We managed to keep up with classroom volunteering (me), guitar lessons (Aidan), piano lessons (Esme), school (both kids), work (Jim), and the housework (me). Jim, Esme and I all had haircuts, and Aidan is going to be force-marched to Jude's Barbershop this afternoon to accomplish HIS haircut.
I started teaching the children French. I have discovered in the four lessons that they've been through that teaching a foreign language to 10- and 7-year-olds is a much different animal than teaching it to high school students. The book (a copy of the one I used to teach from) is working out terrifically. Their capacity for studying and remembering is NOT working out so well. So I am trying to adjust to lots of repetition and practice instead of pop quizzes.
We have planned this year's family vacation, and will be taking a week off in October to head to southern California. We're planning to fly through Houston to Santa Ana, and will be staying in Irvine while we make day trips to Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim, Sea World and the Animal Safari Park in San Diego, to visit the Thompsons in Glendora, and various other small side trips.
The children (well, okay, just Aidan) were somewhat disappointed to learn that our vacation won't take place until fall, so we are also planning to get some Michigan traveling done this summer. Our new license plate tabs feature prepaid Michigan State Parks admission, so we're going to try to hit six or seven state parks along Lake Michigan this summer, possibly a short family trip to the Grand Traverse Bay area, and maybe even a quick trip to Chicago during Spring Break (again).
The snow has already melted once, but then we got more, and it's melting again. Yesterday the plow truck came through our neighborhood and plowed two feet of snow into the bottom of the driveway, so Jim and I quick shoveled that out and cleared the street drains so all this runoff has somewhere to go. The driveway and sidewalks are clear and dry, and March has come in like a lamb today, so we're hoping for a warm-up and a stay-warm...but we live in Michigan, so we know it's better to be ready for anything!
We spent Mom's birthday with her and Dad at their house, and I was honored to cook in their brand-new freshly remodeled kitchen. It's awesome. Industrial-style appliances, a place for everything, everything works properly...it's like they've finally gone home. :) A new roof and a new kitchen, what will be next?
I have decided to give up for the time being on the Peckham project. While I have made a lot of progress, there really isn't much more I can do without talking to the family members themselves...and there really isn't any other place to do that than the annual family reunion in August. Now that I have a clear outline and know what information is still needed, hopefully I can whip through it then and start taking orders late this summer.
I am, however, getting close to being finished with the Wetzel book. There is still quite a lot of data I don't have, but eventually with these things there has to be a place to stop. I've about finished the mini-biographies and then I will start editing and doing a one last pass on looking for details. Once I have a final draft I will send out postcards and take orders, because I'm not printing more than I need this time.
I still have 4 Glander books and 23 Byers books, which represents an investment on my part of $600. If everyone who said they wanted one would pay for it, I could ship them out and not only have the space back, but also the money I put into them in the first place. C'mon, people!!! I think I'll send email reminders to everyone I can, because I can't afford another batch of postcards that get no responses.
Coming up this month...
- Parent-teacher conferences for both children - Aidan's is today, Esme's on the 8th.
- Esme's reevaluation on the 10th by her ENT doctor, to determine whether the hole in her eardrum has healed on its own, or whether she will need surgery to close it.
- I'm finally redeeming my birthday present on the 11th and having my "tropical escape" - a hot stone massage, pomegranate facial and foot scrub, followed by a pedicure.
- Esme's school music program on the 14th, 6:30 p.m. Van Singel Auditorium...be there or be square! :)
- The usual round of school, work, volunteering and music lessons.
- How about you? What's up with your family this month? Have fun!