Vacation Education

Quick clean up game

2009-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, all the studying gets a little too serious, so we play a few fun and silly games! Here's one we all like.
This is an excerpt from the book titled: Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom.

TRY IT! PARTY GAME! Great for Co-op, Sunday school or youth group.
Items you will need: index cards of pieces of paper, tape or safety pins, and a pen
How to Play: Write the name of an animal that you have been studying on each card. There should be enough cards for the number of players, and each card should have a different animal name written on it. Attach an animal name card to the back of each players shirt (either with tape or with a safety pin)
VERY IMPORTANT! Everyone should be able to read the card except for the player wearing it AND the player must not see their card before having it put on. They can not know what animal name card they are wearing.
Each player moves about the room asking yes or no questions of other players trying to get clues as to the animal that they are. Players can only answer yes or no, they can not give any other clues, and they can only ask one question at a time. Once they have asked a player a question, they must find another player to ask before returning to a player.
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS:
“Am I a reptile?”
“Do I live on land?”
“Am I hatched from an egg?”
NOTE: This is a game that can be altered to fit several subjects. The name cards can be historical figures, Biblical characters or even mathematical equations.

This title is coming out in the summer of 2009!
For more information on how to get yours, visit:
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Get kids to pick up with a scavenger hunt game.

2009-04-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun game that our kids love to play. The messier the room, the better. The kids split up into teams (optional: mom & dad can be on a team also).
Each team is given a list of items to find like something I wear, something red, something fuzzy, something I played with this week, something I can read, something that's in the wrong room,etc.
Using a timer, the teams race to see who can find the most things in each category. They have to bring them to a central location - we use our dining room table.
Every item is worth one point.
Next, the teams race to see who can put each of their items into the correct place, and then return to the central location.
The fastest team get 5 bonus points.
Then, mom checks to see that everything is put away properly. Anything out of place is a deduction of one point. (If putting things in their proper place is an issue that needs to be addressed; mom and dad can up the deduction amount to a higher more motivating number).
The team with the highest score wins the round.
Go for another round, or change things up by switching around some team members.

Only have one child? You will have to be the opposing team!

The author of this blog, Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom of six, a help meet to her husband and the author of Vacation Education Books.

New Ideas - I just love them!

2009-04-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about conferences is the opportunity to network. We talked with another vendor who offered this tip:
Start a Yahoo! group for your customers. So, we did. Now, available to anyone who bought the books or is thinking about buying from us; is a place online where they can share ideas and ask questions. Great Idea!
Also, we were visited by an agent from 3D Travel. First thing when I get home, I will be sitting down with a web designer and trying to figure out how to set up my site so that we can offer a coupon code to their customers.
Keeping this short as we are on our way to the second day of the Indianapolis convention.

The author of this blog; Corinne Johnson, is a Christian homeschooling mom to six children, help meet to her husband, and author of Vacation Education Books.

New Product New Logo

2009-03-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with everyone today as we are working on designer new product lines to go with what we are already offering. Our new product idea for this upcoming conference is the "pouch plus" organizer. It comes with a lanyard (for pin trading), and has easy convenient pockets for your activity cards, fastpasses, key cards and even includes an autograph book and pen! Everything you need to take into the park in one handy pouch - hang it on the lanyard or carry it in your pocket.

We'd love to hear comments about this new product idea. We are introducing it to the public for the first time next weekend, even though we've been working on the idea for nearly two years, to get it just right.

We've also been working on ideas for a company Logo. We would put this on our marketing materials, on our supplemental products, on t-shirts, etc. It includes our new company slogan "Whole Family Education Focused on God"

I'd love to hear what you think of it!

The author of this blog, Corinne Johnson, is a Christian homeschooling mom, help meet to her husband Don, and the author of Vacation Education Books!
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Animal Kingdom; my favorite page so far

2009-03-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

As I am working on the finishing touches for Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom, I came across this page and decided that it is by far my favorite.

It is the introduction page for the section on Dinoland

There is a great controversy surrounding dinosaurs and their history. There is a theory of evolution that is commonly reported as factual.
I am not a scientist, and I can not scientifically prove or disprove the ideas that make up the theory of evolution. However, I can tell you that it is not possible to believe in the Bible and believe in evolution. They can not both be true. Here’s why.
Genesis Chapter One. On day 6, all land creatures were created, including man. This would have to include dinosaurs. According to evolution, dinosaurs were all dead before man even existed, so to believe in evolution, we would have to say that the book of Genesis is a FALSE account of history, therefore saying that God’s Word is not true. I am unwilling to do that, therefore I must say that there is a flaw in the theory of evolution. But, there’s more.
Let’s look again at Genesis Chapter One, verses 29 & 30, then Romans chapter 5, verses 12—14, and First Corinthians 15: 20-22.
What brought death to this earth? It was sin.
If sin (done by man and woman) caused death upon the earth…
This I believe is foundational to Christian faith
If the wages of sin are death, and Christ came to pay the penalty for our sins, and to defeat death, giving us the gift of everlasting life, which I can claim by Grace through faith (see Ephesians chapter two verse eight), then my salvation depends upon that being true in its entirety.
If the theory of evolution is correct and the dinosaurs were dead before man even existed, then what brought death to earth?
If death and bloodshed existed prior to man, then sin did not cause death, and Christ’s payment for my sins can not save me from death, and my eternal salvation is hanging in the balance…
So, as I said above, I can not scientifically prove the theory of evolution to be false, nor can I prove the Bible to be true; these are tasks for much more learned minds than mine. But, my faith rests in Christ, and I believe that the history of this world happened just the way that God says it did. I pray that you do too.

All of that being said, Dinosaurs are very cool and we can enjoy learning about them! So, come on with me on a Dinosaur Adventure! First, to the Boneyard...

The author of this blog, Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom to six, help meet to her husband Don, and author of Vacation Education Books.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Words of Wisdom for parents

2009-03-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

These are not my words, but a poem given to me. As I organize my homeschool supplies this spring, I came across this and wanted to share it with others.

If I had my child to raise over again by Diane Loomans

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about love and power, and more about the power of love.

This has been a reminder to me of the honor placed upon me by God to raise and teach these children. It can be easy to see their faults as we focus on correction and training; easy to see their faults as we focus on skills that need work; but, I sometimes need reminding that they are perfectly and wonderfully made in the image of their Creator; exactly as He intended them to be. It is my honor and privilege to spend my days with them.
Your children are a reward from your Heavenly Father; you are blessed to be with them as they grow into the men and women that God intends for them to be.

The author of this blog; Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband Don, and author of Vacation Education Books.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

seeing the Animal Kingdom up close

2009-03-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

We were invited to the Wildlife Center at Ferris State University (about twenty minutes from our home). This is a free exhibit, and someplace near you probably has something similar (ask around).
This gave us a chance to see many animals up close. They were stuffed of course, but they were real, and we got to see them very closely. We attended a tour, presented by one of the students there. It was fun and informative.
By the grace of God, it was nearly free. Don used the day with an empty house to work on his Haggadah, and we got a free parking pass for showing up early, then after lunch, the lady at the cafeteria told us the kids were free. The whole day cost us just $2.85 (my lunch), plus the gas to get there.
Since we are the only homeschooling family in our church, the activity was attended by adults only, except for our children. When we were leaving, several of the women commented to me on how impressed they were with how much the kids knew about the animals we saw, and how well behaved they were. Because homeschooled children tend to act more mature (they are influenced more by adults than by their same age peers), I often get complimented on their behavior (they interact and converse well with adults). But, even I was impressed by how much they knew about the animals. The tour guide asked lots of questions and they knew almost every answer, which the adults didn't.
We are currently working on Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom, and so we are learning a lot about animals for our science this year, but they knew things even I didn't know.
Proverbs 10:1 tells us "A wise son brings joy to his father..."
I was proud to come home and share with my husband (their father) the joy brought about by the wisdom of his sons (and daughters too!)
What a blessed day it has been!

The author of this blog, Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother to six, help meet to her husband Don, and the author of Vacation Education Books
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

We're unschooling again

2009-03-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today was another one of those days when I appreciate unschooling. I had envisioned us quickly working through our textbook materials this morning and then moving onto free time (they could play, I could work). But, we are still searching for our lost digital camera - an item essential to our source of income. So, everyone worked on organizing the inventory room, in hopes that it had fallen into a box in there.
Note: it's the end of the day and we still haven't found it!
But, back to this story. We sorted, researched, priced, packaged and stacked boxes and boxes of inventory. Anyone who has ever worked for any retail business knows that this is training for real life.
Then, our midwife stopped by and invited us to a local church that was having a hymn sing and potluck dinner. Of course, we had to go. So, Caitlin learned to make cupcakes for our dish to pass, and brought her hymnal in case she got a chance to solo. Of course she did!
After dinner, we drove Tyler over to his Cub Scout Lock In. As the winner of a "What I want to be when I grow Up" contest, he was one of the boys who got to have an adult in their chosen field come and speak to the whole group. Tyler wants to be a missionary and the leader was able to get a youth pastor to come and speak about shepherding a flock for Christ. We left the church after Caitlin sang, and arrived at the Scout House just in time to hear the pastor speak.
I can't imagine what we could have possibly learned from our textbooks that would have been more beneficial to our children's futures both here on earth and in Heaven.

The author of this blog: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom to six children, help meet to her husband Don, and the author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel. Learn more at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

It's all about the journey

2009-03-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

What are we learning about this week? Trusting God!
Last weekend we attended a conference that had less people than we had hoped and we sold less than we had hoped. On the way home, the RV broke down on the side of the road about thirty minutes from home.
If we had made a bunch of money, then we would have called a tow truck, but since we didn't have any money to pay for one, we didn't call. We called on God instead. Quietly and patiently we talked about what we thought might be wrong with it, and we prayed.
As it began to get dark, we decided that we would try to reach our midwife (she had borrowed our minivan while we were away) to see about getting a ride home. We couldn't get through to her phone. So, Don called his friend Marty, who offered to call his dad and get us a ride (it would take both of them to haul all 8 of us).
Within an hour, Marty (who couldn't get through to his dad) had called a friend, who called another friend, who called another friend and soon there was a crowd around our RV. One guy showed up with a big truck and pulled us off the highway, and two other guys climbed into the engine area and began to work.
They were determined not to abandon us. It took a couple of hours, but with a wire coat hanger and a butter knife they managed to figure out the problem, rig up a temporary fix and get us home safely.
There is work to be done and parts that have to be replaced, but the RV is in our driveway and will be ready to go before our next big trip.
What are we teaching our children this week? When things don't go the way we planned them, we go to God first; not to our own earned dollars, not to the AAA service department, not to the Visa card, but to God.

The author; Corinne Johnson, is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband, and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel.

First 2009 convention God's plans, not mine

2009-03-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an adventure we are on! We are sitting here at the booth in Evansville; our first day of this conference. We left Thursday morning (we planned to leave at 8am, but didn't get out of the drive until 11:30). Many things did not go as planned, like the RV not starting. We just started praying, "Lord, I know your plans are greater than ours and we believe that you have the best for us in mind. But, right now, we don't understand, we don't see the plan and we are a little bit scared. So, just show us what to do and we will trust you." We gave it another try and sure enough, she turned right over. God is Great!
We were on our way. We planned to be at our first night camp site by dinner time, but didn't arrive until after 11pm, another unplanned delay. We got lost, missed a turn and drove through many downtown areas that we wouldn't have dared take the Midas into on purpose. More adventure!
I'm now convinced that we NEED a GPS!
We finally pulled into our spot for the night and Thanked God for friends like Tim and Tina who told us to take extra blankets (we couldn't figure out how to light the furnace and we really needed those extra covers).
We were up early, and on our way. We arrived at the convention center with plenty of time to spare. We unloaded, cleaned up, changed clothes, set up our booth, ate lunch, had family devotions, relaxed over a cup of coffee and were at the booth with minutes to spare before opening.
Now, we are praying for successful sales today and tomorrow.
We were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could connect here at the conference. We had planned to stop along the way at a "hot spot" and use the free internet to check emails and such, but never had time because we were so rushed. Then, we arrived and couldn't get any networks in the parking lot, but once we got inside, we logged on no problem.
Thanks God! Your ways are the BEST!

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom to six, help meet to her husband Don and the author or Vacation Education Books: travel guides for families who love to learn; unit studies for families who love to travel.
Learn more about their products and their conference schedule at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

God is growing us into something new!

2009-03-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

We have been so blessed through the journey with this business, and the more we grow, the more we realize that God is growing us into something more than we had ever imagined.
We began with an idea for a curriculum that fit our family situation, and found that it worked for many of the homeschooling families that we met. We expanded our offerings to include music, drama, and units of subjects other than vacation destinations.
Our motto when we started was; Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn; unit studies for families who love to travel.
But, as we grow, we are realizing that our little idea has become so much more than that.
"The Gospel According to St. Olav" began as a skit to help our children retain a piece of Christian history, then it grew into an advertising campaign (just one of the many exciting ways to use our books), soon it became a ministry as we presented the Gospel message in every showing, and today we are learning how to make DVD's because we have had requests to put this presentation in a form that others can keep and share. God just keeps on growing our ministry.
Don's teaching on the Passover began as a lesson for us and our children during a Bible study on Exodus. As our children began to understand and question elements of our faith practice (like communion), we have returned time and time again to God's Word for guidance. After teaching our children how God used the Passover to point to Christ; we shared this with family and friends and last year Don taught it to a crowd of a hundred at our church. Now, he has been invited to teach fathers attending homeschool conferences how to take this information back home and teach it to their children and their churches. Again, we are learning how to make DVD's as people ask for this in a form that they can keep and share.
We have every intention of continuing to write Vacation Education Books, and to research and present materials on more destinations, but as our children grow and become more active in this business, we are giving them opportunities to use their talents to bless others.
Caitlin has been singing (check her out on YOUTUBE -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTs0qSFqlbQ&feature=related
Our name is dcscte if you want to see all of our uploaded videos
Summer is a born actress; she learns her lines as fast as I can write them, and she can learn to sign a new song for her sister just as quickly.

Our philosophy of education has not changed, but it has grown, and we find more and more that our mission is to encourage families to learn and grow together in God's Word; something that is very difficult to do in the current secular educational culture. We look forward to all that God has planned for us and feel honored that He has given us this opportunity to share our lives and faith with others.
God's blessings to you in your journey.

The author: Corinne Johnson is a homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband, and the author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn; unit studies for families who love to travel.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Animal Kingdom Introduction

2009-03-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

I've been busy getting things together for this years conferences, and working hard to finish up the details on our THIRD book; hoping to get it out in the next few months. Sharing here the introduction for Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom.

The time has come again… time to plan your family vacation. Where will you go? What will you see? What will you do? How will you spend your hard earned money? Will you learn something from this trip? Will it provide memories to last a lifetime?
You are probably wondering how a book about Walt Disney World could enhance your children’s education. Every time we plan a new title, I have to ask that same question; over and over again. I also ask how does this vacation destination bring our family closer to God? Then, I set out to answer those very questions. For my family and for yours.
How much do you remember from your sixth grade textbooks? You read them, didn’t you? You were even tested on the material, right? So, what do you remember? Isn’t that what we are asking our kids to tell us on a regular basis? You read this book, why don’t you know the information that is in it? You were here when we talked about that, why don’t you remember it? If your kids are forgetting the information a few months later, or days, or sometimes even minutes… then how much of what you are devoting your time and energy to teaching them do you think they will retain into adulthood? About as much as you have.
Do you remember your family vacations, summer trips, family reunions, every detail of your grandmother’s house, your first baseball game, the first time your dad took you fishing…? How about the rules to the card game you played every time your aunt came to visit, even though you haven’t played it in over twenty years? Of course you do. And, these are the kinds of memories your kids will hold onto as well. It’s called experiential learning. We retain the things that we learn through our experiences more than any other format. The kid who can’t master his fourth grade math book, can remember the stats of every major league player for the last thirty years. The kid who can’t remember a single thing from the assigned book he just read, can recite play by play details of a video game he defeated a year ago.
Memories become ingrained when they are part of an experience. If you’ve told the kids about your plans for the next family vacation; they are probably already eager to know more about it. Eager students are a teacher’s best friend. Use that and the materials you’ll find within this book to plant seeds of learning that will stay with your children throughout their lives. Seeds that will not be easily forgotten.
If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, or if you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, then...
YOU NEED
VACATION EDUCATION
destination
ANIMAL KINGDOM

Vacation Education is exactly what the name implies, a vacation from traditional education. Every destination we explore as a family provides a platform from which to build a learning experience. It’s time to take advantage of these. It’s time to let your vacation destination provide the education. This book will give you everything you need to do just that.

The author; Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband Don and the author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn; unit studies for families who love to travel.

Physical Fitness Curriculum

2009-02-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

What do you use for PE?
Every academic subject has plenty of options for textbooks, workbooks, and more, but what about PE?

This past year we decided to start from a practical perspective. We asked what they might need to be physically fit for. There is the natural benefit of being healthy, but in terms of physical abilities we felt the most likely real life application would be if they ever wanted to participate in the military.

We looked up the US military minimum requirements for physical fitness, and agreed that this should also be the minimum that we require of our children.

http://www.army.com/enlist/push-ups.html

The above link will take you to a chart for push ups and from that page you can link to minimum requirements for sit ups and for running.
These are the three areas that you would be tested in to pass Basic Training. The requirements are not exactly the same for every branch of the military, but they are similar.

To use this information; we had our children test themselves, and document where they fell on the chart. Their goal was to work their way up to passing the Basic Training Test by the end of the school year. To help them, we encouraged them to work at some form of exercise on a daily basis and to retest once a week to see how much progress they had made.

While not all of my children would be able to pass the Basic Training test today, they have all made progress since the first test, and that is the real goal. We will continue to hold the military standard as our standard until all of our children are able to pass it.

The author of this blog, Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband Don, and author of Vacation Education Books (travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel).
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Dinosaurs & the Bible

2009-02-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

I have recently been researching dinosaurs as part of my work on unit studies to go along with Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom (this is our most recent title). I am trying to get this finished up so that we can distribute this book sometime this year (2009)

We discovered today an excellent resource in a website called Christiananswers.net.

Here is a link to get you started there.
http://www.christiananswers.net/dinosaurs/alaska/home.html

This particular link will take you to a story written by the leader of a group of Christian Creation scientists who journeyed to Alaska to find dinosaur bones. They were looking for bones that had been frozen in the permafrost, in hopes of finding some organic material. We found it both educational and entertaining, and especially appreciated that these men trusted the Lord in their struggles, and praised the Lord in their successes.

If you like adventure stories, you will enjoy this true story of their trek.

This blog is written by Corinne Johnson, Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband, and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel.
Learn more here:

Tyler's Engineering Project

2009-02-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote about a K'NEX set that Tyler found and we used for a days worth of school (focusing on Math, Science and Engineering). Here is the final result.

Homeschooling & Socialization Antics

2009-02-13T17:43:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, I am reminded of the social skills that my children don't get because they aren't exposed to common worldly influences; like modern slang. In our house, we generally speak proper English, and with the exception of occasional sarcasm, we tend to say what we mean. So, when my ten year old daughter asked me what it meant when she heard someone say, "Don't have a cow", I was reminded that she doesn't often hear such phrases.
I explained that it was an expression that some people used to indicate that someone was throwing a fit or having a temper tantrum. Okay.
The next day, my husband told her not to do something because Mommy wouldn't like it. She asked him, "Will she get a cow?"

Why yes dear, whenever Mommy is mad, she goes right out and gets a cow; that's why there's so much hamburger in the freezer!

Engineering K'NEX, Life = Learning

2009-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

We made the rounds of the resale shops yesterday looking for treasures, and Tyler found a grocery cart full of K'NEX for $9.

We negotiated that we would purchase it but it would have to be a loan, and he would have to agree to pay us back.
1) Finance lesson - this was a very short term loan, since he had the money at home, and we expected immediate repayment.

As soon as we got home, the boys sorted out all the different pieces, and dad went online to find some instructions.
2) Math Lesson - Jacob (2yr) sorted by colors & shapes; Ethan & Tyler sorted more methodically, organizing different types of connections.

Once some designs were printed out, the boys began to figure out what they could build. Tyler has also began to imagine and hypothesize alterations he can make to the designs using different parts and to create different effects.
3) Lessons in Math/Logic/Engineering/Science

4) Lesson in patience - A 2 year old who desperately wants to help isn't always helpful, but we have to treat him with love anyway.

We are not doing school today, we are building K'NEX and we are learning a lot!

The author of this blog: Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom of 6, help meet to her husband and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn, unit studies for families who love to travel.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Dinosaur Troubles defeated by the Fallacy Detective

2009-02-13T04:37:00.000-08:00

The work has been difficult this week, as I try to finish Animal Kingdom, specifically Dinoland. Almost everything available is from an evolutionary point of view, which I already expected. Answers in Genesis does provide some exceptional resources ( I highly suggest a visit to the Creation Museum in Kentucky if you get that way; and if you're not going that way, I suggest you plan a trip there).

What is distressing me is the vast amount of writing I have found that is just mean. As I search for information on dinosaurs that does not reject God, I have found many sites and sources that are anti-God, anti-Creation and anti-Christian in an extreme way. Even Q&A forums where anyone can pipe in, I have read very offensive language and a huge amount of name calling.

I am an intelligent person, and my faith is based on evidence; I would not be a believer if God had not revealed himself to me. So, when I am trying to read and understand different perspectives, I find it quite UNhelpful when the majority of the arguments begin with the premise that all Christians are stupid, and/or brain washed.

I don't believe everything my pastor says, I don't believe everything that I read, but I DO believe God. I believe that the Bible IS His Word, true when originally revealed, true for me today, and true for all generations to come. I am not opposed to hearing out those who disagree with me, but every argument that begins with emotionally charged name calling has little to offer in the way of actually being convincing, or even explaining any point.

So, if you would like to teach yourself and your children to be intelligent conversationalists who present their arguments with facts, not insults, then I suggest a book titled the Fallacy Detective. There are plenty of Logic curriculums to choose from and many of them are very good, but I like the Fallacy Detective particularly because we've been able to use it with several age levels. We also appreciate the "bite sized" presentation of material, as we (mom & dad) are learning too.

Corinne Johnson, is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, help meet to her husband, and author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn and unit studies for families who love to travel.
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Get an early start on next years Science Fair Project

2009-02-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

The following is taken from Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom, copyright 2009, Vacation Education Books, author: Corinne Johnson

Here's an idea for your 2010 Science fair Project:

TRY IT! Here is another nature idea for a science project you can do with your camera. Take photos of the different types of trees in your yard or neighborhood. Take the same photos again during the next season, and then next. You should have a shot of each tree at spring bloom, once at summers peak, once when the colors have changed, and again when it is winter bare. Make a display exhibiting the changing seasons in your area, explaining what happens to the different types of trees during these seasonal transitions.

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of six, helpmeet to her husband Don and the author or Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families that love to learn. To find out more visit www.vacationeducationbooks.net; where you can order her books filled with educational unit studies and fun activities for your family.

Homeschooling many ages New Baby

2009-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges that face many Christian homeschooling families (including mine) is How to Best Serve the Needs of Several Children?
Classroom teachers face this challenge as well, usually with a group of 20 or more. As moms & dads we typically have less children than that, but do have the added challenge of differing ages as well as different abilities and strengths among our children.

Having had a new baby arrive on Jan. 13th, this is a fresh topic on my mind. It is not the nursing newborn that disrupts our routine, however. It is the 2 1/2 year old toddler whose place on my lap has been overtaken and while he can do many things on his own, he is not yet ready to join the older children in their lessons.

Here are a few things that we have found work well for us.
1) Partnering older children with younger children. My level 5 math student can easily sit beside her level one brother and guide him through his lessons. This frees up mom and dad to help another older child.
2) Combining as many subjects as possible. We use resources like Sequential Spelling, Mystery of History, and English from the Roots up. These are easy to use as a group with everyone participating in a lesson, and then older children are assigned additional work to supplement what we've done together.
3) Giving older children independent work whenever possible. My oldest is 13, and this is the first year that she has really been able to work through almost all of her subjects on her own, coming to her father and I with questions and guidance as necessary. I no longer have to create daily lesson plans for her. We've also started using more curriculum that is user friendly and needs little in the way of "teaching" on my part. Piano for life is an example; the DVD lessons are taught by a teacher and then each student is responsible for tracking their own practice time. Right now, all five older children are watching a DVD lesson called "Teaching kids to sing". It provides warming up exercises and practice in posture and proper breathing. All the children can watch it together and glean at their own level.
4) We have a posted chart on a dry erase board. The graph (names across the top and subjects down the side) is posted in wet erase so that it stays there when the board is erased - it has to be washed off to be removed. We use dry erase markers to put a check mark into a box after a child has completed a subject. This allows my husband and I to work one on one with a child on different days throughout the week, and everyone knows what is left to do, with a quick glance at the board.
5) For my toddler, I keep a seat on the floor right next to me and set down my infant whenever he is soundly sleeping(usually when he has just finished nursing) and then invite my toddler to take my lap in an effort to give him as much snuggling time as he needs. I can do this at the table and still be available for other children who need help with their lessons.
6) Also, for my toddler; when everyone is working diligently and no one is able to entertain him; we offer "school books" and paper, pencils, crayons, markers, stickers, etc. and give him important "assignments". Today, we received a sheet of stickers in the mail as part of an advertisement. His assignment was to move the stickers from their sheet onto a piece of blank copy paper. Admittedly, this is not necessarily an 'educational' task. I could maybe claim some hand/eye coordination, but primarily it is busy work. However, he is learning that there are times when he must work at a task while he is waiting for his older siblings to play with him. He is learning that even though there are seven other people in this house who could entertain him, sometimes he will have to entertain himself, sometimes he will have to play alone.
7) Using tip#6 there are many other tasks that toddlers can do that are more productive/educational. Coloring books, puzzles, and simple games are great for including them. One of our favorites recently has been a small dry erase board, one or two markers and an eraser. He enjoys imitating mom and dad who often write memorization verses or prayer requests and other things on our big dry erase board. He can write down his ideas and erase them as often as he likes on his little board.
8) Keep things simple. We don't take off on days that the local schools do. Because we continued to work through the public school winter break, we are now able to relax about school work as we prepared for our new baby's birth and as we take time to welcome him and get to know him. If we miss a few days or lessons now, we know that it's okay.
9) Be flexible in your daily schedule. Right now, with a new baby, a toddler, and children 6, 8, 10, and 13; my ten and thirteen year old daughters are desperately needed by me for many tasks around the house. From washing dishes and preparing meals to scrubbing bathroom floors. Some things are more difficult for me to do at this time, and I need their help, but I also want to make sure that they have time to keep up with their studies as well. This means that we never follow a "school" schedule. In the mornings, the girls typically help with chores and the boys do their lessons. After lunch, small children have naps while older children work on lessons. Because our oldest has much more to do academically (7th grade is much more demanding than 3rd), she often has work still to do at the end of the day. We send children to their rooms at 8pm, little ones to sleep and older children are able to use this time for extra studying, finishing lessons or quiet time to read and listen to music. We understand that this means, mom or dad may have to be up at 10pm to answer history or science questions, but that works for our family. Our oldest is much more pleasant and motivated to work in the evenings and enjoys the quiet time after everyone else is asleep - we often allow her to sleep a little later in the mornings. A homeschool blessing! School doesn't have to begin at a certain time.
10) Be flexible in your yearly schedule. We believe that education is a constant, not something that happens during certain times of day or certain seasons of the year. We work on math skills all year, so we don't have to review in the fall what we forgot from the spring. Our science in the summer is focused on things we can explore outdoors; plants and animals, the growth and harvest of our garden, and in the winter, we do more chemistry and science that involves baking. Homeschool Blessing! We can pick and choose our lessons based on where we are and what we feel like doing. Example: Last summer was especially windy here, and we had several tornado warnings, so we studied tornadoes and other weather phenomenon for many weeks.

So, that's my top ten list! I hope you find it helpful. I would love to hear from all of you with any ideas that have worked for your family. One more thing, we regularly use unit studies as a means of studying subjects together as a family. To learn more about the some of the unit studies that we have put together for our family and for yours, please visit our website: www.vacationeducationbooks.net and check out our book series.

Help your kids want to clean up litter

2009-01-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

Read the creation account in Genesis with your child. Then, have them create an earth out of art. Any medium they choose; crayons and paper, a paper mache mobile, a creative sculpture. However they want to represent their idea of the earth they live on, in an art form, as creative as they are able, with time and effort put into it.
Now, ask them which would be more pleasing to them - if you dumped the kitchen garbage on top of their creation or if you put it on display and treated it as though you cared for it.
Then, ask them which they think would make God happier, dumping our trash on His Creation, or treating it like we care about it?

This is a great simple lesson that helps kids of all ages to have some empathy, and leads them to want to take care of the world in which we live.

This lesson is an excerpt from Vacation Education destination Animal Kingdom.
Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom of five (will be six any day now), help meet to her husband Don, and author or Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn and unit studies for families who love to travel.
Learn more at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Nature Hike in your socks

2009-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun activity that will certainly show up in the Animal Kingdom book.
You will need:
A nice day for taking a walk outdoors (I know, I know, it's January and many of you are buried in snow, so you'll have to save this activity for the spring).
A pair of old mismatched socks, preferably dads since they need to be big (and cotton seems to work best)
A paper bag
A book for looking up plants and seeds
A large white piece of paper or poster board to display your finds

You may also want to have:
A large planting pot
Some potting soil

Here is the first part of the activity:
You pull the socks on over your shoes and go for a nature walk
when you are done, pull off the socks and put them into the paper bag (this way all of the items that stuck to your socks while you were walking won't end up stuck to the inside of your car's upholstery)
Next, take your items home and spread them out on your white display paper.
Use your nature book to identify the plants and seeds that came home with you.

You can either spread them out on your display and label them as a science project or you can Plant Your Sock! (This part of the activity is usually most successful if done during the fall after many trees and plants have lost their leaves or in the spring when plants are letting go of their seeds into the wind).

Put some potting soil into a pot and bury the sock in the soil, keep the soil moist with water and wait to see what happens.

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom of five (almost six), a help meet to her husband Don, and the author of Vacation Education Books; Travel Guides for Families Who Love to Learn & Unit Studies For Families Who Love to Travel!
Learn more at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

New Years Day activity; start a Christmas Jar

2009-01-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

Are you past the stay out all night, partying stage of your life?
Does the idea of drinking until midnight make you tired just thinking about it?
If I answered yes, does that make me old?

I am 38 weeks pregnant, have five young children at home; my idea of a wonderful New Year's Eve was going to bed at 9pm (without my husband, so that my big old belly could have some extra room). I watched a few programs on the computer, worked a few Soduko puzzles, and then fell asleep (long before midnight).

But, I awoke this morning feeling a bit like I should have done something special to commemorate the incoming year. It didn't have to happen at midnight, but it's 2009 now. Perhaps we should mark it in some way to make it different, better than 2008, but how?

We started today to fill our first 'Christmas Jar'. If you are not familiar with this, neither were we until one showed up on our doorstep on Christmas Eve. There it was, a big glass jar filled with coins and a book. The book was titled "Christmas Jars." I declared that evening that we would read the book out loud as a family before we even opened the jar. So, over this past week, we read the story of Hope Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose life was changed by a mysterious anonymous jar of change that showed up at her front door. When she set out to detect the giver of the jar, she was led on an investigative journey to the start of the Christmas Jar tradition. We read about how many lives were changed over the years, not only by the jar that one family gave away each year, but by the inspiration that it provided to others to do the same, and the domino effect of this one act of kindness.

We finished reading the book yesterday evening, and opened the jar this morning. We counted the coins, not a life changing amount, but more than we would have imagined. The $ amount is irrelevant when we think of the love that went into this jar throughout the year as some family set aside their change, day by day, thinking of someone who they could bless with it.

For me, I tend to feel very alone as my pregnancy ends, and immediately after the baby is born. It is a time of extreme loneliness for me. Although surrounded by my husband and children, I do not usually feel up to visiting others and we do not have many guests. I often long for someone to share my emotions with as those around me love me and care for me, but do not have any idea what I have just went through or am currently going through. I am sad that I do not have many other new moms to chat with, or that more people don't come by to see how we are doing. Knowing that someone, somewhere saw us and our needs and thought we were worthy of their blessing is an honor. It reminds me that I am not alone, I am not invisible and someone trusts that we will make good use of this gift.

We thanked God for the people He led to bring us this gift and we asked Him to guide us in the way He would like us to use it. We then cleaned out the jar and set it on the table and put a few of our own coins in it. We are already excited as we think about spending the year watching it fill up with our spare change (it is likely that we will have less to give than what we were just given), but we now have a reason to look forward to Christmas Eve 2009 - when we will get to give away our Christmas Jar.

So, if you are looking for a meaningful way to start the new year, perhaps you will find a jar to set on your counter, where you can drop in a little spare change here and there and watch it fill, anticipating the way that you will change the life of some other in need when you give away your Christmas Jar.

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of five (soon to be six - just two more weeks), a help meet to her husband in his business, and the author of Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn.

Walt Disney Epcot Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-18T08:19:00.001-08:00

This is a BONUS post for everyone who bought our Epcot book! These are a few fun and interesting things in the park that have been brought to our attention since the book came out. Some of these items may be found in the next edition, but here they are for your amusement, right now, free of charge.

In Norway, as you are boarding the Viking ship for the Maelstrom, look for the Viking who is wearing Mickey Mouse ears instead of the traditional Viking helmet.

Guest Relations is now provided a list of hidden Mickeys and a list of pressed penny locations. You just have to ask for them

Go on your birthday and get in for FREE! New this year, Disney is giving away admission to anyone who shows up on their birthday. You will have to provide some sort of proof that it is your birthday, and the rest of the party will still have to purchased admission.

In Spaceship Earth, when you approach the scene with the monks working on copying the Bible, notice one that has fallen asleep. He has a Mickey Mouse shaped ink blot on the paper next to him.

If you have interesting tidbits to share that you noticed on your trip to WDW (any park), please send them to us. We may publish them here or on our website, or they might even make it into one of our book titles.

Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mom, and the author or Vacation Education Books; travel guides for families who love to learn!
www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Christmas Family Activity, Wreath making kids can do

2008-12-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

Here is just a fun activity to do with your kids this month. It's also a great way to welcome guests into your home this holiday.

You will need Green Foam, about 8-10 pieces per wreath(if you want it to last for years to come). A less expensive option is construction paper, but this will not last as long, and the foam is stiffer and makes a better overall project. My suggestion is to make one out of foam as a family, and let younger children make their own out of construction paper.
Red Foam, One sheet per wreath.
Scissors and Glue

Here's what you do:
Trace your child's hands onto the foam. You should be able to do two hands per sheet.
Cut out the hand shapes
Lay the green hands overlapping slightly in a circle with the fingers pointing outward, creating a wreath shape.
Glue all of the pieces into place. Craft glue works here, but for speed and durability, I love to work with a glue gun - this would require adult supervision during the entire process.
The red hands are added to the bottom of the wreath, end to end with the fingers pointing out, making sort of a ribbon.
Cut tiny circles out of the remaining red foam and glue on for berries.

This creates a very basic wreath. Once this is finished, you can either hang it on the front door to greet your guests, or get creative with odds and ends you have around your house, and embellish to your hearts content.

Fitting this activity into homeschooling: How to make it educational? Here is a bit of history from the Catholic Education Resource Center.
The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life. Even these evergreens have a traditional meaning which can be adapted to our faith: The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of holly. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

I hope you enjoyed this activity and accompanying lesson. Please check back for more ideas on fun and educational activities to do with your family. If you would like a whole book full of fun & educational lessons, visit our website at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Changing course, New Blog

2008-12-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have two passions pulling at me, and they both seem to end up on this one blog. So, in an effort to keep things simpler, and more interesting for my readers; I've decided to begin a new blog. It is called "Making Money from home" You'll find it at www.weareunemployed.blogspot.com. It attempts to share our experiences since Don left work in October, 2007. I'll be sharing all my frugal tips and money saving ideas there.

This blog site, Vacation Education, will instead be completely devoted to sharing the activities and unit studies that you love to do with your family. Some of them will come from books already on the market, some will come from books we are working on currently, and some will be ideas that we just thought were great, but didn't necessarily make it into a specific book title in our series.

If you would like to know more about our book series, please visit our website; www.vacationeducationbooks.net

Making FREE cloth diaper covers

2008-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

I DID IT! Me, who has never used a sewing machine in my life, actually put together and sewed my own diaper covers. Now, these were not actually free, but that is my eventual goal, and these are significantly less expensive than purchasing them, even through used sources.

Don found me a poly blend material that is waterproof; he actually bought me a shower curtain. This is not the plastic liner or a cloth outer, but a blend that feels soft to the touch, is flexible to work with, easy to sew and is waterproof. It was not FREE or even cheap by shower curtain standards ($15), but I've made four diaper wraps from it, and have only used about 1/4 of it.

I started with a Fuzzy Buns size Medium and measured that out as my pattern, onto an opened paper bag. I cut it out and have been using that to cut out the waterproof liner.

I also used a shower curtain liner; this is a thicker, plastic material, less flexible and harder to sew, but I felt it would be extremely waterproof.

I cut the center out of an extra large sweatshirt and turned it so the inside softer part would be what touches baby's bottom.

I sewed the three layers together, waterproof fabric, plastic lining, soft cotton. I added elastic, (my daughter took a sewing class where she learned to make a skirt and then she taught me how to add elastic) and velcro. Tada, it was done. I made the first two this way, the second one turning out much better than the first. I was learning.

The next one, I made the same way, except for the inside layer I used a piece of teddy bear fleece. These are great baby blankets and I love them, but after five kids, I have about 50 in the closet. There is no way I will need this many, even for a January baby, so I figured I could spare one.

This diaper, I took my husband's suggestion and got adventurous, I sewed the three layers together, except I left a gap at the back center between the plastic lining and the fleece, which makes it a pocket diaper. HAH! I'm getting even better.

The fourth diaper, I made with the waterproof outer and the fleece (as another pocket diaper), but I left out the plastic liner to see if it would still work. That would save the cost of that layer and would save the time of sewing in the extra layer. We used it once and it didn't leak, so far so good. They are all going through the wash right now, and will get to go for another round soon.

As far as the additional costs: I scavenged the elastic from a pair of plastic pants that had worn out and were basically shredded except for the elastic; I had some velcro left over from when we used it for attaching our banner to the front of our display table (for conventions). I bought some snap tape when the local Ben Franklin went out of business; sold one box on Ebay for close to what I paid for two boxes, and so basically got to keep one for free. I am going to try adding snaps to the next one, and see how that works.

It wasn't all perfect. I broke the thread so many times on the first diaper, that it took an entire spool of thread to finish the project. I've also broken two needles so far, the first one I don't know how, and the second one I was trying to sew on the snap tape and hit a snap with the needle. My first diaper looks like a mess of thread, but it works. My second looks only slightly better, but again, it works. I'm not creating diapers that I could put on the market and offer to others for sale, (at least not yet). And, I so far have only figured out how to make one size.

However, when all is said and done, I am learning a new skill, I am making something that my family can actually use, and I am NOT spending $15 a week on paper diapers.
If I stop now, I will have four functional diaper covers for a total cost of under $20. If I continue making wraps from the materials I have, the price per cover will continue to decrease with each completed one. Maybe I'll even get good enough at it to make some that look nice enough that others would want to use, and then I would have learned a skill that could actually bring in an income.

Corinne Johnson is the author of Vacation Education Books, a Christian unit study series based on favorite vacation destinations.

How the Pretzel Saved Christmas

2008-12-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

This year, our church will be putting on a live outdoor nativity, and adding an indoor element of storytelling from around the world. I am in charge of putting these stories together. If you have a copy of Vacation Education destination Epcot, then this story will coincide with the activities in Germany, specifically the Pretzel Recipe on page 54. If you do not already have a copy of this book filled with cultural unit studies, Please visit Vacationeducationbooks.net to learn more.

Here is one of the stories that we will be using, and how I have set it up.
We will decorate around the kitchen window as though it is outside the monastery. Brother Bachman (a monk) is hard at work kneading bread. He will speak to the guests as they approach the window.

“I remember the first day that I imagined these little treats. It was the winter of 610 AD, and I was standing at this very window, watching the children play outside in the snow. I was sad because the children came to the church yard to play, but they hardly ever came inside to worship… and their parents hardly ever came at all.”
“I was baking loaves of bread that day, and working with the leftover dough, I began to roll it out as I prayed for these little children and their families. Soon, I was thinking of their tiny hands folded in prayer, and I folded the dough like this.”

Host will roll out dough into a snake shape, then fold over once to represent hands.

“Then, I thought of their mothers and fathers praying along side them and folded the dough like this.”

The ends of the dough get folded over again.

“Then, I thought of their parents teaching about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and soon the dough was shaped like this.”

The tips of the dough are place at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock points on the center part of the dough creating three spaces that represent the HOLY TRINITY.

“I made several of these that day, enough for all the children. When they were warm and fresh from the oven, I called out the window and invited the children to come and try them.”

“Here would you like some?” Host will offer pretzels to guests.

“The children enjoyed them so much, that I had an idea. I called my creation ‘pretiola’ which means ‘little reward’ and I told the children to go home and learn a Bible verse. If they could come back with their parents and tell me the Bible verse they had memorized, that I would make more pretiolas for them.”

“They were so popular that soon everyone in town was coming to get them, and by Christmas, the church was filled with families once again.”

And, that is the story of how the pretzel (comes from the Latin root pretiola) saved Christmas. Hope you enjoyed it. You can share it with your family, and be sure to try the pretzel recipe on page 54 of Vacation Education destination Epcot.

Corinne Johnson is the author of Vacation Education Books, Christian unit studies based on favorite family vacation destinations.

How to Make Diapers at Home Cheap, Cloth, PUL, AIO

2008-11-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Last year, we gave our oldest daughter a sewing machine for Christmas. I had never used one before, but think it is something that my girls should know how to do. This machine didn't get much use, until this fall when she began to take a beginner sewing class. She learned to make a skirt, a fairly simple project apparently, but impressive nonetheless.
We use cloth diapers; have you priced these things lately? They are expensive! My favorites are the Fuzzy Buns with pockets - these sell retail for about $25. I've paid about $12 for Super Whisper Wraps (these are just the outer waterproof wrap, and need a diaper to go along with them).
I know that a package of disposable diapers, yes we have used paper diapers in the past, costs about $12 and lasts about a week. We are expecting our 6th child, and they stay in diapers for 2-3 years, I'll let you do the math here.
It is much more economical for us to use cloth, and I know there are other benefits, but it is the cost factor that motivates us. So, I want to know how to get them cheap or even FREE.
We've received them as gifts, been handed down many from other moms, and I even run across them at yard sales or resale shops every so often (Paying about $1 or $2 a piece).
I know moms that make their own, and I've grilled them on every detail, and checked out many websites claiming to teach you to make your own. This does not seem cheaper to me, PUL is $9 a yard, plus the cost of fabrics and liner materials, plus Velcro or snaps, and elastic too.
So, here is my idea, and I'm putting it out there for all the criticism it can take. I have put out the word that we will take all 'throw away' clothes that people have, items that are too stained or ripped to sell or wear. We are going to pull off every possible reusable accessory that we can; buttons, snaps, zippers, elastic, etc. My cost so far? 0
Then, I am going to use an old shower curtain liner (I see these at yard sales for about 50cents). I happen to have an extra, but I'll call this a cost, it equals about two yards of material. So, 25cents a yard. This will be my waterproof material.
I'm going to scavenge any old thing that has a cute pattern and is big enough for the outer layer, the part that is seen, and plan to use either old towels or fleece, whichever is available for the inner absorbent material.
I plan to have my daughter (with her new sewing skills) sew these three layers together. Then we will add elastic and snaps (taken from the throw away clothes) and have a All in One diaper.
We have just begun to collect materials. I made one wrap this way with just two layers, waterproof and then an outer (from a really cute onesie that was damaged, I used the front and back and the snaps from the center). This wrap worked well for a few uses, but I planned poorly and it was quickly grown out of; I'm saving it for the next baby.
If anyone has done this, made diapers, covers, wraps, or AIOs from FREE materials, please comment here. I would like to know how you did it and so would other moms. Thanks
Corinne Johnson is the author of the Christian unit study series, Vacation Education Books

Finding Nemo Sea World Epcot Walt Disney World

2008-11-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Here is an excerpt from the newest book we are working on; Vacation Education SeaWorld:
A great study to go along with this trip is on the subject of the Coral Reef.
Have you seen the movie “Finding Nemo”? It’s the story of a young clown fish (named Nemo) and his very protective father. Nemo goes beyond the boundaries set forth (he disobeys) and then all sorts of adventures ensue because of this.
Devotional Lesson: All sorts of trouble comes for children who disobey their parents.
Of course, Nemo’s father who has never left their reef, braves the vast and frightening ocean, stopping at nothing, willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, to save his child.
Devotional Lesson: We also have a Father who left the sanctity and perfection of Heaven, and braved the suffering and temptation of this world, did sacrifice everything, including His own life, to save His child—YOU!
This film can be a great way to lead into the discussions above, and also an opportunity for everyone to look for marine life that they recognize. There are many varieties of creatures featured throughout the film, like jellyfish, sea turtles, clown fish, whales, sharks and more.

A similar lesson will be included in the Next Edition of Vacation Education destination Epcot to accompany the unit on The Living Seas Pavilion.
To learn more about our educational unit studies, please visit our website at www.vacationeducationbooks.net
Corinne Johnson, author

Home Birth vs Hospital Birth my perspective

2008-11-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this, you are already looking into your options, and you are probably pregnant - if so, congratulations! I've made all kinds of choices that go against the main stream; it just fits with my personality to do so. If I decide that something is a good idea; others disagreeing with me, usually just makes me more determined that I'm right and they are wrong. It's just who I am.
I use cloth diapers, I homeschool my children, I nurse my babies longer than my mother thinks I should, I leave the determination of my family size up to God, I think having a baby at home is WAAAAAAY better than having one in a hospital...
These are just some of the most obvious crazy decisions that I have made over the years. When I say crazy decisions, I mean decisions that make my family (and my in-laws) crazy.
So, with all that disclaimer said, this is my perspective from my personal experience.
I had four children in hospitals; four different hospitals with four different doctors (a hospital birth is expensive and if you have insurance, you go with whoever and wherever they tell you to, or you pay for it). Even though the physicians, the cities and the settings were different, my experiences were basically the same.
I go into labor, husband takes me to hospital, we arrive and say "I'm in labor" The nurse at the desk says, "Are you sure?" Yes, this is exactly what they said, every time, at every hospital, even on the fourth baby, when my water broke at home and I was dribbling water through the lobby, then I said, "my water broke" and she said, "Are you sure?" If there is anything that makes a young woman feel insecure, it's that. My ability to relax pretty much left the building at that point, and amazingly enough, my labor pretty much plateaued as well. Then, I got strapped down and hooked up, monitors, IV's, all the important stuff that they need to get me a baby. Sometime later, I would hear something like, "Well, you are in labor, but you are not really progressing, so we're going to manually break your water to get things moving along." With #4, my water had already broken so they skipped this step, and went straight to the next. "Well, you're not really progressing, and your water is broken, so we need to get things moving, we're going to put Pitocin in your IV." Pitocin is a chemically made substitute for Oxytocin that a womans body naturally produces, except that it doesn't if she is stressed out! The Pitocin caused my contractions to come on harder and stronger for a little while and then they plateaued again. More Pit! Same effect. More pit! Same effect. More Pit!
"Aaaaaaagh, okay, okay, I give, I can't take it anymore, give me drugs! Good ones!"
Then, I got a spinal epidural, which I now know, but did not know then, actually slows the labor down, requiring more pitocin, which causes more intense contractions, so I wanted more epidural, which slowed the labor down more, and made them give me more pitocin. See the vicious cycle here? With my first child, after 36 hours at the hospital, I was so tired and chemically imbalanced that I said okay to whatever was asked, even when a class of medical students all wanted a turn at "checking" to see how dilated I was, I was numb from the waist down and my mother and husband had to each hold one leg in the air. I couldn't even sit up on my own. I had a baby, but it was like I wasn't even there.
So, enough of my sob stories, now for the good part...
Jacob, baby #5, my first home birth. I was at home, painting my oldest sons bedroom (he wanted a fire engine mural on his wall - it turned out very cool by the way). I was due in August and his birthday was in December, but I knew that I wouldn't feel up to it once I had the new baby. I was just finishing the details, when I began to feel some minor contractions, a few hours later we began to time them. By 3pm, I called my midwife (Backing up a bit, appointments with the midwife were like having a friend over for tea. We sat and visited for hours, talking not just about this pregnancy, but all the ones before, talking about babies and children and discussing everything under the sun that had to do with mamas and babies. So, different from the in&out of the OB office). I told her to get ready, we might need her. This is the time that I would have been leaving for the hospital, but instead, I just hung out at home. I ate dinner with my family, tucked my children in bed, all the while watching the clock as the contractions became gradually more and more intense, longer and stronger. Once the children were in bed, about 8pm, we had spoken to Deb (the midwife) on the phone a few times and she was packing up her car to come over. When she arrived, I was calm, my contractions were increasing rapidly, and it was like a dear friend had just arrived. She wasn't someone I'd only seen for a few minutes here and there, she was someone I'd spent hours getting to know, and who had devoted hours getting to know me. Every step of the way, she knew just what I needed, and was able to communicate to my husband how he could best help me. Shortly after 2am, we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into this world. He was my biggest baby by 1/2 a pound; he was my fastest labor by far, and he was the easiest delivery, slid out with just two pushes. I will not lie and say it was easy, birthing a baby is NOT an easy task, but from my hospital experience (which I thought was normal), to my home experience, I hope that I never have to go back to a hospital again.
I am glad that OBs are available (they are trained surgeons and sometimes that is what a woman needs), but I pray that my labors will be natural, just the way God designed them, that my babies will present head down, and that all will be well.
We are 8 weeks away from our due date for our 6th child and I am looking forward to another wonderful home birth.
The biggest benefit of being at home? I had a baby, and I actually got to participate in the process, for the first time!
Corinne Johnson is a Christian homeschooling mother of five and a Help Meet to her husband, as well as the author of the unit study series Vacation Education Books.

What's wrong with the Bible Bee?

2008-11-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

More and more it comes to my attention that this is becoming a world in which everyone HAS to be exactly the same. Differences of opinion, talent, skill are just not allowed. It is happening under the premise of a movement to embrace everyone's differences, and is having the opposite affect.
We don't want to offend anyone, so we can't ever say, "This is TRUTH". We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so we can't have any competition (for there to be a winner, there has to be a loser, right?). We only want to play games where everyone wins!
I've seen it in the demise of track and field day, in the dumbing down of curriculums, and most recently in the elimination of the BIBLE BEE.
Two churches in our small community have recently decided that the BIBLE BEE should be done away with. One large church was using it as part of their youth group curriculum; to encourage the teens to spend time in God's Word, with trivial competition as a motivator and small prizes for those who were the most successful. The second church runs a Christian school, where the Bible Bee was a highlight of the year for the kids who are so academically inclined to spend time studying. It is an area where they can succeed.
As a sidenote, we often see that children who do well academically, often are NOT the stars on the athletic field (we all have different gifts, strengths and talents). The town where I grew up is a place where football and soccer stars are honored like royalty, but the child who worked her way to the state level of the Spelling Bee was virtually ignored.
But, what's wrong with the BIBLE BEE?
Why are churches getting rid of it?
The youth group program eliminated it, but a few kids thought it was too much effort, and 'not enough FUN'!
The school eliminated it, because it was 'too competitive'.
Is that where we are going as a nation? As a world?
I personally was and still am academically inclined, not an athlete. Programs like Young Authors, Spelling Bees, and Math Counts were MY opportunities to prove what I was good at. I thrived on academic competition, it motivated me to learn more, to put forth greater effort than that which was required to get by in day to day lessons. The chance to win, to be the best, isn't that what motivates so many of us?
Do athletes play just for the money? Just for the love of the game? If so, then why do we cancel every other television program the week of the World Series? Why do we give out Super Bowl Rings and Heisman Trophies? These items are the symbols of our success, the "thing" we can look on to remember how great it felt to WIN!
So, if the BIBLE BEE gets kids to put forth greater effort, to study more, to look deeper into God's Word, what's wrong with that? If a little competition gives kids the motivation to perhaps even open a Bible for the first time, what's wrong with that?
The kid who loses might feel bad, but my experience has been that a child who is not the winner this year, will try harder next year, and what's wrong with that?
I don't understand the movement to deny all opportunities for independent thinking and healthy competition in an effort to spare a few hurt feelings - we are denying those who would succeed academically the opportunity to do so, and we are denying those who would at least put forth some effort into the project (ie opening their Bible and reading it), the opportunity to do so.
There's nothing wrong with the Bible Bee, but there is something very wrong with what is happening to it.

Corinne Johnson is the author of Vacation Education Books, Christian unit studies based on your favorite vacation destinations. Visit us at www.vacationeducationbooks.net

where is the Titus 2 woman?

2008-09-10T16:15:00.001-07:00

I am always concerned when I hear parenting advice that doesn't measure up to Titus 2; will it make me love my husband and children? does it make me want to be chaste, sober, a keeper at home, obedient to my husband?
Do you ever feel alone? Like you are the only one?
A year into homeschooling, we moved to a new community and a few years after that, my husband chose a church home for us. Our church has many wonderful qualities, and its primary ministry is Christian education. This is done through a PreK to 8th grade day school.
In an environment where my brothers and sisters in Christ often behave as though homeschooling is a personal affront to 'their school' being the only homeschooling family can feel quite lonely.
Sometime ago, I began to read Titus 2 and wonder, "Where are those women?" The older women he speaks of who are supposed to teach me to be obedient to my husband, a keeper of my home, loving to my children? Where are they? I began to search for them.
Through many conversations with many women in and out of my church, I found two very interesting things that they all had in common. First, most of the women in my church, in my generation, with or without children, single or married, have jobs. By 'job' I am referring to an obligatory location that one shows up, punches a timeclock, does work and gets a paycheck. I would be lying if I said I don't work, but I don't have a job. Learning this, made me feel even more desperate to find Titus 2 women. How could I learn to be a keeper at home if I didn't even know anyone who is?
The second thing I found is that the women I talked with love God, they love their husbands, and they love their children. They want to be Proverbs 31 women, Titus 2 women, they want to obey God in their lives...but (there is always a but...) they feel they need to work, or they need the money, or they need their job for some reason or another. I don't argue these points when I'm talking to them and I won't argue them here either. I think it is simple; we either take God at His word or we don't. It seems quite obvious to me what God intended for a woman.
Read Genesis where He creates a 'helpmeet' for Adam. Look up that word, what does it mean? Do you fit the definition? Read Titus 2; does that describe you? Read Proverbs 31, does your description fit here? More importantly, are you trying to fit these qualities designated by God, or are you busy meeting another set of standards?
The Bible doesn't say that women are not to work, or that they should not earn any money, but what is your priority? Does God come first, above all else? How much of your time, talents and money do you devote to Him? Does your husband come second? How much do you devote to him? Do your children come next? How much time do you devote to them?
Where you place your time, talents and finances will give you a very realistic picture of what your priorities really are. Measure it out - time asleep doesn't count for anyone. Who gets most of your time?
It's not too late to put your priorities into perspective, and make changes. If you have children, now is the time to give them a Godly example. I can't promise that it won't be a lonely walk, but I can promise that it will have lasting rewards. For your daughters, give them the gift of a Titus 2 woman in their lives, so they will not have to wonder where to turn when they are in need of one. For your sons, give them the gift of a Titus 2 woman in their lives; they will one day be married, and their wife may have never known any.

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Ten Commandments

2008-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks our pastor has been doing a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments. We discussed in Sunday school today, that anthropologists study cultures from recent to the beginning of the earth, and while all have had people who sinned, who broke the commandments, people who stole, who murdered, who committed adultery; they have discovered that never before has any culture been found that actually made these acts legally acceptable. We; our generation and the world that we live in, we are the first to do such a thing. There have always been people who would murder, but we are the first to pass laws saying it is right to do so.(abortion, euthanasia) There have always been sodomists, and homosexuals, but we are the first to pass laws saying it is right to do so.(same sex marriage) Even the Greeks, who are world famous for their lustful desires, for having sex with anyone and anything, in the name of worship even; even they had laws on the books forbidding acts like murder and homosexuality. There have always been people who would break the laws of God and man, but we are the first to create legislation saying it is right for man to break God's laws.
Have no other gods; there have been many gods (lust, money, possessions), and cultures have embraced them, and soon our laws will too.
Do not murder, our culture has embraced murder when it's convenient. Why is it legal for me to murder my child today (I'm four month pregnant), but it will be illegal for me to do so six months from now? How about in sixteen years when I can't take the attitude, then will it be 'legal' for me to take her life? If life has any value at all, then it has value today, even in the womb. And, it is murder to take this life, even today, even in the womb.
Do not commit adultery, God created and ordained the institution of marriage between one woman and one man, and we know that men have found that nearly impossible to live up to since the beginning of time, but does our struggle to do right mean that we should pass laws claiming wrong as right instead? Our culture has embraced adultery, and soon our laws will as well.
Do not steal, we have embraced a world of 'healthy' competition, always scheming to find a way to improve our earthly life, never considering the effect on others. Even in youth, this is obvious: we have seen young girls manipulate circumstances to make themselves appear better than they are, usually to appear more popular. We watch them use other, less pretty or less confident girls as steps in their ladder to the top. We complain about their catty-ness, and then we say, 'oh, they are just little girls'. But, when we watch their mothers, we see that age has nothing to do with it. Our culture has embrace theft, by calling it 'healthy' competition, and soon our laws will embrace it as well.
Call me guilty - of every sin there is. I have broken every commandment, and so have you. By the grace of God who gave us those commandments, I have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are free to do whatever we choose, says Paul, because we are redeemed by Christ. But, then, should we sin more to see grace abound? Never!
I would encourage you to be salt. Salt was primarily a preservative, and it's purpose was to stop the rotting of meat. So, go out and be salt; stop the rot.

There is a saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink."

but you can give him salt.

SALT MAKES YOU THIRSTY!!! JESUS IS THE LIVING WATER!!!

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Selling My House

2008-07-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Is it real? I ask out loud. Could it be we are actually moving? It seems hard to believe. My heart has been so torn, as I see us moving in the direction that God is calling us; researching and writing more books, encouraging families to take God at His word, and ministering to those God brings our way.
For awhile, there were no showings, no interest in the house, no contact from our realtor, no hope it seemed that our dream to be on the road, full time missionaries, could ever come true.
So, we just trusted. If my efforts, my energies, my work could ever have accomplished anything, then I would probably not trust as I do. Because it is never easy, and our daily bread is always just that; daily, I have no choice but to spend my days and my nights on my knees before my Lord.
Then, we agreed (Don & I) that we still believed in what God had called us to do, and while there might be challenges, that shouldn't discourage us. So, we started to act like we believed in what we were doing. We looked for ways to replace the home phone and internet service, we looked at options for a mailing address after we leave the stick house, we started shopping for our new van/home, and even narrowed down our options to a few specific models.
When we did this, things began to turn, and people came to us and said they felt called to give us things; cash, food, clothes, items to sell on Ebay, and more. The bounty just kept raining down on us. We still every day just have our daily bread, but as we let go of things in the house and begin to embrace the new lifestyle (even though we can't see it yet), it comes closer and closer to being reality.
Tomorrow, we have a scheduled showing on our house. It is only the third since we listed it last October, and the first one this year. It's just a showing; not an offer or a sale, but as we rest in God's promises, and trust that He will lead us down the path that He has put us on, things are coming together more and more.
I am often negligent in my Thanks, so while I will spend this evening and most of tomorrow scrambling to get the house 'just so', I want to say Thank you now for the showing, because although just a showing, it is for us, a sign of Hope.

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you'll laugh about it later

2008-07-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Things that I didn't think were funny at the time, but now they kind of are:

Summer, age 4, in the midst of being reprimanded; waggled her pointer finger at me and said, "Don't you use that tone of voice with me!"

Ethan, age 3, at the end of a one hour drama that he had sat still and fairly quiet for (it was a Last Supper drama; when Jesus said that one would betray him; each character stood up and told of all their experiences with Jesus and then asked, "Is it I, Lord?"). Judas was last, and he asked, "Is it I, Lord?" It was a very dark and solemn play, but it was obvious that even the actors were struggling to keep their composure, when Ethan yelled out "YES!"

I'm sure I'll think of more later, but had a few moments and thought I would share those with you. I hope it puts a smile in your day!

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Too Harsh? Too Morbid?

2008-06-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking that maybe my last post was a bit too harsh, or maybe even too morbid. But, every time my husband or child leaves my side, I am thinking in the back of my mind; this could be the last moment, the last goodbye. I want to make it a really good hug, the kind that would hold us over until we see each other again, even if it's not until we meet in Heaven. I try to remember to always say I love you, every time I hang up the phone, because it might be the last conversation, and I want the last words I said to be "I love you".
I wonder why everyone doesn't think this way, but I realized that for me it probably has to do with my father dying when I was twelve. Since then, I've never been shocked by death, it just is. My grandmother hates to talk about death or anyone dying; it upsets her so, and I don't understand why, but I do understand that many people feel that way.
I do not fear death, or dwell on death, nor am I shock or disturbed by death; but I am always expectant, always waiting for God to take someone I love, expecting Jesus to return for me. I look forward to an eternity in Heaven, but I don't want to miss even one moment with my children while we are together here.
When people ask me why I homeschool, even ask things like, 'How can you stand to be around them all day? I can't stand to have mine home for the summer.' I have many answers I could give, but it always comes down to just one question I ask in return, "God gave them to me. Why would I want to send them away?"

One day they won't come back...

2008-06-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, just a quick announcement.

We are always trying to find ways to save money, and have managed to put together a website with a cheaper host, so our new address online will be

vacationeducationbooks.net

If you visit our .com site, you will be redirected to the new site.

Also, a prayer request. We are preparing to welcome the 8th member of our family into a household with one 7passenger vehicle. We don't know what God has planned for our transportation needs or how He intends to pay for it, but we do know that He owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills... He is not affected by the economy or the real estate market, so nothing is impossible with HIM. Our prayer request is for us to be patient as we watch and pray for a solution to this 'overcrowding' issue.

Lastly, a word of caution: if you have never read our newsletter before, they are usually more ENCOURAGING than this one. But, this is something that I have felt strongly about for quite some time and believed it needed to be said, so here it is...

Over the years, we have said goodbye to friends and family members. This is the way of life; death is unavoidable. Each time, I am reminded how precious these moments that we have together are. As I talk with mothers who are seeking day care options to replace the 'babysitting' that the school systems provide, my heart aches for them; the mothers and the children.
We are warned in Scripture that the end will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night. Many so called experts try to guess at a date that Jesus will return, and many Christians cling to these predictions; as though everything will be just as it is today until then.
But, that day could be today. Even if Jesus doesn't return today; you could go to meet Him today. For as many anticipated deaths we've been through, there are just as many that were completely unpredictable, like freak accidents & sudden drownings.
Many of us will live long and happy, healthy lives and so will our children. But, before you know it, your child will be gone; even if they've only gone off into adulthood. As their lives become too busy for you, what will you have left of them? Will it be memories of dropping them off and picking them up, or will you have been a part of every special moment in their lives? When you are gone, what will they remember? Will it be waving hello and goodbye from the bus stop, or will it be that you have been a part of every special moment?
Homeschooling our children gives us the advantage of seeing every milestone. I am here for the first word, first step, first tooth (in and out); I will coach them through learning to write their name, through multiplication tables, and fractions too. I'll stand by their side when the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, or even when the caterpillar dies. When they carry in armloads of cucumbers that they helped to grow, and when they try to figure out why the squash grew but never produced fruit.
Whatever parenting expert you read, they will all agree on one thing... your kids need YOU! If you knew that your child would go to live with Jesus tomorrow, would you still send him away today? Or would you hold him close in your arms and cherish these last few hours? What if you knew he'd be gone next week? Next month? Next year?
The thing is, we don't know.
The Lord could bless us with the next 70 years together, but it could be just 70 seconds...
So, act like you've only got one chance to hold on to them, to love them, to share your life and your faith with them...
Be careful when you send them away... one day they won't come back.

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Free & Cheap Entertainment

2008-06-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here I am back to blogging about the book Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich (and if anyone is upset that I have been too critical, look at it this way; the more I mention her book, the more often it will show up on a Google search, and that is good for her and her career).
As per the comment on the earlier post: I have not read or looked into the writings of others in the past who have refuted Ehrenreich's findings. I'm not surprised to know that I am not the only voice crying out...
I think all in all, my points keep coming back to issues of decision making. My financial situation is far from perfect, and I can trace every element of it to a decision that I made, for better or for worse. I'm one of those people who actually take pride in not spending money, regardless of my income. I like to see how little I can spend, how long I can stretch the odds and ends in my pantry, etc. I make it a point to learn and put to use all the money saving tricks that I can.
I am at the point in this book where the author takes a day off work and goes looking for cheap or free entertainment. My first thought (especially since she is in a huge city) would be public library. They are loaded with great stuff, and all you need is a drivers license!
She chooses instead to attend a church tent revival, and I'll quote her here, "...sounds like the perfect entertainment for an atheist out on her own."
There's a whole lot that I could say from the perspective of someone who truly believes that my eternity depends entirely on my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
However, her book and this blog is supposed to be about the financial state of our nation, so I'll just say this...
if your best ideas for entertainment are to go and mock others for their faith...
not very creative and not great journalism either.

What is your end goal?

2008-06-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

What is your end goal? What are you building toward?
We are all building something; building lives, building families, building businesses.
But, what for?
I am often reminded that God is the architect of my life, and I'm glad for that because if I was to make the plans, my structure would undoubtedly collapse.
As we are preparing the fields, God blesses us in many ways. I am known for saying, "I never turn down a blessing." We are often given food and clothing, and sometimes people apologize to us, and say, "I hope you're not offended, but I thought you could use this." I'm never offended and always thankful for the blessing.
Sometimes, it is hard to see a blessing as such though. We are making plans and we believe that we are following the path that God has laid out for us. Our plan is
SELL VAN = BUY A CONVERTED BUS
SELL CONTENTS OF HOME = PAY OFF ALL DEBTS
SELL HOUSE = PAY CONFERENCE FEES FOR NEXT YEAR
SELL BOOKS = PAY BILLS WHILE WE ARE ON THE ROAD
Then, God surprised us with a blessing!
We will be welcoming a new addition to our family next January. There are some who would consider this to be something other than a blessing, however, the Lord gives us His word that children are a blessing from the Lord. It would be heretical to say it isn't so. While in some ways, this news gives us a whole new set of schematics to work around; it really is just schematics.
Little things, like where will we have the baby, Jacob was born at home in a water birth, it was wonderful, my midwife was great...
we'd like to do it that way again, but we are also hoping that our house will be sold by then...
so then what?
Primarily, all our questions come back to "How does this fit into our plans?"
But, we should be asking "What does God have planned?"
In the end, it comes down to two choices; Are we trying to build a tower of babel with our own hands to live in luxury of our own making or are we working with God in hopes that He will grant us life in the Paradise that He has built?
I know where I would rather be, do you?
What are you building today?

paying the rent and eating enough

2008-05-25T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hi there, I am still reading and blogging about this book "Nickel and Dimed" (see previous posts)
Her first city is Key West, Florida. I don't live in Florida and I have no idea what rents cost in the city of Key West. I do live in the Midwest, and I checked into rents in our area.
Her experience was that rents began at $400 and went up, and that a $500 efficiency apartment was about the best that she could find and still feel safe in the city. Now, where we live, there are less desirable neighborhoods, but none that I would consider unsafe. Her numbers are from ten years ago. Mine are from today. I could get a decent size one bedroom downstairs apartment for $325 including utilities, in a fair neighborhood (three blocks from the downtown business district - walking distance to all necessities) in a town of about 12,000 people. There were cheaper places in the smaller towns nearby with less amenities, and they weren't much cheaper, and there were much more expensive options as well, all the way up to $1600 per month four bedroom, three bath mansion on the lake.
Now, fifteen years ago, when I was a college student, and had to live in a college town where prices are much higher; I paid $350 for a one bedroom basement apartment plus utilities, not a great neighborhood, but still safe.
All of the places I've lived required first months rent and deposit. In college, when I had spent more on tuition and books and other expenses than expected, I didn't give up, and go home; I asked a friend for a place to stay(again when you are living a life for more than thirty days, you make friends that trust you and can be trusted by you). I slept on the floor of her apartment for one month so that I could save up the money for rent and deposit. NOTE: this was not a 'legal' arrangement, the complex she lived in did not allow an extra person or allow subletting. The situation did work out, but it might not have if things had gone differently.
There may be more opportunities in bigger cities, but minimum wage is the same whether the town has 2000 people for two million, and you'll still probably find a grocery store, gas station, and a few fast food joints.
Personally, except for my university campus experience, I have pretty much always lived in a small town and always been able to find a job when I wanted one. Also, and I made this point earlier, the more experience I obtained over the years, better the jobs I was able to obtain, regardless of the size of the city.
However, I realize as a writer, her story is more compelling if she writes about life in large cities, since more people are living in them.

Getting enough to eat. She is open in the beginning that she will not go hungry; that if she can not afford food, then she would pull out the ATM card from her other life and cheat on the experiment. Her first job is as a waitress, every restaurant that I ever worked for, whether fast food or fine dining offered significant discounts on food, often free. Working a closing shift in particular allowed for not only sufficient dinner fare, but also "leftovers' to take home and warm up the next day.
Again, the issues she faces in her first city come from the "thirty day" rule of her experiment. She discusses not having any kind of cooking appliances or kitchen utensils when she first starts out. When I was sixteen years old, I was already thinking about my housing needs, and bought my first microwave at a yard sale for $1 this was many years ago, but yard sale prices change much slower than retail prices. I bought a new coffee maker last weekend for $1. I guess not every town has yard sales, and maybe you can't get away on a weekend morning to catch them, but there are estate auctions, thrift shops, resale stores, etc, that also offered extraordinary discounts on household necessities.
Working in a restaurant; closing shifts particularly allowed for not only sufficient dinner fare, but also 'leftovers' to take home and warm up the next day. When I was in college and working at a fast food place, I always volunteered for the closing shift (other students wanted to be out in time to go to parties, so these were often hard for management to fill). I never bought groceries, and always had plenty to eat. If I had two days off in a row, I did splurge and purchased food at the 1/2 off prices offered where I worked (food was free on days that you worked, but 50% on days off). Plus, if I was in the store and they were unexpectedly busy or if someone called in sick or didn't show up, I'd be the first to get the opportunity at an extra shift, and sometimes this even meant overtime pay, which certainly covered the few dollars I'd spent on food.
Where we live, and I think these are available in larger cities also, there are food pantries and churches that serve meals. I didn't know about these when I was in the city, but if I had, I would have taken advantage of them. If you don't feel comfortable just taking food for free, they do take donations, and after you show up for awhile and get to know the people, there are often volunteer opportunities for you to earn your meal. (Again, this usually takes more than thirty days).

Minimum wage is a starting point, not a career salary

2008-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm reading this book Nickel and Dimed: on (not) getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. I feel I have to give her credit for the work that she has done, and I'm not criticizing her journalism; I even think that her words would resonate with more people if written today than it did ten years ago when she wrote it.
I do, however, feel like there is another side of the story, that she is missing altogether. First off, she set up some ground rules for her experiment: like she would always have a car. There are seven people in our household and we have one vehicle (by choice). When my husband needs it, the children and I find things to do at home or we pile into strollers and wagons and we walk; my point? I think lots of people get by without cars, and I would have to say that even one for our family is a luxury that we pay highly for, not an absolute necessity. Skipping to the third rule (I'll get back to the second) Never be hungry! No missed meals for her; if she was hungry, and didn't have enough money, then she would use here ATM card and cheat. I'll talk about food options later.
Her second rule was that she would always have shelter; her experiment was set up for thirty days in each city, if she paid by the week or night and couldn't make enough to cover it, the experiment in that city would have failed. I'm not saying she should go without shelter, although there are many inexpensive options, but I do think that the major flaw in this type of experiment is the thirty day rule. She mentions at one point that she is working in a place where benefits don't begin until you've worked there for ninety days. This seems reasonable to me, since benefits like insurance and retirement plans are for long term employees, not transients.
I've made many notes, and I'm barely beginning to read this book, but for this post, I want to primarily discuss her premise; "...could a single mother leaving welfare survive without government assistance...". Her experiment to determine the answer is a thirty day test. I think that is unreasonable.
When I got married, my husband & I were both working for a fast food business, I was making minimum wage and he was making about 1 1/2 times that because he had gained "experience" and a "promotion". This didn't happen in the first thirty days. I was living in a basement (cheap campus life) and he was living with his parents (even cheaper campus life). After getting married, we bought a home together (for about the same monthly cost as I had been paying in rent; but we added twenty minutes to his commute in trade). Eventually, he worked his way up in the company so that I was able to quit working altogether, and after seventeen years, he retired from his position as a store manager - but he started in high school as a minimum wage employee.
Minimum wage is intended to be a starting point, a wage at which teenagers at their first job get paid, or someone who is still learning how to do the job gets paid. If you have been at a job for a year or more and you have gained experience, you show up on time and you work hard, but have not been given any kind of pay increase since you started, then I assure you that you can begin looking for a new job, as there are plenty of companies out there that will compensate their employees for a job well done. Just don't expect it to happen in the first thirty days!

Why we can't get by in America

2008-05-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am starting this blog, not about the books I've written, or even about books I might be writing, but simply to get something off of my chest. I may add to it later, or this might be all I need to say, and then it won't bother me so much.
But, I picked up a book (at a yard sale - for a quarter) called "Nickel and Dimed: on (not) getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich.
Now, I have only begun to read this book, and I don't live where she lives, but her premise is that people can't survive on minimum wage. It's cover boasts a glowing review from Diana Henriques, of the The New York Times and even claims status as a New York Times Bestseller.
Recently, Don (my husband) saw a program on television documenting a couple trying to live in the city with each of them working a minimum wage job; to show how difficult it is.
I don't know when the documentary was filmed, and I didn't watch it, but in just the few examples of situations faced by this couple that Don told me about, I could think of several ways that they could have saved more and spent less. Based on the premise of this book (Nickel and Dimed) that I am about to set forth reading, I believe that there is a flaw in the overall reporting. Now, I say this without having read the book completely yet, but I believe that both Ehrenreich and the host of the documentary are coming from a world in which I don't live, and entering into a world that I am accustomed to. They struggles they face are more accurately attributed to an executive who has allowed him or herself to become accustomed to a certain standard of living (no offense to the wonderful people of New York City, but since the New York Times was so impressed with her book, I'll call this standard, New York City living). Then, they suddenly, without warning or preparation are thrown into an income bracket that closely resembles the average rural community like the one I currently reside in (for that purpose, I'll call this standard the small town rural living).
To make it even simpler, I'll put it the way my daughter does: some people are city folk and some people are country folk. This has nothing to do with where you actually live, but Summer explains it this way, "City folk get through with stuff, so they throw it out and get something new. Country folk use their stuff over and over again, and sometimes even pick up and use the stuff that the city folk threw out." I think that says it perfectly.
So, my premise is that if you have always lived like country folk, and know how to get by, you'll keep on getting by, no matter what the circumstances. But, if you have always lived like city folk and suddenly have to get by, it will take some getting used to, and won't be easy.
I have a lot going on right now, but my attempt is to read this book and answer her claims with the other side of the story. I may not get far, but that is where I'm headed with this blog and similar ones that may follow.
Example: Don said that in the documentary, the woman in the couple had a urinary tract infection and went to the emergency room: this cost them $600!!! plus that cost of a prescription antibiotic. My answer: Cranberry juice is less than $2 at most grocery stores and works as well as or better than most prescriptions. How do I know? I'm not a doctor, but I have been pregnant five times and every time I get pregnant, I get an infection, and cranberry juice works every time. Also, I network with other moms and women who do not normally have $600 for an emergency room visit nor do they have medical insurance. Lastly, I know that for every possible ill this sinful world has to offer, God has created something to cure it.
More to come... I hope.

LIFE = LEARNING WHEREVER YOU ARE

2008-05-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

LIFE =
LEARNING
WHEREVER YOU ARE!

That is our company motto, and we believe it to be true, but somehow
when it proves to be true, there is something pleasantly surprising
about it.

We were at the Ann Arbor Book Festival last weekend as managed to
plan a free field trip to the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts). I normally
put together lesson plans and activities around our educational
destinations (thus, the products available at vacationeducationbooks.com - we
even thought about writing one for the DIA - maybe someday).
Sometimes, I get caught unprepared on a field trip, and then I have
to rely on our motto to be true.
As usual, I noticed many educational elements of the Museum, but
being unprepared to discuss them, all I could do was take a mental note to
get more information once we were at home.

But, without any effort on my part - this field trip taught us all
something very important all on its own.

We saw many paintings, and as part of the DIA's new additions and
remodeling, the artwork often includes an explanation. One painting in
particular caught our attention. It was of "Echo", a woman, rejected,
flying through the air as though she'd been thrown. The despair on her face
was undeniable. Her story goes something like this...

Echo was in love with Narcissus, but because she was destined to only
repeat that which was spoken to her, could never tell Narcissus of her
love for him, and was rejected by him.

So, we had a long and "educational" discussion about not wanting to
be like Narcissus (narcissistic) and turning away those who would love
us because we never expressed love towards them. Also, we would want to
avoid being like Echo; always waiting for someone else to express love
to us first.

We learned a great deal about history, architecture, and art; not
just through paintings, but also pottery, sculpture, jewelry and furniture
from around the world. There is much to be learned from the exhibits
at the DIA, and I could have prepared much, but it's those unexpected
moments that remind us that all we have to do to be good teachers to our
children, is to BE THERE for those moments, because LIFE really does =
LEARNING WHEREVER YOU ARE.

From my family to yours,
Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com

SMALL BUSINESS GRANT

2008-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

WoW! God sure knows how to keep me on track and focused on Him. I've been torn in several directions lately. Trying to find time to write the next set of books, keep up with the blog, send out newsletters, market and sell books - while at the same time running an Ebay business just to keep the bills paid. When I think that the Ebay business is distracting me from the books and our ministry, God dumps more consignment items (sometimes even donations) on our door step - literally, they are just left at the door. When I think that we should pursue the Ebay business and maybe the books are just a pipe dream, then God opens doors in that direction. He never allows me to rely on either business or any earthly thing, but always keeps me wondering what He'll provide next, what He'll ask of me next.
Today, as I was focusing on Ebay and trying to figure out how many items had to sell to pay the bills; He sent Isaiah 55:9 "My ways are higher than your ways" - as if I didn't already know that, at least I should've already known that.
Then, we received an email stating that our business is on the semi-finalist list for a $1000 small business grant from Idea Cafe. The link in this blog will take you to that site and you can see us on the right hand side about the 6th one down on the list. So, we invite you to go check it out. We won't know for awhile if we win or not, there is still the finalist round to go through, but we plan to use the grant money to pay registration fees at homeschool conferences so that we can meet and talk with more of you.
Thanks and don't forget to check out our site at www.vacationeducationbooks.com
Corinne Johnson

For Families, Together is Better

2008-05-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

We've been on the road a lot lately, and I often think of things to write, certain that as soon as it slows down a bit and the to'do list shortens, I'll post something great. But, then, here we are, having posted nothing in awhile and knowing I should. But, there is life, homeschooling, online sales, record keeping, website updates, answering emails, shipping products... and in the middle of all that is an almost two year old who demands my constant attention.
Experienced moms know this kid, he couldn't care less about me ten minutes after I leave the room, but acts like he'll die if he's not attached to me whenever he can see me.
He doesn't speak yet, but grunts a lot - if I didn't know better, I might consider him evidence for evolution (today he climbs the walls and furniture, grunts and screams for things he wants - also loves bananas - but over time, he will become a human being. I was gone for five days and he was "just fine" according to dad, but since my return, he is constantly on my hip, and fussing for this or that - all for my benefit, I'm sure.
At the other end of the spectrum is Summer, our oldest, who really proved herself this last weekend. She folded and handed out 300 flyers in two days, stepping out into the aisle to meet people; she didn't let anyone pass her by. She worked to draw people into our booth and sell them on our idea. She was a great help to me, and I look forward to working with her again this weekend.
She and I had the opportunity to spend five days together with everyone else at home working on things that need to be done here. We spent over 24 hours in the car driving, and two full days working the conference booth together. It was a great opportunity for our relationship to grow and for her dad and younger sister to realize how valuable she is around the house. They had to do a lot of extra work to make up for the two oldest women in the household being away.
We pray that our future trips will be together, working apart is hard. We all have a new appreciation for the dynamic of this family and how we work together. Hopefully, last weekend was our last trip apart.

Don't forget to check out our website to see where we will be next; we'd love to meet you. www.vacationeducationbooks.com

Answered Prayer car payment

2008-04-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

If you read my last post, you may have felt my discouragement. But, I asked for a reminder of God's greatness, and He provided it. It was our decisions that put us into our financial predicament, but in all of our faults, God is merciful. We purchased two vehicles last year, borrowing for each of them. Last October, when we took our leap of faith, we tried to sell the car. No success. Over the winter, we tried again. Still no success.
On April 16th, with no money and no prospect of getting any very soon, we faced two car payments due on April 18th.
What to do?
We have no choice, but to trust in our Lord.
Don spent about an hour alone in prayer, and returned to say that we should sell the car.
We had tried to sell it before with no success. So, we left it up to God.
I asked, What should we do?
Don suggested that Craigslist is free to post on so let's start there. It was after dinner on the 16th, and I posted a short little blurb about the car, didn't even post any photos.
We got three calls within the next hour. The next day, someone came to look at it. By the evening of the 17th, we had a check in hand. By noon, on the 18th, the car was paid off, and the van payment made. God had brought us a buyer, who wanted that exact car, and was willing to pay exactly the amount that we needed.
Now, because we have not always followed God's ways, but for many years lived by worldly standards; we not only have a car payment, but also a few credit cards and a mortgage. So, I sit here today, sharing what God has done, and looking to the first of May when the house payment is due. Though, I am no longer discouraged, but now I feel bold enough to say, I look forward to seeing what God has planned for that.

If you would like to know more about us and our ministry - please visit vacationeducationbooks.com

2008-04-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

It is Wednesday April 16th, 2008 and I am discouraged. I want to be the voice of encouragement, but today I am afraid. I need to be reminded of the greatness of God, of His promise to provide. I am not afraid that He will not keep His promises, but I am afraid that He will ask me to keep my word. I said I would follow Him anywhere He asked me to go, that I would do whatever He called me to do, speak words He gave me to speak, wherever, whenever, however He asked, I would.
We put our house on the market last October when Don left his job. It was an offering of faith. A show of our willingness to give up anything, even our home, to follow God. We thought He would sell it right away and show us where to go next. He didn't.
We started selling everything we own on Ebay and Craigslist (we figured that was God's provision to us, we didn't really need it, and we couldn't take it with us, but it could certainly help to pay the bills right now.) Then, we saw an opportunity to sell items for others on consignment. We thought God was showing us a way to stay here in our home, work together, and minister to other families about how little they really need. We thought God would shower us with financial blessings through this ministry. He didn't.
We registered, paid for and attended conferences and events to showcase and market Vacation Education books. We believe that our books are a ministry to families as we help guide them from traditional schooling into real life learning using the one or two weeks out of the year that are the only chance many families get to be together. We thought God would bless that immensely, making every show a 'sell out show'. He didn't.
We said yes to many requests on our time, particularly at church. Don is organizing a Passover festival. I am on the nursery schedule and expected to direct VBS this year. We are also serving on our church's stewardship board, and supporting and encouraging other family ministries. We thought God would see how hard we are working on things at church, on listing and selling on Ebay, on keeping up with the kids academics and that He would provide financially for all the things we hadn't gotten rid of yet, and make things a little easier on us. He didn't.
Over the winter, we put the car up for sale. We thought God would bring a buyer right away. He didn't.
So, we still have two vehicles. We thought that since God didn't sell the car right away, that maybe He wanted us to keep it for some reason and that He would provide the money to make the car payment. He didn't.
Things have not gone the way we thought they would go. They have gone according to God's master plan, which most certainly is much greater than mine.
But, here I am today, I paid my last $6 so that Tyler could have a book to work through for Cub Scouts. There is 1/8 of a tank of gas in the van. I owe $550+++ to the gas company as I am still trying to catch up on the winter bills. The car payments are due in two days, the house payment is due in two weeks, then the whole process of monthly bills and no income begins again. I have no money to make the payments, and I have no hope of any money coming in to pay them.
I thought God would make it easy to trust Him. He didn't.
We put the cars up for sale again, both of them this time. There aren't many places we need to go, although we won't be able to get to church without a vehicle because we would have to cross a major highway, something I'm not willing to do with five young children. The house of course is still for sale, although we've had no prospects thus far. We've been working on cleaning and clearing out and purging again, but even if we sold everything in the house, I don't know how it would ever be enough to make it, and eventually the stuff will run out too.
So, all we can do is pray.
I said at the beginning that I am afraid God will make me keep my word. When we put the house up for sale, I said that my prayer would be that God either sell the house or show us how to pay for it. I just didn't want to be foreclosed on. But, I also said, I would do anything, go anywhere, anyway, anyhow that God asked me to. His plan, not mine. So, what if His plan is for us to lose the house, not give it up by selling it, not keeping it and keep paying for it, but to lose it? What if His plan is to lose the cars? Not sell them and pay them off, but have them taken back? Will I be able to keep my word? I've never NOT paid a bill in my life. We are struggling to pay the gas bill, but we are paying it, and everything else is paid up as well. But, what if the money doesn't come? What if the loans are called? What if they take the cars and the house and put us on the street? What then? Will I be able to keep my word then? Will I still trust God then? Would you?

tax refun scam please beware

2008-04-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends and family,

This is an unusual topic for my newsletter, but I feel like I need to send this out. Over the past few weeks, I have received a phone call several times. It is always a different person, but the same storyline. They tell me that they are calling from the Federal Government about my tax refund. They proceed to explain that I have a $500 tax refund coming.

(Now, if you follow the news at all, you already know that the US government does have a plan to send out refund checks, so this might sound somewhat legit)

Next, the caller tells me that I can get my refund tomorrow as a direct deposit to my bank account.

Sounds great, right?

So, all I have to do is tell them where I want the money deposited....

Here's where things get funky....

I'm not giving out my bank account information over the phone....

Are you?

How about someone you know?

Do you know anyone who might be desperate enough to hope that they might actually get the money?

Do you know anyone who is vulnerable and trusting enough to believe this caller?

After receiving this type of call this morning, I contacted the State Police who said they were already aware of the scam, and the most helpful thing that I could do would be to spread the word.

So, while this doesn't have anything to do with homeschooling, or traveling, or any of the things I normally write about... I do want to share this information with everyone I care about.

It may seem obvious, but these people would quit if it never worked! So, please, don't give your bank account information to anyone who calls you.

Blessings to you all,

Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com

Daily Bread

2008-04-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post as I am thinking about our daily bread. I heard recently that when we worry about our daily needs, then we act like orphans. It is like a baby who turns automatically to his mother's breast because he knows that is where his provision is. This is how we should be when we turn to God for our daily provision. What if our toddler turned from the food we offered and went out into the street to find his own food, his own clothing, his own shelter (I'm not talking about the twenty or thirty something baby that still lives at home, but babies, infants and toddlers). What kind of parents would we be if our baby was out on the street searching for food? How then does it make our Father look if we go out on our own, apart from our Father, in search of our daily bread? If your child took the attitude of 'my father says he'll provide, but I'm going to go out and get my own food anyway, because what he has provided is not good enough for me', how would that make you feel? How then, do you think your Father feels when you go out and say, 'my Father says he'll provide for me, but I'm going to go out and make my own way anyway'? Is it that you don't believe that He will provide? Or is it that you think what He has provided is not 'good enough' for you?
The Lord has promised to provide, and He keeps His promises.
Our life right now is the perfect example of that. Every bill paid just in time, every meal provided just in time, and every day, He lays more provision at our doorstep. Literally.
We of course are working on our book series and traveling to share our experience and speak to others about homeschooling, parenting and leaping out in faith. But, all of that costs more than it makes, so we have no choice but to trust in God for the rest. He is a great, great God!
Don started selling things on Ebay to clear out our house and to make a little extra money. Then, friends and family started donated items for us to sell. Then, others began to inquire if we could sell for them. It turns out we can. Although we were not sure what God was asking of us in this, or how it fit into the plans that we had already made, we saw that this was a blessing, and we said yes.
Then, the blessings began to overflow into our home. We now have more inventory waiting to be listed than we had in our house before we began to purge.
We still don't know day to day what God will call us to, we only know that we will always say yes, and no matter how big that leap seems to be... we trust that our Father knows just what we need and that He will provide abundantly.
We pray that our life and our faith will be an example to those who are afraid to do what God asks of them. Whatever story the world is giving you... "... the voice of truth tells a different story, the voice of truth says DO NOT BE AFRAID."
Okay, not such a quick post after all, but if you are still with me.
I would like to invite you to visit our website www.vacationeducationbooks.com
and to visit our Ebay auctions. At Ebay, go to advanced search and search by seller, we are dcscte.
Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com

Inventing Words

2008-03-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

We are using English from the Roots Up! and part of the lessons is trying to think of words that would come from the roots we are learning.
Phobos (Greek Root for Fear)
Philia (Greek Root for Love)

Here are Tyler's new words.

If you are afraid of love, then you suffer from "Philiphobia" The fear of Love!

If you love to be scared, then you are a "Phobophiliac" Lover of fear!

He's seven, he doesn't care if all of his vocabulary meets Webster's standards.

I haven't looked them up, but I am pretty sure that these are not actual words...

YET!

WOE 03/08/08

2008-03-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Here is this months Words of Encouragement Newsletter from Vacation Education Books.
Hello Familes!
I love sending out this email to all of you. It has been such a blessing on my life. In order to keep my promise to all of you, I have to think of something encouraging to say every month. That is not always easy.
But, God always provides!
I arrived home this morning from a conference, and I am exhausted from our trip, there is a mountain of "TO-DO"s at home, I saw my oldest for five minutes before she ran off to her friends. After kissing and hugging all my babies I'd missed for three days, I just wanted to soak in the tub, but there was no more hot water, so I settled in with a hot cup of coffee and got back to work. It was hard to think of something encouraging to write today.
So, I'll begin by encouraging you to avoid driving all night long and also to avoid situations where you lose two hours (we lost one hour when we crossed from Illinois into Michigan and then another when we got home and had to move the clocks ahead)
Anyone know why we are still doing that???
But, then I looked at the sales I'd made, the list of new contacts I had with other vendors (here's a thought for those of you who love our books - and happen to be Rainbow Resource Catalog customers - go to their website and request that they add our titles!)
I am sitting here looking at the sign up sheet for this email, and remembering the faces of all the families that I talked to at the conference and as I add them to my mailing list, I realized that it is not about me, or how I feel today, or how tired I am. I do this for the moms and dads who put their names on that list in the hopes that I would deliver what I had promised: Words of Encouragement.
So, I know that you all have days that you are tired, exhausted even, worn down and discouraged...
So, take Courage! Be En-Courage-d! God is with you!
I worked my booth from open to close Friday and Saturday. My mom and daughter watched it for one hour while I went to present my workshop. I arrived at the room where I was supposed to speak, and it was empty... Completely empty! Not one person came.
Now, I could have been upset, but I knew that I had run ahead of God. So, I sat down and asked Him to show me where He wanted me to be. I heard Him tell me to go back to my booth, then go home and write the next book, and leave the rest up to Him.
Reassured and energized, I headed back to my booth. I arrived to find a somewhat frazzled mother and daughter...
The booth was mobbed with shoppers while I was away!
It was the busiest it had been the entire conference.
While I had been on my knees before the Lord, He really had taken care of the rest!
We have an amazing God!
Whatever you're doing, where ever you are... take a few minutes to ask God if it's what and where He wants. He has a plan, and He is the only one who needs one.

Disney Vacation Guide

2008-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Marketing! That is a key word around this house these days. I have a wall of cases of a new book titled "Vacation Education destination Magic Kingdom" sitting in my dining room. They are just waiting for their intended owners to purchase them.
So, how do those intended owners find out about this wonderful new title that is just waiting here for them?
It's called Marketing!
And, it is mind-boggling.
So, this post is for one purpose, and one purpose alone! Marketing! Sorry if you stumbled across it hoping to get something more. If you want to actually see My Disney Vacation Guide, then follow the link to my website (vacationeducationbooks.com) and you can learn all about out series of travel guides for families who love to learn together.
But, this post here is just here so that the phrase "Disney Travel Guide" will hopefully show up on google leading potential customers here and then through the open window to my website so that they can then find out book series and purchase the Magic Kingdom travel guide that is waiting here for them, and we can make enough money to cover the cost of producing them and maybe even make enough money to produce more.
So, that's it! There is no other purpose to this particular post except to try to wiggle my way in to Google through my keywords, like "Disney Vacation Guide"
If you've read this far, and I can't imagine that anyone would, then please excuse my random ramblings, and get yourself over to vacationeducationbooks.com because if you're still reading this, then you need to get yourself a copy of one of our book titles where you'll find 160+ pages of my prose.
Thanks for stopping by
Corinne Johnson, author, vacationeducationbooks.com

14 days of homeschool

2008-01-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

This is not mine! I received this in an email from a friend and just had to share it.

14 Days of Homeschooling
To the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas."

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can you
homeschool legally?"

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Are they
socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Do you give
them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "What about
P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool
legally?"

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "YOU ARE SO
STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they
socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "How long will
you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give
them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Look at
what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO
STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they
socialized, do you homeschool legally?"

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Why do you
do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool,
YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they
socialized, do you homeschool legally?"

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "They'll miss
the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long
will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give
them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?"

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "What about
graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what
they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!,
what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you
homeschool legally?"

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "I could
never do that, what about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do
you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you
homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them
tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can they go
to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they'll
miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how
long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you
give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: "They Can
go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we
don't like the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they are missing
nothing, we'll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them
P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL
LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "How can
I get started, why didn't you tell me, where do I buy curriculum,
when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE'RE STRANGE? I think
we can do this, if you will help us, we'll join a sports team, and
we'll homeschool legally."

Learning to Cook

2008-01-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

This actually happened last fall, but it is such a cute story that I just had to share it.

We spent last week at Grampa Roy's and Gramma Ruby's. Apples were in, and so the girls spent most of their time climbing the tree, picking the apples, peeling and cutting up the apples, and then convincing Gramma to help them with the crust so they could make apple pies. We arrived on Monday afternoon and left on Friday morning, so in the three days in between, they made a total of six apple pies. I wasn't exaggerating when I said it is what they spent the most time doing, especially since we were at Norway Lake most of the day Thursday.

We arrived home Friday evening, and on Sunday Summer was playing around in the kitchen. I asked her what she was doing and she told me that she was making apple pie for Jacob's birthday. AAAAWW, isn't that sweet? Just wait, I haven't got to the punch line yet. Don't skip ahead either, wait for it.

Gramma sent us home with a large bag of apples and so Summer was working away in the kitchen, while the rest of us proceeded to go about our own things.

When it was just about time for dinner, I was upstairs organizing the linen closet when Don brought me a pie tin. It had an apple pie in it which I am quite sure was delicious (I know because I ate a little bite off the edge. I would have had a whole piece except the entire middle was missing. I thought perhaps she had given it to Jacob (he's only one and doesn't have great manners yet) and he ate out the middle, that would make sense.

But, no that's not what had happened.

When asked about the missing middle, and by middle, I mean pretty much the entire pie except the outer edge of the crust, she replied,

"I ate a little to try it and make sure it was good enough for Jacob."

Selling it!

2008-01-30T07:41:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have been following our story - We are at the point of GUNG HO marketing strategies. I have applied for a spot at INCH and am sending them an application to host a workshop, speak in front of the group, put on my presentation.
So, here it is: My Pitch!
Comments Welcome!

Thank you so much for inviting me to tell you my story. My name is Corinne Johnson. I am the author and creator or Vacation Education Books. These are travel guides for families who love to learn. They will take your family on a journey around the world, as you study science, history, geography, literature and more without ever leaving your living room. These are fabulous books, and we hope to sell a lot of them at our booth.

But, the books are only the end of the story, so let me begin at the beginning.

I met my husband in 1993, and began to ask God to show us a path that we could lead together; a journey that we could travel, side by side, not two roads that often meet, but one road that we would follow into eternity. Through trials and tribulations, God answered my prayer, but it took many years. When I read the old testament, and I see God at work in the Israelite nation, I am reminded that I am also one of His blessed children. He led them through the desert (not always pleasant), and He looked past their disobedient hearts and gave them Grace, forgiveness and blessings anyway. He did the same for me and my family. My husband and I will be at INCH, selling our books at a vendor booth, while our five children spend a weekend with Grandma, but except for these unique situations, we are a family that works together, travels together, and learns together. God has given me everything I asked for, and more than I could have ever imagined.

It has not been an easy journey.

We have over the years made decisions that God has called us to, and faced much opposition.

When we said yes to homeschooling, our families were extremely opposed to it. We didn’t know anyone who was doing it, and people told us it was illegal, immoral, and just not right.

When we said yes to letting God determine our family size, we were criticized and ridiculed by family and friends. They still think we are crazy!

When we said yes to having a home birth, we were bombarded with horror stories showcasing everything that could possibly go wrong.

When we said yes to leaving secular careers to pursue a road less traveled, we were questioned still.

When we’ve said yes to God, He has showered us with blessings greater than any opposition we have ever faced.

We have not always said yes to God, but I can also tell you the ease of following others is quickly forgotten in the pain and agony of saying no to God.

The road is not always smooth, we don’t always see the map the same way, and there are many hills.

As we approach each hill in the road, and wonder what might be on the other side, we are sometimes afraid to continue on. When Joshua led the Israelites across the dry river bed of the Jordan while God held the rushing waters at bay, I imagine they also were sometimes afraid to continue on. Some of the hills we’ve been up against have seemed greater even than rushing waters. God commanded the Israelites to pick up stones from the river bed and stack them up, so that when their children asked “what are these stones for?”, they would answer them, “This is what the Lord our God has done for us.”

As I share with the audience the stories that were once mountains in our path, but now I look back and see nothing but piles of stones, I hope to encourage and inspire them to look at their own journey and see the hills that have turned to stones. I will ask my audience to point out those stones to their children and say, “This is what the Lord our God has done for us.”

Then, when we have done that, remember to keep these in mind as we continue down a road where all we can see is the upcoming hill. We have no idea what is waiting for us on the other side. But, we can go forward confidently when we know that we are on the road that God has made, and we keep checking that rear view mirror and see those piles of stones. Whatever challenges you are facing, whatever difficulties you think that you cannot overcome, see what God has done, and do not be afraid.

When can I pause?

2008-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but mostly grateful, as I sit hear writing this post. My children are quietly (well, mostly quietly) resting (sort of) in the next room. We are at the Kalahari Resort for the Unschoolers Winter Waterpark Gathering (nearly 1000 in attendance I've heard). We are here for the week, and it should be a time to mellow and relax. We are here to network, and speak, raffle off some product, and maybe even make a few sales. But, we are also here as a reward for finishing the second book.
Yes, it is finished! At least from my end, it is complete, unless I get an email from the printer with something that I have to change. The official release date is March, 2008. We will be introducing it at the Illinois In Home Convention for the first time.
It is all very exciting and getting it finished meant that we could take some time off and hang out at the resort. But, we have been go go go since we left the house last Friday. I keep moving, in slow motion, and thinking when can we stop. There is the water park (Super Fun!), conference events, speakers, workshops, grocery shopping to stock the kitchen, clearance sale shopping, mall shopping, restocking books at stores along the way (Really really excited that it is necessary because that means the items are selling out, but also somewhat overwhelmed by the enormity of it all). There is just so much to do and I can't help but wonder, when will I pause?
What are we doing today, the kids want to know. Could we do nothing? Would that be alright? Well, the adrenaline is pumping and everyone is excited to get out and explore the resort. So, unpause and back to changing babies and searching for life jackets, making sure no one loses their suit, or shoes or anything else along the way.
And, what might we do tomorrow?
How about nothing, just for one day, wouldn't that be alright?
Doubtful.

God is Good! Jan. 10, 2008

2008-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't written lately I think because I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen. Looking for a story in our life that had an ending that I could share. But, everything is still very much unknown for us. We put the car and the house up for sale in October, but here they still are. We continue working on the second book, promoting the first and getting by.

When I look around and think about what we have seen God do, I sometimes think there is nothing to share unless it's something big. But, then I realized that it is the small miracles, the little details that God works out for us that are the most encouraging. It is amazing to hear and experience the BIG things that God does; but often, God is not in the fire, God is not in the earthquake, God is not in the strong wind, God is the still small voice. God is in the little details.

Don has not worked outside the home since October. We had no sure plan except to follow God, and see where he would lead us. We thought God would sell the house right away since that was the only chance we had of making any money. Then, the house didn't sell, one month and then another. Now, we are in January, and AMAZINGLY, all of our bills are paid! Even the house payment!

We prayed for God to either sell the house or show us a way to pay for it. We were mentally and emotionally prepared for a foreclosure (if that was God's plan), but in our hearts we didn't believe that was the right way to go. We offered the house up for sale, not because we wanted it to sell, but as an offering for God to do with as He wished. His will not ours!

Don prayed fervently for God to show him how to lead his family. He was home so that we could work together to raise and educate our children, and so that I would be able to continue working on our book series; but he felt there was something more for him to do. He asked God to show him a way to provide financially without having to leave his family behind.

We started selling things from our house on Ebay (it's January in Michigan). We aren't in a good position to have a yard sale, but if the house sells, all this stuff has to go somewhere. Then, some friends donated some items for us to sell. Then, we received requests to sell on consignment. All of this while at the same time we were reading books about marketing and making profit on Ebay (so that we could make the most possible with our household items). We were confident that when we ran out of stuff to sell, then God would provide another way. Even after selling nearly $2000 worth of stuff in the last three months, we now have more "inventory" in our house than we did when we first began to clean things out.

We still don't know what God has planned for us, but we see Him at work.

My mom gave us $$$ to use to further our business. We looked at all the ways we could use that money, and then we stumbled upon a homeschooling conference in Ohio (only five hours away). It fits into our schedule, is exactly the target market for our book series and the only fee to get in is the cost of the room. We have to stay at the resort to participate in the conference.

Every step of the way, God has provided everything that we have needed. We are blessed.

Keep checking our website for updates on our book titles.

vacationeducationbooks.com

and our Ebay auctions at vebstore.com (vacation education book store)

Magic Kingdom is due out March 2008.

Just Don't Go

2007-12-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

I wish for a day that I wouldn't have to leave the house, at all, not even open the front door. Although, I don't mind company, I just don't want to go... anywhere.
I am super social, can't wait to join up, sign up, be involved... but even I have limits. I find as I age, my limits are becoming more and more apparent to me. It never used to bother me to go every day all day. In college, I worked three part-time jobs and took twenty credit hours in one semester. I would have to change my clothes at stop lights I was so busy! It never occurred to me to want to go home, or to do less.
But, now... now, I am content in my home. Praise the Lord! That is something many women pray for and long for, and I have it. I am truly content in my home. I don't like to leave it. All the things I go out for are important, and not things I want to cut out, but sometimes I wake up in the morning and just think, 'oh it would be so nice to just hang around the house and not go anywhere today'. We've not had a day that we could do that in quite some time.
But, tomorrow. Granted, tomorrow is Wednesday and there is Advent service at our church, but today is Tyler's birthday. He could have asked for anything, but he only wanted for one day to be in charge, he only wants to hang around the house and play games with his dad all day, and maybe eat some of his favorite meals. But, today was the Christmas Party for our homeschool co-op (and there was sledding). We couldn't miss that!
So, while every day holds worthy things to take us away from home, and even tomorrow's outside activities call to us, we will grant Tyler's wish (and mine). We will take one day to just not go and we will savor every minute of that day.
Children really are a blessing from the Lord.

Taking whatever God gives us

2007-12-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

We are praying every day that God sell our home and all that is in it, to take away our material possessions and to expand our territory (our opportunities to speak to groups). We want to follow the Lord and His guidance. All evidence we currently have points to selling everything and going on the road, limiting our personal financial needs so that we can devote our time to writing more books, and sharing our ideas and stories with people everywhere we go; not spend it worrrying about how we will make the house payment.

My heart isn't always in this prayer, as we have made wonderful friends here and there is a part of me that wants God to instead provide a way for us to stay here and still fulfill His plan for us.

I will not be unhappy either way.

The timing of this sale and move is ironic as the everyone we know is accumulating more as we are letting go of all that we have; offering it up to the Lord as a sacrificial offering, praying that He will do with it what He sees best. We are preparing for a weekend sale and open house, where we have invited friends and family to come and walk through the house, ask all the questions they have, see what we have planned and hopefully, they will buy books, and other things, donate some seed money to keep our mission moving and be encouraged by our story.

Every day we pray '...give us our daily bread...' as Jesus commanded and we try to remember that daily doesn't mean that we will have next month's bills paid today, it means just that which we need today. And, since He has provided for us so far, we will continue to trust in Him and be happy with whatever He gives us.

Spend money, don't eat it.

2007-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last night as we were all settling down and getting ready for bed, Don called me in to where he and the boys were sitting. Ethan (age 4) was crying "It hurts, It hurts." He was pointing to his chest. "He swallowed a quarter." Don said. Well, I've been a mom long enough to know that small change, like pennies and dimes, will pass in time. But, a quarter? I've never had a child swallow a quarter before. So, I called the hospital (Saturday evening - not going to get a hold of a doctor). I asked the receptionist if she thought a quarter would pass. She didn't know, but suggested I call Ask-A-Nurse and gave me their number. I called, and the nurse there told me that a quarter is large enough to possibly cause some internal injury, and that I should take him in to get checked out. So, we went in and he got an xray. I am going to call and see if I can get a copy to put in his scrapbook - Goofy Kid! I was surprised to find that almost everyone we ran into at the hospital had a story of thing they swallowed or got stuck up their nose or in their ear or something. I didn't think it was that common. Although, when I arrived home, Don said that he had looked online and found that one in three ER visits have to do with foreign objects in the body. At the ER, talking with Ethan, he explained that he had found the quarter and so it was lucky. He was in his pajamas, which have no pockets, and so he was looking for a place to keep his quarter where it wouldn't get lost. So, he put it in his mouth, then OOPS! Well, the xray showed it in his stomach, and the doctor said it will likely pass, but there are two valves that it might get caught up at. So, we are checking stool until we find the quarter. If we don't find it in a few days, he'll have to go back in and get a new picture taken to try to find it. So, our prayer request is that God guides it through his system with as little pain and discomfort as possible. Our lesson to Ethan is "Spend money, don't eat it."

Ready, Set, Go! Purging Stage

2007-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

It has been official for nearly two weeks now. Don left his job, a fifteen year career, just said goodbye to it. It all began many years ago, but came to a crossing in the road back in May of 07. After attending INCH (homeschool convention), he was sure it was time for us to go. To do the things we'd talked about doing for years, sell all the stuff and hit the road. We had nothing tying us to this location, except a house and the stuff in it. We were already homeschooling; we were about to publish a book that would require one of us to travel regularly to promote it, and the only reason to keep the job was to pay for all the stuff. So, let's quit talking and start moving. So, we did it. Don is home and we are working like ants trying to spruce up the old homestead so that someone will give us the big paycheck we are after. Of course, we are still publicizing the book, and working on the second title in our series (see vacationeducationbooks.com if you don't already know what I'm talking about here). The work, the painting and cleaning, moving the claw foot tub around... all that is easy compared to the emotional string cutting that has to happen in order for this all to work. My daughters(as opposed to their brothers) have been willing to give up pretty much every material possession, they are excited and looking forward to the journey and have hardly whispered even the slightest complaint about purging, until today. When it came down to size limitations, Caitlin looked fondly at her doll house and said, "I have to get rid of that?" I nodded, and said that she could keep it in her room for now, but that when the house sells and we go on the road full time, it will have to go. She sadly agreed, but I thought about her for the rest of the day. It isn't the dollhouse itself, it's what the doll house represents... this house is made from tiny pieces of wood from a kit that she and I spent all day every day for nearly a solid week gluing together to build this house. I know it isn't the house itself that matters, it's the memory that is elicited from the house, the sight of it, the smell of it, the feel of it, all those things bring about a flood of emotions as I think upon the days that we spent creating it. It's those feelings, those memories, that togetherness that I want to keep, and that I know Caitlin wants to keep as well. Those are the things that we are pursuing as we head out on this adventure; the togetherness, the memories, the fun things we'll do and see together, that's why we wrote this book series, that's why we are walking away from the material possessions, that's why we are leaving behind the things that burden us. I know the sadness that Caitlin feels as she lets go of the things in her life, but more importantly, I know that it is not about the dollhouse.

Writing with children

2007-10-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

If it weren’t for my children, I would have nothing to write about. They are my inspiration, my most honest critics, and quite often, they are the material as well. Today, I planned to write… all day. People are asking, “When can we buy the next book [in the series]?” My best answer is that I would like to have it finished by the end of this year. Then, the phone rings.
Exactly!
This is how a day in the life of a writer with children goes. I sit down to work at the laptop, the girls are at Grandma’s for the weekend, the boys are playing, I am working. Then, Don reminded me that we needed to go pick up our car. Oh yeah, I hadn’t really forgotten, it had just slipped my mind.
That’s done, the boys are watching a show that Daddy taped for them, and Jacob is in his bed, fed, changed, and contently sleeping. Everything is good, the house is clean… enough, it is quiet, the laptop is on the dining room table, open and waiting for me. I start to work, to write, it’s going along. I get thirsty, get a glass of water, think I’d really love some coffee, I start to make a pot, then I check the email real quick, just while the coffee is brewing. I need to connect with the printer, I compose, attach, send, the coffee is done.
I begin to work and go over some design elements. I have an illustration that I am trying to decide how I will do it… I think that I will try to draw it out and see what I come up with.
Oh yeah, the pencils are in the van because I used them yesterday at the Book Mark Family Activity Night that I spoke at. I’ll go get them. When I get to the van…
Oh yeah, the box that all the pencils are in is underneath a load of groceries that we picked up on the way home last night because as we were driving we noticed a sign that said “Sure Fine Sale” When we see a great deal, we buy it by the case load and then some. We packed the van as full as it would get; if we hadn’t already dropped the girls off with Grandma, they’d have been riding with cans under their feet and boxes in their laps. We felt it was God’s providence, because we were able to purchase even more at these great prices because we could fill up the space that would have normally been filled by extra bodies.
So, of course, I start to carry in cases of food; we didn’t unload the van last night because it was late when we got home, all the items were nonperishable, and Don had to work at 4am. So, anyway, I begin to carry in the groceries, not all of them, I planned to only bring in enough to uncover the box of my supplies, so I can get at the pencils that I want to use for sketching out some graphic design ideas, because today is a day that I will work on the book.. all day.
When I get the groceries into the kitchen, I take one look at the pantry and realize…
Oh yeah, there’s no way I am going to get all of this food into this space unless I get it better organized. So, I begin to clean out a few shelves that are mostly empty anyway and make room for the new stuff. Then, I hear a noise… can that be Jacob crying? Oh my, it’s only been a few minutes… no, it’s been an hour, he could be awake already. Yes, that’s him. I go around to the back stairs to listen, and see that the back of the van is still open…
Oh yeah, I was bringing in those groceries so that I could uncover the box that contains the pencil case that has the supplies I wanted so I could work on the book today… all day.
Jacob cries again. I head up the stairs and get him. He is no longer dry and full and content, but is teary eyed (Mama, you made me wait!), wet and unhappy with me. We get a new diaper, a little snuggling, and then I try to pass him off on his brothers who are happily playing together. They go for it, sort of… it’s really more of an “I guess he can hang out with us, but we’re not really interested in entertaining him. Set him over there so he’s out of the way.”
I give him a few toys and look around the room for anything I don’t want knocked off an end table (like that glass of water) or eaten (like those quarters, it’s always nice to find money in unexpected places, but never in a diaper). I pick up a few things, leave to put them away and Jacob rebels. “I’m not going for it, don’t you dare leave me again.” He’s a one year old, he doesn’t actually speak like this; I’m translating.
So, I pick him up and carry him on my hip, and head for the kitchen to take care of that glass of water, when I see the pantry….
Oh yeah, I was going to organize that and put away those groceries so that I could get to the box in the van that has my supplies from last night so I can get out my pencils I wanted to use for sketching designs for the book I’m working on… Okay, I’ll do that just as soon as I can find the backpack carrier for Jacob, he’ll be happy in that. Where is that at?
Oh yeah, it’s still in the van because I took it with me last night and it was late when we got home and we didn’t bring everything in. So, out to the van I go to get the backpack carrier…
Oh yeah, the back of the van is still open because I was going to unload the groceries so I could get to the box that I packed up the supplies in which contains the pencils I wanted to use to sketch the design for the book that I am working on today… all day.
I move the groceries, get the pencils, close the hatch, and head inside to work, as soon as I put Jacob into the carrier…
Oh yeah, still in the van. Back outside. Get the carrier, close the door, go inside, put the baby in the pack, and work… standing up, rocking back and forth, but working. Writing, not sketching, I can type standing and rocking, but not draw. Baby falls asleep and I sit down to work on a cover design, since that’s the one idea I came up with while I was pacing. I think it’s a good one, and I get it sketched out when my four year old comes to me starving. I am tempted to make him finish the half eaten bowl of cereal he left on the table, but it really is kind of gross. So, I cut up apples and bananas, make sandwiches, turn off the pantry light (I’m not going back in there until I get some work done), put lunch on the table, pray with my sons for our food, for our girls who are gone today, for dad who is at work, and silently I pray for productivity.
They eat, I go back to the laptop, then I remember that somewhere I have a book with a really great picture of what I’m thinking of, I’m sure it will inspire me. I just have to find it. The boys finish lunch, now they all need baths (how does that happen?), but I’m working so I’ll let them go back to playing on the carpet and I will clean up the banana mush from the carpet the next time I plan a whole house cleaning day… all day. Today, I am working, writing… all day. Then, the phone rings. I answer it, I’m not really getting anything done anyway. Chitter chatter, chitter chatter, I refill my coffee, I play on the floor with my baby, I listen to the stories my sons are inventing together, I sweep the dining room floor (I just can’t ignore those Cheerios I’ve been stepping on for another minute)…
I’m chatting on the phone, while I edit a few pages, and feeding Jacob bananas (that’s what I call productive) when I realize that he has something in his hand that doesn’t look like anything I’m feeding him. I look down into the seat of the high chair and discover that we’ve experienced a diaper explosion. No matter how many times I do this, there is still something unsettling about green slimy goo with whole raisins in it coming from my baby’s bottom end. We wash, we bathe, we sanitize, and then since I’m in the bathroom anyway, I call those other two boys to get into the tub and wash the dried banana off their noses, elbows and anywhere else it might reside.
Jacob is clean and as I changed him I noticed that his diaper was pretty much empty, so either in my rush to get it on him or in his own wiggly way, we ended up with the diaper off to the side and the mess primarily in the chair…
Oh yeah, there is still some on the floor…
I am distracted by life, but I am glad to be living it… all day, everyday.
So, if you see me at an event and you really feel you must ask, “When is the next book going to be out?” please understand when I answer, “Hmmm.”

Nothing but the Best for my Baby

2007-09-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

As a mother of five, I’ve had opportunity to own and use just about every product for baby that there is. When I was expecting baby #1, I received a list like this one that I copied directly from www.medicinenet.com. There are several others available that are similar if not identical, but this one is from a doctor, so it’s the one I’m addressing. The italic notes are my comments on what real life showed us about what a baby really needs, and which products our children really loved, and we found to be the best.
Here’s the article:
Welcoming a baby into this world requires more than making sure he or she is healthy in your tummy. At some point, your little love will make his or her way out of your belly and you need to be prepared. This list should help you get all you need to take care of your baby during the early months. As your baby gets older, you will find other items that will make your life easier (like a jumpy seat or an exer-saucer!).
The Nursery
Cradle, bassinet or crib: If you choose to have your baby sleep in your room at night, a cradle or bassinet is a nice option for the first few months. When the baby gets bigger, you will need to get a crib. When choosing a crib, make sure it meets the latest safety standards and that there are 2 3/8 inches between the slats.
Crib mattress: Unfortunately, most cribs do not come with mattresses so you will need to purchase one. Pick out a mattress that has good back support, is not too soft, and meets all the fire-retardant regulations.
Yes, we’ve always had one, although all of our children preferred to sleep with us (the girls still sleep together because they don't like to sleep alone). The two oldest girls had a standard wood frame crib bought from our local retail department store; the second one was not yet a year old when she destroyed it. She was a quiet one (never stops talking now, go figure)and she never cried, so we didn’t always know when she woke up. She was more of a doer than a talker (still is and since she never stops talking… you can imagine all the doing she’s been doing). Her solution to her desire to get out of the crib was to stand up, grab hold of the rails and shake it like crazy until someone showed up and made her stop. She didn’t cry or scream, but actually seemed to enjoy this activity, grinning the entire time. One day, the slat cracked, right in half, and that was the end of that crib.
The next two slept in a Port A Crib that we had (I saw little point in buying another crib, since the next two were boys and I figured they would have no trouble tearing down that little stick cage in a pretty big hurry). The Port A Crib type bed worked out fine, we could take it on trips and the babies never had to sleep in a strange bed, however, it did not hold up well to general use. It was difficult to clean (standard crib mattresses have a plastic coating that can be wiped off), and after two children using it full time, it did not smell very good.
For baby #5, we were given a beautiful metal framed crib, with elaborate details, and it has been a gorgeous addition to our bedroom furniture.
Every child’s favorite place to sleep? Snuggled against mama’s chest.
Musical mobile for crib: This isn't essential, but a nice addition to the crib. Find one with the figurines facing down so that baby can see them better.
Who is this for? Mom or baby? If it’s for baby, why is baby laying in his crib needing something to look at? I bet he’d love to be looking at mama’s face.
Dresser: You will need a few drawers to store baby's clothes and toys.
This is a legitimate need. We bought a used, good quality piece that is simple and classic in design and will last his lifetime. My husband still uses the dresser he had as a child and it shows no signs of failing.
Changing area: This can be on top of a dresser or a separate changing table. It is a good idea to purchase a pad to lay baby on top of when changing. Never take your hand or eyes off baby when changing him or her, especially if your changing area is off the ground; baby's can roll off the table at the blink of an eye.
Had one, never used it. I tend to change baby wherever I am at the moment, usually on the floor; after a little practice, you get where you can do this quickly and don’t have to worry about making a mess on the floor. All body fluids wipe up easily from wood or vinyl floors, on carpet you could lay a towel under his bottom if you wanted. The most unusual place I ever changed a diaper? We were standing in line for the Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World, when we realized that it was going to be quite a wait, and Jacob desperately needed a new diaper. Don held him up by the arms against his chest and I stripped down the pants, replaced the diaper, redressed him and we kept moving along with the line the whole time.
Rocking chair or glider. Although not essential, it's nice to have when feeding baby. Pick one out that has padded arms for extra support and comfort. A footrest adds additional comfort, especially if breastfeeding.
Have one, love it, babies or not, busy ladies need a comfortable place to sit in those spare moments that we have opportunity to.
Nightlight. Not essential, but it helps you see during those middle of the night diaper changes and feedings.
Okay, sure, not a bad idea. Mostly so I don’t step on a Lego or Lincoln Log; Hot Wheels cars are especially painful.
Tape or CD player: Lullaby music is a nice way to lull baby into a peaceful sleep or soothe baby when he or she is upset.
We all love music; Don and Caitlin both have excellent singing voices, Summer plays a little piano, and we have a large CD collection. I am no singing talent, and don’t play a musical instrument, but the sound my children love the most? The best lullaby ever? The sound of mama’s voice.
Crib Linens
1 set of crib bumpers
1 quilted mattress pad
2 fitted crib sheets (smaller sizes are sold for cradles, bassinets or port-a-cribs)
2 waterproof mattress pads or waterproof sheets
2 light blankets
1 sleep positioner. This is not essential but it does helps keep baby sleeping on his or her back or side. It is sold in most baby stores.
When making the crib, you have a few options. You may choose to use a waterproof mattress pad on the bottom and put the fitted crib sheet on top of that or you may want to look in to purchasing a waterproof pad/sheet (called sheet-savers) that goes on top of the fitted crib sheet. These can be found in most baby stores and make cleaning up accidents easier since all you have to do is change the top sheet of the crib.
Every crib mattress I’ve ever seen is plastic coated; this is easy to dry and wipe down as necessary. We use a fitted sheet (If he makes a mess on it, we change it, it’s small and thin and doesn’t add a lot to the laundry, otherwise I change his when I wash all the household bedding.)
If you go this route, be sure to get one that snaps on to the crib railings (you do not want the ones that you just place on top of the fitted sheet - these can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome).
If you choose to use the waterproof sheet savers you really only need 1 fitted crib sheet and 2 waterproof sheets. The fitted crib sheet should require few changes since the waterproof sheet saver on top will keep it dry. You do, however, want to get two waterproof sheet savers since you will need to change those regularly.
Note: babies don't need pillows or fluffy comforters in their crib! They also should not sleep with stuffed animals or toys. They could cause your baby to suffocate since he or she is not strong enough to roll over or push them away.
I’m not arguing this point, we’re not really stuffed toy collectors anyway. I’m just wondering how the toy gets over baby’s face? If he is not strong enough to roll over, he’s not going to the toy. (I assume the toy isn’t moving to him on its own – if it is, you have a whole other problem- they’ve written horror films about stuff like that). It just seems that by the time baby is old enough to get to the toy and get it by his face, he would also be old enough to push it away if it was keeping him from breathing. God didn’t make babies completely helpless (they have a few instincts that help them survive – like wanting to breathe).
Diaper Time: What You Need for the Changing Table
Diapers (plan on using 70-90 per week for the first six weeks, then 50 per week)
We’ve used both disposable and cloth; I prefer cloth.
Disposable diaper wipes (alcohol-free)
You can make your own from Bounty paper towels, or you can just as easily use a warm wet wash cloth. This works well with cloth diapers as you just throw the whole bit into the diaper pail to be washed together. Using the same soap for wiping as you do for bathing lessens the chance of irritation.
Diaper rash ointment or cream (such as Desitin or A&D)
Babies who are breast fed and cloth diapered hardly ever get diaper rash.
Rubbing alcohol to wipe around base of umbilical cord
Cotton swabs to apply rubbing alcohol
Petroleum jelly to apply on circumcision (so the baby's penis doesn't stick to the diaper)
These are items you likely have in your home already, they have various other uses.
Pad for baby to lie on during changing
I wouldn’t spend money on this, a towel works fine. They are often included in a diaper bag.
Diaper pail
Breastfed babies aren’t nearly as stinky. We wash diapers (cloth) about twice a week and just keep them in an open top bucket. For disposables; a plastic grocery bag can be wrapped around an especially nasty one and tied up before putting it into your regular trash.
Layette: Baby's First Clothes
6 undershirts that snap on the bottom or tie on the side, commonly called "onesies" (3 in three-month size and 3 in six-month size)
3-4 infant gowns with elastic bottoms or draw strings. These make for easy diaper changes. All you have to do is pull the gown up over the belly to change the diaper and then pull it back down when finished. There is no stumbling around trying to snap the gown back together, which is especially nice when it's 3 am and all you want to do is get baby back to sleep so that you can get back to sleep.
I have to agree, I loved these.
6 sleepers/stretch suits (3 newborn to three-month size and 3 in six-month size). These are nice to put baby in during the day, but are not essential items. When buying these, make sure you get the kind that zip up the front. These are easier to get baby in and out.
3-4 pairs of booties or socks with stretch elastic band at cuff
3-4 receiving blankets
1 blanket to cover swaddled baby in crib
1 sweater and hat
This is only if you have a late fall or winter baby. Summer babies can get too hot if all wrapped up all the time. None of my children ever kept a pair of socks or shoes on until they were walking on their own all the time.
Bathing Baby: What You Need
Baby bathtub (sloping with foam pad or flat with molded sponge insert)
Had one, used it once, it seemed silly and awkward. I like to take baby into the tub with me when they are very little and then into the shower when they are a little older. In the tub, I sit up and lay him across my chest or on my lap with my knees lifted. By age one or so, I sit nearby and read while they play in the tub (It’s like their own personal giant swimming pool).
4 terry cloth bath towels (hooded towels are OK, but not necessary)
4-6 washcloths
Just used what I already had.
Tearless shampoo
Baby soap. Many brands make baby shampoo and soap all in one.
I buy one or the other, never both. Babies don’t really get all that dirty until they are big enough to play in the dirt, and even that is mostly rinsed off with water.
Brush and comb
This is something most people need, (except for guys like my husband who just shave it off and never have to worry about a comb or brush) but I wouldn’t bother with the special baby ones. By the time any of my kids had enough hair to need a brush, they could use a regular hairbrush.
Rounded-tip nail scissors or clippers. If you are afraid you may clip more than baby's nails, you can nibble their nails with your teeth. Usually this is easier during the first few weeks.
This is good advice. I’ve often nibbled his nails down while he nurses as that is usually when I notice that he is scratching me.
Bulb syringe nasal aspirator. These are used to suction excess mucus from baby's nose (the one you receive in the hospital is a keeper!)
I’ve never used one of these. I’ve had one with every child, but never had a need for it. We never had an excess mucus problem. But, I will mention that not everyone has their baby in the hospital… I personally had a home birth, loved it, would do it again, can’t imagine any better way.
Washing Baby's Laundry
It is a good idea to wash all clothing and bedding in a detergent safe for babies. Some popular brands are Dreft and Ivory Snow. These products have been tested for their safe use for all skin types, especially infants.
These are expensive. None of us have ever had problems with detergent, although I know some people are sensitive.
Wash all infant clothing, bedding and towels, prior to first use.
To remove tough stains (such as spit-up), spot-treat the item with one of these detergents or soak prior to washing.
If you go to yard sales or resale and you see infant clothing with yellow spit up stains; those were formula fed babies. Breastfed babies don’t spit up as often and if they do, it washes out easily; doesn’t stain.
Feeding Baby
6 bottles. Even if you are breastfeeding, you should have bottles to use for pumped breast milk.
This is not necessarily true. My oldest children were fed both breast milk and formula, but my youngest was given breast only from birth until he could drink out of a cup and then we offered him alternatives. If you feel you might need to pump milk in an emergency, the pump that you buy will have storage bottles and you can buy a nipple to fit and keep this in the case with the pump.
In thirteen months, Jacob never had formula and I pumped one time. He was ill for several days and not nursing as much as normal. This was a sudden drop off and I became engorged. When I couldn’t get him to nurse, I used a pump to bring down the swelling and saved the milk. I did try at one time to give it to him, but he had no interest in the bottle anyway.
12 nipples and covers
1 bottle and nipple brush for cleaning
Dishwasher basket for bottles and nipples (optional, but makes for easy cleaning)
Infant formula and measuring cup (if you are not breastfeeding). Use the brand recommended by your child's doctor.
Breastfeed! Then, you can take all of these items off of your list and buy something you really want.
12 Burp cloths
If you use cloth diapers, these can do double duty here. I mostly would forget to use it on the occasion that my child did spit up on me, but I figure I would have put the shirt in the laundry at the end of the day anyway.
6 Bibs
I can see a usefulness here, but I just never use them. I’ve even hung a bunch on the back of a chair in the dining room so they would get used, but just never really did. Again, with practice and patience, you get good at spoon feeding without getting it all over their clothes. When they feed themselves, that’s another story. My best suggestion? Take off their shirt and let them eat naked. Baths are fun, laundry’s not.
Diaper Bag: What You Need When You Are on the Go
When buying a diaper bag, pick one that has lots of pockets and places to store individual items. Also, keep in mind that your diaper bag often becomes your purse, so find one large enough to keep your wallet, keys, glasses, cell phone and other items you need for yourself.
I use a backpack (not a special expensive diaper bag/backpack combination, but just a regular back to school sale kind of back pack). It is pink, so my daughters are happy to help carry it. I keep it in the van most of the time and just add stuff to it as needed. Because it is a backpack, we can take it hands free, and it is big enough for an overnight bag. For short runs, I can put a few wipes in a Ziploc style baggie and a diaper in my glovebox (in the car) or in my pocket (on a walk or bike ride), and not need a bag at all.
It's a good idea to keep this bag packed with the following items at all times so if you need to leave the house in a hurry (especially if you have to take baby to the doctor unexpectedly), you'll be ready:
5-6 diapers
Disposable wipes
Diaper rash cream or ointment
Pad to lie your baby on top of when changing the diaper
Plastic bags to wrap dirty diapers in until you can find a trashcan to throw them out
Change of clothes for baby. Infant onesies, a pair of socks, hat, baby outfit.
Blanket
2 clean bottles and powdered formula (if bottle feeding)
Burp cloth
Pacifier (if using)
Baby toy or rattle
Sunscreen for babies older than 6 months.
Baby Tylenol
Okay, we just spent two weeks at Walt Disney World and here is what we carried into the park each day expecting to be gone from our hotel (home) from around 7am until at least 6pm. We used a tiny Tinkerbell back pack that we found in the toy section and my second oldest liked the bag so much she carried it the entire time. She never had to take it off to ride a ride and it never was heavy or uncomfortable for her. Inside, we packed:
One park map; essential
One small tube (3oz – this is the same size that airlines will allow you to carry on) of 50SPF sunblock. Our family is all very light skinned and we burn easily. This amount was enough for us to get through the day (all seven of us coating our exposed parts). We refilled this small bottle from a larger one that we kept in the room.
Four (4) disposable diapers – We never actually used that many in a single trip. Jacob rode in a carrier on my back all day, and babies are less likely to go when carried, so we were able to estimate when we need to change him. (About twenty minutes after a meal or snack and a large drink, and soon after taking him out of the carrier.) We use cloth at home and I usually keep a few plastic grocery bags in the pack for bringing home the dirties.
One sandwich sized baggie with about 15 individual wet wipes.
One change of clothes. It was hot, so this was usually just an extra onesie.
We tried carrying a sippy cup, but found that it was just as easy to let him drink out of a straw or nurse when he was thirsty. So, we gave that up after a few days.
That’s it. That’s all we carried. Nothing more and coincidentally, it was always more than enough.
Other Essentials
Newborn-size pacifier. Many lactation consultants recommend not using a pacifier if you are breastfeeding to prevent nipple confusion in your baby.
Babies comfort nurse. This just means they like to snuggle and suckle (what Jacob is doing as I try to type this with one hand – he is latched on, but not really drinking, mostly just holding on because it’s comfortable – of course, he is interested in everything going on around him, so he doesn’t really snuggle, he does more of a flopping around kind of thing, but he doesn’t let go. Letting baby nurse when he wants means I am the pacifier.
Infant car seat. Can also be used as a baby carrier. And you can find stroller frames that the infant car seat can snap into so that you don't have to carry the car seat at all times, which can get heavy. If you decide to get a stroller that your infant car seat can snap in to, make sure you get one that fits your infant carrier.
Car seats are required by law, although I used to stand up on the seat next to my mom in the front seat of a pick up truck and I’m okay. The infant seats that lock into a base in the car and also lock into the frame of a stroller are very nice and convenient. Keep in mind that many babies reach the twenty pound limit on these seats very quickly. I had a baby the end of August, we didn’t go very many places in September, and by October it was quite cold for taking a new baby for a walk; then winter. By spring, he was too big for the infant seat (we had used it all winter as a car seat, but only a few times with the stroller feature). The stroller itself has years of use, but the extra money for this convenience is just that, extra money for convenience.
Breast pump for breastfeeding moms. Breast pumps allow you to pump milk so that someone else can feed your baby. This is important if you need to leave your baby for a significant amount of time (for example, if you are working). Breast pumps also come in handy when your breasts get engorged and baby is too sleepy to help you out. With a breast pump you can pump some of the milk out and save it for when baby is ready to eat
I would suggest having one an hand or at least knowing where you can borrow one. If you borrow one, you should clean it thoroughly before and after each use, of course.
Baby's Medicine Cabinet
Thermometer. There are many types available. Some doctors prefer that you use a rectal thermometer to get the most accurate temperature.
Yeah, not doing that. I personally have an aversion to putting things in baby’s bottom. I’m not really thrilled about taking care of the stuff that comes out as it is.
A digital, plastic thermometer that you can place under your baby's armpit may be easy for you to use for the first six months. Ear thermometers can be used after age 6 months.
Both of these are simple to use. For your own sanity, it is nice to be able to say, “His temperature is 99, that’s not too high, and it’s not going up, he’s probably fine.” As opposed to thinking, “Hmmm, he feels a little warmer than usual, maybe he has a fever, maybe he’s sick, maybe… maybe … maybe.” Anyone who’s ever been a parent can tell you that your mind can really cause trouble when it comes to imagining all the horrible things that might be wrong with your child.
Calibrated medicine dropper
Pain reliever/fever reducer medicine (acetaminophen, such as Tylenol infant drops, is recommended). Infant Motrin works great to relieve inflammation associated with teething. Do not use aspirin!
Mylicon drops to relieve gas.
Baby Orajel or Ambesol to soothe teething gums.
Small gauze squares to clean wounds.
Hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds.
Wound cream such as Bacitracin Antibiotic or Johnson & Johnson First Aid Cream. Do not use Neosporin on babies under age 6 months, as it contains an ingredient, neomycin, which can cause sensitivity in infants.
Small bandages.
Cool mist vaporizer. Good for when baby has a cold.
Infant sunscreen for babies over age 6 months. If you live in a very sunny climate and your child is exposed to sun often, talk to your baby's doctor about applying sunscreen earlier.
Syrup of Ipecac to be used only as directed by the Poison Control Center to induce vomiting.
Pedialyte or Ricelyte to be used as directed by your child's pediatrician for fluid replacement during diarrhea.
I keep a basic first aid kit, but it doesn’t have all these things in it. My children are seldom ill, and if they were, I would purchase what was needed at the time. There are risks to using medicinal products past their expiration date, so buying a bunch of stuff just to fill the medicine cabinet, probably means throwing most of it away unused.
Nonessentials (But Nice-to-Have!)
Baby monitor
A few years ago, we moved into a large home and I can’t always hear what is going on in other parts of the house, so this is an item that I appreciate. I would never use it if I had to replace batteries though, so I made sure to get one that has the option of using battery or power cords.
Swing
We’ve had several and I like the idea, but baby’s favorite place is mama’s arms.
Baby book. Essential if you want to record your baby's firsts.
We do love to journal. More and more I find I’m doing it on the computer, but I try to keep hard copies of some things to give to my children some day.
Infant seat. A "bouncy" seat is great! It gives you a safe place to put baby while you do things for yourself.
Want time for yourself? How about letting dad or someone else have some time with the baby?
High chair. You will use it when baby is 4-6 months old
These take up a lot of space for the time they are in use. We are trying (and I don’t know how well it will work) for the first time to go without a high chair. We have a seat that attaches to the table, that is portable and that so far seems to be a good choice. We will see how the transition period goes; will he be too big for the seat before he is big enough to sit in a booster chair?
Baby sling or pouch. These come in handy when you need to have your hands free to get things done around the house, but still carry your baby.
This is one item that I would put on the essential list. There is no better place for your baby than with you, but I know that I still have to clean house, teach children, train and discipline, read stories, play with and cook for my crew. I have a fabric carrier with back pack straps (no frame-a hybrid between the sling and the hiking pack) that has proved to be an incredible asset. Jacob loves to ride in it, falls asleep against my back listening to the sound of my heartbeat. I can wear it all day comfortably, it’s never in the way, and I can do all the things that I could do if I wasn’t carrying a baby at all. If I want to be more involved with him, I wear it on the front.
Now, I’m not saying that this isn’t a good list; I’m sure they put a lot of thought into it; I’m just adding my two cents. But, I would like to share a list of THE BEST products on the market. I didn’t make up this list, but I’ve seen it several places and don’t know who to credit it to.
The Best infant seat: mama’s arms.
The Best Stroller: mama’s body
The Best infant swing: mama’s lap
The Best music for babies: mama singing
The Best sound for baby: mama’s heartbeat
The Best food, the Best milk warming device, the Best pacifier, and the Best tranquilizer: mama’s breast.
The list of things to buy was taken from Medicinenet.com and credits are as follows:
Reviewed by The Cleveland Clinic Birthing Services and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Edited by Charlotte E. Grayson, MD,, April 2004, WebMD.
Portions of this page copyright © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2002

Disney Trip Journal 2007 continued

2007-09-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Friday September 14, 2007 Another day at Epcot. This is still our favorite park by far. We just love to hang out in the World Showcase and experience the countries. We started out today in The Land, ate brunch there (very good) boat ride, then fast passes for Soarin’, everybody went except Jacob who is too small.

The girls went to Nestle Jr. Chef program and got to make and bake cookies and got to each have two free ones. Dinner at San Angel, explored Mexico, Norway, very nice baby care station; this was one of those things I would have just skipped, but once we realized how nice it was, we really appreciated it. The first room was a lobby (like a Dr. office waiting area). Down the hall was a kid room with movies, coloring books & crayons, storybooks, toys, etc. Across from that was a special private room with rocking chairs (especially for nursing moms) and a mini store carrying every possible baby item you could ever possibly need. In the back was a changing area with several nice cushioned tables, plenty of supplies, and private bathrooms for men and women. It was a quiet air conditioned spot for us to take a break – as a family of seven, we find that someone usually needs a break at some point and these types of services make it so we don’t have to go back to our room to get some r&r.
We were supposed to have VIP seating for the fireworks today, but when we got there, it was pouring down rain, and the VIP section had no actual seats, and no awning or cover of any kind. Waiting inside a nearby store, Don nearly got hit by lightning. God was putting on His own light show. We had a magical moment while inside the store. A cast member stopped us in the store and invited us to play a game of “Name That Flag” We had to name the country for each of eleven flags, we were prepared and so got them all correct. Our prize was a certificate and a pixie dust pin for each person in our family. Actually, we each received two of the pixie dust pins, one to keep and one to give away. We were instructed that these pins were not for trading, but were for giving to whoever we wanted to share the magic with. We only saw a bit of the fireworks show, but held hands and ran through the rain dodging lightning bolts. That was so much more fun than any man made fireworks!
Saturday September 15th, 2007 Animal Kingdom today. This is our second day here. We made a list of the things we wanted to do, and set out to accomplish them. We rode Expedition Everest (twice) – Very cool coaster. I love that Disney has made an effort to really theme this, and not just put in a competitive roller coaster. We trekked back to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to check it out. Caitlin was chosen to touch a snake for the first time, and got a certificate and button for doing so. Later, that day we went over to Dinosaur; Don and the girls had ridden it on our previous day and wanted me to see their photo. So, we went up to the counter and asked to see it. Then, after looking at it and talking with the cast member at the register for a bit, we said we would have to think about it. She said that she would make our dream come true and gave us a free 8X10. YAY!
We left this park around 4pm (we did a better job of staying in the shade and finding some air conditioned spots), and headed to Boma for dinner. The buffet here serves a few unusual dishes, but for an African restaurant, it is very Americanized.
Sunday September 16th, 2007. Back to Epcot. Still our favorite park. No matter how many times we come here, we still find more things to do. We rode Test Trak and Mission Space. Ethan had a magical moment, when he and I went into the play area while we waited for the rest of our group. He was selected to be an astronaut in the game and push the “Boost” button for every round.
We ate at the Coral Reef for lunch. It was not quite what we had expected, but they kids had a good time trying to find the fish in the aquarium that were pictured on the reference card provided at our table.
Monday September 17th, 2007. Today, we left Disney parks and took a cab to Sea World. ($28) This was a fun adventure and we began to discuss book/unit study ideas for these parks as well. (Yes, even when I’m having fun, I’m always working.) We caught a cab back to Downtown Disney $24. This is a bit of a shorter trip than from other areas of the resort.
Tuesday September 18th, 2007. This was our day at the Holy Land. We had quite an adventure here. I’ll tell all about it very soon, but for now it is time for bed. Mothers do need a bit of sleep too, you know. Jacob will be waking up in about four hours for a drink and I’ll have to get up then too.

Walt Disney World Trip Journal 2007

2007-09-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Disney Trip Journal 14 days 7 people 10 day park passes Here We Go!

Sunday September 9, 2007 Left Reed City around 10am (we were ten minutes late for church, so we skipped it). Had to stop and buy a new battery for our digital camera, which was a good thing because it ran out several times in the middle of a park day. We took a lot of pictures this trip. We had tried to get one directly from HP website (after trying WalMart, etc.). It was $50, and could be shipped overnight, but not to our zip code. Oh, the joys of small town life.

We stopped at Best Buy in Grand Rapids, and they had a package; battery, charger and camera bag (still $50). However, the Grand Rapids store had none in stock. They called around and found that Lansing had one. They asked them to hold it for us until we arrived. So, that dilemma averted, on to Grandfather’s house. We had said we’d be there around 6pm, but that was when we were planning to attend a 10am service and an 11am concert and a noon potluck (Education Sunday at our church). We instead arrived around 4pm even after our search for a battery and a sit down lunch at the Old Country Buffet. We visited with Grampa Johnson and Jeanette for a bit and then headed to Aunt Linda’s for dinner at 6pm. After brats and chicken, salad and corn (it worked out well that we had seen the corn farm guy on the corner across from McDonalds).

We stopped at the Wesco to get coffee. Don had made some in the morning, but Caitlin dumped it out so she could start hot water for oatmeal. When we were there, we saw his banner said “last day” and decided to get one last dozen for the road. It went quite well with the meat and salad they’d provided. After dinner, we went back to Grampa’s house and got everyone ready for bed, the next morning was going to be an early one.

Monday September 10, 2007 It’s hard to sleep when you know what to expect the next day. There are so many reasons to wake up and keep checking the clock. You don’t want to oversleep and be late for the flight, not only would you miss the chance to fly in a plane, but you’d miss the entire trip. In someone else’s house, using someone else’s clock, not sure if it works or if we know how to work it, afraid the alarm won’t go off. AAAGH! Jacob didn’t want to go to sleep. He has gotten pretty used to sleeping in his own bed and the idea of sleeping with us was not quite comfortable, being in our bed means one of two things, time to nurse or time to play and he didn’t want to do either, so he fussed until he finally could stay awake no longer. He and I both woke up frequently in the night, my inability to sleep was due to anticipation of the days to come. I don’t know if the alarm ever went off or not, but we were all up and ready with plenty of time to get dressed and packed and on our way to the airport. The morning was uneventful, Grampa drove our van to the airport, dropped us off, took our van back to his house; we got out at the airport, check in our luggage, stood in line, took off our shoes, went through security. *No liquids are allowed in larger than 3oz. and I had a sippy cup filled with water for Jacob in the backpack* So, we did have to take a little extra time to while they searched the backpack. I will remember to empty it before we go and fill it up once inside the terminal on the way home. Our flight arrived ten minutes early –YAY!- We found the desk for Magical Express boarding, stood in line with all the other people who had just gotten off of our plane, checked in, got in another line to board the bus, got on, rode to the resort and got in another line to check into the hotel. *We both commented that our experience with Magical Express was much more luxurious the last time we came. Our flight was several hours late, bringing us in about 1am, and a team of Disney Cast Members were waiting for us when we arrived at the luggage carousel. Our luggage had been placed on a different plane and ended up in Washington state. The cast members greeted us and led us right to the lost luggage claims dept. Then, said they would take care of it from there. Put us on a bus with just a few other families, turned on Cinderella on the on board televisions, and drove us to the hotel, where our rooms were ready and we checked right in and all went right to sleep. We didn’t do any parks that next day, just changed into the clothes we had in our overnight bag and did a load of laundry.*

This trip, we had no luggage mishaps, but felt more like cattle than valued guests. The bus was packed and the video was an advertisement for Disney stuff. We checked in but it was only 11am and no rooms were ready (not promised to be ready until 3-5pm). We got our cards with our park tickets and meal plan on them, we just couldn’t get a room assignment. The pool closest to us was being renovated so we couldn’t swim, we didn’t have suits anyway since our luggage hadn’t arrived yet. Not lost, it just takes a little while for it to come because they bring it over separately and then deliver it to your room, but we didn’t have a room anyway. We ate lunch at Stadium Hall, realized that Jacob had been in the backpack carrier since 5am and had been wearing the same diaper since about 4am – I think eight hours is too long for any diaper, so we went over to guest laundry and washed a few items, like the carrier and Jacob’s clothes. I had packed extras for him.

WOW! It’s expensive to do laundry. I don’t frequently have to use the Laundromat, but I guess we are a captive audience. We spent $6.25 to wash three items. Later in the week, we hand washed some small items so we wouldn’t have to spend that much again right away. On a two week trip, we expected to have to do some laundry. We packed about 6 outfits per person, plus a couple extra for the baby. We anticipated doing laundry at least once during our stay, but we tried to hold it off as long as possible. The heat and humidity really makes it difficult to wear anything more than once. We were able to get into our room, one of them anyway by about 1pm, and the other one was ready shortly after. We relaxed in the room for an hour or so, then our luggage arrived, we unpacked and after resting up in our 60 degree hotel room, we left for Epcot. (I do appreciate Disney transportation, but I am not sure how we are going to work out our days away from the resort, we have planned two days at Sea World and one at the Holy Land Experience. I stopped a taxi driver to ask what the cost would be, $30 each way – YIKES! I don’t expect to change our plans, but that’s quite a chunk of our vacation budget.)

Spaceship Earth is closed, but for good reason, they are putting back in the interactive hands on exhibit area at the exit. This was an educational bonus when it was there before and I was disappointed to see it go, but was glad to hear that Siemens would be sponsoring its return. We took some pictures, meandered through some shops, I love the art gallery at the front here. I’ve never bought anything there, and I probably never will, but I love to walk through this area and just see all the talent that has influenced this place. We bypassed the character greeting station, we have enough autographs and our kids are like, “Hey look, there’s Mickey.” “Do you want to go over and say Hello?” “No, not really.” We like the personal interaction (I’ll get to those stories in a bit), but don’t really care for the stand in line to say hello stuff. However, I do like the concept, as it allows families who are on a “got to get autograph/picture from every princess” to accomplish their mission. It also diverts crowds of people from the walkways. Next to this in the same building, there was a NASA exhibit. It was more of a walk through than an interactive, however there was a visiting astronaut (female school teacher who recently went up). We didn’t get to meet her personally, but did see her entourage getting their photos taken while we were in the exhibit. We left this exhibit and walked down to the ferry boat, picking up a frozen lemonade along the way (We are from Michigan, yes we were hot already), took the ferry boat across and toured the United Kingdom and Canada, then France. We saw Off Kilter, Serveur Amusant, Impressions de France, and had a late dinner at Chefs de France. Summer had her first try at calamari, her dad told her it was squid, and she ordered it anyway, but when it came and she saw the tentacles, she freaked a little. She loves to cook and experiment with recipes, so she was easy to convince to try it, and we all had a bite to help her out. It doesn’t taste bad, but there is something weird about chewing on a tentacle. Don had the tuna, which is served nearly raw, and cut like slices of bread. It is very different than the stuff in a can, but rather bland. The side/topping that is served with it is a flavorful addition and the combination is delicious. By the time we finished dinner, it was pouring down rain outside. We didn’t mind the break from the heat, and it seemed like we were the only people in the park not wearing a Disney plastic parka. It was 9pm, we’d been up since 4am, so we headed back to the room and sent everyone to bed.

Tuesday September 11, 2007 We decided to try an early morning at the Magic Kingdom. We made 8am reservations at the Crystal Palace for breakfast with Pooh. This type of experience makes the dining plan worthwhile. This is the second time we have tried out the ‘free’ dining plan. You do have to stay in a Disney resort, which is more expensive than staying elsewhere; this does also provide the ‘free’ transportation, however, it is very difficult (expensive) to go anywhere outside of Disney without your own vehicle. We did not plan to rent a car and did not pay for gas to get here (we planned to drive, but found such a great deal on air fare through TranAir it ended up being cheaper to fly). So, we were saving those expenses. However, without entering a park, your food choices are extremely limited. Our resort offered burgers & fries or pasta. The children’s meals were less than impressive as the only child who was able to fill up on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ten grapes, and sugar free applesauce for dessert was our two year old who you can’t even buy the dining plan for. At home or school when children sit a lot, maybe this would be enough, but we’re running through the parks, chasing busses and fast pass times, trying to accomplish as much as possible in a very short time, our kids needed more food than this. We ended up giving our kids much of our adult meals, which would have been plenty if we had gotten to eat it ourselves, and trying to make it up later in snacks. However, the table service meals with characters were well worth the plan. While we didn’t eat $40 worth of food, we did feel that these experiences were worth it. As opposed to standing in line to get a quick hello/hug/photo/autograph and move on for the next family in line, this sit with your family and enjoy a meal together while periodically being visited by a fun Disney character who comes over, engages you in conversation, poses for a picture, signs autographs, blows kisses (thanks Tigger); this is the way to see characters. Our next stop was Splash Mountain, but we made several detours along the way. Getting into the park an hour before it opened allowed us to take pictures with no people in them. It also meant that we were walking out of the restaurant as most guests were just getting in the front gate. We were able to really stop and look at architectural designs displayed here, and spend time talking to the cast members who were waiting on the streets of Frontierland. The first was a security guard (at least dressed like one) who stopped us for entering a “No Frown Zone”. He threatened to give us a ticket, but then decided to give us some Mickey stickers and a warning. A little ways down the trail, we ran into a member of the Dream Team; these are the cast members who are responsible for handing out all those “Million Dreams”. 2007 is Disney’s year of a Million Dreams. Each day someone in the Magic Kingdom is chosen to spend the night in Cinderella’s Castle, someone is chosen to be the Grand Marshall of the parade, some children are given free cotton candy, and there are various other ‘dreams come true’ that Disney is offering at this time. Because no one else was around, we got to talk with the Dream Team guy for quite awhile and he told us that the year of a million dreams idea was so great that they are going to continue into next year. Is it a rumor? Or could it be true? We did make it to Splash Mountain, but only Don, Summer, Caitlin, and I rode. Jacob was too small, Tyler and Ethan both could have ridden, but chose not to. Next, Don, Summer, Caitlin rode Big Thunder Mountain while I took the boys to the bathroom where we changed Jacob. They were actually finished before we were, which gives you some idea how short the lines were today.

We had lunch at Cosmic Ray’s which was very disappointing. We are using the dining plan, so the kids are supposed to get a desert, but they didn’t. Don ordered a Coke, but received iced tea. These are minor things and could have been taken care of quickly, if anyone had even acknowledged that I was there. I stood at the counter for 15 minutes trying to get the attention of any of the three girls who were working there (1pm Bay3). They never even looked at me. Finally, I went back and got in line for a cash register, and waited my turn and asked the cashier to rectify the situation. She was able to quickly fix it, but even after I told her that I’d stood there for fifteen minutes and been ignored, I got nothing except a Coke and two cookies, not even an apology. Very disappointing. This compared to a very different experience we had later on the same day. Over in the Tomorrowland (4:15pm) at Auntie Gravity’s I was standing in line with the two littlest ones to get some ice cream while Don took the older kids on Space Mountain. While I waited, a cast member came over and brought a small bowl of ice cream and a spoon for Ethan. Then, she went back to the kitchen and came out again with a small bowl and started feeding Jacob who was riding in the back pack carrier. She chatted about this and that, and visited with the boys until I had ordered and received my ice cream. That’s the kind of service I expect to see at Disney, the kind that goes above and beyond.

We rode rides, saw shows; Carousel of Progress is still my favorite, and at 5pm attended the flag ceremony in Town Square. They do this every evening, it was only coincidence that we happened to see it on September 11^th. It was a very moving and patriotic ceremony.

Wednesday September 12, 2007 Magic Kingdom second day Magical Beginnings opening

An hour early to Fantasy land. This was a worthwhile event to attend. It did require us to be early risers, but the benefits were great. We were allowed to enter the park early for a program called Magical Beginnings designed especially for the five and under crowd. Only Fantasyland was open at this time, but it was full of characters. There were the standard character lines that we don’t especially care to do, but we were also able to ride the rides with no wait time, and several of the characters were hosting activities. Caitlin, Ethan and Summer were part of a group of about ten children that joined Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook for a round of games like Peter Says, The Wheel on the Ship, and The Mates Go Marching.

The Mates Go Marching one by one, two by two, and so on, but after six by six, Captain Hook jumped to the middle and showed Wendy his hook, and she said, “Oh, you can only count to six.” She asked if anyone would like to help Captain Hook count to ten. Caitlin volunteered and was chosen. She is lucky that way, but it probably helped that many of the other children were five and under and looked like they weren’t really sure if they could count to ten either.

Later on in the day, we went to Belle’s story time and Caitlin was picked out of the crowd to play Mrs. Potts on stage as part of the story.

Ate lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. We finished just as the parade was about to pass by, so we got a great view of the parade, we followed the parade to the front of the park, and then headed back to the hotel for an early evening. Everyone took a nap and then Mommy, Tyler and Caitlin all took a dip in the pool, while Summer, Ethan, Jacob and Daddy relaxed in the room.

Thursday September 13, 2007 Animal Kingdom Here we saw the Lion King show first thing in the morning, then Pocahontas,*we caught the interpretive signers at this show – they put on a show of their own- it is fascinating to watch* and then right to Flights of Wonder. We ate at Flame Tree BBQ, they really need a table service restaurant besides the RainForest Café (which I am pretty sure does not accept the Disney dining plan). We need to get out of the heat and into air conditioning where you can get never ending refills of water and replenish/rehydrate. By 3pm, we all are suffering from heat stroke. Don’t know how we are going to make it on the extra hours night. We rode Dinosaur, dug up some bones at the fossil dig site, played in the DinoPlay area. Caught the show “It’s Tough to be a Bug” on the way out. Returned to hotel and ate dinner in the food court. Another relaxing, casual day.

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