Longest road trip/vacation ever

by Ariana Peters, posted in travel

My niece graduated high school 2 weeks ago so my mom, my kids and I road tripped down to Southern California to celebrate and be with family. If you have, or had, small children you know a long time in the car is a challenge. We have done a few road trips with my kids and when we are able we break it up as much as possible. We try not to drive more than 6 hours a day.

We were lucky enough to be able to take 3 nights and 4 days to drive each way. Then we spent 10 nights there for a total of 17 nights and 18 days!!!!! It was fun but we all came home exhausted.

We tried to pack lunch every day to limit the fast food.
We got to see family along the way.
Fast food still happened. And soooo many bathroom breaks.
The kids LOVED staying in hotels.
Complimentary breakfast every morning
Toni boxes for the win!!
Railroad museum stop in Sacramento
This place was huge and very cool.
We learned a lot.

In California we enjoyed lots of family time and time with friends and a trip to the Discovery cube museum with my best friend.

Cousins!
First and second generation cousins!

We spent a day at the Aquarium of the Pacific with my mom, aunt and sister.

They had 3 different areas the kids could do some hands on learning

AND we managed a day at Disneyland! (Kids tickets were on sale for $50 so I jumped)

It was a long but great day.

Then we started the long journey home. We left late Sunday night, drove for 2.5 hours and made it to Mojave while the kids slept and pulled into the driveway about 2:30pm on Wednesday. Lots of leg stretching stops, snacks and saying we are so close to being done! We did one museum stop but really just wanted to get home because we missed daddy so much!

Popsicle break in the heat
Hot but beautiful views in Bridgeport, Ca
Got to see a good friend!
Last hotel breakfast
Last park stop
Leg stretching.

Overall the trip was great but so long. We were all done by the end.

Long time no post

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, homeschooling, kids, life, mini-farm

Hello! Happy May.

It has been about 2 years since I have posted. I currently have a 4 year old and a 5.5 year old. Both very active and very smart. Life is busy. I am home full time with the kids and we are homeschooling.

Recently we moved to a smaller town about 30 minutes from where we were living and are even outside that small town. We have just over 2 beautiful acres that feels like paradise…..the house, not so much. But you can’t have everything can you?

This is my view while I type.

I am hoping to start blogging regularly again. I will still be mostly a lifestyle blog. I will still talk about health and fitness; especially my fitness journey (nothing new there). After having 2 children less than 18 months apart the weight never really came back off. Currently, I am, deep breath, 185 lbs. and I am only 5’4″. I got really sick during my pregnancies, so it was always more just about eating than worrying about weight gain. Though I did gain weight. Since then it has been survival mode. Since having kids I have run 2 half marathons but have never managed to outrun my diet hahahaha. I am working on that. I did do a chest and triceps workout this morning and even resting my arms on the table to type this is starting to hurt.

Part 2 of the blog will be our life and anything that may encompass; travel, gardening, what I am reading, mom encouragement, and who knows what else.

Last, but by no means least, our homeschool journey! We just finished out first year with Classical Conversations and I love it. I will do a whole blog talking all about it. I will also talk about the homeschool philosophies I sort of adhere too and anything homeschool under the sun. We are done with our co-op for the summer but in the fall I will post about our weeks each week. I am working on a summer rhythm for us right now and once I have that nailed down I will tell you all about it.

If you are still here from before I hope this continuing and new content interests you; and if you stumble upon this blog now HI!

My daughters birthday party this past weekend. We have been reading Little House in the Big Woods and that is the theme she chose.

What a week

by Ariana Peters, posted in homeschooling, kids, life, school/studying

In the span of 10 days we had upper respiratory infections, stomach bugs, an ear infection, a stolen truck, and delayed flights.

My husband was out of town for work when this little man went down.

Then my little girl went down
When my husband was supposed to fly home it turned out he didn’t have a ticket! That was fun.

Then we found out the truck was stolen and towed

Got to spend a day going to the tow yard and police station and talking to insurance
Off and on recovery but we finished little man’s pre-reading program
Had some fun outside time sprinkled in
And went strawberry picking!

Traveling for a death in the family

by Ariana Peters, posted in homeschooling, kids, life, travel

Boy oh boy has it been a crazy few weeks.

Currently I am sitting in a rental car outside my aunt’s house while the kids catch a quick nap in between the funeral of my grandmother and the open house after. But let’s start back at the beginning.

A few weeks ago my little man stayed the night at his Grammy and Papa’s house for some one on one time, before going to pick him up I got the call that my stepdad died suddenly. Then comes the flurry of activities to try and figure out a last minute trip for the funeral.

At the last minute my son got an ear infection so we didn’t go……days later, very few days later my grandma went on hospice and went downhill FAST!

This was just 6 months ago

Enter another flurry of plans to try to get down and see her before she passes…….I booked plane tickets for a 2.5 week trip to hopefully spend time with her and also make the funeral that was probably soon to happen. I booked the tickets and 20 minutes later got the phone call that she died.

We are 2 weeks into the trip, just finished the funeral and fly home midweek……I cannot wait to go home. 2 weeks is a long trip with kids when we don’t have a schedule and have moved houses twice.

We have spent a lot of time outside looking at nature, have done a little bit of workbook stuff and spent lots of time with family

Did I also mention I am solo parenting this trip? Lol. This mama is TIRED!

On the plus side we are going to Disneyland before we leave….had to throw some fun in.

Weekly Workouts

by Ariana Peters, posted in healthy lifestyle, life, training

Got back on the horse this week!

I worked out Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

I started using an App called justfit. Currently it is almost all body weight workouts, right now they are about 17 min long which is perfect for me right now.

This next week I just want to keep my momentum going and maybe add in a run or two.

I am really focusing on a good night routine to set me up for a good morning routine.

Homeschool curriculum pt 6

by Ariana Peters, posted in homeschooling, kids, life, school/studying

Science!!!!!!

We mix Blossom and Root’s nature study with The Good and The Beautiful’s little hearts and hands science Wind and Waves and Fields and Flowers. I try and pair them loosely to the seasons and things we might see or experience.

My oldest is a smidge young for both but if I find a good connecting book or something he really gets into it. My youngest is just a long for the ride at this point hahaha.

For example we just did the water cycle. I found a great library book that my son loved about a drop of water going through the water cycle and that brought it alive for him.

Water cycle experiment