Best laid plans...

No Levi this week.  It has been odd. Quiet.

My sister had a week between school terms...so she and Levi are spending 9 days together! (gasp).

I am happy for both of them..but wow..it has been eerie without the kiddo here.

I had grand plans. To tame the laundry monster. To put away the pack-n-play. To catch up on all my homework for the SAM class. To crochet at least 2 blocks for Cody's afghan. It's a tough pattern. Cool though. You can see it here.

Instead I redid the same 5 chains on the 3rd row of the 1st block..like..way too many times. We decided a trip to my friend's ranch was in order.

We like to go to her ranch. She tries to show me how to crochet. (and often does a lot of it herself!). The boys run around blowing things up. It's perfect!

Actually? We visit this ranch about once a week. Austen has decided NOT to go kayaking in Canada this summer. Mostly..because he didn't want his mom tagging along. Yes..I was fired from my son's summer trip. Instead he is spending a month surviving.

The day after his 17th birthday, we are dropping him off at this ranch. He has agreed to call my friend once every morning and evening. If he does not check in..they will search for him. He can start fires, catch and cook small wild-life (remember..the snake?), plant and eat veggies, etc. He knows where to find clean water, etc. What scares me? Mountain lions. But this is something he really feels he needs to do. So we let him go.

I know..from kayaking in Canada to survival in the Texas Hills seems completely incompatible. Big B and I agreed to send him to Autrailia, New Zealand and Fiji  if he holds off on international travel for another year. He can go with People to People. We are comfortable with this organization..and more importantly? He won't have to bring his mom. But it is pricey..so he will have to wait.

The laundry? Still everywhere. I must get rid of some clothes.

Pack-n-play? Still set up filled with (gasp) laundry!

My own studies? Well..how about started one assignment out of 4.

But..I insisted we, you know, studied earlier this week. So we did.

Hamlet and  more essay writing (Cody decided to add another college to his list) We spend a day studying economics and perusing a local college library for resources on various research papers. Devin is writing on the history of computer gaming, Austen on zombie lore. Cody..was writing on the loan industry..but changed his mind. He is still deciding.

..and me? I must choose a church leader from the last 50-60 years to write a paper on. It's for my ethics class. I chose Archbishop Helden Camara. Because I love to quote him "When I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist."

I mean really. How can you not love that?!

So today is the day we head to the ranch...and I am going to have to tell them ..uhmm..oops?

 Oh yikes..the boys are going to kill me..I need to spend the afternoon at a local non-profit. A nice mentor has taken me under her wing to teach me business basics..you know..for future reference. We had planned to meet for an hour later this afternoon. Now? It has turned into 4 so I can attend a webinar on quick-books and stuff.

Hmm..maybe if I wake the boys now..we can squeeze in a couple of hours of play...