Several of the specific questions some of you had involved schooling, so that's what I'll focus on today.
How far is the school?
Although there are many students at our school who travel an hour or more to get to school--because of the large size of our district or because they chose to come to our school from out of district--we are only ten miles from the school.
How do your kids get there on the days you don't work?
Same way they get there on the days I do work: On the school bus.
A. is the bus driver for one of our school buses. Our small (but mighty!) bus lives at our house. Currently, we all get on the bus in the morning on the days I work, pick up a few more kids on our way to the school, and that's it. On the days I don't work, it's often just our boys on the bus in the morning. However, A.'s bus route does actually include much farther homes, it's just we don't happen to have any kids right now that live out that way.
The one other bus starts its run at the very edge of the district and picks up a lot more kids along the way. "A lot more" meaning . . . 15.
Is there a high school in your area?
The school our kids attend is actually pre-K through 12th grade, in several buildings on one campus.
If you have to be away while the kids are in school, do you coordinate with someone ahead of time to take them if you get held up? Or would you just call someone from the road to make arrangements?
It's very, very rare that A. and I both go somewhere while the kids are in school. When we do, we don't make any special arrangements. If our car broke down or something, then yes, we would call the school on our cell phone. Cell service is good enough to make a call most of the places we go around here. (Although our cell phone doesn't work in our actual house, so I have to go outside at home if I want to use it.)
Anyway, I don't worry too much about the kids at school if we have a situation that keeps us from being there when school lets out, because most of their friends have a parent who works at the school. So if we couldn't get there for whatever reason, they could just go home with one of those staff parents and we would pick them up when we could. The community here is very, very supportive and accustomed to helping each other out. It wouldn't be a problem.
What about college?
There is no college nearer than 100 miles away. If they decide to go to college, they will not be living at home while they do. Unless they do it online, which a lot of people do nowadays, anyway.
And a bonus, non-school question: Who is Miss Amelia?
Miss Amelia is our elderly neighbor. She lives alone in the same house she's lived in for probably sixty years, about half a mile from us. She loves children and is just about the sweetest woman ever. She's constantly sending food over to us. Luckily, she LOVES my bread, and also garden vegetables, so I can return the favor.
More answers to your burning questions about remote living coming next week! And if you have anymore, just put 'em in the comments and I'll get to them, too.
I'm enjoying these posts about your very rural life.
ReplyDeleteLinda
I'm enjoying these posts! I know you're a mom/homemaker and work at your kids' school, but I'm super curious about A.'s job. I know he drives the bus, but you've also mentioned on occasion that he was gone for work, so driving the bus isn't be his only job (also, families of six don't live on air alone; some income is necessary). If you can share without causing privacy issues, I'd be really interested to know more about his occupation and how he makes it work. Where does he have to go for work, and how does he get there? And how is he able to make his job arrangement work from your rural location? Having had extensive experience with the joys of iffy rural cell (non)service, your comments about the cell service in the area in this post make me think it'd be pretty tricky for him to be working completely online from your location. Was it a struggle to get his employer to agree to what must be a distance-work/telecommute/work-from-home arrangement? (And if you can't or prefer not to post about this, I completely understand.)
ReplyDelete--Karen.'s sister
oooh thank you so much for the details, it really helps imagine your day-to-day life <3 I love that A is the bus driver. It seems like the school helps bring the district and community together. I'm out of questions right now, but will let you know, thanks again!
ReplyDeleteWhile I personally could never imagine living so remotely, I think it's great that there are small towns like yours that allow your kids to experience non-city living. I used to think I lived in a small town ... I was actually born and raised in a town called Normal, IL (where State Farm Insurance is headquartered) and in comparison to the city I live in now ... Minneapolis, MN it is small but now where near as small as your town. Do you guys think you will stay in the area Long Term? What would make you move if you ever did? Do you think you would consider building a bigger home as the kids get older? Seems like your home might get a little cramped as the 4 kiddos grow?
ReplyDeleteIs Poppy in pre preschool there or playing with the older kids, during school time.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have Miss Amelia.
And Sysco.