Screen-Free {midweek} Update

 We are starting Day Three of Screen-Free week, and I have had an epiphany.  This is what being a stay-at-home mom should look like.  I am waking up before my kids, posting my daily blog and enjoying some quiet time before we hit the ground running.  As soon as they are up, I am on. And it feels so good.  

Yesterday I made four loaves of bread, a batch of cookies, lasagna for dinner and did all the dishes. Twice.  I am working my way through all our homeschool curriculum as well as crafts and quiet activities, reorganizing the shelves in the kitchen and playroom.  It is time consuming, but feels really good.

Staying offline from 6:30am when the kids wake up until 7:30pm when the kids are asleep makes the day seem so long. But not in the way you think.  It makes the day long as in, I can't believe how much I can get done in a single 13 hour period.  I am getting more done and spending more time with my kids than ever before.  I can't believe how much time the internet was stealing from me. And my kids.

I am more plugged in with the boys, have more patience and more fun while I am being present.  

I find that every evening, I look forward to my "me time", checking my email, Facebook and blog again after spending the day away.  It has given my parenting its *magic* back, but it has also given my online time its *magic* back.

I am hearing more of what the kids say, and it's awesome.  This morning Wyatt was going potty and he said to me, "I'm going to throw up in heaven."  I have no idea what that means, but it was so random, I had to laugh.  

Jack was talking to Logan about their "plans" for the playground and Jack said he was going to be a bad guy unless Michael met us there.  Logan responded, "So let me get this straight..." I was dying! Where do they get this stuff?!?

When I told Jack was making cookies for afternoon snack, he snapped his head around and looked at me where I stood behind him and said, "Are you for real?"  I was laughing so hard.  Then I asked him if he was for real.

With the extra time I have dedicated to the boys, we've been having some really fun conversations.  The first one was on Monday with Jack.  He was asking why I chose to have twins.  I told him I didn't choose it.  He said, "Did you only want one baby?" 

I assured his sweet blue eyes that I had planned on only one baby, but God knew I needed to be a twin mommy.  I told him it was the best surprise!  Then I explained how he became a twin.  That the zygote in my belly split into two magically and that's how he and Logan became twins.  He was fascinated.

 Yesterday the twins and I talked about color blindness.  I have known for a while that they are colorblind, but hadn't yet shared that with them. I wasn't sure what to say, and honestly, it hadn't come up for them personally.  Yesterday we were working in their dinosaur book and they were decoding (using symbols to find out what each dinosaur's name meant) when I discovered both Logan and Jack had mixed up the green and orange dinosaur symbols.

I explained to the boys that the answer was "A", not "E" because the dinosaur was a different color.  Then I told them that they struggled to identify it because they are colorblind.  I told them that means they can see lots of colors, but not all the colors.  I assured them that it might be annoying, but wasn't a huge deal, and that their Papa Barry is colorblind, too.

Logan wanted to know why they are colorblind. I told him that it passed from my Great Grandpa Arthur to Grandma Woo Woo, and then from Papa Barry to me, and finally from me to them.  

They both then proceeded to prove to me that they are not indeed colorblind by pointing out colors they could label and identify.  I assured them that they can see many colors, but there are some that their eyes just don't register.  Logan asked if their glasses could fix it, and pointed out that there's two things wrong with their eyes-- they don't see well, and they don't see all the colors.  

Then we talked about how their eyes are shaped like footballs instead of basketballs and (like Wyatt and Josh) they need glasses to correct that. I told them how lucky they are that their glasses make their vision good, but that colorblindness is different and can't be corrected.  Slowly they seemed to accept the news and then Logan asked me, kind of choked up, "But I don't know where the colorblind is in my body?" He was touching his throat like he thought he could give it to someone else and I assured him that it's not contagious or like a germ.  

That's how I ended up spending the morning explaining DNA to my five year olds.  They wanted to know why Wyatt didn't have colorblindness and why they did, and where it was inside them... so I drew a picture of DNA, telling them that you can only see DNA with a microscope, but that it contains all the directions for how they should look.  I explained that they have the same DNA, whereas most everyone else has their own.  That their shared DNA is why they look the same, why they are both colorblind and why they have the same physical mannerisms.

Then Jack asked why he gets sick on planes and Logan doesn't, so our DNA conversation turned into a conversation on epigenetics, which I explained to them as buttons along our DNA that get turned off or on.  Then Jack wanted to know why he and Logan were different-handed if they were truly identical.  Holy cow! So then we had to talk about the fact that they are mirror twins, and that how they split inside me made them opposite each other, but that their DNA is still the same...

We also learned rhyming words and what triceratops means.  :)

*

Jack is my tender heart when it comes to caretaking. He absolutely loves babies, and is especially fond of our friends' little twin girls who are the same age as Wyatt.  

His security item has always been these "santa bears" that he and Logan got for their first Christmas when they were six months old.  These are his twins.  His twins are girls, which I think is sweet, and they love to be held.  At nap time, instead of doing his silent reading, I will often walk in and find him "rocking" his babies to sleep like me.

Monday he was wanting to push the miniature grocery cart and everything wasn't fitting, so I got my Ergo out of the Arctic Entry and put it on him so he could "wear" his bubbas. It was the sweetest thing ever.  I love that boy!

*

The Clinic

 All of Screen Free Week has not been easy.  Monday I needed to be seen at the clinic (sinus infection of some sort), so I bundled up the kids and we walked the half a mile downtown to see the Health Aid.  I vacillated between wanting to bring the tablets to entertain the children while I was seen, and wanting to face the challenge of bringing them without... so we left the tablets at home, adhering to screen free week even at the most inconvenient of times.

{View downriver}

 We left the house at 10:30am.  At 10:45am we were still on the road and I felt like I was herding cats.  Or turtles. It was painfully slow.  

Eventually we made it, only a few minutes late, and I was seen. The boys were okay while I was getting checked, but not having the tablets definitely made them more active and they were in and out of the room, climbing on the clinic furniture in the waiting room and talking the ears off every adult they saw.

 I left the clinic with some sudafed, cough medicine and sinus spray, feeling relieved to not be on antibiotics, and we headed home in the 34 degree sunshine.

 On the way to the clinic, the wind had been at our faces, so heading home it felt nice to have the wind at our back and the sun on our faces.

 We meandered on the way home since I wasn't in a hurry, and I was letting the boys throw rocks in huge puddles that had iced over in the night.  They love the satisfying CRACK of the ice breaking under the weight of the rocks.

 After a bit, I decided that if I was going to let them play at the forklift on the way home (there's a broken down forklift on the side of the road that is their absolute favorite thing to play on) we should get going, as it was pretty cold despite the sunshine.

{Mt. Pilcher behind the clinic}

 I was trying to convince Wyatt to come with me (He was responding with his new favorite thing to say, "I hate that.") when I heard it. 

CRACK.

SPLASH.

 Logan had walked on the ice atop the puddle, and as it cracked under his weight, he plunged one leg in, up to his thigh, soaking himself in freezing cold water.

 So I had Wyatt throwing rocks in the water, telling me "I hate going home. I hate walking. I hate doing this every time!" 

 I had Logan sobbing because a) he was freezing and b) he knew I was mad,

{Houses in Marshall}

and I had Jack stomping his feet and crying because I told them now we couldn't go to the forklift to play.

 It was a long (long, long) walk home.

{The Catholic Church}

 I decided to make the best of it though, reminding myself to breathe and that "kids will be kids", and held Logan's hand as we made our way back to the house.

We finally made it home, Logan got on some dry clothes and I made the boys a picnic lunch on the living room floor.  We had survived!

*

I feel best when I am doing my best.  Being online all the time and checking Facebook constantly was not allowing me to be my best.  Now I feel like a confident, capable homemaker.  I feel like an able wife & mother. I feel like a focused, intelligent homeschooler.   All that multi tasking was stealing my days, as well as my focus.

 Now when I have a spare moment, I spend the time meditating. I think of what thoughts I'd like to change, what I'm doing well and what I'd like to work on, and I really hear my kids when they talk to me. It feels amazing. 

 This little buddy is going through some serious withdrawal (he probably asked to watch a movie six times yesterday), but I can tell it's been good for him because his independent play periods are getting longer, and he is falling asleep so much faster at night.

Here's hoping Day Three is as good as Days One and Two! 

(Minus the muddy water, tantrums & tears, of course!)

Shelly's "Secrets of Adulthood"

(A large part of Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project" is discovering "Secrets of Adulthood" and following her own "Commandments" so as part of my Happiness Project, I have written my own commandments, and am collecting "Secrets of Adulthood" as well.  Some of these were in Gretchen's book and were too good not to use, and others are just things I have read, heard or experienced.)

It is easy to be heavy, hard to be light

You always regret going to bed late, you never regret going to bed early

Doing something everyday is actually easier than only doing it 3x week

Time is not running out:
The hurry makes us hurt

There is no love, only proofs of love

Just playing with the kids isn't enough for me.  I like to accomplish things.

Music can change my mood

Don't save things for someday

Living in fear isn't living. Fear keeps life small.

Being grateful is the biggest ingredient in a happy life

Invest in good pillows

I choose how I feel-
reframing "I hate this" to "I like this"

I can do hard things

Sunshine soothes

Being outside is usually the answer

The brave focus on JOY

25 is when life gets real

Saying "NO" is easier than "sometimes" allowing things

Financial security allows for independence and peace of mind, which are truly priceless

Wake up right when the alarm goes off

No one notices things about yourself like you do

If you're wondering if you should take a pill (Rx or not) TAKE IT!
If you were well, you wouldn't worry about needing to take it.

Everyone's faking it, not just you.

*

(I would love, really, to hear any Secrets of Adulthood you have picked up.  I find they help me make decisions, remember priorities, and just be happier!)

To be continued...

Click here to read the first part of my short story, written in September...

He opened the door for me as I got in the car, something our therapist had suggested he do to make me feel cared for.  I settled into my seat, fighting the urge to pull down my visor and check myself out in the mirror.  Kyle turned on talk radio, leaving me to my thoughts.

I was remembering the last conversation I had with Natalie.  The way the words slipped from her mouth so effortlessly and left me bleeding for days. Weeks. Months.  She felt justified. I understood that. It was the truth about how she felt and what she believed. The trouble was, I didn't feel the same way. I didn't believe the same thing.

I remember when I first told her we were trying.  It had been half a year, and since we were young and not in any hurry, I hadn't really blinked when I told her we'd spent the last six months trying to get pregnant.  She responded flippantly, saying that sometimes it takes a while, and we went back to talking about where we should meet for dinner after work on Friday.

Two months later, she and Heath announced they were pregnant.  She had known during our conversation that she was pregnant and hadn't confided in me. It hurt, yes, but I was able to move on. It was their first, and I wasn't sure how it felt to be pregnant. I didn't know if I myself would worry about sharing too soon, or if I'd want to shout it from the rooftops.  The rip was silent, but that was the first tear.

The second tear came when her daughter, a perfect seven pound bundle, was delivered and I went to see her at the hospital the next day.  As she held her baby, she glowed.  "Oh, Paigey,"she cooed at me, "You just have to have one.  It's all magic and life and everything you can imagine." I cringed. If not outwardly, than at least inwardly. It had been nearly eighteen months, and still nothing for us.  I hugged her and told her I was so happy for her.  And a tiny piece of my heart sunk to the bottom of my chest like a pebble in a pond.

Three months later I convinced Kyle to come with me to see a fertility specialist.  We had just hit the year and a half mark, and now I was getting impatient.  We ran through all the tests, desperate for an answer.  Finally, two weeks later I got a call.  It was me. My cycles were too inconsistent & sporadic for me to ever get pregnant on my own. We were going to need help.

The next morning Natalie and I had agreed to meet for coffee. She was still home on maternity leave, but didn't mind meeting early so we could catch up before I went to work.  I hadn't told her about the appointment with the specialist. Not because I was being secretive, but our phone calls were few and far between the last twelve weeks since she'd had her baby.  I arrived before her, securing us a table, and she appeared in the doorway wearing Caroline in a baby sling on her front, a trendy diaper bag slung over her shoulder and looking every bit the perfect mother.  She ordered herself some green tea and joined me.

Little Caroline looked like an angel.  Her pink cheeks were lax with sleep as she nestled into her mommy's chest, sinking deeper with each breath.  I wanted her. It was a sudden, physical ache.  I looked Natalie square in the face and told her everything in one deep breath. "Oh God, Natalie, I want her. I need one of those. I want one of my own. We've been trying for so long now and nothing's happening and I am hoping, praying, crying every month that the test will be positive.  And we went to see a specialist and he says it's me, that my cycles are too irregular and we will never get pregnant on our own, but treatments are so expensive and risky and not guaranteed, and why can't it just be easy? Like it was for you?"

And after I had word vomited my baby lust/infertility issues all over her cute diaper bag and fresh cup of tea, she put her hand around the baby's head, almost as if muffling her ears and said to me, "It is that easy, Paige. If God wants you to get pregnant, you will."  That time, I heard an audible rip.  Her shoulders were firm.  Her jaw was set.  I looked at her one more time, searching desperately for her heart, her compassion, but found none.

"Well, it's been too long. And I don't think God is hearing my prayers anymore. So I am taking matters into my own hands."  And with that I picked up my purse-that-didn't-double-as-a-diaper-bag, my to-go mug of coffee and walked out the door.  It wasn't until I got in my car that I burst into tears.

That night I had walked Kyle through what had happened, and he was outraged.  I appreciated his support, but at the time, I just felt numb.  Of course I didn't want to have trouble getting pregnant. Of course I wanted it to "just happen".  But I didn't get to choose. It was like a double whammy.

You can't have babies.
WHAM!

Your best friend just broke up with you.
WHAM!

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to come out of my thoughts and back into the present moment.  I looked over at Kyle behind the wheel and smiled. I was grateful that those were just memories.  Those terrible first months when we weren't sure if the treatments would work, when it was all I could do to get out of bed in the morning.  The depression that wrapped around me like a wet blanket, pulling me down, making me weary with its weight.

And then, after our first cycle of Clomid, I was pregnant. And just like that, the fog instantly lifted.  I could sing and clean and laugh again.  Like Natalie, I kept my pregnancy a secret until I was well into my fourth month.  I was so scared.  Thankfully, the pregnancy progressed as expected, and in the spring we gave birth a beautiful little boy, Atley Benjamin.  Atley became my whole world. I quit my job, becoming a stay-at-home mom and promised Atley that I would be the best mom a little boy could ask for.

A year and a half later we went through another cycle of Clomid and I got pregnant again, this time giving birth to a baby girl.  Mabel Nadine was a feisty baby, angry and unreachable for the first six months.  Slowly she softened into the sweetheart she is now, but colic stole those first few months of bonding from us.  It was awful.  It was during this dark time that Kyle began his affair with Whitney.

When I discovered it, via a text sent erroneously to me instead of her, I was dead inside.  I hadn't slept for nearly a year, was struggling with the demands of two small children and an absent husband, and though I was angry, mostly I thought, "Of course."

"Of course he's been cheating. Of course things are about to get worse. Of course he's not interested in having sex with me."

Kyle pleaded with me to give him a second chance, and I agreed, mostly out of laziness. I just wasn't up for a divorce.  Moving out, all the paperwork... So we found a counselor and slowly worked our way out of hell.  Mabel started smiling and sleeping, Atley started talking and Kyle started listening.  Our family started to solidify.

It was at this point that we decided to try for one more.  Our family didn't feel complete; Kyle and I were, I hate to say it because it sounds so cliche, stronger than ever, so we went back for one last cycle of Clomid.  Like the previous times I got pregnant on the first try.

Unlike my previous pregnancies, things didn't go as planned...

The Happiness Project :: PARENTHOOD :: May

Gretchen's goal during her Parenthood focused month was to have a peaceful, cheerful atmosphere at home.  The best quote from this chapter of her book is, "The days are long, but the years are short," which is all too true.

One of her big goals was to acknowledge feelings in her children.  To allow anger, irritation, fear, reluctance and to accept the other person (child)'s point of view.  I like the spirit behind that.

 My parenting goals are many, and I imagine I will be weeding these down as the month passes, but I am going to record them all here for now:

1) Talk sweet 

-"act how I want to feel"

     -practice compassion

     -be their "soft place to land"

2) No swearing

     -Take a break if I need to

3) No yelling

     -Resist responding while triggered

4) Admit mistakes//apologize//try again

     -allow myself to change my mind

     -be the example

     -love myself first

5) Be happy

-no complaining

-tickle

-have dance parties

-enjoy snuggles & hugs

6)  Be a Memory Keeper

-Print my blog

-Catch up boys' memory books

-Take time to video the kids' 

(interview them) regularly

-Create one new family tradition for each holiday this year

7) Say "YES!"

     -go outside

     -read a book

     -play a game

     -bake something

8) Build consistent chores into our routine

-making beds

-clearing the table

-doing laundry

-cleaning house

& finally...

9) Linger longer

-don't rush

***

We are already a few days in, and I will tell you I have failed miserably.  But I am trying. And that's all I can do. Everyday I wake up and think, "fresh start" and try again.  Yesterday was better and today's been better than that.  But Thursday and Friday I think I broke nearly all my resolutions!

I am excited for this week, though, as we are participating in Screen Free Week Monday through Friday.  For us this means there will be no TV, movies, tablets, phones or video games during the boys' waking hours*.  (*that's my caveat: if they're asleep, I can blog, read emails or watch TV as much as I want!)

I made a list (after being inspired by friend Tabitha) of activities we can do instead of watching TV or playing tablets and it has gotten me really excited for a week of play with my boys.  I then spent the weekend preparing: doing laundry, crossing things off my to do list, and writing blog posts ahead of time.  

I will keep you posted on how my Parenthood Month is going.  And I also promise to report back on how crazy, insane, awful, FUN Screen Free Week is!  With these crazy kids, I'm sure it will be anything but boring!

 "To be in your children's memories tomorrow,

you have to be in their life today."

-Barbara Johnson

*

Weather in rural Alaska

The weather in Alaska is probably the thing that comes up most in conversation when people find out I live here.  

Marshall is in Southwest Alaska, in the Yukon Delta.  We are south of the Arctic Circle, but we still have fairly severe cold and dark during winter.  We can reach -60, but -30 is more common.  Highs in the summer reach mid 70's generally.  Daylight goes from just over four hours of daylight per day in winter to nearly twenty hours of daylight per day in summer.

In the summer people in town do camp out & swim.  I don't know if anyone ever gets a kiddie pool as it generally doesn't get that warm here.  That said, last year it was HOT to the people of Marshall.  It was in the mid eighties for much of the summer.  We have never swam in Marshall (in the Yukon or any of the sloughs) because we are not here for long before the cold sets in. It usually starts snowing at some point in September.

***

Danger:
Weather in the winter is dangerous because of blizzards, deep snow and severe cold.  The wind can make the cold feel colder, and those nasty temperatures we have, like -4 or -12, HURT YOUR FACE.  That's really the only way I can describe it. Generally your entire body is covered except your face, so that's what hurts when you go out and it's that cold.  The cold can make your eyes water, your nose crust up (even your snot freezes) and your cheeks ache.  It can also literally take your breath away.  When it's really cold, it's difficult to take a full breath into your lungs and when that cold air comes in, it forces an involuntary cough that is very frustrating.  Breathing through a scarf helps some.

Weather in the spring is dangerous as well thanks to melting ice (especially on the river for those traveling by snow machine) and wild animals waking up from hibernation hungry.

***

Cars do have to be plugged in here.

And it is not cool when someone forgets!

Then it has to be jumped.

These extension cords travel from an external outlet to the truck and van which are equipped with engine block warmers to keep them from freezing up.

***

Freezing rain is probably the worst weather we have.

We are equipped to deal with snow and cold, but freezing rain is awful.

It's dangerous, both to drive & fly in, and it makes even travel by foot very difficult.

It also makes seeing out our bedroom window a challenge!

***

Regardless of how extreme, though, school is NEVER canceled for weather.

Generally speaking, it is only canceled for water or power outage.  It is also canceled if there is a funeral in town.  School cancelation is announced on the VHF.

Despite the cold outside, our house is rarely, if ever, below 70 degrees, which is why the boys are often in shorts & t-shirts. I gave up that fight.  If we're going out, they have to gear up, otherwise, I try to let them pick. And often, it's basketball shorts!

***

People often say that they could never do what we've done.  All I can say is that when the opportunity presented itself, we were in a position where yes was the only answer that made sense.

*
Thank you so much for reading this week.
I hope you enjoyed the Rural Alaska Living Series.
Don't forget to add your email address on the right side bar if you'd like to get post updates.
And any time you have questions, just shoot them my way,
I will be collecting them for future rural Alaska posts.

*

*

The BEST and WORST of life in rural Alaska

People often ask me the BEST thing about living in rural Alaska...

My number one answer? 

Being with my children.  

Finally, after two long years, becoming a stay-at-home mom, is hands down, the best part of being out here.  Homeschooling them, raising them as I see fit, and never having to leave them...  That's the BEST part about choosing to live out here.  Being here made that dream come true.

Moving out here has allowed Josh to provide for us, 

which strengthened our marriage and set his career off on a running start.

Let's be honest, another "BEST" out here is the money.  Josh makes remarkably more here than he would in the same position in Washington, which means we are able to pay down our debt, and set ourselves up for the future.  With three boys to put through college one day, we desperately need to eliminate our debt (both credit & student loans) so we can start saving!  The yearly Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) that Alaskan residents receive for energy production in Alaska also helps.  Last year residents got $900 each.  Over a few years, that adds up!

(As an added bonus, living out here doesn't provide a lot of money-spending opportunities so long as you stay away from online shopping.  I rarely go to the co op, so most of the money manages to stay in our pockets!)

Of course, the "BEST" thing about living out here is the experience.  It can't be nailed down or quantified, but just is living rural Alaska.  Attending Eskimo dances, hunting for our own food, witnessing God's beautiful handiwork across the Arctic sky and playing in snow the likes of which most people never see.  It is the stuff of dreams.

... that said, I am also often asked what the WORST thing about living in rural Alaska is.

{Photo courtesy of Peter Werts}

One of the first things that flashes through my mind is the dump.  When they burn the dump, it often wafts to our house and we have to turn off our HVAC system.  The stink is also annoying occasionally when we're playing outside.

Another challenge about living out here is the isolation & loneliness.  I think that's why Saturday Social & Girls Nite are so important to me.  My friendships with people out here are invaluable and staying connected with friends and family back home is also vital.  

And the last thing that makes living in rural Alaska challenging is missing conveniences & people.  When the day has been long and I don't feel like cooking, I miss the ability to pick up a pizza for dinner.  When we've been stuck inside for weeks and we're tired of each others' company, I long for my mom or sister or best friend to be able to "drop by" and cheer me up.  

---

Good or bad, I will admit that most times my daily life keeps me pretty busy & involved.  Some days I even forget where we are. Truly.  The majority of the time I am just a mom, raising three sons.  Wake, feed, wash & repeat.

I am always touched (and surprised really) when people tell me that what I do is amazing.  I don't always feel all that amazing.  I have my moments (like when we're all crawling into a 207 to fly over wild Alaska to our home in Marshall) where I think, "Wow. We're really doing this. We're really living this dream."  But there are other days when I am just praying for bedtime like every other mom on the planet.

***

If you are considering moving to rural Alaska, please let me know.  I have been contacted three times now by different people looking for families relocating to Alaska for television shows.  I have promised to pass their information along to anyone interested!

Speaking of Alaska TV shows, 

I couldn't do an entire week on rural Alaska living without mentioning my personal favorites.

The Last Frontier
Gold Rush
Deadliest Catch
Yukon Men
Flying Wild Alaska
Buying Alaska
Living Alaska

*Every single one of those shows is on Discovery except for Living Alaska, which is on HGTV.

---

I hope you have enjoyed my Rural Alaska Living Series this week.

Tomorrow concludes the series with Weather in rural Alaska.

Thanks for reading, 

and don't forget to use the email option on the right sidebar 

if you'd like to receive blog post updates from The Cunningham Family in bush Alaska.

Life with Small Children in Rural Alaska

Many of my readers, I believe, are stay at home moms.  And many of them wonder how I do what I do.  I assure you, I am not a perfect mom.  It takes constant vigilance and creativity to keep these boys happy & entertained while we are locked in the house for months at a time!

Sanity starts and ends with a good routine.  When I was struggling with anxiety, the schedule brought much needed continuity to our days.

A typical week day for us looks like this:

6:30am Good morning, Mommy

The boys wake up and come in our room, announcing that the light is green.

Josh showers while I have the boys get dressed & make their beds.

I shower while Josh feeds the boys breakfast and has them brush their teeth.

8:00am Bye Daddy

Josh leaves for work and our day begins.

Sometimes we watch cartoons for a bit in the morning while I finish getting the house ready, putting away dishes, switching laundry & waking the house up.

9:00am School for the twins

We move into the playroom where we do their math, writing and daily journals.

While we work, Wyatt does ABC Mouse on the iPad.  He loves it!

Sometimes he joins us or does puzzles.

10:30am Morning Snack

Usually something simple like Goldfish or a granola bar

11:30am Lunch

Josh joins us for lunch everyday, which makes us all very happy.  We eat as a family at the table and afterwards he heads back to work and the boys and I head upstairs to read stories before nap time.  Stories before nap time is a new habit, and one that I love.  It settles the boys after lunch, gets them an extra three books each day, and allows me a little extra snuggle time, which is my favorite.

12:15pm Nap Time

Once we are done reading, one twin stays in my room for silent reading, and the other twin goes downstairs for silent reading.  Meanwhile, I take Wyatt into his room to lay him down for nap time.  We turn on the fan, his humidifier and the bedtime CD and he snuggles in.

12:30pm Reading

After Wyatt is down for his nap, the twins and I focus on reading.  They take turns reading to me while the other brother does his time on ABC Mouse.  This allows for awesome one on one time and the boys have thrived on this new routine.

1:30pm Quiet Play Time

When the boys finish reading they can play quietly in the playroom or at the kitchen table.  They often play sand or Imaginext.  While they play, I get a chance to read or blog.  This is my "me" time.

2:30pm Wake Up

I make sure Wyatt is awake by 2:30pm.  Most days he is already up, but if he's not, I wake him up in order to preserve bedtime.  We all have afternoon snack, and then head outside, weather permitting.

5:00pm Dinner

I usually try to get dinner going by 5:00pm so we can eat by 5:30pm.  After we eat the boys clear the table, brush their teeth and get on pajamas.

6:15pm Bedtime Stories

By 6:15pm, we are heading upstairs for story time, boys all brushed and wearing jammies.  We read three books, one for each boy, then go potty and tuck them in bed.  After hugs, kisses and prayers, we walk out the door at 7:00pm.

After bedtime I head downstairs, do the dishes and read, blog or watch TV.  I also work hard to prepare for the next day-- tidying the playroom, prepping for the next days' dinner and making sure the house is clean before I go upstairs at 9:00pm.

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Entertainment

How do I entertain the kids? Honestly, some days, there's a lot of TV. But other days, we go outside, no matter the weather.  We play in 0 degrees, and we have been known to play in the rain.  We love when there's snow to play in, but we aren't afraid of mud.  Spring time usually brings with it daily baths, as the boys are filthy every time we come in from outside.

Another trick to surviving life in rural Alaska with small children is that I rotate the toys.  We use those Rubbermaid Totes I told you about to store toys in the playroom closet, and every few weeks I pull out a new tote and place some oft-used toys in its place to give the playroom a sense of excitement!

I also enforce alone time for the boys, sending one upstairs with some toys and leaving another downstairs with some toys so they can work on their independent play.  When they play together, they tend to fight, which means I end up playing referee, and sometimes, I just need a break!

Bath time is another sanity saver.  The boys love to have long baths, bringing in toys and turning into prunes from soaking.  I love throwing them in the tub. It's a great mood changer, and gives them (again) some much needed alone time.

We are also big on tag readers, tablets, and the sand I mentioned earlier.

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Bikes

The boys love riding their bikes.  Someone mentioned that it looks like they are ready for bigger bikes, and let me assure you, they have bigger bikes in Washington!  This is our second year with these bikes up here, so they are definitely a tight fit!  We're not sure yet if we'll ship their bigger bikes up this fall.  We'll have to wait and see. The first year they hardly rode at all (too much snow), but this year they have ridden a bunch. Little brother has requested a bike for his birthday, and I am all too happy to oblige. I can hardly wait!

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Saturday Social

Saturday Social is the boys' absolute favorite activity.  It runs from 10am to 12pm Saturday at the school for eligible (well behaved) students who earned it during the week.  The kids can play on scooters, run in the gym, play basketball, play xbox or have computer time.  There is also a student store that's open during Saturday Social where the kids can get popcorn and slushees.  If they have a high enough percentage, they get those items free. If they didn't earn them, they can pay cash.

Saturday Social is run on a volunteer basis by the teachers and principal.  Some weeks there's only two teachers, some weeks there are many more. It just depends.  Same with students. Sometimes there's a ton of kids, other weeks there are only a few.

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Gearing Up

Hands down, the worst part about having three small children in rural Alaska is gearing them up.  I will admit it is easier now than when we first got here (and had two 3 year olds and a six month old), but it still feels like getting ready happens at a snails' pace.  First it's pants and shirts and socks.  Then it's gloves and sweaters and snow pants.  Then it's big coats, mittens and snow boots.  Then hats and scarves.  Times three. Plus myself.  

Then, when we get where we're going, there's the "ungearing", which can take just as long as the gearing up.  And after the event is done, we get to gear up again, come home, and "ungear" again. Oh for joy.

The single most frustrating thing is putting gloves on small, chubby hands.  I have decided that mittens were created so adults would not kill small children after the seventh attempt to get all five fingers in the appropriate spaces in a tiny pair of gloves.  

Some notes on gear--  For the muddy season we're in right now, I swear by rain pants and Croc boots.  The croc boots are my favorite because the boys can walk into a knee deep puddle, fill their boots with water, and when we get home, I simply dump the boot out, and dry the inside with a towel.  Their old boots had material inside that took days to dry.  The new Croc boots are a revelation!

For snow, we like overall snow pants because the boys tend to roll around in the snow, and overalls keep the snow away from their bodies.  It's also important the snow pants be waterproof, especially when we play out for a long time.  Gloves need to be waterproof as well.  For our feet, we all wear Sorels.  They are plenty warm and last forever.

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Friends

The boys' friends here include some of the teachers' children and also children from the village.  For the most part, we play at the playground with our friends.  We also see them at Saturday Social.

My friends here are mostly teachers.  We get together whenever we can.

We also work hard to stay in touch with family and friends back home, calling and writing letters.  That way in the summer, the kids remember them!

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Penpals

Speaking of friends, Amy asked if we would be interested in having penpals.  The answer is a resounding YES! If you send us a letter, a post card or a package, we will do our best to write you back.  We LOVE getting mail, and I LOVE sending mail, so if you're interested, drop us a line!

Cunningham Family

PO Box 153

Marshall, AK 99585

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We are nearing the end of the Rural Alaska Living Series.

Tomorrow is The BEST and WORST of life in rural Alaska

& Saturday we conclude with Weather in rural Alaska

I hope you've enjoyed the series.

Please keep the questions coming, even if I don't ask for them.

I save them up for future rural Alaska posts!