Don't Tell Him it's Project Time

If I call it Project Time like I did in the past Nicholas rebels.  Just suggest a fun project?  He's usually in.

Thick bubbles to paint onto stuff outside on a hot day.

 A Lego hot air balloon.

A nerf gun target

and a "lava lamp".  Water, oil and an alkaseltzer tab.  It did not explode, just made the oil and water bubble around for a bit.

And sprinkler fun

Philip is enjoying a week at G&G's and Julia has been reading, reading, reading.  The big boys have been doing various things other than project time too.  Thomas will do pretty much any yard job you suggest and Sam finds things to do to keep busy.

Blueberries Were $1

So I tried making blueberry jam!  It's intense but tasty!

Last Day for the High Schoolers

Forgot to post this the other day!  They've been done a week and a half now. 

Julia's Confirmation Day

Julia had a nice Confirmation.  It was just immediate families and sponsors but our priest still did a nice job making it feel special.

We had a quick dinner beforehand.  Beth even had a nice gift for her!

No one else got up to take a picture so I just leaned out of the pew and snapped this one.

Julia and her sponsor Aunt Beth.

She chose St. Kateri Teckawitha as her Confirmation saint.  I'm not sure of all the reasons why.  You'll have to ask her.  

We're hoping to have a little party for more family later this summer.

Rescheduled

but happening!  The priests in our diocese have been given permission to do any Confirmations that were scheduled during quarantine (instead of rescheduling the Bishops and them going out into so many communities) so tomorrow's the day!

In the Yard

My friend gave me these Iris bulbs a long time ago.  They spent two years under the sink in a brown paper bag.  I planted them in the spring of 2019. (Yes, I know you plant bulbs in the fall but I'd forgotten for two falls so I figured spring was better than not planting them.)  Last year only a handful came up and this year almost all of them did!  I'm hoping next year they'll start flowering more.

Judging by the shells and the empty nest the ducklings hatched (or got eaten I suppose).  We didn't see them.  Sad.  Next year we'll have to get a night vision camera to monitor the nest with.  (just kidding but it would be cool).

The garden is growing.  With Jeremy home more to remind us about watering maybe more things will survive than normal.

But something is digging in it.  Maybe a possum for grubs?  We saw a live possum on the side of the road yesterday but today he's not so lucky.  On the side of the road again but no longer alive.  Maybe our problem is solved. 

The flowering bushes are pretty.

Thank God for the sunshine!

New Hobbies

My oven has been acting up for awhile.  We replaced a cheap part hoping it was the problem but after two days of working perfectly it started acting up again. It's not maintaining the temperature correctly.   Jeremy thinks it's the main (expensive) computer board so looks like I'll be trying to choose an oven during COVID restrictions on shopping.  Fun.  Julia and I managed to get these donuts baked by turning the oven off and on a lot because when you turn it off and then on it recognizes that the temperature is lower than it's supposed to be and adjusts up but then doesn't maintain again.

I had to find a new hobby since I can't bake.  I've been dabbling with hand lettering.  It's fun.

I grilled this new, delicious recipe.  Mini peppers stuffed with goat cheese and herbs.

And I searched crayon crafts due to the overabundance of half used and broken crayons at our house.  This was the most adult one.  You stick the crayon in a candle flame so it gets melty and then make dots.  Julia tried it too but didn't have the patience for all those dots.  I didn't suggest the little boys try it.

Not sure what my next project/hobby will be.  If we get our new reading curriculum in, it'll be looking through and planning for that!  My classes are changing a little for next year (assuming we have any semblance of normal next year) I'll have 3rd and 6th grade reading classes, 2nd, 3rd and 6th grade math and 5th and 6th computer.  3rd grade reading is what's new and I'm losing 1st grade math and K-4 computers.  It's actually a little more than an hour less of time with kids than last year so I'm happy about that.  I was bringing papers home every night so maybe I can get that more under control!