Weekly Preview and Review

Bob and David had a great time traveling to Saint Louis, MO for the FIRST Robotics World Championships. David is not on a robotics team this year, but he still feels a strong affinity for the Oxford team he competed with last year. When he heard they were going to Worlds, he really wanted to go. I was able to get them a room in the same hotel as that team so he spent a lot of time with the group. Better than I could have imagined, I guess. They took turns driving.

I have managed a 3 mile distance a couple times running, so I should be good at the 5K on Saturday. I will be really pleased if I finish under 40 minutes, but that may be too ambitious.

All three kids have a soccer game on Tuesday night. Thankfully James has a home game at the same field as Suzy, so I can go to those. Emily will need a ride to her away game.

Emily is exhibiting a photograph in an art show this weekend. Her art teacher chose the photograph and invited her to participate.

4/28 Sunday - Kids Work
Monday - Work 4, Lessons, Karate, Soccer (E,J - practice)
Tuesday - Work 4, Lessons, Soccer (S,J - home game, E-AWAY game)
Wednesday - Work 4, Lessons, Gym?, Church
Thursday - Work 4, Karate, Soccer (S-practice)
Friday - Work 3, Lessons, Homeschool Banquet (E)
Saturday - 5K (L), Soccer (S -home game, E-pictures), Art Reception (E)

Weekly Review and Preview

So, once again, most of the soccer was canceled due to poor weather - rain, rain, rain, soggy fields. Emily did have one game which she played in for about 6 minutes. Suzy had one practice which was moved indoors and one outside. James had one practice. Suzy has a game tomorrow morning, but I imagine it will be canceled. James has a game scheduled Saturday afternoon too, but he will be working at the vineyard instead.

David had commencement pictures taken on Thursday night. Cap and gown over a dark suit. :-)

Emily went to the oral surgeon for a final consultation and to schedule her surgery. It will be after soccer season at the beginning of June and she will have 6 teeth removed.

Taught my LAST writing classes of the spring on Thursday. Now just to grade the last stacks of papers and I can relax. Yeah, I know. lol

4/21 Sunday - Kids Work, Church
Monday - Work 4, Lessons, Karate, Soccer (J-AWAY game)
Tuesday - Work 4, Lessons, Soccer (S,J-practice, E-AWAY game)
 Wednesday - Work 5, Lessons, Church
Thursday - Work 4, Karate, Soccer (S-practice), Road Trip (D,B)
Friday - Work 3, Lessons, Park Day, Soccer (E-Home game), Road Trip (D,B)
Saturday - Speak at Convention (L) Soccer (S,J-home games, E-practice), Road Trip (D,B)

As I sit here Friday afternoon and write, the wind is howling outside and my yard is flooded. Let us hope that the weather improves next week. Showers are in the forecast Tuesday and Wednesday, however, so my expectations are low. With 5 soccer games (2 away) and 4 practices scheduled for the upcoming week, it sure would be nice to have dry fields and sunshine!

On Thursday morning, David and Bob plan to head out to Saint Louis, Missouri, to see part of the FIRST Robotics National Championships. David is not on the robotics team this year, though he really does wish it would have worked out for him to participate. He still feels an affinity for his team and they made it to Nationals this year! So, he is going to go cheer them on and be part of the whole experience. Taking the trip together will, I hope, be a memorable father-son bonding experience for them.

Next Saturday, I will be giving two seminars on writing at a local homeschool conference - one is on ACT essays and the other is how to evaluate your child's writing. I made those plans before Bob and David made THEIR plans to go out of town, so I will be relying on the kindness of friends to get my kids to their soccer events on Saturday.

Going to be reading Bleak House coming up here soon for book club. That is nearly 1000 pages of Dickens. I like Dickens, but it is a bit overwhelming at this point in my life since there is so much going on before the end of May.

Weekly Review and Preview

Emily had a GREAT birthday party at the local bowling alley. That's the kind of party I love to have - not at my house, I do nothing except bring the cake (and pay), the kids are active doing something fun, kids of all ages can enjoy it. She invited girls from age 12 to age 18 and they all had a blast. Even her brothers and little sister came and it was delightful.

Most of the soccer events last week were canceled due to rain and wet fields. Hopefully this coming week will be drier. Emily's game Tuesday was called just into the second half due to thunder and lightning. So it was a 0-0 tie, but we will rematch that team in May.

Now that David has his license, he has been taking the kids places, such as Wednesday night church. That is a nice break for me. He drove everyone around for me while I was gone to Cincinnati and I heard him tell someone he has a new appreciation for all the driving *I* do. LOL

David went to the orthodontist this week and the doctor gave him his first band. David says he can feel his teeth moving.

On Saturday, David and James worked at a local vineyard trimming vines. They will work today as well, along with Emily, and next weekend too. This means James will miss a soccer game and Emily a soccer practice, but I think it's worth it.

Emily went to Spring Arbor University on Saturday with some youth from church but I haven't had a chance to find out from her what that was like. Seemed like she had fun and she said she made some friends.

Found out our next karate test is the same night as David's graduation. That's bad timing! We will retest on Monday instead, after a full weekend at Motor City Comic Con. Yikes!

David and I had a nice day out at the Detroit Opera House on Friday, where we saw a dress rehearsal performance of Beethoven's Fidelio. Yes, he likes opera. We grabbed some Taco Bell afterward and went to a thrift store and a comic book store. We have tickets to one more opera in May - Aida.

4/14 Sunday - Kids Work, Lisa read papers
Monday - Work 4, Lessons, Karate, Soccer (J-practice, E-AWAY game)
Tuesday - Work 5, Lessons, Soccer (S-practice), Oral Surgeon (E)
 Wednesday - Work 4, Lessons, Church, Gym, Work on Yearbook
Thursday - Work 3, Writing Class, Karate, Soccer (J-practice, S-GAME), Commencement Pix (D)
Friday - Lessons, Soccer (E-Home game), Work 4
Saturday -Work Day (D,E,J), Soccer (S-game)

My LAST WRITING CLASSES are this week. I love teaching them, but it maxes out my schedule, so I am glad to see them come to an end. I planned them purposely to be done when soccer began (but I didn't realize Emily's soccer would begin so early.) I would like to do a basic essay class sometime during the late spring or summer, but someone will have to approach me about it. I don't think I have the momentum right now to get it going. I have a stack of papers to read and assess within the next two weeks.

David's commencement photos will be taken on Thursday, rescheduled from a couple weeks ago when they were canceled due to a family emergency with the coordinator/photographer.

Weekly Preview and Review

I spent 3 days in Cincinnati at a homeschool conference - 3 days absolutely chock-full of seminars, shopping, and fellowship!  David held down the fort here at home, earning a new appreciation for Mom's Taxi Service, which he took over. Suzy spent three days at a friend's house. The kids were all on Spring Break. There was soccer. I don't remember anything else. LOL

4/7 Sunday - Church, Emily's Party
Monday - Work 4, Lessons, Karate, Bob Dr., Orthodontist (D), Soccer (J)
Tuesday - Work 5, Lessons, Soccer GAME (E)
 Wednesday - Work 5, Lessons, Church
Thursday - Work 3, Writing Class, Karate, Soccer (J,S)
Friday - Opera (D), Soccer (E), Work 3, Lessons, James Sleepover
Saturday - Youth Outing (E), Work Day (D,J), Book Club

Weekly Review and Preview

3/31 Sunday - Church, Easter, Work 5
Monday - Work 5, Karate, Bob Dr., Commencement Pictures (D), Soccer (J)
Tuesday - Work 5
 Wednesday - Work 5, Eye Dr (D), Gymnastics, Church
Thursday - Convention (L), Karate, Soccer (E,J)
Friday - Convention (L), Soccer (E)
Saturday - Convention (L), Soccer (E)

Emily's soccer practices continue and James begins practice this week. Suzy will start practicing next week and Emily's first game is set for next Tuesday. The forecast is rain and 53 for that day - lovely.

David has commencement pictures Monday night - must press the wrinkles out of that gown. He got his contacts last week and will be going Wednesday for his recheck and to order his supplies.

Thursday I will be heading off to Cincinnati to attend the Midwest Homeschool Convention. Three days of learning, shopping, and fun! I am working 5 hours Sunday - Wednesday in order to have Thursday and Friday off work.