Four Little Monkeys

This week I'm getting ready for Chloe's birthday party coming up on Friday.  She wants a science party since her idol (Jaclyn) adores chemistry.  

(BTW: Jaclyn placed 49th in the country on the Waterloo Chemistry Exam this year written by thousands of students nation wide with the top 200 names being published.)

I've hired Mad Science to come entertain at the party, and Chloe and I have assembled invitations, decorations, and treat bags all with design elements from the periodic table purchased here.  

 (After I purchased the birthday PDF files from etsy, Jaclyn went and made a periodic table of the elements thank-you card for her chemistry teacher all by herself.)

A few weeks ago I tried to get satellite radio installed in Ken's truck while he was in the middle east.  Due to an ordering error by the shop the new technology didn't go in until after Ken came home, but before he made that long drive to Moab and home again, which was really the point.  It was his early Father's Day present and now I have to figure out what to do for actual Father's Day.

Back on May 28th our junior high had their mainstage production.  Once again Steven worked as a tech (the BEST according to the director).  The production this year was a compilation of legends from Africa.  I loved what Miss Shaw wrote in the program:

So often the stories we hear from Africa are heartbreaking, overwhelming accounts of war, famine and disease . . . but Africa is so much more than this.  The people of Africa are filled with strength, beauty, courage and wisdom.  Tonight we are celebrating the stories that remind us that no matter where on the planet we were born, we share so many common experiences and dreams.

Miss Shaw spent last summer in Africa providing inservice for local teachers there, which inspired the school play this year.  In addition to performing the legends of Africa, all proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction at intermission went to a charity effort initiated by student leadership.  They are trying to raise enough money to build a school in Africa, how great is that?  Never mind bleachers for the gym, they want $30, 000 to help kids on the other side of the world.

Last week student leadership sponsored a fun run/walk-a-thon for the *Building Hope Campaign* as they're calling it.  In the assembly before the walk-a-thon the students were recognized for another charitable effort they've been involved in saving pull-tabs for the Ronald MacDonald House of Southern Alberta.  Our school placed 3rd in the inter-school contest to see who could save the most tabs.  Steven and Carmen both came to the front to accept the certificate and ribbon.  Steven initiated the program in our school two years ago, but Carmen helped this year and is carrying it on next year.  All the students in the school were awarded certificates for MacDonald's Restaurant yogurt parfaits and the school itself was awarded some science materials kits.

As for me, I've been busy with Relief Society weekday meetings.  Carmen came looking for me the other day and asked what I was doing.  "Relief Society," I answered.  She told me I was always doing that, and I reminded her that before this I was always doing Young Womens.  We're trying to have a daytime meeting and an evening meeting every month.  Our daytime meeting this month was all about food - 3 month emergency supply menus & frozen treats for summer.  Our evening meeting this month is all about summer activities with leaders from children and youth auxiliaries speaking on what can be accomplished in Cubbing, Scouting, Personal Progress, Duty to God, and Faith in God during summer months.  Our other class is just for fun stay-cation ideas in and around the city.

At the last minute we added the Summer Bucket List sand pail idea I found here, only we're doing it in vinyl.  The response for this one has been staggering and I think we're going to be short supplies for how many women want to make and fill one of these buckets.  What I'm learning is that we RS Sisters really like a craft.
Now if only I can come up with a craft for the 'Using the Preach My Gospel manual in the Home' class I think we need to do.