Learning how to play an instrument....

Both my husband and I were in the school band from 6th grade through 12th grade, so we didn't expect to have much trouble teaching our kids how to play an instrument. Cade seemed to pick up the recorder and just teach himself but Emily had some trouble with her fingers covering the holes...we've upgraded this past year on Cade to a trumpet. He has really astonished me on how quickly he has learned and is so eager to devour as much information as possible. The only draw back is that trumpet is LOUD in our RV...lol! Emily has gotten much better on the recorder and has shown an interest in playing the piano. We keep a keyboard around so that Cade can keep his pitches right and Emily can bang around and have fun as well as learn. I'm amazed at how much kids are eager to learn on their own. A little prodding by me helps to keep them going after they hit that brick wall of hard times.

Fun with school

Some days of homeschooling can be boring, tough, have tears, or just be severely long. Then there are days where you can't get anything done because your laughing all day at something someones said or done. That was today. My son is studying the solar system and we were discussing the different planets. While looking at pictures of the planets I said...."Wow, Uranus is really a pretty blue color due to all of that methane gas around it." Instantly my son died out laughing. It took me about two seconds to recall what was so funny. Needless to say school stopped for a period of time. :)

Traveling can be an adventure!

Well we packed up and headed southwest on Sunday. Although it was only a 6 1/2 hour drive it felt like 16 hours. We hadn't gotten 15 miles from home when we stopped to fill our tanks then start the trip. I decided to get something from the RV while we were stopped. I walked in and smelled the familiar smell of fingernail polish. Baffled, I looked around and discovered the pink nightmare. A bottle that had been neglectfully left out was broken all over the bathroom floor and tub. It had stained my new rug and new shower curtain. I was horrified but proceeded to clean the luscious pink polish in a frenzied attempt to contain order. I was unsuccessful at cleaning the fabrics but was successful in covering my hands in the pink enemy. By this time I was out of paper towels, polish remover, and my husband was wondering why I was taking so long in the RV. I emerged with my pink stained hands and severely aggravated mood. So much for starting the trip off right.

Another milestone for this trip was that we were taking our new cat on his second car ride ever. I had started him out in a carrier but quickly found that he definitely hated it. I decided to test the waters and let him out. He did wonderfully, at first. He laid in my lap or my daughter's lap but at some point he decided the best view was on my head rest and my shoulders. After driving for about two miles I finally dislodged him from his perch. For the next 4 hours he continued to try and reclaim the prized position. Now he's a laid back kind of cat so it wasn't that much of a free for all brawl but still fighting a cat while your traveling at 75 mph can be a bit hairy. He finally gave up and found a spot with the two dogs. (Here's a picture of Jinx chilling today.)

I guess when things like that happen to you that you should just learn to laugh at it or you'll go crazy. Here's to happy traveling!

Shocked about Dr. Phil

Okay, I'm jumping on my soap box! I sat down and watched Dr. Phil today and was shocked to hear what are youth are doing these days. These kids, as young as 12, are performing oral sex on each other. They do it for peer pressure, favors, bets, or anything simple. They say it's not sex and they are still virgins. These kids have no self-esteem or morals. Their belief system states that being popular comes at all costs. We as parents have failed to talk to our kids about what sex includes. There is also a trend of kids having sex during dances on the dance floor! One teacher described a prom where the kids formed a circle around a couple while they had sex, keeping the chaperone's from seeing. The only thing that tipped them off was all the cell phones held up in the air videoing the act! What has things come to? I remember kids being promiscuous when I was in school but not this brazen!

I'm not sure how things got to this with kids this day and age. My son was told about the "birds and bees" by friends in school during 4th grade! We had to sit down with our 9 year old and discuss sex. I didn't expect that til he was at least 11 or 12. I don't consider myself a prude and I'm open and honest with my kids but they are kids! Our kids are being thrust into sex way too early. You can't watch tv without something sexual screaming on screen. From ads, magazines, tv shows, music, etc. you can't get away from it. I remember finding out about things when I was about 11 but I didn't start acting on it til I was in high school. I can honestly say that if I had had a better relationship with my family I don't believe that I would have latched on to my boyfriend so much. (Ironically he's my husband now) I was so eager to please him and keep him loving me that I did whatever he wanted. I can't blame him because it was me who caved into peer pressure and my low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem and bad family relationships can push kids into seeking love and approval in the wrong places and ways. We've become a culture that is too accepting of things that 50 years ago would be terrible even behind closed doors. Our family values have declined, kids are more likely to come from broken homes, and everywhere you look they are being told to be skinny, beautiful, promiscuous, and that marriage is not important. I worry for my children. I want them to have loving relationships and I'm not blind to see that they might have their troubles.

My kids have seen divorce in their friends families, unplanned pregnancies with unmarried couples, and families that seem to be "perfect" on the outside but close up are in shambles. We are not a perfect family by no means but my husband and I are best friends and we like each other. Most couples just bear each other. I want my kids to see us in love, laughing, enjoying time together, working through issues, showing each other respect.....things that can make a marriage great. I hope that we can raise our children with morals and high self-esteem. Traveling like we do helps us to depend on each other, work through problems (cause you really can't retreat to your own spaces in an RV), we play together, discuss things and lean on each other. When we come home to visit we hang out with friends but are always somewhat disappointed. They are all either depressed about their life, wrapped up in what they don't have, or too busy tweeting, facebooking or blogging to actually talk to real people. (And yet here I am blogging). I'm not perfect by no means. I have many many faults. I'm still that child inside with low self-esteem wanting approval but I want better for my kids. The older I get the more confident I become.

All in all I just wish that life had not gotten to the point where sex is becoming a "no big thing" for kids and that they could just be kids. Riding bikes, skating, playing in the dirt, swimming, playing with dolls, or cars and unplugging from the hottest game. Kids just don't seem to know how to be "kids" anymore. It makes me sad.