The Grand Finale!

Fifteen months ago we embarked on our Great Family Adventure and now I am thrilled to report that WE ARE FINALLY BACK HOME!! HOORAY!!!! The renters have moved, so let the dogs run free and the unpacking ensue! We're all excited and I'm more than a little curious to see what sorts of things we'll uncover that I've forgotten about along the way..... 

After returning to our first blog post, I can happily confirm that we've achieved every goal and have come a long way. A VERY long way. In fact, I think the best way to conclude this blog is with a recap of the highlights, so here goes!

 

We:  

- Drove about 45,000 miles. (That's almost double the circumference of the earth!!)

- Are on our third set of tires for a car that is less than 2 years old.

- Had one flat tire (on the loneliest highway in America of all places...)

- Visited all four corners of the American roads system.

- Drove the entire length of both the Alcan and Dalton Highways.

- Drove the full length of the Alaska Pipeline.
- Slept in the barracks of oil workers on The North Slope.

- Drove through six time zones.

- Experienced 24 hour sunlight.
- Visited 43 states and 8 Canadian provinces. 

- Spent the night in 25 states.

- Walked on arctic tundra.

- Walked on Matanuska Glacier.
- Tasted glacial ice in our drinks after it had been fished out of the water in Prince William Sound.

- Waded in the Arctic Ocean. 

- Waded in Chena Hot Springs.

- Our oldest son flew a plane over Knick Glacier.

- Our youngest son drove a boat in the Everglades and rode on a camel.

- Were pulled by an Iditarod sled dog team.

- Witnessed the Aurora Borealis in it's full glory.

- Saw people surfing the Alaska Bore Tides.

- Learned how to use an authentic Eskimo Yo-Yo.

- Saw the tallest mountains in North America.

- Met and learned from Native people all over the continent.

- Visited long-unseen family from all four branches, in both the U.S. and Canada.

- Visited Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and quilters all over North America.

- Visited as many national parks as possible, both American and Canadian, during significant anniversaries.

- Saw the following animals in the wild: Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Deer, Caribou/Reindeer, Moose, Javelina, Alligator, Eagle, Dall Sheep, Bison, Elk, Fox, Rabbit and Hare, Porcupine, Hawk, Squirrel, Coyote, Sandhill Crane, Loon, Bighorn Sheep, Raven, Crow, Seagull, Swan, Canadian Geese, Puffins, Seal, Whale, Cow, Musk Ox, Mountain Goats, Antelope, Ibis, Dolphin, Osprey, Pelican, Iguana, Chicken, Manatee (okay, this one was in a zoo of sorts, but we did see their natural habitat in person!), Peacock, Snake, and so many more!

- Learned about things like geothermal energy first-hand (Chena Hot Springs, Yellowstone...). 

- Visited as many farmers markets as possible and tried many new regional foods (Square ice cream? Honeyberries? Pinon Nuts? Conch?).

- Got library cards and checked out books in each location we stayed (except Maine). 

- Crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge and drove through a tree.
- Taught the kids about politics while watching a very controversial presidential election.

- Saw a cattle drive.

- Stood in four states at once.

- Visited cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. 

- Saw a cactus forest.
- Visited an "energy vortex".

- Participated in The Festival of Lights. 

- Experienced snow in Arizona.

- Visited vast canyons, giant rock formations, giant waterfalls, and a giant meteor crater.

- Drove Historic Route 66.

- Took a left at Albuquerque.  

- Slept by a graveyard.

- Ate beignets and drank chicory café au lait at Café du Monde.

- Witnessed a NASA Atlas 5 rocket launch in person. 

- Had a nasty encounter with fire ants.

- Had season passes for Disney World.

- Ate Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys.

- Discovered there's no such place as Kokomo. 

- Swam in the ocean.

- Saw real-life mermaids eating and drinking under water.

- Met an author and drove by Stephen King's house.
- Met an Olympian. 

- Visited lots of cheesy tourist attractions.

- Drove UNDER a body of water.

- Were chased by a snow storm.

- Ate a Boston Cream Donut at Dunkin' Donuts in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Had lunch at the original Wahlburgers location in Hingham, Massachusetts.

- Saw frozen lakes.

- Walked through a covered bridge.

- Watched the process of making both birch and maple syrups.

- Tasted the first candy to be commercially sold in America (No, not the ACTUAL candy!). 

- Visited lighthouses.

- Visited a working Shaker Village where the last two actual Shakers live.

- Visited Prince Edward Island and Green Gables. 

- Found Oak Island.

- Visited Civil War battlefields and stayed in a haunted(?) house.

- Toured America's Capitol. 

- Visited the Canadian capital during Canada's 150th Anniversary.

- Were detained at a border crossing.

- Watched a race at Churchill Downs.

- Explored the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

- Ate a Kentucky Hot Brown at the Brown Hotel.

- Ate Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky (It tasted the same).

- Found Col Sanders grave.

- Watched the making of a Louisville Slugger in person.
- Lost 1 credit card and a drivers license.

- Bought boots in Nashville. 

- Attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry (wearing said boots).

- Drove through Rocky Top, Tennessee while singing "Rocky Top Tennessee".
- Ran moonshine across state lines.

- Saw a life-size replica of Noah's Arc.

- Experienced a total solar eclipse.
- Said goodbye to a loved one and celebrated the graduation and wedding of two more. 

- Homeschooled all three of our children for a year....and survived!

- All five of us (plus two dogs) lived in a hotel room for one month...and survived!
- Reached over 30,000 hits on this blog, and saw it through to the end. <3

We'd like to thank to each and every one of you for following along on our Great Family Adventure. May life bring you many wonderful adventures of your own! Who knows? We may be reading about YOU one day!

With much gratitude, this is the Schmidt Family signing off!

Secret Caverns and Hot Chicken

On Friday I finally gave in to my computer and clicked the "Update and Restart" prompt. I waited for what seemed like hours for my computer to do its thing. When it was finally ready I tried to open my browser of choice to write the blog entry, and what happened? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The browser refused to open. Not only that but a few picture folders had magically disappeared. Being that it was Friday and I didn't have time to fiddle with it, I tried to open another browser. Apparently my cookies weren't properly enabled in that one. So, instead of throwing a tantrum and smashing my laptop I turned off my computer and enjoyed a movie with the kiddo's.

Fast forward to today and the problems have been fixed. Hooray! It may be a few days late but trust me, this post was written in much better spirits than it would have been on Friday. It's just as well because we're going to Tennessee this weekend and the next update will be posted the following Tuesday also. If this trip has taught me anything it's that it's okay to remain flexible and switch things up from time to time. Now, on with the show!

One of the requirements of homeschooling in Washington State is that the students have to complete one of the state approved tests for our records. There are several to choose from, but only one can be completed entirely online, the California Achievement Test or CAT for short. Each student completes the test on their own and then we submit the test together. Within minutes, the results are emailed back.

I have to say, I was really impressed with the whole process. The test wasn't timed, so each child could take their time and really think about their answers. I feel like this gave them a chance to show what they know instead of how fast they can work under pressure. It's a fairly lengthy test and it was also nice that the student could pause and save their progress for lunch or bathroom breaks. I'm pleased (and relieved) to report that they all did great! Now I have to finish typing up transcripts so we can petition the school district for the corresponding high school credits for our oldest son.

You may be interested to learn that just as we have the prerogative to homeschool our children, any school in our district has the prerogative to reject all home-based education credits if we decide to attend their school. This means our oldest son would have to complete all four years of high school in three years time to graduate with his classmates in 2020- a daunting task to say the least. He's fifteen so we feel that he should be the one directing his education at this point. He has chosen to reenter the public school system. Now it's up to us to gather as much information as we can to prove our son did the work and knows his stuff. We'll see what happens but if you feel so inclined, a prayer on his behalf would be greatly appreciated...

We only have two weeks left here in Kentucky. That doesn't leave us much time to pack in all the places we want to see, but we'll sure try! A few weekends ago we visited the Louisville Mega Cavern, which is unlike any other place we've ever been. It's an ENORMOUS cavern built under the limestone layers of Louisville. It's opened year-round and tours are available. You can also ride your bike or try out their ropes courses, zip line, and more.

The entrances are large enough for cement trucks to fit through. The Mega cavern is one of the largest green facilities in Kentucky and when a cement truck has cement left over, they bring it here and use it to pave the roads in the cavern. 

Those pillars are at regular intervals throughout the cavern to maintain structural integrity.

This is where they keep all the road salt for winter. That's a lot of salt! 

Stalactites are slowly forming 

The cavern was originally a limestone quarry and in the 1960's it was set aside by the government as a fall-out shelter for the Cuban Missile Crisis. Check out this eerie representation of what it might have been like for the survivors....for a while. The government didn't take into account the radiation coming in through the drinking water. Most of the average Louisville population at that time didn't even know this cavern existed which amazes me because it covers almost 100 acres underground! I encourage you to check out the link to their website for more info.

Limestone is formed over a long period of time under oceans.You can see fossils in the ceiling. Weird and cool all at the same time.  

They do a lot of recycling of paper in the cavern (food would smell too bad). The tour guide showed us their worm farm...and then she ate a worm! Apparently she does that for every tour. I guess that's one way to get your daily allowance of protein... 

The cavern is so big that it houses a storage facility and there's still a TON of unused space!

For Christmas, bus loads of people drive through the cavern for an underground lights display. 

The Louisville Zoo was another place we visited and it happens to sit right above the Mega Cavern. The kids had fun running around and seeing all the animals. My favorite part was seeing the baby gorilla. SO cute!!

Southern White Rhinoceros

African Elephant

Our youngest son took a ride on a Domedary Camel. He said it was soft.

Giraffe 

Just look at that sweet baby gorilla! It was swinging all over the place and momma was always close by. 

A Silverback Gorilla decided to sit next to our daughter for a while. I wonder if it was the one who likes to take selfies?

A Polar Bear, not in the arctic, but in Kentucky!

We walked through the Wallaby area where they could hop right up next to you with no separation!

Here's our oldest with one. 

Black Piranha's are HUGE! 

We also saw an Albino Alligator. 

After our trip to the zoo, we stopped off for lunch. I know the rest of the world thinks of Kentucky Fried Chicken when they think of Kentucky. That's all fine and good for fast food, but if you want a REAL taste of the South then you don't have to go far. The Louisville food scene is amazing and the local chefs can stand up to restaurants in NYC or other big cities any day of the week. So if you're looking for juicy, crisp, perfectly seasoned fried chicken, all you have to do is go to a place like Joella's or Royals Hot Chicken. Add an Ale-8-One and you're all set!

Royals Hot Chicken Sandwich with a Coke Float. You can always find a few pickles on top of the sandwich. 

This is the mural outside of Royals. We came at a great time because there's always a line out the door. 

See what I mean?

 And this is Joella's Hot Chicken Sandwich. Yuuuuuuum!

Our last stop this week is the Kentucky Science Center. It's really well put together and includes a lot of interactive exhibits as well as a museum area. I feel like I learned as much as the kids did. We had fun and if you're ever in town, I recommend checking it out. It's nice when everyone in the family can participate and learn together.

People can stand inside a giant bubble of their own making.

Fun with dry ice.

One of the exhibits in the Science of Sound area. I bet some of you will recognize these. 

Art not made BY paint brushes, but OF paint brushes. :-) Love it!

Creating a model to launch

It's not every day you can see a sarcophagus deconstructed.

Fun with electricity

I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer or winter, depending on where you're reading this. I'll be sure to check in again next week after our Tennessee adventures. Until then, take care and be careful when your computer tells you to "Update and Restart."

- Jen

Inaguration Day

With a title like that you might think this is a political post. Nope. It's just a marker of what today is here in the United States. This blog is about our adventure after all. I will say this, though; whether you're happy or upset about our new President, I hope all the Americans reading this exercised their right to vote last Fall!

Now that we're in the southeast, we've been adjusting to a new schedule and climate. We've all been a little thrown off with my husband working Pacific hours while we're in the Atlantic time zone. Normally the kids and I start school at 9:30am while my husband is in the throws of conference calls and other work-related activities. That way we can focus and be ready to relax by the time he's finished in the evening. With the new schedule he works in the afternoon/evening so we've been spending time together and running errands in the morning instead, and starting school in the afternoon. It's a little harder to get focused (and get this blog posted on time) after so many other activities, but we're making it work. We knew this adjustment was inevitable, but living it is slightly different than anticipated. Not bad, just different. I suppose you'd say it's teaching us all to stay flexible and focus on what's important.

The temperatures here in central Florida have been consistantly between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty perfect if you ask me! The kids have been swimming every day and we've even been able to visit Disney World.

Our house is pretty close to all the local attractions, which is fun, but it's also not far from orange groves and great farmers markets. Snowbirds, as well as Brits and Canadians, flock to this area every winter. As a result, you can find a pub on just about every corner and tons of British products on the shelves at the local grocery store. So far everyone has been very friendly and interesting.

Because central Florida relies so heavily on tourism, strip malls and souvenir shops line the main roads for miles. If you want to get into the "Real Florida," you have to be deliberate about driving into the smaller towns and surrounding areas. Another result of having so many tourists, is that you can't receive mail at the short-term rental houses. So just like in Sedona, we had to visit the post office to set up a P.O. Box for the duration of our stay. Fortunately, it's not Christmas, so I don't need to visit the Post Office to catch packages on a daily basis.

NASA has a site at Cape Canaveral, which isn't far from us either. We've been keeping an eye on the launch schedule and were excited to see the Atlas 5 rocket was scheduled for this week. So, last night we headed to a spot near Port Canaveral to watch. We showed up early for a good vantage point and were all ready to go. Unfortunately, after waiting through the launch window, it was rescheduled for tonight due to a sensor problem and a plane that got too close to the airspace. So, we're back here to try again. This is how it looks from where we are at the moment. See that tiny white dot? That's the rocket!

This time I'm wearing my boots. Why? Because last night I wore sandals and our primo vantage point ended up being on top of a fire ant colony. Word to the wise: Don't mess with fire ants! OUCH!

- Jen

P.S. UPDATE! We just got back from the Launch and it was a success! It was so cool to be parked at the side of the road by the water with hundreds of other people. We all counted down and watched the rocket launch and fly through the sky. It felt like a minute passed before we heard it and felt the vibrations against the car. We saw it separate and all stood to watch it fade from sight. A-MAZING!

An Update From The Kids

Next Friday we leave for Arizona and the third leg of our adventure (didn't we just get here?!). I'll try to post an update from the road. As for today, our family sends a big thank you to all the veterans who have served our country!

Since we left home we've received a lot of support, and also a lot of questions. One question we get often is "But what do the kids think?" Good question! Let's ask them. After our presidential election this week, I think we're all ready for something new to read.

Everything from here on out is all them. They like to keep it real. ;-) Also, keep in mind this is their first time away from the traditional school environment.

Enjoy!

- Jen

Oldest son (15- Freshman): "I am not a big fan of the trip in most ways, however I'm glad I got to fly a plane in Alaska. I am looking forward to going to Disney World in Florida in a couple of months. What I'm really looking forward to is going to high school in Washington when I get back because so far I've noticed that normal school is more fun than homeschooling. Plus, I get to see my friends."

Daughter (13- 7th Grade): "At first, I thought this trip was awful! Then we went to Chena Hot Springs in Alaska, which was exciting. Now this trip is tolerable. Chena Hot Springs was probably the best part of the trip so far because I rode a horse named Coby on a trail.

Since we had a family emergency while here in Idaho, we haven't seen everything. But if you do come to Victor or Driggs, here are places we went that I would recommend:

- The Corner Drug Store- It has a soda fountain.
- The Spud (I think that's it's name)- It's a drive-in theater.
- The Library
- Wildlife Brewing Company- It has awesome food!
- Or just going for a drive- The houses on the way to the dump (Yes, the dump!) look really cool and I think you would like them too!"

Youngest son (10- 4th Grade): "We've sort of been having fun in Idaho. We had fun at the Museum of Idaho. We went to the movies to go see Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children in Idaho Falls. We went to Driggs for groceries (my brother calls it Drugs). We also went to Blackfoot to drop off our dogs while we were in California. The house here in Victor seems like part of a mansion."  

Q+4=3Q-6

I always "knew" I was a mediocre student. I was never "advanced enough" to participate in programs like G.A.T.E (Gifted And Talented Education) and AP classes. At the library, the Dewey Decimal System might as well have been a foreign spy language as far as I was concerned. It took me two years to get through Algebra 1 in high school, and even then I didn't pass! I found creative writing difficult and it became one of those things I believed was only for the "gifted kids." In other words- not me.

As I grew older, my behavior went downhill and I stepped into the roles of "class clown" and later "rebel" because that's were I felt like I fit best. After all, I wasn't sporty, my family couldn't afford the trendy clothes, and I wasn't a "smart kid." What was left? Sounds like a pity party, right? My reasoning was flawed, to be sure. Fortunately, my perspective began to change when my sophomore science teacher saw my potential. He recommended me for a one-day event for "Future Leaders" that you were only invited to if a teacher submitted your name specifically. This one vote of confidence completely changed the trajectory of my life. I wish I could tell him how profoundly it impacted me.

My behavior and aspirations improved after that but it wasn't until after I had graduated from high school and was a few months into my new job that I started to break free from believing the lie that I was just "mediocre". I began to realize the standards I felt trapped by in school were not the same standards of the outside world. People began to ask me to do things- and I did them well! So well, in fact, that I was quickly promoted several times over. I started to realize that I am intelligent. I am capable. I am able. I really can do the things I set my mind to!

After this initial epiphany, the world seemed to open up. Education took on a whole new definition. No longer was it a prison that I was confined to until graduation- instead it was an opportunity and a gift. I suddenly felt empowered and confident in taking on the role of leader in many of the organizations I had joined. I was making connections with people I respected and admired and was no longer intimidated by them and their "superiority". Instead, I saw that we were just "differently abled" and all our abilities worked together to compliment each other.

I wish that kind of realization happened for everyone. The truth is that we all have things we excel at. The trick is finding the right tools and mentors who will take the time to help us explore those things. Take the math problem in the title of this post. At one time I would have told you "Math is hard" and "I can't do that." Defeated-sounding statements, right? Well, you won't hear those words from me anymore! Because of the learning we're doing this year, I know that I can, and my kids can, learn and excel in subjects that once eluded us! Sure, my blog posts are coming a little later in the day now, but it's a small price to pay for helping them reach that "a-ha moment" and having that same moment, myself!

Since we began this adventure I've been asked, "How are you going to teach that subject if you don't have a degree?" Because of my earlier experiences I may have been daunted by this question. Fortunately for me, there are people who do have degrees, and the passion for teaching, who have put together curriculum specifically designed to be easily understood. This makes learning just about anything you want attainable and user-friendly, which empowers us all.

To learn more about the available options, you can visit your state's local homeschool conference. We went to the one presented by the Washington Homeschool Organization. It's a big convention that happens once a year where you can take classes, meet with other homeschoolers, and browse the booths. People present everything from ways to learn with Minecraft, to standardized co-ops, to Amish plain books with minimal pictures. Even if you attend a school and just need a little extra help, resources are available for you. Math was the more difficult subject for me, so I decided to focus on finding a curriculum for that subject first. Math-U-See by Demme Learning was what the kids and I ended up agreeing on. 

This is my daughter doing her work with our dog, Jasper, affectionately known as "The Little Professor."

This particular curriculum is very logical and you only move on to the next lesson or book when you're well versed in the previous one. That way every student has a firm grasp of the basics before they move on to the more abstract problems. For us, this makes EVERYTHING easier to understand. I'm actually finding math to be fun and it's a joy to watch my kids "get-it" without frustration and tears. We have the ability to work on each lesson until it "clicks" instead of racing through everything to keep up with the lesson plan. I feel confident that they are learning and that I'm doing just fine teaching them. It's exciting!

Here's a snapshot of what we're working with in case you're interested. If not, you can skip to the pictures below.

Student:
- 1 Textbook per subject  (Example: Algebra)
* Lessons are broken into short sections (Example: A, B, C, D, E, F) and an optional extra page if everything else in that lesson was understood easily and the student is ready for something a big more tricky before taking their test.

- CD with a teacher teaching each lesson on screen. You choose the lesson from a scene selection list.

- Manipulative blocks that can be used with every lesson so the student is able to watch the lesson, use the manipulatives to actually see what that problem looks like with real objects before writing down their answer. This reinforces everything they're learning and helps it "stick." As you move on to fractions and decimals, you get a new set of manipulatives that accompany the first set.

Teacher (me):
- 1 teacher book containing a short section on how to teach each lesson and the answers for all the lessons and tests.

- 1 test book containing a short test for each lesson and unit.

- Phone number for support if you have gone through everything and still don't completely understand how they came to the answer in the teacher book.

That's it! And so far, I'm happy to report that everything is going great!

Along with all our travels to new regions, we've started visiting galleries to check out different kinds of art. Jackson Hole has quite a few galleries, so last weekend we started exploring them.  At one we even met a featured artist! Here are a some examples of what we saw.

"Femme au Chapeau" 1962 by Pablo Picasso.

"Edudes 1945" by Pablo Picasso

 I love this series! It's what the rain looks like when it's crossing the valley in front of our house. This painting is HUGE!

These two are right up my alley! Vintage Yellowstone and Tetons.

The kids were able to look up information about paintings at a digital kiosk in one of the galleries.

 This mixed-media collage by Kaoru Mansour called "Bottle Brush #116" is beautiful!

I'm a sucker for Norman Rockwell. The detail in his paintings is amazing! Here are a few pieces we saw at Heather James Fine Art. You can find more information on their website here. I was really excited to find out they were still on display!!

"Girl Scouts" Life Magazine Cover 1924

 "Two Old Men and Dog (Checkers)" 1950
Those expressions look like me and my husband playing games!

This one is called "Pregnant Woman Drinking Tea" 1958 but I must be missing some cultural reference from the time because nothing about her says "pregnant" to me. Do you see a bump?

Dodge Brothers Motor Cars ad "Couple's 25th Wedding Anniversary" 1925

These two speak to me. I know, I'm a sap. I just love them.

"The Violinist and his Assistant" by J.C. Leyendecker

 Oh, the details!

The weather has continued to surprise us. We spent part of Monday evening in the furnace room because of a tornado warning. The temperatures have also plummeted and the snow has made an appearance. In celebration, the younger two made a mini snowman while the older one became the fire master.

With the current national weather, I hope everyone is safe and sound! Have a great week!

- Jen

P.S. The answer to the title is "5"- the amount of people in our family. :-)