My Children Share: Their First Ski and Snowboard Experience

I can’t believe that we raised our children for years minutes from a ski lodge and never once attempted to go skiing! So what do we do? We move to Alabama and THEN drive hours back to Ohio so they can attempt to stay on their feet on the slopes. 

I asked my kids to share their thoughts on the experience- hope you enjoy reading what they have to say.

When we were in Ohio, we went skiing and snowboarding with some of our friends. It was our first time but we were convinced we’d do a great job. We soon found out that skiing is not as easy as we originally thought. At first I was doing good, I had only fallen twice, but as the day went on, I got worse and worse until finally I was so mad that I just stopped. I thought maybe snowboarding would be better, but NO, I was wrong once again. After wiping out a few more times I called it quits and vowed NEVER to ski or snowboard again. I mean it. NEVER! ~ Nickolaus

Some of my best friends have gone skiing and snowboarding for years. They’ve tried to talk me into going with them forever so I was really hoping this trip that it would work out for me to finally try. It was a lot of fun. I spent half of the day skiing before I switched to snowboarding. I started on the small hills but before we left I even went down some of the bigger ones. It was great and I can’t wait to go again! The only thing I would have done different is to have taken a lesson from one of the instructors instead of just listening to my friends. Though I managed to stay on my feet the majority of the time, I need some practice when it comes to stopping.  ~ Joshua

While we were in Ohio, we had some of our friends ask us if we wanted to go skiing with them. My first reaction was No, but I thought about it and decided it would be fun to try. I decided I wanted to skip the lesson, since it was an hour long and I thought my friend would teach me pretty well. But it was only her second time, and well…. It didn’t go so well. It was extremely fun but it would have been nice to know a few things. Like how to turn, how to stop without falling down or running into some random stranger and how to actually get on my skis without sliding down the hill. So yeah, those things would probably have been good to know. Haha. ~ Chelsea

There you have it, the scoop on skiing, out of the mouths of my children. I have one that was extremely disappointed and feels like he wasted his money. One that thought it was okay and not the worst thing she’s ever done and one child that absolutely loved the experience and can’t wait to go again.  

Have you ever tried skiing or snowboarding?  What’s been your best (or worse) experience on the slopes?

Who Would Ever Guess?

Okay, remember that gift card I won from GameStop before Christmas? One of the items I picked up was Dance Central for the Xbox Kinect. I knew my daughter would love it. What I didn’t expect was this:

  

Who would ever guess that the girls would have a hard time convincing the boys to take a break and share the game?

Out of the Mouths of Teenagers

The TOS Crew has a weekly blog cruise that I rarely join. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t often take the time to write up the weekly post. I’m so bad about that. Anyway, this week I was glancing through my reader and noticed that the hop was for your children to answer three questions. Hmmm….as I read, I wondered what my children would have to say. So I decided to ask them. If I was going to take the time to ask their thoughts, I may as well share there answers. Of course I was expecting a profound revelation from my teenagers. I just knew they would say something brilliant. Yeah. Right.

Which leads me to share our lunch conversation. I know you’re dying to read about the interview but you’ll enjoy this. Trust me. First, we don’t normally have lunch as a family, I’m the kind of wonderful mother that forces her children to fend for themselves for lunch. Today was different, my husband was working near home and since it’s cold here, he wanted to come home for lunch to warm up with Josh, who is helping his dad out today.

We are having a pleasant if not goofy conversation when my daughter says, “Don’t you ever want to know what all those bad words we’re not allowed to say mean?” We just kind of stared at her not really knowing where she was going with this. Proudly she continues…. “Well, I looked them up”. Aren’t teenagers a blast?    

Anyways, without further ado…here are the three questions I asked and the thought provoking responses that I received. It was Joshua’s turn to work so he was off the hook. I could ask him later, but he doesn’t enjoy being interviewed. Remember when we lived in the motor home and I interviewed Nickolaus and Chelsea about their life on the road? They loved it, Josh never would consent. I may have even offered to pay him. But I’ll never tell.

Why does our family homeschool?

Chelsea- “That is something you have to answer.” Me- No, they want to know your thoughts. “Because it’s better than public school? Because that’s what you felt the Lord wanted us to do. Personally, I think homeschooling has to be better since we take more field trips.”

Nickolaus- “We’ve homeschooled since the beginning because my mother went to public school and didn’t think it was the best choice for our family.”

What is your favorite part about homeschooling?

Chelsea- “Ummm…more field trips.” (Duh…didn’t she just answer that in the first question? How dare I ask again!)

Nickolaus- “Spending more time with my family.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Chelsea- “Photographer.” Me- do you want to expound on that? Chelsea- “Professional photographer?” Giggle. 

Chelsea loves to take pictures. You don’t normally see her without her camera. I think she’s pretty good too, but then she is my daughter. I could be biased. I don’t think so though. You can see some of her pictures here. 

Nickolaus- “A pilot.” 

In October he flew for the first time with the Young Eagles program and now he’s participating in an online pilot school. You can read more about that here.

Well, there you have it, the answers to these three important questions in the universe out of the mouths of teenagers.

You can stop by the here to see how other crew members answered this, or rather, how their children answered the questions.

Just for fun, you should ask your kids the same questions. Do you know what they would say?

I’m Stunned….

Remember I told you that we’d made a trip to Ohio last month to retrieve some of our personal belongings out of storage? Well, I’d sent my boys to grab the last remaining items from the van (finally) and my oldest son stepped into the house saying….prepare yourself… you won’t believe it...

“Mom, we used to do the neatest things. We just don’t do ANYTHING anymore.”

“Ex-cuuuuuse me???? “ Clearly, my offspring does not speak my language because I just could not understand what he was saying.

“What about our field trip to SIFAT? or the Storytelling Festival? What about the Aquarium? Didn’t we just take a cruise in September?”   I roared…

…my son was clearly taken aback… “Ummm…yeah…we still do cool things, mom…it’s just…well…you don’t scrapbook it anymore.”

At this his siblings also joined in with an accusatory, “YEAH, MOM!”    

In his arms, he’d carried in one of  our scrapbook albums plus a few loose pages that had been saved when our basement flooded. Each page was full of pictures of adventures we’d taken prior to Live the Adventure, and captioned, recording the Who, What, Where, Why and When’s for when our memory fails us. 

We reminisced as we turned each page.   

“Why don’t you scrapbook anymore mom?” 

Sheepishly, I replied… “…because now I blog.”  

So.

Now I feel guilty.

The truth is I gave up scrapbooking for a couple reasons. It can be a bit expensive, and I tend to be a perfectionist. My pages were never perfect enough so every time I looked through my album, I’d see something to change and I did. My husband finally tired of my anal behavior and told me to stop fixing things or stop scrapbooking. Unable to control myself, I choose the latter.

Now I regret my decision.

So, I’m thinking…it would be nice to present my children with a story of our adventures for Christmas…has anyone ever had their blog made into a bound book? I know it’s possible, I just wonder how it turned out.

And…

Anyone have any tips for a recovering perfectionist who has decided she’d like to ease back into scrapbooking?

Do You Know What’s Been Happening in the Backseat of Your Car?

I was going through some of our vacation photos and found some random snapshots that my daughter took. I just about died, I was laughing so hard- I just had to share. Keep in mind that there were 8 of us in the vehicle and none of the adults in the two front seats were even aware of anything out of the ordinary taking place.

 

What on earth? I really think I need to keep a closer eye on my teenagers- they’ve reverted back to the toddler stage!

From Plain to Pizzazz

I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek of my daughter’s newly decorated room yesterday. As promised, I’m going to show you how to add a bit of pizzazz to the ever popular wall stickies to turn this:

  which is Okay…to this….

which is really cute and simple.

First, you need to apply your sticky. Next you will need letter stamps and stickers. I raided the clearance section at Wal-Mart and found a set of clear stamps by Stampology for $4 and two packs of Bling! scrapbook stickers by Jolee for $3 each.

I chose to accent the sticky with random French words. Though I’d originally planned to use LOTS of words, I’m pretty impatient so I changed my mind and found I liked using the words over again. So I chose Paris, of course, France, Oui and Bonjour and randomly stamped them on the wall careful to keep them some what even on each side.

Once you know what words you want to use, you can apply them one letter at a time, or one word at a time.  I chose to use word by word by sticking the letter stamps on a piece of clear paper. Make sure that your words are in reverse order so when you place your paper on the wall your word won’t be spelled backwards. 

Arrange your letters or words.

Apply paint or ink to your stamps- I used acrylic paint. 

Position your letters on the wall and press down slightly, careful not to move them around.

After you’ve added as many words as you desire, randomly add decorative stickers.

That’s it. It’s that easy and for under $15 we created a one of a kind wall art.   

This post is linked to the Before and After Party hosted by the Thrifty Decor Chick.

Decorating a Teenagers Room on a Budget

A couple weeks ago, I shared a post about decorating with thrift store finds. Today I’d like to expand that thought and share how I have been able to create an adorable Paris theme room for my 13-year-old daughter for under $100!

You may remember from our quick home tour that my daughter’s room was originally purple with stenciled flowers. It wasn’t the worst room I’ve ever seen and I certainly appreciate the fact that the stenciling took quite a bit of patience and time but I can’t say I was overly crazy about it either. My daughter thought her room lacked originality and creativity. It doesn’t help that she is not a fan of purple.

She is a fan of Paris, specifically the Eiffel Tower, which was the reason for our road trip this past spring to Paris…Tennessee that is. She’s been planning an Eiffel Tower inspired room for quite some time and of course I wanted to make sure it would turn out extra special.

The first thing we did was select a paint color. My daughter really wanted to paint her room black. I know ICK, right? However, she is a teenager and really wants to express herself right now. I compromised with her and we chose black accents rather than black walls. I think this light powdery blue had a more French feel.

So we set to work painting her room and the transformation began. After painting, we applied an Eiffel Tower sticky to the wall that we’d picked up at Hobby Lobby with a 50% off coupon so it cost right around $5. The bedding came brand new in a bag from my favorite thrift store for $25. Looks cute doesn’t it?

As much as I love the way her room was shaping up, I found that the sticky alone on her wall needed to be jazzed up. So for an additional $10  for a little bit of paint and some stickers, we added a few creative touches. What do you think of this?

Adorable, if I must say so myself. Stop back tomorrow and I’ll show you how to create something similar.

I’d also picked up this curtain, brand new for $4 at that same thrift store. Originally I had planned to use it in the kitchen, and it may end up there eventually but for now, it works in my daughter’s room. Since Chelsea reads all the time, I knew she’d need a reading corner and somewhere to store her growing book collection. I found this little shelf at Wal-mart for $15. Had to pay full price, which I really don’t like to do, but the price was right (not overly thrilled with the quality- but what did I expect for $15)?   My daughter had also chosen the wall hanging that we propped on the bookshelf from Hobby Lobby during a 50% sale. If I remember correctly the picture was right around $6. 

See this huge floor pillow?

Also brand new from that thrift store I can’t seem to stay out of. I paid $6 for it and it matches her bedding perfectly.   

We also created this wall hanging with a tin basket I’d found for $1, a scarf from my daughter’s closet and a bit of stenciling.

Total cost? Around $72 for bedding and decorations and another $25 for paint (wall paint and fun chalk board paint for another project that I have planned- so stop back to find out about that later).

Her room isn’t completely finished yet, I still have one project (price is included in the cost above) that I hope to complete this week but I am thrilled with the results so far!

If You Give Your Teenagers a Box…

I just bought a lawn mower that came in a huge box that I was planning to save but my kids had other plans…

Anyone want to guess what’s in the box that my son is pushing through the house?   

Doesn’t look like she really minded that much, does it?

Who thought boxes just made fun toys for preschoolers?

Aahhhh….teenagers…gotta love ‘em!

Out of the Mouth of…. Teenagers

Monday I saw this video on Facebook and really enjoyed it. Then I found out that it was just one of those things that developed a life all its own and went viral. So this is the scenario:

Me, to my children:  “Did you guys watch the video I posted on Facebook? You have to see it! This woman did this in front of her church her, Pastor recorded it, put it on Facebook and it went viral. Viral means (I am a homeschooling mom…remember?) ….”

My daughter : “Ummm…mom…we’re teenagers. We knew what viral meant before you did.” 

My son: “Not to hurt your feelings or anything mom, but we’re kind of up on all that stuff.”

Okay. Maybe they have a point.  Just in case you want to see the video clip I was referring to when I learned how much more savvy my kids are than me, this is for you.

Chelsea With the Band

 

My daughter loves to listen to Contemporary Christian music. She likes a wide variety which varies from Third Day to Hawk Nelson to Pillar.

She also loves to go to concerts and on occasion, we’ve met a few Christian band celebrities. One year she met Anthony Evans…now that guy can sing…and Kimber Rising…those gals can sing too!

She also had VIP tickets to Youthquake last year and met Skillet and as a special surprise, she also met three of the guys from Decyfer Down…wouldn’t you know that would be the time that my camera card would reformat i.e. delete all my pics? 

Earlier this year she met  O’Reilly at SoulStock 2010… this band was so down to earth and did a great job of sharing their hearts and love for the Lord… 

…Finally, not a singer…but still a celebrity to my kids…we went to Freedom Fest and it made her day to meet Wally from Total Axxess…

In addition to all her pictures, her bedroom closet is now adorned with ticket stubs and posters, souvenirs from the concerts and events we’ve been too.   

She’s even decided to start a blog called Chelsea with the Band and she would really love if you could stop over and take a peek and say hi. It would certainly make her day to get a comment and unfortunately, I’m not allowed to be her first comment. Says Chelsea. 

Anyway, won’t you puh-leeze stop over and check out her blog? She just completed an interview with Hudson from Shine Bright Baby.

Freedom Celebration: One not to be Missed

We are a music loving family. I remember listening to a wide range of music growing up...Peter, Paul and Mary, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Alabama, Elvis, Survivor, Rush, Kiss...you name it...I listened to it. Though I still enjoy listening to a wide range of tunes, the majority of what we listen to as a family falls into the Contemporary Christian category. When we attended Soulstock, we were thrilled to hear about another upcoming concert which was held last Sunday at Flint River Baptist Church in Hazel Green, Alabama. This time I took my own advice from 15 Tips to Maximize Enjoyment at Outdoor Summer Concerts and packed a cooler full of cold water and wore light colored clothes. Of course we arrived a bit later in the evening so the temperature had dropped to 92 degrees, so it wasn't quite as hot as it had been at Soulstock.

The Freedom Celebration was a full blown festival. Not only did they have great music, they also had a car show...


Of course the guys found a few they were interested in. My oldest son has been debating whether or not to sell his car. After the car show he decided he'd keep it just to show in upcoming shows.
There were hot air balloon rides, vendors, rides and lots of inflatable games.

Incredible music and amazing testimonies offered by Rush of Fools and Newsong (there was also an up and coming artist performing, McKenzie Lockart, but we didn't hear her). I was so impressed by the bands, not only have both of the bands recorded some of my favorite songs, but they also have a heart for sharing the gospel.

We loved Rush of Fools and the lead singer even waved at my daughter, wouldn't you know that would be the picture that I accidentally deleted? Ooops!


The kids were able to meet Wally from Way-FM. He's a super nice guy and we all enjoy listening to him on Total Axxess.


Newsong was amazing!



We didn't spend a penny- the entire event was free unless you chose to ride a Segway ride, hot air balloon, or purchase food.

I can't even begin to tell you how awesome the fireworks display was. It is said to be the best show in Northern Alabama and though we haven't seen any other local displays, I do know we've never seen a show like it. It was absolutely phenomenal. You really have to see this video my daughter took to see what I'm talking about...and this wasn't even the grand finale!
One more thing, this event was all about freedom..the freedom we have in Christ...the freedom we have to worship freely... and a tribute to those men and women that have served and are serving our country to make sure that we continue to have those freedoms. What are you celebrating this 4th of July?