one family. one bus.

big on adventure. small on stuff.

Hi! We're a family of 5 (sometimes 6 when we have our bonus child in the mix) on an epic journey to turn a retired school bus into a tiny house on wheels. We'll go from McMansion to Minimalist and you're invited along for the ride.

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The latest.

Blog
Busworthy: Silipints
Busworthy: Silipints
Reset.
Reset.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
Better (Almost) Late Than Never.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
End of the School Year: How to Make a Clean Start for Summer in 6 Steps.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
Mama Don't Need Your Crap: 5 Things to NOT Get This Mother's Day.
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bus stuff!

See the entire conversion from start to our current state.

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(in a totally non-creepy way, please and thank you.)

What a difference 7 months can make! . Spray foam is officially done. ✅ . Floor insulation and subfloor is officially done. ✅ . The subfloor for the bathroom is officially done. ✅ . The floor plan for the kitchen is officially taped out and all that stuff I already bought FITS. ✅✅✅ 😁😁😁 . (And all the outside stuff that’s happened, too! ✅) . What’s next? It’s electric! ⚡️ . (Tell me if you thought “boogie woogie woogie” 😆) ___________________ #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbus #schoolbustohome #tinyhouseonwheels #buildityourself #tinyhousebuild #minimalistinthemaking #familyproject #buildittogether #skooliebuild #insulation #sprayfoam #itshappening #slowlybutsurely #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
The cutest little bus driver. _______________ #skoolie #skooliefamily #toddlerhood #momofboyslife #busdriver #dontletthepigeondrivethebus #schoolbusconversion #tinyhouselife #letthemhelp #letthemplay #quill #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
I’ve been quiet lately. . It’s not for a lack of things to say, but the taste of the words that want to spit forth are sour and bitter and negative. One star, will never eat here again. . The last few weeks (months?) of converting into buslife have been...hard? Frustrating? Overwhelming? Discouraging? . Yes. All of those things and some more words accented with the four-letter variety. . Our half step forward, six steps back dance is making me grumpy and ill-tempered and disbelieving in even the idea that the bus will ever roll from this current state of undone to one of on the road reality. . It’s not all bad. Things are happening! Slowly! Sort of! Minus that spray foam tank exploding! Things could be worse! But my current mood will throw those wins on the fire of the dozens of other things that have turned to ash. . And that’s fine. We’ll keep dancing and I’ll keep pecking away at the plate. . Tonight, another small stack of books is deemed unbusworthy and that tiny mouthful will have to satisfy my appetite to doooooo something. . Anyone else nibbling away at a goal instead of chomping? _________________ #foodanalogiesarethebestanalogies #workwithmehere #schoolbus #schoolbusconversion #minimalisthome #tinyhousebuild #justcomplaining #ignoreme #diyhouse #minimalistinthemaking #lessstuffmorelife #onestepatatime #letitallgo #skoolieconversion #progresspost #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
You can’t tell from this #nofiltersky picture, but the bus looks like it has a case of the chicken pox. 🐓🐓🐓 . I’ve spent the last few weeks caulking around every single rivet (there are over a thousand!) because we kept getting rust streaks on the outside and leaks on the inside. 😒😒😒 . Every single drip and drop needed to be dealt with before we could spray foam (we’re now over a month from our original foam by date) and I’m happy to say that as of this morning, the entire inside of the bus is bone dry. 🎉🎉🎉 . However. . In our typical one step forward, seventy-three steps back tradition, all this caulking (and the rust that happened along the way) means that I get to paint the top half of the bus. Again. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ . It’s incredibly wearing to have to constantly fix and redo things, but this is a thing we had to make sure was right. There isn’t a step-by-step guide. No expert is whispering secrets and tricks of the trade. We’ll continue to try and fail and stubborn our way through it. Tomorrow is going to bring some new something that we didn’t even realize could be a thing. . But for today, I’m just going to be thankful for no more leaks. __________________________ #nomoreleaks #caulking #skoolieproblems #schoolbusconversion #skoolie #tinyhouseonwheels #buildingourhome #skoolieconversion #onestepforward #twostepsback #alwayssomething #learnasyougo #amateurhour #diys #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
My biggest little helper is giving me a hand removing one of the bunk porthole windows. . The original window came with a bad seal and leaked terribly. After some back and forth with the company and several weeks of waiting (😒😒😒), we have a new window to install after we get all this caulk off and deal with the resulting rust. . One step forward, two steps back. _______________ #alwayssomething #homeschoolfortoday #thisiswhathomeschoolinglookslike #problemsolving #leaks #rustremoval #homeschoolers #feelingoverwhelmed #discouraged #onestepforward #twostepsback #skoolie #skoolieconversion #tinyhouseproblems #momofboys #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
You know you might be a homeschooler (or not thinking clearly) if you hear the words, “Let’s put together the cabinets for the bus!” coming out of your mouth. 😳 . To your 7, 4, and 2 year old. (OMG, WHY DIDN’T WE DO THIS DURING NAP.) 🤦🏻‍♀️ . Everyone had a job to do, and surprisingly it wasn’t the toddler who made it next to impossible, but the damn dog who tried to sit on everyone’s lap anytime he wasn’t eating the Allen key. 😒 . But it’s done! One bathroom cabinet down! Learning was achieved! Winning! Mama is going to go lay down now! 😆 _________________ #homeschoolers #momofboys #threeboys #homeschoollife #everythingiseducational #lifeschool #homeschoolersofinstagram #secularhomeschool #unschooling #skoolieconversion #skoolie #schoolbusconversion #familyproject #ikeacabinets #diyer #mamaneedsabreak #letthembekids #littlehelpers #damndog #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
When my plans to pick up the bus kitchen while I was alone in Orlando didn’t work out, I had to take a second to come to grips with the fact that it meant I’d have to drive several hours back to IKEA with 3 wiggly boys. Including one deep in the throes of terrible twodom. To pick up an entire kitchen. Without Jake to tag team parent with me to keep everyone entertained through the waiting and boring parts. . But they did awesome. My worries were completely unfounded. We took our time on the drive down and sang along to @imaginedragons and @311 and @thecranberries and @iamlpofficial (because damn those kids are awesome) and took in the change of scenery. . They thought IKEA was delightful and we tested out most of the couches, went back for seconds on the meatballs, and Quill even took a 10 minute snooze in the children’s section while brothers carefully selected a paint set, some vehicles, and a dragon finger puppet. . They considering going into Småland, but they went from iffy when I said I wouldn’t be there, to an absolute no when they found out Quill wouldn’t be allowed to go. “Brothers stick together!” Eli insisted. 😍 . They waited patiently while we put my (and several IKEA workers’) Tetris skills to the test to fit a whole kitchen and a bathroom sink into the back of the van. . Several hours drive back and I’ve officially found a use for our formerly empty living room. 😁 . Most exciting part though...there is a KITCHEN!!! Now we just need to do seventy billion other things so it can be installed. 😆 _________________ #ikeakitchen #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbus #schoolbusconversion #tinyhousekitchen #buildityourself #familyproject #swedishmeatballs #ikeameatballs #momofboyslife #terribletwos #boylife #momofthree #momofthreeboys #blessit #wesurvived #wheresmyallenkey #tetris #adventureisoutthere #makeitanadventure #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Modern art or all of the insulation and boards for the floor? I’ll let you decide. 😆 . While I was off playing photographer in Orlando over the weekend, the boys were back at the bus starting on the ceiling framing supports. . A couple of days of heavy rain have revealed a few more leaks that we’ll need to address. We are so over leaks, but I’ll take this over the alternative...finding them after they’ve turned our home into soggy mold central. ________________ #theboringstuff #allpartoftheplan #skoolie #schoolbusconversion #tinyhouseonwheels #theprocess #foamboards #insulation #familyproject #skoolienation #thepigeonbus #damnleaks #leak #onestepforward #twostepsback #themeasureofus
I don’t know how people work in public spaces. . I’m camped out in a @panerabread with a bread bowl and 5 sessions worth of photos to edit from yesterday and this morning while I wait for my next client and I can’t focus (see what I did there) to save my life. . I have to glance up every time someone passes by and I find myself protective of my raw images. Like, “Don’t look! These aren’t ready yet!” . How about you? Can you be productive out in public? __________________ #notworkinglunch #peoplewatching #breadbowl #photoshoplife #photogproblems #cantfocus #itsloudinhere #productivityfail #notgettinganythingdone #workinglunch #notsomuch #sidehustle #themeasureofus
I’m back at one of my favorite places with my camera strapped on again (it’s nice to be back!) to see some past (and a few new!) clients for holiday photos! . Bonus...I get to pick up the kitchen for the bus while I’m down here, too! 😍 ______________ #semiretired #formerphotographer #backtoworkigo #busfunds #familyphotographers #beautifulspot #falldays #historicpark #winterpark #kraftazaleagardens #buswork #sidehustle #backinaction #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Just doing a little measuring this morning. 😍 . Eagle eyes will spy some of our unintended work from this weekend. We wanted to spray foam, but instead spent the whole weekend finding and repairing leaks and then waiting for caulk to dry. #frustrating . So instead of twiddling our thumbs, we got the driver’s window replaced, finished removing the (super gross) rotted wood that was under the pedals, and went ahead and took more of the dash out. The heaters didn’t work when we got the bus, so we’re looking into what might be a smart replacement since the heater also works to cool the engine when it has to work harder...important since we’ve got mountain travel plans. 😁 . Swipe for a peek at the craziness that is going on in the other end of the bus. Jake and I work best in 4D, so doodles on paper all eventually become temporary mock ups in the bus. . None of this is permanent, but whoa is it way different to see what those measurements look like in real life. We’ve made some adjustments and solidified some decisions that were up in the air. . We’ve also spent a lot of time just staring at all this in complete “dude, this is a thing that’s happening” disbelief. 😆😂 __________________ #skoolie #schoolbusconversion #schoolbus #tinyhouse #tinyhouseonwheels #minimalistfamily #tinyliving #buildyourownhouse #makingitours #progresspic #thingsarehappening #diyhouse #familyproject #buildingwithkids #dreambigger #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
We’ve got our first busworthy item! We are so pumped to have found drinkware that is not only busproof, but kidproof and environmentally friendly, too! . Bounce to my bio for a direct link to our full review of @silipint! . Every Skoolie is going to want a set and I’d love to know what other uses my homeschool pals can think of for these! _______________ #silipint #skoolie #schoolbusconversion #busworthy #unbreakable #kidproof #sponsoredpost #schoolbus #skoolielove #skoolienation #thisishowwehomeschool #secularhomeschool #homeschoolrocks #experimentbasedlearning #multiuse #cups #buslife #skoolieconversion #minimalistlifestyle #kidfriendly #campinggear #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus