The Challenger Mission

In Dayton OH there is a Challenger Mission Center. Remember the Callenger Mission? When the teacher went up into space with the astronauts? And no one came back down alive? Well at the Challenger Mission Center the kids get a chance to learn about the mission. Then they are all given jobs in the shuttle or ground control and they are in a simulation center to do their jobs. Brenda was a doctor. A sign of things to come? Probably not, but it is a great experience.

I took Marley and Bret to Boonshoft Discovery Center since we were already in the area. Last school activity of the year.

Circling With Friends

It has been so long since I have been to Circle. Summer Solstice just seemed right. And so much new good news from everyone. We lit flying lanterns and set our blessings free. Let us all remember how to dance like children.

In Cold Water again

Yes it is that time again. Our first swim meet. I think we won by some crazy numbers against Norwood on Tuesday. 130something to 475 or something crazy like that. Hurry up and... wait. THat is the mantra of swim team. Gotta love it anyway.

Daisies in the Garden

Such sweet Daisies. They had their investiture ceremony last week. (HOW DO YOU EVEN PRONOUNCE THIS WORD??) We made 4th of July hats as our craft, ate some cookies and snacks, and they all got pinned. So sweet.

Summer fun

THESE ARE NOT FROGS! lol. This is Gir. Gir is the dog on Invaders Zim. Look it up. It's him all right. Constant sleepovers, hanging out toasting by the pool, riding bikes to the dollar store and Wendy's for their dollar menu burgers, texting late into the night, and never ending fun. THat is what summer is all about.

Field Day

I know, no pics of Field Day, right? Well we did the same thing basically as usually only after all the rain we got it was a little muddier. Then the kids all threw water balloons afterward. That is the big hit of course.

But this is by far my fav part. Check out last year's field day to show how this is NOT brand new. We started with puddles in the sand box so that made things worse perhaps, but every year Marley gets down and muddy while the other kids participate in Field Day. This year however, after the fun she was embarressed about her appearance and refused to go in the grocery store with me. I so wanted to walk through the aisles as the proud mom of this amazing child!!

We watched parent after parent walk through the park telling their kids don't you even think of it, as they saw our kids swimming in this muck. Not us. We always come prepared with towels for the ride home. lol.

Memorial Day Parade

The Annual Memorial Day Parade. Here are our Girl SCouts. Memaw loaned us her husband driver and truck so we could ride, rather than walk. Memaw is so wonderful. Everyone loves her!!

Some of our older girls participated in the flag ceremonies for the program after the parade. Here is Brenda putting flags in their spots in memory of our local veterans who died in service.

Kalahari Here We Come

How can I put in words all the excitement, friendships, adventures, that come out of our UWG (Unschoolers Waterpark Gathering) each year. This is our third year in a row. It exhausts me to put this trip together for the girls. But it is some of their best memories of the year.

Some things we did this year: Nerf Wars, Nintendo DS meetup, Talent show, high ropes course, zip line, Fairy Godparent gifting, Balloon animal making, juggling, the Unschoolers carnival, of course there is the waterpark. They meet up with friends they only see once a year, and feel like they didn't even skip a beat. There is a week of speakers for me, of course I never get to any of that with all my running I do with the girls.

Oh to be young and free again.

Gaige in Chicago

Finally the boy gets to the Sears Tower. He has wanted to do this for a while. Only now it is Willis Tower??? What the heck? How can they just change the name of a land mark like that? Anyway, he comes home with an idea to skip college and just move to Chicago. He really wants to move to a big city. I am suggesting moving to a big city WHILE going to college. Of course that is the more expensive way to do it. But it might be for the best. He has his sights on big free city life. Who can blame him? I had too once.

So this is the Hat.

Brenda's first Etsy online purchase. I helped her learn how to make the transaction. I guess I should have taught her how to read the item description also I suppose, because it was a purchase for a pattern not a hat. So having no experience reading a crochet pattern, I sat down with the pattern and youtube and figured out the new initials. Two days later I emerged with the hat. And Luckily I had enough black and white worsted weight yarn it didn't cost us another penny. And it everyone loves it. Her friends are always wearing it. I think a frog hat next.

It Starts Again

So a bit of a catch up. No computer yet. But Gaige is a dear! Isn't he?? Swim Team is in full swing again. MWF practice. TTH meets. And we are off... Last year Marley was the youngest swimmer. This year she has lots of friends.