This is a dream childhood! I love watching the boys learn
and grow in this environment each day. It’s so cool! We have been doing great
with our studies, and they are really flexible about it all. Today Jacob did
his triple digit by triple digit multiplication on our bedroom mirror! He loved
it! We keep all of our Charlotte’s Web learning on the back of our glass
bedroom door.
They are really into doing school work at home in all the
different forms. After a few hours of “school” they are set loose on their
bikes and they take the campground by storm! Usually we go swimming and then
once I have to go into work at the campground office, they tear around on their
bikes catching salamanders and frogs and fishing at the pond on site. They take
a break to ride around on the fire truck or the tractor for the hay-less
hayride. Jacob has started working with Alan doing some maintenance things and
getting paid in camp-store credits for his efforts. So far he is now the proud
owner of a cap gun and a full 18 inches of pucker powder (don’t ask) for his
efforts. Wondering if Aiden will soon see the merits of working for what he
gets, hmmmmm…
This is the view from our bedroom window!~
They are both
collecting cans and bottles to redeem for “fair” money. The “Big E” is coming
in a couple weeks. It’s a fair that incorporates five of the states in this
area and it sounds like a pretty big deal! We are getting tons of hours at the
campground as Labor Day weekend is coming. I meet the coolest people coming
through the office, most of them are very kind and lots end up talking with me
about this trip we are on. We hear over and over what a great experience this
is for kids and what a life changing experience this will be. It’s a really
supportive place to be right now.
I am learning more and more about the systems here everyday.
I have even had my first nasty lady! We couldn’t let her onto the grounds with
a pit-bull, and she had some choice words for me! It’s quite a bit different to
be yelled at in this position as opposed to when I am in the classroom. There
is a whole lot less at stake and it’s a lot easier to shrug it off, pretty
nice! Living on an $8/hr paycheck, that’s a different story! We see lots of
people here trying to raise a family on minimum wage and it’s a humbling
reminder of how hard people work to make it every day. It isn’t Castle Rock,
that’s for sure! We have started to say to the kids, “if we buy that, it’s
worth ____ hours of time that Mommy/Daddy have to work.” It’s been good for
them to see it and make the connection.
We took the kids to Rhode Island and Connecticut on our days
off this week.
As you can see by the movie, they make their own fun, even if it is stinky fun! My favorite part was the "pssst, smell my breathe", joke with the sock puppets. Awesome!
It was fun to see Mystic Pizza as it was a big hit in the 80's and I must have seen it 50 times. Trying to find it on netflix now! (I know, it looks like I am flipping you off but really I am just pointing up!!!)
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We thought Rhode Island
was lovely, luckily our dear friends, Lisa and Paul prepped us to get clam
chowder and the clam cakes! Newport was
really fun!
