School starts a week from today!!!
I did not get much accomplished today, probably due to the raging migraine I ended up with after sleeping two hours last night--I was in "brain whirl" probably due to sending ds off to camp in 100 degree heat. Anyway. I cleaned off all our school bookshelves, completed and mailed all our state paperwork, found the books we'll need for morning devotions, and used my new speech program (from www.nathhan.com) to evaluate the PMM, since his pediatrician keeps bugging me about him being difficult to understand. WE don't find him all that difficult to understand, PMM has a way of getting his ideas across. Actually, at the same age, I thought Cheery was harder to understand, and he went through three long years of therapy at the public school. We don't want to repeat that, hence our purchasing materials to "do it ourselves." Turns out, with all that complaining by the pediatrician, PMM is not doing badly at all--he has trouble with "sh", "l", "r" and "th", it is true, but most of those are not recommended for treatment at his age. The only sound he has consistent trouble with that needs addressing at age 6 is "ch" So we'll work on that this year.
Still to try and do tonight--make up little folders with the words to the songs we are going to work on learning this term. I need help burning a CD of the songs, but dh is heading back out to camp with Tallman, so it'll have to wait.
Ds at camp is thrilled and delighted. He will be working on his Reptiles and Amphibians, Environmental Science, and Archery merit badges. All the other boys in our troop decided to take the same ones Tallman wanted to take, so they are "en masse" and following his 6'2" form. They are ordering pizza for supper tonight, and all the boys are sleeping in one tent together. It's not supposed to get much cooler than 80 degrees, so not sure how much sleeping they will be doing! I just hope they stay safe and have fun.

Argh, for some reason I am totally unable to post pictures on any of my blogs, since Thursday. I'm most put out. :-) I have things to say and things to do, but keep getting a "page cannot be displayed, try later" message. So no pix today. :0(
Tallman left early this morning for his very first Boy Scout camp. I think I'm OK with that, but worried about the weather. It is supposed to be over 100 degrees today, and very humid. I got sent home early last year due to heat exhaustion, and I hope Tallman has a healthier and better experience. But he is excited and ready to go. Crazy kid LOVES camping, and he loves Scouts.
So I'm here alone with Cheery and PMM (dh is at camp too) and this week will be taken up with putting the finishing touches on our new school year, which begins next Monday. Partly to keep my thoughts straight, I'll likely be doing a list of "what I've done and what's left" each day to keep myself on track. But first, I have to go clean the bathrooms. LOL A never-ending job here in Boyville. Although with only TWO here all week, maybe I can stay ahead of them.
Nah. LOL

Tallman at his first Court of Honor last night. He advanced to Second Class and received several merit badges. Tallman does not like to swim, so had been sort of "stuck" in advancing but he has worked very hard at something he does not like, and is advancing now. It won't be long before he qualifies for First Class. He reports to his very first Scout Camp on Monday! He is getting so grown-up. :-)

A scene from the pageant in Nauvoo. We went on a very hot and sticky Saturday night. It was a wonderful production; it's the first time we'd seen the new pageant, first shown last year. Every time we picked a time to go last year something happened, lol. But we got to see it this year. There's a new stage, although I have no idea how the actors don't slide off of it.
We'll be going back to Nauvoo for a few days soon; that's where we will take our annual Back to School vacation. :-)

This is so funny! I was telling a funny PMM story on an email list I recently joined, and the list/website owner created a Purple Crayon Award in his honor! Look here to read all about it! (you'll have to click on "Purple Crayon Award on the left-hand toolbar)

We got several nice, normal shots of fireworks this 4th of July, but this one is my favorite--I just like the visual effect.  

Yes, we did it! We produced three bookworms in a row! Yippee! Of course, in our house, it's probably a self-defense mechanism--they have to figure out SOMETHING to do when Mommy and Daddy are reading. :-)

This is us at one concert. We look hot. :-) In the old-fashioned sense, of course.

Our community has free weekly municipal band concerts every summer--the longest-running west of the Mississippi. We've been regulars since the boys were babies.

Why have a sand sculpture contest in Iowa, of all places? Why not?

This is the "rear view" of the Mt. Rushmore sand sculpture. :-)

Well, obviously I decided to take a summer vacation. LOL I really sort of forgot I had a blog for a while. I've been totally involved in school decisions and planning--curriculum for this year, scheduling, plans, Scouts, PE and swimming, preparing for "secondary" education at home, gifted issues, communication issues, wondering-if-I'm-crazy issues . . . the usual.
I was reading in a book and thought "I ought to put that up on my blog" so here I am. I had to recover my password and everything, as I'd forgotten it. LOL

I just began reading Mary, Martha, and Me by Camille Fronk Olson, because I needed a lift. I'm reveling in this book--this lady thinks like me, only better. :-) Here is a quote from the first chapter:

Visiting her home in New Testament Bethany, Jesus counseled the multitaskigng Martha, "One thing is needful" (Luke 10:42) Amid daily demands, high-speed agendas, and information overload that characterize our everyday lives, the Lord's reminder seems overly simple. Emotions that rotate among defeat, anxiety, guilt and arrogance become all too familiar companions in our attempt to be good disciples of Christ. Where is the balance? Where is the peace? How can "one thing" be the answer?
Through unexpected turns in life, I have often asked these questions. Just as often, I have sensed seemingly mixed messages that have added confusion. How can you be "anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [your] own free will" (D&C 58:27) and also "be still and know that [He is] God"? (D&C 101:16) How do you apply the counsel "reduce and simplify" when Church commitments compete with home responsibilities most nights of the week? How do you choose "less" when "more" is so easily acquired and publicly applauded?
In a world that thrives on comparison and competition, our souls yearn for one needful thing to bring the weightier matters into focus and provide clear direction for our hectic schedules today and all our demanding tomorrows.



Boy, do I identify. We've had two weekends to spend together all summer, that did not have at least one Church activity or meeting--many out of town. Our family will not be together tonight--as it was not last night, nor the night before. Tomorrow may be possible, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm "spinning" as my dh calls it--but spinning in so many different directions, I'm sometimes not even sure which way is "up".
Well, free time is over. :-) Time to make dinner so dh can eat before driving to bishopric training. Maybe I'll get back on here before I forget my password next time.
One can always hope.