February Forever

To be the shortest month, I always feel like February takes forever to get through. But we did get through it! Here are the highlights:

Weston developed a case of cellulitis (on top of poison ivy)
and had to spend some quality time at the clinic.  

Super Bowl Party

Clay's Scout den visited the police station,
and he got to sit in a squad car and get a mugshot.

Brothers and friends!

Ruth, Weston, Jeff, and I got to go bowling at Main Event

Meanwhile, these guys were building bonfires at Mimi and Grandpa's house.

Jeff and I had a day of dates which included a visit to the Haltom City farmer's market,
brunch at the Omni Ft. Worth, a quick stroll through the Ft. Worth water garden,
and a wonderful cultural experience at Mercado 369, where we heard an artist,
whose preferred medium is coffee, give a speech and demonstrate his craft, enjoyed
coffee samples from a craft roaster, and viewed many forms of Latin American art.

Jeff and Weston tried out VR gaming at Source Gaming Lounge.

We played lots and lots of games!

We helped pack and deliver boxes for Lovepacs of Lewisville.

We celebrated my half-birthday with singing, sushi, and tulips.

Weston was chosen to be the MC for the Scouts' Court of Honor at the last minute,
and he was completely nonplussed, even though he had had no time to prepare.
He was also recognized for his most recent merit badges and his latest rank of Life Scout.

Valentine's Day Celebration:
Movie and a Chik-fil-A bouquet for the kids,
fancy dinner at J2 steakhouse for the grown-ups

The younger boys and I traveled to Seguin to celebrate my nephew's birthday.

First track meet of the season, where Ruth ran in the 100M, 200M, the 4x200.
Her relay team captured third place!

Ruth's CyberPatriot team had their end-of-season party.

Sometimes it was hard to get through the school day. 😴

Weston and Clay had a brother rodeo.

Spring tried half-heartedly to make an appearance

Clay helped me work through some of the projects that will be included
in my soon-to-be-published Explore Australia book.

Clay got to be part of the Color Guard at his Scout pack meeting

The Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquet was fun for everyone!
Max helped pass out tickets, and Weston helped
welcome the boys bridging over to Boy Scouts.

We took advantage of one of the really lovely days to have a cookout and picnic.

Max officially joined the Boy Scouts.

We had a field trip to Medieval Times with the boys' Arrow history classes.

Explore Russia

You know how Russia is always in the news lately for being...difficult? Well, I've been having my own personal struggle with Russia that has absolutely nothing to do with the Russians. My newest Geography Explorer book, Explore Russia, was set to be published in May, before our summer trip. In fact, I even submitted it for publication THREE TIMES, but it kept coming back with technical difficulties, which made it unpublishable. So, I decided to leave it alone over the summer and come back to it later. When we got back from our travels, I set to work trying to unravel the problem. Basically, I had to start over with parts of it. Finally, I got the technical issues worked out and ordered my proof. Unfortunately, it came back with some glaring mistakes, and I had try again. AND AGAIN! But, I am proud to announce that persistence does pay off and the book has finally, FINALLY been published. The truth is, even though it was a pain, it may be my favorite Geography Explorer book to date. If you have a kid in your life who likes to learn about far-away places, or if you would just like to read something positive about an amazing country, check out Explore Russia on Amazon.

Yes, And

*This is a deviation from my vacation postings. We're still cruising down the Alaska Highway, and I'll get back to that soon, but today there is something else on my mind.*

One month from today I will turn 40. This seems almost impossible to me, because I don't feel that I should have that many decades behind me. When I absorbed this fact earlier in the year, I honestly became quite depressed. I won't go into details, but it was an ugly time that seemed like it would consume me. Realizing that I was spiraling downward quickly and desperate to dig my heels in and fight it if I could, I started casting about for something--anything--that could act as an anchor and keep me from being sucked into the strong undercurrent of my emotional instability. 

That's when I came across a book called I Dare Me by Lu Ann Cahn. The subtitle drew me in: "How I rebooted and recharged my life by doing something new every day." Rebooting and recharging definitely seemed like a move in the right direction for me. And since I had been struggling with the mundanity of everyday suburban life after our trip around the world, "something new everyday" was irresistibly intriguing. It was a quick read, in which Ms. Cahn chronicled her "year of firsts," which included some things as simple as trying new-to-her foods, to activities as daring as rappelling into a cenote. Most of the things on her list were things she worked into her everyday life. Some were real stretches for her, and others were things she'd always wanted to try. Her main objective was simply to say "yes" when opportunities presented themselves and to give herself permission to step outside her comfort zone. She didn't love every first, but she learned a lot about herself, and she found herself in the new habit of saying "yes." For her, it was a method of combatting her own depression and a feeling of being stuck.

I'm certainly no improv actress, but I have taken a couple of classes and read a couple of books, trying to understand the techniques improv actors employee. There are many principles in the study of improv that are applicable to success in everyday life. Chief among them is the "Yes, and" concept. It basically means you take what is given to you and make it your own. This is what makes improv funny. You have no control over what is given to you by another player or audience member, but you can gratefully accept it and make into something you can work with. For many people, myself included, it is more natural to want to say "No." That's not the scene I want to play; that's not the character I want to portray. Lots of people want to be in control and therefore flat out refuse those situations that aren't entirely of their own making. But even when we can get ourselves to say "yes," we often follow it with "but" rather than "and." This kills the scene and all forward progress. You have to take what your improv partner (or life) gives you, and then you have to make something of it. You can't put the brakes on every idea, and you can't fill the scene (days) with excuses or conditions. Sometimes, you just have to jump in and go with it.

So, this is what I thought of when I read Ms. Cahn's book, and I knew immediately that a year of firsts, a "yes, and" year, was exactly how I wanted to celebrate the first year of a new decade of my life. The prospect makes me excited and nervous, and that's how I know it's the right thing to do. As I contemplated the idea, my depression was eventually lifted, and I made a plan to start my year of firsts on my birthday.

But, I seriously need some help. 365 days is a lot of days, and, while I want to be spontaneous and look at my world with new eyes for inspiration, I also want to have an arsenal of firsts from which to draw if I get stumped. I have started making a list, but it's a little skimpy. That's where you come in, if you're willing. I would love to have your suggestions of big and small things I can add to my list. I would also appreciate your words of encouragement and support, along with your own stories of saying, "Yes, and." 

I will be starting a new blog, devoted only to my year of firsts, and will keep this one for the goings-on of our family. I will share the URL soon and would love it if you'd follow along on my personal journey for self-improvement. Feel free to leave your suggestions for firsts in the comments section of this blog or on Facebook. 

One Year of Go, See, Do

I cannot even believe it, but Monday will mark one year since I published Go, See, Do: A Travel Journal for Kids! To celebrate, Amazon is offering the book at a discount for the entire month of October. (It was $8.95, now it's $6.95.) So, if you have a kid in your life with upcoming travel plans, this would be a great time to snag a copy. I have been pleasantly surprised at the success of the journal, and I'm thrilled to have produced something that so many people are finding useful. If you do happen to purchase the journal, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a review for it on Amazon. Spread the word to your friends!

Go, See, Do is one year old!

So many things

First: As you can see, I'm experimenting with a new look and name for the blog. I would really love your feedback! Feel free to tell me what you like as well as what you don't like.

Second: A huge piece of my heart just walked out the door to catch a plane to New York. I'm so proud of my girl and excited for the opportunity she has to attend a special camp at Skidmore College during the next three weeks, but the letting-gos are always a little hard on a momma's heart.

Third: Yesterday morning, I published the third Geography Explorer book, Explore Thailand. If you have a kid in your life who might be interested in that part of the world, check it out.

Fourth: Yesterday afternoon, we continued our explorations of the island. We visited the Hanapepe swinging bridge and Glass Beach, which is partly made up of a huge deposit of sea glass. We also popped into the Kauai Chocolate shop, before boarding our Napali Coast tour boat. We spent several lovely hours cruising around the island and taking in the stunning scenery of the Napali Coast. We also had appetizers, drinks, and dinner aboard the boat, and ended our tour with an amazing Kauai sunset.

Hanapepe Bridge

Glass Beach

The less glassy side of Glass Beach

Kauai Chocolate

Napali Coast Cruise

Sneaky Rainbow

Can you guess why they call this Kong Point?

Find the owl hidden in the rocks.

The lovely Napali Coast

There are two sea caves at the base of the brown mountain in the center.
These were created by lava tubes, and they are constantly growing.

The entrance to an awesome sea cave that has no ceiling

Another beautiful rainbow

A mother monk seal and her pup catch some rays on the beach

Sunset at sea

Explore Hong Kong Winner

You haven't been hearing much from me, because there truly hasn't been much to report. We spent the last few days lounging around the pool at the resort, and yesterday and today the oldest three kids were taking their annual grade-level SAT tests, while Jeff and I assisted with the administration of tests for other grades. My kids were just as thrilled as you might imagine to have to take standardized tests while we are visiting Hawaii. But there was just no way around it, since we couldn't find a place to have them tested overseas, and the testing season will be completely over by the time we get back to Texas. They were doubly thrilled because we have not been doing school on a regular basis for a while now. But, they survived and lived to see another Hawaiian sunset, this time on Oahu's North Shore.

But enough about what we've been up to. I have a book winner to announce.

Congratulations, Jhenisa!!

You are the winner of my lastest Geography Explorer book, Explore Hong Kong. Thank you so much for commenting and for following our travels! I will be mailing the book to you soon.

For the rest of you, you can find the book on Amazon, if you are interested, and you can get there quicker if you click on the picture of the book in the sidebar. Also, keep an eye out for Explore Thailand, which will be published soon.

Aloha!

Explore Hong Kong

Just before we left New Zealand, I published the second book in the Geography Explorer series: Explore Hong Kong. With all our moving around, I almost forgot to tell you. I'd love to give a copy away to one of you. For a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, telling me something you are looking forward to this summer. I will announce the winner on June 16.

Do you have a kid in your life who might like to learn about the culture and geography of Hong Kong?
Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this helpful, interactive workbook.

优胜者! (WINNER!)

You may remember that there is a giveaway happening here today for my new book, Explore China. For me, it is the 18th already, but I didn't do my drawing until this morning, because I wanted to give everyone on the other side of the world a fair chance to get your name in the drawing. I would like to thank everyone who submitted a comment and for the many others who have shown support for this project in other ways. The winner has been chosen using Random.org, and I'm pleased to announce that the winner is...

Stacy Allen!

Congratulations! You will be receiving a free copy of Explore China in the mail very soon. 

If you didn't win but had your heart set on owning this book, you may purchase it on Amazon (using the link or by clicking on the image of the book on the right hand sidebar). The next Geography Explorer book (Explore Hong Kong) will be published soon, so keep an eye out for that one. 

Congratulations, Stacy!
I hope you and your kids enjoy the book!

Dunedin

We relocated to Dunedin today, which will be the southernmost point on our entire journey. We are staying in a fun little bed and breakfast on the "steepest residential street in the world," according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The owner warned us that parking at the house would be impossible, because our car would just slide down the hill, regardless of how many brakes we set, so we also got to have the experience of schlepping our bags up the record-holding street. I was once again thankful that we travel lightly! From the porch, we have a lovely view of Dunedin and the gorgeous surrounding mountains.

 A lovely send-off from Chirstchurch

Baldwin Street:
The Steepest Street in the World

From our porch, overlooking Dunedin

Sunset

(In case you missed it, I have just published a children's geography book about China, and I'm giving away a free copy. To be eligible to win, you just need to leave a comment on yesterday's post. I will be announcing the winner on May 17.)

Explore China

A couple of months ago, I was hit with the inspiration to write a series of children's geography workbooks. Since that time, I have been working very hard to put together the first book of the Geography Explorer series, "Explore China," and I am excited to announce that it is finally finished and live on Amazon. I think it is perfect for students looking for supplemental material for an existing geography program, young travelers preparing for a trip, and kids interested in expanding their knowledge of the world. In the book, kids are invited to explore China in a variety of ways, including map exercises, recipes, book recommendations, craft projects, and other fun, interactive activities. 

I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to combine my passions for travel and education, and to celebrate the marriage of the two, I'd like to give away a copy of Explore China to one of you. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post (Facebook comments won't count for the drawing), telling me your favorite Chinese food. (If you don't like Chinese food, or if you've never tried it, don't despair. You will still be eligible if you simply leave a comment.) A winner will be randomly selected on May 17, which means he or she should have a copy in hand by June 1, which is Children's Day in China. So perfect, right?!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Explore China

More London Fun

Since we were all up and at 'em a little earlier this morning, and since we are now pros at using London's public transportation systems, we made it into the city a little earlier this morning than we did yesterday morning. We had hopes of joining a walking tour, using our hop-on, hop-off tour ticket, but at the last minute, we changed our plans and decided to stop at King's Cross station, instead of the one nearest the meeting place of the walking tour. There, we followed the signs for platforms 9 and 10, and found ourselves at Platform 9 3/4, where we saw Harry Potter's trolley, right outside the Harry Potter store. The kids were so thrilled with this stop, and we got them each a little souvenir. The older boys chose Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which provided entertainment for most of the rest of the day. Clay chose a chocolate lollipop, and Ruth opted for a Gryffindor ink pen. (None of that will mean anything to you, though, if you haven't read the Harry Potter books or at least seen the movies, so I apologize if you have no idea what I'm talking about.)

After that fun stop, we hustled back on the train and headed to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. It was fun to see all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the ceremony. Plus, it was nice to get a good look at the palace, since commercial vehicles, like our tour bus, aren't allowed to drive in front of it.

From there, we walked through Green Park and Hyde Park, taking advantage, once again, of the surprisingly sunny weather. We decided to picnic in Hyde Park, next to The Serpentine Lake, where the swans, geese, and ducks entertained us while we ate. Our last act in the park was to visit Speaker's Corner, where, on Sundays, the public is invited to speak about whatever might be on its mind. The only caveat is that an individual who wishes to speak must be at least six inches off royal soil, so you need to bring your "soapbox," which is where, we were told, the saying "On your (my) soapbox" comes from.

We spent the rest of the afternoon aboard the hop-on, hop-off bus, seeing the interesting sights of the city and being thankful that we weren't seeing it on foot with the millions of other people wandering around. We are big fans of the hop-on, hop-off bus tour and will likely try it again sometime in another city.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in London, but we'll wrap it up tomorrow with a trip to Real Russia (the travel agency we are working with to book our Trans-Mongolian train trip), finalizing our visa applications for Russia and China, before heading to the coast for a few days, while they process everything.

Platform 9 3/4

A sweet treat for a sweet boy

Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans

Some of the flavors are truly disgusting,
but that is part of the appeal to boys, I think.

Buckingham Palace

The royal pipers during the Changing of the Guard

More Changing of the Guard pageantry

A walk in the royal park

Swan Love

A man on his "soapbox" in Speaker's Corner

Harrod's Department Store
(I personally think this building is prettier than Buckingham Palace!)

Piccadilly Circus:
London's answer to Times Square

You can't see it very well because of the fish decor,
but this is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
We were so tempted to hop off the bus and go it to try it,
but Jeff and Weston already had big plans to hit the sports bar
in our hotel to watch real American football.

It was a full, fun, and fatiguing day!