Yes, Summer

This week began with an absolutely glorious June day.  I decided to do a couple of camps this summer, reading and math, one morning a week.  I was able to do it outside with just the right mix of sunshine, shade and breeze.  My favorite way to teach.

I've read and read to try and come with ways to review important math skills in a fun and engaging way and send them home with a few games so they can continue to practice those skills.  Will they? Well,  that's anyone's guess.

Next up, Playdate, and again a picture perfect day!

First was shirt painting. 

 This was new last year and I really loved the results, so we again chose favorite shaped flora to use as stencils.

 I bought these bouncy balls to try this year as well.  They enjoy whacking each other with them better than bouncing on them.  Go figure.

 I just don't know when Sydlee grew up, but this was her wee charge for the day. Though not quite a teenager in years, she does this child tending like a pro.  Nick is now the tall guy supervising the middle boys.  How fun to watch them grow and mature into young adults.

 Our Kate supplied us with the Playdate baby this year and Miss Linee is enthralled.

 He's a cuddly boy, and will get lots of snuggles and kisses on Playdate days.

 We spent half the day at the creek.

 The mulberries ripen much sooner on the creek bank and were already available for face paint and snacking.

 Little Miss Pixie enjoyed sitting by the water's edge playing with rocks and water.

 Buttercup just chillaxing.

 Checking out the crawdad's.

Ahh, the creek rite of passage, picking them up.

 

Blue Eyes is still not so sure about handling them.

Supper outside after cleaning up from the creek.

It was  beautiful day, thank the Lord.  

On Wednesday I went to a workshop at the local fossil beds.

Learning some new things to take back to the classroom.

This morning I intended to take Mom to the dentist, but she isn't feeling very well, so I don't know if that will happen.

Sometime, year before last, I created a little twist on burgers and we loved it. I wanted Mom to try it so Auntie G-Lou brought her out.  It turned out Auntie G-Lou loved them too. I'm so very happy for that sweet memory of our evening together. It was the last time she was here. So today, I'm remembering. I invited her girls and the sisters out for the same meal and hopefully some tears and laughs, as we share memories of our girl.

Summer, Is that You?

It seems every year I find May more of challenge. Added to the usual craziness, my mind can't shake this week last year, when things went so very wrong with my sister. I've kind of been a weepy mess. 

Some weeping was joyful however. Bean came to pre-school at my school and this year Giddy-Up was able to attend the last 9 weeks of the year.  His program was so adorable. He had some work to do as they sang songs the others had been doing all year long.  He knew every word and every sign!

 I so wanted this experience for him because of the love this special teacher shares with every child.

 Handy Man and I have spent all the rainy days spring cleaning inside

 all the dry days working outside.  I spent most of last weekend cooking and Memorial Day the family came to celebrate the day and Handy Man's big "60."

 A little Pixie peeking in the chicken pen to watch her big sister play with the chickie girls.

In a very unusual turn of events, Drummer Boy did the creeking. The Gramerly was too tired.

 

A little swingin'.

 Some time on the go-cart.

Lots of laughs and good food and sunshine, for which I am most thankful!

I have no picture evidence of the musical, camp, awards, field day, graduations, etc., etc.

The May Mountain Experience of 2016 is officially in the past!  

Thank the Lord I survived, with a little help from Handy Man, Aunt Tish and Missy Bugg, Andrea and Arie who all pitched in remove every last piece of everything, including the tape on the wall, out of my classroom and into the gym-done.  Now my hardest job will be to try and forget for a few weeks that it all must be hauled back and put away, ugh.

There were lots of leftovers from Monday, so Rae came back out on Tuesday after  my school day.  I had to run to the store as I had not purchased cards for graduation.  I am always looking for a reasonable water gun. One that holds enough water for more than two squirts, that can be filled by a four year old and can be squirted and easily carried by a two year old.  I've bought lots of water guns, but this, from the Dollar Tree, met every criteria.  I think I will buy a case.

 Wednesday was finishing the last of the classroom move.  Thursday came with that strange but delightful feeling of no one shoving me in the back.  Handy Many and I trotted off to the library where I filled a very large canvas tote with books of all kinds.  He had never been to Stream Cliff Farms, as I kind of consider it a girly sort of place. I asked if he was up for a wee road trip, so we were off.  I've wanted a passion flower, and it took us about twenty minutes to untangle the one I wanted, of course it did.

 We enjoyed a yummy lunch in the tea room.

 Experienced a little wine tasting, then didn't quite beat the storm out of there on the way home. My, such torrential rain!  Home for a nap and library books!
They announced in church last week that Catholic Charities was having a Refugee Fair on Friday, so why not?  I really love the opportunity for my wee folk to experience people who might be of another color, or wear a different type of clothes. What a little doll baby.

 Dancing and face painting-

 And lots of colors everywhere-

Giddy-Up asked us to come by his house and we could.  The remainder of the day was spent in the yard, planting some goodies from Thursday's excursions. 

I remembered to turn the calendar to June today, but could already tell that my summer has arrived. I do love these quotes though-

Choose your roads wisely and be sure of few of them are dirt.

Play Outside

I meant to do my work today-

But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

And all the leaves were calling me.  Richard Li Gallienne

I hope something sweet is calling you today!

Holy Hikes

Our church joined a national hiking organization where you take church on the trail.  We had our first hike last weekend. It turned out that Rae needed me to care for her boys while she and Michael began the process to be foster parents.  At first I thought of not going, but the boys are used to hiking in the woods and it occurred to me that I didn't know when people from church would ever meet my grandchildren, so I decided to take them.  I invited Bean and Bugg to go along as well.
It was quite cool and misty, but unless there is a layer of ice on the road, I generally do not change my plans based on weather.
It was lovely, mostly.  Mr. Smiley was not keen on walking in the cool damp and needed to be held and carried.  While I love to hold him, he sure gets heavy after a bit. I packed lots of treats and hot chocolate for the road.

 Bean had never met these folks before, but you would never have known it.  You stop three times for a devotion/prayer/meditation, the third one including communion.  At the first stop, the pastor asked someone to read and Bean volunteered and did a great job.

 Missy Bugg was indispensable , keeping up with Giddy-Up and here is showing him where Bean is reading.

 Giddy-Up was leading the pack to the communion spot when he came up out of the woods to this lovely scenery.

 He exclaimed, "Look, I led us to the most beautifulest place.

 The birds were swooping down and around here and he was mesmerized.

 Later he discovered lilly pads, and because that is Miss Bugg's name, he instructed her to take a picture of them.

 I'm glad we went.  I like church on the trail, a lot. Next up was Bean's baseball game.  How happy was I to have a place to plunk my little mister that wasn't my hip?

  That's right Bean

 Bring it on home!

Long Time No See

Gee, April 29th I was last here.  May pulls me in so many directions.  School obligations are amped up, I want so much to be outdoors playing in the dirt, and so many outside activities to choose from, baby chicks to tend and on and on.
Mother's day came and went. I visited Mom on  that Saturday, took her breakfast.  She's thrilled to be back in her apartment and three tests indicate the evil UTI has retreated and we pray it stays gone.
On Sunday, after church, the kids all came for dinner and play.  Rae took me to see the new Jungle Book.
Jungle Book was my first movie/theater experience, brought to me on my birthday by Kaye and remains my favorite Disney movie.  The visuals were amazing, but I was surprised at how dark it was.  The old one remains my choice.
I was treated to a pre-show Man Cub party by Ol' Mother Hubbard.
My goodness- looked exactly like something I might do.

Fun times!

Big Life

Isn't life big sometimes?  April and May are more crowded then December around here.  There is so much stuff on the calendar and then always some unscheduled thing gets thrown in, and I just have more on my plate then I can manage well.

For years and years we had no spring birthdays at all. It was long stretch till Handy Man's end of May celebration.  Then, the last four Gramerlings came one after another in a three week period, so we've been celebrating birthdays like crazy.

Giddy-up turned five and was most excited about his new ride.

Our little brown eyed Buttons turned four.

Oh, my where is our Baby Mr. Smiley, who is soon to be two?

And look at our least Pixie who is one today!

 Rae's new place was fun inside and out.  We treed some interesting creatures.

Mom's part time care taker sadly lost her son, and has been gone to Oregon for two weeks, so Saturday was my day.  Mom came to the party for about an hour and a half and is enjoying pancake number four here.

 

Though we gave a stubborn UTI our best effort, after two oral antibiotics and ten painful injections, it continued to rage.  They will not do IV meds in assisted living, so on Tuesday we had to move her to the nursing facility until she's had ten days of the new treatment.  I look around and wonder if any person who is old and unable to manage their own full time care had any part in the decisions made at these places. Her room is tiny, she has no recliner type chair, they not only had no meds ready for her on Tuesday evening, but none Wednesday morning either.  I'm not allowed to shower her there, so I told them we'd just have bird baths and they aren't allowed to shower her either.  It is a sad place. She hates it, says it is the worst place she's ever been in. 

So, in addition to birthday fun and Mom not-fun, I've had ISTEP and baby chickens and a big yard and lots of other stuff.  

Friday finds me tired, but hopefully, I'll be in a better, more rested frame tomorrow.