Tag Archives: travel

Five Things I learned about taking your children snow skiing for the first time…

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(1) Your first glimpse of the mountains will be more exciting than the last time you saw them (because this time you are going to ski down one!

(2) The closer you get, the more amazing the mountains will be. (Side note: people who get carsick should sit where they can see out the front window the best – in the front if you are an adult or in the middle of the back if you are in a carseat.)

(3) You will all look like cute little bundles of winter clothes – ask a nice stranger to take your picture.

(4) Remind your husband to take some pictures; he is actually much better at photography than you are.

(4b) There is nothing cuter than your honey and your littlest riding up the lift together.

(5) Put your children in ski school. They will be able to do this after a day (and a half):

How To Find A Lost Pet

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During our trip to the Rocky Mountains over New Year’s, our sweet dog Lola ran away from her pet sitters. It was an experience I am not eager to ever repeat (nor are our friends, the sitters, who may have been even more sick and worried than we were).

Lola with the boys on the first night after we adopted her from the shelter.

If you have lost your pet and are looking for ways to help reunite, I have compiled a list of useful tips, ideas and actions you can take to help find your missing family member. I received a great deal of support when Lola was missing; most of these ideas came from people who helped us.

Lola was four when she came to live with us, and Shooter was seven.

* Create a flyer with your pet’s information on it. Have a clear photo, LOST in bold letters, along with a short description of your pet, microchip information, area last seen, and how to contact you. My dear friend did this for me, and after having hundreds of them made she realized she wanted to include more contact information. So she wrote additional numbers on every single copy. That, I tell you, is a VERY GOOD FREIND (with a very sore hand).

From the very beginning, Lola fit right in with these rough-and-tumble farm kids.

* Notify all area shelters, the animal control, veterinarians, police and fire stations. Hand-delivering flyers is the best way to be sure your pet is reported missing, that these facilities have the correct contact information, and that they will be able to recognize your pet when he/she is found.

Her nighttime routine involves waiting patiently for Farmer Boy to fall asleep. Then she will move to a more comfortable spot at the foot of his bed.

She has been a nighttime caretaker for any child who is sick or scared. Waking from fever or bad dreams always led to a quiet, furry friend appearing beside Mommy to see what was wrong.

* Canvas the area your pet was last seen. Post your flyer anywhere you can. Give copies of your flyer to people in the area. Everyone was very helpful and willing to listen when we were looking for Lola. In fact, a jogger in the area was the person who connected us with the woman who found our dog.

Sometimes I forget how little the children were when she came to be a part of our family…

* Utilize social media in any way that you can. I posted a photo and information about my dog on Facebook. Many of my friends shared the status update and soon Lola was making her way around the internet. I also found a great deal of emotional support and many new ideas for finding our dog from contacts on Facebook once they saw the update.

My Little Cowgirl doesn’t even remember a time before Lola.

* Keep going back to the last place your pet was seen. Eventually, that is where Lola was found. If your dog has a bed or blanket, leave it in the area with a laminated flyer attached to it. If you don’t have any bedding, leave an old shirt or other piece of clothing that you have worn so that it carries your scent. If your pet finds the item, it is likely that your pet will keep coming back to it.

Farmer Boy is visibly upset when we even mention that she isn’t as young as she used to be.

* Sign up with pet finding networks. Lola appeared on PetHarbor, Lost a Dog, Stray Pet Alert, and a Facebook page dedicated to missing pets in Colorado. These services provided some piece of mind for me, and they reduced a great deal of leg work someone would have spent delivering flyers to places that could receive all the same information in electronic form.

She loves being outside as much as the children do.

* Place an advertisement in local newspapers. Several papers in the area we were vacationing printed lost pet ads free-of-charge.

Lola loves a good hike, a new adventure.

* Don’t give up hope. I gave up hope every time we failed to find her in another search location. Each new place we searched left me feeling completely desolate when we turned up empty-handed. Each time we began again in a new area, I was certain we would find her. It was a ridiculous emotional roller coaster. But I kept hearing stories of pets that were found days, weeks, even months after they had gone missing.

Lola is always a willing participant in the life of our family.

* Keep perspective. As much as I love my dog, and as heartbroken as we all would have been if we hadn’t found her, she is still a dog and not a person. I wasn’t missing one of my children. I cannot count how many times My Farmer and I said to each other “imagine if this were our child…how do parents survive when their child is missing?”

As hard as it was to face the idea of never seeing her again, it was much harder to face the idea of breaking that news to my children.

* Lean on others. We were fortunate to have My Farmer’s brother and his family with us. They went far above the call of duty to keep our children happy, distracted and safe while we searched for Lola. My sister trolled the web and made phone calls from hundreds of miles away. Some of my closest girlfriends tore up the internet finding and signing Lola up on the lost pet sites. Our friends who were pet sitting when Lola ran away probably got less sleep then the dog did during the three nights she was gone; they spent every possible second looking for her. And My Farmer and I also had each other. In crisis, I am always reminded what a great team we are, and how very blessed I am that God made us for each other.

Furry family members give us so much love.

I hope you have a happy ending like we did; don’t give up!

We are so grateful to have her back with us, and for all she has contributed to our family in the past five years.

A new friend on Facebook (who sent us loads of great advice and encouragement after seeing out story on a mutual friend’s page) also shared an idea she puts into practice since going through losing her own dog on vacation (who was found after nine days!). Keep a “lost pet” kit in your vehicle with an extra collar and leash, some treats, and the phone number and hours of your local shelter. You can be the hero to a family waiting, hoping and praying to find their missing friend!

Everything is back to normal around here now, thank you everyone for all your help, advice, thoughts and prayers.


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Things I learned on our most recent Road Trip with Kids

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(1) Do not leave for a trip the morning after a Red-Neck New-Years 40th-Birthday Party when you were not the DD.

Yes, that is me singing karaoke wearing a bra that shows under my tank, feather earrings, a hunter’s hat and a (fake) tattoo. Also not pictured are the cammo army pants, belt with my name on the back, and shotgun. All redneck party items came from my own closet, thank you.

(2) Even if you have been identifying with the Libertarian Party and their principles, sometimes the 1980s reruns of “The Dukes of Hazard” are more intense than you bargained for, but they can sure help pass a 500-mile drive.

Oh NO! Will they get away from Boss Hog’s evil plan?!

(3) If there is an American Girl Doll store where you are going, and your daughter has an American Girl Doll, you should take her there despite your feelings about the expensive items. It will be fun and there will be a doll she will want her picture with.

A skiing American Girl Doll! Little Cowgirl used some Christmas money to buy her own doll a pair of pink eye glasses. No, I don’t know why aside from the fact that they may have been the only thing she could afford in the store besides a pair of doll panties.

(4) Do not brag about your dog to the people who have offered to watch her. Do not talk about her subservient nature and obedience training. She will run away and make you look like a complete ass hat.

(5) When your dog disappears in a large, strange, metropolitan area do everything you can to find her. Support your friends who she ran away from who are doing everything they can to find her. Sign up with lost pet sites, notify all the authorities and shelters, notify your veterinarian and microchip provider. When the flyers your friend napalmed the area with find your dog, take them champaign.

It will be worth all the effort in the end.

I am working on a post as a resource for owners who have lost a pet. I was fortunate to have so much help, and I’d like to pay it forward.

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Surprise Vacation, Day 5

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After leaving Saint Louis, we had a beautiful drive across Missouri. Our final stop before home was Fort Scott, Kansas.

Fort Scott was a Frontier Army Fort, then a Civil War Fort where Union supplies were held and Union Soldiers were trained.

There were far more buildings and displays then I ever expected. If you are within driving distance of Fort Scott, Kansas, I would encourage you to make a trip there. We spent four hours touring the buildings and learning about so much of that time period in Kansas.

A volunteer dressed as a Frontier Army soldier from the 1840s told us all about his weapon after the small fire arms demonstration.

Another volunteer posing as a Union Soldier talks with us about the Civil War, the first ever black regiment in that war, and the government’s broken promises to the Native Americans during that time period.

The buildings were really amazing and filled with interesting items and informative displays. This may have been our favorite stop on the entire trip. This was something we were all interested in, it was not crowded, the volunteers were helpful and informative, and the children spent their energy hurrying from building to building in their eagerness to see what was next. We developed an understanding of what sorts of supplies were necessary to sustain an Army Base of that size, what sorts of punishments soldiers might suffer, how and what they were fed, how weapons were stored and why. We learned about Dragoons, a special soldier who was trained as a calvary and foot soldier. We saw how different ranks of soldiers were housed and felt transported into the past.

The kids in the bakery, consulting the map as to where they would like to head next.

Most importantly, we were experiencing it all together.

What was one of your most memorable vacations with your family as a child (or with your children)?

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Surprise Vacation, Day 4

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What did architect Eero Saarenin design aside from the John Deere Corporate Headquarters? Why, the Jefferson National Expansion Monument, of course.

More commonly known by it’s nickname, The Saint Louis Arch.

The children were captivated by The Arch; it is remarkable to see in person. They liked being able to understand what was intended by the memorial, and thinking of St. Louis as the ‘gateway to the west.’

Here they are watching a barge go by on the river. We talked a lot about waterways being the key to commerce throughout human history.

While we didn’t go into the structure itself (this was a holiday weekend – it would have meant hours of waiting that we didn’t have to spare), the Museum Of Westward Expansion beneath the arch itself was more than worth the drive.

Here are Little Cowgirl and Farmer Boy posing beside the display of a prairie sod house.

I think this is the only picture of me from this vacation. Cowgirl was very impressed with the giant bison.

It can be challenging to go through a museum with one child who wants to be sure he has read every single word and seen every single artifact, while at the same time the youngest sibling is pretty much done. The parents split up a bit to try and help each person move through the displays at their own pace.

See my three amigos? (and some other random child.)

Most importantly, we were learning and having fun all together. This was a great stop on our trip and we only wish we’d had more time to devote to everything the area near The Jefferson Westward Expansion Memorial.

Next up, the final installment of ‘look at all our vacation photos!’

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Surprise Vacation, Day 3

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We were all the way in the middle of Iowa, so who says it’s too far to hop over to Moline, Illinois?

What’s in Moline, you ask?

Moline, Illinois, is basically the capitol city of John Deere.

Our favorite place was the corporate headquarters. Not only was it beautiful, but there were combines and tractors to climb on and an entire wall filled with an amazing display of history.

Another stop was the John Deere Harvester Works – the factory where all the combines are built.

They gave everyone a free hat, and Shooter purchased a magnetic John Deere chess set (the pawns are JD symbols). They also had a fun combine simulator and My Farmer had an amazing factory tour (13 and older only).

We also visited the John Deere Pavilion, a children’s activity center and museum of sorts. Here Shooter is attempting to run a virtual excavator.

The Pavilion was cute and kind of fun, but if we could have skipped one of the three things we saw in Moline this would have been it. The gift shop (billed as amazing online) was pretty disappointing. If you want some cool JD gear, buy at the Harvester Works gift shop instead.

Most importantly, we were all together. And I’m *certain* that visiting Moline was one of Farmer Boy’s greatest ambitions.

If I were to go back and do this vacation again, I don’t think we would have stopped in Moline. We would have gone back another time when the children were older, perhaps, and could participate in some of the more interesting tours. If you are ALREADY in Moline for some reason or another, I recommend all of these activities.

I do not, however, recommend that you drive all the way from Boone, Iowa in order to see them.

A hint about the next leg of the trip: The John Deere Corporate Headquarters was designed by the architect Eero Saarinen. Any guesses? (No googling!)

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Surprise Vacation, Days 1 and 2

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Our corn harvest was ridiculously early this year (due to the hot, extremely dry summer that killed it – boo). We are always busiest at the end of August. Except this year. And then it rained two inches.

So we drove to Boone Iowa for the Farm Progress Show. My Farmer calls this the “Grandaddy of all regional farm shows.” A farm show is a trade show – about farm stuff (duh). It took two days of constant walking to cover it all, and we still had to rush by several things.

We spent a lot of time learning how things worked thanks to the different displays companies used to show their product lines.

We looked inside all sorts of giant equipment (See the two green bags? Those are mine).

We learned about hybridization of seed varieties.

Little Cowgirl decided there were some things that really needed to be written down.

Sometimes we needed a break. Or a sucker. Or both.

The kids really liked the side-by-side comparison of the efficiency of different planter components.

One of my favorite parts was the cultivation demonstration, where different tractors pulling all sorts of different tillage tools lined up and each made a single pass in a field.

Once the tractor passed, the crowd would move forward to examine the results of each tractor and implement. I learned that Iowa soil is un-freaking-believable.

We saw all sorts of fun and amazing things.

We had many first-time treats (yes, this is the first time my children have ever had snocones, don’t judge me).

Most importantly, we spent all our time together.

Although it could be considered a working vacation, we are generally a multi-tasking sort of family. We all had fun, learned a lot, and now My Farmer can say he has been to the Farm Progress Show (I am suspicious that if he had a bucket list, that would have been on it.)

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, the second leg of our journey through the midwest.

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I’m Back…

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Hi! We had a very nice rain last week and took an unplanned, unexpected vacation. It was a blast. And yes, I’m going to bore the gourd right out of you the rest of this week with photos. So buckle up.

In the mean time, let me share with you a pictorial expression of how we are all feeling since we got back home:

We needed to leave the house the next morning, and after loading a few things into the vehicle I came back inside to find the note you see laying in the doorway. Little cowgirl couldn’t find her shoes and it made her VERY sad! She was in her room crying. Coming home after an entire week can feel pretty disorienting!

We have vacation hangover. I’m thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling, it has made our transition back to ‘regular life’ a little gentler.

What has been happening in your world this past week?

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Weekend Getaway

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One of the things we like about homeschooling is the flexibility it can offer our family. If the weather is interfering with farming, we are free to leave town. This past weekend, it was too cold to applicate fertilizer with our strip-till implement.

And my brother-in-law had tickets to the Denver National Stock Show!

So – we split!

We had a great time, thanks to the hospitality of my husband’s family.

We saw all sorts of fun things at the show.

I told My Farmer I could have spent most of the day in the sale barn – if you’ve never been to a livestock sale you are missing out, people. It is so fun.

Shooter trying to figure out who is bidding on the champion bison.

We watched some of the stock dog competition – I was frustrated that they did not announce before it began that the crowd should BE QUIET in order to allow the dogs to hear every command from their handler (my kids knew, of course, because I’m bossy and told them). I’m sure I wasn’t nearly as frustrated as the handlers, though.

It was a big arena, and the crowd sure made the sheep nervous.

We walked through the stockyards and saw all kinds of marvelous things (like yaks!), but Cowgirl felt this was the best part:

She bought the pony with her own money, and creatively named it 'Pink.'

We had a great time at the Pro-Rodeo Saturday evening. I really must say that I don’t understand the people that protest rodeos. The stock I saw must be the happiest horses and bulls on earth – they are treated like kings, fed like royalty, and live like free animals – except with fantastic medical care. They were gorgeous, powerful and breathtaking. I never once saw a look of fear from any of them (and my brother-in-law scored swank front-row seats next to the chutes, so I would know)! Also, it always makes me cry when the gorgeous cowgirl comes streaking in on a fast horse with a huge American Flag streaming around the arena. The National Anthem is moving even when it’s poorly done (sorry, poofy-haired lady that sang it).

So God Bless America – and cowboys (salivate). Have you ever been to a rodeo? If so, what was your impression?

Loved for who I *really* am.

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We were on a short family get-away this weekend (11/11/11 meant wedding bells for some friends of ours).  At our first stop to pick up some greasy-spoon trucker fare, I took the children’s order, walked three steps and gave their orders to the waitress, and ten minutes later as we sailed down the road and I handed out their goodies, we discovered I had made the wrong order.  They asked for one cheeseburger, one grilled cheese, one order of chicken strips.  I asked the cook to whip them up two cheeseburgers and a grilled cheese.

 

NO, I don’t know why!

 

After thanking Shooter for being so easy-going and offering to eat the “wrong” order so his sister, now chicken-stripless, could eat his sandwich, I apologized profusely to the children.  They all assured me that it was no big deal and they were really not surprised that I’d managed to mix up their cuisine in less than ten seconds.

 

Farmer Boy looked at his dad as explained, kindly, “That’s just how Mom is, Dad.”