Spring and Summer Plans

We might have been skiing in the snow on Monday and are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow in two days, but this week I've also been putting time into our summer plans. I had hoped to wait until one more theatre published the dates of their theatre camps, but it seemed like I wasn't going to find that out before I needed to make a decision. There is a discount at Camp Susque if you register early, and considering how much it costs to send three kids to summer camp for a week (or a partial week when it comes to Oliver), I wanted that discount! This week I mailed in three registration forms and a check for a week of Camp Good News in July. I also went online and signed Ian and Nadia up for one week at Camp Susque. I had done Oliver's a couple of weeks ago. Week two is the cheapest for girl's camp and boy's camp, but I didn't take advantage of that $25 discount (per child) because of other schedule conflicts. I also registered the boys online for a week of VBS while Nadia is at Camp Susque. I'm sure some of the plans will change, but at the moment here are some thoughts:

• I'm not planning to sign the kids up for swimming lessons this summer because I've already registered them for private lessons at Bucknell from March 25 - April 15.
• I'm not planning to sign them up for tennis lessons this year albeit that's been something we've done every year the last several years.
• They're signed up for gymnastics from March 18 through April 22, and then we'll take a break for at least four months from gymnastics. I don't think Nadia will continue taking gymnastics unless they promote her to level 3. She feels like she's in with kids who are a lot younger than her.
• I'm planning to register all three kids for one week of horseback riding lessons the week of June 10. I'm not planning on signing Nadia up for Adventure Camp, which she did last year at my university. 

• I signed Oliver up for 3 nights at Camp Susque (June 19-22), Ian for a full week (June 22-29), and Nadia (July 13-20). It will be Oliver's first time at Camp Susque, and it will be Ian's first time being away for an entire week. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go or not. Paul made the decision for him. Hopefully all three kids will have a great time, and we're hoping this summer is a LOT drier because our sump pump has been running nonstop for the past seven months! We have had a swamp in part of our yard that entire time (as have several of  our neighbors). We're praying for a drought!
• I've signed the kids up for one week of Camp Good News in July. Last year the boys did a second week at another Good News Camp, but I think this summer we'll just do one week.
• I want to add an art class or art camp or something related to art to the calendar sometime in the summer, but I'm waiting a bit to make that decision.

• I haven't registered Nadia for a theatre camp yet. If she returned to the one closest to our house (where she went last year), she'd have to do Willy Wonka as the middle school camp doing Mary Poppins conflicts with all three weeks that Camp Susque has girl's camp. She is NOT a fan of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and that camp lasts for three weeks (half days) which is unappealing for the boys and I. So at the moment I'm leaning toward having her spend one week in August at the one she attended in 2017. It's 45 minutes from our house (one way) which isn't appealing, but the camp only lasts for six days (full days), and they're doing Lion King. There is another theatre that will be offering a middle school camp in July. If by some miracle that doesn't conflict with our other plans, I'll probably choose that one as it's about 18 minutes from our house. 
• I've made preparations for a 13 day/12 night trip in late May/early June for seven of us (including Paul's parents). We'll spend a week in Myrtle Beach, but we're also planning to visit Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Monticello, Montpelier, Fort Sumter, the Wright Brother's Memorial, Luray Caverns, USS North Carolina, etc. We're also looking forward to a touring Broadway performance of Lion King in Norfolk! I'm also assuming that the kids and I will spend a week in July on Long Island at my Aunt's house as we have the past two years. 
• We've gone to a variety of amusement parks that are located in PA over the last few years. I'm thinking this year we'll only go to DelGrosso's and Knoebels and skip Hershey Park, Sesame Place, Six Flags, Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild, and Dorney Park.

• I've scheduled day trips to Refreshing Mountain Retreat (zip line, climbing wall, etc.), Steamtown National Historic Site, Valley Forge, an airshow that includes the Blue Angels, Civil War days at Curtin Village, Lake Tobias, Mulan, Jr., Revolutionary War days at Fort Roberdeau, Civil War days at Landis Valley Village, Eckley Miner's Village Museum, Old Jail Museum, and the Erie MaritThe ime Museum. I am planning to schedule a few more day trips, but those are the ones I've put on our calendar thus far.
• There are also three overnight trips on our calendar. The first is a 3 day/2 night trip to the Trenton area to visit Pennsbury Manor, Washington Crossing Park, Old Barracks Museum, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island in May. The second is a 3 day/2 night trip in New York to Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga National Historic Park in August. The third is a 2 day/ 1 night trip to the Easton area to the Museum of Indian Culture, Crayola Experience, National Museum of Industrial History, and Lost River Caverns.

• I've signed the boys up for one week of VBS thus far. Most likely all three of them will do two or three more weeks of VBS. 
• The kids have participated in history camps offered at three different locations over the years. I would like them to do the 3 day camp at the Joseph Priestley House. Ian and Nadia did it a few years ago, but this year all three of them are eligible (and Nadia will be too old for it in 2020). This summer we're going to skip the one at the Buggy Museum (which they did last year). I haven't decided yet about the one Nadia and Ian did at the Taber Museum last year. TBD

It's been a little while since I posted a gratitude list. So here's my thankful list for today:

1. The library called me and said that a patron returned the book we had told them we couldn't locate. It turns out Ian had left it at the dentist office last month when Oliver had two teeth extracted. I'm very thankful for the patron who found it and returned it for us! Ian will also be relieved when I tell him he no longer owes me $8. 

2. Our pastor's recovery from the surgery is going much better than expected. He has an 18 inch incision in his leg. This week he received the even better news that it was a benign tumor! The first hospital had labeled it as a sarcoma, but he had it sent to the Mayo clinic, and they said it was a different type of tumor - NOT cancer! We're so very thankful!

3. Dad and Margie got back safely from a 10 day cruise to the Panama canal. We had been praying for them as well.

4. The kids enjoyed a play date at Micah and Isaiah's house today. They also enjoyed having them over at our house for a sleepover two weeks ago.

5. It was a blessing to participate in the study of 2 Timothy with some other homeschooling moms the past six weeks. We finished our study today.

6. I have lost 10 pounds in about 4.5 weeks.

7. Nadia placed first place among the 5th and 6th graders, and Ian was in second place among the 3rd and 4th graders at the AWANA quizzing event on the 22nd!

7. The kids enjoyed the Valentine's Day party with other homeschoolers at the bowling alley.

8. They learned about Chemistry at Saturday Science last week, and all six of us (including Uncle Al) enjoyed the Roadshow concert and dinner at Applebee's that night. Nadia and I were thrilled to play a small part in helping four children find a sponsor!

9. The kids enjoyed the Snow Blast event at the Methodist Church last Sunday afternoon, and all five of us went skiing on Monday!

10. Paul and his Dad had a safe trip out to Kentucky yesterday. Uncle Al was able to help out take care of the kids for 9 hours while I was at work. He took them to a pottery class at Camp Susque in the morning. We're thankful Paul and his Dad are supposed to come home tomorrow night as we haven't seen Paul since Wednesday morning.