WeLearnAsWeGo.com

The unofficial notes from the first day ;)

tabitha — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:21:46 +0000

Well … it’s midnight and we are still on the road. Progress is not nearly as fast as it would be in the mini-van but the kids are enjoying the freedom of the Flying Dutchman.

To pass the time, we have colored, Jikkal and Stomy Cloud played a game of UNO, and we have tryed to watch a few different movies…. We have stop regularly to strech our legs …. They have just been too excited to really settle down and pay attention to any thing for very long. Sea Monkey as been the most demanding – but this was much anticipated. Ummm …. not sure what else I can do to keep him entertained.

Over all things are going smooth. I started to get a little worried when everyone was still awake and bouncing off the walls at 10:00PM (and no naps today) …. Little voices started asking me what I had gotten myself into … but shortly thereafter … things quieten down and slowly they have all drifted off to sleep … Then I had time to do lots of things I had been waiting all day to do … tether my Iphone to my mac … yea!!! … download the pics we had taken … and just enjoy the quiet (just like when I’m at home) … and do some reading !!!!!

Just to let you know, we have experciend our first “unexected mechanical problem” … I say unexpected but as you all know …. the Flying Dutchmen was very cheap so we KNEW problems would arise …. and they did … we have had a tire go bad … if I could “whip” it back into shape … or give it a “time-out” .. I would … but … that won’t be the case for this bad child … however … that settles the problem of where to stay tonight …. we are going to the camping world of Atlanta so we can get our tires checked and repaired first thing in the morning …. so the 1st night of our adventure lands us in the parking lot of Camping World …

I repeat … this is going to be FUN … We will no be stressed or brought down but such minor set-backs … just another part of the adventure!

We are officially on the road :)

tabitha — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:55:33 +0000

YEA!!!! We are on the road …. I can hardly believe the day is finally here.

We went swimming at mamaws and had pizza by the pool …. needed to pass the time so dad could get home from work.

Then we told great-grandma bye, then the neighbors, then a stop in Aynor to tell grandaddy and meme bye.

Now we are heading towards Atlanta.

I think Stormy Cloud is the most excited. She is all smiles and telling everyone she is going to the Grand Canyon …. she says she is going swimming in the Grand Canyon … in the deep end!!! I just love the funny stuff kids come up with.

I have a photo of us before we left the house and a movie of the inside of the Flying Dutchman. I’ll try to load them soon.

Tab

Today is the BIIIIIIGGGGG Day !!!!

tabitha — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:32:28 +0000

Although we aren’t really going anywhere exciting … today is the day we leave on our BIG Adventure. We are sooooo excited. (I may be more excited than the kids!!!!)

We will only be driving to Hot-Lanta, but you have to start an adventure somewhere.

Everyone keeps asking “are you ready” … “are you packed” ??? Well … I’m not the type to stress over these kinds of things. There are waaaayyyyy too many Wal-Marts between here and California to worry about packing too much. We have loaded the camper with our matching t-shirts and some clothes …. some food for snacks and meals for the first few days … a few camping supplies … a few things to keep the kids busy while riding … and if we missed anything … well … there are stores on every exit.

We also don’t have an official plan …. just heading out on i-40 with some places we want to see … when things are going well … we will stay longer … if the kids aren’t interested … then we just move on …. same thing for CA … I would love to make it all the way to the coast BUT if the road trip gets too crazy … well … we adjust for fun and memories … rather distance and landmarks.

Of course you guys know we homeschool … so …. all this is going to be a great educational experience without the normal classroom!!

Check back here often … I hope to post info and photos during our ride time … you know … when we move from location to location …. which will probably be everyday …. got lots of miles to cover … maybe we can load a video or two … I’m sure you all would love to see the craziness happening inside the “Flying Dutchmen” … that’s what we have named the RV.

Pray for our saftey!

Tabitha & Jamie along with Jikkal, Dancing Mermaid, Stormy Cloud, & Sea Monkey

Topless at Bird Island ?

Jamie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:25:24 +0000

There are many stories about Bird Island and what can be seen on this isolated piece of beach. We saw plenty of families and nothing out of the way. We had a great time. We parked at Sunset Beach and made the 2.25 mile walk to Bird Island. We were amazed at the the difference that a few miles make on the Carolina coast. The waves and water color seemed so much more appealing than what we normally see. The sand even felt softer. If you do decide to walk to this location, just remember that there is a 2.25 mile walk back.

We have chosen our turn around point, I think.

Jamie — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:48:44 +0000

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We can’t come home without seeing the Pacific. We have been trying to decide for weeks about the place we will step into the water on the west coast. There are still a few options, but at this point we are planning on the iconic Santa Monica Pier. On September 9, 1909, after sixteen months of construction, the Santa Monica Municipal Pier opened to the public. Thousands of people swarmed onto the 1,600-foot-long concrete pier to enjoy a festive day of band concerts, swimming races and the novelty of walking above the waters of the Pacific Ocean. We will miss the Century celebration by a month, but it will still be amazing to see it.

This decision is not final and we would love opinions from everyone.

T-Shirt Image

Jamie — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:55:31 +0000

Check out the image for the Vacation T-Shirts. It makes it easier to keep track of the kids if you know what they have on. We found a company (www.stickersandmore.com) that will do the shirts for $4.95 shipped. I don’t think we will be able to beat that deal. I still plan on having vinyl cut for the RV. I can’t wait to see the comments while we are on the road.

Danny MacAskill

Jamie — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:36:19 +0000

Little Pee Dee State Park

Jamie — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:18:02 +0000

This was our first real outing in the RV. We needed somewhere close that we could hookup for one night and test a few of the systems. It looks like everything is working, but I think I will still get the AC, refrigerator, and generator serviced.

The park was nice and quite until we got there. We fell asleep to the sound of frogs singing on the lake. Enjoyed a nice walk on Saturday morning to the beaver dam and found a geocache while we were there. We also saw plenty of baby snakes, less than 6 inches long. We’ll have to visit again when there is more time.

The First Step for Our Summer Adventure

Jamie — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:04:27 +0000

I guess it is official. We are really going to try to make this a summer vacation to remember. We took the first real step on Saturday and purchased our first RV. It is used and will need some TLC before we set out on our 7000+ mile trip this summer. We are planning a trip from the east coast to the Grand Canyon with dozens of stops in between. I will try to keep you posted as we continue to plan and as we go west. Today’s thunder storms did help us locate a few leaks, but they should be easy to repair. We will probably become good friends with the crew @ Camping World.

Waccatee Zoo

Jamie — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:13:57 +0000

This was just a short Sunday outing to the Waccatee Zoological Farm. Two animal groups seemed to get the most attention from our group. The peacocks were amazing. I see no evolution in these beautiful masterpieces. The second group were the baby goats. They had four newborns that still carried their cords. These are a few of our favorite pics. I hope you enjoy them. BTW, Jessie seems to have a way to make the horses say cheese.