Planet of the Apes

The summer is quickly wrapping up, as the boys spent a relaxed week in Port Austin with their grandparents soaking in the final days of freedom before they return to their school routine.  Even Alex and the BF made it up to spend a night camping with the crew.  These are the weeks that bring a multitude of emotion for me as a former homeschool mom while I read posts from friends about their preparations for homeschool and their choices for curriculum.  Those choices are now out of my control and although part of me wishes I had that power again it is very clear that the boys need to be in charge of their own destiny when it comes to performing in the academic arena. 

Being a creature who enjoys and requires regular change I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn and experience being a charter school parent and add that to my extending list of educational endeavors.  Benjamin and I went out to Chatfield last week so he could take his math assessment test but the school was still in disaray as teachers were getting their classrooms prepared for the year so we did not get to see his teacher or classroom yet.  While he was at the Tiger game with his grandpa and uncle I attend the new parent/student orientation and was happy to meet a go-getter mom rounding up people from our area to car pool with.  I am not the only one who has been concerned about the time and gas required for transport to Chatfield.  So with four of us sharing the duties it will be a relief to us all.

Fox had the first cross-country meet of his sophmore season at Croswell-Lexington this past week.  He had a legitimate run but did not reach his time goal.  The course was seriously cross-country, most of it was through the woods which was full of rugged, rooty terrain, and lots of hills once they came out of the woods and through the meadow then into the final straight-away.  He commented that his quads and the top of his knees began to hurt about a third of the way through the course causing him to losing significant positioning but he pressed on and finished strong with a 21:23. 

Sophmore orientation was also this past week.  Fox has a pretty intense schedule for next year with AP Prep English, AP Ancient History, AP Psychology, Algebra II, one trimester of Biology, Chemistry, and Accounting.  Yowza!

Friday we fit in one last field trip to the Detroit Zoo before our membership expired.  It was an incredibly busy day, so much so that we had to park on the very roof of the parking structure!  Inside wasn't so terrible as we got on the second train heading toward the back of the zoo and held a brief conference to determine which animals were a "must-see".  Fox has been intrigued by the monkeys and apes so we spent a good deal of time there and had some great sightings.  Ben wanted to go through the Outback area to check on the baby joeys.  Ethan was all about the prairie dogs.  My only requirement was our traditional photo by the bear fountain.

The Arctic Circle is always big time fun as the boys got silly by the ice wall, this time trying to leave a mark with their rear ends, the imprint did not work after quite some time all they ended up with were frozen a**es which showed up in blue on the heat sensor in the polar shack!  Certain places will always remind me of my mother: zoos, gardens, and choir concerts in particular. As we walked around the boys shared several memories they had of gramma when they were really little and we used to get together with her for field trips when we homeschooled.  I was amazed at some of the things that came to their minds.  My emotions are not so much sad now as they are grateful that they have good memories and can share them freely. 

Coming up: Ethan's Open House, Brown City HS Cross-Country Meet, and learning Italian!

Final thoughts: No plant can live if the root is cut away.....where are you rooted and grounded in your life?  Are you in a place where you can thrive and grow or do you need to cut the roots of resentment, bitterness, doubt, or self-loathing in order to be refreshed and renewed?

To deep to dig....I think not.

Be well my friends.

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!