We're getting used to a new month coming along, seemingly after the previous one just got started! So, we welcomed the month of May with a great week of activities ranging from bowling to wondering if ghosts are real to celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Coach Teri's birthday on the same day! That's a tradition we really enjoy. Check it out, along with the rest of our week!
Tuesday
First thing this morning, Sweet T, Patrick, Drew, and Alexis harvested spinach from the pot the master gardeners planted with us. That's going to be good in the salad we're making for lunch on Thursday!
Here we are at bowling since it's the first Tuesday of the month! As usual, we seem very at home here. Celebrations were about to commence...
We didn't get the score in the shot, but a somewhat shocked Abraham had just gotten a strike and Dev B was congratulating him. 💙
Laura watched her pal Annmarie score a strike and it inspired her to do the same! Now that's positive peer pressure!
Wouldn't you know, Drew scored a strike and on the very next turn, so did Sweet T! Both of these guys were trying to hard to keep their balls in the middle of the lane and avoid hitting the bumpers. It paid off with Drew scoring 114 and Devin making it to 119!
It's hard to tell in this picture, but our pizza lunch at Kiwanis Park was under breezy conditions! It wasn't too cold, but it was more windy than we expected. Everyone did a great job keeping their napkins from flying away!
Kate, Sam, Dev B, and Adia decided to stand in the sun where it was "warmer." Oh, the adventures we have! The pizza was delicious, though. We would like to thank Cameron's family for treating us today! He comes down to bowl with us each month, and pizza is his favorite! Thank you, Ouellette Family, for your thoughtful generosity.
The next stop on today's adventure was at APEX PT and Movement Center. They collected food donations from staff, patients, and Rock Steady boxers during April in support of the Arc's Aktion Club. We were in the area after bowling and lunch, so we stopped to pick up APEX's donations, which we then dropped off at GCOC. Devin and Patrick happily helped Kelly begin to load the donations on the van.
Kelly had the help of several of us, including Erik and Adia, who carefully carried a big box of donations to the back of the van. We made several trips from the office to the van!
On behalf of the Aktion Club, we give Kelly, Scott, and the entire APEX team a huge thank you for supporting the food drive! We used the big van today so we could fit it all in, and it's a good thing we did! Our friends at APEX and Rock Steady Boxing were extremely generous!
How generous you ask? Our friends at GCOC carefully weighed it bag by bag and box by box before we filled this huge cart. The APEX donations came to 267 pounds! WOW! We can't thank them enough, and neither can GCOC volunteer Henry, who joined us in the picture standing between Patrick and Adia. It takes a village, and the AoA is proud to be part of an amazing one with the Aktion Club, APEX PT, and GCOC!
Wednesday
We were staying at the center all day today, so when we sent Kate, Laura, and Liz to the JRES library to shelve books, they had plenty of time to also select some books for tomorrow's Star Wars Day! Thanks, girls!
After dancing and checking last week's blog, we went outside for fresh air and movment, even though it was breezy and chilly for May!
The back area is great for walking, and our guys don't mind stretching their legs. Despite the breezy conditions, we noticed a lot of birds hanging out in the garden.
Some of our friends enjoy shooting hoops, and cheering each other on whether the ball passes through the net or not! 😍
We switched the calendar over to May, and updated it with the many activities and "celebrations" we have to look forward to this month!
It's such a joy to watch our group work as a team to do this job. Today, we were also taking down old pictures from the walls, and coloring some new ones to add. We like to keep things bright!
After lunch, we checked out National Paranormal Day, for the first time. Our friend Erik has an interest in paranormal activity, because when he was younger his family may have experienced it! We watched a video that pretty much said ghosts don't exist because science can't prove it, but after hearing about Erik's family's experiences, we weren't so sure!
When Erik's family lived in a house in Fredericksburg that used to be a Civil War field hospital, strange noises could not be explained, and once something flew off of a shelf! Another time, the family was staying at a B&B in South Carolina, that was said to be haunted. Erik's parents heard him talking in the middle of the night, and they shouted for him to go back to sleep. The next morning, Erik, who was 7, told them he was talking to a young girl in a white dress who was sitting at the edge of his bed. He told them he showed her his Pokemon toys, and then she disappeared! When the owner of the B&B was told this story, he lost all color in his face and said it was the ghost of Miss Chicken!
Interestingly, Sam's mom, Coach Teri, has told us in the past about experiences their family had in a Civil War era house they lived in on Ft. Monroe that made them think it was haunted, too!
Soo, as our video said at the end...maybe!
Thursday
After the Pet Supplies Plus Crew left and we had done a little dancing, the Cooking Crew got busy preparing today's lunch. We decided to try something new. Instead of making garlic bread to accompany our pasta, we made "pizza bites" using leftover pizza from Devin B's party last week and our Tuesday lunch this week. Kate used our kitchen scissors to cut the pizza slices into smaller pieces, which we heated to a crisp in the Nina!
Sam and Abraham handled sauce duty. We used ground turkey, which they browned and seasoned with garlic powder and minced onion, before adding the red sauce. They also added a sprinkle of sugar to help with the tanginess of the tomato sauce. After a quick taste test, they agreed it tasted "just right!"
Kevin and Annmarie assisted in putting together fresh salads. The "secret" ingredient was the fresh spinach we harvested from the pot we planted with the master gardeners a couple of weeks ago!
Sweet T and Drew helped Nan make brownies. They made the kitchen smell so good, but we will have to wait until tomorrow to try them. They are for Coach Teri's birthday!
Also for tomorrow's party are these festive napkins with silverware bundled inside and sealed with one of our specially designed napkin rings! Michelle and Alexis got them ready, and Sam approved of their handiwork!
We figured the PSP Crew was getting a good workout at the store, so after we finished lunch prep, we worked out to a video called "Star Wars Gym Class." Several of our guys brought in props like light sabers, Stormtrooper helmets, and Baby Yodas, which we somehow snuck into the workout!
Over at Pet Supplies Plus, this crew was so busy stocking shelves and cleaning, that Carol only got one shot, but it's a good one! They found Star Wars toys for pets! Head on over to PSP where you can get these and lots of other toys, and plenty of pet food that they stocked today, too!
Before returning to the center, the PSP Crew stopped by Eaton to give James some work we had completed at AFCC. As always, he was thrilled, and very proud of us! Xavier! Why did you duck behind Liz when the picture was being snapped?! Oh well, we see your forehead and jeans legs, at least!
After lunch, we celebrated Star Wars Day! We watched a video clip of the Top 10 Star Wars Movie Moments, and learned that the first movie came out waaaaay back in 1977! We also discussed that "May the 4th be with you" is a pun, taken from the movie line, "May the force be with you!" Next, we repeated an activity from last year, where we used the pun "Yoda Best" (You're the Best) to make compliment cards for each other. We ran out of time before we could share, so we will do that (and include pictures) tomorrow!
Friday
Today's celebration was a double: Cinco de Mayo and Coach Teri's birthday, which is a great excuse for our traditional lunch with her...and from her! But before we got to that, we had some things to take care of!
After dancing, we took turns reading yesterday's "Yoda Best" compliments to each other. Michelle drew Patrick's name, and she shared with him that he's a "very cool guy and a great DJ." Michelle likes when Patrick is our DJ, because he always plays a lot of Disney movie songs!
Adia couldn't resist hugging Laura after Laura shared that Adia "is a good helper, and I love you, Adia." 💖
Not all of our guys write, but Lisa, Carol, and Nan work with them and try to convey what they might be feeling in their hearts about their friends. We wish we could share ALL of the thoughtful
compliements they share with each other, but alas, it would take too long. Here's a sampling of one of the sweet notes, as written by Alexis to Annmarie. This will always be one of our favorite activities!
After all the Yoda Best love was shared, we got busy and made birthday cards and a few birthday decorations for Coach Teri, and lots of Cinco de Mayo decorations, too. We thought this board turned out really well, and it shows what our amazing gang of coloring artists can do in about half an hour! 😲
We had time to talk about today being Astronaut Day in addition to Cinco de Mayo. We watched a short video about the first American woman in space, Sally Ride, and learned that she flew 40 years ago! Next, we worked with a buddy on a following directions vocabulary assignment. The two Devins worked sooo well togther! 👏👏
Coach Teri arrived at lunch time, so DJ Liz cranked up the Mexican music and we got the fiesta started!
Look at this beautiful spread we had for lunch! Coach Teri brought tacos (from Taco Bell, which our guys thought was the bomb), homemade salsa, chips, refried beans, fruit, tea, and lemonade. Nan added her "famous" guacamole, and everything was sooo good! Coach Teri also provided the festive mini-sombreros we wore, and the colorful paper products and table coverings. What a fiesta it was! We're glad our friend Coach Teri was born on Cinco de Mayo, and that she has continued this joyful tradition with us over the years!
We grabbed this sweet photo of Teri and Sam, and it also shows off the brownies we decorated with sprinkles and Cinco de Mayo cake toppers! Also, if you look closely, in front of the brownies, you'll spot two homemade maracas that Annmarie added to the celebration!
We set up a birthday table for Teri so her special day wouldn't be overshadowed by Cinco de Mayo. Sam and Abraham were beaming to be eating tacos....ummm, we mean, celebrating Teri's birthday!
Coach Teri, we can't thank you enough for treating us to this wonderful fiesta today! We absolutely love this tradition, and spending time with you! Happy, Happy Birthday, and we hope all of your wishes come true! (Check out Annmarie and Adia playing Annmarie's maracas in this video!)
Sweet T eats a soft food diet, so he couldn't have a brownie. Instead, he enjoyed a cup of vanilla ice cream. He also tried Teri's refried beans at lunch, which she had made extra creamy in the hopes that he could enjoy them. He said both the beans and the ice cream were delicioso!
Since it was Teri who taught us how to play bocce, and earned the nickname "Coach Teri," we invited her outside to check out our team version of the game.
She noticed how bonded we are during this style of play. There was plenty of encouragement and coaching from teammates to go around, and we think Coach Teri was proud of that, and our great bocce skills, too!
Once again, the Caviliers won the game! Manager Lisa says it may be time to make some player trades!! Still, congrats to the Caviliers on another great game!
After our fun and celebratory afternoon, we were ready to kick back with Jaime for a Star Wars version of yoga! She kept our attention as she told the story of Episode IV - A New Hope, and we stretched and relaxed. When it was over, so was our first week of May!
Just like a good Star Wars film, we'll be back with more adventures! Here's a look at our plans for next week:
Tuesday: This morning we will visit with the master gardeners where we will check our plant growth, discuss basil and tomatoes (two of our favorites), and work on a special craft. If the weather cooperates, we'll plan to head over to Jamestown Beach Event Park for lunch and recreation by the river. Bocce on the beach, anyone?! Arc shirts optional; bring a bagged lunch.
Wednesday: We will volunteer at Grove Christian Outreach Center today, so please wear Arc shirts. We'll prepare Mother's Day surprises and have time for brain work, too! Lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is serving chicken sandwich or hot dog.
Thursday: It's our regularly scheduled day to visit Mike at the Watermen's Museum, and with the forecast looking very nice, we'll plan to hang out in Yorktown for lunch, games, a walk, and maybe our first trolley ride of the season. It's Eat What You Want Day, so keep that in mind as you bring a bagged lunch! Arc shirts optional.
Friday: It may seem like deja vu, but it's Eaton Work Day and Birthday Party Day, too! That works for us! Today, we will celebrate our friend Michelle with a pizza party for lunch, courtesy of her Mom and sister Meagan, who will be joining us! When we return to the center, we'll have Encanto yoga with Jaime, at Michelle's request! Wear your Eaton shirts and dress to stretch, too!
REMINDER!!
The Arc's Community Pickleball Challenge is coming up June 3-4! This is our 2nd Annual Event, and last year's was so much fun! Click the image for a link to more information. If you don't play, plan to come out and see what pickleball is all about, and cheer for the players. Also, share the info with anyone you know who does play! This FUNdraiser is a big DILL!
Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang
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