Friday, October 3, 2008
Karamel Sutra
This was a good one! It was like opening that chemistry set you received for Christmas, the one where you could mix the chemicals yourself to create your own concoction. Add a little of this, a lot of that and BOOM! you have your result. The packaging of this frozen goodie was much the same, a caramel cylinder in the middle, vanilla ice cream on one side, and chocolate with chocolate flakes on the other. Your ingredients. Then it was up to you. Start on the vanilla, add a dab of caramel and eat. Take some chocolate and scoop a little vanilla to taste and eat. Mix the caramel and chocolate and take a little vanilla to taste and eat. You get the picture. After about three minutes of that I realized that it all tasted good and I simply mixed everything together in one big gooey mass. Very nice, I would recommend this chemistry set to anyone. Not my most favorite by any means, but if you need an ice cream fix, this will do ya.
Caravan Life by Noreen
When I announced this New Zealand Memoirs series, my cousin said she was especially looking forward to the parts about how we all lived together in an 18 foot trailer for three months without strangling each other. I decided to take a break in narrating between the South and North Islands, and talk a little about caravan life. So, Mrs. O – this one’s for you.
The challenge in picking a Caravan, as they are called in NZ, was finding one big enough for 7 people, light enough for our van to pull, and in our price range. The one we found was technically for 4 or 5 people, but we made it work. At bedtime we literally used every inch of available space and after experimenting with several different configurations, we finally hit upon the one with the fewest complaints.
The trick to getting everyone to sleep in such a tight place was simple – bribery. We held a contest every night after prayers. Whoever was asleep first (or appeared to be) would win 50 cents, and (here’s the brilliant part) if we couldn’t tell who was asleep first because they were all so quiet (he, he) they would all tie and each win a prize. It was rare if everyone didn’t get paid out. It may not sound like much, but every 4 days or so they had enough for an ice cream novelty and everyone was happy. I think Whitney had the hardest adjustment, being 12 and having always had her own room. Now she was 24/7 with all her younger siblings and no real personal space. Sharing a bed with Janey was probably the hardest thing she had to do on the trip, and without the afore mentioned bribe, I don’t know if it would have worked out. Steve and I would sit outside the carvan and watch the stars or the wild hedgehogs and talk or play a board game while the kids tried to convince us they were sound asleep.
People have wondered how we could live in such a small space, but really the caravan was our bedroom by night, our sitting room by day and we lived in the great outdoors. I’ve never had a bigger home. Each holiday camp we stayed at had full kitchens and nice restrooms with showers and generally a playground for the kids. They were all nice (except one) and some were down right enchanting.
We had a small table inside that we used occasionally, but we generally set up our dining area outside our caravan under our awning. In inclement weather we ate inside the camp kitchens. We always cooked a big breakfast and dinner and generally packed a lunch for the day’s activities. Our favorite thing to do was put a crock-pot on when we left for the days activities and come home to something warm and ready. We ate out rarely, but would occasionally treat ourselves to the world’s best fish and chips. We washed all our dishes by hand, having the kids rotate responsibilities weekly. Some days it felt like we were never going to get beyond the cooking and cleaning to get onto the days adventures, but we generally did.
Twice I remember heading out for an activity only to turn around and head back to camp to do more chores. The bickering in the car had reached such a level on those occasions, that we simply couldn’t reward it with an adventure. Luckily, the kids believed us in the future and the threat of turning around was all that was needed to return peace, or at the very least quiet, to the car. We always read out load from the book of the day while on the road which is one of my favorite memories.
Regardless of the daily squabbles or tantrums, getting out in nature was always the cure. My mom sent me this quote from a book she was reading and asked me if it was true.
"Go to the mountains or the ocean and notice the automatic shift in
your attitude. Watch your children as they play in the mountains or
by the water, and compare it to how they play at home. Make a journal
and pay attention to it. You will find that children play harder, laugh more,
and will tend to get tired at sunset- as nature intended."
The answer was unequivocally YES, this is true. We decided our family is at its’ best when we are out discovering nature together, so although it may sound crazy for 7 people to spend 3 months in an 18 foot trailer, it was one of the best times of our lives.
The challenge in picking a Caravan, as they are called in NZ, was finding one big enough for 7 people, light enough for our van to pull, and in our price range. The one we found was technically for 4 or 5 people, but we made it work. At bedtime we literally used every inch of available space and after experimenting with several different configurations, we finally hit upon the one with the fewest complaints.
The trick to getting everyone to sleep in such a tight place was simple – bribery. We held a contest every night after prayers. Whoever was asleep first (or appeared to be) would win 50 cents, and (here’s the brilliant part) if we couldn’t tell who was asleep first because they were all so quiet (he, he) they would all tie and each win a prize. It was rare if everyone didn’t get paid out. It may not sound like much, but every 4 days or so they had enough for an ice cream novelty and everyone was happy. I think Whitney had the hardest adjustment, being 12 and having always had her own room. Now she was 24/7 with all her younger siblings and no real personal space. Sharing a bed with Janey was probably the hardest thing she had to do on the trip, and without the afore mentioned bribe, I don’t know if it would have worked out. Steve and I would sit outside the carvan and watch the stars or the wild hedgehogs and talk or play a board game while the kids tried to convince us they were sound asleep.
People have wondered how we could live in such a small space, but really the caravan was our bedroom by night, our sitting room by day and we lived in the great outdoors. I’ve never had a bigger home. Each holiday camp we stayed at had full kitchens and nice restrooms with showers and generally a playground for the kids. They were all nice (except one) and some were down right enchanting.
We had a small table inside that we used occasionally, but we generally set up our dining area outside our caravan under our awning. In inclement weather we ate inside the camp kitchens. We always cooked a big breakfast and dinner and generally packed a lunch for the day’s activities. Our favorite thing to do was put a crock-pot on when we left for the days activities and come home to something warm and ready. We ate out rarely, but would occasionally treat ourselves to the world’s best fish and chips. We washed all our dishes by hand, having the kids rotate responsibilities weekly. Some days it felt like we were never going to get beyond the cooking and cleaning to get onto the days adventures, but we generally did.
Twice I remember heading out for an activity only to turn around and head back to camp to do more chores. The bickering in the car had reached such a level on those occasions, that we simply couldn’t reward it with an adventure. Luckily, the kids believed us in the future and the threat of turning around was all that was needed to return peace, or at the very least quiet, to the car. We always read out load from the book of the day while on the road which is one of my favorite memories.
Regardless of the daily squabbles or tantrums, getting out in nature was always the cure. My mom sent me this quote from a book she was reading and asked me if it was true.
"Go to the mountains or the ocean and notice the automatic shift in
your attitude. Watch your children as they play in the mountains or
by the water, and compare it to how they play at home. Make a journal
and pay attention to it. You will find that children play harder, laugh more,
and will tend to get tired at sunset- as nature intended."
The answer was unequivocally YES, this is true. We decided our family is at its’ best when we are out discovering nature together, so although it may sound crazy for 7 people to spend 3 months in an 18 foot trailer, it was one of the best times of our lives.
Friday, September 26, 2008
George Winston by Steve L.
On Friday I went to a really nice piano concert with my Mom. We went out and ate dinner at a nice restaurant and then we went to a really nice concert hall (The Covey Arts Center). We sat in our seats, in the balcony, and listened to the music. The audience LOVED the music. (Same here!) I thought he played some really fun music and some beautiful pieces too. My favorite piece was called The Mouse and the Elephant. It was really, really fun. I’m excited that I’m starting piano lessons.Father ‘n Son’s Camp Out by Daniel
We went on a father and son camp out and it was very, very, cool. When we got there we set up our tent and we played some games with the ward and went on lots of hikes. During the night time we made s’mores and sat around told ghost stories. We brought some candy, but we realized there were bears there that would attack you in your tent for food, so we had to put it in our car overnight. We slept in a tent and built a fire in the morning, but it was hard because it had rained. We used a piece of rope as a fire starter. After that we had breakfast and drove home.
The Gift of Music by Whitney
(Note by Mom: Steve took Whitney on a date to The Gift of Music concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony. Actually it was supposed to me my date, but I had food poisoning and Whitney was my proxy. NO FAIR!)
As my dad and I walked into the L.D.S. Conference Center, I almost stopped walking. It was magnificent, with it’s high dome ceiling, the mammoth organ, all the lights, three tiers of seats, capable of holding thousands. We had some of the best seats. I liked the soloist Brian Stokes the best. He was an impressive vocalist, and you could tell he had his breathing technique mastered. Sometimes he would make motions to throw out his voice and you could feel the emotion in it.
As my dad and I walked into the L.D.S. Conference Center, I almost stopped walking. It was magnificent, with it’s high dome ceiling, the mammoth organ, all the lights, three tiers of seats, capable of holding thousands. We had some of the best seats. I liked the soloist Brian Stokes the best. He was an impressive vocalist, and you could tell he had his breathing technique mastered. Sometimes he would make motions to throw out his voice and you could feel the emotion in it.
Discovery Gateway by Janey
On Steve’s Birthday he wanted to go to the Children’s Museum. We played in a ball thing, and made music (Mary had a little lamb) on the giant xylophone. Then we went and played with some large stuffed blocks. We put them on a crane that lifted them to another spot. Then we went upstairs and we did some fun stuff and then we checked out a helicopter and then it was time to go to Liberty Girls. My favorite part was the ball machine, where you would put a ball in it and it would suck it up and go through tubes and empty into buckets.
Discovering the Ball Machine
Building a city
Piloting the Lifeflight Helicopter
Discovering the Ball Machine
Building a city
Piloting the Lifeflight HelicopterThe Big 12!
The roaring inferno!
Steve L. turned twelve this week. It seems he is hitting a new milestone every other day. After attending his first Young Men's meeting with his Dad's scout troop we celebrated with the traditional cake and ice cream and of course a few gifts. His siblings pooled their money for a cool Lego set (I'm so glad 12 isn't too old for Legos) and we gave him a cash lock box (with a little seed money) and a fishing pole worthy of a merit badge. It is a delight to see him challenging himself and entering his scholar phase in school. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Stingrays by Janey
My favorite part of the aquarium is always the stingrays because they look cool and they feel cool. I loved being with my cousins Bryn and Sam for the day.
Jamboral by Steve L.
On Friday I went to the Boy Scout Jamboral. They only do it every 4 years, so I was glad to go.
PIN TRADING
Lightstashes!
The fire works were AWESOME !
flag parade
TONS of games
PIN TRADING When we got there they gave us some pins & an eagle badge with the eagle missing.
We had to trade our pins for others until we had enough pins to fill the eagle.
The camps were FILLED with scouts yelling:
LEFT WING! DOES ANYBODY NEED A LEFT WING!
I NEED A RIGHT TALON!
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A HEAD?
It was fun.
Lightstashes!
The fire works were AWESOME !We were so close to were they launching them
they looked like they were right on top of us !
flag parade
TONS of games
Reach for the Stars by Whitney
Last Friday there was a school dance (Called Reach for the Stars) to celebrate the first week of school. It was really fun, and I went with my Friend Aubry.We got there on time and where one of the first 100 people there so we got a free piece of pizza! There where Irish dancers and there were fireworks that we watched that were at the Scout Jamboree down the road. I stayed up till 11:00 and was really tired.
Me and Aubry.
In our neighborhood they ride bikes in the cul-de-sac. In Aubry's they ride horses!
The first two weeks of school have been awesome! I am taking algebra, choir, photography, and world history on "A" day, and leadership, seminary, biology, and English on "B" day.
I was nominated by the school board to be on the school senate! I'm the only freshman in the senate! It is cool and I can't wait for the rest of the school year!
(Note by Mom: We are very excited for Whitney to have the chance be in the school senate. She had to impress the socks off her mentor and the School's Vision Director in order to be chosen for the Senate, because their are only about 15 of them they don't typically choose Freshmen. Way to go Whitney. We know you'll do a great job!)
Me and Aubry.
In our neighborhood they ride bikes in the cul-de-sac. In Aubry's they ride horses!Ellie loves horses!
Court of Honor
Steve received two rank advancements (Tenderfoot and 2nd Class) and two merit badges (Collections and Family Life) at his Court of Honor this week. This represents months of hard work, especially the swimming requirement. Yeah Steve!
Of course we had to celebrate after with some ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks for being there!
One of the many requirements for Steve's Family Life Badge was to do a project that would improve your home. Steve chose to weed our sadly neglected sand box. It took him SEVERAL hours over a couple of weeks to complete. This project not only beautified our back yard but contributed to our heath and safety. The little girls could hardly swing anymore and that is where the very expensive vet bill came from (fox tail seed caught in Cooper's ear.)
Of course we had to celebrate after with some ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks for being there!
One of the many requirements for Steve's Family Life Badge was to do a project that would improve your home. Steve chose to weed our sadly neglected sand box. It took him SEVERAL hours over a couple of weeks to complete. This project not only beautified our back yard but contributed to our heath and safety. The little girls could hardly swing anymore and that is where the very expensive vet bill came from (fox tail seed caught in Cooper's ear.) Thanks Steve!
Before
Before After
Caravan Life
Watch for the next post in this series next week. (Needs more work and I'm getting sleepy!) If you have missed any of our posts about our New Zealand experience so far, you can click on the New Zealand Memoirs link to catch up.
I am also hoping for an ice cream review next week for all of you who have been asking. First I need Steve in town (he has been traveling for work and doing scout camps) then he needs to buy ice cream and sit down and eat it, then I can get him to write about it. Wish me luck!
I am also hoping for an ice cream review next week for all of you who have been asking. First I need Steve in town (he has been traveling for work and doing scout camps) then he needs to buy ice cream and sit down and eat it, then I can get him to write about it. Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)