This post begins on Wednesday since we posted about our Tuesday adventure at the Coast Guard Training Center in a "Special Edition" blog already. That was such a great trip, with many photos and videos, that we had to publish it separately. So, what follows here is the scoop on the other 3 days of this week, when we celebrated our friend Cameron's birthday, welcomed not one, but two additional friends for trial visits, had a fabulous time with multiple special guests on Thursday, and ended the week with yet another productive work day at Eaton!
Wednesday, January 24
Today, we volunteered at Grove Christian Outreach Center and celebrated Cameron's birthday. Cam's official birthday was yesterday, but since we were on the Coast Guard trip, we postponed his party until today. We want to thank his family for treating us to a Pizza Party for lunch! Pizza is one of Cameron's favorite foods, and of course, we're always up for it, too!
Some of our guys, like Xavier, ride WATA and arrive shortly after 8:30 each morning. We call them the "earlybirds" and sometimes they get to do extra tasks to help Lisa and Carol get prepped for the day. Xavier helped update our name tags by removing the old ones from the plastic holders.
WATA riders Sam and Devin put the new name tags in the plastic holders!
Michelle and Tessa are also WATA riders. Today their extra task was to glue pompoms to the tops of our winter hat deorations so we could hang them up here...
Liz and Lexi are earlybirds because they ride in with Lisa and Carol. They love to work on Eaton tasks during their earlybird time! We appreciate ALL of our guys for chipping in whenever we need them!
We are honored to volunteer at Grove Christian Outreach Center a couple of Wednesdays each month. Today, we learned that our friends Peggy and Joel were headed to Michigan because Joel's father passed away. Our hearts are heavy for them, and we will be sure to send a card expressing our sympathy. In their absence, we worked with Ursula and Tom, with whom we have worked in the past. One group unpacked boxes of canned foods and put them in smaller boxes for easier storage. The other group put different canned goods into distribution bags. Both groups were given brownie treats by Ursula and Tom! They even had GF popcorn for Xavier. So thoughtful of them!!
We worked up an appetite for pizza at GCOC, so we told Cameron we were very happy he chose to celebrate his birthday with us! The last AoA birthday party was for Carol back in early December, so we were ready to celebrate Cameron today!
Happy 32nd Birthday, Cameron! We hope all your wishes come true...and you enjoy your trip to the Bahamas next week!
Thanks again, Brian and Stacey, for your generous donation so we could have a Pizza Party. We are glad that Cameron has stayed in touch with us, and especially happy that we could celebrate his birthday with him!
Thursday, January 25
We had a full, busy, and very fun day! First, we welcomed Tracy's intern Mallory to work with us today and tomorrow. She's great! We also welcomed Bryan and Emma for a trial visit, as they are interested in joining our group. They already know many of our guys from evening Arc activities, so we think they felt right at home. They fit seamlessly into our day's activities, too! In addition to them, we welcomed many other guests today: Therapy dog handler Vicky introduced us to her new pup, Lucy; Tracy and her kids, Colby and Heidi stopped by to say hi and join us for lunch; Liz's Uncle Uncle Bruce and Aunt Cathy from Australia visited and told us many interesting things about their home country; Liz's Uncle John (Bruce's brother) and Aunt Mimi from Richmond came too; and Laughter Laura capped off our day with a delightful laughter/wellness session! Phew...it was a lot, but we loved every minute of it! Here come a lot of pictures...we can't help ourselves.
We got sad news about our therapy dog friend, Pip. She tore her cranial cruciate ligament (kind of like our ACL) and will have to have surgery next week. We are going to send her some well wishes for sure! For now, she rides in the wagon...
We wasted no time getting busy with lunch preps. Bryan joined Laura and Erik to make our salads!
Abraham and Drew worked with Lisa to make our pasta sauce. Here, they sauteed onions and pepper.
Sam, Liz, and Mallory whipped up some no-bake peanut butter cookies. Yesterday was National Peanut Butter Day!
Michelle, Alexis, and Tessa worked on our latest napkin ring design that says "At Arc of Abilities All Are Welcome!" They wrapped our silverware in napkins and sealed them with the napkin rings.
We didn't have enough cooking tasks for everyone, but we appreciated Xavier, Kate, and Kevin for coloring some nice posters about using manners. (Not that we need reminders!)
Devin and Nan found out that Emma has cutting skills as she helped slice bread!
After getting lunch prepared, we headed to the gym. There was no school for the students today so we played a great game of kickball! It's hard to get good action shots, but we tried. Tracy and her kids, Colby and Heidi joined us, and both Bryan and Emma said it was fun!
Emma pitching and Bryan kicking
Xavier, happy to be safe on second base!
Our therapy dog handler friend Vicky stopped by to introduce us to her new Havanese puppy, Lucy. Vicky already has Aubree, who is one of our beloved therapy dogs, but we had not met Lucy yet. We had fun playing ball with her, and look forward to hearing about her future training to become a therapy dog like her big sister, Aubree! Thanks for the visit, Vicky. Lucy is adorable and we are so happy we got to meet her! (Tell Aubree we missed her!)
Lucy, 5 months and full of energy!
We are some of the best cooks we know! Lunch was tasty!
Thanks for hanging out with us part of the day, Heidi, Tracy and Colby!
After lunch we had a visit from members of Liz's family. Her father's brother John, on the left with his wife, Mimi, lives in Richmond. Her father's brother Bruce, on the right with his wife, Cathy, lives in Australia. Bruce and Cathy are visiting family in Virginia. John and Mimi brought them to the center to meet us, at Liz's invitation. We're so glad you did that, Liz!
Bruce and Cathy live south of Sydney, Australia, near the beach. They told us many interesting things about life there!
Cathy told us in Australia they greet friends with "G'day, mate!" and then we practiced saying it with her. She told us that they live outside of the city, so kangaroos hop around in their yard all the time! She asked if we had ever heard of "Vegemite" which is an Australian food spread (like jam) that is high in B vitamins, but has a strong and not very good taste. In fact, Bruce said it tastes like shoe polish! (But many Australians eat it for the health benefits.) Cathy also showed us this video clip which features landscapes, wildlife, and nature in Australia. The scenery is beautiful and now we all want to visit! Click on the picture if you'd like to check out the clip!
Cathy said there are many reptiles in Australia, including the frill necked lizard. That prompted Uncle John to do an imitation of one. They puff up the skin around their necks to help fend off predators. We thought Uncle John did a great imitation!
We still had one amazing visitor yet to welcome...Laura Beach, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader! We love when Laura visits to share the benefits of laughter on our minds, bodies, and spirits. It's a unique way of relaxing and energizing at the same time. Our new friends Bruce, Cathy, John, and Mimi stayed to join in the fun, and what a fun time it was!
Yay for Laughter Yoga with Laura! Thank you for visiting us today, Laura. We had the best time "going to the zoo" and practicing good breathing, stretching, and laughing with you. Our guests enjoyed it as well, and we loved seeing everyone participating! You have a gift and the joy, light, and love you spread makes everyone feel uplifted. We appreciate you!
This week has been engaging and fun up to today, so we added productive to it with our work day at Eaton. We were on task and efficient as we introduced Bryan and Emma to our Eaton job. They both have strong work ethics, and we were happy to have them on the team today!
Before heading to Eaton, earlybirds Alexis and Liz trained earlybird Emma on applying gaskets to Eaton parts. Emma "stuck" with it (it's a sticky situation), and mastered it in no time! 👏
This is a clip of us around 8:55 when most had arrived, and we were waiting for 9:10 when it would be time to head to Eaton. Some just hanging out...others working, coloring, solving puzzles, singing and dancing. We like our "unofficial" start time vibe!
We had to work in a new location at Eaton today. The building we have worked in for years is undergoing renovations. Our space today was a little tighter, but we welcomed the challenge to set up the different jobs with fewer tables, and show how adaptable we can be! Once we got organized, it was smooth sailing.
Some of us assembled PowerSlide Doors. Kevin, Xavier, and Tessa inserted nuts and bolts. In the background, Michelle inserted the amber lenses and Sam unpacked, starting the assembly process and making sure there was a steady flow for the others to work on.
Veteran "Label Ladies" Nan, Liz, and Alexis quickly found out that Emma is adept at applying labels. It takes at least four on this job to keep the assembly moving along. Meanwhile, Erik wielded the electric screwdriver to tighten the nuts and bolts, and Carol repacked the finished doors.
We were thrilled to have Mallory, Tracy's intern, working with us again today. Her group consisted of Laura, Annmarie, Drew, Kate, Devin, and Bryan. They impressed Mallory with their efficiency at opening boxes and removing breaker parts, repacking the opened parts into the tubs, and breaking down all the boxes for recycling. It was Mallory and Bryan's first time working at Eaton, and they both contributed significantly to our productivity!
Abraham and Patrick worked to empty this large box of parts into tubs of a more manageable size. They got a kick out of the clanging sound made as they tossed parts into the tubs! The rest of us were glad they got this job done quickly!
Carol letting Ethan know that we have adapted to our new location very well!
Soon, Rachel, Kayla, and Sarah from the Rec Center on Longhill showed up with a couple of vans full of supplies for tomorrow's Winter Carnival. We asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to help them unload, and Sam, Devin, Erik, and Bryan stepped right up! We're proud of our guys' willingness to help! What a great way to end the week. 😃
Next week we will say goodbye to January and ask where did it go?! Here is a look at some of our plans:
Tuesday: We are heading to Jamestown Settlement today where our master gardener friend Jay, who is also an interpreter there, is meeting us for a guided tour. Jay reached out to invite us back (we had a tour with him in 2022) so we are excited to see what fascinating tales of early Jamestown he has for us this time! We'll return to the center for lunch and to make cheer cards for our dog friend, Pip, who is having surgery today to repair a torn cranial cruciate ligament (kind of like a human's ACL). Poor Pip! Wear Arc shirts! Lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is available for Beef Soft Taco, Taco Salad, or Pizza. *NOTE: We need to depart at 9:05.
Wednesday: Today we are celebrating Backward Day, so feel free to wear your clothes backward (which would be a first for us)! We'll also celebrate Hot Chocolate Day and Puzzle Day (which was the 29th) with a treat, games and activities. Lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is offering Popcorn Chicken Bowl or Hot Dog.
Thursday: It's the first day of February so we will update our calendar and begin to add some Super Bowl, Valentine, and Presidents Day decor to the room! It's Girls and Women in Sports Day so we will take a look at that, and let it be a reason for a game of Winter Corn Hole Challenge. We also expect a visit from a surprise guest! Lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is available for Domino's Pizza, Yogurt Combo, or Chef Salad.
Friday: It's a Pet Supplies Plus work day, so please wear PSP shirts. It's also Tater Tot Day and Heavenly Hash Day, so guess what's for lunch?! Tater Tot Casserole with a side of Heavenly Hash (fruit salad). We'll also celebrate Groudhog Day and end the week with Jaime and a new segment called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" so dress to stretch!
We hope everyone enjoys a fabulous weekend,
Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang
