A Summer Well Spent

 Warning! Here comes a long post. I am way behind and there is a lot to update.  

Rebekah's Summer

Rebekah spent the summer dancing her heart out. She did seven weeks of summer intensives this year. Her first intensive was with The Ballet Conservatory of Asheville where she dances year round. She loved BCA's intensive. They brought in some great guest teachers, Matthew Donnell and Daniel Ubricht to name a few. She was also able to live at home and she received a partial scholarship which saved a great deal on cost. This intensive ended up being her favorite all-around experience this summer. 

Her second summer intensive was UNCSA's Professional Studies week. She did this one last year, too. This year started off bumpy, because she was put into the campus apartments and there was a host of problems with her All-in-One card. It wouldn't let her or several others through the gate or into most campus buildings and her meals weren't on the card. Because it was the weekend and the card office was closed, campus police had to step in and escort her into buildings and the cafeteria just fed her once they understood the issue. Also, the apartment was bare bones with no toilet paper, shower curtain, or overhead lighting except for the bathroom and walk-in closet. Plus, the sheet size she had been told to bring was wrong. All that required an emergency trip to Target for a lamp, shower curtain and a few necessities.  It all worked out, but was a nerve-wracking start. Rebekah did enjoy the week going forward, but she didn't feel like she was challenged as much as she would have wished when considering the cost of the program. She did really enjoy the company of her roommates and that college always takes good care of their students even when things are bumpy.

Her third and fourth summer intensives were each one week long and back-to-back and out of state. There were issues with boarding for both, so we decided in the end that it made the most sense for me to travel with her for those two weeks. This was a big deal because it was the longest time I had ever been away from Elijah or Tim. My husband is usually the one that travels. There was a ton of planning needed to have mom away from home for two full weeks. It all went better than expected for David, Elijah and Tim. Having Dear Husband take the two weeks off from work was a very good plan. I will talk about my adventures further on in the blog. 

We went to Northern Virginia to stay with my stepmother for the third intensive. The housing was free which was great, but the commute to the Maryland suburbs two times a day to drop Rebekah off  and pick her up 8 hours later was very long. I often spent upwards of three to four hours on the road in heavy traffic to get her back and forth. The intensive was a Cecchetti intensive. Rebekah was quickly moved up to the second highest level. She enjoyed her time there and felt challenged, but Cecchetti is no longer her preferred style of ballet.  Also, there was no exposure to potential ballet companies for the future. However, it was a very budget-friendly week and strengthened her skills.

We never got a picture of her at Cecchetti so I am putting one in of both of us from that week.

Her fourth intensive was the company experience with the Philadelphia Ballet. She had great hopes and expectations for this one. She was exploring it for a possible dance company in her future and attending this week would be great for her resume. This ended up being the most expensive between the housing (hotel) and the cost of the actual intensive, travel and eating out. Also, it was her least favorite. There was lots of downtime where the dancers were sitting in hallways waiting for their turn. She only got to dance a few hours a day. She did think the dancing she got to do was challenging and interesting. Also, she made some good connections with other dancers and learned about which summer intensives to try or skip in the future. 

Our Fun Travels ~

While Rebekah danced during the day, I did lots of exploration. In the evenings Rebekah and I enjoyed doing some exploring together. We arrived at my stepmother's home the weekend before Rebekah's Cecchetti intensive started. We had an appointment to get two of Rebekah's American Girl Dolls' hair redone. She bought some dolls at a thrift store that had loose limbs, and she fixed them herself but needed the hair to be professionally done at the American Girl Doll store in Virginia. Both dolls now look like brand new. 

After our appointment, Sue (my stepmother) took us out for afternoon tea at the Ritz as a belated birthday gift for me. I love afternoon tea. I think I was supposed to be British and born in a different century...lol. 

After we got Rebekah settled at her ballet intensive, we headed for Annapolis, the capital of Maryland. I grew up in this area, yet somehow never visited this gorgeous historic town. Sue's partner Tom joined us for this adventurous day. We took a two hour tour of the Naval Academy that was fascinating. The architecture was stunning and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. After the tour, we had lunch on the water and visited four antique shops. I picked up a child's school reader from 1900 for a few bucks. We finished out the day with a tour of the State House, which is the oldest capitol house in continuous use. It was a perfect day.

Naval Academy chapel ceiling

Maryland State House

On another day we went to the National Harbor and went on this ferris wheel. It was so high, we could see for a long distance. I don't think my stepmother cared much for it, but I loved it. 

The next day, we went to the National Museum of African American History. It is a new museum, and despite having ticketed entry, it was a little too crowded. It was hard to get a turn with the interactive displays. However, it is very well done. My favorite room was the reflection pool with important quotes engraved into the walls. It was very peaceful.

Lastly, Sue and I went to the Van Gogh Immersion exhibit. I highly recommend this experience, if it ever comes near you. We spent two hours just absorbing the music and art as it came alive all around us. 

After a few days of an insane evening commute home, Rebekah and I decided to hang around College Park, Maryland for an hour or so to let the traffic die down a little bit. We explored a really nice consignment shop where we found some neat deals on clothes and on another night had dinner at and a wander around Ikea.

The Cecchetti Intensive came to an end and we moved on to Philadelphia. Tom and Sue drove us up with the plan to stay for 24 hours and take in some of the sights. We arrived early enough on Sunday to let Rebekah pick one attraction that she wanted to do. She picked the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, which we had taken the kids to many years ago when they were small. They loved it then and still talk about it to this day. My husband and I studied criminology in college and I love abandoned places. Apparently, our interests rubbed off on them. It was even better this time, because we were all able to listen to the audio tour and really get all the information. It still is one of my all-time favorite tours. 

Monday rolled around and Rebekah was off to her Philadelphia Company experience, which was a short walk from our hotel. I walked her every day and explored the city on foot the rest of the time. I walked about six miles a day. Before Sue and Tom left, they drove me to the historic section of Philly to visit Christ Church Burial Ground. It is a very old graveyard where Benjamin Franklin is buried alongside many other early Philadelphians. Did I mention, I love graveyards...the older the better. 

After the graveyard, we parted ways and they returned to Washington, D.C. I quickly got into the routine of taking Rebekah to dance, picking up a Starbucks tea and walking down to the park that is in the shadow of City Hall. It is a nice park with lots of comfortable seats. I sat there and read a book and ate my packed lunch (Rebekah and I ate lots of peanut butter and jelly). After lunch, I went on a tour within walking distance. One day it was City Hall Tower tour, another day the Masonic Temple and a third day found me at the oldest Fine Arts School and museum in America. If there was any more time to kill before picking up Rebekah, I would return to the hotel and watch a movie or wander through one of the many city parks.

Our evenings were spent eating out mostly in Chinatown, which was one block from our hotel, visiting The Macy's Wanamaker Organ and taking in their nightly free concert, and window shopping in the fashion district. One night we even went to the Chinese Lantern Festival. The festival was like nothing we had ever seen. It was probably one of the things we will remember forever from Philadelphia. We stayed there past dark and then walked as fast as we could through Chinatown with all of our wits about us back to our hotel. Philadelphia isn't the safest place, but we didn't have any trouble.

The City Hall Tower Tour was amazing. I am not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of elevators. The super old elevator that had to be cranked to go up or down and literally could only hold four of us was terrifying. It also was glass which usually makes it easier on me, but the inside of the clock tower, although neat to see, also looked like we were floating in space. I made it to the top and back down again without panicking. 

You could see for miles. 

The Wanamaker Organ just in the middle of Macy's, which is one of the largest in the world.

The Fine Arts Museum was interesting.

The Masonic Temple was one of the most interesting tours of this trip. I ran into a very rude man before the tour even started who was a Mason himself. He was waiting for the tour and was very upset that a woman had been allowed to buy a ticket for the tour. I ended up holding my own with him and even got to shine a bit when I was the only one who was able to read a bit of the Latin on the walls. He was doubly upset when the female tour guide showed up. He demanded to know why she was allowed to be the tour guide. I wonder if he represents the Masons or was a fluke? The building was amazing and filled with the most over-the-top themed rooms. I liked the ceilings the best. 

Rebekah and I took the train back to Washington, D.C. and then the subway back to Springfield, Virginia, where we collected our car and drove home to North Carolina. It was an amazing trip and I was so glad to see that my guys held up pretty well without me. However, I have no intention of leaving for that long again anytime soon!

We are already thick into the school year. Rebekah is taking four classes this semester (she started off with five, but one of the math courses she was taking was over her head and we decided that she needed to drop it until she could take a refresher course).  The rest of her classes are gong well. She is also dancing at BCA again this year and switched jobs from H&M to a small dance store. She also is going to be her brother Tim's Direct Care Person.

Tim was finally approved for Innovations, which is a program that keeps special needs people out of nursing homes and in small family settings where they can receive better care and have fuller lives. For now, he wants to continue living with us and have a Direct Care Person who will provide his transportation and work on lifeskill goals with him. There is a severe shortage of staff in the area and Rebekah was willing to go through the training to take on this paid position and take care of her brother. He is delighted that she is willing to take the job, so he doesn't have to rely on a stranger. Timothy was on the waiting list for 14+ years and we are so grateful that it has finally come through and will secure his future. 

Elijah is having a hard time right now. His job at Target is becoming a toxic environment, but he is frozen with fear to leave and try something new. Also, he seems to be slipping into another depression. There is very little joy for him right now, and we are working double time to try to get him back to a happy or at least more contented place. Sadly, in the middle of this his long-time therapist is leaving practice. She is doing everything she can to leave him in stable shape, but it all feels a bit overwhelming right now. 

It will be one year next week since Katie broke all contact with us.  We hear very little of what is going on with her and do not know where she currently is or how she is living. 

A rough start to fall, but we are looking forward to smoother roads and beautiful experiences. We continue to be abundantly blessed. 

Blessings, Dawn