Hiatus

It's been a relatively quiet week.  Sis has been at overnight camp all, so it's just me and Bud.  We've watched a lot of movies--ask him about the sci-fi/kung fu movie The Matrix and being Neo for Halloween--had a few meals out together and done a lot of perler bead art.  He made several large Pokemon characters while I made a couple of colorful mandalas.  We also practiced our Italian on Duo Lingo together, getting ready early for our trip to Italy next April (yep, we've chosen the location for our next big trip--Rome, Florence, Venice.  It's been 25 years since I was there--and met Lambeth!)

School starts in about three weeks and I've been gathering info about supplies and such.  Today, Bud and I bought their gym shirts and shorts from a local t-shirt printing place; it'll be their first year to change for gym.  I also bought big zip-up binders for their coursework.  Apparently, they can't carry bags between classes and everyone uses the new-fangled version of the Trapper Keeper.  And today I bought a bunch of pants in the next size for both of them.  I don't know what they'll wear to school--it's their first year since preschool without a strict dresscode.  So they don't have to wear navy and khaki anymore!  Bud, at least, plans to wear a penguin t-shirt a day.

Otherwise, I'll be away from the blog for a bit as we do some family things together.  Because we haven't gotten very far on our list . . . . though, we probably won't get to much of this list now.

1. Go to Vermont--oh, that was fun!
2. Sis's speedskating camp--she loved camp (with 2 Olympians and a national coach!) and we liked our wanderings around Jersey, including living history museums, lighthouses, great Malayasian food.
3. Go to Texas--Yes, we did!  And completed a subset of our list:  boat rides, driving the golf cart, fishing, tubing, sailing, fireworks, Mikeska's, Prasek's, Buc-ee's, Whataburger, seeing dolphins, walking on the pier at night, bird sightings (pelican, mockingbird, Mexican eagle/caracara, gray hawk, white-winged dove, purple martins, even baby buzzards), hammock time, chalk art, water balloon fight, birthday parties, visiting with family.
4. Family camp in Maine
5. Sis's computer camp--almost done! Pick up is today.
6. Bud's theater camp--he liked it and we thought the little production at the end of the week was cute.
7. Trip to NYC with kids by myself--nope, but we did go as a whole family to see Come From Away and Gulliver's Gate
8. See musical Come From Away
9. Beach outing
10. Putt-putt golf--well, at least Mama and Bud got in a round in NJ
11. Create Minecraft server
12. Make ice cream
13. Go to zoo
14. Family biking
15. Celebrate 4th of July--watching fireworks in TX
16. Celebrate Solstice--first full summer day at home so we have a free day and kids stay up late
17. Celebrate Mama's birthday with Studio Ghibli film festival--Yay!!  We've seen Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service
18. Birthday parties for kids--birthday pinata!
19. Kids cook weekly dinners--Bud started with shish kebabs!
20. Attend friends' Friday Night Dance Party



See Spiderman Homecoming--we LOVED it!
Big house purge before carpet removal--we've delayed the carpet removal, just ran out of time
Bird song e-course--I've done some of the lessons and am trying to learn the mnenomics
Zentangle workshops--I learned all about doing 3D designs, Dingbatz, radial blossoms, and "Delft Designs"
Summer Soul Camp workshop--it's going on right now
Clean basement--I did a really good sweep of the "front" part.  It's navigable again.
Gardening--I've cleared the bed in the back and planted some flowers
Make rock art
Lego Death Star
Refurbish dollhouse
Kids learn how to do laundry
Lemonade-stand fundraiser
Try embroidery on pillowcase
Improve my Splattoon skills
Make Jan-June photobook
Get back to my YogaDance class
Quilling
Read through magazine pile--I've made headway.
Teach mandalas class