Hiroshima Castle

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 StefanieLeave a comment

We spent Memorial Day Waking up late and discussing the meaning and somber reason for Memorial Day. After a late breakfast we loaded up and headdd to Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Castle.

M really amazed me when she asked to listen to the first recording twice and was very still and paying attention to the screen. There was only two sets of headphones with English translation so I don’t actually know what was said. On the second floor there was an interactive screen and she knew the answer to the first question without hesitation. When I asked her how she knew that she very matter of fact told me “Well I just listened to the headphones.” Oh M I love you and your seriousness about your answers when you are focused.

We climbed all the way to the roof, five floors, doesn’t seem like much but these were very steep stairs and I had the hiking backpack with a J on. My calves are screaming today!

The entrance to the castle grounds has a big building in it that has some history or at least I’m assuming that’s what it is, no English translation was available. The very last room had a large taiko drum that was available to play.

The girls day was made. M was not to sure about the security guard helping her but she said that it was fun after the fact.

We did a lot of exploring and had a good time. This was a pretty cheap day that really only consisted of parking for 1600 yen and admission for me of 370 yen.

You can see Z in the bottom picture with her kindle taking pictures. She has asked for a camera for her birthday. We think it will be a great gift since she has sleep away camp this summer. If anyone had suggestions for a basic digital camera that is pretty durable let me know.

We had a great day of local history and ended our day with some great ice cream.

Bread, vegetables, homeschool and Scentsy

May 27, 2017May 27, 2017 Stefanie2 Comments

Today I tried my hand at making bread. I have made bread plenty of times before but I always use the fancy bread machine my parents got me. I decided today would be the day I make it by hand and actually have to do everything versus just adding stuff to the machine. I was hoping the kids would help me make it but they were either playing outside or taking a nap, I chose to not interrupt them. This was a pretty easy recipe I found on Pinterest and it came out pretty good.

My husband Chris is deployed right now so there is a lot of emails going back and forth all day about just everyday shenanigans around the house. Today I couldn’t wait to tell him that the vegetables I have been trying to grow are actually starting to produce. I decided that I would try my hand at container gardening since we are in military housing and will be moving in a few years. We all went to the local store here and just picked out a bunch of different starter plants to give it a try. I am so proud to say that everything is coming along nicely and I actually have small cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I also have flowers on spaghetti squash, zucchini, and watermelon. I am now requesting that he build me planters when he gets home since I can apparently grow something when I put my mind to it. It is always a running joke that I have a black thumb. My dad is amazing though, that man can grow anything. I am hoping that I can begin to learn his tricks because I need to grow as much as possible so I can keep up with the rate the kids eat.

I have decided that we will homeschool year round because it will just fit in better with the schedule that my husband has. I finally have everything in hands for both of the girls for this upcoming year. I have decided that M will have a two year kindergarten since I just don’t think she is completely ready to do everything but she is to advanced to stick to strictly preschool assignments. She is super happy because her books are brand new, being the younger sister she gets stuck with a lot of hand me downs. Z however has used curriculum that I was able to get for half the price from a friend that had only used about two weeks worth of the lessons. Some time spent erasing all the pencil markings and it is good as new. I am still deciding on beginning our year in June or July, one part is ready to start but the other part of me wants to hold out a little longer. I think that the rainy season will be a big deciding factor in our start time.

I am an Independant Scentsy consultant and I have been doing that for a little over a year. I really enjoy it since I am able to make a small income and still be home with the kids. Well Scentsy launched a new collection named La Habana and it is supposed to be influenced by the vibrancy of Cuba. Well Cuba will always be special to me since that is where Chris and I met so of course I had to buy it. I have had Cafe Cubano warming and it is making my whole house smell amazing! My kids love picking out what scent we will be warming next and telling everyone what their favorite scents are. Both of the girls are very different in their tastes and it is so funny. Z is more of a cafe collection and M is all about the fruity.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment about what you think about this blog.

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Introduction

May 20, 2017 StefanieLeave a comment

I have tossed around this idea for a blog for a while I just couldn’t commit. I always had an excuse well really three main ones, those crazy children of mine. The more I thought about this amazing life we get to live and just how far away from home we really are I thought this would be a great idea for all of our family to keep up with us instead of seeing my 50000 status updates. You all know I can’t contain the crazy to one post.

I have named my blog Homesteading Homeschoolers since we are trying to be just that. I hope this shares the joys that we are experiencing and you know with our family there will be disasters and hilarity. Grab a glass of mommy juice or a beer, I don’t judge, sit down and hold on for all of this.

This first post will have nothing to do with the name of the blog, see we are crazy like that. Ok I will mention some things but meh it’s just tidbits.

Today Z had a day camp up in the mountains for Girl Scouts. I double checked everything yesterday and said ok we need to be on the road by 730 to get you there on time. We all got up without much fight, well I hit snooze and woke up with a sinus headache but overall we were up. Kids head downstairs to start finding breakfast while I am trying to remember how to operate the coffee maker with this headache and all the noise at this time of day. Everyone finds what they want and proceeded to just take the longest possible to eat a bowl of yogurt. Seriously after 30 minutes M hadn’t eaten a bite and J had spilled most of his. Ok to bad we gotta go, I can’t screw this day up she is counting on me plus I am totally racking up the cool mom points here lately with the purchase of skateboards and ramps (no one has needed a n emergency room run yet). In the van we go, get the gps going, ok we are doing great. Let me run through that checklist one more time, AWESOME we don’t actually have to be on the road until 830 but we are to far into the drive to turn around and I am not going through that fiasco at home. We will just explore.

We make it to where the activities are taking place and doing great, we drive past it and just decide to see whats up here. Nope my motion sickness starts kicking in and the coffee is the last thing I want to drink but we are in the mountains and there are no stores or vending machines (in Japan there are vending machines everywhere) seriously Girl Scouts you picked the one mountain without machines! Ok tell the kids we are going to pull over and they can unbuckle and just hang out in the van, don’t kill each other. Guess what I found the spot with no cell reception, SCORE! Ok it has been long enough at this point and I figure I will just drive really slow and we drop Z off. Well we start driving and all of a sudden from the back I hear Z screaming “Look its a monkey!” No-one else saw this thing but she swears it was there and I really do believe her. We get there and sign her in, do a last-minute check on her stuff. Ok bye!

Start heading back down the mountain with the other two who have decided they don’t actually like each other right now. Ugh mom is turning up the music. Make it back to just about base and remember I need heavy cream for a dinner I am dropping off to a new family tomorrow, commissary has been out for weeks. Ok no problem stop at a local store, been here long enough I have this one down. Great might as well grab some fresh chicken so I don’t have to pull some out of the freezer. Of course you want a snack M, heaven forbid we go into any type of store and you not want a snack or to use the bathroom. Grab something because then I can get a coke and not feel bad for not getting you anything. Pay for our few items and head out to the van, mind you I can see the front gate. “Mom can I have my snack?” M asks. “Of course you can!” Get everyone their snacks and drinks to start driving on base and remember I need stupid disposable pie pans, ugh guess we are stopping at the commissary after all.

Ok we need pie pans and that’s it, in and out we can do this. Dang it the senior class is doing a bake sale. DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT!!!! Phew made it in, grab what we need and start heading out. M wants a lunchable, sure grab one because you don’t know it yet but you are taking a really long nap after that. Grab some sushi for myself because I don’t have to cook that and can lay down too. Awesome only two extra things this time, I did awesome. Head out the door and this baby-faced boy who is taller than me is standing between me and the van which will take me home to the nap that I so desperately want. “Excuse me ma’am. The senior class is having a bake sell to help raise funds….” I have no idea what he said, I fished out two dollars and said this is what I have and no we don’t need any cookies thank you.

Fast forward to time to go get Z and another little girl that I am bringing back. It is bedtime when we start heading up so M and J are super talkative. It is dark because it is almost 8pm. All I am picturing while driving through the dark mountains on these awful roads is the stupid monkey is going to just on my car and I am going to lose it and we are going over the edge. See husband told me this story from a long time ago where a snow monkey jumped on the hood of his car on the way back from snowboarding. This disaster is totally plausible. Of course this is so crazy but I am telling you this is all I thought about the whole trip plus don’t screw up and get in an accident with a kid that isn’t yours in the car. Pick up two very hyper 6-year-old girls and put them in the back seat and back down the mountain we go.

“Guess what Mom?” Z says. Seriously I have no idea. “What sweetheart?” I am really trying but I really want to be in bed watching crap tv and drinking a beer at this point. “We had 4 smores each!” Hey thanks leaders!!!! Non stop talking all the way home. Friend says hey are you even in school because I don’t see you. Z says well we homeschool, it’s so cool. My teacher is driving us home right now. I get to do second grade math and I am really supposed to be doing first grade. Friend asked a couple more questions and then that subject of conversation was over.

We all get home and everyone starts getting ready for bed. I grab that beer I have been dreaming about and some allergy meds (don’t judge you know you do it too). Girls get ready for bed and J is doubled over in pain from constipation so dude needs an enema. Ok we handle that and I am do not afraid to admit it but I totally popped open that beer while waiting for him. All the kids got in bed without issue, we said prayers and now I came to document all of this for you.

If this didn’t get written down nobody would believe me. Until next time readers.