Roscoe's Plan for the First Week of Homeschool: animal dissection

The latest branch of Roscoe's inquiry into the animal world—his first and enduring passion—comes in the form of dissection. It's something he has expressed interest in for many months now and began with a desire to dissect a snake after he viewed a particular documentary about anacondas. Then, over the summer, after finding several eastern box turtles on various hikes he decided a turtle would be better.

We went online and looked at the different animals available and while he could have chosen either a snake or a turtle, he was enticed by a dissection kit that included seven different specimens of various anatomical complexity: a worm, grasshopper, crayfish, clam, starfish, perch, and frog. He liked that the kit came with all the special tools he would need.

At first, his interest reminded me fondly of my own dissection experiences in highschool and college biology, but then I came to wonder why he wanted to cut open and dissect nature's little creatures. Eventually though, I realized that he is just genuinely curious about what animals look like on the inside, and he likes the close-up view and intimate exploration that the dissection experience provides.

***

Sunday night I sit down with Roscoe to touch base and to discuss what he hopes to accomplish in the week ahead.

He scowls and says, “Well I don’t want to just have a conversation. That’s boring! I want to type.” So I say sure, and bring my computer to the table. He helps type in my password and then I open up a new document and type at the top: Roscoe’s Plan for the Week. 

He sits in his chair on one side of the table and I find my place across from him. I point to his bulletin board on the dining room wall and read off some of the ideas that he’s had in the last few weeks: create habitats, construct dens or forts for animals, answer the question: "How do I handle venomous, non-venomous and constrictor snakes, and scorpions?", see a baby logger head turtle....

“Do you want to work on any of those ideas this week?" I ask.

He seems genuinely disinterested but continues to type with much enthusiasm. Tap, tap, tap! 

After a moment he stops typing and peers over the monitor to say, “Oh, yeah! I want to order a new animal to dissect.” Then he's back to typing. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I remind him that he still has four animals left in the dissection kit that we ordered a few weeks ago and ask, “Would you like to finish dissecting the animals you have before you order a new one?” 

He says yes, he wants to dissect the rest of the animals in one day, and declares he will dissect the clam first. He wonders how he will open the clam, and then quickly answers his own question, “I think I’ll use the scalpel to pry it open.”

"Good idea." I say. “Ok, so we’ll work on dissecting the animals you have, and we’ll start with the clam. When you’re done, we can order a new animal.”

“A pig!” He shouts with a grin. 

Then he turns his computer screen to show me the text he has typed and asks me to show him the words he has spelled. I scan through the lines, and highlight in blue the words “yoyo,” “my,” and “poo.”

Here are a few photos from the frog and perch dissections. (He's also dissected the starfish.)

Counting and comparing frog fingers and toes to his own

Practicing proper technique for disposable glove removal 

Drawing frogs post-dissection

Maine with Kids: A Moose Safari in Greenville

One of my favorite activities from our summer adventures in Maine was a trip to the Highlands for a guided Moose safari.

Lake Moosehead is a huge lake, the biggest in Maine, and spans more than 120 square miles. In the winter it actually freezes over solid and Spring does not officially arrive in Greenville until the Katahdin steamship can safely travel across the lake, at which point the Ice-out date is declared, marking the beginning of the tourist season. Like in Virginia, Maine's winter was particularly harsh and long, and when we visited in early June, this sleepy little town was just waking up.

We stayed at the Chalet Moosehead Lakefront Motel, recommended by our tour guides at Northeast Whitewater Maine Moose Watching Tours, which offered two-bedroom accommodations. We have decided that suites are the way to sleep when away from home, even if that means we stay in the economy tiers—it beats the alternative of post-bedtime crowding in the darkness around a laptop on the floor (as we have survived in the past). Chalet Moosehead was a fine pick. Family owned, and offering beautiful views, easy access to town amenities, a kitchenette, and plenty of space to spread out.

After a relatively quick 3-hour drive from the coast, we checked-in and then set out to explore the property where we found breathtaking views of the lake, and paddleboats that we used to check out the docked floatplanes.

We went into town to grab some groceries at the Indian Hill Trading Post, which has a Hannaford's grocery store on one side and a sporting goods/gift store on the other. I love odds and ends stores like this one and they had two full aisles dedicated to a good assortment of quality kids toys so I grabbed an angry birds card game and a playdoh pack for evening entertainment, some lucky moose socks for the boys, as well as some breakfast and snack essentials to last us through lunchtime the next day.

On our way home we ordered takeout dinner from an inviting little restaurant called the Stress Free Moose Pub and Bar, and then headed back to our room to settle in, eat, and play before bed. The kids and I surprised Andy with a blueberry pie that we had stowed away. It was his birthday and I'm pretty sure we ate the whole thing.

Roscoe and Merritt went to bed well before the sun set around 9:00 and so Andy and I had our room and a lovely view to enjoy before the knowledge of our early morning wake-up call demanded sleep.

We woke up the next day at 4:45am, quickly dressed in layers, and drove a few minutes to the Northeast Whitewater lodge where we were greeted by our tour guide Jessica, and a welcome sign with our name on it. We chose a private half-day tour for flexibility to accommodate the kids' attention spans and moods, with the benefit of a dedicated tour guide to field all the questions I knew the boys would have.

We were only the 5th tour of the season, but our guide was encouraged by the success of previous tours despite Spring's late start, and the subsequent late hatching of the black flies that are the primary force to drive out the moose from the deep woods, where the cows have recently given birth, and nearer to the water's edge where they can more easily be viewed.

We moved the kids' carseats into her Suburban, distributed smoothies to the boys, and set off on a 45-minute drive up into the mountains.

Foggy morning views in the highlands of Maine. Perfect moose weather!

The air temperatures were chilly that morning and heavy fog enveloped the road and the forests leading up to Moose Pond. Our guide drove slowly as we climbed higher, mostly to keep an eye out for moose on our behalf, but also because it is one big moose crossing up there and they can be as tall as 7 feet high and weigh as much as 1500 pounds each—you don't want to hit one! We were all on the lookout when Jessica noticed moose tracks, like deep scuff marks patterned into the dirt, on the shoulder of the road. We were getting closer!

We exited the paved road after a while and drove on a gravel access for another 9 miles. When we reached the lake Jessica encouraged the kids to be quiet and to use inside voices. They sneaked down to the waters edge, but their excitement was hard to contain. I wasn't sure for how long they would be able to stay quiet.

We don't moose safari without our lucky red moose socks. 

We put on life jackets and swatted at swarms of insects that had started to gather around us as Jessica made her first sighting: a young female timbering gracefully along the shoreline, digging up foliage from the lake's bottom. Very cool!  The kids were happy but indifferent as the moose was pretty far away with a silhouette that was hard to distinguish from the surrounding mist.

Looking for moose

I asked Jessica if the swarms of insects were the biting kind. She laughed and said they were not, just black flies that could be very annoying. She left briefly to retrieve a canoe for the five of us, and fortunately we could all fit into one since the kids were able to squeeze into spaces nestled at our feet and beside us.



The lake was fantastically gorgeous. Serene, and peaceful. I love every angle of Maine.

We rowed along, the only visitors on the entire lake save for one fishing boat on a far edge. We paddled into a cove where we spied a young bull, maybe only a year old. We stopped and watched him as he made his way across the waters and into the woodland scrub. The kids were a little restless, requesting the paddles, and putting their hands in the water, and beginning to ask a lot of questions about things unrelated to moose.

Meanwhile, I noticed blood dripping down Andy's neck and pointed it out to Jessica. She said, "Oh, I guess those are the black flies." Then I noticed Roscoe had blood in his ear. Jessica assured us she never gets bit, and I wasn't feeling any bites yet. I kept an eye on the kids, and swatted around their heads just in case. Andy was in front paddling and unable to swat the flies away.





We decided since we were already out in the middle of the lake, to go for it, and check out one more cove before heading back to shore. We didn't find any moose there but on the way back we met a five year old bull up to his neck in the middle of the water. He was swimming through the deeper parts on his way to the other side. We slowed our paddle, and he stopped to watch us for a moment before continuing his morning routine.

Then it was only a few more paddles to the shore where we hauled our boat to dry land.

Jessica offered us homemade brownies, granola bars, and sweet tea to refuel before the drive home.

Our tour guide was patient and great with the kids. It was a very kid friendly tour.

Roscoe found part of a moose antler as a souvenir and back at the lodge they found more accessories to play with.

A small gory note on the black fly: They are tiny and ferocious. They bite with a numbing agent so you don't feel them, and they leave open wounds that bleed and swell up in an alarming way. We all were bit to some extent (except for our guide, naturally), and Andy won with more than fifty bites on his head and neck alone. As it turns out, a lot of black fly bites at once can give a person the Black Fly Flu, and so Andy felt achy and off for the better part of the following two days. The bites itched horribly and took weeks to heal. WEEKS. Thankfully our bodies were almost entirely protected by our clothing, and, had we known, we most definitely would have brought some bug repellant, although I've read conflicting reports about it's effectiveness. The timing of our trip and the hatching of the hungry flies was an unfortunate coincidence and the boys have staunch opinions about the black fly, having declared they would never visit Maine or go on a moose safari again because of them. Really, though. The experience was very special and we got to see another side of Maine that we wouldn't have trekked up north for were it not for the moose, so my vote is that the flies get a pass. If you ever consider a moose safari remember the black flies, wear light clothing, and cover up as much skin as you can. Don't wear perfumes or wash with strongly scented shampoos or soaps, and look into a bug spray you feel comfortable wearing. I might also suggest a reservation later in the Summer after the birds have picked off most of the flies. This site, although from Milwaukee, has interesting facts about the black fly. 

Preparing for the Homeschool Year

Early morning in the woods, North Carolina

Summer still feels in full swing but the calendar says it's winding down. Our first homeschooling year begins in just a few weeks and some of you have expressed curiosity about what we are doing to prepare and plan for it. My last post on feeling good but protective of our decision to homeschool was written as part of this post but I pulled it apart to publish separately. Along those same lines, however, sharing the specifics of what we are doing this year feels a little uncomfortable. I know that confidence will come with experience and that I will eventually (hopefully soon!) move past this period of sensitivity to outside opinion, but for now it does feel awkward to write out my very in-progress process here for all to see. But I still want to share it. :)

For the better part of a year Andy and I have had casual but ongoing conversations about our goals for Roscoe in this first year of homeschooling. We recently folded him into the discussion to capture his goals and to incorporate what he is interested in and wants to know more about. Archery! Dissection! Guns! Cooking! Guitar! He has lots of ideas. I've compiled our collective brainstorms and in addition to, and separate from, our intention to use the PBH approach to support his interests, we've identified some topics and skills that we think will benefit his independence and help him to grow into the best Roscoe he can be, as we like to say around here.

Some of our big ideas:

• This year we will explore artistic representation methods and learn what we can and cannot do with different making materials so that when he has an idea he will have the skills needed to adequately express it: textures, movement, color, three dimensional media, drawing and painting. I'm using the The Language of Art to guide our explorations in this area.
• Nature is our outdoor classroom and we'll continue spending as much time outside as we can throughout all the seasons. In addition to our usual, Marr Science offers well-loved science courses for kids of all ages and I've enrolled Roscoe for a 5-week course in the Fall that will explore science through movement. 
• I want to continue to foster his sense of self, family, home, and community in a way that gives him a better understanding of how and where he fits in. I see this happening organically through our regular interactions at home and within our different circles. 
• I also want to engage him more intentionally in what goes on in our family kitchen; to continue to share my love of food prep and making through basic cooking skills that will build his confidence and extend an opportunity for Roscoe to contribute to our weekly meals.
• Same goes for adapting the environment and our parental expectations to increase his responsibility and independence at home.  
• In the last few months I've begun to introduce Spanish vocabulary through our daily conversations, and the kids are eager learners.
• Regular play dates with his friends, and other children from various groups that we belong to, as well as invitations for friends to join us in our weekly activities and to work on projects together will come as we can work them in. 
• I want to continue to facilitate Roscoe and Merritt's brotherhood.

When I look at this list I have to shrug my shoulders because most of these ideas are what we do and would be doing regardless of whether Roscoe was homeschooling. Even so, it is a helpful exercise to take time to think through the intersection of our home life, Roscoe's personality, and home education. Articulating these ideas (and posting them where I can easily reference them) helps me to keep an eye on our intentions and to remember the specifics.

The most Homeschool-y thing that we will do this year will be the portion of his learning that we set aside for project based inquiries: emergent, child-led, interest-based work that I will actively mentor him through. I'll report back on that part once we get started.

We are truly excited to move into this next phase of our life together, and sharing the last couple of mostly-solo months with the boys has shown me how our time can ideally be spent, what routines work well for us right now and how to harness their un-ending energy for good. Of equal value, I've confirmed yet again—by virtue of not having most of these things this Summer—what I will need to feel happy and sane and purposeful beyond mothering this year: loads of self-care (good sleep, good food, time with friends and Andy, and time to exercise), a few child-free hours a week to stay on top of my list of family to-dos, and dedicated time for pleasure writing. I’m narrowing in on my personal formula for success (Finally, after five years!) and it feels so doable now that I've made the other big decision to not pursue paid work this year.

Merritt will be in preschool either three or five day a week, depending on if he makes the birthdate cut-off for the 3 or 4 year old class. I requested five days in anticipation of wanting dependable one-on-one project time with Roscoe every week, but I think five days may be a lot for Merritt, not to mention the ways that the daily preschool schedule will constrain our at-home routine. We are spoiled by Summer's freedom from imposed schedules.

Looking forward, I've let go of the idea of an uber organized and structured introduction to homeschooling life in favor of allowing these first few months to be a slow ramping up to where we hope to get to in terms of a learning rhythm and routine. I have a feeling that Roscoe may not jump right into something that looks like an obvious project and that it may take some time before he settles into a groove and focuses on what feels like authentic project work. I can guarantee that I will be learning as I go, practicing observation and documentation of his process, practicing using the right language to facilitate his learning process, and continuing to make my own personal learning and doing processes more transparent for him to model.

I'm not sure what the year is going to look like yet but I'm looking ahead only as far as the next season will take me. September. October. November. Little steps to big goals.

Homeschooling Insecurities

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, children's garden

I hear that parents of homeschooled children are often told they should get used to feeling like they aren't doing enough, and that routinely second guessing their effort is normal. I'm already appreciating the ways that homeschooling is going to stretch me and demand that I reach hard for this. I've said it before but this is way outside my comfort zone, and yet it still feels like the clearest choice for us.

Right now I can't imagine a better way forward.

While I'm confident about our decision, my feelings are still mixed. Everything we did up to the point of deciding to homeschool has done away with my biggest worries and concerns, and that feels really good. Even the wonder about my ability to meet my own needs in the midst of the added responsibilities that homeschooling will bring has dissipated tremendously over the last few months. What I grapple with now is a familiar vulnerability.

In the same way I guarded what was precious knowledge at the time—my decision to give birth at home—I find myself guarding the plans we make for homeschooling. I feel uncomfortably open to judgement and want desperately to shed the pangs of needing to prove myself or justify my decision to others; if i'm honest it is a moot effort to even discuss this very personal decision with those who can't understand it. It's as hot as any political topic I've ever cared about.

Unlike birth at home, which is a private event and in our case lasted only a few hours, I sometimes wish that homeschool didn't span an entire childhood and that it was an easier choice to keep hidden when I don't feel like going there. But Roscoe is so loud and proud and happy to know he is homeschooling and I want to be equally so. I'll have to continue to balance my introvertedness and my insecurities about being misunderstood by those who are close to us, and focus instead on sharing my heart with those who are truly open and interested in supporting us on our journey.

At least until I find my own true confidence in this process.

The process that will teach me how to do it better. A process that I'll probably get wrong in order to learn how to do it right.

We'll get there. I know it.

I have to believe that there is more than one way for children to be well educated and prepared to live a life of their own choosing.

This post was inspired by a recent online class on PBH journaling that I took with Lori Pickert from The Camp Creek Blog. 

Maine Family Travel: Summering like Mainers

A foggy morning at the tidepools. Popham Beach, Maine.

Still Maine sun-kissed and bursting with the happiest of memories, we have been home now for two weeks. The transition back into Richmond Summer life has been easy and good. Our on-vacation routine is working well here too as we continue to seek out active mornings and lazier afternoons. Our first week home felt like a frenzy of family time—a Sears family dogpile—as we were all so enthusiastic to catch up with Poppa and to find time together. We were overflowing with everything Maine and yet delighted to be home with half of Summer yet to unfold.

Through our region runs the James River; it is at the heart of our life in Richmond and its banks are not only the backdrop for much of our adventuring outdoors, but also a source of entertainment and inspiration for living and pursuing the BoldHeart life as we do. There are several bridges that cross the river and whenever we drive over them I sing out to the boys: "Theeeere's the riverrrr! Isn't it beautiful? We sure do love our city!" Roscoe and Merritt join in with fist pumps, or a woohoo!, or their own observation of the boulder studded waters as they flow Southeast to the Chesapeake Bay. Sometimes the kids begin the conversation even before I remember to, and I'm happy knowing that my little gratitude ritual has integrated into their way of taking notice of what's around them.

When in Maine my eyes were wide open for the details and beauty of the region, from the coast to the city to the highlands. It was that acute level of awareness that it seems only vacation can afford. An intermission, where the responsibilities of regular life and routine scatter out to somewhere else and the romantic unfamiliar newness of what's right in front of you is everything you need to feel contented and alive. I had a strong intention to find that space going into the trip and Maine's magic made it easy.  

Maine was water, water, everywhere. We lived lakeside on a peninsula, and wherever we ventured was bordered or paralleled by more water: inlets, harbors, a river, a stream, or open ocean.

In our first weeks away I remember thinking how our little river back home just paled in comparison to the majestic waterscapes we were being gifted with in Maine. I shouldn't have worried that apathy might set in upon our return home though, because Virginia in Summer is as beautiful, albeit familiar, as anything we encountered up North. It was nice to still be wearing my Maine colored glasses when we crossed the Virginia border and journeyed South through the I-95 corridor to home. When I pay attention, nature's landscape blows me away no matter where it lives.

When Andy left in mid-June, after two dreamy and adventure filled weeks, our family vacation bubble burst and I spent a few reluctant days talking myself down, wondering why had I chosen a 6 week stay? By then I had a really good perspective on Maine, we had seen and explored so much of the state already, and I had been spoiled in having someone to share the feel good highs and the load of parenting responsibilities, while also finding the relative luxury of free time here and there to exercise and write. At the midway point of our trip, three additional weeks felt excessive for a solo parenting stint and my first inclination was to wonder why we were still there at all.

Though three or four weeks would have been sufficient, I'm so glad we stayed as long as we did.

The last three weeks were more relaxed, lazier, like the quintessential Summer away that I had craved. We spent more afternoons pinking up under the sunshine at the lake, and making friends with our neighbors. We had time to host visitors and to share a glimpse of our Maine rapture with those we love when my parents stopped in for a few days on their way to meet friends further up the coast, and another of our friends from home joined us for a long weekend.

Proximity and time also made it possible to rendezvous with Nicole who writes at Adventures in Tullyland. We've been reading eachother's lives for the last 4 years and to finally meet up in person was so nice. The kids and I also reunited with special family friends whom we first met through our birthing class when I was pregnant with Roscoe. Connecting with kindred mama spirits while away from home was really meaningful and I'm glad that we happened to be near to where they were vacationing in neighboring states, and that our stay overlapped with theirs.

Those last twenty-one days allowed us to revisit our favorite spots many times over, which gave us a more intimate knowledge of Maine and a sense of connection to the land that we wouldn't have left with had we stayed only long enough to experience the highlights.  I like to think we got to live like real Mainers. 

Maine Family Travel: realizing all that is good about it

Found Treasures: moose antler, lobster claw, 'gull feather

I have truly been overwhelmed by the beauty of Maine and the ways in which the landscape recalls some of my best childhood memories growing up in Northern California; I have felt at home here since we arrived. To revisit those good memories while making new ones alongside my young boys has been sublime. I revel in the energy I feel every morning to get an early start on the day. I am motivated in a way I haven’t felt in a while to experience everything. Anticipating tomorrow is a small thrill; I can’t wait for the next beach, trail, or landmark to adventure through. For the last three weeks I've just been soaking it all in; at a loss to find adequate words for the fulfillment of the day, and empty to the bones for extra energy in the evening beyond what is required to plan for tomorrow before the cool sun sets and I’m called by the darkness to rest.

Andy left earlier this week after thirteen days with us. His time spent here was the least connected to his work that he’s ever allowed, and it was an affirmation that he made it so. He loves what he does and is challenged like the rest of us to balance his work life and his family life, especially around time off and vacation. While here, he engaged us in the tightest embrace we've felt in a long time. The conversations we had during the first week that I spent here alone with the kids, and then in the two weeks that we shared together, carved yet another deepening of the intimacy in our marriage. It came about unexpectedly and in a way that leaves me smiling to recognize that this is our friendship and our love for each other manifesting. For the wonder I’ve carried about my ability to see through the lifelong commitment of marriage I finally feel a hush settling in, a sense of inner confidence growing quietly in its place. The years we have left together feel only but a comfort and a privilege.

The kids tell me every day how much they love it here, and I suppose there is something about our being alone together in an unfamiliar place that sparks for them an emergence of our family’s identity. I've noted it in the boys when new friends ask where we’re from and they proudly exclaim Richmond, Virginia! Or when they realize that we say tadpole, and they say polliwog. It’s the sudden urge they feel when they are enjoying something in the moment so much they are compelled to stop and call for a Sears Family huddle, or to belt out into Maine’s great blue sky how much they love us or each other. They are beginning to piece together and communicate what makes us special as a unit and I can feel their gratitude and their joy for this experience. It adds a satisfying layer for me to see this all come to fruition.

We are sad that Poppa is gone and truthfully I could have left on Wednesday with Andy and the boys and a very full heart if we had planned it that way. As I often feel when I am parenting solo and to paraphrase a line from the book I’m reading now: I learn in his absence that I can hack it on my own, and that I prefer not to.

I always find satisfaction in my independence when making things happen and keeping things together, and moving the kids through the day and night on my own two feet; but I miss companionship when I’m alone for long and I’d rather experience all this good stuff (and share the challenges too) with him by my side.

Still, Roscoe and Merritt and I have three weeks more to continue to seek out and revisit other and newly favorited parts of Maine. We’ll be slowing down a bit and making an effort to stay closer to home so we can soak up this Maine Summer as it marches forward.

Our vacation so far has been much more than I expected and everything that I hoped for in terms of building connections with each other, experiencing a new part of the world together, and venturing outside of our comfort zones to grow in ourselves and as a family. It has also piqued my interest to travel more of the United States before considering trips abroad. We have a beautiful and magnificent country right here and I haven't seen most of it. The parts I do know that I love I would also like to see again with the kids so I am curious how our vision for travel over the next year or two will take shape in consideration of what we're learning through this first family travel experience.  

Magical Maine

Right now Maine’s rugged landscape is embellished with spring, decorated and gorgeous. The forests here are a mix of pine, oak, maple, birch, and beech trees, and the effect is magic—the quintessential Maine I’ve only known to exist through books or on TV. Scenic roadways trace the water's path and connect a network of small towns that come alive in the summer months like idyllic illustrations of the good and simple life. Stoic boats sit in wait, hoisted high above the ground on stilts for repair; their weary bows find reprieve from the unforgiving sea. Lobster traps are stacked in high rows, four cages deep, with buoys carefully draped on the walls of dilapidated homes. The lighthouses stand tall at their cliff's edge, softened only by the rolling hills that rest behind them. The deep rhythmic boom of waves breaking on bedrock that juts from the coastline in dramatic display is a familiar comfort. Bright skies or fairweather clouds decorate the horizon on any given afternoon. Sea spray drifts and morphs into that delicious salty ocean air.

Water beyond the coast appears still, ruffled only by the cool breezes that make their way inland or when the slow siphon of the tide exposes it's underbelly of black mudflats. On the lake the birds brashly chirp in harmony, and the struck chord of a banjo string is the call of the frog. The waters of the lake are ever-changing, never boring. This morning they were a still pool of green, chartreuse and indigo; a rainbow of muted tones reflecting off the surface, mist rising near the shoreline. I would happily greet the first light of every summer sun in this way.

The air up here is much cooler than down south, still in the 60s and 70s mid-day, and sweater weather in the early morning and evening when we sit in nature’s silence after the kids have gone to sleep. Day and night Maine is brimming with life and beauty. It’s the beginning of high season now—the tourists are pouring in and claiming little bits of the state as their own. As we are too.

Traveling with kids from Virginia to Maine, a few tricks that made it easier

We have been exploring Maine for just over a week now and are feeling right at home. It was my intention to write nightly and post photos in a timely way but without a break in parenting responsibilities it has been a tough routine to create. While I overestimated the energy I would have at the end of every day to do anything at all productive, Andy joined us last Thursday night so I hope to find a groove this week. If you want to follow along in a way that more closely resembles real-time check us out on Instagram @MarblesRolling.

Our little house has an incredible lakefront view that we look forward to morning and night.

The drive up was lush with Spring and all the way through Connecticut the landscape felt pretty much like Virginia does this time of year: leafy, rolling hills in shades of green, blue, and gray where distant mountains appear in layers at the horizon. We saw a spattering of brick and concrete through New Jersey and Pennsylvania but mostly it was winding roads through countryside.

We broke up the drive into two days: an 8.5-hour first leg and a 4-hour second leg, which ended up taking us 14.5 hours total. On our first day of travel we left Richmond at 7:20am and made it to Hartford Connecticut by 4:00pm; we managed only to stop twice along the way: once for gas and the restroom, and again for a side-of-the road potty break (our favorite kind).

The kids were surprisingly cool about all the time spent in the car. It helped that my expectations were low and that I planned ahead in timing (they missed the last day of preschool so we could get an early start) and for ways to keep them well fed and entertained. We have been planning for this trip for more than six months and their personal investment and excitement for all parts of the adventure was evident; everyone was pleasant, and cooperative for the duration. Unheard of.

When we arrived at our hotel in Connecticut we ordered dinner in our room, and the kids' enthusiasm continued as they exclaimed love for the glasses we drank out of it, love for the bedsheets and comforter, love for the view of Hartford from our hotel window. They hugged and kissed each other a lot. After dinner we went for a swim and then fell asleep relatively early.

The second leg of the drive began early the next morning and felt a lot more tedious because we were that much closer to our final destination, and the shorter drive just didn’t require the stamina that the previous day had demanded. As we left Connecticut and moved into Massachusetts the quintessential New England landscape emerged with steeples and rooftops poking up and out of fluffy textured tree cover. We stopped in Massachusetts for gas and to eat breakfast, then piled back in the car eager to cross into New Hampshire and eventually Maine. 

We were in need of escape from the confines of the car, Maple's to the rescue

When our path began to parallel the ocean I knew we were getting close, so I loosened up a bit on taking a direct route and we veered off for another pit stop just passed Portland for a few scoops of Maple's Organics incredible gelato. (It seems that many of our friends are traveling to Maine this summer, so for those of you who are, this is a nice little place to relax for a bit if it's near to where you are staying or on your way to somewhere else.) 

I had a lot of anxiety leading up to this trip, a function of my usual catastrophic thinking mixed with a little fear for embarking alone with the kids on a six week stay in an unfamiliar house and town. As the minutes to arrival counted down on GPS, and as I finally set sights on the sign that marked our street, and then turned off the main road on to a dirt drive my heart lifted a little; and when I parked the car on a little flat spot above the house and caught glimpse over the rooftop and through the trees of sunlight sparkling on the lake I felt awash with relief. This town, this house, this lake, they really do exist! 

A few tricks that I found helpful for traveling long distances with young ones:

• Keep the goodies out of sight until you really need them: I kept all the activities that I packed for the kids up front with me until the circumstances or attitudes warranted a change. We started the drive with only the usual suspects: a snack, their books and magazines (National Geographic Kids, High Five, Ranger Rick Jr.), and their saved Playmobil and Lego catalogs). 
• Bring one of everything, not one for each kid: I found that having only one of each toy/app/activity worked out well because the boys had the opportunity to grow bored and then trade the "old" for the “new.” 
• Maximize nap time: I made a rule that whenever one kid napped the other could use the iPad to watch a movie, which bought me double the quiet time because they each took naps at separate times. Timing the road trip around naptime is probably an obvious help.
• Download a few new apps and games, or movies: Before we left I downloaded a selection of the movies we own from Apple TV and also bought a few new game apps for the iPad (Toca Builders, MineCraft, and Lego Juniors). Minecraft is too advanced for Merritt but Roscoe has taken to it easily.
• Consider giving audiobooks a try too: We love audiobooks for car travel because they keep the kids’ attention while still allowing them to stay engaged in what's happening in the car and out on the road–audiobooks don't seem to engross them in the same way that dvd players do. The kids have really enjoyed The Cat and the Hat and Other Stories, so for this trip I downloaded My Father’s Dragon, which is the perfect storyline for up-and-coming kindergartners, and probably kids of all ages.
• Invest in a few travel style games: 
• Open ended, and fascinating in a tactile sort of way, the kido freeplay magnatab was a huge hit. The pen brings the little magnet balls to the surface and then they use their fingers to push the designs down.
• Another travel must-have was the On-The-Go Colorblast notepad by Melissa and Doug, which held their attention for a long time. I loved stuff like this when I was a kid too.
• Pack a cooler of portable snacks: I brought a small cooler with a big waterbottle of diluted juice and another filled with water; portable yogurts and applesauce; grapes and bananas; cheese; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; fruit snacks and fruit leathers; and gum for chewing. I also packed two meals for them that served as lunch, but these extra snacks and treats kept everyone happy in between meals, and we had plenty leftover for our second day of travel.
• Throw in a few unexpected surprises: I brought along a package of freeze-dried Neapolitan ice cream (developed for astronauts!). The kids thought it was very interesting and we had the opportunity to talk about why in the world would astronauts need to eat their ice cream freeze-dried and out of a pouch.

If you are a frequent traveler, or infrequent like us, what do you find works best to keep your littles happy while on the road?