A Day In The Mama Bus

The Mama Bus: What’s Life Like?

Quite a few people have asked us what our everyday life is like in the Mama Bus. Here’s a window into our world!

Every day is slightly different, but the basic routine is the same.

Morning:

The sun peaks over the mountains, warming the chill air in our tents. We curl tighter into our sleeping bags and pretend morning hasn’t arrived yet. The birds chirp loudly above us and we hear giggles and rustling from the little girls in the mama tent as they wake up. One of the mamas yells to the surrounding tents “Up and at em’ guys! Roll those mats and stuff your sacks! It’s time to get up!” Everyone groans, but after a minute or so we’re mostly up.

Breakfast tends to be a very simple and speedy affair, consisting mainly of cereal or oatmeal. A few times we have eaten breakfast bars and fruit in the car when we’ve had an especially long day ahead of us, but we usually make time in the morning, just after the tents have been pulled down.

It’s Gotta Be Noisy?!

Most people (including myself) worried that the amount of noise in the Mama Bus resulting from the combined efforts of eleven kids would be too much for everyone. However, much to my surprise, the long hours we spend in the car each day are pretty quiet. The older children have school and other responsibilities to occupy them, while the younger kids have a few toys and books to enjoy. Overall, we haven’t had more than a few times where the noise level has gotten out of hand!

Night

When we arrive at our destination it doesn’t take more than a half hour to set up all of our tents and cook dinner over our camp stoves. Then, around a campfire, Jeremiah (15) plays guitar and I play my violin and guitar to round off the day before we snuggle back down into our sleeping bags and fall asleep, awaiting the dawn that will bring another adventure into our lives.