While Little Princess Was at Encampment . . .

  . . . The rest of us played.

We went swimming at a friend's pool. 

(No pictures because we were swimming.)

We spent a morning at the park.

playing with my reading glasses

These little kids aren't little anymore.  They spent almost all of their time skating, scootering, and exploring the pond and almost none of their time on the playground equipment.

(I think I might be starting to have a bit of an identity crisis!)

We did learn about two of the transitional elements, read half a dozen poems from A Child's Garden of Verses, read about Orpheus and Jason in D'Aulaire's Greek Mythology, and read about herons in our Conservation magazine.

Then, another day, we met up with our American Rhythm friends at a spray park.  The big kids ran all over the place, chasing each other, spewing water from their mouths or their canteens.  They raced up the big "rock" for a safe zone and jumped off it to run around again.

Little kids happily filled cups with water and dumped them out again.

We finally left when I realized that Mister Man and Brother had a gardening appointment in the afternoon, and I wanted them to have an hour or two to eat and rest before heading back out into the heat of the day.

We finished Powerless, and some weeks ago, I promised Lola that our next book would be a reread of Winnie the Pooh.  

So we started it.

(And my mother-heart is so grateful to have an audience for this beautiful children's book!)

I also started L.M. Montgomery's The Story Girl with my crew.  

Winnie the Pooh is comforting.  

The Story Girl requires attention.

It's a good combination.

Kids did math almost every day.

There was something about his torn notebook, the screen light on his face in the early morning, his concentration, and his position on the floor that made me pause to catch this moment.

And then there's this poor shot, taken through a window, of Mister Man enjoying the same morning in a different way.

The kids engaged in playdough, games, tea parties, and lots of drawing this week.

We've finally amended our soil to the point that miniature carrots will grow!

We have a few tomatoes that are getting big, but they are still green, and I am anxiously watching for their color change!

We pick up Little Princess this evening, and even though we've talked several times this week, and we've exchanged many texts, I look forward to talking with her face-to-face.  

I believe it will be as hard for her to leave Encampment as it was for her to leave Girls' Camp.  

I am so grateful for her to have these people who enrich her life and offer her opportunities to grow!

She has about a week to regroup at home before heading back out the door for FSY.

Nature Angel has worked hard on her Financial Literacy course as well as applying for her first out-of-the-home employment.  Finding a job has been an anxious process, but she finally applied at the nursing home at which her good friend works, and, knowing that the job is doable and a good environment, as well as the chance she might see her friend once in a while (it's a huge complex, and the chance is actually quite slim that they'll work together), made the whole process more doable than that of any other job she's considered

She has a job interview this week!

And she got together with friends to attend the temple this week.

We received a text from a family that shared a meal with our Belle and her mission companion.  It included a photo!

We get to Facetime with Belle every week, and she sends us gobs of pictures, but this picture is special because it is her first day on Aruba and because it was sent by strangers to us but who are loving friends to Belle.

The bigger kids wanted to watch the Percy Jackson series on Disney+.  I didn't want them to stay up all night, so I took the two youngest into my room for a movie of their own, while the bigs got to start their fun even at a reasonable hour.

I know, glowing faces are not the best, but these glowing faces spent many hours outside swimming, playing, skating, running, and generally soaking up lots of vitamin D. 
My littlest "twins" sharing a movie--it just makes me smile.

Ha!  I just looked back at last week's post to check on something, and I found this sentence:

"And next week, the younger 6 kids and I will have regular school routines."

Ummmm, not true.

We had good daily routines, but not regular school routines.

But it's officially summer, so that's okay.

Next week's calendar is already so full that I'm not sure whether to rejoice or run and hide.