Camp Counseling, A Nature Tea, and Knitting

What a busy week! It flew by!

Elijah Dean worked the whole week as a counselor at Warrior Acting Camp. The theme this year is Turks and the Ottomam Empire. It has been blistering hot and the camp is 100% outdoors with 100% wearing of masks all of the time. To say that Elijah comes home exhausted each afternoon is an understatement. He has been has been doubting his decision to be counselor rather then go to work in a big chain retail store where there is air conditioning. However, we really do feel that this job is safer. Our COVID-19 numbers have been climbing rather quickly in the last few weeks. I never got a single photo of him this week. He is camera shy, even in the best of times. This week he has come home so tired and sweaty that he retreats to his room after a quick clean up of himself for pretty much the rest of the evening. I can't say that he is really enjoying this job, but the kids are well behaved and they spend most of their time in the forest. He does enjoy nature. He gets up and goes off to work without complaint, which is a great improvement over last year. It is nice to see maturing no matter how small the steps forward.

Anne made the decision to just concentrate on U.S. Government and History II for the next month. She wants to see if she can get about half of the course work done by then. I am fine with her plan. It is summer, after all, and anything she does puts her ahead this fall. She also decided to keep piano as a hobby and change her piano credit to a Fashion Design credit. She wants to learn how to knit, crochet, and sew much better with the sewing machine. She also is making costumes and dyeing/sewing/repairing pointe shoes. I am perfectly fine with this change, as well.

Dear Husband, Anne and I went on an early morning picnic to the arboretum last weekend. We tried to get the guys to go with us, but it was too early for them. Anne and I are working on collecting  mismatched china for our picnic basket. So far, we have three tea cups and saucers. It is a fun activity when we are thrift store shopping, and nothing beats eating off china in the middle of nature.

The flowers at the arboretum were stunning, and we had so much fun for an hour or two before the heat caught up with us.

Anne, unlike her brother, is not at all camera shy! She is now working on growing her Instagram following in the hopes that she can be a Russian Pointe Ambassador someday soon. So she wants me to take lots of pictures of her dancing. Her favorite shots this week are below.

Anne got lots of school done this week. She completed 15 history lessons and knitting for two hours. She created a small square. She also attended a modern dance class in the park, improv class with the Adult Company and four Zoom classes (modern, contortionist, and two ballet). She also worked at the consignment shop for 17 hours.

Dancing on a ledge. "It's what dancing feels like right now" ~ Anne

Her dance partner didn't fall, she was just mid roll.

My accomplishments were all over the place. I made lots of progress organizing the basement, did a bit of touch up paint, accomplished lots of cleaning and fixed some items. We also got our sweet kitten spayed and completed her adoption! She is official.

What we ate this week ~

• Piza roll ups with broccoli 
• Chicken and dumplings
• Grilled hot dogs with salad
• Tilapia fish with veggie platter
• Pub-style beef stew
• Taco salad (I could serve this three times a week)
• Mac and cheese with pepper platter

Blessings, Dawn