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! 

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.

Ethan and the Mom

Day 1 - Ethan and I rode the Blue Line from Lapeer into Chicago after a bit of a false start (I realized a couple miles from the house I left my purse sitting on the kitchen table!) we doubled back for essentials left behind and still made it to Starbucks for a Peppermint Mocha before boarding a slightly late arriving and soon-to-be-very-full train. Read mags/books, played cards together, I listened to a great message called "Faith is a Verb" from Pastor Andrew Kluck, Ethan did some DS games, I napped and before you knew it we were pulling into Union Station. My friend Gidget's owners picked us up (see her at the top of the collage!?) and drove us to Schaumburg to check out Lego Discoveryland after first enjoying a fantastic lunch at Big Bowl. Gasped over the displays, took the Factory Tour, rode the Lego Train, did a Lego Workshop, explored the Test Area, and shopped. Toward the end of our visit Ethan was complaining of a terrible headache (probably too much excitement and a very early morning). Headed back to Gidget's house where 'E' tucked in for a refreshing nap with a cool compress while dinner was prepared. He awoke miraculously recovered and ate all his steak, veggies, and brownie with ice cream dessert before snuggling back in to read some "Hunger Games" before lights out.

Day 2 - Started off the day with an expertly prepared breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and fruit. Ethan had a little time to play some guitar while I got ready, then we got dropped off at the Metra Station in Prairie Crossings by Gidget's owner and rode down with the regular commuters to Union Station. Realized I forgot to bring my city map with me, although I had the Garmin it was having difficulty finding the satellite and reconfiguring to Chicago (it was still in California mode from my trip with Rob). Finally got things in order, walking through the city along the river, found a Walgreen's which sells maps, got our bearings and made our way to Ohio Street & LaSalle, checked into the Best Western and took a few minutes to chill, unpack the heavy books and electronics from the backpack then repacked with the essentials for our day's adventure.

Today was bus day. I bought a 1-day pass from CVS and kids ride for $1 so transportation expenses were very reasonable. Got on the #156 at LaSalle which took us right up to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was a beautiful day for it and they had some wonderful animal houses, the primate house in particular was really cool - even caught a snap of a true zoo keeper's life....cage cleaning! Didn't see many of the big cats, I think they were behind-the-scenes being fed when we got there but the polar bear was hilarious to watch, a real character, giving everyone a great show from above ground and below tank. The African Safari house was also impressive, and we took a moment to talk with a keeper at an open exhibit of spiders which I found a very unusual way to display them but he explained that when there's only two or three out, they find their little niche, make a web and stay in place. Purchased some items in the gift shop, a beanie cougar for Ethan, a ring-tailed hand-puppet, and a sale book "Puppet Play: 20 Puppet Projects Made with Recycled Mittens, Towels, Socks and More" by Diana Schoenbrun (can you say enrichment class!). Hopped on the #151 bus to head back down to the John Hancock building but totally missed our stop, doubled back but decided to reassess the situation.

Decided to skip the John Hancock Observatory because the wait would have killed the rest of the day, good call. Instead we got a few hours in at the Children's Hands-On Museum where Ethan had fun building with the giant beams, nuts, and bolts. Got silly in the Circus Zirkus area hanging on the trapeze, spinning in the hoop, walking the tightrope, and of course doing some weight lifting. Before they called for closing time he had some serious fun in the water area using "wave blocks" (small plastic dividers) to control the flow of current down a long river. There were also levers and buckets to lift and pour water plus things to pump and squirt water. Awesome. The kids museum is right at Navy Pier so we stood in line at the ONE ticket booth that was open to get a 3-Ride Pass for each of us, then rode the giant swings (in a double seat), played 18-holes of putt putt (Ethan got a hole-in-one on #17), and made the slow round above the city on the Ferris Wheel. Caught the #65 back to LaSalle, made an 8pm reservation (first available) at the Rainforest Cafe across the street, chilled for a bit watching the new 'Bones' episode then walked across for a late dinner. Had time to hit the pool before it closed then crashed for the night!

Day 3 - Walked up Ohio Street a couple blocks to Starbucks for breakfast then took a cab to Shedd Aquarium arriving almost a half hour before opening time and there was already a line past the awning! Got longer as we waited but thankfully it didn't take long to get our tickets once the doors opened. Last February when Ben and I went we walked right in at opening! First thing on the agenda was the Aquatic Show, this time featuring the Beluga Whales, then the 4D Planet Earth movie, and a little time to relax and investigate the regular exhibits. Ethan was most interested in tracking down the Japanese King Crab and the Pirahnas - mission accomplished! Next, lunch at the Soundings Cafe, Fish Slider for Ethan (as recommended by brother Ben) and the Chicken Florentine Panini with a delightful fresh greens salad for me. Perused around the Great Lakes tanks before checking in for our behind-the-scenes Penguin Encounter! It was absolutely amazing to be up close to a penguin and get to observe it waddle around an area at our feet. The trainer Naomi was very personable and answered all our questions about the Magellantic penguins and #409 in particular, we all got a chance to pet the penguin and get a picture taken with her. There were 8 in our group, four moms with their sons, two were 9 y.o. and two were 10 y.o. Lastly we went downstairs to the Wild Reef to stare into the shark tank then cruise though the Jellies exhibit which in comparison to our adventures thus far was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the displays were videos and there wasn't much variety in the jellyfish. Picked up our Penguin Encounter photos, got our backpack and coats out of the locker and said farewell.

Following our fantastic aquarium experience we jumped on an overcrowded #146 bus that headed up State Street to the Magnificent Mile area, popped out on Randolph and walked the couple blocks up to Millennium Park to check out the Bean and have some fun taking pictures. When we were done exploring the park we hoofed it back down Ohio Street stopping at a grocery store a couple blocks from the hotel to pick up some dinner: salmon rolls, tuna rolls, Pringles, Wild Cherry Pepsi, and Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack ice cream. Ate, watched some Big Bang Theory, hit the pool, then lights out!

Day 4 - Woke up on our own, watched an Arthur episode on PBS then headed up to the pool for a quick morning swim. After showering, packing up, and checking out we took a lovely walking tour down Grand making our way to Yolk for breakfast. Ethan tried something new...crepes, but was more a fan of the sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. I again enjoyed the Irish Benny (Eggs Benedict with a grilled tomato on an English Muffin with corned beef hash, homestyle hash browns on the side and some fabulous fresh fruit). Grabbed a cab and headed over to the Field Museum to use the free pass Gidget gave us. It was crazy! We only went through Development of Planet Earth, Dinosaur Hall, Restoring the Earth, the Maori Village, and the Gems exhibits before retrieving our items from coat check and taking a cab to a Gino's East for pizza! Made it to the train station with little time to wait and thoroughly enjoyed our cushy business class seats for the ride back. Ethan did all the scenes in a sticker book we bought at the Shedd Aquarium, played some DS and read a little bit more of "Hunger Games" while I enjoyed a great teaching from Pastor Jeff Wells and listened to some tunes. We also had time to fit in a round of the card game 'Garbage' before he finally fell asleep for the last hour and a half of the trip. Thankfully the weather was good, we arrived to Lapeer on time, the car started, and we made it home safely to our comfy beds, snoring family, and loyal pets. All in all a successful trip but for the record I will never do Chicago during Spring Break week again! It's off-season only for this traveling mom.

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!

One Day at a Time

First off a Happy Birthday to our Benny boy who turned 12 yesterday. We celebrated with a soccer ball cake and homemade lasagna, one meat, and one veggie for the girl child who is now officially moved back in. Woot! Ben is most excited to use his b-day loot to purchase a Kindle Fire which we will pick up tomorrow after school. Yes this is the year of technological upgrades for the Parton children. Alex is loving her laptop she got for Christmas and Fox is enjoying his new 'puter, now Ben is jumping on the band wagon to have tons of books, movies, and games at his fingertips. Hope he'll let me borrow it sometime..... :)

Since I am actively taking measures to shift into regular full-time employment I've been stepping up the boys' domestic training and have taught them all to do their own laundry, from washer to dryer to folding and putting away. It's been several weeks now and they've all done pretty well with it. I just remind them when it's their day. My original intent was they do their loads after school when they get home but Benny was so determined to keep up with his that he started his last load at 5:20am when he got up in the morning. The laundry room is on the other side of the wall from my bedroom and my alarm doesn't go off until 6am .... thanks for the abrupt wake up, dude. He'll now be returning to the afternoon schedule.

Due to an icy morning last Thursday we had school called off because of the road conditions which gave them a 5-day weekend. Friday, after a rather harrowing morning (I'll get to that in a minute) we headed down for a visit to the Detroit Zoo and everyone agreed it was the best trip we've had in some time. The day was gorgeous and sunny, cool but not freezing and many of the animals were out and active. We finally saw the Arctic Fox in The Arctic Circle exhibit, and the polars bears were up and moving around which was really neat to watch. Fox and Ben had a blast trying to make their hand prints in the ice wall. Can you see Ethan inside the bubble? And I got a sneaky shot of Fox actually smiling with his braces! He's had them long enough now he doesn't really think about them so much.
We also caught a keeper at the Snow Monkey area talking about the species and their ranking system which was very interesting. She explained that when they take a monkey out for medical attention or what not they make sure not to have them out for more than two hours or else they will lose their rank. I also found it intriguing that because the species is well maintained they have their females on birth control, the deprovera shot, hmmm.

Checked in on the 'baby' giraffe that is now three years old. We all enjoyed watching them inside and up close as they ate and played with their mobile toys hanging from the ceiling. One of the three kept going to the open door and staring outside like it really wanted to go out but thought it just a bit to chilly.

Inside the kangaroo area there are two that have joeys in their pouches. If you look closely at the photo you can see a leg and an ear starting to peek out. The docent explained that they don't even know if they are boys or girls yet since they don't come out of the pouch until about 6 months old so they must be close to that now since they are just starting to appear. The tiger was a delight, laying there growling at everyone as if trying to have a conversation, too cool. And in the prairie dog exhibit a couple of rouge peacocks got in and were having a riot tormenting the little rodents. Ethan was bummed because the tubes were closed but we still had a laugh watching the antics.

After the zoo we used a gift card from Christmas and had dinner at the Macaroni Grill, my eggplant parmesan was delish! From there we went to visit Aunt Julie at Troy Lanes and do a little bowling!

Saturday night was a fun night of rollicking with the book club ladies. This month's read was Henry James' "Turn of the Screw" which brought about many opinions about what in the world he was really getting at in his text. As one of the club founders commented "even though many said they didn't really like it, it was a success nonetheless because of the discussion is created." Definately true. The movie actually stayed true to the book and was very well done. We also watched "The Tempest" with Chris Cooper, Helen Mirrin, Russell Brand, Alan Cummings and many more talented actors. It was a first for me. Bizarre to say the least, but I liked it. Next month...."The Hunger Games."

Today was the second week working with both my choir groups together, we did everything acapella and the songs are all coming together nicely. We're also getting time to work on the stage with risers and choreograph our entrances and exits which is a luxury I haven't had in past years. I've started going to a weekly women's bible study, something that has been out of my routine for a long time. We're studying Phillipians and it has been engaging and informative, I've also just finished Nehemiah again on my own. This week I will begin a series of counseling sessions as well, while I feel like I have gotten over the hump of grief there are some things that I would like to have better spiritual artillery to deal with.

Oh, I almost forgot about our harrowing Saturday morning. My precious little puppy took off on us. I usually put her and Jake out for a few minutes to frolick before they have to be cooped up during the day if we're out. Told the boys "don't let me forget the dogs are out" and went to check some emails. Well, we all forgot and when I looked back outside neither dog was around. We spent hours yelling and searching, I drove around in the van, to no avail. Alex went by the house after work and Jake had returned and was waiting on the porch to be let back in but no Sunny. It was a snowy night, still no sign of her in the morning. She did have a collar on with her name and our phone number and I just kept praying she would show up at someone's house and they'd call. When I got home from book club late Saturday night Rob said "you've got a friend waiting for you." My Sunny girl! Someone called from a half a mile up the road and said she had been hanging around there all day. I was sooooo glad to have my sweet girl back and she won't be out of my sight for a good long time at least not without a leash or chain. Never took her for a runner but now I know better.

Click HERE to see what will be coming up in my next post. Hope all is well in your world.

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!

All in the Family

Well, winter finally decided to kick in her for awhile after some great warm weather days, got cold, got snow, now it melted and our driveway is a big muddy mess! Lots of fun.

I am moving ahead with my house projects although not at a very fast pace, still some painting to do in the kitchen and then I'll post a picture. Finally got the manufactured "buttoned up" and put in some track lighting with the help of my dad (thanks!). Robert has also been working on his own projects around the property and house. Three truck/trailers were on the property when we bought the place but after a few hard working weekends for Rob and a couple cousins....

we now have two and some extra cash. Woot!

Fox and I have been doing some research on biomedical engineering programs, which is what he is interested in pursuing, even found some awsome summer programs. There's a month long one at the University of Pennsylvania that sounds fantastic but it is extremely pricey, basically like paying for college classes, go figure. Found one through UofM Ann Arbor that is a little more reasonable but applications were due today so I think we missed the boat on that one. This summer he will be doing drivers training anyway so maybe we'll shoot for next year. He's also been meeting with the high school guidance counsel0r about testing out of some classes and taking a few online to get ahead on his required classes so he can have more advanced classes in before he graduates. I'm starting to become more knowledgable about alternative options in the public school and I'm hoping Fox will be the one to take advantage of it. He already watches classes online in his spare time, why not get credit for them. Next week he gets his braces on.

Benjamin had a great time at 6th grade camp, his group had nice warm weather so they didn't do the winter fun they normally do like sledding and stuff but they still had plenty to keep them busy. He is also enjoying archery and doing lots of reading....usually has three books going at once. Favorites include anything by Rick Riordan, the Nate books, the Artemis Fowl series and he's on the third Hunger Games book.

Ethan has been having some difficulties lately setting his priorities which sadly is being reflected in his grades. He is such a social and active person that getting things done in a busy classroom is challenging for him. Plus, when he is home after school and I'm not around to keep him on task that darn gaming system and television always draw his attention. One good thing with him though is he loves to get outside and shoot the BB gun or sled.

Piglets are on reserve and the boys are doing extra work to help pay for their half of the costs. Pick up date is April 15, Yeehaw!

Alexandra just started assistant manager training at the BK Lounge and is back in the swing for Winter classes but has some issues to deal with concerning Mott's highly inefficient accounting/financial aid system. After a series of unfortunate events it looks like she may be moving back in at the end of the month, no fault of her own. I told her she's welcome to and it probably is for the best so she can start saving some money before transfering schools in the fall. I applaude her efforts to be independent and have supported her but sometimes we have to revamp our plans.

Rob is doing the best he can at the new job but he really hates it. Later this month he'll be going to Germany but I will not go with him as originally planned, just not the right timing. In order to open up more employment opportunities he is actively investigating going back to college, has his transcripts, and knows where he wants to go, just need to get the ok from his bosses to leave early a day or two so he can get to class. He's put in the request but so far they haven't given him an answer. This is something I've hoped he'd do for years....everything happens for a reason, perhaps it now time for him to complete his higher education.

Finally, Rob and I have health insurance so I have been an appointment making fool, did the dentist, eye doctor (made the jump to bifocals but after three days with them I'm still not sure if I like them), regular doctor (all good so far but waiting on some blood work results), and next week I get to go have my first mamogram, a "well woman exam"....Amen! Starting this weekend I will be teaching a drama class in Lapeer at the Pix Theater which should be fun and I just booked train tickets and hotel for my trip to Chicago with Ethan. We talked about a lot of other possible trips, Boston, Mesa Verde, DC, but he really wanted to check out the Windy City.

So that's what's up at the Parton house hope all is well with you and yours.

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!

N112211

Where have I been? What's going on? Nowhere. Not Much. But a lot.

Finished up XC season. Fox got his record best time at Regionals, Godells State Park. I just happened to get up to the finish in the first group and got close enough to catch a picture of him coming through the finish! Sweet. 19:55 is a great time but when we went to the Fall Sports Banquet and got his stats the official time came in at 19:49, even better! He also received the "Rookie of the Year" Award for his consistent improvement and dedication.

We actually got a couple windows changed out before the snow flies. This should help our heating bills tremendously as they were hideously old windows that didn't even stay closed properly. Very glad to have that off the to-do list, now I'm looking forward to a full-gut reno on Fox's bedroom, probably won't happen til summer though. For the time being I just got the wall patched up around the new window. I'll also be working on some projects in the kitchen over the winter break, drywalling and retiling the counter tops using some salvage tile I got from my dad.

Does this look gorgeous and delicious!? Been trying to eat heathier. My new rage lately is Watercress. Read an article about adding more vitamins and nutrients to your diet with greens. Watercress I like because it doesn't change the flavor much, you can throw in with anything (as I did on my nachos above), and it has a ton of nutritional value. Looking forward to trying Krispy Kale.

We're at a lull in our activities at the moment. Ethan is doing 5th/6th Grade Basketball. Fox is laying low. Ben is waiting for Archery Club to start up after the first of the year. My school choirs are off to a good start with about 40 kids at the lower elementary and 12 at the upper. Next weekend is the Lapeer County Concert Choir performance which I am looking forward to and then a short break before we begin rehearsals for the Spring concert. We've also been invited to sing at the Festival of Choirs in March and at a Ladies Luncheon for a church in Caro. My online class is done, I learned a ton, now I need to try and put it into action and look for some grants. Going to hold off on taking another class for a bit.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!