What We've Been Up To - 8/26/11

It has been quite a week!

We got back from the Outer Banks Saturday.

Spent Sunday and Monday recuperating and packing Hannah up to go back to the University of Dallas.

6:30 a.m. Hannah and her friend left to start the long drive. They drove for 19 hours straight and got to UD at 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, They packed food to eat along the way and only stopped for bathroom breaks. I so admire Hannah's drive and determination!

Tuesday we had an EARTHQUAKE! I was actually talking to Hannah on the phone. She was in Tennessee by then. I was lying on my bed because I'd had a terribly violent migraine in the morning and still wasn't feeling normal. I thought the dog was leaning against the bed scratching at first, but then it kept up and got stronger. I remarked to Hannah: Wow, either the dog is really scratching hard or . . . and at this point I saw that my bedroom mirror was shaking like crazy. . . we are having an earthquake! I jumped up and said quickly, I gotta get off. We are having an earthquake. The sound of the earthquake/house rattling got really loud then and the floor felt like plane turbulence. I could hear the kids shrieking downstairs: What is it? Is it an earthquake? But by the time I got to my bedroom door, it had stopped. It only lasted about 30 or 35 seconds. Maybe 40. But man, my legs felt like water afterwards! We didn't have any damage except my water cup by my bed fell over. But there was some damage at other places in our area. Thanks be to God, that no deaths or injuries occurred. We've been feeling the occasional aftershock.

Now we are bracing for Hurricane Irene! The weather is very strange outside. It is extremely foggy right now. I can barely see into my backyard. We've stocked up on pop tarts, water, batteries, flashlights and books. We don't need anything else right?

Josh started up his Psychology course of study this week. At the beginning of the week we sat down and planned out the year. He's hoping to take the SAT in March, the AP Pyschology exam in May and the Math SAT II on June 2. He decided not to take the Chemistry SAT II. And we decided not to do the PSAT again. He took it last year and did pretty well. The only reason he'd take it this fall is to qualify for a Merit Scholarship and frankly I don't think I know of anyone personally who has gotten a merit scholarship that way, so it isn't a big incentive for us. And you can only take so many of these stupid tests in a year! It seems every year the College Board (evil organization that it is) heaps more tests and more hoops to jump through if you want a college education! I really hate it.

Josh also did some math review and we both did a bit of Latin review, though not as much as I'd have liked to do!

I sat down with Sean and talked with him about this coming academic year. He wasn't too happy about things. But I think he at least saw my reasoning. He is really going through a valley right now. I must be firm and patient. God help me to be the best mom I can be for him!

Becky has been her usually lively self. Listening to her audiobooks, reading and rereading all her favorite books (Harry Potter, Penderwicks, Percy Jackson). Last night, I really wished my laptop wasn't broken and I could take pictures. She had got out the little bottles of food dye and was creating different colors and experimenting with what green and red make (brownish-black), etc. Then she got into the the recycling and started building things. She took 4 paper towel rolls and a little cardboard berry box that blueberries had come in. She put the berry box like a lid on top of the 4 paper towel rolls (like legs to a table) the structure proved to be really strong. She had me punching it to show me just how strong it was. I commented to her that she was going to be an architect or engineer when she grows up, but she said that she was going to be a professional trumpet player. She loved music camp and learning the trumpet this summer and is all excited to be in a band this coming fall.

Will got to chat with his roommates he'll have at Berklee. He leaves 9/4. Rick is going up with him. Will got really interested in Malcolm X this week and watched the movie and was busy educating himself on the difference between MLK's approach and Malcolm X's. And this tied in with the new memorial downtown (whose unveiling is cancelled due to Irene). Will mowed the lawn for me too. I think that will be his last time for a long time. Josh will be taking over that job!

Movies featured this week, serendipitously: The Music Man (my favorite) and the new Phineas and Ferb movie which has now been watched at least 3 times.

Other sundry stuff. Josh has been jogging! In fact, Josh has really come out of his shell, you know, the one he went into when he was 13! I think going away to work camp and engineering camp as well as our week vacation really matured him. In fact, it is symbolic that Josh's hat, the one he's been hiding under the last couple of years, got so filthy that even Josh noticed just how gross it was. He tried to wash it in the washing machine and it pretty much killed it. So he's stopped wearing hats! And he's become more outgoing, more connected to us, more engaged. He's been a lovely person to be around! Hurrah for growing up!

Yesterday I spent many hours cleaning at the church where we'll hold our Aquinas Learning Center. Things are really gearing up for that. Might go back today and finish up. If the weather allows.

This was long and with no photos! Sorry!