Just hanging out with Stefan at Pat's house. Pat (Patrick Jacob's) is letting Stefan play with Garage Band on his computer. I tried to post one of Stefan's compositions... namely the one where his writing tutor, Peter, rapped to Stefan's track of mixed beats. It was sweet. I really enjoy Stefan's music!

Tomorrow I think we will go into DC. My vote is for the Natural History museum. In the evening our friend Catherine will pick us up and we'll head to VA for a performance of the Crucible. Chad's coworker, an acting major, has been reading the Crucible out loud with us, so its pretty great that we found out about this performance and get to go! (Not all days are this exciting, I promise.)

I'm sitting above where Chad works in his boss' home. Stefan kicked butt on his homework this week. He takes it badly when Chad and I are stressed, even if we aren't stressed out about him. I'm really enjoying having him here. Life is a tumult.

Last Tuesday I had the day off. I went on campus to find a wild thing and draw it. Stefan wasn't done with his math but after I left he was highly motivated and before I knew it he joined me. We immediately ran into a flock of geese and sat drawing them for over an hour. The day was glorious.

This week we did something special for Aimee every day of the week:
Monday: boxes of her favorite tea from Starbucks.
Tuesday: pastries and coffee delivered to one of her tutorials.
Wednesday: flowers scattered over campus tagged: "lost birthday flower, please help me find Aimee."
Thursday: A "surprise" strawberry shortcake decorated with strawberries as Strawberry Shortcake. Molly (of Nick and Molly, Chad's employers) helped me make the cake and hosted a gaggle of miscellaneous girls who came to celebrate Aimee's birthday after Seminar.

Work has been pretty easy this week. I had two days in a row off, and no opening shifts. The week began with a major "I am way to busy" crisis. I think I slowed down.

I just found a letter that I wrote to Kallista... a month ago. I was so sad to realized it hadn't been sent. I am waiting for Chad to get off work.

Just spent 4 wearisome hours enrolling in my benefits program.
Mom suggested the headache I've had for 5 days might be an allergy.
That seems probable.
Chad is sweet.
Stefan is well but
we did have to take away a privilage today because he didn't get his math done on time.
I am going to go lay in the fall sunshine.
I missed summer, somehow.
and now I am sad.


I wish I could have spent time with mom and dad last sunday. I tried to switch to the morning shift but couldn't.

Three in DC

STEFAN

Stefan has this amazing ability to talk, sing, joke or physically harass one or both of us incessantly. Chad says it gives him greater insight into how I feel when he constantly pokes and prods me humorously like I'm a dog or his brother Jared. Listening to Stefan, I remember the absolute constant frustration I felt with myself up until... the recent past... for not being able to control what or how much came out of my mouth. I consistently embarrassed and frustrated myself. I still struggle. Though usually only when I'm nervous, or around people I don't spend a lot of time with, or who I feel are critical of me, do I feel as out of control of my speech as I used to feel all the time.

We had a lovely day in DC. There is something so invigorating for Chad and I about having Stefan here. We would both go nuts if we were trying to homeschool, love, and hold him accountable alone, but doing it together makes the challenge fun. And it makes us appreciate each other even more than normal because we are constantly amazed by how incredibly exhausted we would be if we tried alone. It would be about as fun as playing catch with oneself. Except that we are playing catch with a delightful, intelligent, energetic, amusing, creative, noisy, funloving, (almost) 14 year old who already knows what and how to (at least pretend to) make an attitude adjustment. The only real challenge is that Stefan, so it seems, can't follow more than one instruction at a time. For example, I say, "Go get your jacket and brush your teeth." He will come back with his jacket. When I ask, "did you brush your teeth?" he *starts* as though I have reminded him of something that he had an inkling of but couldn't quite recall. He'll say, "Oh, right!" And run off, probably to brush his teeth, but maybe to follow another instruction that he forgot from before.

STEFAN, CHAD, AND LAUREL
IN DC

Woke up this morning at 6 am.
found Stefan passed out asleep in the livingroom with a book.
(I told him last night)
(that he couldn't bring his library book to Virginia,)
(so, he tried to finish it)
(but fell asleep with the lights on instead.)
We hurried ourselves together,
Chad and Stefan finished packing,
I made breakfast and lunch,
and made sure Stefan had his jacket and brushed his teeth.

We caught our bus at 7.
We arrived on the Mall long before the museums were to open, so we
went to CVS to get me some fast acting excedrin
(I was sure I'd grabbed it! Oh well. It was on sale...)
(I strained my eyes the other day and)
(have had a constant headache ever since)

We went to Starbucks,
and got a quad grande latte and a heated morning bun to share.
Stefan read some of his book.
Everything was still closed and by the time we
meandered over to the National Portrait Gallery...
we realized it opened latest of all the museums!

So we spent the whole morning in the National Gallery of Art.
Which made all of us, who were already quite happy,
even happier.
We looked at Gaugin's Sketchbooks,
I made Stefan study a sculpture called
"Empire Triumphs over Avarice"
Then I had him turn his back and tell me everything that was going on.
The other Sculpture he 'observed' was, I believe,
"The Death of St. Sebastian"
He wasn't crazy about the exercise, but
of all the things I could have had him do to practice the art of attention....
I think that it was pretty painless.

We,
tried on and looked at some armor
(they had a helmet and gloves to put on!)
We tried to find a featured artist, but got lost,
and spent a loooong time in the gallery store,
wanted EVERYTHING
and therefore exhausted and overwhelmed ourselves.
We made a final purchase,
and then....
we went and chose something to draw!
Chad and Stefan drew the same thing
"Boy in a Red Vest" by Cezanne
I drew a watercolory oil landscape by Cezanne.
(The room I wanted to sit in had more figures...)
(but Chad said it was too...)
("girly")
Stefan was very proud of his drawing.
He said, "I think this is the best drawing I've ever done!"
And I was surprised, because I think he is capable of far better,
Not that he did a bad job, its just that, he has exceptional eyes
(for seeing what really is there, I mean).
I guess he just needs to draw from observation more often.

In the bookstore
we purchased some Japanese Print postcards for him to copy
as drawing exercises. I'm not that crazy about a lot of Japanese prints
but in the store he was so enthusiastic and perceptive about them that
he made me realized how beautiful they really are.
I asked him how he knew so much and he said he'd learned
from a book I gave him called: "The man Crazy about Drawing."
"You read that?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course! I read it as soon as I got it!"
"Well," I said, "I doubt that."
"Well... yeah," he said, "not right away. But I did re-read it many times."
"Ok," I say, satisfied at that, since he must have learned all this from somewhere.

Sometimes I feel like I am pulling teeth. For instance, we are keeping Nature Journals.
Plants are not on his list of top favorite things to draw. Probably number one on his list is ninja's, but those are not on the science curriculum for growing ones powers of observation. He will be totally uninterested as we pass tons of marvelous plants. Then, suddenly, he finds one he likes!!! And why does he like it? Well, he knows it's name. His sudden enthusiasm reminds me that I am not pulling teeth for no reason. After a week, maybe two, of nature journal adventures, (wherein he draws a plant, identifies it, writes down its common and latin name, and writes a thought,) I think he will suddenly realize that naming the world has brought it to life.

Life Current

WORK
The last three mornings I've been working.
One of those days I got sent home early after getting in a 'tiff' with one of my supervisors.
I'm embarrassed, but not ashamed about the whole thing.
Everyone at work knows about it now, and
the supervisors I worked with this morning just laughed and said,
"no one thinks its your fault."

STEFAN
Stefan has been hanging out with Chad in the mornings.
Playing a lot of chess.
In the afternoons he's been with me, planning and brainstorming his curriculum.
We got his room set up.

STEFAN'S BED
Coffee table-like object
+
Big cardboard boxes
+
Nikken Demo mattress
+
Nikken Pillow
+
Nikken Comforter
+
Sheets
+
Stefan
=
Bed.


Stefan cut up the boxes and set aside the big pieces to make a timeline for his wall. Then he took the scraps to cover the slats on the coffeetable and make the right size base for his mattress. He added the mattress and a little support at his feet and viola! (I think we are still going cut a piece of plywood for him, but he's very pleased with the cardboard base, and it adds extra cushion.)

RIGHT NOW
Chad is at work. Stefan and I are sitting at Acacia's diningroom table. I'm blogging, and he is sitting by my carving a face out of a soft sculpture block (roma plastilina, it never dries out). Acacia is finishing up the salad for dinner. Aimee came over to hang out. We discovered that she has made a little plastic sleeve that holds: a cigarette case, keycard, and key. cute.

Ok, Acacia is getting annoyed. Its time to clear the table.
ooh, but last night I went to a Charlotte Mason based homeschoolers meeting. We discussed Civic Biology. It was fun. I got back and Chad said, "wow, Laurel you did a really good job of dressing the part! You look good.... I have three kids and I'm still attractive kind of good."

Meandering Boredom for Kallista

I saw that Kallista officially posted about resigning from Gymnastics. I figured I should write something on my blog so she would have something to do when she surfs the web. But I can't think of anything to write. Except that I would really dig some ice cream right now.

I am:

A. Either unbelievably boring

or

B. Don't really want to write on this blog about all the weird stuff that is going on in life.

Oh well.

A moment ago Kelvin called just to say, "right now I am in the metropolitan area with two beautiful women about to watch a movie." I was stumped. Who could he be with? It was Kat Rios and Claire Griffin. I thought that was pretty cool, then Kelvin put me on speakerphone to say hi to them myself, and I thought that was pretty awkward. Oh well. I hope the movie is awesome.

Tomorrow I am going to have breakfast with a bunch of wonderful ladies. I am going to make eggs. Aimee is going to use the pancake mix Acacia got from the Amish market to make delicious pancakes. Virginia, Brooks and Rachel can't come because they have a regatta. We'll miss them. I'm excited to see what everyone decides about how we should spend our time together. Last year we had breakfast and then prayed. This year I think we will probably do some singing, but we'll talk about all that tomorrow....

I realized tonight that there are only two weeks before Chad takes the LSAT. He hasn't studied at all!! (and I don't think he cares either...) I certainly don't care. I want to see him all the time, not some of the time and have moneys.

I finally got ahold of Acacia. (You didn't realize I was trying, did you?) Her phone is broken. When I woke up from my nap I was really lonely. It's probably good that I had this day alone to see how pathetic I am when I'm by myself. I slept all day and then finished all the stuff I have to do in thirty minutes... which is probably why I slept all day, there was really not much to do. In the big scheme of things there are tons of things to do, but I need a printer (to print a calendar and put it on the wall so we can be more organized), we need a car to get a cork board, some poster board, files and construction paper from some big store, so Stefan and I can be organized, we need a big car to go get the huge blackboard from oxen hill (I can't figure out if we really want it....even now! It's so huge) and we need a big car to get a couch. Its probably good we don't have couch because I would already have arranged for several events and meetings to happen at our house if it were socially functional. Good thing we are socially dysfunctional... or perhaps non-functional is more appropriate. (Just so you know, basically all the things I listed that we have to do have to do with getting organized. Only then can I admit that we really have tons of practical time sensitive things to do. I refuse to post that sad list on this blog.)

ANYWAY, I finally got ahold of Acacia. She was helping Vincent clean up his kitchen. Jeremy, Vincent, Catherine, Christina, Acacia and Valerie had dinner together tonight. I talked to her for a while. I kept saying "I was so lonely today!" and she would say, "I know, I can tell." Now that I've talked to her about all the mundane thoughts and details of the day my whole physiognomy is changed. I'm more alert, energetic, and I just feel better. Interacting with people stimulates me like nothing else. I need it. It's like eating. If I don't do it I get slow and down... not depressed exactly, its just so hard to do anything good or productive. I can just feel that my pulse has increased and my brain is working properly now. Before it was feeling sluggish.

Stefan is coming soon! This Wednesday, to be exact. I'm stoked. I also just had a flash. I realized that I wish I never had to go to work again. I hate working. I think I really hate working right now because I am still sick and the very thought of doing anything very stimulating terrifies me. That is why I didn't walk down west street and visit The Ship (Acacia's house), or any of the wonderful people I know. It was just too big of a project. But seriously, I never want to see a Starbucks product again in my whole life. Except for VIA, the new instant coffee they are releasing soon. Its the best instant coffee I've ever had in my whole life. This morning I made some for Chad, and then sent him to work with another one.

Interesting fact... or just another

Truly Boring Adventure #4

This morning I was sitting on the couch.

I could feel a headache, like a worm,

rise up above my ear,

travel around my head towards my temple,

into my brow,

then into my eye,

and diffuse.

You know how jets leave trails?

This headache left a trail too,

it was gone but its jet tail remained for a while.

Truly Boring Adventures

Aventure # 1:

Chad woke up early

went shopping at several different grocery stores

went to work

came home (to the house we're housesitting) with Laurel

Lilly the dog had eaten:

4 builders bars

1 bag of dried fruit

6 Bagels

Chad was very upset.

Laurel noticed that Lilly was happy.

Adventure # 2:

Once Chad purchased American Cheese.

Laurel was hungry.

She looked up American Cheese online

and figured that if it was from the Amish Market, it couldn't be all that bad.

Laurel made a quesedilla.

big mistake.

Now she is drinking hot water to get the cheese

out! out!

as fast as she can.

Adventure #3 (this one is really really boring)

Laurel slept in

woke up and felt pretty recovered,

recovered enough to not sleep constantly.

finally she fell asleep for five hours.

now she is awake and wants human companionship.