Dog Day of Summer!

We're going to revisit last week at the Arc of Abilities in reverse on this update!  After an unusually uneventful week for us, we arrived at the AFCC on Friday to find we had no air conditioning.  But as you will see, a "Dog Day of Summer" didn't put a damper on our day!

We were prepared to be in a quiet building on Friday as the school staff has Fridays off so it would just be us and Soup.  It should have been a clue when Lisa and Carol arrived and saw Soup heading out to the parking lot without his usual big smiling face...he was coming to tell us there was no air conditioning in the Rec Center side of the building.  We immediately felt like this:  😳, and contemplated trying to put together an early dismissal plan.  However, we realized that would have taken a lot of coordination with all of the various methods of transportation and car pool situations our families have in place.  So, Soup brought in a couple of big fans and told us we could move to the cafeteria if necessary...and we were good to go!  We had Pink Day to celebrate!

Considering that the heat index forecast for Friday was over 100 degrees, we were pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the big room was with the fans running and the lights out.  That was good news since we needed access to the television/internet as well as lots of supplies to get a few things done...like making pink lemonade from scratch!  Moving everything we needed for the day to the cafeteria would have been a little inconvenient.

We decided it might be best not to do our usual dance warm up, so we will make up for that next week!  Instead, we also "celebrated" Take Your Dog to Work Day by watching a few dog-related video clips throughout the morning.  In this one, the dogs are playing while a parody of Pharrell Williams' "Happy" plays...and Josie, Meghan, and Sam couldn't resist getting up to dance anyway!

Next, it was time to get our pink lemonade made and in the fridge, so we needed some muscle to roll the lemons to release the juice! (See Sam in the foreground?  He's Exhibit A that it wasn't too hot in there as he is still wearing his fleece jacket!)

Yo, Drew!  Real men wear pink and put the muscle to the metal!

After releasing the juices, we needed to use the juicers to hand-squeeze the lemons, and that definitely called for some background music.  Beatles, anyone?

We added cranberry juice to give our lemonade its pink color, and how did it turn out?  Just ask the gang!

When we checked the National Day Calendar on Friday, we found out that June 23 is also a day to recognize the importance of being well-hydrated as it was National Hydration Day.  That was timely!  We gathered a few of our friends and their water to show that around the AoA, we always keep hydration awareness at the forefront!  Isn't all that pink just adorable?!

And what would Pink Day be without a bowl of pink grapefruit?  Here's Chloe enjoying some...she was one of only a few who would try it! 😔

After lunch down the hall in our "lunchroom," where it was still rather pleasant, we returned to the big room and realized it had really warmed up and was getting muggy.  So around 1:00 we packed up a minimum amount of supplies and headed to the cafeteria where we made some thank you notes and watched another cute dog movie.  

It's always fun when Patti from the Moose drops by!  She even dressed in her best pink for the occasion!  She came to volunteer, and also give us the details for the upcoming cookout/fundraiser on Sunday, July 2nd.  The location is behind the Moose Lodge on Richmond Road (which is directly behind Carolina Furniture near the intersection of Richmond and Airport Roads).  There will be hamburgers and hot dogs, live music, games, a Corn Hole Tourney, and lots of fun visiting with our friends from the Moose Lodge.  The cost is $10 per adult, but our associates are guests of honor and get in free!  All proceeds will go directly to our AoA day support program!  If you're in town, please join us between 12-4 on July 2nd!

Meanwhile, earlier in the week we found ourselves writing another letter to our soldier pen pal, Spencer, who is still deployed to Kandahar.  Here, Bo and Chloe respond to Spencer's letters to them and answer some of the questions he asked about their lives.

Here's an excerpt from Kacie's letter...Go Army!

We also marked Onion Rings Day on Thursday by having a taste test between Nathan's and Red Robin brands.  We baked them in our toaster oven and in the end, Red Robin won the most votes because they were the crunchiest!

Here we are moving to a workout video...is this move called the "Windshield Wiper?" 

This is the current state of the gym floor, which is being redone over the next couple of weeks.  We hope the workers stay on schedule because we were looking forward to extra access to this area for the summer!

Michael surprised us at Tai Chi on Wednesday by telling us we were going to use two balls instead of one!  He's slowly guiding us toward a routine and using the balls helps us make broader movements with our arms, and gives us something more specific to follow with our eyes.

Surprises are fun!  Chloe had visited Washington, DC last week and she brought everyone a goodie bag!  We appreciate Chloe and her family's thoughtfulness!

A walk through the garden revealed beautiful blooms and we spotted the Virginia state insect, the Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly!  

These friends made whipped cream from scratch so we could celebrate Peaches and Cream Day.

The peaches were good, but the roast beef sandwiches we were treated to by Kate and the Thompson family were a HUGE hit!  It had been a long time since we heard so many "oohs and ahhs" during lunch time!  We thank the Thompsons for this treat...it was delicious!

It was a slow week for vocational tasks, but there was a small amount of Eaton work to complete.  Here, our dedicated crew works on photocell plate production!  WOW!

Tuesday was all about the camaraderie at bowling.  It's great to see the socialization and peer support that takes place during this outing!  

Josie wasn't excited that the ball veered to the left, but Patrick reminded her that she could "try again."

Meghan is working hard on her hand position and it paid off with a couple of spares and a strike last week.  Laura congratulates her!

Chloe continues to encourage Xavier to swing his arm before dropping the ball.  A work in progress!

Kevin bowled without the rack...Sam was very proud of him!

That wraps up the week of June 20th.  Here's what's up next:

Tuesday:  We head to Paint on Pottery for a creative outing sponsored by the Klines.  Thank you to them!  Can't wait to see what we come up with!  Afterward, we will have lunch at Cookout restaurant.  Please bring $10 (or debit card) for lunch! It's also Sunglasses Day, so bring a pair...the weather is forecast to be gorgeous and cooler so we just might stop for a walk on the way back to AFCC!

Wednesday:  It's Paul Bunyan Day, so we will enjoy some tall tales...and probably come up with some of our own!  Lunch on your own.

Thursday:  It's Bomb Pop Day!  We will prepare a lunch of baked potatoes and enjoy Bomb Pops for dessert!

Friday:  It's Meteor Watch Day so we will study space and try making Planet Pops (aka, cake pops)!  Lunch on your own.

Here are some upcoming events...always optional...but we love to see you!  Our families support us in SO many ways.  We really can't thank you enough!

Sunday, July 2:  12-4 p.m. Women of the Moose sponsored cookout/fundraiser; proceeds benefit Arc's Day Support Program!

Tuesday, July 4: The AoA will be closed for the holiday!

Fridays - July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6: Jamestown Jams Concert Series at Jamestown Beach Event Park.  Free admission.  Proceeds from beer sales benefit The Arc of Greater Williamsburg!

Friday/Saturday, July 28-29:  The Arc of GW is sponsoring a resource seminar that includes dinner on Friday evening and opportunities on Saturday for families to meet individually with experts on planning for our loved ones' future needs.  More info coming soon from The Arc...

Saturday, October 7: The Arc's 8th annual 5K at Williamsburg Landing!  Registration open online and sponsorships being sought!  More info at The Arc of Greater Williamsburg .

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa, Carol, and Nan