people she is going to throw them in the garbage. I read your book and I get 'don't reward bad behavior'. As if I had time to waste. Thank You."

Today I realized the ugly truth. Being around my daughter when she is happy, kind, and well-behaved is like a moment in heaven. I would do anything to make it continue forever. When she is so sweet I don't want to give her a treat or watch TV or any of the other standby "rewards" because I just want to sit with her doing whatever it is she is doing and enjoy the golden blissful moment of perfection as it unfolds. Sitting with her, being loved, adored, and included in play is the best thing in the world. It is a reward for me.

When gloomy behavior visits, I really would do anything to make it stop. I would buy her a pony or a happy meal or anything in else in the world to make her happy again. And I'm not the only one - have you ever heard that song "Hush Little Baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird?"

So, obvious-advice-parenting-book, you win. Now I understand that "not rewarding bad behavior" is much harder than it sounds.

Countdown Week

2009-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Well folks, this time next Monday we will be standing in line at the airport to board a plane to Florida and begin the family journey around the world! I had this dream last night where I was at the airport alone with the kids getting ready to board our flight when I realized the passports were still an hour away in Salem. Ah, night terrors: a sure sign that life is about to get exciting again!

Today feels like one of those roller coasters you ride because they include the fastest/largest drop(s). Everything coming up to the featured thrill is anticipation, and that is what I feel the most of today. We're not completely packed, and I've pretty much given up on the concept of "packing everything we need".

Health Insurance for Travel

2009-01-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

Being that Luke and I are no longer employed at WSU, we are also no longer eligible for awesome state health-care benefits through Group Health. If we were taking off around the world as young newlyweds we could probably skip health insurance, but since we are traveling with two young kids we decided to get some health insurance. Luke found a good policy through Blue Cross and Blue Shields called "InterM". Isn't that a cute name for insurance for people in limbo?

The purpose of the insurance is to tide you over between two life events. (The loss of one job and the start of another, the end of a career and the start of Medicare benefits, etc.). Because it is only an "interim" policy, you can only have it for up to six months. However, it is very affordable even at a family rate.

We will go ahead and purchase the insurance to cover the time we are abroad even though most of the countries we are visiting have free or subsidized health care, even for foreigners. We also have an international policy through Medex which is provided by Semester at Sea. Our US health insurance policy will be for a circumstance that would cause us to return to the US, in which case we would definately want to have some kind of insurance.

Ideally Luke will have a job by the end of the summer, just about the time our "InterM" policy would run out.

Ergo on the Road

2009-01-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

So, a while back I posted on the different baby backpacks we were considering for our journey. We finally settled on the Ergo Baby Carrier, and I have to say it has worked out pretty well so far. Lily is a twenty pound non-crawling nine month old, and she seems to like riding on my back. Here are my tips for helping an older baby (4-8 months) adjust to being carried in a baby carrier:

1. Have someone help the first time you use it: If the goal is to make your baby like being carried on your back, you won't get very far if your first experience involves dropping them on the floor! It's actually not that hard to get the hang of putting on the backpack, but it doesn't hurt to have a spotter the first time. We also stood in front of the mirror for a while after she got in the backpack the first time so she could see herself. She thought it was really funny!

2. Don't plan big adventures right away: It takes a while to get used to walking with the carrier for both parties involved. You might try vacuuming, washing dishes, dusting, or making a bed the first time you use the Ergo. Then move on to bigger things.

3. Make use of the D ring on the back: There is a nice little hook on the back of the Ergo that is quite under-rated in my opinion. You can hang a toy from the back of it and let baby play with something other than your ponytail. We have a Maisy board book on a ring that Gramma Ya-Ya got Lily. She likes to sit and read on our long walks -- how studious for a nine month old!

4. Move in interesting ways: You can prolong the walk by swaying side to side, bouncing baby on your back a little bit, or catching a view of her face in a car or store window.

Stateside, the Ergo has been a good investment. We'll let you know how it goes overseas!

2009 Resolutions

2009-01-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

I saw a post of resolutions on a blog I read pretty frequently called My Money Story. Several people had written 2008 resolutions on their blog, and they reflected on them yesterday. I thought that was an interesting idea. Consider these goals up for review in 2010.

Despite the fact I could be skinnier, healthier, more well read, and a better person, I really only have one goal this year, and that is to be present for this year. I have a tendency to get side-tracked by all the little things in life sometimes, and there are a few big things happening that I want to leave myself open to this year.

1. I'm living incredibly close to family for the first time in 7 years. We live with my mother in law and within 15 minutes of cousins close in age to the kids.

2. We're going around the world on Semester at Sea.

3. I won't be working.

It seems we have been given the gifts of time, family, and simplicity. I have a horrible habit of getting side-tracked by all the little things when life gives me gifts like that. So, my goals are:

1. Get to know my family better. I don't just want to spend more time with them, I want to know them better.

2. Take lots of pictures and write in a journal. Sound simple? Try doing it with a three year old -- it takes effort!

Easy Entertaining for Six

2008-12-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

We're hosting our first visitors here in Salem this week, and it wouldn't be a Jones family celebration without non-stop gnoshing!

The New Year's beverage list:

Trevisol Prosecco, Valdobbiadene Italy, 2008

Being in Oregon, we tried some Wilammette Valley Favorites...

McKinlay Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon, 2007

Redman Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Oregon, 2006

A salute to our new port destination of South Africa...

Mulderdosch Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2007

A salute to our beloved Washington...

Holy Cow Reisling, Washington State, 2006

The meal:

We were planning to have crab, but a Pacific storm has held up the fishing boats. We had wild Coho salmon instead.

The salmon was accompanied by broccolini, cooked along the lines of this recipe from Epicurious. Cheesy mashed potatoes and homemade bread completed the meal.

The hors d'oeuvres:

-Carolyn whipped up Old Bay seasoned Cougar Gold crab dip with crudites, baguette slices, and crostini -- a family favorite recipe from Amy. She had held onto the Cougar Gold cheese for a year, so it was aged to perfection. How honored we were to share it with her!

-I made a Brie en Croute from the Macrina Bakery Cookbook that I got for Christmas. (Macrina is a wonderful bakery in Seattle, and probably one of the reasons we can never live there. If we lived near Macrina I would be on Dr. Phil explaining how I spent all of our savings on scones, biscuits, and cakes.) It had a great roasted-grape and walnut filling that was spilled over the cheese. If I made it again, I would skip the "croute" -- rich brie in rich pie dough was a little too much. But the grape-walnut topping with cheese would be a simple and delightful treat.

I was still full this morning after all that eating!

Abi and Lily enjoyed the meal with us, (though the "enjoyment" took a little more coaxing for Abi than Lily), and then both girls did an unusually great job of going to sleep. We stayed up and played a mean game of "Mexican Train" Dominoes while we waited to ring in the new year with Carolyn & the Gundersons.

Happy New Year's everyone! We wish you the best in 2009!

Beware of Emotional Fill-Ups

2008-12-27T23:21:00.001-08:00

I was once told that you should never drive angry. Why? Well, because in your emotional state you may not be making sound decisions and that could be dangerous to you and those around you. I am going to add an additional piece of advice…never fill up your car with gas if you are emotional. Let me illustrate with a recent example that I witnessed. As my Melanie and I were headed out of Pullman on our epic adventure/move/endurance test we decided to fill up with gas. I in my truck and Melanie in hers. Our dear friend Allie met us there to say goodbye. Abi said goodbye, I said goodbye, and Melanie and Allie embraced and I saw a few tears as I jumped back in my truck. I was driving out of the driveway to the Shell station and looked in my rearview mirror and to my horror had noticed that in her emotional state Melanie had forgotten one important step in the fill-up process…removing the hose from the tank. Why is this important you ask? If you do not remove the hose and nozzle from your tank it will rip away from the pump and you will drag the partial hose behind you while people behind you run after you screaming that you have just ripped away something very important. Friends, please, don’t fill up while emotional, it can endanger both you and those around you.

Moving Tips: Driving your Moving Van Through a Snow Storm

2008-12-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, we just had the moving trip from you-know-where, and I learned a lot I did not know about moving vans, and moving in the snow. Thankfully, we arrived safely in Oregon after an epic journey. Those Oregon Trail pioneers have nothing on us!

Enjoy the fruits of our inexperience! These snow moving tips are free!

Tip #1- Charge your cellphones-and bring a car charger: If you are moving in a snow storm, a six hour drive can quickly turn into a 20 hour non-stop driving marathon. Cellphone batteries will not survive that long.

Tip #2-Make sure all parties involved in the moving experience have the numbers, addresses, and map directions for wherever you are going written down on paper: Having information stored in a cell-phone isn't enough if it is dead.

Tip #3a-If you plan on making a winter move, ask the moving company what tire size your moving truck will have so you can purchase chains ahead of time: Purchasing tire chains a week into a record snowfall year is nearly impossible, and expensive. Buy your chains from some place that allows you to return them. If you don't need them, then you can take them back.

Tip #3b-Have the person at the chain store show you exactly how to put the chains on: This saved me a lot of time and trouble while putting chains on in a parking lot in the freezing cold with a crying baby in the moving van.

Tip #3c-When taking the chains off of your moving van tires, undo the inside first and the outside second: If you undo the outside first, there is a good chance that your chains will slip onto the axle between the dual tires, and you will have to get under the moving van, yank, curse, reverse-forward-reverse-forward, etc.

Tip #3d-If the improper installation/removal of your tire chains results in multiple flat tires, fear not: Call the moving company with your handy charged cell-phone and they will send someone to help you out.

Tip #4-If moving in a snow storm, never let your gas tank drop below half-full: When moving in a snow storm, you may find yourself stuck on the interstate for five hours or more without an opportunity to exit. Once you finally exit to fill up, the gas stations might all be out of gas, because the gas trucks are stuck in a parking lot, which was known as I-5 better weather, and won't be in for days.

Tip #5-The following items should be stored so they can be easily accessed from the moving truck: Hammer, broom, pliers, de-icer, blankets, food, drinks, movies, shovels, kitty-litter, and anything else that could be used to fight snow, exhaustion, and malfunctioning truck parts.

Our epic moving adventure included two flat tires, two dead cell phones, one motel room, one truck out of gas, three tire chain installs, one all nighter drive, and four very tired Joneses!

However, we made it to Salem finally, and have enjoyed a very relaxing Christmas.

What we would do for four more feet...

2008-12-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

I think we can officially say the adventure has begun, even if the journey isn't underway yet. Here is a run-down of how our move is shaping up:

There has been record snowfall all over the northwest, up to 24 inches in a day! Currently, every road that would take us to Portland is closed at some point, making travel impossible.
Moving trucks don't come with chains, you have to buy your own. Have you ever tried to buy chains for a moving truck the week after record snow fall hits your region?? I would file that under "do not recommend".
We have a two bedroom apartment. We got the moving truck recommended for "2-3 bedroom apartment". That 16 foot truck is full, and still doesn't have our daughter's bed, a crib, bookshelves, washer/dryer, bikes, car tires or a room full of boxes in it yet. (I'm calling today to get the storage unit one size higher than the one recommended for "2-3 bedroom apartment" -- apparently we don't fit the mold!)
We are now renting an additional 14 foot moving truck with car tow one day prior to a move.
And we took our children to the doctor yesterday and both have ear infection/runny nose grossness.

So, it has been an adventure! Thanks to the help of many friends and my mom we were able to pack almost everything into the first van yesterday, and thankfully there was no snow falling during the drive to pick up the van from Spokane or during the moving party. Despite the fact there are no cooking utensils left in the house, we have yet to miss out on a home-cooked meal thanks to the support of many friends.

I'm keeping my mind on the day a week from now when everything will be tucked away in storage, neither of us will be working, and there will be nothing to do but spend time with family and relax!

Moving Day???!

2008-12-19T14:18:00.001-08:00

Here's the story. We planned our move so that we could leave sometime around the 21st -- we would just pick a day when it wasn't snowing. Ha! It has snowed every day since Wednesday, with no sign of letting up any time soon. This means we have to add another item to our moving budget -- chains for a moving truck, to the tune of $100. Hopefully we can turn around and sell those puppies fast, as it looks like it should be a pretty snowy winter.

We have family coming in and going out to help with the move, but the airport has been closed on and off on either end. If my mother-in-law doesn't get here with chains for our car, then we may be unable to move until roads are reopened, as there are checkpoints to make sure tires have chains and travel without chains is not allowed for part of our trip at the moment. We could go buy chains ourselves...but they are all sold out everywhere. So, we may be knocking at your door sometime in the upcoming week as our whole house is almost packed and we are out of an apartment as of the 23rd.

Please pray for our safe travel!

One Reason I'm Happy to Leave Pullman

2008-12-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

A picture of our car last winter

So far you have only heard me explain how hard it is to leave this place we've called home for seven years now. Great people, great food, great friendships. I seriously cannot imagine starting over again. However, there is one reason I can't wait to get out of here: it is called SNOW. We arrived in Pullman yesterday night without gloves and coats. It was 7 degrees. We got out the De-Icer to de-ice the car: IT WAS FROZEN!! Even De-icer doesn't believe in 7 degree weather.

Have you ever heard of a snow day? Then you aren't from Pullman. Snow is just a part of life here. Schools don't close. Work doesn't stop. The population of Pullman just pulls on their boots and takes pride in their heartiness.

I am not hearty. Where I grew up, school was cancelled if someone saw a snowflake. It was 72 degrees in Oklahoma today. It was SEVEN degrees in Pullman.

I'm not going to say I will never live in another place where high temperatures only have 1 digit, because you know what happens when you say never. I am going to say that we will have a yearly Caribbean vacation fund if we ever end up in a place where it snows in April again.

Semester at Sea Itinerary Change for Spring 2009 Voyage

2008-12-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

I updated our itinerary to reflect the changes that have been made recently. Our ship is no longer sailing through the Gulf of Aden due to pirate activity there. Recently a cruise ship was chased by pirates with guns. As 17 ships are currently held by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, I'm not that disappointed to miss out on the pirate infested waters. However, pirates, if you are reading this I am so mad at you for making me miss out on a trip to Egypt. We just watched the Swiss Family Robinson - we know how to take care of pirates. Watch out. Any pirate that stands in the way of me and a bowl of gelato better have made peace with his maker.

For the non-pirate audience, this change of itinerary means the itinerary no longer includes Italy, Turkey, or Egypt. Instead we will travel all the way around Africa and sail to Morocco, Namibia, South Africa and Mauritius. I think that is an alright consolation prize! We'll have to do some more investigation into kids activities in each of those countries, but I already have a few things in mind for adult activities -- maybe this time we can have a case of wine shipped back from Stellenbosch!

I am writing from Oklahoma. We're visiting my family before we make our big move. Abi is going to stay with my parents in Oklahoma from the 13th until the 17th. This will give us a little time to pack up without her help. (Not that she isn't an exceptionally helpful three year old, but sheesh, she's a three year old!) In just one week, we will be throwing all of our worldly posessions into the back of a moving truck and heading for Oregon.

Making Use of a Good Pantry

2008-12-02T17:59:00.001-08:00

I think the hardest thing to pack is my kitchen. I've spent three years building my pantry, but it isn't really practical to store most of it as we won't be cooking for 5 months.

A good pantry simplifies life significantly. With ingredients on hand to cook for unnexpected company or to cover for a missed trip to the grocery store, food is rarely on the "urgent" list. Most recipes can be accomplished without buying a lot of extra ingredients, which means we can incorporate a greater variety of foods into a week without straining the grocery budget at all. Best of all, it is no longer essential to plan every meal for the week -- sometimes I just come home and say "I feel like eating 'x' food tonight -- let's see what I can come up with." (Last night: Pesto Bowtie Pasta with Shrimp, Sundried Tomatoes and Carmelized Onions)

It took a long time to build a really diverse pantry full of flavor and family favorites. The spices and grains and canned foods I've collected are like a metaphor for community relationship. The longer we've been here, the more we've spread out our shopping to several small stores that carry things we like. A search for affordable saffron was what got us started at the Moscow Food Co-Op, while a desire to recreate Vietnamese spring rolls was what led us to the International Store in downtown Pullman. Even the big Winco discount grocer in Moscow has a unique place in our food lives -- there is one checker that is so kind and helpful with the kids that I wait any amount of time just to be in her line. In the food world I've always encountered helpful people that have shared all kinds of advice, from how to freeze herbs to how to clean a crab. I think food people are just about the nicest folks you can find -- they always want to share. (Except maybe that chef guy on "Hell's Kitchen" - he doesn't seem so friendly. But don't you think they made him up?)

I'm doing my best to use everything in the pantry that I possibly can, which is why I have been on Recipezaar lately. I made a list of the random odds and ends remaining in the fridge, freezer and pantry. I've been typing various ingredient combinations into the Recipezaar narrowing recipe search. Who knew that the leftover orange jam sitting in the fridge for the past six months would rise again as "Stovetop Orange Marmalade Porkchops".

There are several recipe websites I use, like Epicurious and Allrecipies, but I like that Recipezaar allows you to search for a variety of ingredients and then makes suggestions of typical additional ingredients used in recipes with your leader ingredients. It makes it easy to find meals you will like using ingredients you already have. (Just for the record, Recipezaar has nothing that combines ground beef and frozen cherries: suggestions anyone?) At the end of the month or season, it is fun to spin those remaining ingredients into new dishes.

Our "stocked" pantry looks something like this:

-Spices that reflect our favorite types of cusine
-Pastas, grains, and dried beans (or frozen cooked beans)
-pre-cut/shredded veggies that are frozen in the state typically used. (e.g. shredded carrots kaffir lime leaves and sliced ginger for stir-fry, small dice onion, celery and carrot for soups, sliced peppers amd herbs. When fresh veggies are starting to look sad, turn them into frozen cut or pureed veggies!)
-frozen fruits for breakfast and dessert
-the ingredients for favorite scratch breakfasts and desserts (for us that's brownies, chocolate chip cookies, pancakes and biscuits)
-Salsa, Ketchup, Dijon Mustard and Barbeque Sauce
-Vinegars, Wines, and Broths according to preference

Cheap and Easy Travel Toys

2008-12-02T12:01:00.001-08:00

Before I get to the cheap and easy travel toy, I have a confession: I spent $50 on laminate for the purpose of laminating 100 numbered ships. Abi's daycare teacher Miss Beth suggested counting our days on the ship using a numbered picture to mark each day. This would culminate in a 100 days party. This is a magnificent activity that will give a sense of routine to our days. However, ship policy dictates we can't stick our boats up with tape, so I'm turning them into magnets. The laminate will save us from having to put several pieces of magnet on each ship.

Laminating 100 ships takes a loooong time people, so I spent a lot of time thinking of the wonders of laminate.

Abi loves writing with dry erase markers. Her dad made a chore chart out of an old binder cover with a pocket on the front.

There is a piece of paper with some clip art, checkboxes, and simple chore descriptions behind the clear sleve. The pocket on the back can be used to hold a pen. Abi carries the chart around like an inspector as she puts things away. She loves marking off each task as complete, and seems to have a special sense of ownership over what might otherwise be a mundane task. We can wipe and reuse the chart every day. The total cost of this project was pennies, as we already had all of the components lying around.

Is it just me or shouldn't this idea already be invented and in Wal-Mart stores everywhere? If you have an old binder with a clear cover, the possibilities are endless:

Print out simple clip art shapes for "complete the picture" activities -- a circle that can be turned into a silly face over and over again, or a square that can be made into a house.
Put worksheets behind the sleeve so your child can "practice" a few times before making the final fill-in.
Put maze, connect the dot, and matching activities behind the sleeve so your child can redo a fun maze several times.
Put a map behind the sleeve and practice filling in the names of countries.

All these activities could be hole-punched and included in a three-ring binder, rotating them as desired. For example, if you were studying "under the sea", you could include several fun activities related to aquatic life and your child could use the binder throughout the week, repeating activities as desired. With the addition of a pocket for an erasing rag and some dry erase pens, this could be a really fun, innexpensive, and quiet activity to take on a long trip!

Pumpkin Pie Filling Update

2008-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

If you read the post on leftover pie filling, maybe you are wondering what the results were. As I contemplated the situation, I thought of Ferdinand's famous Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream -- my favorite fall flavor. I wondered what would happen if I threw the leftover custard into the ice cream maker. All I can say is, HEAVEN. There were no additional ingredients added -- I just poured the leftovers straight into the ice cream maker. I would guess that any pie that uses a ratio of 3 parts sugar/1 part egg/13 parts liquid (including dairy and "flavor") would probably turn out similarly. The next time I have leftover pie filling or cake batter, I will definately try this again. My mind spins as I imagine apple pie ice cream, chocolate mousse ice cream, or lemon ice cream! Of course egg is a part of any custard recipe, so you want to be sure to bring the custard to a high temp before putting it in the ice cream maker. That is part of the process of making pumpkin pie anyway, so I think we're safe.

One thing I would have done differently is strain the mixture before adding it to the ice cream maker. The ice cream was a little bit grainy, and I think straining would have made a difference.

A little pumpkin ice cream with a graham cracker tucked in the corner of the bowl, it is divine!

Random Savings

2008-11-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

In the continuing thread on saving money, I've discontinued using products after they run out. My mom keeps me in a steady stream of Bath & Body Works products, so I don't have to worry about dry skin. Everything else is up for experimentation.

I discovered foundation and powder are a necessity at this point in life - though I don't wear them every day. I'm a mom to two children under 4. If sleep isn't an option, then make-up provides that "happy" glow that apparently can't be faked.

One thing I can live without: conditioner! I stopped using when it ran out. I am a conditioner snob, and don't want to put certain drying chemicals on my head. I faced my elitist views on haircare products, and realized that the choice would be more $18 conditioner, or none. None seems to be working out fine. I got a hair cut and asked if it was obvious I had stopped using conditioner all together. She said she couldn't tell the difference. I miss the smooth, silky feeling conditioned hair has while it is still wet, but the truth of the matter is that is exactly how it feels after putting in some good smoothing gel. So, America - now you know the truth about my head. I am unconditioned.

I also combined all of the 3/4 used shampoos into one bottle. I had four bottles like that. I think I might have some kind of complex, like a "I don't finish bottles of shampoo" complex. Actually, I think I just buy before I run out and get so excited about the new bottle. What I like about the mixed bottle is the layers are separated a little bit, so every few nights the soap is really sudsy because the Ph is different (I think). Anyway, it is like have four new bottles in one. Maybe there is a market for that product -- ReNEW shampoo or something like that.

I'm sure the "what I can live without" experiment has only begun, but so far it's fun!

Ode to Hickory Farms Beef Stick Summer Sausage

2008-11-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

The taste of the holidays is turkey and ham,

Slow-cooked roasts and rolls with jam.

But in my book no holiday is complete

without the beef stick from Hickory.

Dipped in mustard, or straight from the sleeve,

the perfect h'ordeurve for Christmas Eve.

190 calories in just two ounces

But whose counting anyway? My middle just bounces.

Oh Beef Stick Summer Sausage, you're the taste of the season.

Life without you lacks purpose and reason.

Leftover Pumpkin Pie Filling

2008-11-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over, but the leftovers remain. I baked two pumpkin pies, but was dismayed when so much filling was leftover -- the can said it made two pumpkin pies, but I think it easily could have made three. I only had enough pie crust to make two pies, so I shoved the leftover filling in the fridge until I could figure out what to do with it. Here are my options:

1. Pumpkin Pie Cookies -- Peggy Deland says they are delicious. The recipe sounds dangerously free of measurements to me, but I like to live on the edge. http://www.rollickguides.com/cooking/blog-story/peggydeland/8328

2. Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee -- I suppose I would have to cook the filling first? Sounds yummy though...http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/leftover-pumpkin-pie-brulee-recipe/index.html

3. Pumpkin Pie Pudding -- I love pudding. It's my favorite memory from the Pullman Regional Hospital (other than the girls). This from a Yahoo Answers thing: "Butter a small oven-save dish, pour in the batter, sprinkle the top with sugar if you want and bake it with the pie.Or, you could just cook it on the stovetop, stirring constantly over low heat, until it thickens and pour it in small serving dishes. Put it in the fridge until it sets up and serve "pumpkin pudding" with or without whipped cream on top."

I suppose it isn't the worst problem to have, deciding what to do with leftover pumpkin pie filling. Which would you choose?

Last Day of Work

2008-11-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it! I finished up at work today, and now what am I? A world traveler? A stay-at-home mom? A bum? I’m not really sure what I’ll be, but when I wake up tomorrow I won’t be a secretary anymore, and I’m excited to see what life looks like from a new angle!

When I graduated from high school, I felt like the future was horizon in every direction with an endless array of opportunities spread before me. Life, while good, hasn’t had that feeling of possibility for a little while now. At the present moment, it is energizing to start thinking about life in that way again.

My office had a farewell party last night, which I will hopefully post some pictures of eventually. It was the beginning of the “lasts” in Pullman, which are difficult. Having lived here since 2001, and this being the only home our kids have had, it is surreal to imagine waking up some day in December and not being able to connect with our network of people anymore. In the past 7 years our family has been changed and influenced by so many wonderful people. I want to take them all with me.

I guess this is the ever-present battle between roots and wings – it can be difficult to have both at the same time.

Thirty Hour Work Week

2008-11-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

I spent about a year and a half working thirty hours a week. Now that I am working full time (almost:), I understand how beneficial the thirty hour work week was for my young family. A thirty hour work-week reduced my pay by about $400 a month, but now I know that had anyone offered me $400 to work an additional 40 hours each month the answer would have been "no".

When you work 30 hours a week, you actually work 32.5 hours a week thanks to a mandatory 30 minute lunch break. When you work 40 hours a week, you are actually away from home for 45 hours a week because there is a mandatory unpaid lunch hour in the middle of your day. By giving up 10 hours of pay, you get 12.5 hours of life back to spend in any manner you desire -- definately worth it to me!

Working from 8:30am to 3:00pm I spent zero hours in traffic each day, I went grocery shopping after work when the stores were empty, I leisurely made dinner and ate with my family. I participated in a book club as I lacked "mother guilt" for spending so little time with my children. I pursued my hobbies and took time to do things by hand. Every weekend was kind of like a long weekend.

When I work until 5:00pm, I don't get the kids home until 6pm, and then it is a mad rush through dinner, baths, story time, and bed time by 8pm. After leaving so many things undone all week long, you spend your weekend playing catch-up with the laundry instead of playing with your kids. On top of that, the irony is that there was nothing that I got accomplished in 8 hours that couldn't have been done in 6 on most days. The two extra hours to spend with your kids and keeping up with daily chores makes a huge difference in quality of life for everyone involved.

In an era where unemployment is steadily rising, when companies are laying off competent workers to make ends meet, I wonder if it would be possible to make an argument for the 30 hour week.

http://www.consciouschoice.com/1995-98/cc095/dump40hourweek.html

High Quality Online Learning Resources

2008-11-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for books, workbooks, and activities to take on the ship for Abi. I am trying to find some affordable resources that are at her level, things that encourage her to read. Today I stumbled on a site that I really love! Starfall has a series of online books and materials that are all free. Clicking on “The Starfall Store” takes you to a page with paperback books for purchase, many of which are less than $1. However, almost all of the stories are also available online for free as books that you click through. Abi loves watching things on the computer and these online books will allow us to keep the entertainment luggage to a minimum. I love that the books focus on multicultural themes. Many of the stories feature real pictures from other countries, cultural folktales, and true stories.

Can you read with me?

2008-11-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

Abi has a new fascination with books. In the night, she wakes up and picks loads of books from her bookshelf to “read” in bed (in the dark). In the morning she takes a stack of books to the bathroom, shuts the door, and “reads” books aloud on her stool. She reads to her sister, she reads in the car, she reads at the table. It seems that every activity can be accomplished with a book in hand. Abi listens carefully when we read to her, and has started memorizing short stories. She repeats each page word for word, so satisfied with the thought that she can read now. I love watching her grow into this new skill.

Marking the Day

2008-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the 3rd year anniversary of my father's death. In some ways I feel some pressure to mark the day by doing something. I think that's holding true to western/modern approaches. We must do something, some activity, something meaningful on the day to come to grips with the passing of a loved one. But I'm never sure what to do. There is no grave to visit, I live nine hours from my family, and I'm living regular life, working, picking up the kids, cooking, eating, cleaning, playing with my two daughters and trying to have a conversation with my wife without being interrupted every three seconds. In not knowing what to "do" I feel somewhat like a failure at marking the day. On the other hand, not a day goes by when I don't think about my father and life with and without him, who he was, and who I am becoming. I definitely miss him and when I think about what would best commemorate who he was, I think about who I am becoming. My dad was a loving, patient, reflective and ethical man who loved his family a lot. So today I'm going to think again about the good qualities of my father and what he has passed on to me, and if he would be proud of the way I am living my life, how I work, and how I love my family. If you knew my father you would know that today would be a good day to buy a mint mocha from Starbucks, go on a walk, navigate to a new place using a map and/or a bus schedule, check the weather online, and play some chess. I think I can at least do one of those things, but I'll remember my dad wasn't one for feeling compelled to "do" things, he was more into "being". I wish he could be here now and if he was I think he would just want to be together. It wouldn't really matter what we did.

Chicken Skin

2008-11-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

I took Lily to the doctor today -- we waited a long time. I read a magazine that promised I could lose 10 pounds by eating fast food every day. I felt really good about life, until I realized how terrible that would be. However, the same magazine managed to leave a good taste in my mouth.

Yesterday I marinated four split, skin on chicken breasts in a delicious Tandoori sauce. Yogurt, lemon, wonderful spices -- HEAVEN. The recipe called for split, skin-on chicken breasts. I obeyed, despite the fact I have grown up in a world that tells me the delightful, oven-crisped skin of chicken is the equivalent of eating a stick of butter.

Friends, I read in the October issue of "Health" magazine that roasting a whole chicken in the oven is a wonderful way to have a meal that lasts through several re-creations, and as an added bonus removing the skin from the ENTIRE chicken saves 100 calories. 100 calories people. 100 calories is 10 sticks of gum. It is one of those tiny little snack-packs of...diet-food.

Thank you Health magazine. Tonight, I am having my Tandoori chicken breast, crispy skin and all -- and I'll have dessert too!

Clean Shower Curtain

2008-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry to anyone looking for a blog full of carefree adventures -- it takes a lot of preparation to be carefree and adventurous. For now, it is just ordinary, daily life adventures. Today's exciting revelation: shower curtains can be resurrected! Luke was embarrassed because we have guests coming the next two weekends and the shower curtain was growing pink mold. I didn't want to buy a new shower curtain, and suggested explaining the mold, you know, like "Hey, welcome to our house. Normally, we would buy a new shower curtain but we're moving soon. Hope you don't mind!"

Luke is classier than I am, so we eventually came to a compromise -- we would clean the shower curtain. Folks, this is easy! I'm posting the directions below, and I hope you have as much fun cleaning your shower curtain as we did!

To remove soap scum and mildew from plastic shower curtains and liners, fill the washing machine with warm water, 1 cup of white vinegar and your regular laundry detergent. Add the curtains, along with several old, light-colored towels. Run through the complete cycle and rehang curtain immediately.

On a side note, I've been trying to get some mud stains out of a white sweater of Abi's. I tossed that in with the curtain and it actually came out! I don't know if it was the vinegar, the warm water, or the plastic, but it works for me!

The Moving Truck...and other shameless plugs

2008-11-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

It's official -- after two days on the phone and some wheelin' and dealin' by Luke and I, we've got the moving truck scheduled. In the process, I stumbled on a website that I think rocks! If you are ever about to purchase something, go to http://www.retailmenot.com/ first! People post codes for coupons, and you just enter the name of a store you want to shop at and see what comes up. When I was buying stuff for a baby shower, I put in "Babies-R-Us" and got a code for an automatic 20% off my order. As I've browsed I found coupons for airline tickets, hotels, and almost any retail store. Especially if you are about to purchase something on-line anyway, it makes sense to check and see if you can find a code to use before you check-out.

There is more than just coupons though. When I put in the names of the moving companies we were considering, there were some instructions for getting your cost lowered. Not a coupon per se, just a strategy of using the phone to make your reservation, getting your second-favorite mover down to a low price, and then seeing if your favorite mover will match it. In the end, we saved $70 off our first quote, and got to keep the truck for three extra days.

In a coupon-related note, if you are in the market for disposable or cloth diapers, or really anything for a baby/toddler, consider going to http://www.diapers.com. Despite the diaper-specific name, the store is really more like a Babies-R-Us. My daughter's daycare gets a discount for every new customer that enters referral code PCCC. The code gets you an automatic $10 off your order of $50, plus free shipping. I thought they just carried disposable diapers, but they actually sell all kinds of products for kids for very reasonable prices. Once you place an order, you'll get a referral code that will save you money when people use it. How awesome is that!

Vacating Instructions

2008-11-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

We just received instructions for cleaning our apartment when we move out. There are a few from the list that have me worried...

VACATING INSTRUCTIONS:

"Upon termination and vacation, restore the premises to their initial condition, except for reasonable wear and tear." For the record, I think everything about the time Abi tried to color her wall red was reasonable -- she was just learning how to color at the time. And the door I damaged when I tried to pry it open after she locked me outside in my underwear -- I think we can all agree that any effort to pry open a door when you are locked outside in your underwear is "reasonable". Surely we won't have to pay for that.

-Remove ALL personal contents from unit (including cupboards and closets) As we work on this task, I am noticing that many of our "personal contents" are being removed straight to the dumpster...at least it is removed from the unit, right?

-Wash windows inside and outside. I can do inside. Outside...umm, we're moving in December. We can see through our windows. I hope that will be good enough.

-Clean all blinds; launder and iron ALL curtains and replace. I'm one step ahead on that one - I took down the blinds and curtains when we got here. They are zip tied and ironed in a a closet because I hate cleaning blinds.

-Strip, wash and re-wax all vinyl floors (including under range and refrigerator). I had to google "strip and wax floors". For the record, much of what came out of that search was not appropriate for children. I did learn that the liklihood of me ever stripping and waxing a floor was somewhere near 0%.

Everything else I think I can handle -- cleaning the oven, the light fixtures, the walls, carpets and cupboards are not above my cleaning repertoire. However, I believe none of those things have been done more than once during our three years in this place! I think we should probably move every 3 years for the rest of our lives. That way the oven will get cleaned, the cupboards and walls wiped down, and the closets emptied at least once every three years. When we buy a house and settle down someday, I am going to ask my landlord to send us this list every year!

Carseats

2008-11-12T13:42:00.001-08:00

One big question we have had as we plan our journey is what in the world we should do about car seats. In the states we can rent a car seat along with our rental car without too much hassle. Once in country, most places can be accessed by mass transit and car seats won’t be necessary. It is only where taxi travel is the norm that a car seat would be necessary, and the thought of lugging around two car seats all day in developing countries that may lack seatbelts in taxis seems a little much. So, I stumbled across this on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/RideSafer-Travel-Vest-Size-Small/dp/B000HRR8OC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1226525532&sr=8-3

Is this thing for real? It looks like it would only work for Abi because of the weight/height requirement.

I would love to hear from anyone that has ever traveled with young children in the developing world. Would something like this work?

Halloween 2008

2008-11-06T20:35:00.001-08:00

Halloween was fun this year! Luke and I went political. I was an ideology, "The Change we Need". Luke went as the mythical political creature, "Joe Six Pack". Our Halloween party was also visited by "Joe the Plumber".

Halloween was fun this year! This was Abi's fourth Halloween ever, and I think she has the hang of it now. Here's Spider Girl in all her glory:

Pullman Fall Fun

2008-11-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

There's no time like fall on the Palouse. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the family this fall.

Take Comfort

2008-10-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hazel passed away on October 17th at 6:08 pm. My aunt said that there was peace throughout the house when it happened. Logically, I agree with that. I am happy she is released from her suffering. But, being a simple human, I am sad for everything we have lost because she isn't with us anymore. When I stand outside of the whole thing, I think I am lucky to learn something about comfort right now. I'm seeking it for myself, and finding that it looks different than I have always imagined. I found comfort in sleeping at Hazel's house, in her bed, imagining that I was a child curled up beside her. I woke up, and she wasn't there. I found comfort in recalling her memory with family, but it led to guilt about all the missed opportunities. I found comfort in sharing her home and a meal with family, only to realize that I was experiencing the last gathering we would have like that. I find comfort in faith that God has set life in motion and His hand in our life is intentional, loving, careful, steady...though no offense to God, I find His plan too slow for my taste quite a bit of the time. On Monday morning I found comfort in a chocolate cupcake. Honestly, it lasted. I think it is because I sought it out in despair (sounds dramatic, I know...it was a rough Monday morning, okay?), and the goodness of the cupcake did offer something. Other than that, nothing anyone says or does, no experience I give to myself has provided lasting comfort. What I learned this week was that even if no singular thought or action does provide lasting comfort, efforts at comfort do seem to gain something in collective form. I often hesitate to write sympathy cards, because I feel it is egotistical -- what could I say to make someone feel better about real, definite loss? Now I understand. It is impossible to take away loss, but being reminded of the goodness of life -- being reminded of friendship, of the unwavering love that is family -- being reminded of the goodness in this world is a wonderful distraction.

India Outsources Visa Process to Travisa

2008-10-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Our Indian Visa applications are now in the mail. I hope we have as good of luck getting those back as we did with the China Visas. What I found humorous about this process is that India has outsourced their visa process. It is now impossible to go to a consulate and just apply in person. Everyone must submit their application to Travisa and pay the $13 processing charge. To their credit, Travisa had a pretty slick and straightforward website.

What will they think of next?

2008-10-08T12:33:00.001-07:00

The bad news: Our 94 Sentra suffered a terrible fate. It died about two weeks ago, and the doctor bill was said to range from $1000-$2000. Too much for people focused on saving money for a trip around the world...so we had to let her go.

The good news: We put our sad little Sentra on the local equivalent of Craigslist, and someone called wanting to give our Sentra a second life as an "ELECTRIC CAR". If cars were religious...and Hindu...I think this would be Nirvana for our little Sentra....(or, I guess somewhere slightly below Nirvana since the Sentra will still be alive, just reincarnated into something so exciting and futuristic.)

I googled "convert your car to an electric car", and discovered that for about $7000-$10000, you can fully convert any light-bodied car into an electric car that will run forever, for the cost of plugging it in every night and replacing a battery every 3-4 years. Supposedly they go 50-90 mph, and can go on trips of about 50-80 miles at a time.

We love you lil' Sentra...I hope they treat you well.

More about converting a car: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/converting_your.php

Commute Cost Calculator

2008-10-07T22:32:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder how much it costs to go to work every day? Thought this was kind of fun!

Commute Cost Calculatorgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

Random Travel Updates

2008-10-05T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hey - since some folks might be interested in learning about the travel planning aspect of this adventure, here are some updates:

-We got our visas back from China Travel Service quite promptly. This was a bargain, and great service too. If you are sending in passports for a famiy, do ask about negotiating the return shipping fee. We saved $75.

-I finally got the warranty money on our carseat/stroller combo. This turned out to be quite a bargain, as the stroller broke recently. We got to keep the carseat, so it was kind of like getting a brand new carseat for the $17 cost of the warranty. Now we are shopping for a baby backpack to replace the stroller. We got full use of the carseat stroller while Lily was super-small, and now she can ride in an umbrella stroller. The refund will cover the cost of the backpack which should be more travel-friendly. (We're looking at Ergo and Deuter Kangakid right now...anyone with other suggestions? Lightweight, durable, comfortable, and multipurpose are our criteria!)

-We've been researching travel opportunities for children/family friendly activities. Cadiz looks easy, because it is so close to the beach and a very walkable city it seems. Turkey looks like it might be a challenge, but we at least identified a few places with playgrounds for burning off energy. In Thailand, we are going to opt for Pattaya over Bangkok due to the kiddos. There is an orphanage there, and I look forward to Abi having the opportunity to play with other children. Shanghai sports an Ocean Aquarium and an interactive History Museum for reasonable rates. We aren't sure how much time we will spend in Kobe, Japan but it was a very friendly city for children, so we hope to spend a considerable amount of time there. In many places, we expect the entertainment will be the food, the culture, and the people we meet. So, we don't want to overbook ourselves. But we are trying to generate a list of ideas to begin with so that we atleast know which neighborhoods to head toward.

Google Girl

2008-10-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

We just watched a movie from 1987. It was about a rich psychologist, and I had to laugh becuase her "fancy" office didn't have a computer. Ha! How did people even exist before Google? I am neurotic to begin with, and just thinking about our move throws me into hours of intense meditation on which size of bubble wrap will best protect our photo frames. Do you realize we are leaving Pullman in a mere 80 days? I should have packed the Christmas tree months ago!

Luckily, Google is there to give me all of the answers I need. What I like most about Google is that I never have to say crazy things out-loud, like "How to get rust off of grill bolts". What I like even better, is that when I Google things like that, someone else has written an entire article on the subject, with multiple methods of dealing with rust on grill bolts. That means that some of you are just as crazy as I am.

The danger in all of this Googling is it actually allows me to spend my time thinking about...grill bolts? With 80 days remaining in Pullman, my time might be better spent with the people here instead of bubble wrap and boxes.

Life as a Journey

2008-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I posted. I felt this need to put into words the fact that my grandma is dying, because it is important in our lives. Yet, as a new person to "blogging" it feels weird to try to put something that personal into words. Here's my attempt.

Anyway, last week my mom told me I needed to come home if I wanted to say goodbye. I am so glad I had the opportunity to say goodbye. Lily came, and laid down with Hazel for several long stretches. Children are great at bridging so many difficult situations, and it was wonderful to see Hazel's eyes light up and a smile on her face while she got to be the great grandma. It reminded me of seeing little baby Abi in Les's arms in the midst of his illness.

Anyway, without going into great detail, I got to be home with Hazel for four days. Leaving was the hardest thing I've ever done. I had to say goodbye, knowing it would be the last time I could wrap my hands around her neck. There is no way to tell someone how important they have been in your life, at the end of their life. I tried writing a letter about it, but it became a novel in my mind, a mountainous task at 3am. Instead, I just covered her in kisses and tears and hugs and smiles, and finally, said goodbye, which tumbled out of my mouth and onto my feet like a pound of bricks. I have never been less excited to get on an airplane -- it was like being ripped in half.

It had never occured to me that my kids would grow up without her...I can add and all, I just kind of thought that maybe she would be with us forever. (And, I know in that spiritual-metaphorical-memory way she will be...but that kind of "be with us forever" can't load up cattle and take the kids to a sale you know?)

So, I am happy that she is on her way home, I am sad that it hurts so much to leave this place, I want to scoop my mother up and take her away on a long vacation, and be gentler and more present with my own family. I want to be a better person before I die. I am tired.

Palouse Empire Fair

2008-09-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the second trip we've taken to the Palouse Empire Fair. Each year, I learn a few more parenting tips, which I would like to share:

1a) Our 3 year old daughter was in no way ready to ride the tilt-a-whirl, no matter how many times I told her it was just like the merry-go-round.

1b) Don't leave decisions about which rides your children are ready for to their own enthusiasm, a carnival worker, or a sign that says "must be this tall to ride".

2a) If you hand a 3 year old a funnel cake...she will be happy...but someone will innevitably get powdered sugar dumped on their head.

2b) If the 5 month old gets powdered sugar on her head...no one will cry.

3) Don't eat corn dogs. Just, don't.

Energy Savings

2008-09-07T09:43:00.001-07:00

For the past month or so, we have been doing a few things to save energy. The first was to turn off our water heater during the day. Through this process we discovered that we could leave our water heater off for about a day and a half before running out of hot water. The second was to plug our TV/VCR/Speaker System into a power strip and keep that power strip off if we weren't using any of that stuff. Finally, we have been trying to get our landlord to replace our '90 model refrigerator. It's old enough to fight a war and smoke now - quite frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't chosen to do either...we haven't succeeded on that front yet, but I still have hope.

Anyway, we got an electric bill the other day, and it was $50 lower than our "comfort level" of $70 -- pretty amazing! So, this might actually be a legit way to save some cash for our journey.

For the winter, we are going to put film over our windows to hopefully lower the cost of heating, which is pretty ri-diculous in our little apartment. Have you found "green" ways to save money this year?

Blubber Love

2008-08-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Melanie pulls a favorite shirt on. Once again, her blubber hangs out smooshing over her pants. It's time to talk:

Melanie: I wish you wouldn't hang over my pants like that. It just...looks so gross!

Blubber: What's your problem? Just suck me in. Problem solved!

Mel: I AM sucking you in. And I can't breathe like this anymore! Am I supposed to spend the whole day thinking about you? You're so self-centered. I'm 3 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I knew you were coming to visit after the pregnancy, but quite frankly, I thought you would be gone by now.

Blubber: What? It's nice here! Besides, where else can I to go?! There's always Dr. Pepper and Peanut Butter Cups here. I love peanut butter cups!

Mel: Yeah...me too. I mean, I always have. I just don't understand - when I was 16 you were so flat and thin. Now, I just feel like you've given up. I don't even recognize you anymore!

Blubber: Ah, baby, things have changed. But, I still love you, love the kids. I'm just trying to help out. That's why, I mean, when they lay on me, I'm just like a pillow underneath their little heads and I love it. I really do.

Mel: Yeah...me too. But we just can't keep going on like this. Something has to change. I've started biking and swimming now, even running, and, eventually, you'll have to leave.

Blubber: Hey, it's what's best for you baby, that's all I want. But, you know, if you ever feel like giving up, slowin' down, I'll have a Reese's with you for old times sake. Ok?

Mel: You're so bad for me, blub. Why can't I leave you...

Wedding Bells

2008-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well...I watched my oldest daughter get married last night. It made me cry. Fortunately, she just married her dad...and "marrying" consisted of her twirling in a circle with her dad while I sat in the "bride chair". I think this was all a re-enactment of a wedding we went to last weekend. Still, I am overwhelmed with how fast time has been moving lately. Why are these kids growing up so fast? How have four years of marriage flown by so fast? I want to slow everyone down. I'm the reflective type, and sometimes I just want to sit down and think about who we are, and whether we are living up to the people we want to be. I'm also the organized type, and if people in this house would just stop growing up for two seconds I might have a chance to put our wedding pictures in an album, or document my 3-year-olds first year.

But, the days are passing like minutes right now, each one like a popsicle melting in the heat. So far, I haven't had much success in slowing down my melting days. Since sitting around and savoring every bite doesn't seem to be a choice at the moment, I guess I will just have to gobble them up as quickly as I can so I am sure to enjoy every last bite. And while I would love to alphabatize spices, lose some baby weight, make photo albums, and get to know my neighbors, when push comes to shove, I just want to sit in my living room watching my little girl grow up because that is one thing that simply can't be done later.

Swap Success

2008-08-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just an update on the Back-2-School Clothing Swap. We had the event yesterday, and 30 families participated. Just 30 families had over 1000 items of clothing! It was nice to see all of these things recycled and put to use by local folks. Part of the advertising for the event was done on the radio, and people even came all the way from Spokane to participate. The event was such a success that we are looking into doing it again soon. Next time, I hope we can get some translators together to do some advertising in Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. I think that would help us reach more members of our community.

Saving Money

2008-08-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Two great things just happened that will help us save money for our journey. A record freshman class entered WSU this year, and the shortage of classes led to an opportunity for Luke to teach one section of a freshman communication studies class. In my office, a co-worker is leaving to take another job. I will begin working full time in August to fill her position, which will also give us a little extra money.

We are also changing our lifestyle to try and save a bit. We use reusable bags at the grocery store, as local grocery stores give discounts ranging from six to ten cents per bag. We also turn off our water heater during the day. I was skeptical when Luke made the suggestion, because I can't stand it when the water goes cold. However, we actually forgot to turn it back on one afternoon, and didn't even notice until Luke had taken a shower and I had given baths to everyone else. We'll find out in the next few months if this amounts to any real savings.

Passport and Visa Applications

2008-08-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Don't we look so cute? These are our passport photos, which we are submitting for the various passport and visa applications we have to do for our journey. Today I started folders on each of us, with a note-taking page, and dividers to separate out the different applications we need to fill out. Hopefully, this will help keep things organizied.

Out of all of the countries we are visiting, only five require visas. Three of the visas are fairly innexpensive and will be aquired while we are on the program. However, the visas for China and India are quite expensive and we are beginning work on those now.

With passports and visas, a little extra time helps lower the prices. We applied for passports for the kids as soon as we decided we were going on the Spring voyage, Luke needed to renew his, and I needed extra pages in mine. We applied last month and have already recieved them, even without using expedited service. We now have plenty of time to secure visas for China and India without getting extra fees.

Can you believe this? India has actually outsourced its visa process to an American company called Travisa. India is currently the only country to take this approach. Travisa recieves $13 for every visa issued, and manages the online application. Indian visas automatically start on the date they are issued, so we won't be able to apply for the Indian visa until October or so to recieve the cheapest rate.

Chinese visas can be obtained by any agent that applies in person at the San Francisco Consulate. This gives us two options: 1) fly one of us to San Francisco to get all of our visas or 2) apply through one of the hundreds of agencies willing to act as an agent for a "fee". The third option would be if someone out there wants to go take our applications to the consulate out of the kindness of their hearts...anyone??

We will probably use China Travel Service. This is the company used by the study abroad office I work at, and they are very reputable and don't charge too much.

Semester at Sea has a Visa Service they use, and it is very economical for the average student. However, as a family, we do not want to pay to have each visa shipped to us separately. That would cost us about $60 extra. We'll let you know in a later post if we come to regret this decision:)

What does your family eat in a week?

2008-07-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

How random is this! Our local Co-Op is asking members to photograph and document what their families eat in a week. Here's the link:

http://www.moscowfood.coop/content/view/545/78/

Below is what I am submitting for the contest. What do you eat in a week?

What the Joneses Eat:
It’s hard to say what a week of food looks like at our house because we usually shop on paydays, about every 15 days or so. We spend $320 a month on food. In an average month that would equal $80 a week, but it doesn’t really work out that way. On payday, we spend $100 and get everything to make meals for two weeks. Then, we go to the store one more time in between paychecks to restock on milk, apples, grapes and the like. Food takes 10% of our total budgeted expenditures. Rent is 20%.

We feed two adults, one three year old, and in a secondary way the 4 month old baby. When we got married 4 years ago, it seemed like food never lasted and could be scarce. (Our budget then was half what it is now). Now we have a well-stocked pantry, and always have delicious food to eat. We invite friends over to eat too. We buy a lot in bulk food bins, rarely let leftovers go to waste, and cook/eat small portions. Rather than let excess fresh veggies go to waste, I shred and freeze them and then re-introduce them into other meals. I constantly “recycle” leftovers, making yesterday’s bean dip into today’s enchiladas and tomorrows taco soup. I make our bread. I don’t know if it saves money to make it, but we usually slice it thinly and the loaves are generally smaller. Overall, I think our sandwiches are smaller because of the bread, which means we waste less meat and cheese with the toddler.

We buy organic milk, get our meat at C&L when we can, and buy Tillamook cheese and yogurt. We don’t have a Costco membership, but our friend does. We go once every few months for a bag of shrimp and chicken breast. Unfortunately, we don’t get to buy organic produce too often, but someday I will have my own yard and garden, and I expect to save big then! We love invitations to other people’s gardens. We shop the co-op for bulk foods, cheeses, and Organic Valley milk. The Co-Op often has the best prices on organic milk, and the quality and selection in the bulk section is awesome.

Costco
1 sleeve of bulk 4 pack of Kashi Go Lean Crunch, honey almond flax
1 chicken breast
16 shrimp
5 ½ cups bulk AP flour

Winco
½ cup cream of wheat
24 oz asst’d. tilamook yogurt
4 bananas
1 can frozen minute made orange juice, from concentrate
3 Hebrew National Hotdogs
¼ lb pork picnic roast
1 chicken leg quarter
2 eggs
3 Hotdog Buns, whole wheat, no corn syrup
1 ½ tbsp fleischman’s yeast
1 ½ tbsp salt
4 flour tortillas, Don Panchos made in Oregon
1/4 lb. cheddar Tillamook cheese from 1 lb. block
1 oz goat cheese
8 tbsp jiffy peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp salt
4 tbsp pepper, from peppercorns
½ packet lawry’s taco seasoning
¼ c. Panko crumb
¼ c. Tempura, sun luck
Coconut milk, roland
1 green pepper
3 red peppers
½ cup olive oil and canola oil
1 bag baby spinach
4 onions
2 heads garlic
1 bunch spring onion
1 new potato
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
3 heads broccoli
1 cup frozen peas
2 lemons
Lemongrass
Cilantro
Basil
Parsley, Italian flat leaf
8 apples
1 apricot
1 bag grapes
6 graham grackers
4 frozen strawberries
4 fresh strawberries
1 cup breyers vanilla ice cream

Safeway
21 cans Dr. Pepper (mom has a serious addiction…okay??)
¾ lb cod
14 oz pinto beans

Moscow Food Co-Op
1 gallon fat free Organic Valley milk
½ cup Fairhaven Rye Flour
½ cup Montana Gold wheat flour
1 c. bulk jasmine rice
½ c. bulk basmati rice
1 cup masa
Tsp crushed red pepper
Wasabi powder
1 14 oz can Muir Glen no salt added tomato sauce

Locally grown
Cherries from Tukey Orchard
6 tbsp raspberry jam from my bosses raspberries in her back yard (so…pectin, sugar, raspberries?)
Chives from my barrel

International Store, Pullman
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Chili sauce
7 hot peppers
1 ginger root, frozen and sliced

Unknown Sources
1 cub burger (cougar country)
1 chicken strips, fries, two pieces of toast basket (cougar country)
1 pint milk (cougar country)
1 lolipop (from candy bowl at luke’s work)
Goldfish crackers (leftovers from one of dad’s events)

Menu:
Monday: Kashi cereal, 1 banana, 1 container yogurt; leftovers and spinach salad for lunch; snack of cherries and goldfish; dinner at Cougar Country=chicken strips, burger, fries, milk for Abi, water for us.
Tuesday: Kashi cereal, leftover lunch with apple; dinner of homemade baked fish sticks (panko, tempura, cod) and broccoli with wasabi soy sauce, milk; wine and raspberries for mom and dad
Wednesday: Kashi cereal and juice; leftover lunch with apple; goldfish and apples snack; Picnic @ Sunnyside for dinner= hot dogs, soda, chips, fruit salad
Thursday: Kashi cereal, juice; broccoli, spinach, red pepper salad; snack of grapes and goldfish; Vietnamese-style garlic Shrimp, spicy fried rice made from leftover rice, coconut rice steamed, broccoli, steamed; peanut sauce, milk
Friday: Kashi cereal, 1 banana, 1 container yogurt; leftovers lunch with apple; goldfish crackers, juice, and grapes snack; Friday lollipop (1); chicken and bean enchiladas, green pepper and tomato Spanish rice made from leftover coconut steamed rice, strawberry milkshakes dessert
Saturday: cream of wheat with raisins for breakfast, juice; grapes, an apricot, goat cheese, 1 ½ PBJ’s on homemade bread, and crackers for lunch; tamale meat in leftover shrimp marinade with rice for dinner, milk
Sunday: 2 eggs with sausage crumbled in them; 5 homemade tamales for lunch(small), 3 graham crackers and juice for snack; broccoli red pepper chowder (meatless) with homemade bread for dinner

Cost Cutting

2008-07-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

We try to keep our grocery budget to a minimum, but a desire to reduce costs so we can spend more of our budget on travel has me looking to cut expenses again. I was using google to look at grocery budget information, and came across this. I thought it was really interesting. Follow the link to see what people from countries around the world eat in a week.

http://francismove.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-other-cultures-eat-in-week.html

I guess when I hear that families in x country live on $1 a day, it never sunk in that a family might consist of more than four people.

The Great School Swap

2008-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have discovered something about myself as we get ready to move. I always said I would never be like my grandmother, who rinsed every breadbag she ever had and kept piles of them under the kitchen sink, neatly folded. The thought of moving has brought the truth to light though.

I struggle with separation too.

Every piece of children's clothing Abi has worn is tucked away in boxes under the beds and in the closets. Now, as Lily outgrows these hand-me-downs I continue to save everything -- afterall, what if we have another child? Some clothing I know will never get worn, yet I continue to save some pieces which I can't think of giving to Goodwill in the hopes that I will have a friend that needs them. Some of the less treasured pieces were taken to a garage sale recently. I was dismayed as folks actually haggled on quality, bargain-priced children's clothing. After an entire day of work, I came home with $40 (roughly $4 an hour when I add up all the time spent).

The thought of moving everything to Salem in snowy December has motivated me to go through all of this treasured children's clothing. I'm saving just enough so that Lily will have about ten days worth of clothing in every size. For everything else, here's the solution. Two weeks before school starts I'm hosting a children's clothing swap. Parents can bring outgrown children's clothing, and swap it for clothing that will fit their children this school year. Anything that doesn't swap will be donated to charities that can benefit. I look forward to saving money on clothing for Abi, and to clearing out all of those boxes under the bed!

I got this swap idea from one I participated in during college. All of the girls in the house cleaned out closets and we hung all the clothing on hangers for everyone to sort through. I walked away with four really cute outfits, and we had a blast trying things on and "modeling" some pretty ridiculous outfits. Even though I contributed more than four outfits to the event, they were things I never wore, wheras I still wear two of the things I swapped for to this day! Less clutter, more cute. Next time you are due for a garage sale, consider opting for a swap instead!

Best reads for a long journey

2008-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for Abi to read. When I think of summer, my favorite childhood memory is swaying in the hammock under a shade tree with a good book while the breeze laps at the pages I read. One of the things that excites me most about our upcoming journey is thinking of ways to engage our children on the long boat passages that are a part of our journey when we cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. No phone calls, no TV, no trips to the grocery store or bank -- just lots of time to spend together.

I intend to spend much of that time reading with my kids. There is a library on the ship, but it doesn't have many children's books. So, I've already determined that I will purchase many books for our journey. I'm looking for books that are interesting to read over and over again, books that explain some of the things we will be seeing, and books that are intriguing, laugh out loud funny, or memorable in some other way.

Our local children's librarian helped us identify a few good books, and we've started a 'wishlist' of books to take on the journey. Do you have any suggestions for great children's books for a long journey? We would love to hear them!

Decisions

2008-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

How does a family decide to put everything they own into storage, leave family and friends behind, and engage in the international living experiment? Four years ago in August, we sailed with Semester at Sea. We were newly married, had no ties, and the voyage was sort of an ultimate honeymoon experience. Since then, we've had two kids and accumulated lots of stuff. We've been invited to sail again a few times now, but the timing never seemed right.

When Luke was offered a position for the Spring '09 voyage, it was eerily possible. We were ready to look for jobs closer to family, Luke had finished his Ph. D, our kids are old enough for travel, but not school age. Having the capability to say "yes" was equal parts terror and exhileration. On the one hand, we are *sailing around the world*, starting with a trip to the Bahamas in the middle of January. But saying "yes" means saying "no" to many things that really are just as wonderful: our stable, established lives in a community where we are loved and cared for; the possibility of moving closer to our families and friends; a physical place to call "home"; and for me, a job.

Our journey on Semester at Sea through 12 countries in 100 days begins on January 26th. But the journey from our stable, predictable life to a place that is yet to be determined has already begun.