Sunday, June 5, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~ A Week Just for Mom
In my life this week…
I went on my second Tweet-up, had a great time and was missed by my family. I wasn’t gone overnight so it was nice to know that even though my kids are teenagers, they still miss having their mama around! That just makes me smile.
In our homeschool this week…
We’ve been revisiting some of the curriculum and resources that have spent too much time on the shelves. I have a laundry basket full of materials that I had “intended” to use that somehow were pushed aside. Not anymore. I’ve decided that I will try not to make any purchases until we make a dent in our pile.
It may take awhile. What do you think?
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…
You’d think people would have plenty of time now that ‘school’ has wrapped up for many people. Including us. It’s been hard to hook up with anyone the past couple weeks but this week we’re changing that. My son will begin summer football, we’ll meet up with some other families with teens for a hike and we’re heading somewhere really fun next weekend. But you’ll have to wait to read about that….
My favorite thing this week was…
Was attending a Tweet-up at the US Space and Rocket Center. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it in the days to come. Just let me say that if you have ever considered sending your children to Space Camp, DO!
What’s working/not working for us…
My kids have actually enjoyed using the materials we already have on hand. Some of the material is more of a review- but I know my kids “get it” and don’t we all worry about that from time to time?
A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
At the Tweet-up, we had lunch with Tim Pickens and he shared his latest venture; to land a robot on the moon while sending images back to Earth. He’s a brilliant man and has fun creating rockets and similar toys in his man cave. The rocket bike is one result of his tinkering. Check out this short video (you just may not want to read the comments).
My kids are thinking this would make a fun summer project.
Until next week ~ Happy Homeschooling!
Don’t forget to stop by The Homeschool Chick to be encouraged by other journal entries or to add one of your own.
What kind of fun do you have planned next week?
Friday, June 3, 2011
Field Trip Friday: Driver’s Edge
Every 61 minutes, someone is killed by a teen driver.
I don’t know about you, but as a parent of not one, but two teen drivers, those statistics terrify me.
Wouldn’t you like to give your child every advantage possible? I do. That’s why last weekend I drove two hours one way to Nashville, Tennessee so my children could participate in the highly acclaimed, much recommended, Driver’s Edge program which is sponsored by Bridgestone.
The Driver’s Edge program begins with a heartbreaking 9-11 call from an accident that took place in Nevada nearly 12 years ago. A car full of students had left school to grab a bite to eat. On the way back to school, the driver took her eyes off the road momentarily, looked up, saw that she was about to miss a curve in the road, over corrected, lost control of her car and plowed head first into a steel pole, literally breaking the car in pieces and trapping the occupants in a mess of twisted metal. Two of the girls died. One lost her leg. The others received severe injuries. The father of one of the girls killed was so distraught, he killed himself.
How fast do you think this driver was going? She wasn’t driving recklessly, she was obeying the speed limit, she was only driving 35 miles an hour! She took her eyes off the road, looked back up and panicked. She made a mistake. Haven’t we all?
The school district reacted by banning students from leaving at lunch. Makes sense, right? If the kids can’t leave during the day for lunch, they can’t get in accidents and they won’t die. But what happens on the way to school, or after school, or on weekends?
That’s were Driver’s Edge comes in. The minds behind Driver’s Edge knew there is a better way. How about picking up where traditional drivers education programs leave off? How about teaching your children how to handle adverse driving conditions in a controlled environment? How about giving your young driver an edge that one day may say their life or the life of another?
Driver’s Edge teachers your children how to remain cool under pressure and while teaching them evasive driving skills.
Participants learn proper posture for driving, where their hands should be on the steering wheel (9 and 3 for more control and best range of motion), why it’s so important to wear a seatbelt, skid control, cornering, proper braking techniques, and steering when your ABS is engaged, and the dangers of drunk driving or driving under the influence. The instructors make use of every minute in this four hour course!
Oh yeah, did I mention that all the instructors are highly recognized in the professional driving arena? Who better to learn from than from those that understand driving better than anyone?
Driver’s Edge also works closely with the State Highway Patrol who demonstrate the effects of driving under the influence with goggles that simulate alcohol consumption.
In Nashville, the state police also brought in a truck that uses hydraulics to roll over. This simulates what happens to the occupants of a vehicle during a roll over; with and without seatbelts. My son didn’t raise his hand when the officer asked who wore seatbelts so he became the example for the rest of the group. The officer is showing him how to wear the seatbelt properly. Doesn’t he look embarrassed? Maybe next time, he’ll raise his hand.
Next, the class gets a chance to drive and practice steering out of a skid. Don’t you just love the cars they drove? I have to tell you that my boys got really excited for the class after they heard they’d be driving BMWs.
One of my guys the first time through.
After the class is over the kida take a another test (the take a pre-test when they arrive) to see how much they’ve learned and then they had an awards ceremony. The kids that completed the 4 hour course each received a certificate- which can be turned in to most insurance agents to save you money on your insurance premiums. (By the way, ours jumped $2000 this year when we added the boy’s on as drivers…something to keep in mind if you have an up coming driver. )
Each teen driver also receives an emergency roadside kit, a hat, and a t-shirt which they can have autographed, if they chose. Not only did my boys each have their shirts autographed, they also asked one of the instructors, a two time Indy race winner to pose for a picture with them.
As a parent, I thought the instruction my children learned was invaluable. The instructors were incredible and passionate about what they do, you can tell that they really care about the kids.
I have recommended Driver’s Edge to everyone I know and can’t praise the program high enough. If you have the opportunity to go to this FREE program, for the sake of your child and other driver’s on the road, don’t miss it. Just one word of advice, these courses fill up fast so don’t hesitate! You can find a list of the cities that have arranged for a Driver’s Edge program here.
If you don’t have a Driver’s Edge in your area, write to them, write to Bridgestone, let them know that you’re interested. They’d like to add more, they just need to know that there is an interest.
Driver’s Edge also recommends the following driving schools:
Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Mid-Ohio School in Lexington, OH
Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, AZ
Skip Barber Racing School, various locations throughout the US
Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in Sonoma, CA
As far as field trips go, I didn’t consider this a field trip until we were headed home and the boys commented that this had been the BEST field trip ever. When I told them I didn’t consider Driver’s Edge a field trip, they asked why not? Didn’t they learn enough? When they put it that way….I guess we could call it a field trip.
Until next month~ Happy Field Trippin’!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
RIDEMAKERZ®
RIDEMAKERZ® Downtown Disney® - West Side Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 Phone: 407-938-9223
I had no idea what to expect when my family stepped inside the RIDEMAKERZ® store at Downtown Disney. Let’s just say that by the sign and the full size automobiles we spotted from the walkway, we thought it’d have something to do with cars. We suspected maybe a computerized program that allowed you to build your own car and race it. We were wrong.
Instead, if we’d imagined a Build-a-Bear for car lover’s we’d have hit the nail head on. We found a store that appealed not only to my three teenagers, but to my husband as well.
To get started, you select a car frame from dozens of makes and models.
Next, you customize your ride. You can stick with the standard chassis, tires, and rims that come with your car or you can upgrade with a variety of options that include a remote control and monster truck chassis. You can also add a variety of add sounds and accessories that include grills, hood scoops, mufflers, and stickers.
After you make your selection, it’s time to put it all together.
You put all the pieces in place and screw it all together. Don’t worry, if you get stuck there are team members that are standing by and willing to help.
After your ride is all put together you have a chance to drive your car or truck all through the store. The employees will even join you- wouldn’t this just be the coolest place to work?
Who will love RIDEMAKERZ® ? Anyone- though I’d say it’s best geared for ages 10 and up.
How much time should you allow to build your own ride? Plan to spend at least a 1/2 or so to make your selections and put your car together-allow more time if the store is busy.
How much should you expect to spend? Though prices average around $28 for a standard body, we spent about $60 each by the time we made a few slight upgrades and added the remote control chassis.
Where can you find a RIDEMAKERZ® store? Right now there are only five locations throughout the country. In addition to the Downtown Disney Store in Florida, you’ll also find one in Anaheim, CA, Myrtle Beach, SC, Branson, MO, and Glendale, AZ, but if you really want one you can build your own car online. You can also purchase accessories for one that you already own.
Not only do my kids LOVE their vehicles, and judging from the men that stopped to watch the kids drive theirs around, RIDEMAKERZ® would make a great gift for my husband for Father’s Day.
RIDEMAKERZ® gets a thumbs up from our family.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Disney Fort Wilderness Campground: Is it Really An Affordable Alternative to Disney Resort Hotels?
Our first trip to Disney was nearly six years ago. My kids enjoyed pin trading, meeting the characters throughout the park and eating our way around the World Showcase. We loved our trip and the only thing we swore we’d do differently if we ever returned was to stay at one of the Disney resorts.
Since we planned to stay at Disney for only one night we wanted a hotel that would give us the most bang for our buck. Turned out, it wasn’t a hotel at all, but the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground, that fit that description.
The cast member that checked us in was very friendly and helpful, just what I remembered from our previous Disney experience.
We found our site relatively easy and were mildly surprised by the size of the sites, which were much larger than I expected them to be. I also appreciated that each loop of campsites is located within close proximity to a comfort station that not only includes the cleanest bathrooms I’ve ever seen at a campground, but also a laundry facility as well.
Our loop of campsites was located directly across from the pool and hot tub - that is open 24 hours a day.
There are also volleyball nets, a playground and a small game room for campers.
The Meadow Trading Post sells souvenirs, basic food items that you may run out of and snack items. 
I was excited to find several penny pressing machines at various locations (the Meadow Trading Post, Settlement Trading Post, outside the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, and the Outpost Depot) throughout the campground. Don’t leave home without a stock pile of pennies and quarters!
In addition to scheduled crafts, activities and organized games, each night the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground welcomes special guests Chip ‘n Dale for a Campfire Sing-a-Long followed by a movie.
The Sing-a-Long was really fun and upbeat and I couldn’t help but think of how much fun my kids would have had staying at the campground when they were younger!
They may be teenagers but they didn’t pass up their chance to have their picture taken with Chip! I appreciated that Chip ‘n Dale took the time to pass through each row of seats one by one to welcome each guest.
If you want to spend a bit more money you could take a horse drawn carriage or wagon ride. You could also purchase tickets for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. Or you could take advantage of more freebies on the property.
The beach at the boat launch is the perfect spot to watch the Electrical Water Pageant and if you stick around afterward you’ll also be able to see the firework display from the Magic Kingdom.
Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? Well, in all honesty I have to tell you that I am more than a little bit disappointed with the campground. I went to the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground expecting to see and hear a lot of kids. I even thought I’d see some young children that were badly in need of a nap and a bit cranky. I fully expected to put up with a bit of noise. What I didn’t expect was to have loud, bawdy drunks beside us.
I know Disney couldn’t predict that those guests were going to be such a disruption, but my husband was extremely disappointed by the way security handled things on each occasion.
While my son and I were having the time of our lives at the Star Tours Meet-up, the rest of my family were being terrorized by the drunks next door. When I returned with the van at nearly 3 in the morning, we packed up our tent and headed out. Which is why we spent the rest of the night not in the tent, but in one of the cabins at the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground. I guess we could thank our neighbors for the upgrade.
The cute kitchen, dining room, and living area is fully stocked with dishes, pots, pans and dish towels. There is also a Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall, which is where my husband and I slept.
We gave the kids the bedroom and they were excited to see the folded Mickey towel that welcomed them. You can never be too old for those extra touches.
Though my husband still was not appeased, the kids and I were happy that we didn’t need to search for a hotel room in Orlando at 3 in the morning- or worse, sleep in our van!
If you’re considering a trip to the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground, I suggest that if you think you’ll have any problems at all with your neighbors, call the Outpost early in the day and request a new campsite. My husband’s suggestion? If your neighbors give you as much grief as he had, skip Disney security and call the police.
So, is the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground really an affordable alternative to the Disney resorts? Honestly, my opinion of Fort Wilderness drastically changed after hearing what my family put up with in my absence. Yes, the campground definitely has some benefits, but so do a lot of other resorts. Unless you are dead set on camping, or really can’t afford to stay at Disney any other way, I’d really think long and hard about tent camping at Fort Wilderness. We won’t do it again. Ever.
That doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t welcome another night in a cabin though.
I know some of you have probably experienced the Disney Fort Wilderness campground, and I hope it was more pleasant. Why not leave a comment and share how much fun you had?
