STEP 6 — Awning adventure, Strawberries, OUR MAP, and MOVIE NIGHT!

The MAP ——

(Mental side note – insert annoying “I’m the map” song from Dora now)

“I’m the Map.. I’m the map… I’m the MAPPPP” YAYYYYYY (no)

SO here is a Map — OUR MAP

The map that is hanging in our wall…. shows the route we took here (from NY to AZ) 11 months ago.

It shows the stops we took and it tells a story of where the oldest lost his teeth (he lost 3 teeth along that journey).  It explains where we got to watch the 4th of July fireworks after we conveniently broke down in a random town NOT IN THE PLAN.

It shows where we are going to be going and we discuss possible routes (the kids and I).  They are unaware of topography or distance/time when they look at the map but they understand that it took them a VERY LONG TIME to get from NY to AZ so the trip back (which is quite different) will indeed be vastly longer.

 

They see the map every time they walk down the hallway.  It is hanging on the wall just as they walk out of the main bathroom in our house.   They stop and talk about the different states frequently.  They ask about the oceans.  They ask about Alaska (NO… I take that back.. my OLDEST asks about Alaska… for some reason he’s obsessed with it lately — not that it might have something to do with the “Alaska” shows that play on Netflix that we watched on a “movie marathon day” over Christmas vacation) —

 

They had to dress up for “twin day” at school so I threw some matching shirts on them and told them to stand in front of the map.  What it means more to me though is that I have frozen time for a split second *

captured their faces. Their hair styles. Their child-like demeanors.  In a photograph.

WITH the map behind them… which marks clearly half of the adventure that we’ve taken and the other half is yet to be had.

 

I can not wait to add our new “STOPS” on the map along the way and have already found a PERFECT spot in the camper for the map ***** THANK GOODNESS BECAUSE THE MAP IS A CRUCIAL part to this entire thing*****

 

On the way here.. every night.. we would trace our steps along the day… show where we went (or didn’t go – when we broke down and stayed almost in the exact same spot a few days more than we’d like) —- and we put a star on the map. Circled the towns name…. and counted it as another state that we’ve been to.

 

This whole Roadschooling/travelling/summer vacation/have to go back to NY thing is a blessing and I’m so happy to have these three happy hooligans to share the adventure with….. Let the Adventure of 2014 BEGIN —  (not quite ready for DEPARTURE DATE though)