Welcome to the RV show

Yesterday we went to our first RV show. RV and boat show, actually... In other words, one enormous room stuffed with speed boats, pontoon boats, bus-like RVs the size of jetliners, more trailers than I could count, and slide-outs as far as the eye could see.

And people. So many people. Until yesterday, I didn't know going to RV and boat shows was a thing. I figured we'd be three of maybe a few dozen people, but as it turns out, a lot of people are interested in boating and RVing. The sea of humanity combined with the fluorescent lighting was a recipe for a panic attack, but I was on a mission - a mission to figure out what kind of unit we wanted - and so I kept the panic at bay long enough to make the admission fee worthwhile.

The goal was definitely NOT to find and purchase an RV. Even the smallest units here were tens of thousands of dollars. (Excuse me while I stop to laugh.)

Oh you know... Pocket change.

No, the goal was just to see what kind of features and layouts we like so that when we're ready to buy our USED RV, we'll know how to narrow the search.

What we learned:

1. Many RVs are larger than our current house. Also much cleaner and better decorated. Fewer Legos on the floor, too.

I will never live in anything that looks this nice.

2. Many RVs are fancier and have more square footage than a New York City apartment (actually, this was not my observation; it was what one of my NYC friends said when she saw my photos on Facebook).

3. Before the show, we'd determined that our ideal RV will be a class C. Class C RVs have bunks over the cabs, and they don't look like buses. The show confirmed that this will be the best choice for us, at least for our initial foray into nomadic life. The class C's we looked at and liked the best had several features that are musts for us:

• A bunk for me and my husband, and a bunk area for my son, with doors or curtains for privacy. 
• A bathroom accessible from the main part of the RV so that my son doesn't need to wake us up in the middle of the night to get to the facilities.
• A spacious table area. I'm planning to homeschool my son, so we're going to need a spot where we can spread out if we're working inside.
• Storage, storage, storage.
• Total length of less than 30 feet.

One of our favorite RVs from the show

4. Our region has more RV dealers than we'd realized. Although we're open to purchasing the right used RV from anywhere in the region, it would be nice to purchase one from within the immediate area. I don't want to travel 200 miles away to check out an RV only to discover that it looks nothing like the pictures on eBay.

5. RV dealers are way less pushy than I'd expected. I get anxious when salespeople follow me around and ask if I have any questions. That didn't happen here. We were able to look around at our leisure. Or maybe what was really going on was that the dealers were taking one look at us and thinking, "Nope. They are definitely not buying anything today."

All in all, it was a good learning experience, one that will inform our research over the next few months as we save, save, save.

A letter to my son

My dear, darling, Pampers-bottomed son,

I am writing to inform you that whenever you are ready to use the potty, I am ready to help you learn. You are nearly three years old. I can see how much you love and value your independence as you choose your own snacks, select the toys you want to play with, "rearrange" your bedroom, and remove your clothes at will. So imagine how independent and dignified you will feel when you're completely free of those pesky old diapers! No more dampness, no more puffiness, no more stinking up the entire cabin of a 757 passenger jet.

And even though I know you don't care - I'll just mention it in case you have any sympathy for us - I want to point out that a 100-count pack of diapers costs approximately $30. Insane, right? Thirty bucks could buy a whole bucketful of Hot Wheels. Or a big bin of dinosaurs. It would even cover the expense of two Dora the Explorer videos. (Ha - THAT got your attention, didn't it!) Better yet, we could just funnel that money into your college fund.

I won't push you into potty training. I'll wait for you to take the lead. But give it some thought and get back to me.

Note that I am not above offering bribes for your cooperation.

Much love,

Mom

Bookstore field trip

Just like last January, my son and I have spent most of the new year so far fighting off illness. Our doctor diagnosed both of us with sinus infections. Phlegm (ewwww), fevers, and unusually cold weather have kept us inside in recent weeks. And if there's something I can't stand - something I absolutely detest - it's being housebound, relegated to watching Oprah and watching the world go by from the front window while I tunnel through boxes of Kleenex. I suspect my offspring feels the same way.

Yesterday, both of us were finally back in business. We decided to go on a field trip to the bookstore. We have a well-honed Borders routine, one that's fun but free. The steps are as follows:

1. Hit up the magazine area and make one or two selections. I usually go for Outside, Money, a sailing magazine, or U.S. News. My son likes the railroad magazines:

2. Take said magazines to the children's section. I find a little chair to sit on and indulge in some recreational reading while my son ooh's and aah's over the Thomas the Train books and plays with the wheelies:

3. After about 45 minutes, we put the books away and replace the magazines on the shelf. Then we go home without buying anything. Cheapskates.

I know Borders isn't a playground, but no-one ever objects to our activities, and we always clean up before we leave. And unlike the library, the noise at the bookstore kind of drowns out preschooler-generated rackets.