Haven't announced this anywhere on Facebook or anything, but the bus club is pretty tight knit so just wanted to let anyone who cared, know that Heather and I are expecting our first baby October 2, 2015 :) those of you who have met Heather know she's a tiny cute girl and pregnancy just adds to her cuteness.
Anyway, as you know, we are bus full-timers (4 years and counting). Our coach isn't a million dollar bus but it sure is nice. In fact it's nicer than some peoples houses we visit. We have a king bed, glass shower, washer and dryer, nice leather furniture...its cushy in here. But so many people are giving us a hard time because we may continue to fulltime with a baby on board.
We love our bus, we are used to the lifestyle, and we think we may be giving our future little one a special outlook on life. As a self employed dad, I'll be home all the time to actually see my child grow up and that means more to me than anything. The Shanks family are probably the best mentors in this endeavor as they have been successfully raising no less than 4 little ones in a bus and it's brought their family closer together. Outside of the bus community, no one can seem to think outside of the box these days. Anyway, that's my rant for the day. We find out the gender in two weeks. Tell us we aren't crazy for wanting to keep full-timing after 4 years now even with a baby coming...
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Congratulations!!!! People think anyone with a bus is nuts so don't worry about what they think about raising a child in one. I'm sure you will manage just fine and your new addition will see parts of this great country that other children never will.
Congratulations on the new additions. A bus with a crib would be very cool and driving around to get the baby to sleep means more time behind the wheel. We are currently selling our house and would love to figure out a way to go full time and raise our 3 kids. Just because every one else does something doesn't mean we have to. The freedom to travel and see this great country we live is is a privilege that only a few take advantage of.
Scott -
Congratulations to you & Heather!! ;D ;D
IMHO, you'll be giving your little one a far better education than in some government-run school somewhere.
Most of the home-schooled kids I know are more curious, more knowledgeable, better behaved, more courteous and overall happier than a lot of the traditionally schooled kids.
Sean, Angie & the Turtlettes are great examples, as you well know.
Don't let the haters get to you - they're really just jealous!
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Congratulations, Scott! May God bless you and your wife and baby.
Our daughter was 7 when we first traveled full time in an RV for ministry. Over the last 22 years we have spent over 13 of them traveling with our family in RVs and the last 7+ in a bus. It has been an amazing life and my daughter would not change a thing if she could.
Roll on, bro!
Davy
Congrats from Deborah and I, we love kids ;D
We brought my son home to a 1972 Airstream trailer he's 39 now and turned out good. ;D
And the Pilgrims were crazy for leaving England. Those who settled our West were nuts for packing belongings in a wagon and traveling cross country for months or years and then building their lives. Where would our great country be today if our forefathers had listened to the naysayers? You've done it for 4 years and know what you're getting into. Think of all the people that have kids that are single, in abusive relationships, whatever. And then the ones that are in good relationships abut the parents are newly married and have no idea what life is like. You've got 4 years on the road ahead of all of those. Be proud and enjoy the new one.
Great news, I am sure you three or more will be just fine in the bus.
Jack
Friends of mine have 6 kids. Up until a couple years ago, they full timed in an MC8. The kids are home schooled and are more advanced in education than most others.
There was a bit of social disadvantage, but they were seldom without any other kids to play with. How they turn out is directly related to how the parents raise
them.
Do what's right for you but once the kid(s) hit 4 or 5 I think its incredibly selfish to not allow them to form long term friendships which means being stationary. Equally important is having a space of their own which isn't going to happen in 320 square feet. The fact that other people have made it work doesn't mean its the ideal solution - it just confirms that kids are resilient. If you really want to do what's right for the kids I think you'll start looking for a permanent location for them to grow up in sometime in the next 4 or 5 years.
Sorry for not confirming your plan but you asked.
Now you did it you just become number 3 on the pecking list, kids adjust that not a big deal,I have grand kids that were and still are taught in public schools and home school, my take go for the home schooling if any way possible even if in 320 sf bus
I don't think it is much different than many military families. The kids become very close to their siblings. Long term relationships are usually only a couple years long for military kids. You have five or six years to decide which is best for your family. Nobody knows what is in their future six years out. Congratulations.
Don and Cary
All interesting responses. Wish there was a "like" button for these :) Thanks for the honest opinions. Bob, I actually really appreciate your honesty and frankness. Good stuff. I can't say we know what the next 5 years hold, I can say this, I do get homesick sometimes, so I expect at the very least, we will take the summers off and spend them in Michigan. So at some level, there will be long term relationships built. I appreciate all of the congrats too. Thanks for making us smile today. I definitely believe in a balanced view of raising kids. Definitely don't want to allow our selfishness to adversely affect our kids, but also don't want to over-cater to them either. I've seen both extremes and they are both kinda ugly.
Let me express this thought: neither my wife nor I still maintain any of the friendships we built before college...interestingly enough. Once college hit, we started building relationships that were more permanent. And post college, we are meeting new people with similar interests and at a similar stage in their lives whom we have chemistry with. Just a data point.
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Life in general requires some adaptability. For now, it looks like you see no reason to change your circumstance, so there is no need to do it. As time passes you, just like everyone else, will be constantly reevaluating things. You will realize it and adapt if you need a change. As Heraclitus, an old bus nut, like to say, "The only thing that is constant is change."
Congratulations on the coming addition to the family. Hope all will be healthy and happy. As far as home schooling goes I can't give an opinion on that as I went to public school. I do know some who were home schooled but only had brief (in the grand scheme of life) associations with them (their parents).
A friend of mine once said to me "your best friend is the one you are with". Seldom are your "best" friends your best friends through your entire life, military or not. Jobs, life conditions, economic situations all change our location and/or our lifestyle. It doesn't matter if your young one(s) are 4 or 40, their friends will probably change, stationary or mobile. It is a choice you and your wife will have to make when the time comes.
Good luck.
Congrats you guys. We think it is great and what fun and education the Baby will get from traveling around and seeing the real world, meeting people in different parts of the country. They will grow up very aware and independently thinking, able to address many situations that other can not. Way to go and very positive thought coming your way!.......... ;D :D
Dave & Doreen Walker
Congrats Scott and Heather!
I'm a dad of 3, and with my SO's kids, there are six, ages 18 to 6.
Infants are super portable. They sleep like a bug in a rug in their car seat for the first couple of months! Bus, apartment, house, won't make any difference to a baby..... but socialization is super important. Conventional schools provide that socialization which home schooled kids sometimes don't get. Any good parent will realize that all kids need to interact with other kids on a regular basis.
The first few years, have fun, don't worry about living in a bus, enjoy it while it last because, my goodness, they grow up fast! By that time, the second one will be on it's way and it's instant playmate!
By the time your kid is ready for school (and perhaps you will have more little ones), you will probably be burned out on living in a bus anyway so the transition to living in a more permanent home will make sense.
Save your money. There is no equity in a bus conversion.
--Geoff
Caution...little girls learn the "wrap the little finger deal" faster than boys...
So...if the blanket is pink, here's what will happen... "Daddy....can I have a pony...." ;D
Scott -
I'd like to think we have a long term relationship :)
I think some of the best relationships we have made have been on the road in the bus. Its really has been amazing.
I think our kids are very socialized. Socialized by time spent building amazing relationships with other solid Christian kids from good families. Instead of just having friends from one neighborhood they have friends from all over the country. They can also carry a conversation with an adult by talking about things other than the latest boy band and what's on TV.
How many good friends does a person need anyways? The only relationships I still have from childhood are family. My best relationships are those people whom I haven't seen in a year or more and can just drop in and say hello and take off right from where we last started.
I sometimes envy people who live in the same house their mom lived in. Go to school where their Grandpa did. Have a 8/5 job doing what their dad did and do the same thing week in and week out. And vacation for two weeks every year in the same timeshare in Boca Raton. It's a simple life. Its safe. Its predictable. I don't envy their life so much as I envy their ability to live it.
My wife and I are just not wired that way. We had the nice house with 3 car garage and the HOA. We were miserable. We tried so hard to do the American thing and it just didn't work for us.
We love traveling. We love being willing and available. We love helping and praying and sharing with anyone. Is it easy? No. Is it safe? No. Do people understand it? Most don't. Will we ever get tired of this lifestyle? I highly doubt it. Its exciting and rewarding. Its often times a hard days work. It forces you to be honest and learn new things.
Have the baby on the road. It will be amazing. Hopefully we can be there when it happens.
Can't wait to see you both again. Congratulations. Its gonna be an awesome adventure.
-Sean
Us old guys can only look back through the fog of time (and I'll admit to being so out of touch I don't know much) but it is going to be a great adventure and I wish you the best, too.
Scott
As some of us old folks say "GOOD LUCK AND DO WHAT YOU LIKE" We will set by with envy as you two do what we wish we had done in our youth.
If you every come through western NC be sure and let us know.
Good luck
uncle ned
PS the only thing better than kids are grankids
Scott,
That is the coolest thing I have read on here in years! Congratulations to you and your wife!
Don't worry about the naysayers. You will do fantastic raising a kid on your bus. Everything will work out well. Kudos to you guys!
John
What does your wife want to do? What are her feelings about this? She is undisputedly the one that will be impacted the most.
Don't forget that you have two big advantages on your side -- you are already established in your bus (you don't have to worry if you picked too small a heating system for next winter, or how long your water tank lasts - you've been there and you know how your bus works as a home) and you have all the choices in the world; you can go where you want to, take work you want, choose to "settle down" for as long as you need to if you want. You're going to be fine, just work with it as you go.
Congratulations!
PS ponies fit in trailers ;)
Congrats Scott and Heather, we live life in seasons, any decision you make you are not stuck with. We love having our kids on the road and are so glad we didn't wait till they had grown to enjoy this adventure together. We didn't know how long we would do this when we began and still don't moving forward. When it is no longer a good fit for how we want to do life we can make that change then. We met a family recently who had a baby on a sailboat. Look forward to seeing you guys again, probably with a baby! Craig
Congratulations!!! :)
Congratulations! Remember that children are a blessing from the Lord and cherish the days He gives you with them. As far as full timing goes I say do it. Here is some inspiration for you: www.bumfuzzle.com (http://www.bumfuzzle.com). Warning - they have an incredible story and you can get sucked into their blog.
Once again, thank you so much for the congrats! Heather and I are enjoying reading them together every evening :) Reading your responses, I want to make two points:
1. Heather is way more into bus full-timing than I am. She was born and raised in the same house her parents still live in 30 years later. At this stage in our lives, I couldn't pry this bus out of her cold dead fingers. You think I'm kidding, but I'm serious. She absolutely loves this. I mean, seriously loves this. She's making up for all the lost time in her life she didn't travel.
2. Those of you who say you are "out of touch" cause of your age....I have utmost respect for you. The more gray hair...or the less hair I suppose too, the more respect I generally have for you. At one time, you were our age...you were having your first kids, facing your responsibilities head-on. We are just another generation. I know everyone thinks we are all way different...but we are all human...same hearts, same skin and bones, and pull our pants on one leg at a time. It's time our generation realizes the wealth of knowledge many of you passed on to us that led us to where we are today, technologically, socially, etc. Some change is good, some bad, but someday, I'll be the grandpa, watching another generation live through another exciting era for them....and I hope I never feel "out of touch" or irrelevant. I've met a bunch of you personally at the rally or traveling by, and I can honestly say, thank you for passing your skills, knowledge, and stories down to us. I know nothing about raising kids, but I do know I will teach them to value the generations that preceded them. Generations who fought wars, made laws, made history, and all wrote a page in the book of this world. I'm just another paragraph on the page...hoping I leave a mark...and somehow positively influence the next generation to leave theirs. And, because I'm a Christian...my faith leads me down that road. This is why I'm on here soaking up your opinions, thoughts, and kudos. You gents impress me every day.
Quote from: Scott Bennett on April 27, 2015, 09:26:53 PM
I know nothing about raising kids. . .
Darned things don't come with an Operator's Manual, that's for sure!!
;D
RJ - LOL and although many are willing to provide "tech support", I still can't find anyone who offers a warranty on the darn things ;D
Hello Scott and Heather,
I wish to add my congratulations to the chorus. Bringing a baby into the world is one of God's greatest blessings, and I celebrate both the attitude and the mobility with which you approach the situation.
We home schooled six—some for 13 years, most for the majority of primary and secondary. The socialization your child will receive will be more in line with that which took place during the bulk of human history. One of the few points of agreement I have with Hillary Clinton is that it DOES take a village to raise a child. She may have been referring to a government entity that replaces parents—I did not read her book and will not put words in her mouth—but my take on that traditional African proverb is that a village is necessary to supplement and support the work of good parenting. As recently as the 1950s and 60s, in the community where my mother still lives, neighbors knew each other well and took some responsibility for keeping each other's children out of trouble. That's a perspective I came to appreciate as an adult in the same way that I came to appreciate the reality that segregating children with mostly their specific age group for the bulk of each weekday provides a type of socialization that reinforces many of the worst aspects of human nature: cliques, bullying, materialism, ruthless competition, loss a sense of value for those who are not the prettiest and the smartest. Our current public education system is primarily designed to produce "good consumers" and to provide babysitting so that both parents will be more likely to have "careers" and dramatically increased "household buying power."
We have only three years experience in full-time mobile living, but the "village" associated with this lifestyle has proven itself time and again. I see a bit of arrogance and hot headedness online, but the full timers we actually meet are usually wonderful. In addition, the non-mobile folks we tend to meet along the way tend to be the kind you want to visit as often as possible. We've found that the attraction of the "big bus with the chimney" is a wonderful opening with many, and others are attracted when they see and smell us baking fresh bread or steaming jambalaya in a Dutch oven. I can tell without meeting you that you folks are well suited to making new friends and treasuring new experiences, and those things will be a blessing to your child.
I do, however, feel the need to offer one parental caution. Children often reject that which becomes most familiar. Here's an example:
A girl in my neighborhood refused to eat vegetables. She ate bread, meat, cheese, pasta and the like, but she would not eat peas, carrots, corn, potatoes and so on. She now has three daughters. Two of them are vegetarians.
Heather is a prime example. She WANTS to live differently than did her parents. This sort of thing WILL happen to you. Try not to let it bother you. My children currently range from 20 to 36. All but one have children of their own. Each of them has come to appreciate SOME of the things I find valuable, but each has also rejected many of my choices, and those rejections often appear intentional and capricious. If I chose to focus on those differences, I might be denied the steadily strengthening relationships Bev and I currently enjoy with each of our children. Don't be surprised if your child eventually longs for bricks, mortar and a picket fence.
The brilliant philosopher and horse farmer, Wendell Berry, claims that it is part of a child's job to reject his or her parents values and decide for themselves what is and is not important. Once that occurs, then a parent and child can build an adult relationship on a foundation of mutual respect. In spite of what many of my Christian friends think, my experience is that I cannot force any person to believe and act as I do, even if that person spent twenty years or so in my home.
So, Scott and Heather, our prayer for you will be for a successful pregnancy, a safe and speedy delivery, a healthy child and a large measure of faith, wisdom and love. You give that kid a growing up experience that affirms the value of not doing exactly what everyone else does. I do believe that concept is at the heart of the teaching of a certain Galilean carpenter.
Faithfully yours,
Jim
Sean said, "Will we ever get tired of this lifestyle? I highly doubt it."
The thing I love about that is that IF we do get tired of this mobile bus based lifestyle we can always go back to the house and job and stationary life that all the naysayers "demand" we "ought" to have for ourselves and provide for our children. Some day we might do it but how many of them will ever have the guts to try this life?
Davy
Well said Jim. Well said. Good stuff right there...
Davy, this is true. Any time we want to, Heather and I can settle down....of course, I'll point out that this phrase means something different to everyone. My music touring allows us to stay in one spot for 5-7 months at a time. Here in Texas, we will be parked in the same spot for an entire year...we still do some traveling via car or airplane away from the coach, but for the most part, we are here in Texas for a year. So we do have some semblance of "settled down" in our lives. We have great friends here who are like family to us, and the lady who runs the RV park here is the mom of the owner...she takes us out to eat once or twice a week just cause she loves to...we get free wrist bands to the water park down the road cause her son owns that too. Her other son is an OBGYN and constantly wants to know how things are going with the pregnancy and tells us if we need him, he's a cell phone call away. They all have attended my concerts, some have visited our bus, and all are already telling us we can't leave in a year :) lol. So yes, I believe it does help to have a village. This kid is gonna have grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles galore. Heather's parents love having a mobile hotel and are traveling and seeing more of the country than ever before now that we are on the move. It's pretty cool stuff. Geoff made a good point: buses don't go up in value, so we are on the Dave Ramsey cash plan and saving $$ as we go. I think we will pick up a piece of land at some point (I know Sean and Angie have discussed this too) as an investment/place to call home/park the bus/build a log home someday??? Also, this year, we are starting a SEP (self employed pension) that should help things a little when we can no longer work someday. Until then, we just hang on...this is the ride of a lifetime. Will share news on little one as it comes. Find out the gender pretty soon here hopefully.
Not much to add to all this great advice. We are at the other end of the road of life. We raised our two boys in rural Michigan. They lived in a house we built ourselves in the middle of the woods. Teri stayed home with them until the youngest was in first grade. We took a two week backpacking trip every year from the time the youngest was five until they were out of high school. There were years we had to borrow money to "go on vacation". I said we were buying something that was priceless and it made more sense than borrowing to buy a car. They chose to live in big cities. Chad (42) has lived in DC, Cairo Egypt, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Paco (39) moved to Silicon Valley. Although growing up in the woods was with "back to the Earth, hippy" parents they found a lifestyle that they enjoy in the big city. Chad and his wife just moved to San Francisco this year. We began building our bus three years ago at age 65. We sold our business, retired and thought we'd travel part time. We have since decided to sell our home of 35 years and live full time in our bus. We spent this winter in Half Moon Bay - 20 minutes from our boys and two grand daughters. Building the bus, even at this age, has allowed us to see our kids and grand-kids more than once a year. We have lots of close friends in Michigan, so we will spend a few months every summer back home. As Forest Gump quoted his mama, "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're going to get." It never ceases to amaze me, the wisdom and support found on this forum. You've got a virtual village here that creates friends and mentors you've never met. The ones we have met didn't disappoint us. Congratulations on starting your own family! With as much thought as you have obviously put into this, I'm sure you'll make the right decisions along the way.
Gordie,
Sounds like you guys are enjoying this new stage. I grew up in Eau Claire, MI for part of my life...that's home to me :)
You gotta follow the truth in your heart, not the concerns of others.
We're full-timing and homeschooling as well. The kids are now 7 and 5. We full-time because it's fun and economical. We homeschool because we want our kids to love learning and to avoid some of the nonsense that goes on in public schools. The book Hard Times in Paradise set us on the homeschool path. The bus started with my hairbrained idea, a google search, this site, and an ebay auction, in that order.
Yeah, we get jokes from friends, raised eyebrows from my family, and Gigi's parents secretly try to talk her out of both the bus and the homeschooling when I'm not around. But we honestly enjoy our path know its right in our hearts.
I used to take a little offense at the judgment I perceive from friends and family. But I'm starting to feel just a tad sorry for them, since none of them have ever risked stepping outside the norm to experience life. If they had, however, I might place a bit more credibility in their opinions.
Is the bus forever? No, we'd like a farm in about 4 years. But for now, we're loving life. And so should you.
Love it. Thankfully, our parents are pretty on board with our lifestyle. They visit often so we have sleeping arrangements for 6 if need be. I'll add that we didn't start out full timing because we just wanted to see the world, it's literally my job/career. So I would have to switch careers if we wanted to settle. Not averse to that, but yeah, in our case, full timing is a necessity more than novelty at this point.
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Very Cool. Having kids is just one of those things that's truly gratifying and amazing.
Scott & Heather -
Be aware that a lot of things related to raising kids is not apparent until you are one!
Such as with infants:
When getting ready to go out somewhere for the evening, the later you're running, the greater the chances of a #2 diaper! :o
In the above situation, the more expensive the clothes you're wearing, the more explosive and runnier the #2! :'(
With toddlers?
The chances of the toast landing jelly-side down is inversely proportional to how long ago you mopped the kitchen floor! ::)
With 3-year olds, backing the car out of the driveway means they have to go to the bathroom, well after they've been buckled into their car seat and asked several times before doing so.
See what you get to look forward to? ;D
Lol!! This made my day!!! Thanks RJ. I'm gonna wear plastic bags over my clothes now
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