As August Begins . . .

  . . . we are just enjoying the summer days.

Nature Angel must have liked this pile of cut watermelon.

We started Lad, A Dog as our final comfort re-read of the summer.  We only made it through 3 chapters this week because there's been too much going on in the evenings for the regular evening reading that I best love, but we're doing our best.

We went swimming at my sister's house.

And then we went swimming again with friends, but no one took any pictures that day.

Some of the kids even went swimming a third time for their youth night activity, but Ladybug got to decorate cookies, and Little Princess went to CAP instead.

Beowulf was delighted by a tiny egg laid by one of our chickens.
I saw the shell--it really was a tiny egg!

Lazy days . . . long legs!

We went to the library.

And Sugar Bear turned 5!!  

But the kids played 13th birthday. 🤷

We had a drop in heat so that the days became sweet and lovely.  We couldn't help spending time outside.

There was a lot of lightsaber swordplay!

Playing went well on this day, but the next day, Baymax played barefoot on our deck and sliced his foot open on a protruding nail. :(

Ladybug got a turn to mow the neighbor's lawn and be paid for it.

Brother went over to learn how to operate a string trimmer.  (If only ours weren't broken--he could trim our yard!)

Brother and Beowulf mowed our yard.

They also chopped some wood.

I spent $60 and 5 hours at the laundromat over 2 days in order to keep up with the laundry that is piling up as we wait for the repair that is necessary (new pump).   With any luck, we'll be back in business on Monday.

"Can I bake bread, Mom?" she asked.
"Yes!!!!"

Nature Angel leaves for Greece in just 2 days.  On Saturday evening, she started to panic about navigating the airport alone for her first flight.  Belle and I pulled up a virtual map and talked her through the process.  Then Belle pulled out a bunch of her old boarding passes from the ABC Islands, and taught Nature Angel how to find needed information on them.  

I could see Nature Angel breathe more easily after that.

I gave haircuts to the men and boys of my household.  

(Next, the girls need some attention!)

Ladybug has an appointment with a psychiatrist on the calendar.  I've talked to a couple of different therapy offices.  

Lola saw the home nurse with ReDiscover, and our case manager and I completed quarterly paperwork for a couple of the kids.  

I scheduled an eye appointment for Mister Man; only 6 more kids to schedule!

Belle finished her college application essays and pressed "submit."  Now all we have to do is wait to see where she's accepted and for what semester.

Rose Red talked to me about taking a college class.  I talked her through the process of calling the community college she attended as a high school student to get her student ID number and see what she has to do to start again.

I choreographed 2 of the 3 dances for my little Stars.  I'm having zero inspiration about what to do with the 3rd song, and I have all 4 of my Stripes songs to go.  American Rhythm starts in 2 1/2 weeks, so I need to get very serious about choreography.

Starting even sooner is our upcoming school year.  We'll do a soft start and work our way up to full speed over a couple of weeks.  I printed, sorted, purchased, and planned.  The growing pile of books satisfies my heart.