Weekly Wrap-Up: The Mid-Summer One

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Weekly Wrap-Up

Mid-summer, you say? Today is the first day of summer. Yeah, maybe according to the calendar, but in my mind, summer consists of those months when we aren’t doing school. Since we’ll be starting back two weeks from Monday (shhh…I’m trying not to think about it and I don’t think my kids realize it’s that close), that makes this mid-summer.

It’s been kind of a strange week. I was so stunned to learn of Debbie Strayer’s sudden passing last weekend and so very sad for her family and close friends. It’s been amazing to read comments from the people whose lives she touched. I wonder if she had any idea the huge impact she was making in people’s lives. I know that the curriculum she co-authored, Trail Guide to Learning, turned our homeschool around.

Now that camp and her trip to Haiti are behind Brianna, she’s been getting a lot more hours at work. That, coupled with the fact that I’m really ready for her to get her driver’s license, means that I’ve had many opportunities to ride as she drives to work this week. That’s kind of new territory for me. I’ve only been her co-pilot a couple of times before this week. I’ve tried to make it Brian’s job to teach Brianna to drive.

No, it’s not because I think he’s a better driver than me. No, it’s not because I think that’s his job as her dad. It’s because I get really nervous putting myself at the mercy of a person to whom I gave birth and a 2-ton vehicle. I’ve had to put that behind me, though, because Brianna is really a decent driver. She’s at the point where she just needs to have lots of opportunity to drive and get more comfortable behind the wheel.

She’s really done well and has only made me a little nervous a couple of times. I thought about taking some of the cat’s anti-anxiety meds before riding shotgun, but, as my sister pointed out, that probably wouldn’t work well since I have to drive the van back home.

(Yes, I’m kidding about taking the cat’s meds.)

cat tv

Cat TV: The Bird Channel…or maybe it was The Squirrel Channel

Speaking of the cat and her meds, have you ever had to give a cat a pill? I thought I had hit upon a stroke of brilliance wrapping the pill in food, but Lily quickly figured that out and would just eat around the pill and spit it out. That puts me back to prying her mouth open and shoving this tiny little pill down her throat.

If you’ve never done that, you have no idea how strong a cat’s jaw is. I really need an extra pair of hands because it takes two just to pry her little mouth open. I’m telling you, that cat can clench her jaw shut like nobody’s business. She’s got these two rows of tiny little teeth that will not open. Then, she does things like hiding the pill in the corner of her mouth and spitting it out when she walks away. No, I am totally not kidding.

We took the whole family out for another Kids Bowl Free on Wednesday. Josh and Brianna really don’t care for bowling, but Brianna was in the mood to go this time and we bribed Josh with dinner out. See how happy he looks?

Bowling

We had fun, even though I’m terrible at bowling. I keep thinking that by September when KBF is over, maybe I will have improved. That might be wishful thinking.

I’ve got exciting stuff on tap for next week. First off, I get to have my second colonoscopy. Sound fun? Um, yeah. I told Brian and the kids they’re on their own Monday for meals. I am not cooking for people, then drinking broth and eating Jell-O. I’m not that nice.

Megan has gymnastics camp all week. This will be the first time she’s ever done anything like that. She started gymnastics a couple of months ago and loves it. I wish we’d started her years ago.

I guess I’ll have to start doing some school planning, too. Of course, with Trail Guide, there isn’t much planning involved. It’s all pretty much laid out for me. I do have a few things we’re going to be doing in addition, though, so I need to make sure I’m ready.

I’ll be updating our curriculum page within the next couple of weeks, if you’re interested in what we’re doing. I’ll also be inviting you all to link up to a special curriculum-sharing edition of the Weekly Wrap-Up on July 19, so be updating your pages or writing your posts, too.

How was your week? Be sure to post about it and link up. If this is your first time to join us, be sure to read the Weekly Wrap-Up guidelines. You can also follow the guidelines link to grab the banner code.

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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11 Comments

  1. You make me laugh!! I’m getting images of a slightly intoxicated, too relaxed Kris giving Brianna all sorts of inaccurate driving advice whilst cruising the streets!
    Re cat, if you prize open her mouth from the corners whilst holding her on her back and place the tablet at the back of her throat she will automatically swallow it. I have a skittish cat and that works brilliantly for her. That is, if I can catch her in the first place….

    1. Yeah, it was a funny mental image to me, too. 🙂

      That technique works with the cat sometimes, but she twists and contorts her body and her head – and claws seem to come out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Giving a cat a pill is a dangerous undertaking. I did the pry-open-her-mouth-and-toss-the-pill-in technique tonight and she swallowed it the first time. Tomorrow that will probably get my arm shredded. lol

  2. Love the cat photo! There is a lot of bird and squirrel TV broadcast around here, as well! 😉 I just printed out our Kids Bowl Free coupons. We’re going to try to go next week when it’s supposed to get unbearably hot. Hope you have a great weekend!

  3. It’s been so hot for so long here, I feel like it’s the middle of summer, too!

    We just started our new year a few weeks ago, but that’s because we don’t go out much in the intense heat (no yard, no shade), so we try to take our longer breaks during more enjoyable weather.

    I love the kitty pic! Thanks for hosting this. It’s introduced me to so many great blogs.

  4. I could have used the cat med idea a few years ago when teaching my oldest to drive. 🙂 I was the worst instructor ever. It’s a miracle that he can drive at all. Now, my daughter is studying for her permit test and we’ll start driving lessons over again.
    Thanks for the giggle. And thank you for hosting the link up. betty jo

  5. We have been bowling like crazy this summer! Looks like you guys have been, too. Fun times!

    I always like reading about your weeks, Kris.

  6. Another thought on getting the cat pill down. Now, you may want to check with your vet since we have dogs and not cats. My husband is a vet but he’s napping so I can’t ask. 🙂 For dogs, he covers the pill in peanut butter on a not sharp knife or back of spoon (plastic because I DON’T share my dishes with animals). Dogs generally love peanut butter, get a big hunk. When they come to eat it, smear it on the roof of their mouth (this is why the back of the spoon, not the bowl part). They spend a few minutes frantically trying to eat all that pb and they happen to get the pill too. BUT, as you know, cats aren’t as predictable or laid back as dogs so it may totally not work. Good luck! 🙂

    1. Yeah, I tried peanut butter last week, thinking it would cover the whole pill and she couldn’t eat around it as easily. She completely refused the peanut butter. She’s the epitome of stubbornness, I’m telling you. {sigh} You should try shoving a peanut-encrusted pill down a cat’s throat. 🙂

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