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Wow! We're finally back on track... sort of.

Well, my beloved Grampa Brown was laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery last month, and my baby sister has been married off. We are back from our travels, done with all of our preparations, and plodding through homeschooling. We are finally unpacked, getting a handle on the "fit in the housework" game, which has become very challenging, but learning a lot about how homeschooling works in our home.

This past week, we visited our City Hall, where the kids got to see photos of all of our past mayors, tour the courtroom, see where our city approves or denies permits, and talk with a police officer about the role of the police in our community. There was a lot to see for such a small city (land-wise), and we were able to share with everyone in the building our delicious homemade muffins. The kids seemed to get more curious about government and our city after this visit, so the field trip definitely paid off!

Dania has begun to speak in 2- and 3-word sentences, and she is as adorable and obstinate as ever! This morning I caught her standing on the tray that holds the chalk for the chalkboard easel. Yep, she's a climber. Quin and Calysta have joined a homeschool swim group, in which they are the least capable swimmers, so we have spent a lot of time at the pool trying to improve their strength and stamina. They are really improving, but Quin will probably stay at the bottom of the class because he is a full 2 years younger than the next youngest kid. He tries, though, and the instructor doesn't mind working with him.

Well, Dania is napping and Daddy took the big kids to the pool, so I need to stop postponing the cleaning that needs to be done. I'll write again soon!

Blessings,
Angie

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