It all started when I was looking for a book to read. I casually decided Facebook is a great avenue to gather a variety of opinions. Big. Mistake. Or lucky… depending on the future.

A friend recommended a book about survival. I popped over Amazon and checked out the reviews and knew I ‘had’ to read this book. Even though it wasn’t on Amazon Unlimited, I spared no expense (well… it was only $5.99 or so) and started immediately.

Within five minutes I had to stop to find a piece of paper to write down the tips and items he had in the book. This should have been a red flag to stop reading, but I can’t. I’m a mom and a slightly obsessed with being self-reliant mom… and slightly obsessed with being prepared for an emergency. BUT I have seriously considered what this book covers.

The main character in the book is out of town for work. An event occurs and his car, along with all other modern transportation and communication devices, stop working. The man isn’t worried- he travels with enough supplies to make it home, walking, from wherever he travels. He is 250 miles from home, knowing it will be long time (if ever) until they figure out what happened. He loads up his pack (basically a 72 hour kit in the car) with the needed items from his suitcase to make it home.

Think about it. If your car broke down and there was no transportation how would you get home? Would you walk? How far? Do you have food/water for your kids if they are with you? Shoes you can walk in?

Now my life is changed forever. Before we go anywhere I think about how far we are going and what we need in the car to make it home if we have to walk. I think it’s more smart, when you have small people depending on you, rather than paranoid or crazy. Although obviously that debate has been going on in my mind.

We went to town yesterday. About a 35 mile trip (one way). I loaded up the stroller, my pack, tennis shoes/socks/coats for my kids and snacks. My pack always has a water filter, platypus bottle, first aid kit, wipes, bug spray, sunscreen, extra set of clothes for each kid, snacks, lighter, knife, headlamp, etc. Five minutes into this book, I realized that was not enough. Especially when I can keep it in my car and load up what I need into my bag, depending on the situation.

Also, I now have a kid-sized bag for each of my kids in the car. They can carry some light stuff if needed. Also, I stopped at Walmart on the way home and purchased a super small emergency stove that uses tablets to heat. Super awesome.

My life is changed. Growing up in Alaska you know you have to be self-sufficient. People aren’t always going to now you need help, let alone rush to your rescue. You have to be prepared to walk out, feed yourself, keep warm, take care of your kids, etc. We keep extra snow gear in our cars. I learned to change tires before I could drive a car. But this book emphasized how important those skills and ability to be prepared are.

Want to know what it is? Are you ready? It could change your reality…

‘Going Home: A Novel’ by A. American

Alaska is huge. Like, super huge. We have lots of fires burning all summer, every summer and usually the plan is to let them burn. They  are healthy for our forests: plant and animal life. Usually most are slow rollers,  hanging out underground for a while, popping up to eat some trees… they are dangerous, but generally left alone to burn out.

We also, in most of  Alaska, are used to some pretty mild temperatures and weather. To have the temps climb into the 70’s is insane. A week worth of highs into the 80’s is unheard of. I can remember most of the times  it has been in 80’s (in our area)because it is so rare.

So you take people who aren’t used to the extreme dry we’ve had (lack of snow, hardly any rain), an attitude of ‘that won’t happen to me’, mixed in with what must be stupidity… and what do you get? A raging, uncontrolled fire in one of the few populated areas in our State.

In 12 hours the fire has consumed over 6500 acres and destroyed 45 structures. It’s spreading towards more homes, cabins and lives. The area it is in has is a popular recreational area with hundreds of family cabins, dog mushers and families.

Last night I watched my Facebook blow up with friends who are watering down their properties hoping to make a difference in the fate of their memories and dreams. Watching videos of the devastation unfolding… pictures of homes on fire, the highway consumed with flames on either side, firefighters trying to defend homes… and hoping this is the only night I’ll be glued to the computer for updates.

My husband was stuck waiting for the highway to reopen so he could get up to work. The fire is surrounding the highway making travel, at times, impossible. When they started running pilot cars through the fire around 2am, he left to try and make it through. Hearing him report that it was ‘bad’ was a big deal as he’s usually very sound and calm about tough situations.

What happens next? More homes will be lost. The communities are coming together to relocate people, pets, whatever belongings they can gather. Donations are being rounded up to help those displaced. Strangers driving from hours away to loan trailers, kennels, tents, etc. It’s amazing how so much stupidity can create so much destruction, but also love and kindness.

Keep us in your prayers as this battle blazes on. Our cabin is about 35 miles from the north end of the fire… But my son says ‘today will be a good day’, so I’ll put some faith in that.

The time has come!! Some of my sweet preschool friends are moving on to the ‘big school’ next year. To celebrate we have graduation… imagine it like a wilder version of the traditional graduation scene. People in gowns, hats and tassels, nervous parents and siblings seated in the audience, speeches given by teachers who prefer to not talk in front of large groups of adults, and students being bribed… with bubbles … to sit nicely and listen.

It’s a impressively organized (not to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT!) and well put together event. I might be jinxing myself… maybe I should have written this the morning after graduation.

Watching a group of five year olds march down the aisle to ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ (in an actual line without poking or running into anybody) will make any teacher tear up with pride and joy. Viewing our slideshow of the last two years they’ve spent with me generally has the parents pulling out the Kleenexes. But the best moment has to be watching them all march out at the end, holding their diplomas and bubble wands, smiling their biggest smiles at their parents.

The joy in that moment, for all involved, is what I hope they carry with them. The love, pride, sense of accomplishment (even if all it really amounts to was surviving preschool!) and feeling of community is one I hope transcends our hour long celebration at a random point of their lives in Alaska. It’s something I think a lot of people forget to give themselves: a moment to celebrate.

So tomorrow at My Favorite Preschool’s Graduation in Chugiak, Alaska- We Will Celebrate!!! And then eat cake.

My sweet, sweet hubby left for the work season today. We were blessed enough to have him home for four whole months- which  is more time with us as a family since before I was pregnant with our first little buddy. Maybe my pregnancy scared him away.

Four months home was amazing. I had a partner in parenting, someone to laugh with about the ridiculousness of our days, a date for random date nights and my best friend here. During the next year he’ll be home about three months if we’re lucky… at least we made a lot of memories to keep with us.

Five more weeks of work and we will be adventuring off to visit Daddy at work. It’s going to be awesome! My predictions about this summer were solidified when we were walking across a parking lot last weekend and Gracie popped down to pick up a pine cone she spotted. Then carried it around with her the entire day. My kids+ mom not working  + Alaska nature= memory making!

This could have been written by my husband. Poor guy. Even worse for my poor kiddos who just will never know what’s it like to not have a teacher for a mom.

Sawyer came home the other day and told his dad ‘I just couldn’t make any more good choices at school today. I decided it was best to come home’.

http://www.loveteachblog.com/2013/11/dont-date-girl-who-teaches.html

Obviously everyone I met this weekend knows way more about parenting than I do.

Dear Alaska Club Gym Childcare Lady,

I do not care if I don’t have my ‘card’ that you did not give me when I dropped my kids off. No, you are not keeping my kids. I do not CARE if your policy (which obviously was not followed when I dropped them off for the first time ever at your location) is to not release kids to anybody without their special ‘card’. Know what special card I have that should work: MY I.D.

Clearly the child who ran up to me screaming ‘mama’ and crying when I walked in the door- belongs to me. Clearly the other one who ran up yelling ‘dada, dada’ to my husband- belongs to us.

Clearly me turning and walking away from you with MY children is a clear indicator of my opinion of you and your ‘always’ followed (except this one time) policy. And yes, your manager will be hearing from me.

Sincerely, Mom of Two who will not be back at your gym.

This blog was written for me to read. I have recently discovered that I probably will ‘need’ one more baby. Just one more. The logistics of it don’t seem to matter so much, but making one more baby definitely does.

My husband thinks if we have one more, might as well have two. Four seems like a lot. But, hey, after making baby #3, maybe four won’t seem like too much.

I can point a finger directly at the show ‘Parenthood’ for this need. It made me realize when I’m the parent or grandparent I want to be surrounded by years of memories, and people that have resulted from my husband and I’s love. Pretty awesome.

Dude. Things get SO busy.

Day to day life sometimes just slips away. There’s so much to do and so little time. If only there was another hour in the day… well… I’d probably just fill that right up too!

This morning we were driving out to pick up our kids after their much anticipated sleepover at Grandma’s. The sun was coming up over the mountains,which are all around us where we live. I  was listening to the radio and thought… man… we have  a good life.

Two hilarious kiddos. A husband who quit his job so I could continue doing mine when we couldn’t find a nanny. A ridiculous house. My own  business on our property. Cabin in the woods. Toys. Food. Amazing family. Laughter. Love. Adventure. Health. Two wild doggies.

All of it but time. It was a healthy moment of self-assurance. You’re blessed lady! Take a minute to pause and enjoy it. So….. there! Back to laundry, dishes, snuggles,  planning and moving it!

We found a new nanny! It was a tough, mostly fruitless search for a new nanny. It is SO hard for me to trust people with my babies and takes a huge leap of faith to let go. We only had one candidate for our nanny position. It’s a man- which throws up a red flag right away- right? Not to be sexist, but women just have that cuddly mom quality that not all men have.

He’s always been in the workforce and is really focused at whatever he is doing. He is super goal oriented- which might play out well for the potty training adventure that’s taking place with my beautiful G-Mae. And things like laundry, dishes, etc… checking items off a list work well for him. The new nanny is super good at building forts and fake hunting…so obviously my son thinks he is awesome.

This is his first big delve into childcare. He’s had his share of time in short stints with his two kids… but not for an extended period of time. Poop on the floor isn’t really his thing, so we will see how that works out.The great thing is he isn’t charging much and is easily paid in beer. Again… red flag?

Around here we call him Daddy…  and now Mr. Daddy! I am so excited, nervous and blessed to have my husband taking a couple of months off work to hang with us at home. He’s going to watch the team while I’m at work and head back to his own work in the Spring.

First day of the job I got this text:

“If you look out the window and see two small children running down the driveway with dog bones tied to them, don’t be alarmed. It’s what I like to call abstract parenting.”

It’s going to be great, right?!