Husband, Dad, Mechanical Engineer, Bass
Player ...
Obsessed with all things Engineering.
AMY
Wife, Homeschool Mom, Webmaster ...
Obsessed with all things Political.
RACHAEL
Daughter, Sister, 6th Grader ...
Obsessed with all things Geological.
NICHOLAS
Son, Brother, 4 year old ...
Obsessed with all things Historical.
(especially Egyptian!)
Favorite Books/Curriculum
The Well-Trained Mind Singapore Math Greenleaf Guides Apologia Science AIG Science curriculum Story of the World
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Winter Wonderland
Monday, June 29, 2009
The seal on our freezer is somewhat inadequate. I have to be ever vigilant about making sure it's completely sealed. In the rush to get out of the house on Friday, I guess I didn't check it, because we came home to a Winter Wonderland inside our freezer! I'm hoping that since it was almost sealed that the electric bill won't be astronomical!
Of course, there is a silver lining to all of this. As any homeschool mom knows...if all else fails, turn it into a science project! What better way to study crystalline structure! ;-D
Alex usually sleeps with Rachael or Jeff & me. One of the perks of vacation for Nick is that he gets to sleep with Alex. Apparently, he did more cuddling than sleeping because he was out cold for the entire trip home!
On Saturday, we attended the Summers family reunion. It's always a good time, but this year was disgustingly HOT!!!! I did, however, get some genealogical information that I had been seeking, and also got a great lead on someone who has already done extensive research into the Summers family lineage.
The first three pictures above are of my father-in-law and some of his siblings (there are a couple missing). The last picture is my sister-in-law, Tiawannia, with Nick.
On Friday, we headed to the St. Louis airport to pick up my brother-in-law, Brian, and his wife Tiawannia. While crossing the bridge into Missouri, I noticed this building that I hadn't ever noticed before. A very cool addition to the STL skyline!
Last week was VBS at our church. Rachael was too old this year, so she helped with the crafts while I worked on the website. Nick enjoyed seeing all of his AWANA friends again!
On Saturday the 20th, we headed down south and had the 'grandparent party.' The kids had so much fun riding the rides and playing the games! My parents got Nick a Wii Fit, my grandma got him a drill/screwdriver playset, and Jeff's parents gave him some money. I'll post some game pictures in the next posting...
On the 19th, Nick's actual birthday, we bought a little cake and let him open the gifts from Jeff, Rachael, & me. Rachael got him a huge bouncy ball, and Jeff & I got him a plasma car. We had been loking for something for him to ride on, but with his CP, everything that required 'pedal power' was just too difficult. The plasma car is perfect because it requires only upper body strength/coordination.
On Thursday, June 18th, Thomas & Ross took Nick out for his birthday. We went to the movies, Mr. Gatti's, and then to the mall where they bought him a Build-a-Bear. He had been wanting one for awhile, so he was thrilled! While at the mall, we also stopped by the pet store where all the kids were able to play with the animals.
No pictures today, but I wanted to post before I forget...
I received a phone call today from ITT Technical Institute. The man gave his name and asked for "Summers." I responded saying that I was Amy Summers. He then proceeded to tell me that he received an internet request for more information on their online degree program. I told him that I really wasn't interested. He said, "Well, I have your e-mail address as: 'Ross.' Does that mean anything to you?" As soon as he mentioned that I immediately knew the culprit...NICK!!!!! Apparently, he had filled out a form on Yahoo. As soon as I asked him about it, he laughed maniacally and exclaimed, "AHA! My plan worked. They CALLED you!!!!" (What the heck?!?!?!)
In the past few months, he's been ordering different things off our Tivo. He was ecstatic when we received our Oracea information in the mail. He proudly told me that it was for our red itchy skin called rosacea. (Nevermind that no one in our family actually HAS rosacea!) Fortunately, he doesn't have access to our debit card!
Then, this evening, as we were eating dinner, Rachael was telling us about one of her male friends who was upset because his mom sold his favorite barbie doll. Without missing a beat, Nick says, "That is wrong on SO many levels..."
Well, at least I can honestly say that life is NEVER boring in our household!
Julia is at camp this week, but we went over to her house today to meet her cousin, eight year old Isaiah, the newest member of our co-op. He moved here from Pennsylvania and will be staying with the family and homeschooling. They live on several acres complete with ducks, chickens, a stocked pond, and a horse pasture next door. The co-op kids enjoyed digging for worms in the compost pile, fishing, catching ducks, and petting the chickens. What a great day!
While Thomas & Rachael were at camp, Nick & Ross hung out together nearly every day. We made a trip to the Children's Museum on one day & Mr. Gatti's on another. Diana also kept Nick overnight on Thursday so that Jeff & I could spend the night in Indianapolis for our 15 year anniversary. We had planned on heading down to my mom's house for a night, but she's still not feeling well after falling ill after we were down there the last time!
Rachael & Thomas went to camp together this year. This was Rachael's 3rd year and Thomas's 1st. They both had an amazing time! It was actually cold on a few days - very different from the hot, hot weather of past years. They're already planning next year's camp!
I'm finally getting around to downloading the pictures I had stored on my camera. These were taken at my father-in-law's 68th birthday. Happy Birthday, Ronnie!
Since it was on our way home, we planned to take Thomas, Gracie, & Julia with us to the Vincennes Rendezvous on Saturday. It had been ages since we'd seen Heather and family, so we made arrangements to meet them there. We all watched the battle reenactments and fife & drum performances, then the kids were free to browse the encampment in search of souvenirs while Heather & I tried to find a shady spot to catch up. I was really proud of how well the kids all stayed together and showed a great deal of responsibility. As soon as I called Rachael's cell phone, they promptly answered and responded to everything that I requested of them.
After we left, we all went to a local steak house for dinner. The food was reasonably priced and delicious!
As I dropped each child off at their respective home, the kids were so gracious in expressing their appreciation of the trip. They all had such a good time...what a tiring, but wonderful trip!
Our co-op planned a trip to Holiday World (a nearby theme park) on Friday. We couldn't leave Alex in the hot car or at home, and the people who would normally watch him were with us, so we needed my parents to dog-sit. Since Julia's parents weren't going to Holiday World, we picked her up along the way on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, I awoke to knocking on my door. The girls had caught a catfish, but were afraid to touch it in fear that it would bite them. They had heard that catfish have teeth and feared for their lives! Fortunately for them, Jeff went out and saved the day!
Holiday World was a blast, but it was HOT!!!! After a long day at the park, we took Gracie, Thomas, & Julia with us to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant, then to walk along the Riverfront at night. The kids enjoyed searching for shells and throwing rocks and chunks of dried mud back into the river. Then, we headed back to my parents' house for the night...
We met at Deanna's house on Tuesday to plan our next co-op vacation. In the middle of our planning, Sam walks in the room as Isabel yells, "CHICKEN!" Yes, we're definitely a homeschooling co-op! Who else has their meeting interrupted by the arrival of a (live!) chicken entering the kitchen?!?
Every so often, our co-op goes on a mini-vacation together. The kids enjoy hanging out in the hotel pool and spending time with their friends; and the parents get a little R&R while packing in some great educational activities. This September, we're gearing up for our largest group vacation yet. 6 families, 6 days, and over 700 miles by car... we're going to Williamsburg!!!
Last Monday, Diana & I took several of the co-op kids horseback riding. The plan was for us to be able to sit and talk, but since there weren't enough adults for as many kids as we had, Diana had to ride while I stayed with Nick. Unfortunately, Freckles (the miniature pony that Nick usually rides) was being uncooperative, so Nick wasn't able to ride at all...
Rachael also received a reward, but unfortunately, her group was on the other side of the church and I wasn't able to get her picture.
After the awards were presented, we all met in the FLC for an ice cream social. Throughout the year, the kids had earned points by completing their assignments. These points ultimately turned into votes. They had the opportunity to vote for one of their adult leaders to receive a pie in the face. (Talk about incentive!) There were several ties, but my favorite was watching Thomas blast Andy (his dad). After all was said and done, there weren't too many of the leaders who escaped pie-free!
Buying a new car is not something that I enjoy. Unlike Jeff, I always feel like having to change vehicles is just a necessary evil when the old one ceases to be reliable. In the past 2-3 months, we've 'invested' over $1k in repairs on our existing vehicles. My 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager is the most reliable of the two. It 'only' has about 145k miles (but no air conditioner!) Jeff's 2003 Taurus has over 198k miles thanks to his 3 hour daily trips to work when we were still living in Princeton. Much to my dismay, we REALLY needed a new vehicle. After looking in the newspaper & Craig's List, and going to several dealerships, we finally found this van at a Toyota dealer. Remarkably, it met all of my criteria: good condition, low miles, a clear CarFax report, and most importantly, CHEAP! Well, it wasn't actually as cheap as I would have liked, but we did get $2k off of the asking price and $1k under the estimated value online. It really was too good to pass up. It has all of the bells & whistles...leather, heated seats, alloy wheels, etc. Of course, when you keep vehicles until their demise, (like we do!), it just means more gadgets to break! Anyway, we decided to proceed with our original plan to drive our current vehicles until they absolutely will NOT drive anymore, and keep the 'new' vehicle for our longer trips and for backup, hopefully extending its life as long as possible. I must say, though, it sure is nice having at least one reliable vehicle again!
Name: Amy Home: Indiana, United States About Me: I am a Homeschool Mom of 2 awesome children. This is my attempt at Project 365 - to chronicle our world through daily photos... See my complete profile
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