Reflections of a week gone by!

It's been a week since I have written. That is 7 days or 168 hours or 10,080 minutes or 604,800 seconds. Feels like it has been a very long week. Here's our run down:

1. Finished testing last Wednesday
2. mailed off test and box tops (Wednesday or Thursday, I've already forgotten which)
3. Thursday we had field day with our co-op
4. Kid participated in 3-legged race at said field day and badly sprained his ankle
5. Friday morning, woke up to kid not able to put weight on ankle
6. Got one kid ready for Boy Scout Camping Friday - Sunday
7. made doctor's appointment for other kid
8. spent 5 hours at various doctor's for kids ankle
9. Saturday felt like a blur, but yard work was done
10. Sunday equaled church, hanging out, picking kid up, errands, yardwork
11. Monday bit more yard work, selling used curriculum, junk food, laundry, and vegging
12. Today - back to the same routine of therapy and starting some summer routines, meaning library time.

Hope to find our summer routine soon!  We're in need of routine after the school year, just a more relaxed one with more fun built in.

What does your summer look like?  What fun do you have planned?
 

Summer Garden, first installment!

Gearing up, for hopefully another good season of tomatoes.  Last year's was awesome, we were eating homemade tomato sauce until March!

This year we have two Early Girl, one cherry tomato, and I bought a basil plant already started!  We have blossoms too!

One of the Early Girl's have blossoms

Cherry Tomato plant blossoms!

Basil planets are looking good!

A Home School Mom's look at the summer

We will officially be on summer vacation by noon tomorrow!  I know one 12 yo that will be up by 6:30 ready to finish the last two sections of his test.  Not so sure when our 9yo will be up, but he won't be sleeping in, that much I know!

My brain is already racing with the things I would LOVE to get done!  Already telling friends I am cleaning out in case they want to stop by (hi Amanda!!!).  Already looking at new furniture for crafting area.  So here is my crazy list so far:

• go through the boys dresser drawers and purge clothing
• pull together a van load of stuff for donation (30 minutes worth of work and it will be a descent load)
• work down in the basement to find the floor around: the craft table, washer & dryer, play area, storage shelves, and many other parts
• straighten, purge, trash, organize boys playroom
• have the boys help create a list of things to do over the summer
• plan out some light school days to keep their brains strong
• plan out some fun exercise stuff to keep our bodies strong

Day 3 of 5

We are partially through day 3 of year end testing.  Oldest has five more sections and youngest has seven sections.  Yes, that seems strange that a third grader would have more than a 6th grader, however Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) has two extra sections at that level.  Thing One has already gone through it, now it is Thing Two's turn.

What I like about the tests this year, is that they are "corrected" and scores provided more quickly.  I believe I'll receive an email in two weeks instead of the 6 - 8 weeks in prior years.  Had I realized this last summer, I'm not sure I would have planned to end this early in May.  Will keep this info in mind as I schedule out next year!  80)

Anyhoot, I'm scrambling to pull together a fun thing for the boys before Friday!  If you've read prior posts, this one may ring a bell.  It is an activity list of a hundred fun things to do over the summer.  I've already printed this out, as well as a lined sheet of paper to write out what they did over the summer (this will be the last sheet of their book!)  I plan to create a few sheets for a quick and easy book report type thing, have some pages that they can water color on, pages to scrapbook if they want, pages to draw and sketch (nature study or short story).  I'll probably pull together a reading list of books I've found I'd like to go through.  Maybe a list of movies!  Really, options are limitless for this.

Will be interesting to see what the final product will be like!

Dear Summer . . .

You aren't even gone yet and I miss you already.  I miss the free time, the lazy mornings, the going bare foot, the fireflies.  Do you really need to leave, now that Hurricane Irene has blown the high temperatures out to sea?  These cooler temperatures can stay awhile so that denim shorts and flip flops can stay awhile too.  Although I didn't really like you in July, with the high temperatures and high humidity, could we make up and just stay where we are?  Please? 

Sincerely,
 

Boy Scout Camp

We picked up Thing One from camp today.  They had a family time/BBQ and bonfire Friday evening and we'd gone up to check things out.  When leaving Camp Tuckahoe, we gave him the option of riding with the Troop or us.  He choose us.  Still made him help clean up though.  LOL!

He seems to have had a good time, not to many details shared; seems like he has to take some time to decompress after a very BUSY week.  We did hear that he'd been working hard all week and was able to complete the four merit badges he started there ~ Golf, Swimming, First Aid, and Canoeing.  It was also kind of nice to hear that the Scout Masters there had to remind him of the some things we've been doing for awhile.  It kind of felt good to look him in the eyes and say "See, your dad and I aren't to far off on what we expect out of you!"

It was kind of nice at the bonfire!  They started out with some of the instructors playing leap frog (I know a kids game, but keep reading).  Turns out their version turns into a competition.  After each round the guys get a bit higher, and higher, and higher.  If you can't make it over with a clean landing, you are out.  It got down to two guys left and they were asking for guys, from the audience, that were over 6'4" to come be jumped over.  This guy ended up raising his hands and arms to make a higher obstacle.  Also during the course of the evening, they gave away awards for various things (leadership by Scout Masters, camp entry way, belly flop award, and others I don't remember).  Think Troop 2215 came away with 5 or more.  Nice evening to see what our son had been doing all week.

Now back to the reality of life.  All the guys in the household are up at church and I'm home doing post camp laundry!  Suppose I'll take the laundry because it means I have a fairly quiet house with the only noises being a sleeping dog and a fan running (can't even hear the washer!).  Not such a bad bargain.  So I'm off to knit, wash, and have a quiet time.

Narnia

In just a few short days (9, but who is counting) we'll be beginning our first summer session of school.

A few days ago, I asked our boys what they'd like to do for a literature based unit study.  As we had done "Magicians Nephew" last summer, I gave the boys a choice; either reading "The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe" (LWW) or working through the remaining books in the series (and getting back to FIAR afterward).  It was a resounding, "Finish the series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  They were very excited about it.  After diving into the web and all thing Narnia, I admit, I am getting excited too. 

There is a lot if prepackaged unit studies, a lot of free unit studies, and a lot of tie in information as well.  So far, I've read through four chapters in LWW for vocabulary, tie in activities, and discussion questions.  I have tie ins to WWII, tea party, air raid shelters, and scripture.

I am looking forward to this part of school!

June

June sure came in yesterday like the hazy, hot, and humid summers Northern Virginia can be known for.  The air was thick and sticky.  Just a yucky kind of day.

Today, one word sums it up best ~ aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!  It's started out cool and clear.  We may still have our A/C on later, but it's still bound to be better than yesterday. 

Now back to cleaning and straightening.

SUMMER, sUmMeR, s u m m e r

Today has been a warm day.  At a friends facebook post about working on getting rid of the her farmers tan, I decided to work a bit outside and catch a few rays myself.  It felt good, even if warm, to feel the occasional breeze, to be buzzed by a bee, to hear the dog panting (but refusing to go in), to hear the screen doors being opened and closed.

Also today, we've polished off the first round of home made fruit-sicles.  The boys called them frozen smoothies and basically they are.  I can forsee buying mass quantities of fruit for the summer.  Have to snicker though, I'm getting a lot of fruit into my boys this way.  These were the main portion of their lunch, along with a yogurt. 

Off to clean and possibly start rearranging some furniture.

Happy Early Summer, Popsicles, and Reading!

Words of summer . . .

What words or short phrases define summer for you? Here's a list I've been contemplating:

1. flip flops
2. sun screen
3. pool
4. long days
5. pool
6. sleeping in late
7. fireflies
8. thunderstorms
9. sunburns
10. shorts
11. grill
12. umbrella
13. tomato plant
14. basil
15. heat
16. humidity
17. swimming
18. tan lines
19. fun nail polish
20. reading
21. vacation
22. traffic
23. "How much longer?"
24. no school
25. lingering over coffee
26. corn on the cob
27. bleach
28. comet (as in the cleaner stuff)
29. fresh fruit
30. sound of ice cream truck
31. libraries' summer reading program
    

When electronics are not allowed.......

Thing One and Thing Two seem to get a bit more creative in their attempts to alleviate boredom. Today has been a leisurely day, other than taking Thing One to Speech and O/T. Finally got to the point that I just kicked everyone outside, including myself. I weeded a couple flower beds, cleaned out a few cracks in the driveway, and took a few messed up tomato cages to the curb. Thing Two decided it was a good time to set up an umbrella outside and color in the shade. I added the blanket. Thing One decided to join in for a bit.
What's even more impressive, is that Thing One came inside and said "I'm going to clean up all my Legos, take them upstairs, and sort them!"

Who are these boys and where did my children go????????????

Childhood relived

I got to relive a bit of my childhood today. When I was about 7 or 8, living in Fayetteville, NC (location doesn't matter as much) the summer held a special place for me. It was time for going to the water slide park, military pool and contemplating going off of the high dive, and most of all making a fort under the redwood picnic table.

Those days, fort days, I'd bring out all sorts of stuff for under the table. My sleeping bag, little radio, coloring books and crayons, dolls I'm sure. It was just a lot of fun. About two years ago (Mother's Day 2007 I believe), my parents asked if I'd like the table and benches. I said yes, in a heart beat, all the while remembering those days. I so wanted to share those memories with my boys.

Today, the boys were out front somewhere, and getting a bit bored. I took a couple table clothes and put them over the table and benches and then called the boys back. There was some rumbling, until they saw what I'd done. Quickly, I was voted "The Best Mommy in the World!!" Following are some pictures:




You can just make out Thing Two crawling in. He's wearing a blue shirt with white sleeves and is to the right of the plaid table cloth.







Thing one enjoying a moment while Thing two gathers more stuff.












Entrance to their fort!























Just chillin' in their summer spot!