Time in the car…..
So far we have travelled approximately 8000km in 8 weeks. At
an average of 100km/hr that equates to 80 hours of pure monotonous driving
time!!!
Typically, when leaving a site, we start the pack up at around 8 (once kids are awake) and leave at around 10 (give or take an hour). We did however, on one occasion, manage to be hooked up and on the road by 730am! This was after an overnight camp at a free roadside stop at Attack Creek , 45 km’s north of three-ways in NT (yes literally in the middle of nowhere)!
We have a bit of a routine going, which mostly means I do the inside while Ophet does the outside (and suffers the heat and mozzies)! Thanks Ophet! I start as early as I can, so that I avoid the heat (or ensure I still have air-conditioning if we are at a powered site) and then can do something with the kids while Ophet continues packing away the outside stuff. While the kids do have jobs, it is sometimes easier without their “help”!! We then often drive for a few hours, stop for lunch and sometimes to see a town that we are passing through, then back in the car for another few hours. That way we get to the next destination before dusk and the danger period for roadkill!
Typically, when leaving a site, we start the pack up at around 8 (once kids are awake) and leave at around 10 (give or take an hour). We did however, on one occasion, manage to be hooked up and on the road by 730am! This was after an overnight camp at a free roadside stop at Attack Creek , 45 km’s north of three-ways in NT (yes literally in the middle of nowhere)!
We have a bit of a routine going, which mostly means I do the inside while Ophet does the outside (and suffers the heat and mozzies)! Thanks Ophet! I start as early as I can, so that I avoid the heat (or ensure I still have air-conditioning if we are at a powered site) and then can do something with the kids while Ophet continues packing away the outside stuff. While the kids do have jobs, it is sometimes easier without their “help”!! We then often drive for a few hours, stop for lunch and sometimes to see a town that we are passing through, then back in the car for another few hours. That way we get to the next destination before dusk and the danger period for roadkill!
Once on the road, schooling starts. With most drives being
around 4-5 hours, this allows a good chunk of the school work to be done in the
car so that we don’t have to do it when we get to a new and exciting place.
Grace and Jai have a folder each with a list of tasks to complete, some of
which they can do on their own, but some of which requires me to “teach” a
lesson. Em of course can not be left
out, so has requested that lists be created for her too. Unfortunately, Em is
not happy to colour or draw, but instead wants to do maths , reading and
writing like big brother and sister. As
you can imagine this results in either constant helping from me (or Grace!!),
or frustration from Em. At one point she announced “you should have made me a
twin too”! In saying that,the last few car trips, Emma has taken to writing
everything she knows for hours on end, “Emma Skye Phimsipasom” is now mastered
and she is working on our address !
Teacher Grace
Teacher Grace
Ophet has at this stage done the vast majority of the
driving. When, on one occasion, I asked Ophet if he wanted me to take over he replied with.... “does that mean I have to do the schooling”? When the answer was
“yes” the offer was quickly declined . Luckily, this suits me fine too, as the constant dishing out of work, food and answering questions make the time go by faster.
We have also trialled a few seating arrangements over the 8000km’s. Each of the kids have had a turn at being the “middle” child, but we have now done a full circle and back to Emma being in the middle again (she enjoys being the centre of most things!!) I am not convinced this is the best arrangement but will wait and see.
Jai passing the time learning to plait grace's hair while she snoozes. (crazy what boredom makes you do) #Twin love!!
We have limited screen time in the car . No, not because we want to inflict punishment on ourselves (!!!), but because we were finding that the kids seemed to have more arguments about devices, (who was doing what to whose Minecraft world etc) than anything else. So, school work, reading, journals, drawing, the occasional sleep, singing (yes eeeeek), craft and collage books it is. Oh and daydreaming for Jai...typically followed by a random yet oddly thought provoking questions or fact! He is the king of spotting animals , especially birds of prey or BOPS as we now call them.
The bonus of long boring drives, is that when we eventually stop, the kids find the smallest things amusing and fascinating in a town or roadhouse. These are pics the kids took of each other at a roadhouse toilet.
Now, to look back on Grace's rules at the very start of our journey (the laminated sheets are still in the car). We are constantly eating (and not over the plastic bags provided), fights do occur, (between all of us!) and listening to mum and dad occurs... sometimes. Overall however, i think we are doing ok. Or maybe i have to be thinking in an optimistic way knowing that we still have many many many many km's to travel with some looooooooong stretches on the west coast!!!!
So
We have also trialled a few seating arrangements over the 8000km’s. Each of the kids have had a turn at being the “middle” child, but we have now done a full circle and back to Emma being in the middle again (she enjoys being the centre of most things!!) I am not convinced this is the best arrangement but will wait and see.
We have limited screen time in the car . No, not because we want to inflict punishment on ourselves (!!!), but because we were finding that the kids seemed to have more arguments about devices, (who was doing what to whose Minecraft world etc) than anything else. So, school work, reading, journals, drawing, the occasional sleep, singing (yes eeeeek), craft and collage books it is. Oh and daydreaming for Jai...typically followed by a random yet oddly thought provoking questions or fact! He is the king of spotting animals , especially birds of prey or BOPS as we now call them.
The bonus of long boring drives, is that when we eventually stop, the kids find the smallest things amusing and fascinating in a town or roadhouse. These are pics the kids took of each other at a roadhouse toilet.
Now, to look back on Grace's rules at the very start of our journey (the laminated sheets are still in the car). We are constantly eating (and not over the plastic bags provided), fights do occur, (between all of us!) and listening to mum and dad occurs... sometimes. Overall however, i think we are doing ok. Or maybe i have to be thinking in an optimistic way knowing that we still have many many many many km's to travel with some looooooooong stretches on the west coast!!!!
So
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