Take Your Child To Work Day

Today, the girls had an exciting day at Craig's work with the Take Your Child to Work event.

Big Girl was on her own with a high school group and got to do three activities: Virtual Reality Cave, Flushability Lab, and Chem Lab.  After lunch, she and her group made cards for recipients of Meals on Wheels before heading to the carnival.

Little One was in a younger group with Craig as a volunteer by her side.  She planted flowers, designed a product box, painted rocks and did tie dye with sanitary pad material.  Lunch and carnival also included.

But the absolute highlight of Little One's day, the thing she can't stop talking about, was sitting at her daddy's desk.

Seventh Week Of Summer

 This week was less busy and that's a good thing.

1) Medical appointment for Little One

2) Overnight getaway for Craig and me

3) Blackberry picking for me

4) Kings Island for Middle Kid, Big Girl and dad

5) Golf for Middle Kid, Big Girl and dad

Summer shenanigans now in full swing

Sixth Week Of Summer

 The hits just keep on coming.

1) Blueberry picking for Oma and me (11 pounds!)

2) Medical appointment for Little One

3) Kings Island for Big Girl, Middle Kid and dad

4) Sleepover for Big Girl

5) Summer Dance Day at the Cincinnati Ballet for Little One

6) Fourth of July party with friends for all

7) Neighborhood block party for all

On The Road Food

When we face a day with many hours of driving, we prefer to pack our meals and eat them en route at a park or rest area versus stopping at restaurants.  So I thought I would share what this looks like for us.

There are three of us in the family who will eat the same dishes, one of us with a very self-restricted carb-heavy diet due to hypersensitivity to oral and olfactory stimuli, and one of us who likes most foods to be served just so.  Furthermore, Little One is always excited for travel, but it also drives her anxiety through the roof and when that happens, she struggles to eat at all. So in addition to everything else, we have to really monitor her intake and sometimes set aside one on one time at a quiet place for her to eat while we are traveling.

For lunch, I packed herbed cream cheese (so much goodness in the garden right now) with cucumbers on homemade sourdough bread, sliced apples, water and lemon shortbread for our mainstream eaters.  Cold pesto pizza and chicken/fresh berries were on tap for the other two.  

Here we are in Veedersburg, Indiana at Hub Park enjoying lunch, fresh air, and movement.

For dinner I made salads in a jar which have been a huge hit with Big Girl since the first time I prepared them for a road trip.  Our more persnickety eaters happily had a repeat of their respective lunches.

Snacks in the car included pretzels, bananas, blueberries, M&Ms, and almonds.

For dessert we tried to have icecream at Park 'n Chill in Springfield, Illinois, because if we're going to eat out, it has to be local.  Unfortunately, it was closed, so DQ to the rescue.

Fifth Week Of Summer

 A busy and exciting week!

1) Medical appointment for Little One

2) Our nephew's high school graduation party for all

3) NCFA Conference in St. Louis for me

4) Sightseeing in St. Louis for all but me (Arch, Telephone Museum, Forest Park, Cathedral Basilica - Craig and I used to live pretty close to St. Louis and had already seen all of these places in the years B.C. so I didn't miss out all the way)

5) Arrival of Oma from Germany

6) Stops on the Family History Tour to show the kids where we got married as well as the shady apartment complex that was our first shared home and Craig's alma mater for all

7) Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln family home - yes, this counts as home education hours - for all

8) Cardinals vs. Astros game for Middle Kid and dad

Fourth Week Of Summer

Well, I know I said there was nothing on the calendar, but then emails started rolling in with invites and reminders, so here's what we did this week.

1) Information session breakfast at the JCC for the Under One Roof community art show for Big Girl

2) Annie's retirement dinner for dad, Big Girl and Middle Kiddo

3) Sleepover with her BFF for Big Girl

4) Haircuts for all the ladies

5) Golf for Middle Kiddo and dad

6) Kings Island for Middle Kid, Little One and dad

It's hard to believe that school has been out for a full month already.  Time has flown.  But I am very happy to report that all three kids have done very well this month with a highly unstructured schedule.  As recently as a few years ago, we relied on a Mother's Helper to assist us during the summer and now here we are with three teenagers who have gained enough independence around our home that their dad and I can succeed through an entire month with only one therapist seeing one child.

Third Week Of Summer

 Another fun week!

1) Flag Day Parade in our neighborhood courtesy of Little One

2) Kings Island for Little One, Middle Kiddo and dad

3) Orthopedic appointment for Big Girl

4) Field trip to see a replica of Columbus' Pinta for all

5) Dinner and icecream with grandparents, aunt and cousins

6) Another strawberry pick for mom - what a prolific season at our nearby u-pick

There's nothing yet at all on the calendar for week 4, so we shall see.