As spring continued to arrive, we enjoyed a pleasant week. The weather was nice, but not particularly warm. Still, we celebrated Take a Walk in the Park Day on Thursday before stopping for a visit to our artist friend Jeff's studio! We also visited the Army Transportation Museum this week, met a long-time friend and advocate for The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, and celebrated National Tater Day with a yummy lunch on Friday! We wondered how March got away so quickly, too?! It was a delightful week, and here are the highlights...
Tuesday
This morning we had a surprise visitor! Ben Conner, who used to live in Williamsburg and was a Young Life Capernaum leader, stopped by to see friends who used to be in his program, and meet some new ones who are in ours. Michelle, Drew, Alexis, Xavier, Liz, Sam, Patrick, and, in the back Carol's sons David and Matt, spent many of their teen years involved in Capernaum activities with Ben, and have many fond memories of their time together. Ben eventually moved to Michigan, where he continues to be an advocate for the disability community. His Capernaum friends aged out of Young Life, but Ben's mom still lives in town and every chance he gets, Ben tries to touch base with them.
Ben was happy to meet new friends as well, those in the AoA who didn't know him "way back when." We all enjoyed talking with him and filling him in on the wonderful things we do in our program. He's proud of ALL of us!! It was great to see Ben, and it was great that David and Matt could join us, too!
Since we wanted to allow plenty of time for Ben's visit, we ended up flipping our day's plans. After he left, we had our dance warm up and then Lisa read from our Hello, Universe book, which we are trying to finish this week, before March ends! Next, we went outside for a walk around the Grove Community Garden. The weather was a little chilly, and it was cloudy, so we decided not to head to the park for lunch. While doing laps around the garden, Drew, Liz, Alexis, and Michelle spotted a huge patch of pollen on the sidewalk. Here, they were warning their friends to go around it! 🤧
We had lunch a few minutes early, and then headed to Ft. Eustis to visit the Army Transportation Museum. We pulled up to the gate, but were rerouted to the Visitor Center where Lisa and Carol had to undergo a background check in order to get a pass to enter the base! (They passed!) Once we were inside the museum, we checked out a video about the history of Ft. Eustis, which was 100 years old in 2018.
There were a lot of objects in the museum that grabbed our attention. We enjoyed hearing the friends call each other over to see interesting things!
When we saw this poster saying that General Pershing was looking for 120,000 "Real Men" to join the forces in WWI, all of our men immediately stepped up!
Our "Real Women" took a nice pic next to this amphibious vehicle, which was nicknamed "a truck that swims."
We learned that during WWII, when the city of Berlin was blocked from receiving aid by way of rail or trucks, American forces airlifted food and supplies to them. A pilot named Halvorsen also dropped candy for the German children, which he tied to small parachutes made from handkerchiefs! He was known as the "Candy Bomber."
Devin B, Liz, and Sam climbed to the top of a tower, that represented something from the Vietnam War era (maybe a lookout), but the blog writer didn't read the information card for this one...🤔
We didn't make it to all of the outdoor transportation displays, so we will return to the museum for a longer visit in the future. We really enjoyed our time here today. Next time, we'll know to arrive a little earlier, with time for our drivers to stop by the Visitor Center for their background checks!
Wednesday
As usual, we sent a crew to the JRES Library to shelve books this morning. In a rare sighting, both Mr. Nonnemacher and Ms. Ortega were there, and they joined Laura, Alexis, and Liz for this nice photo. They are usually on morning bus duty when we arrive to help!
After our dance warm up, Lisa gave us a short follow up lesson about the "Candy Bomber" we read about at the Army Transportation Museum yesterday. His name was Gail Halvorsen, and he just passed away in February 2022 at the age of 101. He also survived Covid at the age of 100, before vaccines were available. There are not many service members still living who served in WWII. We refer to the ones who are as "The Greatest Generation." They also lived through WWI and the Great Depression. We learned that after WWII, Gail returned to Utah to marry his college sweetheart, and continued his military service for many years to come.
At mid-morning we welcomed The Arc of Greater Williamsburg's Executive Director, Pam, and a special guest, Mary Kay Dineen, who is a retired physician. She is a former board member, and a long-time advocate for the Arc, and wanted to see our program in action. We set up stations and gave her a glimpse into our day! Here, Carol was explaining our partnership with Eaton while Drew, Xavier, and Devin T sorted parts.
Alexis and Liz worked on applying gaskets to the parts the guys sorted. Mary Kay was wowed by the many tasks we do for Eaton, and by the fact that we do work for them both here and there!
At this station, Adia led a craft activity. Today we were using different lengths of colorful washi tape to cover butterflies that were cut out of cardstock. We'll decorate with them as we continue to transform our room into a spring spectacular!
We also showed Mary Kay how we work on continuing education. Erik, Sam, Patrick, and Dev B were using the letters in MANATEE APPRECIATION DAY (which today was) to make new words. This is one of our favorite literacy activities. We didn't get a picture, but when Pam and Mary Kay observed this activity, Pam jumped right in and helped the guys make even more words! 👏👏
It just so happened we had books that the JRES librarian wanted us to prep for discard, so Kate, Michelle, and Laura were able to show Mary Kay and Pam some of our volunteer work, and tell them about our partnership with the school. We also pointed out that we volunteer at Grove Christian Outreach Center now.
This picture was taken by Alexis not long after our guests arrived. Lisa and Carol were with Pam and Mary Kay, talking and showing Mary Kay around our space. The gang was participating in a movement activity that required them to spin the online spinner before going to an activity station. Liz and Abraham were at the spinner when Liz told Lexi to take a picture for the blog! 😊📷
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Today was Manatee Appreciation Day, so we had a lesson about the gentle giants that live in warm, shallow waters, mainly around Florida, and who have no natural enemies. Adia kicked it off with a video clip from Veggie Tales, where Larry dances with his stuffed manatee. It was cute, and a throwback to our gang's childhood memories!
We learned more facts from a PowerPoint presentation and short video, and then did our brain work. We had scrambled words, cryptograms, crossword puzzles, and matching sheets. Something for everyone!
Cryptogram puzzles are fairly challenging, but a few of our guys stuck with this one and decoded the message today! FYI: Manatees are mammals. At one time there were five living species of manatees.
We've been holding on to the giant milk chocolate bar Trader Joe's gave us until we had time to learn about where chocolate comes from. Today, we watched a Mystery Doug episode and learned that it comes from the seeds of the cacao plant, and the ancient Aztecs were among the first people to make "xocotal," a word they used to describe a bitter drink, and from which we have derived the word "chocolate." Kate, Laura, Sam, Dev B, and Adia are in front of a picture of a cacao plant, which grows in tropical areas and has pods that look like footballs!
We also learned a bit about Belgian chocolate, since Belgium is where this chocolate bar was made. We learned that in Belgium, the chocolate must be made with at least 35% cacao, and 100% cocoa butter. No artificial or other vegetable oils may be used. Maybe that is why when we sampled the chocolate, it melted so smoothly in our mouths! Thanks, Trader Joe's! The lesson that came from having this treat was sweet!
Thursday
We had a wonderful adventure today! It led us to Little Creek Reservoir Park, which we had never visited, and then to our artist friend Jeff's studio, both in the Toano/Lanexa area of our county. Our first stop was the park, where we celebrated National Take a Walk in the Park Day! With the reservoir in view every step of the trail, we couldn't have had better scenery!
It was around 11:00 when we started our hike, and even though it was sunny, it was cool enough that we needed light jackets. Once we really got moving, we felt warmer!
We decided not to go all the way down to the water, as it was somewhat steep, but this group ventured down a side trail and got a little closer. The water was very pretty.
We ate lunch at the shelter and then had a few minutes on the playground before heading to Jeff's. Drew found a slide!
Sam found a chain ladder to climb, while Annmarie found another slide!
Adia was excited to see this American Sign Language display, which we learned Karryna was responsible for having placed in our parks! 👏 Adia is proficient in ASL. In fact, National American Sign Language Day is in a couple of weeks, and Adia is busy putting together a presentation/lesson for us! Thank you, Adia! 
Nan checked out the supply of books available at a Little Free Library located at the park. She said there were some good titles in there, so check it out next time you're near Lanexa, and take the beautiful trail hike, too!
When we arrived at Jeff's studio, which is attached to his house, he was as happy to see us as we were to see him!
Once inside, Jeff gave us a demonstration on what we would be doing today. First, we would draw, doodle, or even scribble with waxy crayons. Next, we would paint over the crayon with watercolors to make beautiful pictures! The watercolor would resist the wax, making for a unique look.
All of our guys were engaged in the process, and as they got more into it, they could be heard calling Jeff over to see their creations. They were proud of their work! Jeff's studio is light and comfy, if a little cozy for a group our size. But Jeff had placed tables, chairs, and benches in strategic spots, and we couldn't have felt more welcome. Not to mention inspired to create art!
We were very busy working and helping one another, and we forgot to get close up pictures of our work. We left it at Jeff's, so it could dry, and Jeff will get it to us in a few days. We'll be sure to get some pictures then! Thank you so much for inviting us to your studio, Jeff! It was a real treat to see where you create your beautiful art, and for us to have a chance to work in a real studio. It was a great experience, and the highlight of our adventure today! By the way, you're moving very well with your new hip. We are proud of you!
Finally, today was opening day for Major League Baseball! For the first time in over 50 years, all major league teams were playing on opening day. What a marathon of games that would be! Our biggest fans at the AoA are Dev B, Liz, and Patrick, so we will be kept up to date on the Phillies, Nats, and Braves throughout the season!
Friday
Happy National Tater Day! We celebrated today by learning about potatoes, baking them for lunch, and grating them to put in a cake!
After our lesson on how potatoes grow and their nutritional value (especially when baked instead of fried), we switched gears to make a homemade chocolate cake that calls for freshly shredded potato in place of oil. Kate helped shred the potato.
Sam and Erik pitched in to spray cooking oil on the pan, and Dev B found sour cream in the fridge. The sour cream and shredded potato would help make the cake moist.
Meanwhile, down in the foyer, Ms. Vallone's daughter, and our friend, Ashley, was painting nails for some of the girls. She brought beautiful spring colors that were also scented!
Annmarie opted for different colors on each nail!
For spring, we're going to play in a Bocce Challenge! We split into two teams, and took turns going 1-1 against members from each team. Toward the left is the team that named themselves "Bocce Cavaliers." Toward the right, is team "Bocce Celtics."
Our guys are always willing to help each other. Kate was coaching Sweet T, while Adia gave Kevin some tips. 💞
In today's first game of our Spring Bocce Challenge, the Celtics won! It's going to be a fun season! (In case you are wondering, Dev B is "kissing the jack," a term that comes from the game, but doesn't literally mean to kiss it...LOL!)
Since April begins over the weekend, we updated the calendar today. Speaking of helping each other, Michelle jumped up to help Drew slide the new calendar squares into the plastic sleeves. Sometimes they get stuck!
Our celebration of Tater Day culminated with a baked potato bar for lunch. Paired with fresh veggies and clementines, the loaded potatoes were very tasty!
We can't leave out a photo of our chocolate potato cake...Devin B and Kevin agreed that it was delicious, too!
Best Buddies Drew and Sweet T agreed that all the carbs at lunch called for a hallway walk during Choice Time. Good idea, guys! They did several laps together!
Surprisingly, even with all the carbs, everyone stayed awake for the rest of the afternoon! Lisa tried to finish our March read-aloud, but we still have a couple of short chapters left that we'll hear on Tuesday. 📖
As usual, we ended the week with our online yoga instructor, Jaime. She made sure we got a good stretch and a good dose of mindfulness, so that when we left for the weekend, we felt calm and relaxed!
Tomorrow is April Fool's Day, but we hope no one gets pranked! We'll hear all about it next week if they do! Speaking of next week, here's our schedule:
Tuesday: It's the first Tuesday of the month so we are going bowling today. Wear Arc shirts, bring your gear, and plan for pizza and fruit for lunch. The weather forecast looks encouraging, and it's National Walk Around Things Day, so we will find a good walking spot after filling our tummies with pizza!
Wednesday: Today we will observe Read a Road Map Day with brain work and games. It's Spring Break for the schools, and Heike is the only custodian working, so we will prepare lunch for her! The menu will include baked chicken burritos with rice and beans (National Burrito Day is tomorrow but Heike won't be here.) We'll also play another Spring Bocce Challenge game.
Thursday: It's a Pet Supplies Plus work day for us, so please wear your PSP shirts today. The lunch crew will prepare a fun Easter-themed lunch of PB&J Bunny Sandwiches and Chickie Fruit Cups. We rescheduled our lesson for Crayon Day to today, and it's time for Spring Cleaning in our room, so we'll roll up our sleeves for that, too!
Friday: It's time for spring birthdays! Sam has the first one, and we'll celebrate him with hot dogs, chips, and pie for lunch, courtesy of his family! At Sam's request, we'll also play the Pie in the Face game, so dress for a mess! (Haha...just kidding! It's not that messy!) While Coach Teri is here, we'll show her our version of team bocce, since she was the one who introduced us to this fun game many years ago! We'll end the day with one of Sam's favorite activities, yoga, so dress to stretch!
Happy April!
Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang
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