Breaking Traditions for Christmas

Smiles, kind words, and cuddles...Travis was full of them Christmas Eve morning.  He snuggled close to me and we listened to Parker sing every thought that came to her mind.  "I love my daddy...yeah, yeah, yeah.  I love my mommy, too," she crooned to her own melody.  "And I love Calla, and Taite, and Lincoln.  But sometimes they are mean."  Have you ever read any of the Russel Hoban children's books about Francis?  Parker is Francis.

One by one the kids woke up.  Eventually all of them were in our bed for some snuggles.  Calla just happened to have a small flashlight in her hand.  We spent at least 20 minutes directing and watching a ceiling shadow puppet show.

Finally we got out of bed and Travis made breakfast for everyone.  Then he did the dishes while the kids and I cleaned up.  Talk about a great morning!  I just lived my dream!!!

My mom and sister, however, didn't have such a dreamy night.  They learned (in the middle of the night) that they didn't have a heater in their cute little cabin.  The contraption with all the dials was only an air conditioner.  Forty-five degrees at night is chilly when you weren't planning on it!  These cute little cabins come bare - no bedding nor towels (nor anything).  We had packed bedding and towels for them.  They had not taken enough blankets over to keep them warm.  Mindy said she slept in as many heavy clothes as she brought.  Thankfully we put our coffee maker in their room and they could warm up to some fresh, tasty coffee in the morning.

Mom and Mindy made their way 20 paces across the road to the Flyer and joined us for breakfast and one round of gift opening this Christmas Eve morning.  Then we hopped in our black, rented, Chrystler Town & Country minivan and left to explore Balboa Island.

Last year one of our favorite places was Balboa Park in San Diego.  Christmas Eve we headed to Balboa Island.  Who or what in the world is Balboa to California?  Both of these places are named after the Spanish maritime explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa.  He was the first European explorer to settle in the Americas...he settled in what is now Panama in the early 16th century.  (Even the currency today in Panama is called a Balboa.)  Southern California holds tribute to him.

The beautiful area of Newport Harbor, which includes Balboa Island, Balboa Peninsula, Little Balboa and Collins Island, are actually artificial islands...like, man-made...like Dubai!!!  I've been intrigued by Dubai since 2006 when Palm Island (Dubai's first man-made island) was completed.  We've had our own Dubai right here in California since the late 1800's!  It's not as artistically designed, but the same concepts were used to make Newport Harbor.

The Balboa Island Ferry took us over to the Balboa Peninsula where we rode a Ferris wheel ("Nana would NOT like this," declared both Taite and Calla), shopped, played at an oceanside park, played at the ocean, and ate lunch at Ruby's Diner located at the end of Balboa Pier.  To top it all off, we observed the ocean life.  We saw a pod of dolphins, a couple of California sea lions, pelicans, really freaky seagulls who sat at your outdoor table to eat your food at the diner, and an abundance of other birds and water fowl. 

Since it was Christmas Eve, shops closed down early.  We returned to the RV, prepared and ate our dinner of shredded pork and green beans, then walked around the RV park and looked at the Christmas lights.  People really decorated their homes-on-wheels.  It made us laugh and added a touch of ambiance to our holiday.

 These are the lights on the lagoon where we are staying.

We completed our Christmas Eve with games.  UNO, Clue, Crazy 8's, Apples to Apples, and poker.  Really, poker.  Yes, we are the family who doesn't listen to secular radio stations, who doesn't watch TV,  who homeschools their kids, and who teaches their kids how to play poker.  Texas Hold 'Em to be exact.  We even used real money (that everyone had to put back in the laundry coin bag at the end of the night).  And Lincoln was a natural...he tossed his ante like he was on the World Poker Tour.  He schooled everyone except Travis.  Oh, what is in the future for this boy?  I may need some additional people helping me pray for him.

As you can see, there are no traditions being upheld this Christmas.  I was raised in an Irish-Catholic, German-Catholic home.  If that doesn't scream tradition, I don't know what does!  We always attended a specific mass, went to specific grandparents' homes in a specific order (always spending time with extended family), ate specific food, and opened presents at a specific time.  I mean, we couldn't eat ham at Christmas - that was an Easter meal!  Being in California without cold and snow, without extended family, without a roast and mashed potatoes, without Christmas cookies, and only our own Nautica Flyer Community Church Christmas service was a little scary for my mom and sister.  "It's tradition!!"  I think the Pharisees are best known for their laws and traditions, too.  Mom and Mindy did very well handling their first non-traditional holiday.  My mom said she would rather be with us than have her traditions without us.  (Awww......It's those grandkids.  They get you every time.)

Omelets, bacon,  and toast was our non-traditional Christmas morning breakfast.  Making breakfast was interesting.  Travis had something he could use as an omelet pan, but the bacon got a bit trickier.  We like to cook bacon in the oven, but didn't have the right baking dish.  We used a disposable aluminum pan which we eventually learned had a whole in it.
"Travis, the bacon.  Look!" I exclaimed out of concern.
"Yeah, yeah," was Travis' response, without even a glance.
"No, look!"  I worked for his attention, unable to find the right words.
"Uh huh."  Again, not even a glace as he walked to the back room.
"No really!!! Look!!!"  Smoke was billowing out of the oven as though there was a fire.  We had smoke detectors going off and the entire RV was overtaken by smoke!  It wasn't 30 seconds later and we heard sirens.  How'd they know?!  (No worries, they weren't really for us.)

I played the Christian Christmas station on my Pandora as we ate breakfast (like I have been everyday all day for over a week now).  It was the perfect time for us to uphold one tradition and sing Christmas carols!  I bellowed out the first song that Pandora played - "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing."  Everyone laughed at me, but Mindy also thought it was important to sing.  She bellowed the chorus with me.  By the second verse Travis and my mom were also singing...loudly...and completely out of tune, complementary to Mindy and myself.  (None of us have the gift of music.)  Next was Bing Crosby's White Christmas (I'm not really sure how he got on my Christian Christmas station, but whatever.)  We begin in our best alto voices and Lincoln interrupts us.
"How about we just let them sing," he begs.
"Who," I ask.
"These guys who made the song."  I looked around and all the kids have their hands to their ears.  Then Lincoln asks, "Or can I just have some ear plugs?"

Side story - Travis told me later that he and Calla were walking the previous day.  Calla had the song "Santa Baby" in her head and was singing aloud.  "Dad," she said in an inquisitive voice, "why do they say Santa Baby?  I mean, Santa's not a baby...Jesus is."  Good question.

After we cleaned up breakfast we went outside to the picnic table to open Christmas presents.  Let me just say that again...we went outside to open presents.  We have NEVER gone outside to open presents on Christmas...EVER!!!!  How fun is that?!  Another tradition broken.  We didn't even have hot cocoa - it was too hot.

Lincoln using one of his new gifts - a sun catcher painting set.

In lieu of a formal Christmas church service, we spent time praying as a family.  You should know that Lincoln prayed for you.  "And God, please help our friends not get cold and not have frost burn."  He knows how cold it is in Minnesota!  No worries, the Wilson's have your back...and hands...and toes.

A surrey ride was next.  These surreys had intrigued us since we arrived.  Now we can say we experienced it.  All eight of us rode on the surrey.  Was our weight too heavy?  Or was the machine old?  I only know that a surrey ride at Newport Dunes is a workout!  We went up and down every Newport Dunes-approved street (singing Christmas carols, by the way...poor Travis and Taite were thoroughly embarrassed).  We rented it for an hour.  We were done 35 minutes into it.  Everyone was sweating and ready to swim.  After lunch the rest of the afternoon was spent swimming, hot-tubbing, chicken fighting, lounging, reading, and sunning ourselves poolside.  Who swims on Christmas?!  Well, besides us and the rest of Southern Californians.  I know...people who live in Costa Rica!!!  (One of these days...)  Oh, and I suppose Aussies do, too.

 Taite and Lincoln against Calla and Parker.  The girls won!  (Lincoln bailed.)

Dinner was crockpot Grandma Wilson's Famous Meatballs and salad.  (By far the easiest Christmas meal ever made!)  Polar Express capped off our night.  What a Christmas!  Unlike any other!!  It was a little weird not having a white...or cold...Christmas.  We'll break our traditions and live one year without it.  ;-) 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlansting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 9:6 NIV 

Choose for yourselves today the one you will worship...

As for me and my family, 

we will worship the Lord. 

 Joshua 24:15 Holmas CSB

P.S.  As I post this, the clock in Minnesota has turned past midnight..making today December 26.  I must send a shout out to my dear friend Megan!  Happy Birthday, dear!!  Hugs and kisses your way from all the Wilson's!!!

Desert Hot Springs and Newport Beach

The U.S. interstate system is a well-planned travel structure.  As we drove from Tucson toward California Travis gave Taite a formal interstate education.  "So if we are traveling on Interstate 10, are we going east/west or north/south," Travis quizzed Taite.

"East/west.  Well, we are traveling west," answered Taite.

"How do you know?"

"Because even numbered interstates are east/west.  Ten is even.  When we were on Interstate 35 we were going south, or north/south.  Thirty-five is odd," clarified Taite.  Impressive.  I didn't know that until I was in college.  (However I'm sure my dad tried to teach me that a hundred times as I got lost and called him in a panic for directions.)

Taite navigated us toward Palm Springs.  My job was to arrange a place to park for the night.  I Googled Palm Springs RV parks.  I found a few with high ratings and made some calls.  The first five parks I called had space available but wouldn't let us enter the park.  We weren't old enough.  In fact, of the ten parks listed on this RV park review website, only three allowed children in their park...only two of those allowed people under 55 years of age to stay overnight.  With a rating of 8 out of 10, we stayed at Sam's Family Spa in Desert Hot Springs.  They had clean facilities, kind staff, fabulous residents and visitors, and six pools.  Count 'em!  Six!  Two of the pools were regular, heated, chlorine pools.  The other four were natural spring mineral water pools that were all warmer than the heated pools.  All six of us tried the mineral pools Saturday night.

We learned a little about these mineral baths.  The Palm Springs area is located right along the San Andreas Fault line.  The natural underground waters on one side of the fault line are cold.  The other side has hot water.  Desert Hot Springs has naturally hot water under the surface filled with the minerals of the earth.

These mineral baths were fabulously warm and nobody complained of stinging eyes or dry skin at the end of our swim (I'm usually the one to complain of those things ;-)).  Unfortunately there was a long list of rules posted on the wall.

"No swimming, diving, or splashing.  

No toys, balls, or floating objects."   

That put the kebosh on most everything Lincoln would want to do.  He lasted about 5 minutes in the mineral pool and begged to go to the bigger, splash-approved pool.  We promised big-pool swimming for the next day.  So right away the next morning we finished breakfast and headed for the pools.  I was surprised to see more than a dozen people already enjoying all six of the pools by 9am.  Lincoln was so excited he jumped in with his tennis shoes on.  (Thankfully we had another pair he could use until they dried.)  The kids swam while Travis and I chatted with some of the residents who were swimming.  Eventually our time was up and we wanted to get on to Newport Beach.  As we packed up, Taite commented again on the extremely tall, numerous palm trees.

"Wow!  There are a lot of palm trees here!!  Mom, I think I know why they call this Palm Springs.  Because there are a lot of palm trees and they have hot springs of water."  Probably true.  And I had never thought of it before.  We were in Desert Hot Springs, though.  The area looked like a desert.  Dry.  Dusty.  There were even signs warning about dust storm along the highway.  There were hot springs, of course.  Desert Hot Springs makes sense too.  Thank you, Taite, for your logic.

Newport Beach was a surprise to me.  I didn't know it was so...extravagant.  I was fascinated by the cars and boats in the area.  We needed to get groceries.  The nearest grocery store happened to be a Whole Foods - perfect for us.  We drove our monster into the extremely full Whole Foods parking lot.  BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, Jaguar, Bentley...there weren't any cheap cars in the parking lot.  Our 1999 Itasca Sunflyer seemed a little out of place here - a little Cousin Eddie-ish?  From Newport Dunes (our RV park) you can walk to the Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Maserati, Porsche, and Ferrari dealerships.

Instead of walking to car dealerships, we walked to the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) bridge.  It went right over the lagoon where there was a boat parade Sunday night!  We have a boat parade in Prior Lake on the 4th of July.  It's always fun to watch people dress their boats, and maybe add some music.  Since this was a nighttime Christmas parade, the boats were decorated with lights and lots of music.  I use the term "boats" loosely.  We saw a couple of lit speed boats, some tug boats, one paddle boat, and a jet ski with a person wearing a water-based jet pack.  Other than that, these were yachts...I think one was a cruise ship!  This plethora of yachts dwarfed the Grand Lake and Lake Minnetonka spectacles of boats!  Our little Prior Lake boats would be like ants next to some of these yachts.  I just need to point out...it would be hard to waterski behind one of giants!

The boat parade was over and everyone was getting tired (we still seem to be on Central Standard Time).  We walked home and I was reminded of a walk I took that afternoon with the kids to explore Newport Dunes.  Taite, Calla, and Lincoln ran ahead while Parker stayed close by, holding my hand as she walked with me.  "Mommy, I wish I could fwy (translate = fly)," she revealed.

"You do?  Why do you want to fly," I wondered.

"Because then I could be faster.  Walking and running is too slow.  I can't stay close to the other kids.  So I want to fwy," Parker responded.

"Oh, yes.  I understand.  They are all really fast, aren't they?  I know if you want to, Parker, you will be as fast as them one day.  No worries," I tried to comfort her.

"I know...when I fwy."  Why is she so darn cute?!

Monday my mom and sister arrived here in California.  We had to get our rental vehicle so we could pick them up.  Because of a snafu with Enterprise, we had to close up the RV and all of us drove to the rental car store.  Along our drive Taite asked me if he could please listen to an Adventures in Odyssey episode on his iPod.  We couldn't get to his iPod so he asked if he could listen to one on my phone.  I just got a new phone and I didn't even have music on there.  We looked and the only thing stored in my iTunes was a book by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People.  Taite jumped at the chance to listen to something.  Off he went to the back bed to concentrate on his new audiobook.

The other kids saw him and wanted to listen to something too.  Travis and I had just gotten new phones and kept the old ones so the kids could use them as iTouches.  I told them what they were, turned the old phones on, and let them sit down to look and listen.  It was about five minutes later when the whining and fighting started.  Warnings were given and things calmed down for another minute or so.  Less than eight minutes into it I was taking all the iPhones back.  Immediately I heard, "Awww!  There's nothing to do!"  Mind you, this is the first time I've heard that phrase during our entire trip and we've been on the road for over a week.  It was as if the little entertaining screen sucked away all their creativity.  Taite sat in the chair smiling.  Calla huffed, "Why are you smiling, Taite?!"

"Because I just learned smiling is good for you," Taite informed Calla.  He was actually listening to Dale Carnegie!  Calla folded her arms, gave her best mad face, and huffed back onto the couch.  "Nothing is actually bad or good.  It's all how you think it is, Calla," Taite enlightened his sister.  Within 30 seconds the kids had found UNO and they were all playing a game together.  This is where I press the "Like" button.

Mimi (Mindy) and Grammy (my mom) arrived at lunchtime and everyone loved it!  They settled into the cute little cottage across the way from our RV spot.  We swam for much of the afternoon in the warm sunshine.  Then we met an old school friend of Travis' for a fondue dinner at The Melting Pot.  The kids loved it!  Taite said it's his new favorite restaurant.  Everyone enjoyed meeting Kyle and Carolina.

With the time difference, the kids were very tired at dinner.  Parker actually fell asleep halfway through the meal.  Lincoln wanted to, but Kyle coached him through staying awake until dessert.  Finally it was time to pay the bill and get going.  Lincoln was sitting on Grammy's lap, "Can we go back to the RV?"

"Oh, are you so tired, Lincoln," my mom asked.

"I'm so tired!  Let's...oooh! Chocolate!!"  Shiny red ball.


  

Waving to Mexico...Again

Our travels have taken us from I35W in Minneapolis to I35W in Fort Worth (with a jog east to Grove, Oklahoma).  We found many similarities between the I35W's - especially construction and rush hour traffic.

There were a few major differences, too.  I had two favorites.  One was warm weather (of course).  We learned of the crazy weather in the central portion of the country.  Even Grove was getting freezing rain Friday!  I'm really glad we left Thursday and went south.  A few sprinkles, but nothing major in Texas.

My other favorite was how much God is invited into this area.  In Minnesota, I'm used to seeing some fish on the back of cars and there's one billboard that says "Love God.  Love People." promoting the nearby church.  I'm sure it's just because I usually drive around the Twin Cities metropolitan area, but I don't really see a lot about God around town.  In Oklahoma and Texas we saw silos, billboards, barns and businesses with "In God We Trust" or "Jesus Saves" on the sides.  We saw lots of creative decals on cars promoting God.  The gas stations sold Christian paraphernalia.  We even found the restaurants to promote Jesus.  (See the kid menus in the photos below.)   God and Jesus seemed to be everywhere!  I hear Texans call their state "God's Country."  In the past I felt like Texans were boasting - as if they were saying nowhere else except Texas was God's country.  My perception has changed.  The entire world is God's, especially the United States, but Texans seem to give up their land to the Lord.  Overall, it seems in much of Oklahoma and Texas that God is Truth and the One in control.  Most of the United States is passing laws that are pushing God and His truths out of businesses, schools, media, and any public arena.  Texas and Oklahoma seem to have chosen to keep God right in the center.  Another reason why I would to move to Texas in the future (besides the warm weather, of course).

I would not move to El Paso, though.  Thursday night we boondocked at a rest stop west of Abilene, Texas, off Interstate 20.  Friday morning we continued west on I20, which met up with Interstate 10.  Have you ever driven on Interstate 10 on the west side of Texas?  It takes you right along the Mexican border.  As we approached El Paso Travis yelled out, "Hey guys!  There's Mexico!"

"Can we go there?" the kids asked.  Um...no.  I told them it was because we didn't have passports for them (which is true).  Remembering last year's time in Chula Vista viewing Tijuana from a distance, Taite pointed out that this is the second time we have been close enough to Mexico that we can see people's homes, yet will not be going into the country.  Juarez and Tijuana are not the places I would take my children to first experience Mexico.

There was a distinct difference between what we saw on the Mexico side of Interstate 10 and the U.S. side.  In Mexico the houses were like run-down trailer homes built into the side of a mountain.  They were practically on top of each other.  It reminded me of pictures I've seen of one of my favorite charities, the MORE Project located in the slums of Brazil.

This is a photo of Juarez

Here I must share an unforgettable conversation Travis, Jim, Linda and I had with Derick and Michelle (Travis' brother and brother's wife) over Thanksgiving.  (*Disclaimer - the conversation went something like this, but it might not be exact...)  Derick and Michelle have some very close friends - Sergio and Martha - who are originally from Ciudad Juarez and they still have close family there.

Me:  Why do they stay in Iowa if their family is in Mexico?
Derick:  Because they are from Juarez!  It is so dangerous there!  For example, Sergio's aunt apparently has a really nice home there.  It's where Sergio and Martha go for family reunions every few years or so.  Around the perimeter of her property she has tall fences with barbed wire at the top.
Me:  Oh dear!
Derick:  Yeah, there is just a lot of corruption in Juarez.  A lot of drugs and a powerful drug cartel.  They just take whatever they want.  They wanted Sergio's grandmother's home so they told her to get out.  Sergio told us about a billboard - literally one you can drive by along the road - that has a hit list on it.  You do NOT want your name on that billboard.  He's even seen dogs wandering around with human heads in their mouths.

Yikes!  That's no joke!  I can see why those people might flee to the U.S. side!  My heart skips a beat as I think of the evil.  It all reminds me of the year I read the Bible cover to cover.  Genesis to 2 Chronicles is ugly - doom and gloom.  By the time I arrived at Ezra I felt hopeless.  Mostly because our world today is not so different from the world 2,000, 4,000, and 6,000 years ago.  Thankfully today we have Jesus to offer us hope and a future, and the Holy Spirit to live in us and help us do the right thing.

Speaking of doing the right thing, Friday I did the right thing and let Travis take over the driving.  ;-)  I am perplexed at his driving skills.  As we drove I could still feel the RV floating back and forth - just like it was when I was driving.  But Travis doesn't seem to be bothered by it.  He'll drive one-handed while he drinks his coffee or eats lunch.  He can chat with the person riding shotgun (nobody was allowed to talk to me unless we were stopped).  He was even on conference calls for over 3 hours Friday morning!  (Of course, he had his fancy Blue Parrott headset on.)  Maybe I was over-reacting?  Maybe he's more comfortable with it since he's driven over 6,000 miles more than I have?  Either way, I'd prefer if he was behind the wheel from now on.

He drove us toward Tucson.  We stopped at our favorite New Mexico dive - The Grand Motor Inn.  Aunt Sharon told us about it last year and we loved it then.  We thought we'd give it a second opinion.  We knew in advance who could handle the heat and we ordered appropriately.  And we loved it again.

After dinner the girls and I were exhausted so we read books, prayed and fell asleep.  As I was dozing off I could hear Lincoln, who had plopped himself in the passenger seat, talk to Travis.
Lincoln:  Dad, what's your favorite football team?  (Lincoln is a fabulous conversationalist!)
Travis:  The Huskers.
L:  What's your favorite Big 10 team?
T: The Huskers.
L:  Oh.  Um, how 'bout your favorite Big 8 team?
At this point Taite joined the conversation (of course) and corrected Lincoln, encouraging him to ask Dad about the Big 12.  Once they got through all the major college conferences they moved on to professional teams.  This time Travis asked the questions.

Travis:  Lincoln, do you like the Vikings?
L:  Yes
T:  Why?
L:  Because they are from Minnesota.
T:  Ok, do you like the Browns?
L:  Yes.
T:  Why?
L:  Because they are brown.  I like brown
      And orange.
T:  Ok.  Do you like the Buffalo Bills?
L:  No.
T:  Why?
L:  Because buffalos scare me.
T:  Do you like the Packers?
L:  Yes.
T:  What?!
L:  I mean no.  I mean yes.  Um...
T:  We are going to have to talk about that one later.  Do you like the 49ers?
L:  Yes
T:  Why?
L:  Because it sounds like 29 and mom's 29. 

That's right.  That's my boy!

The boys all stayed awake until we arrived in Tucson.  We stayed at the Lazy Days RV Park.  They had a heated pool.  Travis drew back the shades Saturday morning and Lincoln was the first to notice.  By 8:30am all four Wilson children were swimming away!  It was a balmy 48 degrees in Tucson Saturday morning.  (I could even see my breath!)  But the pool was 85 degrees.

By 10:30am the kids had swam, showered and done the dishes.  Travis and I cleaned up and packed up.  Orange, grapefruit, lemon and olive trees lined the RV park roads so we grabbed a few oranges for the drive.  As we drove away from Lazy Days Travis noticed a lot with new and used RV's for sale.  "They've got a lot of RV's here!" he said.  Lincoln responded, "And cactuses!"  Taite cringed at the reminder of his run-in (literally) with a cactus last year at Aunt Sharon and Uncle Harold's.  Ouch!

Ok, one more story.  We learned something new about each of our kids:
It was Thursday night.  We had just met up with Travis in Forth Worth.  We walked to IHOP for dinner (not our first choice, but the peanut filled Texas Roadhouse wasn't a safe choice and the bar/grill next to it was not our best option either).  While we waited for our food Travis said, "Ok.  Here's a question for you.  Just say the first thing that comes to your mind.  Don't think about it for too long.  What is the thing you are most afraid of?"  (Apparently he and some friends played this question-asking 'game' at a Christmas party Wednesday night.)
Lincoln:  Dinosaurs!
Mom:  Ooh, that's a good one Lincoln.  Especially since they are extinct and can't get you.
Taite:  Umm...probably having to use my EpiPen...and peanuts.  (He did have to use his EpiPen on Halloween.  It is no longer the fear of the unknown.)
Calla:  Tornadoes (She really has always been afraid of tornadoes.  I'm not sure why.)
Parker:  (meekly) I don't know... (She is just too darn cute.)
Lincoln:  And buffaloes!! (?!?!?)

Who knew?!

Kate Drives...Everyone Lives

Did you see my Facebook post asking for prayers?  Thank you for praying!!!  Your prayers for God’s grace were answered. 

Today was the day I was to drive the RV from northeastern Oklahoma to Dallas, Texas.  With four kids.  Without Travis.  Have I ever driven the RV before, you ask?  Technically yes.  When we first got the Flyer I drove it from our dear friends’ house (the Totten’s) to our house (about 3 miles and 5 turns away). 

We knew Travis would have meetings for two days over this trip.  As we discussed where he would fly in and out of we contemplated the idea of me driving the RV to pick him up from an airport.  “Sure.  I’ll do that,” I said.  “I would like to practice driving it a little bit.  Maybe I could drive for awhile on our way down to Oklahoma while you are in the RV.”  I thought that was a good idea.  I’d feel better about driving this monster with four kids by myself if I had some behind-the-wheel drivers education.

That brings us to the day before we left.  It’s Friday, 7:45am.  My kids are at my mom’s (with our house going on the market they are no longer allowed in my house).  I’m in the living room working on my Bible study.  I realize I have to bring something out to the RV.  I get out there and hear the ear-piercing refrigerator indicator telling me that we have run out of propane.  The propane is used for cooling the refrigerator/freezer and for heating the RV.  So now my food is warming and the rest of the RV is freezing. 

Travis is sleeping so I return to the living room to continue working on my Bible study and I text Travis the problem.  He’ll see it when he wakes up.  Within minutes I hear footsteps walking out the garage.  Then back in.  Then Travis is standing next to me handing me the keys.  “We need propane – like now.  And I have a conference call in 15 minutes.  You’ll have to go get it," he informs me.

What?!  I was hoping my drivers training would be WITH HIM IN THE RV!!  Plus, we had recently gotten snow!  The roads weren’t completely clear.  I was still sliding around in my mini-van.  Ughhh!  I relayed my concerns.  “You’ll do fine.  I have confidence in you,” he tried to comfort me.  He sent me on my way. 

Travis gave me three options of places I could go to fill up the propane tank.  I chose the one with the least amount of city streets and turns.  Of course, it was the farthest away.  Northfield, Minnesota…The Big Steer travel stop.  I drove 35 minutes on mostly major roads – well cleared.  All was going well…until I arrived at The Big Steer and they told me they don’t fill RV’s with propane. 

What!?!  My misinformed husband inadvertently sent me on a wild goose chase.    I looked at the time…9:00am.   The only necessary chore on my list for the morning was to get to Target.  I had to purchase a twin bed skirt and be home to meet the photographer who was to shoot photos of our home for the MLS at 10:00am.  I needed to find a place with propane, but I didn’t have time to traipse all over greater Minnesota.  I called a gas station in New Prague (a town on my way home if I take the back roads).  They have propane for RV’s!!!  Yes!  Twenty minutes later I was at the Super America in New Prague.  “Hi!  I called a few minutes ago about filling my RV’s propane tank.  Can someone help me?” I asked.

“Well, we have propane, but let me see if someone knows how to use the tank,” the cashier said.  They had propane, but all 3 women (the only three on-duty employees) did not know how to fill a propane tank.  Now it’s 9:25.  I have just over 30 minutes to get to Target then home.  Propane is going to have to wait.  I haul this beast to Target – take up the back half of the parking lot, get my bed skirt, maneuver my way out of the windy, narrow roads of the Target parking lot (who knew they were so curvy and narrow!!!), and make it home just seconds before our friend, Teri, met me there.  She took pictures then I took on the city streets toward Shakopee to get the tank filled.  I made it.  Nothing exploded.  I didn’t crash into anyone or anything.  And I got over two hours of behind-the-wheel training.

You’d think with that kind of training, today’s journey from Grove to Dallas would be No Big Thang.  And it wasn’t, until about 15 minutes before departure time.  My heart started to race, adrenaline pumping.  I had to take deep breaths…typical of me when I’m about to do something outside of my comfort zone.  

We drove for over six hours today.  For all six of those hours I only saw the road and my side-view mirrors to make sure I was keeping the RV positioned between the lines on the road.  I drove 60 miles per hour in a 75 mile per hour zone.  (Yes, I, Kate Wilson – formerly known as Leadfoot or Iron Ankle – drove 15 miles per hour under the speed limit!!)  I hadn’t even gotten to Tulsa and my right hand started cramping.  By the time we were in Fort Worth both hands were cramping.  I washed my hands before dinner and noticed a layer of black film on my palms – steering wheel remnants.  Even my jaw hurts I was clenching it so hard.

Last night Travis warned me, “You are going to deal with some wind tomorrow.  So remember, you’ll have to drive the RV more like a boat than your mini-van.  It will kind of…float.  Don’t over-correct it.”  What?!  At this point I’ve driven a boat less than I’ve driven an RV.  That tidbit was not helpful. 

After six hours of driving in the wind I now know what he was talking about.  It was so windy, the RV was floating all over the place!  Driving the RV today was a lot like driving in a snowstorm (for six hours!). In the end, nobody honked at me.  Not a single rude hand gesture (at least none that I noticed – my eyes were on the road, you know).  In fact, every time we stopped I got compliments on my cute kids or people asked if I was driving that ‘rig’ – and they said it was cool.   

Although I didn’t spend much time in conversation with my children today, I do have one cute-kid story…

Someone was hungry and wanted a snack (so everyone was hungry and needed snacks).  I offered maple venison sticks and Cuties or bananas.  Of course the venison sticks were a HUGE hit!  (Thank you Justin and Kami Ellingson.)  Taite and Calla both grabbed a Cutie.  Taite bit into his to open it.

Taite:  “Yuck!!  Mom!  Can I have an orange peeler or something?  This tastes terrible!”

Me:  “Sure.  Grab a spoon to open it.  Just this morning I read the Cutie box and it says ‘Coated with vegetable resin or beeswax to maintain freshness.’  That can’t taste good.”

They went back to get a spoon to open the Cutie.  Then Lincoln walked up spitting and showing me his cutie with a small bite out of the rind.

Lincoln: “Mom!  I do not want to eat this!  It has ear wax on it!”

That was just what I needed to help me relieve some stress today.  I’m definitely going to need a massage after this. Oh, and the weather is fabulous here.  Warm and in the 70’s.  Warm weather, a massage and some laughs – the perfect remedy to a crazy day.

Oklahoma - Day 4 and 5

Day 4 (Tuesday)

Well, if you read my post from the other day that included a description on what great friends Lincoln and Parker have been, there's more to the story.  It went like this:
Me: "Wilson children!  Come here please," I called from Jim and Linda's back patio.  We were going to do some face painting.  Everyone except Calla came immediately.  "Where is Calla?"
Taite:  "She's going to the bathroom in the RV."
Me:  "What?!  Let's go get her."  So we all swiftly walked over to the RV (which is now parked level on the grass in the yard).  Calla met us at the door.  "Calla, were you using the bathroom in here?"
Calla:  "Yes."
Me:  "Ok, everyone look at me.  I'm not going to be able to empty the blackwater tank - the tank with poop and pee in it - before we drive to Dallas.  So the more we use this now, the more likely it is that our drive from here to Dallas Thursday will stink."
Kids:  "Ewww!  Gross!  Pewww!"
Me:  "Ok, ok, ok.  Let's just not use this bathroom anymore since Nana and Papa Jim have two other bathrooms right over there," I point toward the house.  "Just go into the house, please."
Taite:  "Oh, so we shouldn't go in the yard then?"
Me:  A confused look.  "What?!"
Taite:  "Well, Lincoln and Parker went in the backyard yesterday by the tree."

Are we turning into rednecks or have we always been this way? 

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It's the Christmas season so Tuesday night we decided to look at Christmas lights.  Linda knows of a great park that hosts a Christmas lights contest.  About 25 organizations set up a light display in the park.  Patrons drive through the park enjoying the show then cast their vote for the best presentation.  We listened to Christmas music along the way and enjoyed all of it.  I will say, though, that one of our favorite light displays is one we saw on the local news.  It's a Tulsa home with a light display to one of the kids' favorite songs, "What Does The Fox Say?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvweoQBh0ck

The kids got most excited about venturing out to see the lights because I promised we could have Braum's ice cream afterwards.  The drive from the light spectacle to Braum's was about 25 minutes.  Papa Jim suggested we decide which flavor of ice cream we would have before we arrived at Braum's.
"Mint Chocolate Chip!" declared Taite.
"I want Mint Chocolate Chip.  Actually I want Chocolate.  Can I have two, Mommy?" asked our indecisive Lincoln.
"Chocolate Chip Mint, Mommy," whispered Parker meekly to me.
"Um, if we can have two I want Mint Chocolate Chip and Vanilla," announced Calla.
Who knew Mint Chocolate Chip was so popular?! 
Lincoln contemplated all this then innocently and very seriously asked, "How does a cow make Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream?"
I thought that was a very good question.  I told him so and answered, "They must eat a lot of mints and chocolate chips."  Within seconds Taite and Calla were calling me out on my fib and gave Lincoln a correct answer.  I can't fool my nine- and seven-year-olds anymore.

Once we all had finished our ice cream we made the 5-minute trek home.  Then Lincoln and Taite decided they needed to run around the house (shoeless, I might add).  I called everyone inside.  It was time to take off the face paint and get ready for bed.  Here is where we learned something new about Lincoln.  He goes psycho after ice cream!!  He lost all emotional control.  He freaked out about the coconut oil being rubbed on his face to remove the face paint.  He was screaming so loud he couldn't even hear me telling him it was coconut oil and that it won't sting his eyes.  He was screaming so loud Papa Jim rushed to the rescue concerned Lincoln was dying.  After about five minutes (which is five minutes too long of this screaming), he finally calmed down long enough to realize that it didn't hurt.  When I scolded him for his screaming and complete loss of emotional control, he told me I should have told him it wouldn't hurt him.  (Hand on forehead with a head shake.)  So was it the sugar?  Two scoops on a kiddy cone is too much?  Was it the food coloring in the ice cream?  How did my happy, calm, collected, and inquisitive child turn psycho somewhere between Braum's and face-painting-removal?

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Day 5 (Wednesday)

Nana started it yesterday when she decided Taite's pajama pants were too long for him.  "Taite, let's go put a quick stitch in those.  Then you won't be dragging them on the ground.  The stitch will be easy to take out when you grow, too," she said.

Taite reluctantly followed her into her sewing room/spare bedroom.  A few minutes later Calla returns to the living room with a small 'blanket.'  "Taite made it for us," she reported excitedly.  Nana didn't put the stitch in Taite's pajamas.  She taught Taite how to do it!  He enjoyed it so much he asked if he could make something else.  Of course, Nana had tons of material available and he sewed a small blanket the other kids could use while they played house.

"Nana, can I make a pillow?" Taite asked today, remembering how fun it was to use that sewing machine yesterday.

"Sure.  Maybe mom will get some stuffing for us when she goes to Wal-Mart."

By the time I had returned from Wal-Mart his rectangular pieces were sewed together and he was ready for the batting.  He stuffed the pillow and prepared his needle and thread for the final corner stitches.  When he got done it looked pretty cool.  The other kids decided they needed a pillow, too.

"Oww!!" yelled Lincoln as the pins poked at his fingers.   Even with some finger pokes, sewing was a hit!  Nana, Calla, Taite, and Parker walked out to the living area to complete Calla's pillow.  Ten minutes later Nana returned to the sewing room to find small chunks of batting all over the floor!  Lincoln thought it looked like snow.  Nice.  (This is why we can't keep our house on the market after we get home.)

Papa Jim noticed what a good time everyone was having.  "Nana is in heaven," he said.  "She loves sewing but doesn't do much of it anymore."  How cool to have your grandkids have an interest in something you enjoy so much.