Happy Father's Day! Looks like we plan on a bike ride and swim at Matt and Di's house. We have been spending a lot of time over there lately. We were just there last night picking up Cookie(they were pet sitting while we went to Busch Gardens/Williamsburg) and we celebrated their son Jacob's graduation from High School and his 18th birthday last Sunday. Of course, we had to run off in the evening to sing the National Anthem with the GS choir at Ft McHenry. Does not look like we made National news(not sure anyway) and they skipped the flyover(bummer). But it was a beautiful evening to sit out on the bay and listen to all the inspirational music, watch the parade of flags put on by the Scouts and we enjoy the fireworks afterwards. We actually sang 3 songs ourselves. FYI -Ft McHenry was the location where our country fought off the British during the war of 1812-they tried to take the country back from us after the Revolutionary War. Francis Scott Key was watching the battle and came up with our National Anthem-Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hail at the twilights last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spanlged banner yet wave, oer the land of the free and the home of the brave. The british war ships were shooting cannonballs at the fort and we fought them off all night and into the next day. The original flag that flew over the fort that day is on display at the Nat History museum in DC-remember we saw it at Christmas Dave and Sandra and kids? They always hang a replica sized flag over the fort on Flag Day-it is huge. And every flag day they celebrate with music and fireworks. I think it is amazing to visit places in our history rather than just read about it. Which brings us to our recent GS trip to Williamsburg VA. Our girls agreed that a trip down south at the end of their CAdette year would be fun if we included a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge. It is usually incredibly expensive, but we got a discount scout rate so we could afford it and we used our cookie money/fund raising money to pay the cost. The girls had a great time at the hotel-it has an indoor water park and an outside pool. My coleader and I also brought along our boys so they had a fabulous time as well. Our plan was to visit historic Williamsburg-that is the country's first capitol intil it moved to Philly and then DC and it was the capitol of VA until it moved to Richmond. So it is a pretty big city. They have lots of people dressed in period costume with different jobs and all the shops are open and show how they made books, medicines, pastries, wigs, guns, etc. The homes are open for tours, including the Governor's palace-lived in first by the British governors until we overthrew their govt, and then run by the colonial Americans. Thomas Jefferson lived in the palace when he was appointed Governor as well. He also attended the College of William and Mary -the second oldest college in America(Harvard is the first). And we toured the Capitol building-beautiful all brick building where they governed the state and country. Lots of famous Americans hung out in Williamsburg including George Washington, Thomas Payne, Thomas Jefferson and even Benedict Arnold stopped in to talk us citizens into giving in to the British rule. We spent the day touring the city and watched the reenactment plays and earned a GS patch. We also spent a day at Busch Gardens-even they have a GS patch! And we received a patch from our stay at the Great Wolf Lodge. Most of my girls had to leave early since they had a confirmation meeting to attend on Thursday night. I had Allison get her homework done early with her high school partner, so we stayed a few extra days so we could go to the Busch Water Park. Tom joined us for a few days so we could go back to Busch Gardens. We also had tickets to the Ripley's Museum(the kids really enjoyed that). And Scott and Allison were playing an interactive video game/scavenger hunt at the GWolf Lodge, so we went back Sat afternoon so they could slay the dragon and the troll and save the princess. Since it was Father's Day weekend, they had lots of extra activities going on, including a visit from the Star Wars group-lots of storm troopers, and even Darth VAdar himself! Overall a very fun and action packed week for the girls. We may have to go back sometime to work on the other patches in the historical areas including Norfolk and Jamestown.
So now both kids are done with school. Scott finished 3rd grade with As and Bs on his report card. He also had a Bday party to attend last week while Allison and I sang with the GS choir at the nursing home next to the GS headquarters. We finish our year singing to the residents and then receive our star pins for participating in different choir events. We have another event scheduled next week as we are singing the Nat Anthem at the Frederick Keys baseball game. It is a local team, so you can sit out on the grass in the outfield and watch the game while the kids ride the carousel.
Looks like the hockey season is over-Sadly I have to put away our Red Wings flag since Pittsburgh Penguins took the Stanley Cup(that was a sad game). We managed to be the place where the neighbors accumulated to watch the series. We have a neighbor who is a big hockey fan originally from Traverse City, so we all cried in our beer together. But it was not a complete wash out since the Hershey Bears won their series. Tom and Allison even went up to Hershey last week to catch one of the games-right in the middle of severe weather. Hail storm and everything. I think Tom's car has a few dings. They even had an F1 tornado touch down that evening south of Baltimore. We have had more than enough rain out here this spring soon to be summer. Everything is growing like crazy.
Now we are starting summer camps. I have to go pick up Scott's tshirts for Cub Scout camp this week. And we have to get started on his summer homework assignments. He will probably keep up with the karate. Allison is going to squeeze in a few more piano lessons in between going to summer camps and classes. She also had to complete some extra training at church to help out with the Confirmation program in the fall. This week she will be taking classes at Howard County Comm College-a computer game maker class and an art class. I think the computer class will help with her Confirmation presentation. Her volunteer hours also count for High School requirements. Thank goodness.
So Happy Father's Day and Happy First Day of Summer! Happy summer solstice(longest day of the year!). Thank goodness-I need extra time! Kathleen and family