Why does the blog always seem behind?

I’ve found being a blogger is really time consuming. And even more so when there isn’t a good internet connection. Many times, we have internet, but it’s slow, and honestly, WordPress isn’t a very fast site when you’re using the free subscription (beggars can’t be choosers). And then there’s always the thing of having time to catch up. At the end of some days, I’d much rather see my pillow instead of a computer screen 🙂

Do we always stay on schedule?

We have a calendar with a list of things we’d like to do on each day, but we also have flexibility. It’s worked out really well. We hit the for-sure things, and then improv on the other stuff. And we’ve also left room for downtime. That is a must when you’re doing something like this.

We’ve had some bumps in the road, but thanks to the wiggle room we gave ourselves, some of it unknowingly, God has helped us keep to our itinerary.

What do the boys do during all those hours of driving?

In the NPR radio interview, we were asked about “screen time”. Screen time isn’t something we deal with. The boys don’t have electronics and they don’t borrow our phones for any entertainment. Out Big Boy’s windows is a world they’ve never seen before. Practically each day we’re somewhere new. Albert and I want them to see and remember. They love soaking up new surroundings.

We brought a box of about forty-five books and have added to the collection through the miles. They love to read and do it a lot. We’re running out of books!

We also love listening to dramatic stories – Your Story Hour, G. A. Henty stories from Heirloom Audio, Adventures in Odyssey, Discovery Mountain and Lamplighter Theater. Listening to these stories is like reading a book. We all get into it!

Every now and then we have a movie night. But we really didn’t bring any, so the only choices are the few our laptop has. Somehow, we’ve survived 🙂

Does Albert always drive?

He does the majority of driving when it comes to Big Boy. It’s just naturally settled into that. This gives me time to catch up on things or plan ahead, take care of anything the boys need help with, and help him navigate. I drive the rental cars when we get to big cities.

Do the boys always get along?

Nope. Nope. And nope. They’re brothers, and they’re human. We all get on each other’s nerves sometimes. But the nice thing about being in Big Boy, there are different spots they can all be in to have some separation and alone time. There’s pestering, teasing, and bothering, so this helps give some space. They try most of the time, and we appreciate it!

Where does everyone sleep?

There’s a bedroom in the back for mom and dad. Melbee sleeps on the bedroom floor. The boys take turns rotating between the bunk over the cab, the couch bed, and the dinette bed.

How does Melbee pass the miles?

What do you eat?

We eat most of our meals in Big Boy. I brought lots of oatmeal and cream of wheat, our usual breakfasts at home, but we’ve ended up eating a lot of cold cereal because of time and easy clean-up. If we have lunch, it’s usually sandwiches, and then dinner is usually salad and something else home-cooked and filling. Every now and then we eat out, especially if it’s Rick Bayless’s restaurant!

What do you do for fun?

Tennis, basketball, dog parks, swimming. The boys were playing a card game called Quiddler for the first few weeks. But we usually do things that don’t cost money unless it was on the original agenda.

How far do you drive each day?

It depends. We planned it so we’re not doing over 5 hrs, and that’s scheduled to happen only a few times. Other than that, we only drive a couple of hours at most.

What’s something you’ve enjoyed about the trip so far?

Ean – learning about the Young Marines. I want to check it out.

Dayne – horseback riding!!

Brodee – the rec center in Indiana was free. We had a lot of fun! And jumping off the Petoskey Pier with my brothers and friends.

Albert – The Blue Ridge Parkway was very unique. We didn’t need AC or reservations. Graveyard Fields was something I’d love to visit again. Watching the kids jump off the piers into Lakes Michigan and Huron was fun.

Christina – talking. We get to talk a lot while hiking, driving, sitting together. I love hearing my boys voices. I’m trying to capture this time forever in my Mama Memory. Ean will ask me, “You wanna hear something, Mama?” Always. Dayne will ask me, “Mama, did you know…?” No, I didn’t. Please tell me. Brodee will say, “Mama, I’m going to…” Thank you for sharing your plans with me.

What are you looking forward to about getting home?

Ean – seeing our kitty and finding out more about the Young Marines

Dayne – seeing family, friends, and our cat

Brodee – football and basketball season, seeing our cat and family, the library and the couch!

Albert – being with our kitty cat again

Christina – family, including our cat, and a full size shower