So I'm a bit stuck on the idea of vacation!

So to extend yesterdays theme a bit I've revisited my small obsession with vintage campers. I love camping. I'm the only person in my family that has done any kind of camping at all. I've done tent camping, non tent completing roughing it camping in December in Illinois camping and for the most part enjoyed all of it. (Have I ever mentioned that my major was recreation?) Anyway, I would love, love, love to be able to do some camping with Princess Bear (PB). Unfortunately I don't think she's ready for out in the wilds camping. I can't quite trust her enough not to go off adventuring when I turn my back for a second. She has no fear and LOVES any kind of animal so I'm seeing DANGER DANGER DANGER! Anyway, back to my vintage trailer obsession. Have you done a google search lately for vintage campers? Seriously do it! You'll have so much fun! This started when I read an article last year in MaryJane's Farm Magazine which if you haven't read it go to your local newsstand or Barnes and Noble and grab a copy! Here are some pics from a recent google search I did.


Gotta love a classic teardrop camper!


Look at this cutie!


I think the flamingo is awesome!!!


Awesome awesome awesome. I need to show this to Steve! Can I have the barn too please???


I love the welcoming hibiscus tree!


Seriously- could it get any cuter??? Nope I don't think so!


I've also got a thing about window boxes and this is so dang cheerful!


Ok- check out the globe lamp above the sink!!!

So did any of this pics inspire you to hit Craigs List & look for vintage campers???

Sarah

Better late than never!

After reading my friend Jen's blog about traveling and the World Heritage List I was going to write this post yesterday but I got bumped off the computer. I must confess that Jen is INCREDIBLY well traveled and I for one am pretty damn jealous. She is also incredibly funny & I love reading her blog Jen on the Edge so I guess I'll get over it! :)

Before reading Jen's post yesterday I had never heard of the World Heritage List. Its a pretty nifty little list. You can check it out HERE. As I said I'm not very well traveled by any definition. My family vacations when we were young were usually very nice but we were a big Disney family & tended to go there and Space Camp when we were young. One summer my sister & I did a week at Space Camp and then my parents picked us up and we spent a month going to various places in Florida. It was fun but I was seriously ready to get home by the end of that trip! I also took a really incredible geology/biology trip through the Southwest when I was in college. That was my first introduction to camping. The trip was definitely a wonderful learning experience- even though I fell on a cactus. Yes folks I fell ON a cactus. Thank G-d I have high pain tolerance! Anyway, I'm explaining all of this to give you a bit of background on my travel experiences. The only time I left the United States is when we went to the Niagara Falls & stayed on the Canadian side for a few days (which is incidentally where I had the best Italian food of my life!). I've got my wish list of places that I'd like to go to: Australia, Israel, Ireland, Scotland, England, Poland, and a tropical island or two. (If you want a fun read check out a Pirate looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett!)

Now back to the World Heritage List. The places I have been to are:
Mesa Verde National Park A very cool place that has an almost earth bound spiritual feel to it (if that makes sense)
Grand Canyon National Park (Ok- I really need to go here again because this was the last hike on my trip to the Southwest and after I fell on the cactus. My mom was so excited to hear my opinion on it and I reportedly told her "Its a big freaking hole in the ground" Have I mentioned I don't do tired well?
Mammoth Cave National Park Pretty cool if you're into the whole cave thing
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site this place has a very spooky unsettled feel about it.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park The first time I ever saw a bat flight and it was awesome! I've wanted to have a bat house ever since!

Now here is a very abbreviated version of places I'd like to go (I'm leaving out places in the US because I figure I have a better than good chance of hitting those)
You can pretty much go with the ENTIRE list of Australian sites but a few must see are:
Kakadu National Park
Tasmanian Wilderness
Sydney Opera House
Australian Convict Sites

Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg
Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn
Historic Cairo Actually Egypt is another place you could just put me down for the entire list. I used to be so good at reading hieroglyphics it was scary!
Palace and Park of Versailles
Palace and Park of Fontainebleau
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims
Skellig Michael
Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls
Vilnius Historic Centre
Medina of Marrakesh Again Morocco is another place that you could just put me down for everything on the list!
Tongariro National Park
West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord
Cracow's Historic Centre Again, for Poland please insert the list. Being Polish is such a huge deal for my family and it peppers my speech & cuisine so I'd really love to travel it extensively.
Auschwitz Birkenau
German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945) Since we had family that perished in WWII I feel its a place I should go to not that I want to lest one never forgets its on the list.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha / Białowieża Forest
Historic Centre of Warsaw
Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland
Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
Historic City of Toledo Also, just a side note- the best, bar none absolutely the BEST marzipan candy in the world comes from Toledo!

This is just part of the wish list (I didn't even touch on the UK except for a few place in Ireland!) but my bed is calling so I'm out. What destinations are on your wish list?

OK- I disappeared but it wasn't my fault!

Man- I really am trying to keep consistent here! I feel as if I've had another child or two! My sister has been sick yet again so I'm there everyday helping with the kids. Last week I was sick as all get out starting on Thursday. I mean like praying for death sick. I more or less slept from Thursday night to Sunday morning and then on and off Sunday and Monday. I'm still not feeling as well as I'd like but not nearly as bad as I was!

My birthday was on Tuesday and it was an interesting day to say the least. The day itself was almost perfect! I vegged, watched TV and bummed around in the morning and then went to Steve's to introduce him to Sons of Anarchy around 1pm. I found it almost alarming how at peace I felt just hanging out watching TV with him. We could talk or be silent and comfortable either way. I'm so the smitten kitten for him it isn't even funny. Then I had to pick up Princess Bear (PB) at school. I tried convincing Steve to go but no such luck. He really is a lone wolf kind of guy. PB & I took the car to the mechanics and then she wanted to see Steve. I told her I didn't think he was home. That argument wasn't going to hold any water with her! So I called & left him a message. It still wasn't enough for PB who wanted to see her buddy. We went to Culvers & picked up some ice cream. Apparently her game plan was to go to his house & leave it for him if he wasn't there- small problems with that plan! As luck would have it we were both turning onto his street from different directions. Fun was had by all! After we had our ice cream Steve took PB for a walk on the trail & then to the playground for a bit. She overheated which really seemed to freak him out.

After that I had a PTA meeting that my parents agreed to babysit PB for. I had asked earlier in the day if she needed to be fed dinner by the time I left & my mom said she didn't care. Since we'd been having such a good time at Steve's I decided to stay & let my parents give her dinner. Well that was the first thing that set my mom off. Then my dad felt the need to bitch about some random things around the house. I wound up calling my friend Suzy and bawling. I hate that I let them get me so upset. I also want to know what the deal is because my mom & I always seem to have a conflict on my birthday. After the meeting I got home and my parents had a little cake & gifts even though we'd agreed to postpone the celebrating for a week since my stomach is still not ok. I got Jenny McCarthy's Mom Warriors book. I read one of her other books and she really is a tiger when it comes to her sons autism.

So if we're keeping track of the birthday here is the breakdown-
Prize for giving the most effort to me having a good day goes to Steve
Prize for giving me the most grief & not even saying happy birthday to me goes to my dad
Prize for upsetting me overall goes to both of my parents
Prize for being a total joy and loving my birthday more than I do most definitely goes to PB!

New School Year

Well, we've made it through the first few days of school without any major events. Going to school the first morning I was not very hopeful. Mason's mom & I sat there trying to convince ourselves and each other that it would be fine. Unfortunately the heat in the room was stifling but we were assured that once the kids got in the room the sensor would kick the AC on. Then the fact that the teacher told us that there were not any therapists in place was enough to drive us into a panic. I knew the staff had meetings afterwards so I waited until 4pm to call the principal. We had a rather nice chat & she is fully on board for watching Princess Bear (PB) overheat now as well. Therapists are now in place just not ready to provide services. Hopefully things will be moving smoothly by next Tuesday. Princess Bear is very excited about sitting at a big girl desk this year! Previously she always sat at a table so this is a big milestone for her. Here are some pics of the first day! I really hope PB always maintains this enthusiasm for school!

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