Summer Week 5 ~ A Quiet One...

We had a peaceful week. There were no camps, no doctor appointments, no emergencies! It was just a nice, calm week.

Sunday ~ We celebrated my 45th birthday! Wow, 45 years old! It seems like I was graduating from college and getting married just the other day. I am so blessed to be healthy and surrounded by a loving family.

Monday ~ Dean started his Monday volunteer job at the nature center. He was extremely anxious, but it all went well. Hopefully, he will be less nervous next week. Anne did two hours of ballet classes.

Tuesday ~ We hung around the house. Anne and I finished our Harry Potter movie marathon that we started a week or so ago. The boys got out the band saw and created small gadgets/toy weapons.

Wednesday ~ Anne had several more hours of ballet and Dean had therapy (guess we did have one appointment). Dean finished his latest drawing. I really love this one! I am amazed with the detail in the hair.

Thursday ~ We spent a lazy morning at home and then set out to explore downtown a bit. We ended up in our favorite store, which has a huge candy department. The candy is sold in individual pieces and the kids picked out a few things to try. They then played several rounds of checkers.

Friday ~ We have plans for some major grocery shopping and I need to load a ton on eBay. I almost have our plans squared away for the next school year. 

All the rest ~ The kids start one subject each next week for summer school. I believe that Dean will be doing his career and technology class, which fits nicely with his volunteer job at the nature center, and Anne will be doing a logic course. Looking at our dance schedule, next year is overwhelming. We are trying to get some of our courses started or even completed before the school year gets underway in August.

Books I am reading this summer ~ 

Week 1 ~ $2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America

Week 2 ~ Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products

Week 3 ~ Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work

Week 4 ~ Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day

Week 5 ~ The Rainbow Resource Catalogue Does a catalog even count? I think it should. It is 800 pages long and filled with so many homeschool products. Yes, I really do read huge sections of it. 

Blessings, Dawn

Summer Break ~ Week 4

We had a good week filled with progress. Each week of summer break will be a bit different. This week, Dean was in camp and Anne and I spent our days finding a balance between projects and play. Each day I required myself to spring clean a room, make an important phone call (to vet, doctors, and social worker) and to load two things on eBay. I accomplished my mission each day.

We celebrated Father's Day with a tubing expedition down our local river. It was our first time and  we had great fun.

Monday through Friday ~ On Monday Dean went back to theater day camp, and Anne and I settled into the routine of getting our work done in the morning and then watching a Harry Potter movie each day. We had fun food each day, too. Our favorites were smoothie bowls, mashed potato bowls, Mochi ice cream (ice cream in a Japanese sweet dough) and Oreo cookies dipped in milk. It was a fun and peaceful week. I am especially happy that I got almost all of the rooms cleaned. Now I just have to start sorting our belongings and getting rid of things. I really want next school year to be less overwhelming, and one of the keys to that is getting my house to almost take care of itself. My motto is Less Stuff =Less Mess!

Wow! It really is a quick update this week.

Books I Read this Summer ~

• Week 1 ~ $2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America
• Week 2 ~ Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products 
• Week 3 ~ Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work
• Week 4 ~ Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day

Blessings, Dawn

Summer week 3 ~ How One Looks at Things

This week has been one of those weeks where attitude makes all the difference. It was one of those, "Is your cup half full or half empty?" kind of weeks. Even though there was a lot of hardship, this week was filled with positive moments!

The Positives ~

• Dean had a marvelous time at his first week of camp. It was the happiest we have seen him all year. I am so grateful that he is turning the corner on his depression. Each week gets a bit smoother for him. He has one more week of camp.
• Anne's Cecchetti ballet teacher offered to train Anne for free (beyond her paid for dance classes) in the Cecchetti method and help her prepare for the level 4 exam next spring. We are so grateful for this opportunity that will really help build Anne's dance resume.
• I was able to read most of a third book this week. This is really amazing for me to be able to find the time to read a complete book three weeks in a row!
• Dean and Anne spent hours this week doing the things they love -- acting camp, dance, playing musical instruments and exercise/stretching.
• Our family is safe, well fed, well sheltered, resilient and blessed!

The Negatives with a Positive Twist ~ 

• My Mother spent part of the week in the hospital with kidney stones. I was not very impressed with the care she received during this time. I arrived one day and she hadn't been give anything to drink in more than 7 hours, and she was supposed to be drinking extra water. The nursing staff seemed overwhelmed and had missed providing basic care to her. Thankfully, a few choice words quietly delivered got her care improved immediately and for the rest of her stay.
• Our hamster died. She was very old, healthy and active until her death and died in her sleep. We should all be so blessed.
• Our minivan needed some large repairs this week. The AC went a few weeks ago and then the side sliding door got stuck open. My dear husband had to drive it 15 miles to the repair shop with the door stuck open. This was the second side door that has needed to be repaired on this minivan. Thankfully, it was all fixed for less than our research suggested it would cost, and we had enough money in savings to foot the bill. We have a cool ride with working doors again!

Books I Have Read this Summer ~  

• Week 1 ~ $2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America
• Week 2 ~ Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products 
• Week 3 ~ Water Cooler Diaries Women Across America Share Their Day at Work

Blessings, Dawn

Summer Break ~ Week 2 -- Ballet, Murals and Testing!

Monday ~ Monday was a crazy day filled with driving from point A to B to C and back again. We drove 98 miles. Anne started her summer ballet classes at a new studio. For this summer, she intends to do ballet classes only at this new studio and hopefully make some great gains. They teach the Cecchetti Method of ballet. She may even take an exam in Cecchetti next year. In the fall, she will return to the dance studio she has been with since the age of six. Dean worked hard on his mural. He is hoping to have it done this week.

Tuesday ~ Anne and I went out to lunch with a friend of mine who is homeschooling her young special needs student. We had a lovely discussion. I can't believe how close I am to being at the end of this journey. Talking to a mom who is negotiating first grade is shocking. It seems like yesterday. We then spent the afternoon doing end-of-year testing. We wrapped the day up with shopping. Each child was allowed one piece of clothing as their end-of-year treat.

Wednesday ~ We stayed home most of the day doing lots and lots of chores. I finally got the office/guest room under control. We also hosted a friend's children for the afternoon. Their father is in the hospital, and they needed a few hours to decompress from the all the stress that entails. They loved playing the game, Quelf.

Thursday ~ Thursday found Dean working like crazy on his mural again. Then the students in the art class went swimming afterward at their instructor's pool. Anne and I managed to work tons on eBay and stretch a ham into eight meals!! We made two quiche, two casseroles, a ham dinner, 12 sandwiches, and Hopping John.

Friday ~ Dean spent more time working on his mural. He hopes to finish on Sunday. We also went swimming and spent time organizing around the house. I am starting to see some progress!

What I am reading this summer ~

• Week 1 ~ $2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America
• Week 2 ~  Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products

This weekend is jam-packed with activities. Yes, summer is well underway!

Blessings, Dawn

Summer Break ~ Week One

In this moment ~ Right now, I am listening to the teapot steaming. The rest of the house is quiet as the children are still asleep. My constant companion, Boomer the dog, sits next to me, hoping that I will drop some bagel crumbs for him.

Outside my window ~ The sun is shining and it looks like it will be a lovely day.

I am reading ~ $2.00 a Day - Living on Almost Nothing in America. What a thought-provoking book. If you need a gratitude boost or want to think about how America can become kind again and how to empower the poorest of the poor to survive, this book may be for you.

I am creating ~ I am creating an atmosphere filled with love and kindness in my home. I am teaching my children to take that love and kindness out into the world. My son is creating his mural. My daughter is creating her summer exercise schedule.

Mural work continues

It will be a monster looking over a mountain with a hot air balloon going by.

I am thankful for ~ I am thankful that communication with my children is strong. They still talk to me and share their joys, concerns, sorrows and dreams. They still seek guidance from me. There was a situation just this past week that resulted in a friend of theirs having a breakdown requiring hospitalization. Even though many friends were concerned for this person's safety, only a small handful -- including my two -- turned to a parent. I am very thankful for that.

I am going ~ Dance classes at their regular studio have finished for the summer, so we were home much more than usual. We did some shopping, went to an art class, power walked at the mall and took a walk at the Botanical Gardens.

I am watching ~ Death in Paradise and Victorian Slum.

I am hoping ~ I am hoping to drastically reduce our belongings this summer. We are really finding our house and land to be too much for our lifestyle. We are on-the-go people who are rarely home and should probably live in a 1200 square foot or under house or condo with very limited land to maintain. Instead, we are living in a 2000+ square foot home with an outbuilding and almost an acre of weed/tree/vine-infested yard that we inherited with this foreclosure. I believe that, if we could drastically reduce our belongings, we would be able to more easily clean our home and concentrate more on the yard work. Moving is an impossibility right now. Since the housing market is so tight and expensive, we can't even afford to downsize.

Around the house ~ I am busily taking things to consignment shops, selling on eBay and making a mountainous pile for a yard sale. I think it is going to get messier before it gets cleaner.

I am praying for ~ A few friends that are going through very difficult times, our world, our country (which I feel is very much on the wrong path currently), and my family.

I am looking forward to ~ Celebrating my 19th wedding anniversary with  my husband next week and another productive week at home.

A picture to share ~ 

Blessings, Dawn

Last Official Week of School!

Our 18th year of homeschooling has come to an end. We have completed our state's requirements plus so much more. However, there was a glitch with our testing and it hasn't arrived yet, so I will have to reopen school when that comes in. Also, Dean still has tons of work to do on his mural over the next few weeks so he will still be doing lots of art with Miss Laura. He loves art, so that isn't really work to him. Over the summer, we will be doing a few review products, and Dean will be keeping up with a little bit of math on most days. So our days will be much more relaxed, but still filled with learning.

The Mural Project ~ These three students each have a mural they will be painting for display next month here in our little city. They are laying down a grid on each large canvas board so that they will be able to transfer their drawings onto the mural boards.

Performing ~ Anne and Dean have completed five out of eight shows of The Little Mermaid. They are both generally pleased with their performances. I have taken only a couple photos of them. Dean really hated his costumes and didn't want either of them shown. Anne is the princess in The Little Mermaid, and Dean is the priest as well as "dark water" during the storm that drowns almost everyone on board the prince's ship. It was announced this week that Dean made Junior Company and will be joining his sister next year. That means two kids in full Junior Company. There goes my bank account! We are so proud of them. They both work very hard to be accomplished dancers.

Anne getting dressed in her "wedding dress"

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We finished off the year with an ice cream party. For years, the kids have been eyeing the Mammoth Sundae at the renovated Woolworth counter. It comes with 10 scoops of ice cream and 10 scoops of topping. Unfortunately, after buying it, the kids decided it was mostly gross! We won't be doing it again next year. However, it was an experience to remember. They only ate a little bit. The kids are used to much healthier food most of the time. Even the ice cream they usually eat is organic.

It took three ladies to make it!

We also watched the movie, The Giver.  It was excellent. It has been on my movie list all school year, so I'm glad we finally got around to watching it. Now, I just have to slip in watching Holes this summer.

Blessings, Dawn

Tech Week With Illness

It is tech week here. The kids start performing eight shows of The Little Mermaid tonight. This week has been filled with making sure we have everything organized for the show. There has been last minute shopping trips for crazy things like tape that can stick your nude leotard to your skin so it doesn't move. Anne doesn't get to dance much with her friends and has struggled with sitting out big portions of classes for the last several weeks. Most of  Junior Company have the role of mermaids, but she has a lead role of being the princess who marries the prince at the end of the show. There are sometimes disadvantages to being in a lead role but much excitement, as well. Dean is in the group of dark water dancers (they drown the people on board the prince's ship) with his jazz class, plus has a small character role as the priest. It will be a different experience for them with much more solo and duet work on the stage.

We just had to get the Starbucks Mermaid drink which is on their secret menu. They whipped it up for us, and we had fun taste testing it. It was very good.

The rest of the week has been filled with struggling though a family cold. I seem to have it the worst, which is for the best since the children need to perform no matter what. We canceled out of some of our school time with our homeschool friend. However, we did do a few hours of fun science with her. We learned about the rock cycle and then made the rock cycle using Starburst candies. We chopped our Starbursts into sediment and then we pushed them together just a little bit to make "sedimentary rocks." Then we squeezed them a lot to simulate "metamorphic rocks." Lastly, we melted them on a hot plate and let them cool into "igneous rocks." 

Starbucks pieces

Sedimentary rock

Metamorphic rock

Melting

Igneous rock

We are basically done with all of our subjects, except for needing a bit more math and science. Anne has a little more home economics and Dean has some more english. We plan to push hard and finish next week. Then they will do their end-of-year testing the week after that. We also have several reviews going at the moment. Hopefully, we will finish up this hard year strong. Sometimes just perseverance is enough.

Blessings, Dawn