Education Remorse and Recovery

I have been having a very hard time with the state of my children's public school education for a variety of reasons.  Part of it is just a winter slump I'm sure but more and more I hear of things that are done or more accurately NOT done and the students are suffering for it. If I did have any more kids I would surely work with them at home for the early years again and I'm grateful I did that.  Alexandra homeschooled up until 9th grade and it was her idea to enter the public school arena, looking back now I regret not getting involved with co-ops and homeschool groups earlier but we covered a lot of territory on our own and she learned through field trips and activities in a way that she didn't even realize we were "doing school."  The best compliment I could get during the first and second round of conferences was "I didn't know she was homeschooled."  She hit the ground running and loved getting involved with extra-curricular activities and it was nice not to have to pay and travel for her to participate in various enrichment.  When it came to academics I did my best to let her administrate herself.  She wasn't the most organized student but she did well and for the most part liked her teachers and her classes.

circa 2004 - the sheep & lamb days

 

Fox was home until middle school and when he entered the public school he was very eager to learn and did well with his assignments however over time it seems like he's less and less impressed with the academic status of our public system.  It's not that the material is difficult but as he explains it is presented in a very "lack-luster manner."  We've just received the new Student Handbook and info for scheduling next year, his senior year, the one that you should finally get to take all those classes that you've took prerequisites for and now get to do the fun classes, challenging classes in the area you're considering to pursue in college.  However, there are no classes beyond the basics offered really.  I'm totally disgusted and discouraged.  He is going to have to take some classes online because I'm not putting him in blow off classes just to fill his schedule and he'd rather be doing something more productive too.  Since my daughter started they have dropped so many elective classes it is pathetic!  No Creative Writing, no genre classes, no mythology, no playwriting, there's hardly any extra history classes, no advanced level art classes, the business class offerings are a joke, beyond Biology and Chemistry the only other science is Environmental Science.

Benjamin is going to be a Freshman next year and the schedule is pretty much set with all required classes so there is little room for explorative classes.  The biggest "required" class I have issue with is Health, which is totally stupid and could be covered in about 2 weeks of science, an entire 12-weeks is completely unnecessary.  I honestly believe it just gives them information about some things I'd rather they not be presented with.  Ben has only done pre-school, Kindergarten, 2nd and most of 3rd grade at home.  He did better having someone other than Mom as the educational authority but I see his attitude becoming more jaded as time goes on.  His particular class has a pretty bad reputation and I'm not really keen on him getting lumped in with that group.  Normally he's an all A student but this year his grades are slipping a bit and I think it is because of boredom and lack of challenging subject matter not to mention influence of associates.  He'll be in seated classes for 9th grade but we may investigate some other options for sophomore year.  This one is my all attitude boy and time will tell if he decides to explore other learning options.  The other challenge is the new requirement starting with the class of 2016 that students need two credits of a foreign language to graduate.  Our Spanish and French classes are pretty weak and not what they really want to pursue.  I'm going to hold off on the language classes until his junior year so he can get his prerequisities done to do the CAD and design classes which is what he'll need for the engineering track.

Ethan has already committed to jumping off the seated class roster and working with me to plan an alternative schedule for his 8th grade year.  We're deciding on which classes to register for online, which we'll develop our own curriculum for, and which he'll go into the building for.  It was my intention for Ben and Ethan to work entirely online for the 2nd trimester this year but I kept getting talked out of it.  With as much school as we've missed I wish I would have stuck to my guns.  Next time around I will.  E has also become remise of the attitudes and behavior of many guys in his class that he thought of as friends.  This is a time for some serious character development, hope I can help him make good choices, or at least make sure he knows options are available.  He also thinks he could get through material much quicker if he worked on his own without so many distractions.

We're exploring summer camp options as well, need to keep sane during these snow days.  Thinking about summer helps.  Fox applied for a program in Midland at Northwood University called LAB (Learning About Business) Free-Enterprise Camp.  They except 40 students.  He also applied and interviewed for the Capitol Experience trip through 4H and attended another Model U.N. event at Saginaw Valley State University as the Canada delegate.  There is one more coming up at Hope College, wherein he'll represent the Netherlands.  I got to attend the Wayne State event, it was very interesting to see how things are run and the work the students do from different schools.  Very eye-opening.  Meet your college-bound competition.  Speaking of college I've been getting Fox registered for campus visits.  So far we've booked Oakland University in March, Grand Valley in April, and Central Michigan in May. Ben would like to go to the Lake Superior State University Engineering Camp that Fox attended in 2010 but I also found another program at Michigan Tech!

Both Fox and Ben made the decision to withdraw from robotics.  While I am normally a don't-quit-and-see-it-through kind of parent in this particular case I felt it would be better for all involved if that choice was honored.  There were many factors in play but sometimes it says more to set a limit and step away when things are not progressing well.  I'll leave it at that. 

circa 2014 - fun with forensics

 

Last weekend was our big Broncos BullYard Forensics Tournament.  Alex came and judged along with some other former NB forensicators and drama kids.  I also got to judge for the first time and checked out some categories I had never seen before during my stand-by rounds.  Judged a round of DI (Dramatic Interpretation), DUOs, and Storytelling.  The presenters were amazing it was so hard to rank them!  Ethan took his Wizard Collection of Poems piece again but added another poem.  He didn't break semis but had a great time watching his friends who did.  He was inspired to try Impromptu Sales and in high school Broadcasting.  For the Spring Season he's going to work up a Storytelling piece, we're currently researching material.

iDk

Outside my Window:  Rain again!  April showers are in full force this year, nearly every day last week it rained, there were a couple days of sun and now wetness once again.  Booo.   Hiss.

What's on my Mind: To many things that are negative and frustrating, working hard to move past, not dwell, and find ways to stay uplifted.  How am I doing with that?  Depends on the day.

Thankful for: Baby bunnies and my doggies.  They're soft and fuzzy and love you no matter what. 

Creative Endeavors: Finished my first read and mark edit of my NaNoWriMo novel.  Now to pull it into Scrivener and really get busy.  I realized there is much detail I'd like to add.  When getting the idea out originally I just worked to get the basic concept down now that it is out, time to go through and embelish.

Latest Project: Still working on the Pig Pen, hoping to pour cement this weekend and got a lead on some used equipment.

My 3 Sons:  Track  -  Baseball  -  Soccer  ....  and away we go!  My spring trifecta is in full swing.  Fox did well in his first track meet. He got a 2:29 on his split in the 4x800 relay, not sure of his times on the Mile and 2-Mile.  Ethan's buddy on the next street is on his baseball team which is fantastic since we can help each other with the driving.  Ben and I went to the Space Camp meeting yesterday and got all the details about the travel and what to expect on the trip.  It all sounds super, I wish I could go with him.

Fox and Ben have been working at a vineyard the past few weekends pruning.  Great opportunity and for them, good money.  While they're gone Ethan is working with me around the property.  All three of the boys also spent two and half days working down at the shop with their dad during spring break doing some inventory and organzing of parts. 

The first Born: The second job idea didn't work out but she has been working fill-in manager shifts at various locations.  Fun.  Working on her first grown-up purchase on her own of some new/used tires for her vehicle.  More fun.

Employment News: Due to scheduling issues I am no longer at the greenhouse.  It's a good/bad thing.  I've been picking up substitute teaching jobs again but still looking and hopeful to find something regular.  Found out about a position that I would really love to do but the reality of it is the schedule would not work with my life right now, as it would entail lots of late nights and crazy hours so I decided not to even apply for it.  As much as I want regular work it is really important to me to be available for my boys since the time I have with them is getting shorter and before I know it they will be graduated and off on their own so I want to do as much as I can with and for them now. 

Hoping to Improve:  Ah, my life in general..... and my training schedule, got another 5K race coming up in a couple weeks!

Food for Thought: Being picky about what you eat is a sign of self-respect. Not only is it OK to be picky about what you eat, but it is also essential to the process of becoming naturally slim.  ~Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

On the Road

Last week I got a few days out with some lady friends for a little fun and adventure.  First up was a trip to Midland, Michigan to tour the Alden B. Dow House and Studios.  Alden built his unique house in 1935 after studying under Frank Lloyd Wright, there is definately an influence in style although Alden branched out in creating an original cinder block shape that was only used in 11 structures, all of which are found in the mitten.  The patent for the design was sold twice but oddly the idea never took off.  The house has been inpeccably cared for and when Mrs. Dow passed away in 1991 the three children took little from the property and it has been a wonderful historical site since.

We also had a chance to walk through the 110 acre Dow Gardens designed by Alden's father Herbert Dow owner of the Dow Chemical Plant.  It took years to create and was inspired greatly by Japanese horticultural design.  The home Herbert and his wife Grace lived in is also on the property and open for tours however we did not fit that in on this trip.  The color garden was absolutely amazing and I loved the various red metal bridges throughout the grounds.

The Children's Garden had lots of things to get young people involved in daily up keep of the grounds, from watering troughs to brooms for keeping walkways tidy, a huge bubble pool, an army of scarecrows, and the hit for me was by far the massive bronze hog statue!  It was incredible to see the work of both father and son, all of which took extreme care and consideration of children as they developed their ideas.  This was a time long before television and Gameboys, cell phones and iPods.  A time when imagination was cherished and being outside and active was a normal and expected part of everyday.  I was truely inspired by the visit in more ways than I can express.  Just placed my Burpee seed order for late start veggies that will go in as soon as the pigs go to fair this weekend, so excited to have fresh food growing on my own property again.  From 1999 to 2009 I always had a pretty extensive garden but eventually lost time and energy for it, looking forward to a renewed spirit in celebrating the simple things.

Another surprise trip was a chance to travel to Stratford with a friend, her son, and granddaughter to see a matinee performance of "Pirates of Penzance" which I haven't seen probably since high school.  It was a stellar performance and I was amazed that many of the cast were also leads in the 42nd Street production.  On the way home we stopped at a great cafe/coffee house in Port Huron, The Raven which was soooo cute, the live music was excellent as well as the lobster bisque!  Great way to end a great day, even got home in time to watch the opening ceremony for the XXX Olympics in London.

Is this photo gorgeous?  Many of the farms around our area grow sunflower crops, this one is just down the street from our house and we drive by many times during the week on the way to activities and errands, always makes me smile.  Alexandra and the BF got approval for a one bedroom apartment and got moved in earlier this week.  They were a little stressed about it but very excited at the same time.  I'm glad to have her finally settled in somewhere and not living such a nomadic lifestyle. 

Next week is the Eastern Michigan State Fair so the Partons will be busy showing pigs, auctioning, doing barn duty, riding rides, and having a downhome good time with some folks who truly know how to keep it real. 

Remember to always broaden your horizons

and stay inspired!

Clue Club

This past week Fox was on the Michigan State University campus for 4H Discovery Camp. The main focus was biodiesel technology but they also visited the Invision House and learned about a variety of sustainable and energy efficient technology, Wind Turbines, the MBI Lab, and the MSU Test Fields where they grow switch grass, poppy trees, and mycanthis for experimentation. During the recreational outings they went on a private tour of the Basketball Stadium and explored the bird sanctuary.  He reported it was a great camp and everyone he met was very cool.  There was a diverse representation of kids that were selected from all over the state.  Unlike the LSSU Engineering camp where everyone was what would probably be catagorized as "geeky" (high academic acheivers), this group was from a range of "acheivement" levels but they were a very fun group, that came up with unique ways to solve problems and think outside box. Through the magic of Facebook he will more than likely keep in touch with many of them.  When I inquired if he thought MSU was the type of campus situation he could see himself in, he thought.....possibly.  Kudos to Jake DeDekker and staff for organizing a fabulous program.

Monday after we got Fox situated Ben, Ethan, and I headed over to the Potter Park Zoo again, this time heading directly back to the tiger house to see the now-rather-large baby tigers which were sooooo cool to watch.  Also inside were two female lions that I don't remember from last time.  There was a group of young ladies in the Feline House when we were, one of them had a toddler, as we were all watching, one of the female tigers jumped up when it saw the baby and came right up to the glass to check it out.  Wherever the kid moved the lion moved with it, watching intently.  It was very bizarre and we commented back and forth whether the feline was in protection mode or had vicious intent.  It's rare that you see zoo animals really react to observers, usually they could care less.  Very interesting.

Ethan and I also took a camel ride, first ever for us both.  It was similar to riding a horse but with much more up and down motion.  Ben declined the adventure and opted to act as photographer only. While we were in line Ethan commented about the price to ride and I explained that this money helps them cover expenses to take care of the animals, you have to look at it like a fundraiser.  The gal from the zoo heard me explain this and said "you're the only one who realizes that, most people just complain about the cost. It is expensive to care for a lot of these animals."

I get it, and can't even imagine what it must cost to run a zoo.  Just the expense of raising three pigs for a few months is blowing my mind!  Speaking of pigs, we were fortunate to be offered the use of an outdoor feeder with four doors so we could put the trio on free feed and they are really starting to look big now.  This weekend I'm going to pick up the scale and get them weighed again.  While Fox was gone I worked with the boys on their buyer letters and we got our first batch delivered.  It's challenging coming up with different businesses for them to invite although they did both give a letter to the bank where they have their accounts.  Ethan has had a bit of an advantage because he already broke the ice with a lot of people when he went out getting sponsors.  I would send the boys in on their own to talk with people and a few places it took 10-15 minutes before he came back out because he was chatting it up with people.  Several made a point to come out, give me a wave in the van and say "he did a really good job!"  Awesome.  Although Ben is not the social butterfly type that his younger brother is, he did his best to speak up, state his business, look people in the eye, and not be shy.  The more he does it, the easier it will get I keep telling him.  We're planning to do another round in a couple weeks, they both need to come up with three more people to invite.

Well, I haven't relayed any information about my oldest lately, maybe because I've been trying to block it out.  You know when you think about having kids you have these romantic notions of babies, baby stuff, baby cuddles, and cute cuddly feelings, but you never consider the teenage, young adult phase of that cute little baby's life.  Well think about it folks and beware!  Let me try and phrase this as kindly as I can.  After a series of financial missteps, mainly stemming from not paying a balance owed to the community college (even though she kept insisting to me that she did), her idea to transfer to a university in the fall is now on hold. She wants to take a semester off because she dosen't really know what she wants to do.

**edit gory details**

But in the meantime she plans on moving into an apartment with her boyfriend and continuing to work as an assistant manager at BK.  (Please picture me throwing up my hands and pulling my hair out.)  Love you, be safe, be happy, give me a call and let me know what's up.  Good luck.  Honestly, it's fine whatever you decide to do, just don't BS me.  I honestly don't know what to think and keep fighting the impulse to beat myself up about it.  She made her choices and she'll have to live with them, but as a parent the whole situation really sucks however, it's out of my control.

Moving on to more pleasant topics.  Next week is 4H Zoomania Camp which I am very excited to be a part of.  We have lots of great guests coming in with a variety of animals and tons of fun activities planned.  I will be presenting the science section, storytime, and some games for daycamp and working on an Animal Classification lapbook with the overnight group.  The younger boys are also finishing up their swim lessons and even got promoted up a class after the third lesson.  Woot!

Hope all is well in your part of the world and remember "don't sweat the small stuff."

Willow's Way

Many good things happening, I'll begin with Fox first, this past Friday was a very cold Lapeer County Meet in which I made my debut as a timer.  The photos are the set up for the 2-mile and all the runners were freezing and jumping around to keep warm so the snaps are sort of blurry, you can see the spectators all bundled up in the background.  Needless to say the kids got some great times because they REALLY wanted to be done, go home, and get warm!  In addition to running and school work, my oldest boy is now an official stock trader.  Opened his custodial account at Scottrade and he made his first official purchases, four different dividend stocks which he intends to leave in long term.  Also, got him signed up for driver's training which will begin in June.  Little bit of yikes there!  Plus we just completed and sent in his application for a 4H Discovery Camp at MSU in July which focuses on biofuels, biodiesel, research and development.  They get to tour the labs and power plant and learn about the technology. 

Ben and Ethan have been having a stellar soccer season so far, they are undefeated with one tie game.  Last Tuesday's game Ethan got two goals in and the game before that earned a point on a sweet goal kick.  Benny has gotten a goal a game, except for this one last Saturday which was against their best matched team.  Both sides played fairly and fiercely ending in a 6-6 tie.  Although neither Parton brother scored they did their part in getting the ball away from the opposing team who all stood at least a head taller then themselves.  Below are the Parton brothers in motion, a snap of the Tuesday game fan club, Mr. Jake so happy to be taking our soccer practice walks again and a beautiful pine in bloom.

Spent four days helping at the Ruth Fox 5th Grade field trip to the Willows and had a blast!  The collage below starting top left and going clockwise is Ethan using a native wood and stone tool to break up the garden, final notes from Mr. McCreedy in the ampitheater, spear throwing (Ethan has his Red Wings jacket on in the center), Ethan and his buddy Preston working on starting a fire, and a bunch of the boys up in the treehouse during break.  It's hard to see in the group picture but in the background is a wind turbine they install last year, thanks to a generous grant, that supplies power to the ecology center and the Chatfield School.

Making all natural ice cream with ingredients you can pronounce: milk, cream, sugar, and REAL vanilla, put in curner, add ice and rock salt, then crank, crank, crank, til YUMMY!

Along with the ice cream they made pizzas and cooked them in the mud oven, they ground the flour, rolled out the dough, grated the cheese, the sauce was canned but organic, put it all together to bake in a mud oven, and then partake.  While that was going on they also worked together to add to the wood pile using a furrow tool and hand saws.  I helped keep things organized and moving along in the kitchen while Mr. McCreedy worked on the outside projects.  I loved how he directed the discussion at the end of this class asking for their thoughts and comments about what they worked on, made, or felt.  Every group thought it was awesome that they worked together to create their "snack" and believed it tasted better than anything they could buy at the store.  Mr. M always complimented their teamwork stating that he never had to tell anyone to be doing something because they all got right to work and kept at it.  Although our pizzas were vegetarian, he made a comment that it would be great to have some locally grown bacon to put on them.  So I'm going to mention it to our Project Clover group to donate some to the ecology center for next year.  I think another cool add on would be fresh grown basil or mushrooms (which could be grown in boxes at the center).

The other two days I assisted with the mud hut mostly keeping kids focused on the task and helping them get their feet washed up afterwards.  They mix the compound of 2 parts sand, one part clay, a little water, then some straw, with their feet, stomping across until it is of the correct consistency. Next they take it over to the structure and add it to the wall that is in progress.  Prior to working outside they learn about the Kahokian structure found in Pennsylvania that led them to understand this building technology.  This was another fun class although many of the kids always want to try and slide across the mud which we quickly put a stop to.  It will be cool to see the structure once it's finally finished.  This is the same technique used to make the mud oven.

Project Clover, by the way, is from our educational focus for the North Branch Finish Line Swine Club.  They are learning about entrepreneurship and borrowing from the Armanda 4H we've started Project Clover a non-profit company that is raising funds to purchase a lower priced pig at the 4H auction to have processed and then donated to charitable organizations in the area such as a food bank or soup kitchen.  Ethan has also been working on getting trophy sponser for fair as well in the hopes of winning his own Kindle Fire or iPod for selling the most.

In other news Alexandra will be taking her Winter semester exams this week and then waiting to have transcripts sent the the colleges she applied to for Fall.  She also needs to have her ACT results sent in.  There's been a few bumps in her assistant manager duties and pay status but she seems to be working things out.  Having an older teen continues to be a learning process for me, you have to know when to push and when to back off.  No matter what you hope they'll do or think they should do, ultimately they do what they're gonna do and you just have to live with it.  Disconcerting does not even begin to describe it.

Lastly, I found out our numbers in the Chatfield School "lottery" and they are not as encouraging as I had hoped.  Ethan is #11 out of 18 for 6th grade and Benjamin is #5 out of 8 on the list for 7th grade.  The secretary couldn't tell me how many openings there would be if any, or when she would know more.  It is a very vague process.  So the boys and I have been under negotiations as to how to proceed next year.  Although my heart's desire is to have the chance to educate them at home again they are not so inclined to the idea.  Plus part of me feels like I've gotten some good things started in the district with the running club and choir and such so maybe the fates are telling me my work is not done here.  However I did plan to keep things happening here even if they do get into Chatfield but in all honesty it would be quite challenging.  Both boys agreed though that if a spot opened up once school did start they would be fine to make the transfer.  I'll let you know how the debate on other topics such as classes, sports, etc. pans out, in a future post.

Looks like we're in for some April showers as we begin our Michigan May...so be sure to run between the raindrops! 

Saved by the Bell

I am happy to report that the homeschool informational meetings I was helping to perpetuate went very well. Thought maybe there'd be a few more people but I know from past experience news will travel fast amongst the homeschool community from those that attended. Many times homeschoolers are not joiners initially but wait to hear what other people have found out or experienced and then follow through for themselves. There were some individuals with very strong opposition to the entire concept but thankfully after hearing the superintendent speak and listening to the responses of his staff that have done extensive research about how to proceed, their attitudes were softened. Most likely they will not participate in what is being offered but I believe they will not publicly continue efforts to derail it. Follow up conversations with the people I've been assisting indicate the more we move forward the more we still need to learn, but I am hopeful things will come together accordingly. The next step will be coordinating an Open House for parents and students to come and demo the various virtual class providers to help them decide which would suit their purposes best.
Ben brought home this "hands-on" project a few weeks ago, the only one I've seen in the upper elementary experience. His was voted "Best in the Class!" Nice job. We found out yesterday that he did not make the cut for the L-CHAMP program which is fine since after reviewing the packet I wasn't convinced that was the way to go for him. In a nutshell those that participate would go one day a week to the Ed-Tech building for intensive Math study which would allow them to complete two years of high school math during their middle school years. Although I will continue encouraging him to work ahead, I don't think he needs to work that far ahead.

Fox just got his paperwork for Track filled out this morning, I signed what I needed to and he'll get it turned in today. Practices will begin March 12th and he is very excited to be getting back on the track! They also just completed their forms for next years class schedule. Things will run a bit differently since they are moving from a 5 block day to a shorter incremented 6 block day. He will be doing AP Prep English 10, AP World History, AP Psychology (don't ask), Accounting, Biology, Algebra II, and for electives hopefully Drafting and Conditioning.

Last Friday was another snow day, fun times, but it is already significantly melted. Tonight Ethan starts a 4-week golf class through the Lapeer Enrichment program and he, Ben and myself will be visiting the Chatfield School Open House for middle school. Looking forward to that.

Moving ahead with my enrichment camps and classes for the end of June. I have made several new contacts and all have been very happy and supportive to be a part of what I'm working to put together which is great and keeps me motivated. Now I need to get busy creating some marketing materials.

Rob is in Germany this week doing training at Schatz AG. The atmosphere there is a total 180 from what he deals with in the US. Everyone is very laid back and friendly, the language barrier can be challenging especially during training sessions but it seems to be going well overall from what he's reported in emails and one relatively short phone call. Hoping to put up some pictures in my next post.

Alex's new routine being back at the ranch has seemed to fall into place rather easily. Assistant Manager training is going well and will be complete mid-month, then she'll begin working out of the Oxford BK. She and her 'guy' are planning to do some campus visits soon. That's my update, hope you're keepin' it real!

Good Mornin' 2012 !!!

My how times flies, for my first post of the new year let me bring things up to date from the old year. Fox ran his first non-school 5K this December coming in 7th overall and 2nd in his age range at the Santa Shuffle in downtown Lapeer, hosted by Elite Feet. As you can see from the photo, this was no fashion contest, the boy was there to run. His AP History teacher was in the race too! I had fun helping with the pancake breakfast that all the runners come to afterward.

Starting the first Saturday of the year we now have basketball games every weekend (plus two weekday practices in the evenings). Ethan is not the strongest player but does the best he can. He's having fun learning a new sport but doesn't think he'll stay in it next year, but instead try archery, which is what Ben is doing every Wednesday after school.

Number 22, Parton puts one up but sadly no points made, nice try though!

As if life isn't crazy enough, we've also added a new puppy to our family. A friend of Alex's dog had a litter and they were ready to go to new homes so we went to check them out and fell in love with a very sweet, mellow, mutt. They called her Wonder Girl but we named her Sunny. She and Jake are starting to warm up to each other and have their daily morning play time but then pretty much go their separate ways for the rest of the day. She has become Rob's new couch buddy, much to Jake's dismay.

Holidays still feel a little awkward without mom but we got through it without any major emotional upheaval. Glad to be done with all the hype and on with my life.

Alexandra met the challenge by receiving two 3.5s and two 4.0s which means I will forgive her car insurance payments for the next semester. This week she was back in classes, this semester she has Spanish, English, Acting II, and Sociology plus she just took the manager test at the BK Lounge which will mean a raise....finally. The only drawback is she probably will have to change locations once she finishes training, hopefully it won't be to far to drive.

Had some great conferences with Fox's teachers, he's doing really well in AP Prep English and AP History which I'm glad to hear.

Ben made it into the challenge math group for choice time math which will keep him on his toes and Ethan was selected for a special choice time called 'Destination Imagination' which will entail the kids taking their projects to several competitions.

I am still doing my after school choirs at the upper and lower elementary plus will start back with the adult choir on Monday nights at the end of the month. Lately I haven't been subbing much but putting time in on several house projects, tiled the kitchen counter, trimmed in window and doorwall, still need to do some painting, and a little electrical.....love seeing some progress around here again!

Hope your year is off to a stellar start!

1 Week til FREEDOM

I have really been relishing these last days of my summer but am looking forward to having the boys occupied by school endeavors once again. If I hear the word 'bored' one more time I don't know exactly what I'll do. You'd think with 11 acres to explore and shelves of toys to build with and games to play they'd never have a dull moment but yet.....

--

Sunday Ben and Ethan accompanied me on another bike outing, this time we started in Leonard on the Polly Ann Trail and went all the way to Oxford and back. If we rode some sidewalks or dirt roads a bit south we could hook up with the Paint Creek Trail and then to the Clinton River Trail or Macomb Orchard Trail. Someday we'd like to make an all day adventure of it and ride the whole route, not sure if it will happen this year. The day was clear and comfortable, although I had my camera the batteries had died so I didn't take any pictures which is fine, without it I am able to stay more "in the moment" and just enjoy the experience. The boys always make me laugh and we also get into some philosophical discussions along the way as well. I genuinely enjoy spending time with them and I know that too soon they will be grown and gone so I am savoring every moment.

After haircuts (and color for me) with the "Best Stylist Ever!" we made a spontaneous trip to the Detroit Zoo. My mother kept yearly memberships with three organizations: the Zoo, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Greenfield Village/Museum, in memory of her birthday coming up I purchased a family membership, as we made our way around happy thoughts of our visits there kept coming to my mind, the stroller days, the train ride enthusiasm, the winter visit for Ben's birthday one year, sneaking and peeking in the back building at the baby giraffe that was still sequestered, and the conversations about various animal husbandry as mother was always a wealth of knowledge and loved to share with the kids and get their thoughts on things. Dinosauria was in its final days so we perused through there as well.

Who's that little prairie dog? Fox found a friend in the butterfly house.

Fox participated in his first high school cross-country meet and did amazingly well making the jump to a 3-mile race. He placed 12th (medals were given to the top 15) and had a finish time of 21:11. The second meet was much bigger with a ton more runners, he said his ankle was bothering him a little he had a decent time but didn't medal. This week they'll run in Brown City and I will attend with camera at the ready! He picked up his Freshman schedule: AP Prep English, AP History, Intro Physics, Intro Chemistry, Health, Phys. Ed., Geometry, Current Events, Woodworking I, Intro Business, and Critical Reading & Writing. This is over three trimesters mind you but looks like a challenging but fun year is ahead for him. He's also interested in joining Model U.N. but has emphatically refused to participate in Forensics again. Ugh. I tried.

My beloved daughter and oldest child has finally flown the coop. She has moved into an apartment with friends halfway between where she works and goes to school, with my blessing. They are not charging her much to share the place, the location is ideal, and she really wanted to branch out on her own but is not into experiencing dormitory life. So be it. Her schedule is complete and financial aid in place so for the fall semester she'll be delving into Intermediate Guitar, retaking Intro Theater (part of the GPA clean-up plan), Music Appreciation, Digital Photography, and Interpersonal Multi-Cultural Communications. Wow, sounds like an enjoyable schedule. As incentive to make school a priority Rob and I proposed that if she got nothing less than a 3.5 we'd forgive her car insurance payments for the winter semester. She was all about that! Now that she's paying more of her own bills she definitely knows a good deal when she hears one. Getting her own cell phone plan was a slap of reality for her when they required a $150 deposit because she has no established credit.....she went with a pay-as-you-go plan.

Robert is on his third week in a new job, closer to home which allows him to return home every night whereas before he stayed in an "apartment" at the shop during the week and was only home on weekends. This new position also has much more opportunity for advancement, profit-sharing, 401K plan, and a medical/dental/vision plan. Hallelujah! Neither Rob or I has had medical insurance for many years so this is a real blessing. I haven't seen a doctor since I walked out of the hospital 10 years ago after delivering Ethan. Thankfully I am a healthy individual and haven't had need for doctors but it's nice to know I'll now be able to have a once-over just to confirm all is well. Rob definitely has some issues that need to be addressed so I'm sure he'll be taking advantage of all the services offered.

My second motherless summer has brought a new sense of peace about being "on my own." Exercise, yoga, meditation, and inspirational readings have been a great help to keeping things in perspective. I am so grateful for my mundane little life, no hurricanes, no earthquakes, no major upheaval. Learning to appreciate each moment as it comes and release expectations has made a big difference, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't have any goals or aspirations but I'll get there, when I get there and that's just fine. Who knows what tomorrow holds....I'm just living today, today.

Variety du Parton

I found a new program (well to me anyway) on my computer, Picassa, and started playing around with it. To my great delight I discovered it has a collage feature that pops in as many photos as you select and resizes them to fit various templates. Very cool.

The boys have finally got a week to chill at home, and now that they're stronger swimmer I've lifted the ban on pond swimming so Ben and Ethan have been spending parts of everyday floating around on tubes and jumping off the dock. We're also getting projects together for Fair and finding last minute editions to some collections (leaves, wildflowers, insects, and rocks). They also spent a fair amount of time playing old Playstation 2 games and had a Harry Potter movie marathon, watching them all from beginning to end.
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Fox is in a teenage boy body-building phase and is always asking about exercises to build different muscle groups. He's also very conscientious about what he eats. He walks everyday, long runs one day, does sprints the next, and then bikes a bit on the third day plus does weight lifting each day. And he never stops eating! Cross-country practices start in a couple weeks, I think he'll be ready for his jump to the 3-mile race.

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park


Big Sur, California

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4H Mystery Clue Camp was a big hit. It started off extremely hot the Wednesday of drop-off and not many slept that night because even with fans the cabins were extremely stuffy. Thursday was high temps and humidity as well and an extra swim time was added in. The kids still had a great time doing crafts, experiments, solving a murder mystery in the woods during the Nature session, and of course swimming at the lake. The big time fun was their huge slip-n-slide, I've never seen one so long before. Thankfully things cooled down Thursday night and the kids were so exhausted from a full, fun day everyone slept like babies. Friday started off pretty tolerable weather-wise but did warm up by afternoon. Science was contraption day, we made catapults, wobble balls, and more. They also had crafts and a lesson on train safety. In the evening for group activity the kids played Predator / Prey where they are omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, and a couple humans and they all vie for food and water beans. Both boys had a great time and are planning on participating next year; I would like to be involved again as well.

Alex has been working 3rd shift all summer which has put her on a very odd routine. She's still supposed to take a couple placement tests before finalizing her enrollment for the Fall semester at Mott. She has one class she is retaking for a passing grade (part of the academic probation clean-up), a second guitar class and she needs to get her math and English credits squared away. Supposedly her manager is moving her back to days next week, which better happen so she can get back on a normal schedule before classes start!

I am going to be returning to school myself in the Fall through Mott Continuing Education, which excites me very much. They are online classes which is optimal for my busy life, I can still substitute teach without scheduling problems and get the boys to their activities. The classes I'm interested in are about starting a 501c corporation, writing grants, and fundraising. There are many ideas I have for supporting academics through artful endeavors and it's getting to be time to put all my experiences together in a cognitive form and start branching out.....but first, I've got a lot to learn. ;)

Robert is also heading into a huge shift as far as his employment goes. Not going to give it away yet but our family routine will adjust drastically, in a good way, very soon.

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Trippin'

Everybody is getting ready to hit the road. The boys will be doing their annual trip to Port Crescent State Park with their grandparents, something they look forward to with great delight. My husband's family has been going there since he was little except for a few rare summers where they ventured somewhere different. It's cool to have such a time honored tradition, something that never really came together in my own family. (Today's mandala is another Sue O'Keffe creation.)

Both Ben and Ethan passed their swimming test with flying colors, they are getting very strong and confident in the water. Ethan is a bit of a goofball but Ben is pretty serious. He's even thinking about going all the way to get his lifeguarding certificate so he can lifeguard when he's 16. Great starter job.

Rob and I will be heading off to California for the week, while he does a couple of service calls I will get a chance to explore San Jose and Fresno. My itinerary currently is to hit the Los Gatos Creek Trail on rented bike, peruse the Golden Gate Park, bike again in Yosemite and check out the zoo and art museum in Fresno. When he's done with his work we'll take a day to drive up Hwy 1 which should be amazing.

Enjoy a few snaps from my garden, things are finally starting to come together around here, with help from the boys we've won back a few more areas and the blooms are starting to abound. Alex has been making her share of trips to the counselor's office at Mott CC trying to get her financial aid and schedule in order. She is going to finish her general ed. Associate degree so at least she can say she has finished something. From there she may take a year off to work (hopefully more in her field of music/drama) or take the next step to working on her bachelor's. She's feeling pretty good about the plan so for her it's lookin' like blue skies.

Hope your summer is shaping up nicely. Check back in a week or so for my California report!

Relish the Time

The school year ended with a whirlwind of activity and last minute gatherings. Ethan is now done with his elementary days and will be moving up to the Ruth Fox building next year for 5th grade along with brother Ben who will be in 6th. All the boys will be on the same schedule so no more double bus duty, everyone will be gone by 7am with school starting at 7:30am and finishing at 2:35pm. This will make things much simpler when it comes to subbing since I won't have to figure out a place for Ethan when I start early.


The Bay City Planetarium field trip was a good time, the day was clear and blustery. It was a shame that we were inside for movies instead of outside enjoying the weather, we did go outside to eat lunch though much to the delight of the seagulls.

The Art & History Festival field trip was very well done, I loved the passion of the people involved in the different living history organizations. They really take their stuff seriously from presenting the information to making sure their outfits and items are as authentic as possible. We heard about the 'war' over Toledo, Abe Lincoln's background, medical procedures on the battle field, various soldier units, and basic cannon safety and usage.

Saturday we stopped back at the festival and checked out the art booths, while we were watching a cannon demonstration I noticed Abe and a soldier conversing under a tree. The fruit art of a young culinary student was pretty amazing too.

I've also been sifting through stuff in the house and trying to get organized plus working on rescuing more garden areas. My energy feels very low lately and I'm not sure how to snap out of it, I nap daily in between running around and working. The end of the school year has left me a bit meloncholy for our old homeschool life. I wish I could take parts of homeschool and public school and meld them together for the perfect experience, the boys however are used to being with their peeps and are not into being home again, at least not at this point. I do also enjoy my 'me' time when the kids are all gone for the day and substituting teaching is very rewarding as well, so I guess things are good for now.

This week we've got some dentist and ortho appointments, Fox will get his braces this summer. I just get Alex's paid off and we're on to another round, whoo hoo. Ethan and Ben are doing a basketball day camp at the high school plus we've got two baseball games. Next week is our Agents in Action VBS at church which I am coordinator of and the last week in June Fox will be at a video game design camp at U of M Ann Arbor while the younger boys jump into swim lessons.

Alex is busy working at the BK and hanging with her buds, she was disappointed to find out she did not make it into Grand Valley for the fall because of a couple bummer grades so it looks like she'll be at Mott for another year doing some GPA clean-up and trying again. We also talked about her investigating what Oakland University has to offer.

Signing off for now.