#WYFF - Where's Your Feet Friday

#WYFF is a hash tag from "Full-Time Families" - a Facebook group for families which are living full time in an RV. The idea is to share a glimpse through one snap shot in time.  Without further ado our #WYFF for the week or the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front).

We finished a full week of school! It was surprisingly easy to do so in the Caboose. I feared the close quarters would cause distraction, but this first week it seemed to serve to keep us on our course. I found myself much more engaged with the schedule - a less distracted teacher resulted in less distracted students, greater productivity in a shorter amount of time.  It is motivating to know exploring awaits the conclusion of school.

One thing we LOVE about schooling in the Caboose is MICHAEL is home!  It has been a lot of fun to have his input - our science experiments have a much better chance of succeeding this year - and we all KNOW what the cool activity is teaching us when Michael is done teaching.  Nolan and I were discussing the fact I didn't have the foresight to bring a 9v battery and copper wire along. Michael was on it - they created a 9V battery (complete with testing to be sure they had the voltage right)....and it was easy enough to find copper wire in his tool box.  Anything Dad is involved in will draw the whole tribe - wala science.  We split hydrogen and oxygen (molecules not atoms ::wink::) and watched the hydrogen burn off (the photo is puny).  This science input from Michael is especially helpful as it appears I inadvertently packed  the younger two's science books in Mom and Dad's garage. Until we make it back up there, they'll piggy back on Nolan's chemistry.

 

 

Michael was ready to settle in for an afternoon of trailer repair.  He wasn't aware we push hard through the week, so we can PLAY  Friday afternoons. He was quite willing to switch gears and we headed over to Mom G's. The sun was out, the water a bit nippy after the two days of rain, but the river was ours alone to enjoy on a Friday afternoon. Michael surprised us with this inflatable boat he found on clearance - perfect for our new lifestyle. I'm wondering if we can fit another one or two in somewhere.

Nina and Arrow are always ready to play at the river

Yuuki enjoys checking out neighbor's kayaks more than swimming

No - peer pressure won't work on me

 

Nolan found a branch and had a brilliant idea.....the dogs pulled him through the river....

Yeah - I'm not sure I see a lot of this from various kids

Michael wondered what they'd do if he threw it.....

 

Michael asked, "Now is this an every Friday expectation?"  Evidently, we've hid our affection for playing on Fridays from him all these years. After some thinking we all agreed - yep. In the "sticks and bricks" home, we tended to head for various electronics - but the possibilities are varied and endless in our new lifestyle.  We'll have to figure out when TRAVEL days fit best. LOL

Back at the trailer Michael tried out our new zero-gravity recliners. I'd coveted them since seeing similar at John and Nadine's motor home.  Yep - all the comforts of "home." This was our "test" for Amazon prime. They can find you anywhere.

 

I popped in the meatloaf I'd prepared earlier in the day.  I am still learning the quirks of this oven. Some things cook as expected - some take longer. My PLAN was to pop a veggie patty into the  microwave for myself. I'm not used to microwaves. It's been a source of humor to the family that we HAVE a microwave in the Caboose. What could go wrong? I came back in from delivering the meatloaf and veggies to the outside table and discovered smoke billowing from the microwave. It hadn't even been two minutes. The smoke alarm went off and everything. We're the talk of the park- though the 13 yo running around in night vision goggles may have something to do with that.  I haven't a clue why the veggie patty incinerated - but it did.  More cleaning is on the agenda - if the microwave keeps smelling like smoke, I may gain another cupboard... I found it hilarious, when I sat down to blog, to find a post in progress on Cooking in the RV - "smells are magnified" - yep - you betcha!

Mom G joined us for dinner and an evening around the campfire. We read Patrick McManus, enjoyed S'mores, looked at photos of Pluto, and I may have drifted off in my comfy recliner by the fire for a few moments.

It was a "practically perfect" Friday.  

Watch Out for HUMANS!

I had great fun posting funny signs we saw in Japan. It is only fair I continue the practice as we travel around America.

This sign on Hwy 199, "the Redwood Hwy,"  cracks me up each time we drive by it. "HUMANS!"

I suppose it can be interpreted, "Watch for tourists," or "Tourist crossing."

 

Driving a highway with views like this, maybe tourists can be excused?

 

Old Routines, New Circumstances, Old Friends

We're transferring old routines to our new circumstances - and having great fun in the process.

My ankle is coming along nicely. I still baby it. I've started walking in the mornings again - slowly and not quite as far....I've discovered if one must injure oneself on a family hike - living in a trailer has advantages.  The small living space is certainly easier to navigate.

 

School is progressing...we'll be flexible and take time off as needed to explore. We are enjoying our longer stay in one spot here in the National Redwood Forest - which also hosts Mom G.  We've fallen into a routine of schooling and then heading over to visit Grandma for a bit before it's time to be home for dinner prep.

Today, Hope did dinner prep for me. Dave and Hope are friends from college who have moved to the area. Dave was a groomsman in our wedding. It was fun to reconnect, see their lovely part of CA, visit and EAT a selection of yummy soups.

Doesn't everyone have a Redwood Forest in their back yard?

 

Tonight was a foreshadowing of times to come. A great benefit of living in The Caboose is the opportunity to reconnect with friends around the country - if we figure out a way to track  everyone. Our friends (military or not) tend to be a mobile bunch.

Our First Rainy Day

 

We woke to our first rainy day as full-timers. I quickly realized a few things, 1. I should have found room for my fur-lined crocs! WHAT WAS I THINKING?, 2. I was GLAD only shower shoes were in the outside bin and the family hasn't wholly embraced my shoe solution, 3. the trailer is a great place to spend a rainy day.

 

Ours days are falling into a routine. I wake up before all and start the hot water....this motivates the others to climb out of their warm bunks at a "decent hour" for school.

 

Yes, she did school in PJS. She was "waiting for the rain to stop to take a shower." She's adjusted to weather in our part of CA. Michael shared with her the truth that in the NW - the rain is different than Beale. It will stay around. It will mist all day interspersed with big down pours. She held out until lunch and finally ran to the showers with me in the rain.  A fun memory.

Rainy Day S'mores - graham cracker crust, cake, marshmallow, more cake

The rain continued into the afternoon.  Stacia is done with school much earlier than the boys. Today we made Rainy Day S'mores. When all had lunch and reached a "break" spot - we went over to Mom G's for a few hours. We helped with a few chores, visited, delivered our baked goodies, and the kids explored the river in the rain.

Bikes are safe

The evening was filled with baking Veggie Pot Pie - which took a long time for some odd reason - and watching the CNN Presidential Debate.

It was a cozy, family-filled, great first rainy day in the Caboose.

Cooking in The Caboose - Part 1 - Organization

This is me in my kitchen. I am standing in front of the sink at one end of the kitchen. Behind me you can see a wall - which is directly to the side of our RV size fridge. Yes, it's compact. I refuse to complain (much) as I knew it was small when I jumped onto Michael's dream bandwagon. I've found it fun to change up eating styles or kitchens from time to time - the challenge keeps the excitement of creating nutritious meals alive.

Before we can even talk about how to cook and what to cook, I need to stress ORGANIZATION IS KEY.  Cooking has been much easier now that we are full-time than when we camped because I took the time to carefully organize. I'm sure I'll learn more, but this is what I've learned so far:

It's important to carefully consider each item you will bring into the kitchen. Less is more (unlike the words in this post). From what I observe, many try to cook just as they do at home and the space becomes unworkable.

We removed EVERYTHING from the trailer before packing for our trip. This accomplished several things, Michael could carefully consider weight, we didn't bring duplicate items, or things we really don't use, and I was able to physically see and touch each item that went into my kitchen. Nothing "slid by."

I carefully considered each dish, plate, pan, utensil and appliance which came into The Caboose.  Each item needed to be "essential"  and fit into the spaces I'd allowed for kitchen and be something I truly loved or enjoyed using. My kitchen could have filled all 31 feet of The Caboose.

I brought a set of 5 Corelle plates - and gave my colorful plates, which I LOVED to my daughters whom I LOVE. These are lighter and will travel better. We decided 5 plates (with luncheon plates and bowls) are sufficient for 90% of our meals. We'll buy paper for the few times we have guests, or ask them to bring their own plates. (This is the same theory we used on extra sleeping bags and pillows.)  Note we did not stock up on paper plates at this time.  I brought limited silverware, 5 mugs and 4 glasses - we all have water bottles we use most often.

I checked each pan to see if it would fit on the stove top, in the oven or in the  microwave BEFORE we began full-timing. This is not a "given," most of my favorites did not.

I brought one cast iron skillet. The other various sizes and my wok are in storage.

I brought one set of GOOD pans (and gave the camping stuff away). Within that set I only brought the three pots I use most often and that would FIT on my stove. The huge stock pot, the small sauté pan, omelet pan etc are in storage.

I brought a big plastic mixing bowl and a plastic 4 Cup measuring cup. That's IT...both serve as fruit bowl and serving dishes as needed. I brought one pie pan, one 9x13, one 5x7, one in between size and one muffin tin. I left behind the brick pizza stones, bakers etc as they don't fit in my oven and add lots of weight. I also left behind my brick bread pans. I'll need to buy one small metal one if I really decide to bake bread in the trailer.  

I aimed for appliances to be multi-purpose.

I brought our Instant Pot. This marvel is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice steamer, soup maker, and sautés - all in one pot.  It was dented BEFORE we moved into the Caboose- it still works fine.

Note - you can see the entire kitchen here...the oats are resting against the fridge

My Zojirushi Hot Water Pot made the cut. I do not leave it plugged in all the time - counter space is at a PREMIUM. I have it hot in the a.m. for tea and/or hot chocolate.  RV stoves are notorious for taking a long time to boil water. I save propane and time by heating water in the instant pot for meals.  It is also pure heaven for the kids to have hot water waiting before they brave the cool air to go to the showers. LOL

I love my Bosch - a big mixer and could knead dough for 6 loaves of a bread at once. It also had a blender a slicer attachment and a food processor. I used the blender daily for smoothies and to make dog food.  In addition, I had a Wondermill to grind wheat berries into flour.  It simply wouldn't all fit in the kitchen space in the trailer. Michael asked what was essential and I decided my blender and food processer were essential. We could mix up cookie dough by hand and we could buy bread - gasp. I put these into storage with the understanding we'd buy a nice blender. The Ninja was the front runner until I noted the sleek lines of the Vitamix - the plump price gave me pause. It was BOTH blender and processor in ONE container. That counts in a trailer. It was expensive...but then we noted it can make soup, juice, grind wheat, mix dough and they say knead bread. We still debated - until we noted the difference in warranty 1 year vs 7 years. Michael told me to buy a Vitamix based on the manufacturers own estimation of their product. The Vitamix replaces  at least 4 other appliances from my stick and bricks (sb) kitchen.

I traded the 4 slice toaster for a 2 slice toaster. I brought an air popper and some utensils - again less was more but I brought some of our favorites....an apple corer/wedger,  toaster tongs, garlic peeler.

I brought two aprons - one for Stacia and one for me. I brought 3 dishtowels and too many dish clothes - haven't used any of them yet.

Finally, I brought two tea cups for Stacia and I - because we DEARLY love our tea parties.

Carefully scrutinizing each item I brought into the trailer made it easier to keep the space tidy and easy to organize.  I also thought outside of our previous camping kitchen box. NONE of the appliances, plates or kitchen linen are stored right in the kitchen.  The great thing is, living in such a tiny space, they are still within a step or two of my kitchen prep area.

And then - I cooked. And then - I re-organized. The toothpicks fell into the open  gas flame. The Instant Pot vented into my food storage cupboard and had to be moved outside. I can't reach the cupboards and the food coming out of the microwave is sure to create a catastrophe one of these days.  Our plan to grill often was foiled by triple digit heat - who wants to grill outside when it's blazing hot? Keeping my sense of humor makes it all a challenging adventure and not a frustration. We've found solutions for each problem.

There you go - everything you wanted to know about kitchen organization - next up, WHAT do we cook in The Caboose and possibly a post on making beds in impossibly tight spaces. LOL

What are YOUR essential kitchen items? What would be the ESSENTIAL EXTRAS you'd bring into a tiny living space?

Cooking in the Caboose Part 2  - How and What to cook is now published.

Scholars and S'mores

Are they homeschoolers,  roadschoolers or Road's Scholars? A student by any other name is still a student  - and today we added book work to our new lifestyle. Note, I didn't say we added "education" to the experience. We've done many educational things in the past two weeks. We won't have trouble filling our days this year - but we do have some upper level students and we want to be sure we make steady progress  in the more traditional subjects as well.

I was nervous about how schooling would work in the trailer. At "home," we spread out all over the house. Each child had a desk they sometimes used, we had a living room, a family room and two tables they could be found at. Now each child has a bunk, we have a small dinette, a small couch, 268 square feet and a Dad with us.  That's a lot of changes.

It was a great first day. Nolan remembered much info about the French Revolution.  A highlight o f the day was when Michael added his thoughts about how French philosopher's and their worldview could been seen in the differences between the French and American revolutions. Stacia was worried she'd bomb math and Dad would be "right there," but she ACED her work today. ::snort::   We worked until 3:30 p.m. - but we got it done and it's sure to get easier as we establish new routines and get used schooling in close quarters.

 

Michael fell asleep in the early afternoon and I couldn't wake him. I was a bit worried he was having one of the reactions to weaning off the meds they warned about,  but it appears he was just tired.  He slept, we prepped dinner, walked, rollerbladed and talked.

After dinner we had our first fire and s'mores - we liberally doused the coals with the hose when we were finished.

 

Arriving in Crescent City

We arrived in Crescent City and began settling in to our space. We actually paid a weekly fee here! We're putting down roots.

After lunch the kids and Michael enjoyed the field behind our space .

 

I got organized to begin school tomorrow. We were happy to school through June and July....the break was nice...but several are itching to get back to school.

Portable school library stacked to the right - pantry under the seat.

The "General" books tomorrow I'll figure out where they'll fit in The Caboose

We headed in to town to pick up a few items Mom G needed, things we needed and to see the sunset. Seeing the sunset took longer than expected, resulting in a later than expected night.

Here are a few photos Alex took. Michael took quite a few more - which we'll post later.

 

I'm a bit worried about how school is going to work with retirement....and living in The Caboose....but we've managed each adjustment fairly well. We're off.