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
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.
Behind the Scenes: Reader Mail.
Behind the Scenes: Reader Mail.
Can't Take It With Us: The Husband Edition.
Can't Take It With Us: The Husband Edition.
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bus stuff!

See the entire conversion from start to our current state.

Click here.

Follow us.

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

The Pigeon Bus looks good in gray. 😍😍😍 We had a plan hiccup in how we were planning on prepping the bus for primer. We struggled this morning to make the original plan happen before finally admitting defeat and moving on. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ We decided it was better to get *something* done even if it wasn’t as much as we originally planned. 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 We finished the day strong with the transition all Bondo-ed (a MAJOR thing checked off the list) and this first section all primed. ☀️☀️☀️ Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, so we’ll be getting another section done. 🐘🐘🐘 We’ll keep on eating an elephant over here...and now the bus is starting to look like one. 😆😆😆 _________________ #primer #paintprep #doitright #sherkem #skoolieconversion #skoolie #tinyhouseonwheels #buildyourownhome #familyproject #thisishowwehomeschool #grayprimer #onebiteatatime #eatinganelephant #slowlybutsurely #husbandandwifeteam #moveon #dontjusttalkaboutit #doitforthelove #adventureisoutthere #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Once again, we find ourselves at a weird stage in the conversion process. . We have tons to do, but different holdups are preventing things from proceeding in a logical order. (Like we’d love to finish all the bodywork, but it’s so humid that primer is drying like chalk and Bondo dries almost instantly in 90+ degree heat.) . We’re hesitant to install all the new lights before the bodywork is done...seems like we’d be doing a whole lot more taping and removing when the time comes to paint it if we do it now. . The final quote request for windows is going in today...we’re holding our breath to see how many kidneys we’ll need to sell to cover that one. . There will be a 6 week wait for windows, and then we’ll be able to continue to dry in the bus...which will open up a whole new list of things to get started on inside. . We desperately need to get the engine serviced and given a thorough check, but can’t move the bus out of our yard without the conversion being to a state of “livable” so it can get tags/registration. . So there is always the looming fear that there is a big maintenance need and we just don’t know enough to spot it. . I’m picking up side hustles (who needs a photographer? an editor? a personal organizer?) to help fund everything...so while all of that extra income is super helpful, it’s more balls to juggle. . The strain of decision fatigue is rearing up, so we are making yet another list and seeing what we can tackle next. . Just have to remember...one bite at a time. 🐘🚌🐘🚌🐘 ___________________ #schoolbusconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #tinyhouse #buildyourownhome #diyhouse #schoolbus #minimalistfamily #progresspic #onebiteatatime #makingalist #honeydolist #onestepatatime #onestepcloser #sidehustle #dreambigger #dontjustdreamitdoit #familyproject #husbandandwifeteam #bluebirdbus #anxietyfordays #staycalm #keepcool #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Let’s jump right to the chase. . There’s this thing called @gish and it’s amazing, incredifun, family/homeschool friendly, and there are only HOURS left to register for it, so skip reading my blog post and GO SIGN UP! . (And then come back and read my blog post (link in bio!), you know...if you want. Or not because you’ll be SO. PUMPED. to start Gishing it up...in that case, just remember who you should take to New Zealand with you when you win the grand prize. 😁) . Skoolie folks! We have to figure out a way to be a team next year! But until then...go sign up! ______________ #gish #jointhehunt #newblogpost #betterlatethannever #themeasureofus
🎶 The sanding wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round. 🎶 🚌🚌🚌 The boys and I went to our beloved local @harborfreight today to stock up on these flap discs because I’m feeling motivated for the weekend! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 Watch out peeling paint and rusty patches, I’m coming to get you! ______________ #schoolbusconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #flapdisc #stockingup #readyfortheweekend #diyhouse #bodywork #mamasgotmuscles #getitdone #iloveharborfreight #cheapshit #fordays #bushome #littlebylittle #progressisprogress #sanditdown #paintandprimer #itson #themeasureofus
I’m obsessed with this little rattail curl on the back of Quill’s head. 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻 He snugged with me for almost half an hour (unheard of for this particular child) and I must have curled and uncurled that little strand half a hundred times. 😍😍😍 This was one of those moments I don’t want to forget. ___________________ #staylittle #babiesdontkeep #snugs #notababyanymore #toddlersofinsta #rattail #afraidtolookatthathashtag #babyhair #onecurl #lovehimtobits #momofboys #boymomlife #sweetguy #rememberthis #themeasureofus
Blue skies (and blazing temperatures) outside, robot drawing inside. 🤖🤖🤖 What are you doing this morning to beat the heat? ________________ #howwehomeschool #thisishowwehomeschool #blueskiesfordays #drawingpractice #robots #homeschoolrocks #summervacations #80ssummer #techfree #screenfree #letthembelittle #momofboyslife #robotsarecool #keepcool #stufftodo #summerentertaining #silhouettes #thelakehouse #littlebylittle #themeasureofus
I took the same picture as @linihw. 😆
Got another section of the front done yesterday. | One of the kids gives a subtle suggestion on what the final bus color should be. | 4 more holes filled and we’ll be in the land of Bondo before you know it! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 Now I’m laying in bed trying to get my arms to work after a full day of sanding and running the angle grinder yesterday. 😴😴😴 Come on noodle arms! We’ve got more to do today! Must. Get. Things. Done. I’ve got a front bumper laying in my front yard that’s got a date with the wire wheel. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 How about you? What’s on the docket today? ________________ #frombustoskoolie #progresspic #watchmework #skoolie #skoolieconversion #tinyhouseonwheels #diyhouse #buildingourhome #rustymetal #primer #bondo #gettingshitdone #littlebylittle #howdoyoueatanelephant #onebiteatatime #schoolbus #mamasgotmuscles #motivatedmindset #tinyhouse #thepigeonbus #themeasureofus
Before and after. 🚌👶🏻 We’re knocking things out left and right around here! 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻 Like this window in the side emergency door...the other side of this will eventually be the bunkhouse, so we’ll close the hole up with a leftover piece of the metal that used to be the ceiling before we spray in insulation. _____________________ #busbaby #bluebirdbus #skoolie #skoolieconversion #schoolbusconversion #tinyhouseonwheels #gettingshitdone #knockingitout #toddlersofinsta #cutekid #lovethatsmile #peekaboo #progresspic #makingshithappen #getitdone #familyproject #themeasureofus
I started out just needing to remove a little adhesive and clean up under where the trim used to be annnnnnd then I said eff it and went a little nuts. 😳😳😳😳 __________________ #tooenthusiastic #overboard #justalittle #bitoffmorethanicanchew #neededtogetdonesometime #didntthinkitwouldbetoday #ohwell #thatjusthappened #skoolie #skoolieconversion #howispentthefourth #getshitdone #tinyhouse #sanding #primernext #themeasureofus
When you have SO. MUCH. work to do and this is the state of your laptop charger. 😩😩😩😩😩😩 ____________________ #damnit #savemeamazonprime #applecharger #magsafe85w #everythinglocal #closed #fortheholidays #😩 #unproductive #iwasgettingshitdone #forgetit #offtocry #themeasureofus