Catching Up

The last several days have been a whirlwind of fun and excitement! On Friday, Jeff took Ruth to Tyler to attend the College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) college fair and horse show. They were able to visit with several college recruiters and learn a little more about riding options post high school. On Saturday, Ruth rode in the show and won first place in both of her classes, high point for her division, and high point for the entire show. In addition to two blue ribbons to add to her collection, she also received a gift card to her favorite riding gear store, a beautiful bridle, and a $500 college scholarship. We are so proud of her! On Sunday, Jeff dropped her off with her veterinarian aunt in Houston, so she can spend the week working in the clinic and getting some hands-on experience.

High Point Rider, 1st Place Winner, and all-around amazing young lady

Meanwhile, I stayed behind with the boys so they could attend their weekend practices. I got a wild hair on Friday afternoon and ripped out our grape arbor, took down all the window screens, and pulled up all the dead shrubs around the house, all of which made me happy in so many ways. But it wasn't a weekend of all work. We also managed to squeeze in quite a lot of fun, with pizza and a viewing of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure on Friday evening, a trip to our favorite movie theater on Saturday to see The Batman Lego Movie, and a full day of fun on Sunday, which started with brunch at The Snooty Pig, followed by some quality time at Barnes and Noble, and ended with the library's monthly game day.  

No more arbor means more light inside my house!
(It also means I don't constantly have to worry about that rickety thing falling down on my kiddos!)

Movie date with my boys

Brunch at The Snooty Pig

A variety of reading positions at Barnes and Noble

Game Day at the library

On Monday, Clay realized how close he was to finishing the first book (of two) for first grade math, and he started working math problems like a crazy man. He ended up doing 14 lessons in that one day, knowing there would be a celebration held in his honor when he finished. He worked so hard, and we are so proud of him! He chose the revolving sushi restaurant for his reward, and we had a blast selecting items off the conveyor belt and trying them out. 

So proud of this hard worker for accomplishing his goal and finishing the first half of his first grade math curriculum!
(I don't know many 5-year-olds who would chose sushi for a celebration, but this kid loves it!)

As you math nerds were no doubt aware, yesterday was Pi Day, which happens to be one of our family's favorite "holidays." On the recommendation of several people, we decided to try out Mama's Daughters' Diner in Lewisville. The pies were not in the same league with my Granny's or Jeff's mom's, but the party was fun nonetheless!

Pi Day 

Finally, I'm having a big giveaway of all of my books this week, in an effort to beef up my reviews on Amazon. I still have some of the Geography books to give away, and I'd like to give them to you guys! All you have to do is leave a comment here or on Facebook stating the country--China, Hong Kong, Thailand, or Mongolia--you are interested in. Your comment is your promise to leave a review on Amazon. It's just that simple. Feel free to tell your geography loving friends. 

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!

Fun all across the island

This morning we hopped up and headed over to the other side of the island, near Hilo, to visit Botanical World Adventures. We got to see a gorgeous waterfall, wander through the beautiful gardens, and find our way out of a hedge maze. The kids and I also did the zipline tour, which allowed us the opportunity to experience the tropical forest in a more intimate and exciting way. We zipped down seven lines, through the trees and over a lovely stream. It was so much fun and really beautiful!

When we left the park, we drove along the Saddleback Road, which took us right by the Mauna Kea volcano, which is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its true base under the sea. It was very foggy, but it was still awesome to behold the hulking mountain through the clouds.

Once we arrived back in Kona, we decided we really needed (wink, wink) to sip fruity little drinks while watching the sunset over the ocean. We had staked out a place yesterday when we were in town, so it was an easy choice. Fate was on our side, too, because we got a table as close to the water as you could get. It was such a lovely evening and a great end to a wonderful day!

Kamea Falls

Ready to Zip

Zipline Course

Botanical World Adventures Garden

Dinner at On the Rocks

As we were driving to Hilo, Ruth mentioned that Hawaii reminded her of Hong Kong, which reminds me: You still have time to leave a comment on my post from a few days ago for a chance to win a copy of my new geography workbook for kids about, you guessed it, Hong Kong.

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!

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

Winner, Winner

I would like to extend a big "thank you" to each person who viewed the blog post regarding my newly published travel journal, and particularly those who commented for a chance to win a copy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your special travel memories, and I greatly appreciate your support and encouragement. I also enjoyed reading through all the Facebook comments and am thankful for those of you who shared the post there. The winner for the giveaway was selected this morning, using Random.org.

And, the winner is...

Colleen Ortiz!

Congratulations, Colleen! I will be sending you a copy of "Go, See, Do" very soon, and I hope you and the young travelers in your life will enjoy it. I would be grateful if you could leave a review on Amazon after you have received the book and have had a chance to look through it. 

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the drawing! If you are still interested in getting a copy of the journal, you may purchase it from Amazon, Amazon UK or Create Space. (If you click on the words "purchase it" or the title of the book in the caption of the photo below, or if you click on the picture of the book cover in the right sidebar, you can get directly to the journal on Amazon.) And, if you do purchase it, please leave a review on Amazon. If you or someone you know owns a gift shop and would like to make the journal available to your customers, contact me to find out about bulk buying. I am sincerely thankful for all of your support and encouragement in this new venture of mine!

Go, See, Do: A Travel Journal for Kids

Go, See, Do

I HAVE A BOOK ON AMAZON!! I HAVE A BOOK ON AMAZON!!

...But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

When we decided to travel around the world, I knew I wanted the kids to keep a daily (or near-daily) journal of our adventure, because I wanted them to be able to go back at some point in the future and remember how they felt and what was special to them and how the world looked through their eyes. And, I wanted it to be their own words that greeted them on the page. My two oldest kids were quite capable of pulling this off on their own, without any assistance. I knew my third would need some guidance but would be able to write short sentences about our travels. But, I wondered what to do about my four-year-old, who was very verbal but not yet writing on his own. Necessity is always the mother of invention, so I came up with a template to help him get his own words out on paper. Someone else does the writing, but the words are all his. This has been very successful on our travels, and I had an idea that others might find a templated travel journal useful as well. So, I published it. And, now it is available to the whole world on Amazon, Amazon UK and Create Space. It has long been a dream of mine to have a published book. I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it!

And, to celebrate, I'd like to give one copy away. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, telling me your favorite travel memory. Facebook comments won't count for this giveaway, though I will still enjoy reading them, if that's the direction you prefer to go. I will randomly select a winner on Oct. 12, which is Columbus Day and seems like a good time to celebrate adventure.

If you or someone you know travels with kids, perhaps you'd like to check it out. I believe it's perfect for kids who are verbal but not yet writing, as each prompt can be asked as a question. But, it's also great for reluctant writers and those who fear the blank page. It works well for both long and short trips, and I think it would make an excellent gift. If you win the drawing or decide to purchase a copy, and if you enjoy the journal, I would be grateful if you would leave a review to help the journal rank well in Amazon searches. You may also feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested. I look forward to reading your special travel memories and giving away a copy of my book!

Go, See, Do: A Travel Journal For Kids

The back cover looks so legit!

A sneak peek

Don't forget to leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a copy!