Spring?!

I don't know what it is about warm weather that makes me have so much more energy. Haley and I were so happy it was almost 80 degrees yesterday. 

Last week, I started getting up early in the morning to run with my boys. I have to tell you that 5:45am comes very quickly when you are really tired but I make myself get up, go run, and feel better afterward. I am shooting for 3-4 days a week and need to build my endurance back up after a winter of no exercise.

We are back into our routine of Mondays and Tuesdays at home for the most part. We cram in a lot of schoolwork and a lot of practicing.

Schoolwork for yesterday included....
-two lessons in Saxon 78
-a lesson in PLATO Biology on Genetic Engineering complete with test
-pre-reading for a lesson in Best Short Stories with writing assignment
-reading two chapters in History of US (we are almost to the Revolutionary War after spending all year on Colonial Times...there is just so much cool stuff to do)
-started a project for Artists lapbook
-coloring in history coloring books
-reading for book club...currently "Out of My Mind"

Practicing included...
-Orchestra...They got two new pieces to learn for PRYSM. Not very difficult pieces...one for the side-by-side with PRYSM-Young Artists. She worked on the new pieces and practiced half of her already learned pieces for both orchestras.

-Fiddling... She has two new tunes this week, a reel and a slipjig, plus part of the reel she is learning for All Ireland. She's heard all three tunes so can already play them (shhhh! don't tell Brian...he wants to teach her the Ireland reel himself) and is just working on bowings and phrasings. She went back and played some of her older tunes for review.

-classical music...scales and arpeggios, shifting exercises, double stop exercises and current pieces in progress. "Meditation from Thais" and Bach E Major Concerto. Thais is in practice mode and she is learning the Bach bit by bit trying to perfect each bit before moving on. She has a little over a page to learn in the Bach then the last couple pages are repeat of what she already knows.

We had Poppop over for a nice chicken cacciatore dinner. Delicious!

Then we took Newt to wrestling practice. Newt had a great weekend wrestling. He took 2nd in the MAWA regional tournament so will wrestle in the national tournament in three weeks. Haley and Dylan had a fun Sunday playing Irish music with Next Generation then spending the evening playing at Pl*ugh and the St*rs. I didn't think they'd ever want to leave. They played and had fun from 5-9pm and were still going strong. I finished an entire book while sitting listening to them.