Preserving the Past

What can I say? I'm a total sap. I'm sure if you looked up the word "sentimental" in the dictionary, my picture would be used as a reference. I've saved school pictures, letters, cards, origami-style notes and more because I like remembering people and meaningful events. Each item in my collection holds a memory. Some good, some bad, but all part of my life story. Every once in a while I'll go through this collection and throw away things that no longer have meaning- things that may have been important to me as a child, but I can no longer remember what they were for. It's good to clean house to keep the important things close and let go of the rest. This trip is giving us the opportunity to do just that.

Packing up our home for storage means sorting through these items. I have four different categories of mementos that were organized and boxed up this week- mine, my husbands, my kids, and our family history. I love family research and treasure those old black and white photos from days gone by. Documents like birth/marriage/death/baptism certificates give us clues we need to piece together the stories of our ancestors. It's so sad to run across old pictures of people at the antique store with no clue as to who they were or where they came from. Please make sure to write on the backs of your pictures if you are the keeper of these precious identities! Also, make sure to scan them so they can be enjoyed by the whole family for many years to come. There may be only one picture of "so-and-so" but with a database everyone can access, everyone gets to enjoy it and the original can remain safe.

Since these old pictures and documents are fragile, they must be handled and stored with care. The picture above is how I organized my genealogy research this week. I took advantage of some local sales on shoe boxes (specifically made to store photographs) and clear plastic bins . Then I got to work coating my floor with piles of paper and documents. Paper can get heavy quickly, so I made sure the bins were small enough to carry if full but big enough to keep everything together. Each bin contains one or two shoeboxes with labels on them for quick reference. There's also enough room in each bin for corresponding family history books and albums/pictures that are too large to fit in the shoeboxes.

Here's an example of the contents of one of the bins:

- Shoebox 1- Pictures of my fathers side of the family
- Shoebox 2- Pictures of my mothers side of the family
- Large photographs and documents
- 2 family history books that either mention or are about these families

After a lot of sorting, writing on the backs of pictures, and reorganizing, I can now find what I need quickly and efficiently. This system is perfect for storage because aside from being easily identifiable, the bins will keep everything dry and free of pests. It's also great because once we return I can take each bin and just place it back on the shelf for easy access. Functional AND sustainable. My favorite! :-)

Soap Box Note: While sorting through everything, sometimes you run across things that might mean more to someone else. Everyone has that family member who "inherits" everything and never wants to share. I implore you to not be that person. If you are blessed enough to be entrusted with these priceless heirlooms, then please make sure to keep what is precious to you and send the rest to the most relevant people. Space will be freed up for you, but more importantly, you are giving a gift to someone who will treasure it. You really don't need 5 copies of your great grandfathers photograph if you have siblings and cousins. You really don't need your uncles' report cards if you know his family would take care of them and appreciate them more.

My great aunt sent me my grandparents marriage certificate a while ago. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that she trusted me with it. It has now been scanned for our whole family to reference and enjoy while the original is safely stored. On that same note, I've spent this past week sending envelopes filled with pictures to other family members because those pictures rightfully belong in their hands. In sharing, everyone benefits. Also, you just never know if you might have the key to someone else's mystery. Something to think about.

- Jen

Being Productive and Dying of Boredom

Today is the last day of "Second Winter Break" and I'm happy to report that everyone is FINALLY fever free! Believe me, after two weeks on the couch, the kids are eager for a change of scenery. Our youngest came down with the fever last week, a few days after we celebrated his half-birthday. He has a summer birthday and since he's the only one who will be celebrating two birthdays away from home, we said he could have a half-birthday party. He had a great time and felt special with so many friends helping him commemorate his upcoming transition to double-digits. One friend even gave him a Lego travel trailer set. How fun is that?!

Last weekend we also received the call that the tile was ready, so we braved the rain and picked it up even though my husband still felt crummy (he's not one to sit around unless he's on death's doorstep).  We went with a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone for the floor. I'm excited to show you when it's finished! Once the floor is in, we'll be ready for the shower tile and cabinets. It's amazing, and a little scary, how fast the time is going and how much we have left to do.

In anticipation for our trip I've also been stepping back from various volunteer roles. One role, as Washington State Junior Membership Chairman for the DAR, will be finished in May. That's D.A.R., not dar. It stands for the Daughters of the American Revolution. My final state report was due to the National Chairman this week, so I finished that and was able to send it in on time (phew!). In case you are wondering, a Junior is a member between the ages of 18 and 35. These women are involved in all sorts of wonderful activities serving their communities. If you're not familiar with the DAR, you can check out our website at www.dar.org

Overall, it's been a productive but "booooooooooring" break from school (according to the kids). I hope you've all managed to avoid the yuck and are doing well. Back in the saddle again next week!

- Jen

Deconstruction and Decongestant

Last weekend we made the decision to remodel the kids' bathroom. It was dated and didn't flow well (the space, not the water ;-)). You know that room you always plan to change but it ends up being the last one you get to. Yeah, it's that room. We discussed our plan of action and visited the tile store. After looking at hundreds of samples, laying them out all over the showroom floor, and finally placing the order, we happily headed home to start prepping the space.

Remember how I told you that my husband can do just about anything? Well, he can. And so he got to work deconstructing the bathroom to get it ready for the new shipment of tile and vanity/sink that are on the way. Existing tile was broken up, the counter/sink/cabinet were removed, and sheetrock was ripped out. It was quite a sight to behold. Dust was flying everywhere in the room, deafening cracks rang out as he broke apart the tile..... and then there was the debris. So. Much. Debris. Luckily, he has a wife who is happy to help. And so I hauled away bucket load after bucket load.

Here is a picture of the bathroom as it stands now. The lighting will be much better when there's something worth seeing. We will be taking out those beams you see in the center of the room to open the space up. One of the past owners separated the toilet/shower area from the vanity/sink area so their kids could get ready for school at the same time. Functional for them, not so much for us. So, the space will become one room again and we can't wait!

Along with demolishing the bathroom, Sunday brought with it that nasty virus that has kept my two oldest kids on the couch all week with fevers, congestion, and general yuck. Doesn't it just figure that the minute we render a bathroom unusable, someone gets sick?!  Apparently there are lots of sick kids at the moment, so teachers have gone easy on the make-up homework assignments (which we are grateful for). We have second winter break next week which should give our kids enough time to get better and catch up. My dear husband came home with the virus last night, so we'll be taking a break from bathroom work.

As a side note, I have a shameless plug. I've also had an online Thirty-One Gifts party over the past week and it ends tomorrow, February 13th. If you are interested in beautiful organization and storage solutions as well as stylish bags and jewelry, let me know and I'll be more than happy to send you the link. My sister in law is a consultant and she's in the process of trying to buy a house, so I'm hosting a party for her to help grow her business. That, plus I have my eye on a few things for our trip and the hostess credits will help me with those. :-)  I love their products and you will too (trust me!) Come on by and check it out!

- Jen

Education and Roadschooling

This year I've been homeschooling our youngest son (9). It's been a series of experiments to see what does and doesn't work for him. Some things have worked right off the bat and others we labored at until I realized it was time to abandon the original plan and try something else. We have our good days and our not-so-good days. Overall though, I think it's been the best thing we've done this year. Don't get me wrong. I love the elementary school our kids have grown up in. The teachers are wonderful and we have a supportive community with many resources. As a parent, though, it's my responsibility to be paying attention to my child and what he needs to help him succeed for the future. This year he needed to explore and grow at his own pace and in a different environment. Rather than tell you about the challenges, I'd like to tell you about a few of the successes.

In September we started swim lessons. He HATED getting his face wet. New things can be scary and until this year he just wasn't ready to "take the plunge". Fast forward to today- he's swimming laps! I can't even begin to describe the joy and pride that fills his face when it's time to go to the pool. Being able to take lessons when everyone else is at school has made all the difference. It's quieter and there is a seniors aquatics class at the same time. My little guy has become buddies with all the "grandpa's" and he loves it! In everyday life we interact with people of all ages so I think it's wonderful that he's able to experience this time with them. It gives him an opportunity to form relationships and learn from others who have lived longer and have valuable information to impart. How much we miss when we only interact with people who are most like us (age, gender, skin color, background).

Our son is also becoming more aware of self-management and how to apply what he's learning to every day life. He recognizes the difference in how much better he can focus when we're in our quiet home sitting at the table for schoolwork, as opposed to somewhere busier and full of new things to look at. Math has never been a problem for him but now he's exploring how you can get creative with it, like in cooking! Last week he made delicious brownies for my quilt group without any help from me. He was so proud of himself! He's learning to read and write cursive which is important in signing documents to distinguish yourself from others. This year he even learned how to address envelopes. It may sound like a silly little thing, but I was shocked to learn my middle school age children had no idea how to do it.

This sweet boy can now pronounce his R sounds, thanks to the fantastic speech therapist he's been seeing while his siblings are at school. We are able to see plays, visit museums, read books, meet with other homeschooled kids at the park, and just "be" instead of rushing from one thing to the next, worrying how we're going to fit it all in before we collapse at bedtime. If he needs a nap one day, he's able to take one. It's made a huge difference. I now feel like I can handle roadschooling all three next year without the overwhelming self-doubt that can come from jumping into the unknown of homeschooling after traditional schooling. Believe me, there are days when I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. There are days when I feel like we've done nothing and I'm failing him. Don't make the mistake of thinking our life is all roses and sunshine. The thing that keeps me going is looking at the progress he's made in the past six months and how much he's learning about himself and his own capabilities. I have no doubt it's giving him the confidence he will need on his journey into manhood to stand up for what he believes in and to know that he's able to do so much more than what someone else might say. Hopefully, it's also teaching him empathy for others and to realize that there is a lot to learn no matter what age you are.

When we return for the 2017-2018 school year, we'll reassess where we are education-wise. Most likely, our kids will return to the local schools. Since our oldest will be in high school, we need to plan ahead for the credits he'll need to be on track with his peers. We also need to be aware of the laws regarding education in each state as we travel. The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a valuable resource for this. http://www.hslda.org/  We'll also be working with the local high school so our son can transition seamlessly. We have every confidence that all three kids will return with a better understanding of the country we live in and the world around them. It's an exciting opportunity and I can't wait to see what unexpected gems we pick up along the way!

- Jen