My middle schooler!

Miss Angie, who has been Nadia's Sunday School teacher the past two years, organized a special time for the girls this morning since today was the fifth graders last morning in Kidzway. Nadia enjoyed drinking a fruit smoothie and eating a cookie. Since she enjoys helping in the two-year-old and also three-year-old classrooms, I'm sure it wasn't her last morning in Kidzway, but it was her last time there as a student. From nine months through fifth grade the kids have to wear name tags as a security measure. She's grateful that starting in June she doesn't need to wear a name tag! I bought her a ticket for Creation, which means she'll be sleeping in a tent for three nights at the music festival in late June. She's attending that event with the youth group at our church. Thankfully I didn't have any trouble moving her 11 year old physical up to an earlier time slot after I found out the youth will be leaving at noon on the 26th. Today was the last time my choir will sing until the fall. I'll be helping in Kidzway this summer on the Sundays we aren't elsewhere. Paul and the

kids went to the second service while I was in an adult Sunday School class. Paul tells me that Oliver needs to work on his behavior in a worship service. Most weeks the kids will be with us in the first service and go to Sunday School during the second service, but Nadia wanted to attend the first service class for the last time today.

Paul is exhausted. From April 22 through May 25 he was at the plant 31 out of 34 days. The only three days he had off during that time span were April 30, May 2, and May 7. Each of those three days he was home with the kids while I was at work. In hindsight, he could have gone to work on May 7 and the kids could have been at their grandparents. I thought someone needed to be at home because the contractor started working on our deck on May 7, but I was wrong. From May 8-25 he worked 18 days straight at the plant. Today was the first day since April 21 that he stayed home even though I was also home. He's working tomorrow and then taking a much needed 13 day vacation.

I have been working on our vacation plans the past couple of days. A few months ago I bought the Lion King tickets and booked our lodging. I had a basic plan sketched out, but once I started working out the details I made changes. I eliminated four science or children's museums from the schedule. We won't be using our ASTC membership as much as usual on this trip. At the moment I only have us using it once on the trip - at Nauticus and Battleship Wisconsin in Norfolk. I have included earning four Junior Ranger badges in our itinerary - Jamestown, Yorktown, Wright Brother's Memorial, and Fort Raleigh (Lost Colony). I'm sure we'll come home with many more magnets. We started collecting magnets last August and already have a growing collection on our refrigerator! I think the two that are the most special to me are the two we got with my brother in November. Speaking of him, they had a presentation this morning not just for those who died serving in the military but family members in church who died in the past year in general. They asked us to stand when our family member's name was on the screen. In the first service I stood for Maurice Harton V and the kids and Paul did the same in the second service. I teared up both during that time as well as when we sang "It is Well" this morning. I love that hymn, but the last few years I have a hard time not crying when I sing it.

The two recent changes to the plan that I am most excited about are the addition of a visit to Roanoke Island and homeschool activities in Jamestown and Yorktown. We had planned to do homeschool activities at those places plus Williamsburg in September but didn't go due to a hurricane. Colonial Williamsburg and the National Park part of Jamestown don't have any homeschool events right now (only in September and February), but I have signed us up for homeschool tours in Yorktown and the Jamestown Settlement. In addition to the national park on Roanoke Island, we also have tickets to see a play about the Lost Colony. There are five days that don't have any plans aside from seeing Aladdin at the movie theater one afternoon. Those five days will be very relaxed - time at the beach, swimming in pools, etc. I want to go miniature golfing at least once.