Follow the yellow brick road!

Last week on Wednesday I opted to skip the Homeschool Hangout at the Children's Museum. We definitely attended those more faithfully last year when I wasn't working outside the home, but the kids participated in some "field trips" this past weekend. Last year our homeschool group held their first one day homeschool conference at Susquehanna University. I didn't attend last year because it conflicted with soccer and softball games. Although I'm driving to a soccer field two times a week right now as that's where I pick up my kids around 5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays as our babysitter and her husband are coaching their boys' soccer teams from 5-6 those days, my kids aren't playing on any team right now. The last spring we were not participating in team sport was 2012. I am enjoying the break, and the kids haven't said one word about missing playing on a soccer or softball team. Not having games on Saturday meant I could attend the homeschool conference and Paul could take the kids to a Science Saturday program. I've been intending to take them to

one of those for a long time, but this past Saturday was our first of actually making it. In the past we've either had a schedule conflict (usually a game of some sort - basketball, soccer, flag football, etc.) OR I've just been too tired and didn't want to drive down there (it's almost 40 minutes from our house). We both drove to the same university this Saturday. I participated in the homeschool conference that ran from 9-3, and Paul took the kids to the science program on simple machines that lasted from 9-noon. Nadia asked me today if they could go to the science program the next two weeks so it seems she enjoyed it! I think they hold the program about 12-15 times a year. I'm glad I attended the homeschool conference as I connected with some fellow homeschooling moms that I hadn't seen in many months, but to be honest, I might not attend in the future. It was free (including lunch!) and well organized, but I just don't seem to have a felt need to attend homeschool conferences. I attended two big ones a few years ago. I spoke (for 10-15 minutes) on reading chapter

books aloud and also shared a handout I created on free and discounted field trips. After the science program, Paul took the kids to Home Depot (to buy one thing for a broken door), to the new children's museum to play, to a playground to play outside for an hour since it was another gorgeous day, to the library, and to Walmart to buy a headlight for his car. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and got home a little after they did. After dinner, Nadia, Ian, and Paul watched The Last Jedi for the first time. Oliver and I hung out elsewhere in the house. I let Oliver watch Bible Man on the iPad, and I started the process of the clothing transition in the boys' rooms since it had been in the 80's for two days.

On Sunday we went back to winter weather, and it's still cold and rainy today. The kids and I attempted to leave the house by 8:00 for church, and Paul followed behind about 90 minutes later. The kids' choir sang in both services. I taught the 1st/2nd grade girl's class in the first service and attended the worship service with Paul in the second service. We all attended the monthly dinner for the Kidzway volunteers. We came home for a few minutes, and then drove to Williamsport. On our way there we stopped at a consignment shop. I was hoping to find boots for Nadia. I struck out with that, but I did buy her a pair of jeans. I had splurged and bought the five of us tickets to see the Wizard of Oz. We were sitting up in the balcony. Let me say it was really a case of "you pay for what you get." We could easily see and hear the show, but the rows were so close together that if you were more than 5 feet tall it was almost impossible to sit in the seats. Paul moved elsewhere to a seat that was empty. I'll have to keep that in mind if I buy tickets for that venue again. The 2.5 hour show was very well done. It was a traveling show. The kids loved that Toto was played by a real dog. On our way home we went through the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast sandwiches (for our dinner), and then Paul and I helped the kids paint their cars for the AWANA Grand Prix coming up in the near future. The cars are supposed to be weighed this Wednesday night.

Since I didn't get any pictures on Easter, I took some yesterday. It was a very rushed affair, but something is better than nothing, right? Oliver still loves wearing a dress shirt and tie, but this is the first year Ian hasn't been crazy about it. Ian prefers to wear a polo shirt or a sweater. I don't ask him to wear a tie too often, but I will say I do think my boys look super handsome when they are all dressed up for church! I also have to say I am *really* hoping Oliver's scar goes away completely or at least fades a lot more at some point. I find myself wanting to edit out the scar in photographs, but I haven't been doing so. We are trying to be very diligent about putting sunscreen on his scar. Below you will find three videos. The first is from the second service in church yesterday. The other two are super short videos from swimming lessons this evening. Oliver didn't do as well tonight as last week. He was more fearful. I should have brought the video camera last week, but still he made a lot of progress in four weeks as prior to this he never swam in 4-5 feet of water on his own. Tonight was their last swimming lesson at Bucknell, and next Monday is Nadia's last gymnastics class for a few months. They will still have their weekly 90 minute gym class until May 25. Ian's swim teacher worked with him on his backstroke, freestyle (including breathing to the side), and he also did some diving for the first time ever.