Fantastic Friday!

1. On my laziest day I like to wander and ponder!

2. Having laundry put away and the kitchen clean makes me feel like I'm being productive.

3. I love little kisses and big hugs.

4. This summer I want to not be in charge of anything!

5. Michelle P. made me start my blog. (with brut force & perilous torture!)

6. Red apples and orange melons.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing ‘Bedtime Stories’ up at the school movie night, tomorrow my plans include soccer game + baseball pics and Sunday, I want to go to dinner and a movie with my mom!

Other Stuff: Didn’t post much this week. Was enjoying decluttering inside the house and putzing outside with mowing, raking, and weeding. Also I finally applied for my Passport which I’ve been threatening to do for the last two years. Maybe I’ll get a chance to use it before the year is out! Got my first check from substitute teaching!!

Ben was awarded a prize of no homework for the week because he got the Super Reader Award for April since he read the most pages out of the entire class- 1,571 total! Had a soccer game Tuesday after school but again he barely played. They lost 2-0 against a Lapeer team. He has been really bugging me to get a bank account lately. His class did a unit on economics and the kids were given a certificate from Independence Bank that if they open an account the bank will give them $5. That was all Ben needed to hear!

Ethan’s spelling grades have been rising, he got an A one week, then a C, prior to that all his marks were E. He starting to excel with the Rocket Math and his reading is fabulous, he’s already moved up a group. His journal writing is greatly improved as well although he informs me she never actually looks at their journal notebooks. Next week baseball games will start.

Fox is working diligently to keep his work organized and had to check the “No Name Box” for a few papers that he didn’t get grades on. It still amazes him how repelled the public school kids are about reading. In his opinion homeschoolers definitely enjoy reading more. The class had a goal to reach 31 AR points before the end of the year and some haven’t done it yet. Fox already has almost twice that and he’s been in not even a whole trimester! I asked him how he feels about getting grades, he said he likes it and wants to gets all high marks. He likes to see where he stands compared to the other students. Socially speaking he says he’s been fine, fits in with the other kids, no weirdness, shyness, or thoughts of being an outcast. In fact he has received some attention from the fantasy story he wrote. They voted on the best four stories of the class and he was one of them. I also got a phone call from the Literacy Specialist asking if they could film Fox reading his story and use it on a friend's website about writing with boys. She also told me that Fox will be receiving a trophy this afternoon during Assembly since his class voted his story the best! (He doesn't know this yet.) She said the kids were very impressed with his writing and storytelling (he used all his character voices when he read the tale aloud to the class). The artwork to the left is a dragon he made during their Cinco de Mayo celebration on Tuesday.

Alex had an orthodontist appointment this week and was excited that the doctor thinks she is ahead of schedule. We’re hoping she can do Senior Pictures sans the braces. We’ll know better in a couple more appointments. Last Friday was Prom. I’m still waiting to see pictures! They had fun but she said overall is was really sort of dumb. And I correct myself; it wasn’t on a boat but rather at a golf course. Oooo, that was worth driving to Port Huron for since we don’t have any around here….. ?? Last night was the Forensic Club "Night of the Stars" and I finally got to see her piece she's been using all year. It was good, emotional, but good. She earned her Letter in Forensics too, not sure if she is into getting a Varsity jacket or not yet. Goal for next year...make it to States! Below is a picture of most of the North Branch Forensics Team for Year 4. Sorry so small, the camera has been weird lately and the pictures have been coming out blurry.

Make your Friday fantastic!!