Baby, it's cold outside!

So it is September 12th and we just got our first snow for this fall/winter.  It melted as soon as it hit the ground and barely accumulated on cars, but it was still snowing.  Our low was 34 degrees today and it was definitely a good trial run for winter in the RV.

J just finished winterizing our RV last week and we're glad that we finally found all the supplies we needed.  Winterizing an RV means making sure that your water system isn't going to freeze when the temperature drops.  The water pipe was wrapped in foam insulation and then heat tape to keep it from freezing.  In case you are unfamiliar with heat tape, it has a sensor that causes the tape to heat up if the outside temperature to go under 40 degrees.  As a result, this morning we got warm water when the cold water was turned on for a short period of time, so at least we know it works.

J has also put plywood around the bottom of the trailer to help protect it from the cold wind during the winter and added insulation to the windows.  The added insulation on the windows has the added benefit of blocking light during nap time.

One of the concerns we had to address when deciding to move into the RV was the cold winters we experience here.  Snow rarely lasts for more than a day or two and sub-zero temperatures are fairly uncommon, but it still gets cold here.

An RV is not as well insulated as a house and so we've had to come up with other solutions to dealing with the cold.  We have a small electric heater that we used in the nursery when the kids were younger.  It can easily heat the entire RV while on its lowest setting.  J and I have a heated blanket and the girls have sleeping bags and extra blankets.  J-bug's major defense will be heavy sleepers and sleep sacks.

Luckily, the consistent cold weather is still a little ways off, but I feel confident about our preparations.

Challenges to Full-Time RVing with kids

Although I have nothing but positive things to tell people about this change, there are challenges.  Most are pretty minor and just require some creative solutions.

Fewer storage areas

Obviously downsizing toys, books and clothing is a necessity, but even when you've done that, finding a convenient place to store the necessities is a challenge.  

• Toys and Books:  We have a green basket for the toys and books.  It moves to the dining area at night and moves back to their bunk during the day, because we haven't found another place to store them permanently.  

• The cabinet in the bunk area is not easily accessible enough for me to hang their clothing in there.  As a result, I have their clothing arranged in plastic tubs and pull out the ones I need each day to access clothing.  Since we all know "Winter is coming", we have just made room for winter clothing and extra blankets.

• Holidays such as birthdays and Christmas will require some planning and communication about gifts.  Most of our family is already sensitive to our situation and the lack of extra space and are planning accordingly.  We will be encouraging family and friends to gift small items (such as dvds, books, and digital media), monthly subscriptions to services or programs, passes to local attractions,  contributions to their current lessons and activities (fees or gear), or tickets to special events/time with the kids (for local friends and family).  There are a surprising number of monthly subscription options for preschool, from a monthly craft box called Kiwi Crate to digital book subscriptions with thousands of children's books (Meegenius).

• While the high cabinets make it easy to keep dangerous items out of little hands, there is an issue about where to store the things they use on a regular basis.  J-Bear has a favorite car that needs to be easily accessed and CANNOT go in the toy bin.   E-Roo has her own hairbrush and play jewelry that she uses from time to time.  We have a hanging shoe organizer on the door near their bunks.  The girls have been given 1 row of pockets that they can use for those types of items.

Limited indoor play areas

• The dining room quickly becomes the easiest place to play, limiting the area I have to work on craft projects or school planning.  It also means that we have to clean the table before every meal so that their favorite doll's hair doesn't get a ketchup mask or a new dye job on her clothing from berries.

• Sometimes the girls play in their bunk, but it is cramped and barely has enough head room for the girls to sit back there.  Most often, the bunk is used to role play being in a cave or hide from the fighter planes that occasionally fly by our house to land at the nearby airport.

• The kids occasionally play on the floor, but only if no one is working in the kitchen or moving around the RV.  There is very little room for cars or trains on the floor.  Larger play sets are out of the question, but luckily, there's still enough for J-Bug to play, learn to crawl, and begin pulling up on the benches.

Cleaning takes some adjustment

• More of an all day activity rather than a set time for chores.  The floor of the RV is swept at least once a day, since everyone is walking the same path all day long.  I sometimes struggle with finding a time to clean, since it's hard to restrict the kids to one area while I clean the others.  When we lived in a house, the kids could be corralled in the play room while I took care of cleaning the other rooms.  Now, I have to find an activity that will keep them up on the dining benches or in their bunk so that I can sweep the floor.

• We have really tried to enforce the expectation that the current activity has to be cleaned up before moving on to the next one.  The girls quickly discovered that it's hard to start something new when the previous activity is taking up your play space.

• The good news is that a smaller RV can be cleaned in about an hour.  Deep cleaning might take another hour or two, especially if you find that your current organization system isn't working.

Homeschool organization

• Currently, the girls are doing preschool level activities.  The only problem that I've found is that I don't have room for all the different theme related items that are useful in teaching young children.  For our dinosaur unit, I bought dinosaur figurines that were used in multiple activities.  For the upcoming fall season and halloween units, I purchased tiny plastic pumpkins to be used in counting activities.  If I do this for every unit, we will quickly run out of space.  

E-Roo is matching the "baby" dinosaurs 

to the correct "Mommy" dinosaur

J-Bear has decided all dinosaurs are carnivores.

• Currently we work at the dining table or outside.  I have always loved the idea of a dedicated homeschool room or space.  Obviously, that is not possible in our current situation.  One option we've discussed is finding a cheap office space and running a home-based business for supplemental income.  That would give me the option to set up an area in the office for homeschool work.  Another option is finding other places to escape to.  The libraries here have private study rooms we can rent and the local coffee shop will provide us a change of scenery, if needed.

Color matching activity using an old egg carton and craft pom poms.

Perhaps families with older children won't run into some of the challenges we are.  Some of the problems we've had are age-specific, and I look forward to the time when their toys and entertainment become more compact.

For example, knowing that he would grow out of clothing quickly, most of my amazing family members sent us clothing in larger sizes.  He was in 6 month clothing when we moved in, but quickly transitioning to 9 month.  He will probably be moving to 12 months in the next month or so.  So we've been storing the 12 month clothing that was neutral enough to pull from the girls' collections and the clothing we were given by family.

The Treasures of the Library

We are still figuring out our school schedule and fighting some illness that we managed to pick up last week.  Luckily for me, preschool is mostly play right now.  We have a theme, but most of our activities involve playing, reading, or completing some art project.

The library has been the best source.  I can get books for each theme without having to worry about long term storage or cost.  It's amazing.  Even better, I can put my books on hold at one of the libraries and then collect them from a drive-thru window, without unloading all the kids!

When J is with us, we go inside to let the girls pick out books that have no relation to our theme. This week, Pete the Cat is their favorite find!

There Are Dinos On The Oven!!

We started our preschool homeschooling this last week, so I don't really have a lot of brain cells left to dedicate to the blog this week.

One of the challenges I've found with school stuff is a lack of wall space.  We don't really have space for posters or even smaller objects to reference all week.  We've adapted by using gel clings on the windows, a small calendar that sits against the window, and magnets on the oven.

Right now, we're working on colors, but I'm already planning the next themed unit

J-Bear took an interest in dinosaurs and has been asking to read books about them, so that will be our next theme.   I found a set of 20 magnetic dinosaurs, but the set was 15 dollars.  Instead, I went to Joann Fabrics and Michaels and found painted dinosaur cutouts in their wood section.  For less than 5 dollars, I made a magnetic play set with pairs of 3 different kinds of dinosaurs and some palm trees.  The girls love it.

E-Roo got so excited when I showed them that they stuck to the oven door. "Dad!  There are dinos on the oven!!!" Our refrigerator does not have a magnetic door, so the oven is the only spot accessible to the kids.

The Benefits of RV Living with Children

Just as with any living situation, there are pros and cons to living there with children.  We have 3 children under 4, so I can only offer the perspective of a parent with smaller children.  Those with pre-teens and teenagers will obviously have different challenges and perspectives.

Pros of RV living with children

Fewer toys

This means fewer toys to clean up and store.  You may also want to avoid toys with small parts, as they may litter the floor of your RV on a regular basis.

More motivation to go outside

This gives everyone a chance to spread out and get out of each other's space.  Not only will it make living in close quarters more bearable, it will also allow small children to get out energy so that they aren't driving you crazy by running back and forth in the RV. 

Fewer opportunities to get in trouble

You know those terrifying moments when you realize your kids have been quiet for too long and are probably up to no good?  Yeah, I know those moments.  They often resulted in a trashed bathroom or bedroom.  Now, the girls are almost always in my line of sight.  There aren't many places they can cause trouble and many of the substances they would use are out of reach.

Most of the storage spaces are too high for toddlers to reach or difficult to access.  

Scissors, knives, and glue are stored in cabinets that are so high that I need to stand on a bench to access them.  Cleaning Chemicals are stored in outside storage (except for a spray bottle of vinegar/water solution).  There is more storage under the bunk bed, couch, and our bed that require heavy lifting to access.

Cleaning is quick and easy

It takes me less than 5 minutes to sweep and mop the floor of our whole RV.  Wiping down the shower, toilet, and sink take 10 minutes. I can easily clean the whole RV in less than an hour.  It takes an hour and 40 minutes to do laundry.  For the first time in my life, I can get all of the housework done in one day.  If I clean while the laundry is going, I can spend less than 2 hours a week cleaning and doing laundry, with only a daily sweeping of the RV floors and dishes done in between.

Smaller sink in the bathroom lends itself to early independence

In our rental house, neither of the girls could wash their hands without us lifting them to reach the faucet.  Even the purchase of a stool failed to remedy the issue.  This sink is low enough that both girls can turn the water on and off with the aid of a stool.

The Holes in my Research

When we decided to move into an RV, J and I both did what we always do in the face of trying something new: RESEARCH.

We both read websites and blogs dedicated to full-time RV living.  We watched youtube videos to see how people had organized their space and solved the problems caused by less space.  J combed through blogs to find out what kinds of gear was essential for comfortable living and facing the challenges of cold weather.

There are several things that we didn't learn from those sources:

Without a list, you will probably take more than you need.  

• We determined that 8 outfits would be the best number.  Then, I could do laundry every week.  If the schedule prevented that, we still had one extra day of clothing.  Unfortunately, I didn't really keep track as I threw clothing in the suitcase.  

• I can't even tell you how many bottles of tylenol we had in past rental house.  There was a bottle on my desk, there was one in a kitchen cabinet, and at least a couple in our upstairs bathroom.  With the toiletries always being within 20 feet of where we are in the RV, there was no need for 4 bottles.  I had to make some serious choices on what we brought with us.  

Find items that serve multiple purposes.

• A collapsible colander can not only be used to drain the water from your pasta and rice, it can also be used as a dish drainer.  I sent J a picture of a collapsible dish drainer and he asked why we couldn't just use the colander we already had.  Obviously, that was a way better option.  Bonus: I don't have to find a place to store the colander.

• If you have kids, consider switching to the kid-friendly versions of common household items.  We all use baby lotion instead of having 3 different bottles of it in the bathroom.  We also only use non-allergenic laundry detergent, so that we don't have to  try to store both baby detergent and the regular stuff.  

The kitchen is the one place where items designed for RVs or small living spaces will be necessary.

• If your RV does not come with a sink cover or a stove cover, you will probably want to purchase them or find alternatives.  We ended up buying a stove cover to give us more space to prepare food.  Instead of a sink cover, we bought a cutting board that fit across the basin.  The cutting board is absolutely necessary in order to avoid balancing dishes on the edge of the sink while cooking.

• RV/camping stores aren't the only places to find useful kitchen tools.  I found a line of kitchen utensils designed by Joseph Joseph.  One of the utensils is a 5 in 1 tool that combines a spatula, serving spoon, slotted spoon, turner, and cutting tool.  There are also plenty of designers that have made nesting or collapsible measuring cups and spoons. 

Life Lessons from Full-Time RVing (Pt. 2)

Things I will never take for granted again:

• Immediate access to hot water
• We only have 30 amps that are usable before we blow a breaker, we turn the water heater off when the air conditioner is being used.  We learned very early on that if the air conditioner, water heater, and microwave were running at the same time we exceeded 30 amps.  This means that in order to take a shower or wash dishes, we have to turn the water heater on and give it half an hour, before beginning. 

• A dishwasher
• Aside from cleaning toilets, dishes are pretty high on my cleaning hate list. 

• A normal sized oven
• I love to bake, but making 4 muffins or 6 cookies at a time is going to make my holiday baking very tedious.  It took 3 rounds of baking to make 12 scones.

• Counter space
• The prime real estate of any kitchen is counter space.  We have one very small folding counter space.  That area is usually taken up by the fruit and vegetables that are not refrigerated.  In our previous houses and apartments, I was terrible about cluttering up counter spaces with small appliances, groceries that I didn't feel like putting away, mail, and anything else I dropped on it throughout the day.

• The ability to move around my living space without having to ask people to move
• The girls know that when I start working in the kitchen, they have to stay in their bunk or on the dining table benches.  If J and I need to move past one another, we either squeeze through or one of us moves into an alcove to allow the other to pass.  There are plans to upgrade to a larger RV, if we decide to do this for an extended period of time.  One with a slide will reduce this problem.

• Any bathroom that has more space than ours
• There is enough space to stand in our bathroom and that's it.  You can step in far enough to close the door. There is no space to put clothing while showering, except in the sink or on top of the toilet lid.  There is no counter to lay out beauty products or even set down the hair dryer while you style your hair.

Most of these issues revolve around the kitchen.  I think that's the area that has required the most adaptation.

Life Lessons from Full-Time RVing (Pt. 1)

Living in an RV has forced us to make a lot of changes.  Not only have we had to downsize our posessions and get used to sharing space with 4 other people 24/7, but we've had to make adjustments to the timing and way we do everyday activities.

I think the most important thing we've learned is that we don't need all the things that we had previously owned.  Its amazing how many kitchen gadgets that we owned, but rarely used.  Most of our small appliances were stored away in the cabinets and were used a few times a year.  Almost all of them were purchased for convenience rather than their unique ability to complete a specific task.  I haven't missed the steamer, the rice cooker, the toaster, or the food processor since living here.

The girls have fewer toys available, but find new imaginative ways to use them.  They recently had a picnic on the floor and used toys in some new, non-traditional ways.

The person most affected by the reduced space for "stuff" is J-Bug.  He was 5 months when we made this move.  He was still using some of the larger baby items (a small rocking chair, a swing, and a jumperoo) when we left the rental house. We brought the travel swing and rocking chair, but found that the swing was difficult to get around when it was running.  The rocking chair is the one constant for him.

I know that generations of kids were raised without all of these swings and chairs, but he really enjoyed jumping and swinging.  Luckily, soon he'll want to spend most of his time playing on the floor.

Good habits that we have developed:

• Cleaning up after ourselves
• I realize this seems like an obvious statement and I suppose I could pretend that I have always done this, but I suspect that my former roommates, friends, and parents would laugh at that.  With this amount of space, cleaning up as you go is a must.  My makeup and beauty products MUST be put away before anyone else uses the bathroom, clothing absolutely has to go in the hamper, and the toys need to be picked up before moving on to the next activity.

• Preparation for a meal needs to be done before cooking. 
• There is no counter space in the kitchen. This means that chopping, mixing, and dry preparations are all done on the dining table.  In order to avoid burning the food that is cooking while I try to find space to chop the onions, I make sure all the prep is done before I light the burners.

• Only purchasing things we need at the store
• There isn't really room for compulsive grocery store purchases.  When we purchase more than what we can fit in the pantry, it ends up piling up in our living space.  When we start putting pantry goods on the table or stove, that means we need to reorganize or go through some dry goods before purchasing any more.

• This is doubly true for non-food items.  We do not have excess room to store clothing, craft supplies, or toys.

In the next entry, I'll write about some of the things that I will never take for granted after this adventure.

"Itty Bitty Living Space"

The most common reaction I receive when I tell people we live in an RV is some comment about a lack of space.  This very issue was the biggest concern I had about full-time RVing.  How would a family of 5 survive living in such close quarters?

Surprisingly, it's much easier than I expected. We all have space that is periodically off limits to others.  J's favorite area is our room.  There are times when we allow the kids back there and there are times when the girls are asked to stay out.  I have taken over one of the dining table benches.  My crochet projects, books, and electronics are kept there.  The girls have their bunk bed and the other dining table bench.  

J also spends a lot of time outside.  He often sits out there while the dogs run around the fenced in area outside.

Our current living quarters are less than 200 sq. ft. It takes less than 20 steps to get from one end of our living quarters to the other.  When weather makes it impractical to leave the RV, we very quickly feel how small our living quarters are.  

The first day that J extended the awning, we had a storm.
By the end of it, the hail covered the ground outside and
had piled up on our covered trailer. 

In order to avoid that situation, we spend a lot of time out.  When the weather is nice, the girls play in the empty lot next door and play in our water table.  

We also go to the library at least once a week and the nearby playground a few times each week.  As a family, we go ice skating  at least once a week and hike on the weekends. I guess we'll have to become more creative when we get to the winter, but for right now, we're enjoying the sunshine.

The Natural Wonders of the RV park

Our RV park is sandwiched between a small airport and some very busy roads.  Despite that, we've had a number of animals come near our RV.  In just a short period of time, we've seen several birds, 2 rabbits, a few squirrels, a deer, and many interesting new insects.  

A few of the neighbors near us have bird feeders, so we often have birds near our RV.  The girls love to watch the birds that pick bugs from the gravel in the adjacent lot.  J-bear gets very upset if she thinks the birds are bothering her beetles.  We found this little guy one of the first few nights we were here. 

J-Bear loves to look for the beetles in the empty lot beside us.  When she finds one, she spends a few minutes looking at it, then runs away and tells everyone how scared she is.  

Pantry Woes

For the first time, I may be in over my head.

I have 2 big boxes of pantry goods and a very small pantry.  One of the requirements of every place we've lived in since college is that it MUST have a stand alone pantry.  Luckily, those have been easy to come by...until now.

The biggest challenge will be some of the bulk shopping we've done since I have discovered the heaven that is Costco.  I finally live near one and it more than lived up to the hype.  The only problem is that I know have 4 large bags of nuts, a large tub of dates, and a giant container of pancake mix.

There are 4 shelves in my pantry.  My guess is that they're slightly more than a foot deep, a foot tall and a foot in width.  I remind myself constantly that these are not meant to permanently house a family of 5 and that it will take a bit of creativity to get things organized.

(An hour later)
I got the first box of pantry supplies in there.  It's a really good thing that I am good at Tetris.  The only things left in this box are 2 large bags of nuts.  The only thing that concerns me is that the pantry is now about 3/4 full and I have another box.

(Another hour later)
Well, it's done.  There are now pantry goods on the shelf under the table (where the girls sit, so they won't be kicking it.  There are also some pantry items under the area where the bunk beds overhang.

A few notes about RV pantries and full-time RVing:

• They are surprisingly large considering how small they look.

• Remove items from their box to maximize space (crackers, cereal, cookies, etc...)

• Use bins to make accessing goods in the very back of the pantry easier.  It will be easier to slide a bin out to get the canned goods in the very back, than to remove the things in the front over and over again.

• You wouldn't think I'd have to say this, but I ended up having to re-do mine after using it for a few days.  Organize your shelves with frequently used items at the front.  This may mean separating items your would otherwise store together.

• Utilize space outside of the pantry for larger items. (under the dining room bench, under the dining table, under the couch, small niches and cubbies.

J-Bear, you're not invited to my wedding.

After a day of running, we had the brilliant idea of going to get sub sandwiches at the local grocery store.

Unfortunately for every grocery store in the area, I grew up with Publix as my go-to sub shop.  Needless to say, I have yet to find anything that comes close to Publix bread here, but at least King Soopers has Boar's Head meat and cheese.  Maybe it'll be close...yeah right.

Tangents aside, we got our subs and had a picnic outside the trailer.  E-Roo was so excited, I think everyone within the full-time section of the RV park knew we were having one.  J-Bear was too busy looking for bugs and then telling us how scared she was of them.

Most of the dinner was spent remarking on how well this had all turned out, but later it turned to the amazing spectacle that is J-Bear's food dipping obsession.

Me: Oh wow, J-Bear, are you sure you want to dip those nacho cheese chips in your tres leche icing?
(she nods and merrily continues)
J: J-Bear, that's gross.  You're not invited to my wedding...
Me: Your wedding?  Are we getting married again?
J: It was the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of fancy eating establishments.

It's amazing when I consider how much time we spent eating dinner in front of our computers and TVs before we moved into the RV.  The girls and I still eat breakfast in front of the TV, but the other meals we turn off all electronics and talk.  If I had to choose the best change we've made, this is it.

The First Night

We spent our first night in the RV and it was much better than I expected. We still have the rental house for another week, but we want to make sure everything is set before we move over for good. We brought a couple board games that the girls could play, some clothing, and food to last us through the night.

E-Roo is all ready to spend the night in her new bed!

When we arrived, the girls were so excited to see "the bus" again.  We played some games, had some snacks, got everyone in their pjs and in bed.  The girls played a little in their bunk bed before J had to step over and stop the fun.  Our oldest, E-Roo, was out like a light shortly after they settled down.  Our middle child, J-Bear, had a harder time.  She kept getting out of bed to make sure we were still in the trailer.  The youngest, J-Bug, fell asleep quickly and still only woke once during the night.

E-Roo and J-Bear have already adopted our neighbors.

There were a few obstacles that we ran into the next day.  While preparing to wash my hair, I realized that I had grabbed the conditioner instead of shampoo.  Luckily, we use Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap to wash our hands, so I had a backup plan.  That stuff really can be used for just about everything. I turned on the water heater, only to find that the water was still ice cold 45 minutes later.  I called J in a panic.

Me: We have our first problem.  The water heater isn't working.  I just washed my hair in cold water.  

J: Did you turn it on about a half hour before you used it?

Me: Yes.  

J: Did you turn the correct knobs in the shower?

Me: Yes.  One gave me cold water and the other gave me even colder water.

J: Did you turn on the correct water heater switch?

Me: There's more than one?  

J: Yes, the one you need is on the right and says Water Heater: electric
Me:  Oh.  Problem solved.  Nevermind.

After we all ate breakfast and got dressed for the day, we returned to the rental house.  We still need to pack and clean the house before next week.  All in all, it was a good first run.  We have another list of things that are needed at the RV and we'll move things over slowly.

J-Bear cleaning up some spilled milk.

Luckily, E-Roo is there to coach the clean up crew.

Oh The Things We're Learning...

We've found an RV.  J has been looking on Craigslist for a small BH Travel Trailer.  Right now, we're starting with something that is small enough to tow with an F-150.  Until we find a tow vehicle, we can borrow a truck from family or friends.  If absolutely necessary, we can rent one.

What we ended up with is a small travel trailer with bunkbeds in the back.  The two toddlers will easily fit on the bottom bunk together.  There is no slide on this one, so it will be a little tight when more than one person is trying to get around.  Our plan is to use this trailer as our trial run.  We'll use this one for a year or two and then evaluate whether or not we need to upgrade.

So, let's get back to the things we've learned so far:

• Colorado hail and those goofy plastic domes over the ceiling vents are NOT a good match.  J went to put some things in the trailer and noticed that there was water on the bed and in the bathroom.  The little dome had become brittle in the sun and all it took was one storm with hail.  Thank goodness we're in a dry climate, so we didn't have to worry about mildew.

• There is a time to try to find a long-term RV park, and May is not that time.  The weather here is absolutely gorgeous this time of year.  It's nice and cool in the evenings and warm during the day. Many full time RVers go south for the winter and return in May.  Most of the parks we really liked are already full and offering to place us on a waiting list 

• Even though we thought about this and researched it for weeks, there are still things we did not consider. We got a bunkhouse to accommodate the toddlers, but where is the infant going to sleep.  We thought we would have room for a pack n play next to our bed, but it's too narrow.  What about all the other gear that our little man needs? Right now, he can not sit up on his own.  He often rotates between a high chair, the floor, a jumperoo, and a swing for his play time.  There's no room for the jumperoo for sure, and there's not much room on the floor for even a blanket.  Then, there's the dogs.  J has a plan for where they will stay and building a small pen so they can run outside.  Meanwhile, I had totally forgotten that those little guys existed.  (I know, I'm a terrible dog owner).  

I'm sure there will be more to learn over the next few weeks.  Hopefully, we get it together and in working order before our lease is up at the rental home.

"Thanks for being crazy with me"

There was nothing unusual about that Saturday.  It had started as most do, with coffee and getting the kids ready for the day.  J and I had been looking for houses and I was fully prepared for him to suggest driving by one of the houses he'd found on Zillow or Trulia the night before.

He looked over at me nervously.  "Hey, so you want to indulge one of my crazy ideas?"
I assumed it was to seek out a house way out in the country.  "Sure, where are we headed?"
"Camping World...just to see if it's even practical."
"To see if what is practical?"
"Living in an RV.  I've been thinking about it for a week or so.  You know me, I have to see all the options and then start filtering out the ones that don't work.  I can't filter this one out yet."

After a few minutes of silence, I think he started to get worried that I was upset or panicked. "I questioned whether or not I should even mention it to you.  At one point, I considered coming down here on my own and looking at them and then bringing you and the kids to get your input."  

What he didn't know was that I wasn't immediately thinking that it was impossible, but I was trying to get rid of my immediate hesitation so I could approach the idea with an open mind.  Finally, I responded "We can go look and then talk about concerns later."

We walked through about 8 or 10 RVs and realized that the larger ones were actually quite practical.  I was still worried about space and privacy.  "The only real concern I have is that I will be home with the kids ALL day and once you get home, I won't have a place to be alone and decompress."

"If that's the only concern you have, we're doing way better than I expected.  So, why don't we go home and do some research.  Maybe mull it over for a week and then decide."  I agreed and most of the drive home was spent talking about various pros and cons.

Google the phrase "full-time RV" and you'll find that there are hundreds of websites dedicated to it.  There are forums full of  people sharing their experiences and tips.  Although they all decide to take on this lifestyle for different reasons (recreation, jobs that require a lot of travel, simplification and downsizing, etc...) the process and obstacles are, generally, the same.

Did you know that there is a term for kids who homeschool on the road?  It's called Roadschooling. There's a website for Families on the Road (FOTR) too.  There, I got to see the experiences of families who have chosen this path. I saw a family of 8 that lived full-time in an RV so that the father can travel to teach classes about personal finance.  I saw a family of 3 that travel with the circus.  Families of different backgrounds, choosing the same unconventional lifestyle.

I spent the next 2 days looking through blogs, youtube, and forums for all the reasons we shouldn't do this.  All I found were the concerns I already had, privacy and space.  Instead of finding reasons not to, I found even more reasons that we should take on this endeavor. The motivation to downsize your household to just essentials, the flexibility to try out places that you might want to live before committing, the ability to move with respect to weather, and a low cost of living were all enticing reasons to consider full-time RV living.

Beyond all that, there was the ability to travel without having to make arrangements for pets or find hotels willing to accommodate them.  We could afford to travel more often, since we could often find RV parks that charged the cost of a single night's hotel stay for the whole week. This would give us the ability to take our kids to the places they were learning about.  The opportunities seemed endless.

We know there will be challenges and obstacles, in addition to all the positives we've found.  It won't be rainbows and kittens all the time, but we couldn't expect that living in a house either.  As J and I discussed the things we had found on the internet, we began to get really excited about the idea.

So what do our friends and family think?  Undoubtedly, there are some who think we've lost our minds. The prospect of living with 3 children under the age of 4 in a very small space would be intimidating for just about anyone. There are others who have expressed excitement and support.  A few even said they wished they had the flexibility to do it now, instead of waiting for retirement to live this kind of life.

When I finally told J that we should pursue this idea, I heard the line that I hear whenever I agree to go along with one of his unconventional plans: "Thanks for being crazy with me.  It wouldn't be the same without you."

How did we get here?

My family has decided to get rid of most of what we own, pack up the sentimental items and put them in storage, and start living in an RV full-time.  If you had asked me 10 years ago where I thought I'd be, this would not have even been a remote possibility.  So how did I get here?

Humans are interesting creatures who never seem to be content with the present.  As a result, we often spend a lot of time reflecting on the past and planning for the future.  I don't know that anyone would ever tell you that learning from your past or having expectations for the future is a bad thing, but we've built a culture that teaches us to worry about everything except our present moment.

Growing up in this culture, I have planned for my future since I was about 6 or 7.  The plan started out simple enough: I'd get through grade school, go to college, become President of the United States, and maybe get married somewhere along the way.

By the time I got to high school, I knew that college was still part of the plan, but getting married and having children had become more important to me.  Now the plan was to figure out what I wanted to do for a living and find a husband.  We would have 2 kids, a couple dogs, maybe some horses and settle down in a house with some property where my kids could raise their 4-H animals.  Simple enough, right?

In 2006, I graduated with a degree in education, got married to a young man I'd met while working at Target, and moved to Georgia.  My husband had been accepted to a program that would provide us more opportunities than we could have expected right out of college.  In my 4th year of teaching, we had our first child and suddenly everything changed.

I decided to stop teaching and stay home with our daughter.  Our five year plan adapted to the addition of a second daughter the next year.  Suddenly, we were looking for a place that we would want to live for a while.  When we went to visit my in-laws, we realized that the climate and landscape of Colorado were perfect for us.

The job hunt began. When I was 6 months pregnant with our third child, there was a job offer and suddenly we had 6 weeks to pack up and move. We packed up our house, drove the 26 hours with 2 dogs and 2 toddlers, lived with family, and found a rental house. After our son was born, we began to look for houses again. The plan was to find a house on at least 2 acres.  I still wanted horses, a place to raise chickens and other small livestock.

We soon found out that most of the houses being built were either $180,000 townhouses or large houses starting around $220,000.  We've always said that we didn't want to work for the rest of our lives or drastically change our lifestyle to pay off a house, so we began looking at all the options.  We could buy an older house that we could pay off quickly, but most of them would require a lot of work. Perhaps, we could find some land and put a trailer on it while we build our dream home.  Modular homes are pretty popular out here and fairly economical, so that was an option.  Ultimately, none of the ideas were all that exciting for us.

As an engineer, my husband tends to look at all the options, even the ones that no one else would consider.  I'm used to hearing his crazy schemes, as he works out the practicality of each idea.  Most of his extreme ideas get a resounding no from me, but every once in a while, I decide to trust him.  That's what happened here.  He suggested we live in an RV full-time and although I was hesitant at first, I eventually agreed.  So, here we are preparing to move our family of 5, along with 2 dogs, into an RV.  Let the adventures begin!