Updates on Life in General

Many things have been happening with the family as we transition from our winter activities into spring sports.  Two boys will be running track for their schools.  High school has already begun practices and middle school will start this week, however the first couple meets have already been rescheduled because it is still too cold and snow has not completely melted.

Benjamin my 8th grader has been quite a handful lately, he is all attitude lately, addicted to video games, and we've had some grade issues.  (How's that for transparent)  Discipline measures have been put into place and limits on the gaming but it has made for another challenge in an already trying season.  Soccer is starting soon and with that regular physical activity back in his routine he'll start to chill out a bit, not to mention just getting over our severe cases of cabin fever.

Ethan has been sticking with Forensics.  He changed his piece and category.  His 3 Wizard Poems did not achieve any recognition but his second time presenting his Storytelling piece "The Three Little Javelinas" by Susan Lowell earned him 3rd Place at the MSCI Middle School Tournament in Novi this past weekend.  He received some great comments from the judges and is excited to continue to refine it for the spring finals coming up at Wayne State University next month.  He will again be playing rec baseball this year in addition to running track.  Rock band practices are going well and he is becoming more confident singing leads. Today he also turned in his application to attend Space Camp like his brother did last summer.  He had three great recommendation letters submitted on his behalf and wrote a decent essay, we'll see what happens.  In June he is going to MSU for their Exploration Days event spending three days, two nights on campus taking part in a Flash Animation workshop and another called Improved Life Skills Using Duct Tape which should be interesting. 

Fox is kicking it into high gear getting ready for his senior year and investigating choices regarding college.  He is done with Model U.N. events for this year but is planning to participate again next year.  An even better experience than the school events was a trip he made to Lansing to participate in the 4H Extension's Capital Experience.  For three days they met senators and representatives in the Capitol, discussed various issues, composed bills, and worked to get them passed before the House.  The kids from our county were treated to a personal tour of the House floor by Senator Kevin Daly which was a real treat.  Since he was a part of the Education committee for this event his group got to meet with members of the State Board of Education.  They were all very personable and helpful.  It fact all the representatives and house members that they ran into around the Capital were extremely nice and accommodating.  Fox thought it was an amazing program and is looking forward to going again next year.  MSU is definitely on the top of his list for college choices.  He really likes the idea of having the resource of all our local government being so close by.  He met some kids at the conference that already do internships with the reps in their counties.  In other news he is enrolled in his first online class this trimester Intro to Computer Programming I: Visual Basic.  He likes the way the class is set up online and has been able to get through the first couple weeks of lessons fairly quickly.  We are still waiting to find out if he made it into the LAB: Free Enterprise Camp at Northwood University this summer.

My dear husband is recovering nicely but still taking things slow.  He will be taking a trip to California next week for a job but details are still being worked out.  Most of the winter he spent working on his new company website, conducting paid phone consultations, selling parts online and trying not to go completely stir crazy.

Me?  I've been getting my runs back into the weekly schedule, going out less but running farther distances when I do get out.  I've also been writing and editing regularly.  Sometimes just random thoughts, sometimes on my novels, some times articles for possible submission, or just journaling.  My goal is to keep it part of my routine as much as possible.   I also signed up to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo next month which is very similar to the event that runs in November.  Will do a combination of continued development of my third novel and editing my second. 

Lately I've come to the point again where I feel it necessary to scrutinize my volunteer activities.  While in the past I operated under the idea that if I loved something so much that I was willing to do it for free eventually the fates would make way for me to gain income from those passions.  However lately some of the programs I've been involved with have been creating more stress and confusion than joy which makes me feel that maybe it's time to let those things go in order to put my time and energy towards other goals.  Don't want to make any rash decisions so I'll let it simmer before making my final choice.

..... to be continued.

iLaughed Like Crazy

Outside my Window:  Evening is upon us now, the ground is still white with snow but the temperatures are again beginning to rise.

What's on my Mind:  How, when and where to process the four roosters I ended up with from the half dozen chicks that were purchased from the FFA tent at last summer's Fair.  Ugh.  All that time and feed only to end up with no eggs.

Thankful for:  A fantastic Recreational Leadership Workshop for 4H that I attended this weekend at the Kettunen Center with our county camp director and a 'seasoned' counselor.  It was very well organized, there was great energy and camaraderie, we sang, played games, did experiments, made crafts, plus gained valuable information and inspiration.  Seeing all the young people that were there to give their time and talents to be volunteer counselors at camps in various counties was extremely touching and motivating, not to mention several retirees that are a huge part of 4H in their areas.  A wonderfully refreshing experience.

Creative Endeavors:  The past couple weeks I went collage crazy and made several flat pieces, started a couple boxes and made a dream house board on a long piece of roll paper.  Basically I cut out all types of furniture, fabrics, tiles, lighting, and flooring that I would love to eventually use in my own home.  It was enjoyable and relaxing.

Latest Project:  We had the first initial meeting of the 4H Feeds Families Committee and officially elected officers.  Fundraisers and Task Forces were discussed as well as a game plan for this year's fair.  Also working on a grant for the community choir.

My 3 Sons:  Soccer sign-up is turned in for Ben, he is now working on his Space Camp application.  Next weekend is baseball sign-up for Ethan and he goes to 6th grade camp this month.  Fox is in the middle of 2nd Trimester exams and track practice starts in a matter of days.  We have had far to many "icy back road" no school days which means our school year will need to be extended although we haven't received any official word yet since winter is not finished.  Boo.

The first Born:  Had an utterly amazing time with her bf at the Rain concert which was a Christmas present from her grandparents and parents.

Employment News:  Tomorrow morning bright and early I begin a full-time position at a local greenhouse and berry farm.  Working outside in an 'active' position is something I am very much looking forward to.

Hoping to Improve:  Cutting out as much processed food as possible.

Food for Thought:  "Day after day we judge ourselves as good or bad based on what we are eating or how we look. If we release ourselves from the tyranny of judgment, guilt, and worry, we can free up enormous amounts of time and energy to be used in more positive ways."  ~Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People

Last Words:

Electric Company

Another school year has ended and we're all glad of it.  I got to go on the 5th grade TREK field trip, a "team building" adventure.  Ethan and I both took a go on the zip line.  The climb up was a bit hairy, but the zip is a blast!  It was fun and all but not my favorite field trip by any means.  The Art & History school day got cancelled due to rain unfortunately.

The boys and I did get out there for the reenactment on Saturday however and had a chance to look around then.  It was pretty quiet in the afternoon, the weather was perfect.  We all had fun wandering around looking for things that looked interesting to us.

Fox finished the year on an up note receiving Rookie of the Year again for Track (he also got it for CC) and this time got a Scholar Athlete certificate as well.  Haven't got his final grades yet but he assures me all will be fine.  This week he started driver's training which will go until the end of the month.  Then I'll have to get the guts to let him drive me around, not sure how I feel about that yet.  :)   He is also shocked and somewhat excited to have a new cross-country coach for next year but expecting the change to be a good one.  Nutrition and diet are a focus for him lately as he continues to run, lift weights, walk, and bike regularly.  Looking forward to seeing all his dedication and hard work pay off.

 

 Ben and Ethan did get their final report cards on the last day of school.  Ben got two As, four A-s, and a B.  Ethan brought in satisfactories in all electives, two Bs, three B+s, and an A-.  Excellent job, although I'm concered that I am seeing less and less of Ethan's completed work come home during the school year.  Ben is pretty good about showing me things regularly.  Ethan, not so much.  I realized how not-so-much when he brought home all his stuff after desk and locker clean-out.  Hmm.

The pigs are doing well.  I take them out for walks around the trail a few times a week now.  This is recommended to help them build up stamina for show day so they don't poop out on you and refuse to do anything.  They know their route now and with a little help from Sunny puppy they move right along.  You can see in the photo what good rototillers they are, the area between the barn and wood fence was all thick grass like in the foreground, now it is all turned over.  Currently they are working on the new field area, and occasionally making their escape to go plunk in the pond! 

New developments include a job change for Rob.  He went back to the company he was working for and is much happier for it.  There have been new business opportunities that have allowed his old boss to bring him back on doing what he used to do and also a few new tasks, some of which will entail commission which could be cool.  Unfortunately the academic enrichment classes I put together did not go due to lack of pre-enrollment.  I did get some but not enough to meet my minimums, sort of a bummer but I can definately use that time to work on other projects around the house.  A never ending work-in-progress.  The gramma garden extension is coming along nicely, need to get another batch of mulch to finish it off.  Enrichment classes will be part of my upcoming future for sure but things are coming together a little differently than I expected, but it will all be fine.  Plus, we got a call from Chatfield.....Ben got in for 7th grade.  Picked up the packet today and his summer reading assignment.  I also spoke with the Director about substitute teaching there and got the forms I need to fill out for that.  He was happy to have me on the "call list."  So, this will completely change the dynamic of our next academic year but I am truely looking forward to the adventure!

Growing Pains

Pig Weigh-In was this past Saturday.  Needless to say things didn't go exactly as I had planned.  The thought was that we would coax the swine with feed to walk up a ramp of a couple boards into the back of the pick-up truck.  One was willing enough to do so but halfway up it started to slip and we couldn't keep it on the board to continue the journey.  So, I ended up picking up all the hogs, one of them twice because the gatekeepers failed me, and lifted them onto the truck.  Got them down to the Fairgrounds, timed it at a lull so we were in and out being that we just had them tagged but did not put them on the scale.  Getting them back off the truck was another adventure with poop and puke added into the fun.  In hindsight we should have used the long trailer but it's all over now.  I estimate them to be in the 80-90 pound range.

Also on Saturday was the Wild Lapeer event on the Chatfield School/Willows campus and the Ponds and Prairies of Oakdale.  We had a respectable turnout overall considering there was much going on that weekend, with a festival at Mott College and a carnival at the American Legion Hall which were on either side of us.  The boys helped with the 4H Project Clover booth and got considerable donations althought we haven't gotten the final tally yet, it was enough that made it worth doing and helped get the word out about it.  The Flint Crepe Company had some wonderful selections on their cart, offering crepes made with organic and locally bought ingredients, there were many things about the Flint River, and I made a contact with some ladies from the Lapeer Conservation District to set up some workshops and classes with the Academic Enrichment Company.

The Funny Face Alpaca exhibit was a huge hit as people clamored around to get a good look at the animals and have a pet.  The Organization for Bat Conservation from the Cranbrook Science Center did a wonderful presentation although I only heard if from a far as I helped at the dock doing pond dipping but I did mange to come over at the end and get a quick pic.  I was excited to get a close up shot of an owl they brought for the falconry presentation before they got started.  What a gorgeous creature.  The surprise discovery was when I went to get a photo of the fly fishing demonstration.  By the time I got there he was packed up and gone but a beautiful blue heron was hanging out on the side of the river right in front of the pavillion.  Observed it for a bit until Ethan came running up behind me yelling which scared it up into a tree which we then stayed and watched it from there for a while.  I've seen herons many times around my ponds on our property but never got to see them high up.

I got shifted from disc golf duty to pond dipping last minute after someone bailed.  I've seen this activity at several ecology and nature centers so it was no touble for me to take it over.  My first "customers" were kids from North Branch, one of which was my friend Faith whom I had the pleasure of canoeing with at the Camp Lael field trip last year and also saw recently at the Willows outing.  She and her sisters spent quite a while with me looking at things under the field scope.  I had another young man come over later in the day that was a very determined "critter finder" and his efforts were rewarded greatly as he discovered many pond creatures others hadn't.  We pulled lots of frogs eggs, had a few sightings, but no one was successful in capturing one.

Chatfield School 5th and 6th graders ruled the workshop as they hosted Bluebird House building made possible by a Toyota Tapestry grant for Habitat Restoration.  All the materials were free and the students put together some great materials to explain which birds were 'good' and which needed to be discouraged from the area.

Other demonstrations included Barb Barton, an endangered species biologist with the Native Wild Rice Coalition who demonstrated the steps for processing native wild rice: parching it over an open fire, dancing or jigging to remove the hull, winnowing the chaff and cleaning.  Quite the process however I don't know if this was as big a draw as the organizers thought it would be.  There was also an interactive story put on by The Superhero Training Academy which was relatively engaging from the boys' report, and of course hand-churned ice cream!

The best part of my day however was getting out in the canoe with my boys.  I love canoeing and really need to start doing more of it, especially now that the boys are old enough to really help handle the boat.  There's something about just floating along the water, it's quiet, it's peaceful, and you never know what you'll discover along the way.  I am going to make it a point to explore the Oakdale property more this summer both on foot and with my bike to get to know it more.  What a wonderful natural resource right in the heart of Lapeer.

Friday and Sunday were also the Lapeer County Concert Choir performances.  My dad and his wife came out to the evening concert which I greatly appreciated seeing as no one else I invited made it.  Most never even acknowledged the invite which I find a bit rude and disconcerting but whatever.  I had a 'solo' in the gospel number "Be Thou Faithful", really liked how it went on Friday but the Sunday version not so much, that one oddly enough got a standing ovation, go figure.  Ethan, Ben and I also snuck in a showing of The Avengers, straight up version, which was very entertaining.  I don't think I could have handled that much action in 3D, seriously!  Love, love, love Robert Downey Jr., he is the man!  Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner was also notable, and although I'm not a previously professed ScarJo fan, she definately brought it!

What's up for the Partons?  Baseball games start this week for Ethan.  Finishing up soccer games and sponsorship sales.  I'll be subbing three days for the middle school special ed teacher as she makes the trip to Washington DC with the 8th graders.  Marketing is out for the AEC Summer Program and hopefully registrations will start streaming in.  Click HERE to see the schedule.  Also planning a day trip to Lansing with the boys, helping with the LVLC Open House, and TREK trip with Ethan's class.  Rock On!

Small Wonder

Our babies are finally here! Sunday we picked up our three piglets from a breeder in Columbiaville. Benjamin and I went and made the selections while Ethan was at baseball practice. We ended up going with the Duracks, which are a light brown color and don't show marks as easily as the traditional pink ones. Chose two girls and one boy. They weighed in a little lighter than I was hoping for but they have good composition over all. Ben's pig is the boy, Rocky, starting out at 45#, Ethan picked the 47 pounder and named her Chewbacca, or Chewy for short because she's nibbler, and mine is 50 Cent (say it street) who hit the scale at 50# on the dot. She is the friendliest of the trio, always the first to come up to you when you enter the pen. They have all adjusted well, eating good, drinking regularly, playing around in the pen, grunting happily, and frolicking about. Today we even started to work with them a bit on getting them to walk next to us using a stick to direct them....long way to go but the earlier you start the better. B & E have been very good about getting up and taking care them before they get on the bus, I go out and do a second check, then they do afterschool duty and nighttime lock up. They seem bigger already and it's only been four days!

Fox has been off to a great start for his Freshman track season. His training has been very consistent, he even runs on the weekends to keep up his endurance. The Shaklee vitamins, Physique Shakes, and Performance Drink really make a difference, he hasn't been as sore or fatigued. He has improved his times at every meet, the best so far being a 5:39 in the 1-mile and a 12:04 in the 2-mile. He's also been invited to the first two TVC (Tri-Valley Conference) Meets which is pretty awesome as a freshman because each school can only bring the top 2 or 3 runners in each event. The picture on the right is the start of the 1-mile at the Brown City Invitational last week, the runner from Cass City is blind, the guy in the gray shirt is his tether. It is always amazing to see athletics with physical challenges perservere, everyone always claps and cheers them through the finish line, very heart-warming.

Ben and Ethan had a whirlwind start to soccer. First practice was canceled due to sleet, second practice was at an earlier time and several players didn't make it, then they had their first game last Saturday and skunked 'em 8-0. After getting 5 goals in the first quarter coach pulled back her best players for the second and third, Benny put another goal in during the third. For the fourth quarter she put a couple back in their regular spots and two more goals went in. A parent from the other team started getting beligerent and made all the kids feel bad from both teams. Our kids weren't playing aggressive at all, but if the ball is there and the other team ain't bringin' it, goals get made. There are a couple team that skunk us, that's just how it goes. Ethan had his first baseball practice on Sunday too but had to miss Tuesday's because of soccer practice. We'll have a couple weeks of overlap but the schedule should work out fine overall.

Little bit of backtracking now. I rushed off to Chicago the day after the drama production and never did post pictures or an update. It went really well, the one actress I was concerned about with memorizing came prepared and presented lines strongly, they were a couple line jumps with the older group but they moved right along and got themselves back on track easily. The younger group did well too, "Tea Party in Wonderland" had a minor line skip and I had to give them a feed to put them back on track because it really threw them for a loop but other than that they did awesome. Top left picture is from "Tea Party in Wonderland," top right is "Fish School," lower photos are from "While Shakespeare Slept," then the group shot to the left is me with the older crew. Last is a quick collage of some photos Rob took in Germany, they weren't the greatest because one, he was using his iPhone, and two he's just not that great a photog (sorry honey, but you can fix anything, I know :). Bottom left is the little town they stayed in, above that some street artists in Cologne, middle is at the Cologne Cathedral with street actors behind him in the white outfits, lower left bulk Legos (sadly no purchase was made).

What else is new? I have become involved with the committee for Wild Lapeer, an annual event that takes place at the Chatfield School and Mott CC-Lapeer Campus, to highlight organic processes and businesses. This year there will be a woman demonstrating how to process wild rice, a falconer, a presentation from the Cranbrook Science Center (OBC) on bats, bluebird house making, hikes through the Oakland Cemetary, alpacas, and more! This week I am helping with some field trips at the Willows, update in my next post. Keep it real people.

Fame

It has been a jam-packed, fun-filled, spiritually-challenging few weeks. Rob, myself, the boys, Alex, plus main squeeze, and Ethan's buddy got to see the Mythbusters Live show a couple weeks ago. It was a well done production, (sorry about the picture from my phone) and just like concerts, there's nothing like a Detroit audience! The focus of the show was to promote scientific thinking, share some behind-the-scenes stories, and give people a chance to come up on stage to try out concepts while giving Adam and Jamie an opportunity to "mess with them." Adam is a naturally hilarious fellow and could totally work the stand-up circuit if the show doesn't work out. :) Thanks Dad and June for the tickets! Definite "Like"

After a fantastic show Friday night, the next day was a full day of rehearsals for the Flint Festival of Choirs with guest conductor Dr. Paul Rardin from Temple University. He worked with the Lapeer County Concert Choir, the U of M-Flint Chorale and Chamber Singers, plus the Carolyn Mawby Chorale on five songs. The groups were so well prepared he focused mainly on stylizing and musical nuances, even fitting in time to teach us two South African melodies by rote WITH harmonies. Wow. Arriving for warm-up and final practice on Sunday the "ticket lady" was a little concerned that there were so many unsold tickets still. No need to worry because the place was SOLD OUT with standing room only. Ms. Mawby was over-the-moon delighted with the whole event and it was a joy to see her face from the platform as she enjoyed everyone's performances. More info is on the LCCC website, just click.

Ben, Ethan and I have also started getting the piggie pen prepared for our arrivals, trimming back trees, clearing brush, and resetting part of the fencing. Still need to create a couple gate doors then get the waterers and feeders. The aspect is getting a little daunting as we close in on our pick up date and I begin to calculate feed costs. Hoping for the best with the entire situation. Benjamin has decided he does not want to do 4H Camp this year which will be good since then he can stay at the homestead and make sure piggies are taken care of while Ethan and I are at camp.

Fox has been participating in the 4H counselor meetings to be a junior counselor for the day camp this year. The theme picked is Zoo Animals which should be pretty fun. He also just turned in his paperwork to take the AP US History Exam next month and is in full track training mode. Yesterday was their first meet at Cheasaning, Broncos got creamed but the competition was so fierce it pushed him to get his best times yet in the 1-mile he finished with 5:52 and in the 2-mile a 12:35. Next meet will be at Alma after spring break.

We are very proud of Ethan who was selected as student of the week. I've written out his interview questions because they are a bit difficult to see in the photo.

1. Why do you think you were nominated? "I haven't gotten in trouble and I have good grades."

2.How does it feel to do Student of the Week? "It feels nice but scary; I hope no one uses me or something!"

3.Do you like coming to school? "Yes I do."

4. What sports do you play? "Baseball, soccer, cross-country running,, football, basketball."

5. What is you favorite subject in school? "Math"

6. Do you participate in any after school activities? "Choir."

7. What is one thing you would do to change the school? "I would like to have a safety patrol here, because bullying happens a lot more in Ruth Fox than in the elementary."

The school counselor asked to meet with him regarding his answer to #7 but they have not connected as of yet. He believes it is to talk about starting a safety patrol which I hope it is that and not to questions him about bullying. They recently hosted the Rachel's Challenge program in our schools and I've had mixed reaction to it. None of my kids seemed very moved or motivated by it.

Last weekend was the opening of the Hunger Games movie. Rob took the boys to the Saturday 12:15p show as a guys outing, they've all read the book except Ethan. I went later in the evening with my Rollicking Readers group. I had literally just finished the book that morning so the whole ordeal was extremely fresh in my head which was a different type of movie-going experience for me. It was a good production overall but some of their choices confused and disappointed me, as with most literature/screen adaptions, the book is always best. Glad I staved off my resistance and finally read the book. Our next selection is Vanity Fair by William Thackery. I'll have to look for the audiobook because I know I will never get it read by the meeting date.

Yesterday was the program for the after school choirs I've been working with. We had a great turn out and my dear friend and several parents assured me it was a wonderful presentation. I'm trying to accept that however I was very frustrated by the technical challenges of the space. Although things did get changed around (the sound equipment used to be behind the stage with no way to see to the stage!) no one who uses the facility for performance was consulted and the company contracted to do the switch channeled things in a totally inappropriate manner, hence the opportunity for spiritual growth.

Academic Enrichment Company is off and running with 17 classes slated to run June 18-21 and 25-28. Marketing materials are in the works and the initial response to the endeavor has been very encouraging. Gotta love it when an area principal says "I'm so glad you're doing that, there really is a need. I have parents already asking me about things to do with their kids this summer. You will have no problem filling the classes." I've had several meetings over the past couple weeks with new contacts in various areas and will soon be putting out classifieds to recruit more. Plus class ideas keep coming to me in my own mind and through other people's suggestions which is really awesome. I'm also still involved, as a volunteer, with the efforts to launch the Lapeer Virtual Learning Center, helping to coordinate an open house and present another public presentation beyond the homeschool realm. Being involved with these people in upper management of a school district makes me realize what a challenging task they have to "keep everyone happy," and make me look at my efforts with a new perspective.

Tech/dress rehearsal for my Drama classes is tomorrow with performances on Saturday. Break a leg!

What's up for April? Ethan and I go to Chicago this Sunday for 4 days, getting out PR for the LCCC concert and AEC summer program, track meets, soccer practices, assisting with the Ruth Fox 5th Graders' field trip to the Willows, helping with Wild Lapeer planning, Lapeer River Clean-Up, final rehearsals for the LCCC spring concert getting John Rutter's Requiem perfected, and maybe throw in a few sub jobs here and there. Yee Haw! Happy Spring Everyone.....keep smiling (it makes people wonder what you're up to!)

Welcome Back Robert

Life has taken on a new speed as we wrapped up the second trimester and cruised into the third and final of the 2011-12 academic year. The Chatfield School Open House was very interesting and informative. Ethan is extremely excited to attend and although Ben was resistant initially he has warmed up to the idea. I put both their names in for the lottery that evening, the invitation list will be compiled in April and calls made starting in June and throughout the summer. If they get in they can both play on the middle school soccer team which will save me a lot of running around if we stay in AYSO, time will tell.

Robert returned safely from Germany but since we've both been so busy I haven't even had time to see the pictures he took yet. They visited a cathedral in Cologne and ate very well. He was quite impressed with Schatz AG and learned a lot. The driving there is ridiculous, from what he explained, on the open roads between towns they travel near to 150 mph. Their wasn't much to do around Remseheid where they stayed so it was probably better that I did not accompany him this time plus I ended up being involved in a lot of other things during that week. He is still running on exhaustion and managed to catch a cold so last weekend he spent on the couch trying to recover.

My choir endeavors have been a true delight lately. The last couple weeks we added in the guitar accompanists with the elementary choirs, three electric, one acoustic, all from the Ruth Fox and they are doing amazingly well. The final three songs will be with them and I'm also giving them a feature moment to play a selection on their own between choirs. This week I am also in final rehearsals for the Flint Festival of Choirs featuring LCCC, the Carolyn Mawby Chorale, and the U of M-Flint Chorale & Chamber Singers. Last night we had the first practice with all choirs combined, talk about some energy!! Very exciting. Recognized some faces from when I sang with the Flint Festival Chorus and was
impressed to see one of the grad students who worked with us at that time is now a full professor at U of M, Flint. Our director for LCCC, Garth Starr is a former student of Carolyn Mawby and she was delighted to have him come full circle returning to the Festival as a director in his own right. I just love choir people, such dedication, such fun. Fills my heart with joy.

This is one of the displays in the front of the North Branch Elementary School, too cute for words or what!? Went with Ben's class to see 'The Lorax' today, LOVED the colorful animation. I think they did a good job with it overall, glad I got to go with them. Also saw Ethan's teacher while I was in the building (who happens to be the same teacher Ben had last year). She asked me if I could go on their field trips to TREK and to the Art & History Festival. Checked the dates and both are good. Next week I have a meeting with Pete McCreedy who runs the Willows to discuss helping out during the North Branch field trips and also with planning of Wild Lapeer.

My drama classes are coming together nicely, although we missed class a couple weeks ago due to a power outage in downtown Lapeer. Making it work to my advantage though because our rescheduled class will be on a Thursday night right before our performance Saturday which will act as a regular tech/dress rehearsal. Woot! The older group is working on "While Shakespeare Slept" and the younger class is doing a few different skits because of the variance in reading levels, "Tea Party in Wonderland," "Whoops," "Me & My Shadow" and "Fish School." Alex will be 'subbing' for me this Saturday since I have to be in Grand Blanc to rehearse with the guest conductor for the ONLY time before we perform on Sunday. She is looking forward to putting her director hat on again and working with a motivated group.

My new enterprise, the Academic Enrichment Company is officially up and running with DBA, bank account, PO Box, email, and cell number, last thing will be to create a website and I have a gal that is going to create a logo and some marketing materials for me. There are 16 classes on the schedule for the summer program the last two weeks in June and I have been making wonderful contacts everywhere I go. Tons of class ideas are swimming around in my brain and I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Report cards are in for the boys and they all did very well except that Ben and Ethan both had a C+ each, Ben's in spelling and Ethan's in science. Won't dwell on that right now, they know what they need to do to ammend that. Fox had all A's except for a B in Geometry. Nice. Track started this week and he was a little sore yesterday but kicked up the supplements and Performance Drink today so he's not feeling quite as fatigued. The Shaklee products are really helping him, much improvement from the start of last season. Expecting the call from Ethan and Ben's soccer coach any day now. Also got Ethan signed up for baseball. The spring sports trifecta is about to begin!

Really enjoying this 70 degree March we're having in Michigan, hope your life is filled with love and light.

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!

Cheers

Took the boys out shopping last week to spend some gift cards and return a couple Christmas items (from the late January family gathering). Mr. Tightwad, my oldest son Fox, actually pulled some cash to invest in his own new computer. I was shocked but excited for him. He bought a tower and is still using his old monitor, now all his computer games work much faster and we see him even less than before (wink). For his birthday I'll hook him up with a new streamlined monitor.

Ethan and Ben made the choice to return their "fully-automatic" Nerf machine guns they got from their uncle after realizing they both took 6 C-batteries and 2 AAs to operate, plus it took ANOTHER type of bullets than we already had a supply of and these were so small that 18 were lost on the first time they tried the gun. Seriously, we have yet to find them, maybe the dog ate them? Thankfully they had only opened one to test it. I think they made great trades, ending up with a Draw to Life DS game, Plants vs Zombies DS game, 2 Star Wars Lego kits, 1 Pirates of the Caribbean Lego kit, a free Anakin Skywalker Pod, and a Lego Police set. Puppy training is going well, at least when I'm in charge of her, she hasn't been having any accidents in the house. However when I'm not here and the boys are in charge it's a totally different story..... She even went for her first "big girl" walk with Jake and I to the back of the property and LOVED IT. Couldn't even keep her on the leash because she wanted to run with her big brother so I let her go but she stayed by us the whole time and had a blast romping around in the snow. I must be getting soft in my old age because I've been letting her sleep in my room at night, she stays quiet instead of whining all night long in the crate, and makes it until my alarm goes off in the morning to go outside and take care of business. During the day she is crated most of the time with designated outside and play breaks.
Know what these are? Now I do. Had my first ever "well-woman" mammogram, I'm sure they're going to be the best lookin' slides they've ever seen! All blood work came back excellent. I've also lost 10lbs since my doctor visit....woot! well, according to my scale that is. Rob, the calibration expert, tells me don't trust the doctor's office scales anyway because more times than not they aren't calibrated correctly....not sure how to take that. Fox got his braces on, but I haven't even attempted to grab a snap of him yet with them. You can see from the above picture that he wasn't to keen on me sneaking into his room to surprise him for a picture....teenagers!

It has been a meeting-filled couple of weeks for me. I have been very blessed to be in talks with superintendents from three school districts in the area to discuss offering virtual and elective classes to homeschoolers. Although my kids are full-time enrolled at public school I have always hoped for a way to merge the two styles of education and with the state now allowing more flexibility many schools are moving toward opening their student base. One district I was in talks with has always been open to working with homeschoolers in various capacities, which is thankfully my home district and is, without much pomp and circumstance, letting people know they are still willing to do so. When Benjamin was little we took advantage of the speech therapy program even though we homeschooled and had no problems from the powers that be. When I went to register Alexandra for high school they were very accommodating and non-judgemental, however that has not been the case with alternative students in many other districts in the area. Another Super is working diligently to put together a complete and comprehensive partnership program which will prove to be a very exciting option when it all comes together. The last one was from a pretty small district comparatively and in my opinion the least informed on the ideals and philosophy of homeschoolers and how to capture them into their district. Since we continue to yearly assess the kids' education I'm glad to keep in the loop about options especially since Ethan has continually brought up returning to homeschooling. He does fine academically but there are social issues that tend to bring him down a bit. We're going to take a tour at the Chatfield School hopefully next week to investigate that avenue more fully. Also met with the high school counselor about Fox's schedule and was able to get him out of the Critical Reading class (the kid is in AP English and reads 'Society of Mind' for fun) with the blessing of the English department head and instead he'll take Intro Macrobiology which is usually a 10th grade class. In addition to all that I had a sit-down with our Superintendent about putting together some afterschool enrichment classes. He was very interested and although I had a target start for next Fall he encouraged me to see what I could offer during the summer. Made a few initial calls and emails, updates to follow. Last night was a fun night out with my "choir buddies", several of whom are those I am looking forward to working with on the enrichment classes idea. We went to the Redwood Lodge for dinner, I had the fantastic Salmon Oscar, then over to the Flint Institute of Music for an incredible free faculty concert featuring jazz pianist Roger Jones, drummer extraordinaire Nate Winn, and talented bassist Nick Calandro. Truly a good time with good people.

One of the ladies recently attended a seminar about green burial and gave us an update during dinner. When I announced gleefully to Robert this afternoon that I found out when he kicks the bucket I can bury him in the backyard he was a little surprised. lol But seriously I'm going to look into claiming an acre as a family cemetery, from what she explained it's very simple to do.

Happy early Valentine's Day people, hope it's filled with sweetness inside and out!