Long Lasting Heat and...

In discovering new ways to find hidden space in Eagle, we have purchased the
Black & Decker SDC850 Thermal Coffee Maker.

This model has a thermal carafe.  We found it at an awesome price through Amazon.com.  It was cheaper through them than the glass carafe model at Sears.  

We secured it to the underside of the one cabinet we have that has an underside.  It wasn't overly easy.  But, we got it done.

 

I am bothering writing about this fantastic piece of plastic and metal because I was impressed with one thing...well, two things.

First, I love the blue lights of the buttons.  Very purty at night.

Second, and most impressive, is the fact that when I made coffee at 10pm, it was still steaming in the carafe when I poured a cup at 10am the next day.  Not hot, but warm.  Steve's favorite temp.  

(I like it hot.)

Worth it if you are looking for such an appliance.

And like to keep your coffee hot.

And like more space

And like blue lights.

Collecting Wrenches

All along this "process," "adventure," "crazy head trip," we have had several wrenches thrown into the works.   The sale of the house taking so long and selling for so much less than we wanted it to; the "blessing" of Steve's job carrying us to Connecticut and keeping our travels from really starting; being limited to only a couple of choices of campgrounds at which to anchor Eagle until the Spring thaw takes place.

The latest insertion of torque tool has thrown us into quite a spin.  Just as we were getting used to the quaint village of East Lyme, if not the iron-and-chain restrictiveness of our current address, we find that we need to move onto somewhere new.  The reasons for this turn of events I will describe at a later date.  But, somewhere between March 1 and April 1, we hope to  be packing up Eagle and heading to a new campground.

Now, since we have not been overly thrilled with our current accommodations, you might think that moving to a new place would be fine.  Well, it is.  Except for that wrench thing...

Most campgrounds in this area are closed during the winter months. Which means that most do not open until usually May 1.  Maybe  April 15.
We also need to be as close to Mohegan Sun as possible.

Since we want to leave here by March 1, that limits our options.

We found one campground that would work mile-wise and has a wonderful owner.  The place isn't a resort, but it has great amenities...much, much more than where we are now.  We could move in tomorrow if we wanted to as it has winter sites.  (WHY we didn't see this one in October I have no idea!)

Where's the wrench?  Site size. It is an older campground with bumpy roads and lots and lots of tall, bending trees.  When you drive a Dodge 3500 dually towing a  40-foot, 13' 6"- high-ceiling, 8'-wide fifth-wheel with 4 slides (opening to 14' wide) , you can only fit into so many places.

We came across a newer place, still a good spot for Steve to drive to work every day.  A bit more spacious with a gorgeous lake and plenty of families.  Wrench?  Only 4 sites left, which creates a sense of urgency...AND, they open May 1.   So even if we stay put until April 1, we still have a month in question.

Of course, we could probably stay put until May 1, but as of April 1, Spring rates begin, and hike up considerably.   Wrench.

There's another option we are waiting on...

It's going to be a busy night.  Hope we have a big enough toolbox.

Counting

Lately we have been focusing a lot on Math.  I am really enjoying it.  The twins are doing well and Ian is, also.  I have to admit, though, that I am a little apprehensive about facilitating Ian's Math instruction.  I am a day ahead of him in most cases.  Will be calling on my colleagues when we get to the trig and pre-cal.

Below are some number games your kids can play.  And some links to some fun math games.

Using number cards to play Addition Top-it and 2-Digit Top-it.

Journal Writing

So proud.

Domino Game...Other Names for Numbers

Ian practicing with Coordinate Points.

http://www.smartfirstgraders.com/1st-grade-math-games.html

http://www.math-play.com/5th-grade-math-games.html

http://www.math.com/

http://www.gamequarium.org/dir/Gamequarium/

http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/index.html    GOOD ONE

Green Thumbs

A house on wheels that, eventually, will be rolling, makes it tough to work the green thumb.  So, Chia Garden it is!  Thanks to mom and dad last Christmas, we have started our herb garden.  Observation and record-keeping to follow.

The garden.

Brendan writes about trees, then seeds we planted in Glocester.

Chloe writes about the Chia garden.

Ian works with Mango and his Spanish Lesson.

Writing

One thing that we try to work on each day is writing.  We have been writing a lot of letters...need more stamps, and the kids write in their journals.  Ian writes on the computer.  I wanted to share Brendan's progress in the last month. He is really enjoying writing.  Chloe is doing well also, but she was a bit ahead of Brendan when we started.  He's pulling in closely.

December 19, 2011

December 18, 2012

Fifty-Six Ounces

So, yesterday, we had planned on taking the kids to see Beauty and the Beast 3D.  We stopped at BJ's, which is right next to the cinemas, to get some snacks.  Well, if you know BJ's, you buy in bulk and really, I didn't need 42 candy bars laying around, so I bought what was the smallest thing I could find; a 56 oz bag of m&ms.

Of course, while I am standing in the check-out line with my one 56 oz bag of m&ms, behind 3 other people with cart-loads full of merchandise, I drop the 56 oz bag of m&ms and they spill all over the floor.  I paid, replaced the bag, then left.

And of course, again, we had an hour until the show started at 1:30, so we decided to head south a bit to look at a car Steve saw on Craigslist.  That turned out to be a bust, and as we passed Pizza Works, we decided to stop for a bite. The kids watched the huge model train set, and Steve and I cracked open two large cans of Foster's Beah. We'd try for the cinema closer to Pizza Works at 2:30.

And of course, by the time we left, it was just after 2:30.  So, there goes the movie.  Which is OK.  We drove around a bit sightseeing along the coast, and into beautiful Essex...such a quaint, historic town...finding ourselves near Gillette Castle.  So, of course, we went for a quick visit walking around the stone structure and letting the kids run off the sillies.

It was a very nice day.

Today, I put that 56 oz bag of m&ms to work.

My fellow teachers will know this.  But, I share it so that the next time you find yourself at BJ's purchasing a 56 oz bag of m&ms, you can do this with your kids and justify the purchase.  Just be sure to hold onto that bag in the check-out line.

sorting 

counting

graphing

graphing

graphing

graphing

complete

totaling

recording most and least

m&m math

eating

eating

We also used the graph to find the most, the least, the total of all, the total of 2 or more colors, the difference when some are eaten, and the difference between two colors.

Of course, we still have about 40 oz left.

What do you do on a windy day?

Make pinwheels, of course!

Oh yeah, we're still going...

To squelch the prattle of late...Hell Yes, we are still on track to travel. Hell No, we have not planted our roots in the soil of East Lyme.  As nice a town it is, we have no desire to stay here any longer than is necessary.

When opportunity arises, it must be seized with both hands.  And so, we grasp.

Every experience is a benefit.  We'll move on soon enough.  Don't fret.

Thanks to all who support us.

*kiss*


PS Didn't need a new pump.  Just some outer-edged frozen lines.  All thawed.  All working fine now.  This weekend should see some single-digit temps.  Hmmmm.....

I prefer my frozen treats on a stick.

This time next year, I hope to be waking to a yummy frozen popsicle, instead of a frozen window.

For the second time since we moved to East Lyme, we hit the teens.

Each night, we line the kids' windows and our windows with a foil insulator.  But we wake to moisture in various states of matter daily.

This morning, we discovered that we had no water.  Something froze.  At first we thought  it was the lines themselves. (We have been running water through the tank and the pump for the last couple of days as the connector to the camper from the city water connection is leaking.)  After problem solving, Steve discovered the city water connection delivers water (although still leaks) so the problem must be with the pump itself. So, is it fried?  Frozen?  Is the tank of 80 gallons of water frozen?  These are questions we ponder as we have the heat cranked and an electric heater pointing towards the connection area.

This is an RV made for camping in the winter; but Winter and New England Winter are two different terms.  

Mother Nature's arctic air has not touched us inside, however.  Very cozy and warm.  Those of you that see 63˚ and shiver, well, it's all relative.  The inside temp is 47˚ warmer than the outside.  That's all that matters.

So, will we need a new water pump?  Stay tuned.

Repurposing: a new way of looking at things.

One of the biggest challenges of moving into a 382 sq ft home-on-wheels is finding a place for everything you own.  It has been a daily challenge that is ongoing. Progress has been made, I am happy to say, and I expect it shall continue to improve.

Our newest acquisition is this great cabinet that we purchased at Ikea.  

It fit perfectly on the blank wall of the kids' wardrobe and worked very well to conceal many items previously housed here, there, and everywhere.

I can't for the life of me recall the name of it, and haven't found it on the Ikea website.  It's original purpose is to hide shoes.  A lift up, and 12 screws, and it is our new book/paper/magnetic toys holder.  Red was another color option but we thought a bit too bright.


**Thanks to Quahog for providing the product name!@  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30110832/

Of course, there are some other areas waiting patiently for their turn at organization.