All BY MYSELF!

Kids are always saying from the moment they can talk....."let me do it ALL by myself" Well, as parents sometimes it is tricky, because they really are simply not capable of doing it "all by themselves" So it has been our goal to allow the boys their independence as much as possible.

My boys were very insistent that they fly on their own to Florida to see their  grandparents...my parents.  They have both flown on their "own" in the past when they were 6 each spending a week alone with their grandparents, but that is not the same because they had to fly unaccompanied minor and have assistance(plus pay that exorbitant fee for someone to "watch" your kid). Keean is finally of age for some airlines to fly unaccompanied so no extra fees and no assistance.  Perfect! Why not, a week to myself, with my hubby.....I'm IN!!!!!  They completely packed by themselves, printed out their boarding passes and on the day of their departure said " Mom, can you just drop us at the curb so we can do this ALL by ourselves?"  Oh well, if there is anything I can look back on these years of homeschooling is they have definitely learned "life skills"!  Their flight was not even a nonstop.  They found their gates, had a bite to eat in NYC airport,  and made it to Florida....."all by themselves" Way to go boys.  You did it!

As for me.....awwwwwwww....ALL BY MYSELF! I need to do this more often!  When do I ever get a week to myself? During the day tinkering about, exercise with no rush, reading, writing in my journal...etc and then my hubby in the evenings nice dinners, snuggling up to movies.  It was like back when we first got married.  I think everyone needs those moments to escape.......and be by yourselves. Definitely, well needed in my book!  Now I am rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world......ok maybe just move for the umpteenth time hee hee!

How We Lived In Other People's Homes for a Year!

I know sounds crazy eh? Will it is true! Starting the begininning of this year we lived in the small one bedroom apt in Hollywood, Ca which we later had to leave abruptly due to the fact there was no subletting allowed( unbenounced to us) and moved in with our dear friends who live in a 1300 sq ft home and seriously do not have the room for the 3 of us!  But they were wonderful and up we went and slept on futons and couches until our departure 3 wks later.  Yes, I know.....they are GREAT friends to put up with not only 2 wild crazy boys, but all our JUNK as well!!!  Plus allowed my poor nephew to stay a night as he was in between apartments and was suppose to stay with us in our "sublet".  We packed up and stashed our JUNK at our nephews new apartment and headed across the states in our borrowed car.  Yes, another fantastic friend in CO let us borrow her sons car for the 3 mos in LA. What a lifesaver she was....but yes we sleep in other people's homes and borrow their cars as well!  Anyhow, we packed up the car and drove across to CO to return the car.  Of course we cannot just go to our ole' hometown without seeing old friends.  So we stayed a week sleeping on various friends' couches, air beds, and guest bedrooms.  We hopped on a flight (to finally be reunited with my hubby/Dad) to NYC.  Spent some fantastic time in another old hometown of ours(and stayed a wonderful hotel thanks to Mark's wonderful boss) then hopped on a flight headed to VT.  My poor hubby has been working in VT while we were in CA so that part was tough, but he too was subletting a cottage near downtown Burlington, VT.  We joined, but not for long as we were due to be out of the lovely cottage in a few days.  So once again we packed up and moved into......yes, extended stay Smart Suites which was not so "smart".  To say the least not very fancy, but it was our new home for the next month!  And we learned to love it just the same.  The boys immediately started a project sent from Mark's boss) of a HUGE lego building of the Tower Bridge in London.  Never in all my life had I ever seen so many legos!  And yes precisely organized in thousands of cups "borrowed" from the motel.  Needless to say our tiny "suite" was even smaller.  Luckily, the boys wanted an adventure on their own so they were off to Fl to visit my parents for 3 wks.  I will join them after a week.  So our tiny "suite" was now down to just the two of us.....how sweet it is....whew!!!!!  What a great week to rejuvenate and rest.  Like a second honeymoon minus the ambiance.  But it truly is what you make of it!  We had a BLAST!  I once again left my poor hubby and headed to Fl to meet the boys, but Mark joined us for our final weekend there.  Always heaven staying with my parents in their beautiful home overlooking the Peace River.  How Blessed we are!

So we are back to VT,  but moved into another adorable cottage in wonderful neighborhood and living the small town life.  This neighborhood even has a community compost, garden, and adorable park filled with families, kids and basketball games being played all day!  We are settled right next to a forest and along side the lake.....it does not get much better than this.  The cottage is not fancy but very quaint.  No TV, no microwave and it is so old it creaks in the night.  A lot of character!!!!  A HUGE improvement from the 'Smart Suites".  Once again the boys settled into their new room with bunk beds and have not skipped a beat.  Out playing with the kids, going for daily jogs and bike rides, and galavanting around doing the "boy" thing.  Keean is due to teach hip hop at a local studio which he organized all by himself.     Not bad for a 14 year old.

Well, our time here is short just about a month and half and we are once again MOVING!!!  I think that will make 6 moves and homes we have lived in for the past 6 months.  CRAZY.....but sure adventurous!  We hope to finish out our time here in VT by doing a triathlon, Cade doing the kids run, visiting Boston, Nantucket, upstate NY, some hiking trips and any other FUN that comes along!  Then we are CA bound to another 2 bedroom apartment sublet in hopes to find a home that we can finally start setting some "roots".  Cade has already registered himself for football and a surf camp all on his own(with the help of our credit card) Not bad for an 11 yr old!

All of this has been such an amazing ride.....not just this pass 6 months but starting back in 2008 when we started this "blind journey".  CO to NYC to Chicago to LA to VT.....  what have I learned?   Well, I learned to be very adaptable, learn to let go and watch my kids become very independent, I've learn to live in the moment, learned about living in suburbia, big cities, and small towns and how to MOVE( pack and unpack like a professional)!!!!!  But most of all I have learned that it is not about where you live that makes "home" it's all being together as a family that makes a "home"!