Moth Release, Co-op Starts, Sand Pendulums, Visiting Arizona, and so much more!!!

We started out our week with Lydia working an all day shift at the zoo.  So Sunday was spent trying to do work around the house and get groceries.  I had a mess in the backyard to clean up.  High weeds and I'm working with the mulch around the swingset and trying to get it pulled up after 10 years.  Going to plant grass there since the kids are all older.

On Monday we had a pool party.  I was suffering from a headache and painful joints.  I figured out that the tomatoes I had been consuming was just too much.  I cut them out of my diet and the effects on my health were still wearing off.  I definitely need to see a specialist if I can find the time.

A few weeks ago we found some caterpillars.  They destroyed my parsley plant, so we brought them inside for observation.  I was bad about pictures of the stages.  These moths had very different ways of hatching.  They did hatch and we released them this week.

I was asked to be part of a Focus group for parents of kids with special needs.  It was interesting to listen to the needs of others, and how much we all have in common.  We just hope that the county health department can help to meet the common goal we all need for our special needs kiddos and adult children.

One morning I woke up and discovered it was National Rarebit Day.  So that's what I made them for breakfast.

Our Geography state this week was Arizona.  We watched Aerial America - Arizona on Amazon and also State Plate Arizona (part of Amazon Prime).

For our meals, I made chimichangas and also blue corn navajo fry bread.  The fry bread I served with Prickly Pear Cactus syrup.  Both were in the State Plate episode.

The girls did more drawings from our Arizona state book and we learned about the Saguaro Cactus.

Caty started her Japanese classes.  This is her teacher.  She teaches out of her home.  Caty really liked this class, and cannot wait for the next week!  She spent the rest of the week practicing and trying to use Japanese in everyday conversations.

On Wednesday, it was co-op morning, I didn't even fight.  It is our first week back.  I gave and let them have waffle ice cream sandwiches for breakfast.  I made sure to pack them super healthy lunches though...lol

I teach two classes at the co-op.  Last year we left at lunch time, but this year, Caty has a class after lunch.  So we now have to pack our lunches and hang out while she does her sewing class.  Caty eating lunch between classes.  There were no more picnic tables left.  So we chilled in the van for a bit.

Caty is taking 3 classes, and Lydia is only taking 2.  So Lydia worked on some of her unfinished schoolwork in the van while we waited on Caty.

Wednesday stayed a busy day.  After we got home from co-op and did Builders Club with Homeschool with Minecraft, the girls and I headed to the local library for a sand pendulum making project.

They had fun with this project!

Caty discovered her Meme caption was one chosen.

We had softball practice and a game this week.  Lydia has made great improvement this season.  Still learning more and more.

On Thursday we went down to the Dedication ceremony of the new Recycling building in our town.

I made Joe some special buffalo chicken stuffed yellow peppers.  He really likes this dish.

I'm working on this clutter mess that happens all the time.  The girls dump their bags all over the living room.  It drives me crazy.  I'll post something more about this next week.

Lydia had riding and practiced her cantering for the show that weekend.

Lydia up at bat at her game.

In edible science this week, Caty worked on angel food cake.  She is likes this book.  Her ADD though is making it more difficult for her to keep track of the steps in a recipe.  I have to keep reminding her to follow the steps.

Friday was just pure stress.  There were online server issues during my live classes.  Joe had taken the van to the shop for rear brakes and they were running behind and waited for 3 hours to work on the van knowing that he was waiting at the shop.  So frustrated.  Then track in the town near us was sending me over the edge.  When I got home, after fighting through a grocery store, I baked over 50 cupcakes for the fundraiser at the riding show Lydia was part of on Saturday.  There were no pictures during the day on Friday.  I was hoping to forget it.....

Friday night after lots of activity, Joe and I went out with some friends to a new place called Bento in a Box.  The food smelled wonderful, and Joe said his meal (the top picture was good).  Our friends enjoyed their food too.

On Saturday, Lydia had a riding show.

She was in showmanship and Cantering - western pleasure.

Every time she started in that steady canter I held my breathe.  I mean...I'm a Gone With the Wind fan, I know what can happen if you get thrown from a horse.  Ugh...but she loves it.

She placed 1st in both classes.

As if Saturday wasn't busy enough, Joey was an usher in a wedding for a friend from where he works.  He was so honored to get to be part of Nikki and Tyler's special day.

This is Joey and his friend Junior.  Junior is one of the DSPs that help him at the Dayhab.  Also a good friend of Joey's.

Joey and Nikki

Joey dancing with Manda, another DSP that works with him at the Dayhab.

So Brayden has been flying under the radar all week.  He hides in his room and streams games on Youtube.  He is working on his schoolwork, but not as productively as he watches and records for Youtube.  Starting next week, he has new rules to follow about chores and schoolwork.  He's taking advantage of my distractibility lately.  And it must stop.

What a week!!!  Joey had a manic episode.  Lydia was being her teenager self with her own special twist.  And now we are losing sweet Caty to moodiness and "teenagerdom".  Ugh....3 teenagers at once and a young adult.  Will we survive????

Hope everyone had a great week!  Linking up with other families at Homeschool Coffee Break...