New Experiences!

We miss our friend Devin  "Sweet T" who would agree with eating a Frosty first!  Thank you to Sweet T and his generous family, who now reside in Arizona, for treating us to Frosty treats "just because."  Our joy in this outing is a tribute to the dear friend he will always be to us!

This week rocked as we had a couple of new experiences that were fun and exciting!  First, we visited the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William and Mary for a tour and special art project coordinated by our friend, and Xavier's stepdad, Steve Prince.  Then, we kept the artsy vibe going on Thursday with a workshop presented by Young Audiences of Virginia / Arts 4 Learning that tied storytelling in with songwriting.  Both of these experiences engaged and enlightened us!  Yet, the week also rocked in ways we have rocked before, with routine activities that always bring joy to our days.  We volunteered, cooked, got our brains going with science-y stuff, worked at the pet store, and enjoyed a very special treat from a very special friend at Wendy's.  Check out our awesome week!

Tuesday

This morning we traveled to the recently expanded Muscarelle Museum of Art at William and Mary.  We have had a visit here on our "bucket list" for a while, but the expansion project lasted 2 years!  Now that it's reopened, we will add it to our rotation of incredible museums we can visit!

At our arrival we were met by our docent, "Mr. Nick," who is a friend to many of us from evening Arc events!  When he found out the day program was visiting, he specifically asked Steve to set him up as our gallery guide!

Once inside the museum, we were greeted by Steve Prince and other museum staff, who gave us a heartfelt welcome!  Steve is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the museum. You can sense the pride of everyone as they talk about their museum home, which added an additional 50,000 square feet with the expansion!  The museum is free to visit (with the exception of special exhibits or events) and of course, we highly recommend it!

Mr. Nick took us to several of the current exhibitions while he pointed out things like color combinations and how artists used shadowing.  We learned that a technique of applying thick paint, perhaps a smudge with a knife, is called "impasto" and it gives a painting a three-dimensional effect.

Mr. Nick also explained that some European artists from the 17th and 18th century came to our shores before we became a nation independent of England, and they didn't see the type of old world architecture, such as in cathedrals, castles, or even villages, that they were accustomed to seeing in Europe.  He said to them, the vastness of nature and our great outdoors was what gave them peace, so that is what they painted.  We weren't known as America just yet, but they still painted "America, the Beautiful."

There is much more in the museum that Mr. Nick would like to show and tell us stories about, but we ran out of time today because soon it was time for Steve to introduce us to his intern, Sierra, and take us downstairs to the multipurpose room for our exciting art project!  Mr. Nick said he would be delighted to give us another tour any time, and we will definitely be setting that up with him in the near future.  Thank you, Mr. Nick, for sharing your insights about the beautiful works of art at the Muscarelle.  Your stories kept our attention, and you handled our questions so well!  We enjoyed our time with you!

Part 2 of our visit to the museum was an art project with Steve called Watercolor Monotyping.  First, Steve gave us a quick lesson about the color wheel.  We learned that there are primary colors, which we knew were red, blue, and yellow.  He said secondary colors are made by combing primary colors, such as red and blue to get his favorite color, purple, or yellow and blue to get green.  Steve got very detailed with us when he explained that mixing a primary color with a secondary color gives us a tertiary color!  We were ready for it!  There are six tertiary colors and they are identified by naming the primary color first, then the secondary color.  For example, red-orange or blue-green.  Got it?!  (Note:  We were soooo attentive!)

Creating a monotype involves transferring an image from one surface to another.  We used watercolors that Steve painted ahead of time (so they would be dry) on a special type of paper called Yupo.  We cut/tore shapes and designs from the Yupo which we then arranged on plexiglass sheets.  

The image is then covered with a damp piece of paper and run through a press, causing the image to be absorbed or transferred onto the damp piece of paper.

It's a very cool process and we were excited to get creative with our designs!

Once everyone started, we were too busy helping each other to take many photos.  Everyone was highly engaged in this project and the team work really made it a success for all!

A tradition Steve has is to give away a prize at his workshops.  Today, he wondered who had the most recent birthday?!  Of course, it was Laura!  When Steve realized her birthday was just a couple of days ago, he insisted we sing to her and then he gave her a zippered and reusable Muscarelle bag filled with Muscarelle bling like coloring sheets, a tablet, magnets, and even tattoos!  

There was one more thing we had to do with Steve...we all know he's a great artist, teacher, stepdad to Xavier, and friend to all... But another thing we know he loves to do is dance!  What a great ending to a fabulous morning!

We can't thank Mr. Nick and Steve enough for welcoming us to the Muscarelle Museum and making sure we were enlightened, entertained, and encouraged to be our best selves and do our best with our art endeavors!  We love our watercolor monotypes; they are works of art!  We look forward to more fun times with both of you!

Our time at the museum ran longer than expected (but we weren't complaining), so we decided not to make the trek to Freedom Park and opted for lunch at the picnic area at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center instead.  We also took a walk around the grounds.  The weather was warm and the humidity was low!  It was wonderful outside.

Wednesday

Wednesday mornings (except once a month when the therapy dogs visit) are spent on service projects, so today we volunteered at GCOC and arranged flowers for CSL.  It's a good routine and another way we stay grounded amidst all the fun we have.  Not that our service projects aren't fun...but you know what we mean!  😉

Lisa took this group to Grove Christian Outreach Center to assist with packing USDA food distribution bags.

The crew worked on the line with Joel and did so well that Peggy and Ursula were able to use their skills on other tasks this morning.  Ursula's husband, Tom, was working behind the scenes and we never grabbed a picture with him, but it was great to see him, too!

If our blog was scent-enabled you could smell the sweet aroma wafting from the made from scratch blueberry muffins Ursula shared with us this morning!  Thank you, Ursula.  These muffins were divinely delicious!!

Our group that stayed at the center got a head start coloring some pictures for us to put up in September as we begin the transition of decorating from summer to fall!

We love the way the room bursts with fall colors from September through November!

Others from this group helped with flower arrangements.  We aren't the only ones who love a burst of color. Commonwealth Senior Living is always grateful when we drop off the flowers for their dining room table decorations! 

We aren't trying to rush summer away, but the weather this week is teasing us for fall!  The temperatures are cooler and the humidity is much lower, which makes it perfect for being outside!

We played card games again today!  Our guys really enjoy them, so we are trying to make time for them more often.  Today we had games of Slap Jack, Concentration/Memory Matching, Crazy 8's, Go Fish, and Old Maid.  We like these "throwback" games!

The highlight of the day for some of our friends was ordering lunch from the JRES Cafeteria.  Now that school is back in session, this is one of our favorite perks!  Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Asian Chicken Teriyaki smelled pretty tasty!!

Thursday

What a treat we had this morning when Valerie Davis and Roberta Lea from Arts for Learning - The Virginia Affiliate of Young Audiences stopped by to give us an amazing workshop that combined Valerie's storytelling expertise with Roberta's songwriting expertise.  We are honored that this was the first time they presented this workshop, which they custom-created for us!  In fact, this was the first time Valerie and Roberta ever worked together, and they make an incredible team!

Valerie, top left, and Roberta joined forces to collaborate on a storytelling/songwriting workshop created especially for us, and they had us engaged from start to finish!  

Their workshop was titled "A Trip Down Memory Lane" and Valerie started it off by telling us a story about a favorite memory of hers:  how her father always ate all of the Oreo cookies in his lunch except for one, because he knew little Valerie would unpack his lunchbox each afternoon and look for an Oreo!  She is a talented storyteller, and she got a lot of "ahhs" from us!  Next, Roberta shared a memory of playing at a park in her childhood, and told us that now she takes her own little children to play at the same one. She wrote a song about it called "Summer Country Streets," and as she performed, we were invited to join in on the "la-la-la-la-lalala" part!

From that fun intro, things got even better.  Valerie and Roberta asked us to share favorite "past" memories, and they jotted key words from them on the whiteboard.  Next, Valerie wove them into a story and then Roberta turned the story into a song, all the while gathering our input and suggestions!  

Songs are stories we sing!  Here are a couple of video clips of us working on our song, "Little Ladybug," which is inspired by our memories.

Annmarie shared that a favorite memory of hers is singing lullabies with her dad, and she sang part of an Irish lullaby called "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" which Roberta thought would make a good "hook" for our song.  We didn't get the video going quickly enough, but here's a snippet of what Annmarie shared.

Here's our song, "Little Ladybug" with the hook at the end that compares love to a lullaby!

We repeated the process, sharing "recent" memories this time.  We came up with a song called "Celebrations" that reflects and combines fun times we've had recently with family and friends.  Here's our rough draft practice...

Here's the final after Valerie gave us egg shakers to add to the rhythm!  We are pretty proud of ourselves!

Thank you, Valerie and Roberta, for giving us a wonderful experience this morning.  The gifts you shared entertained, engaged, and inspired us!  We are blessed by your talents and friendship! 

We would also like to thank Kellie at The Arc of Greater Williamsburg for connecting us with Katie Driskill at Arts for Learning so we could set up this wonderful opportunity.

The workshop is presented by Arts for Learning Virginia and supported in part by an award from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Funding is also provided by the Williamsburg Area Arts Commission and Walmart Distribution center #6088.

What a morning!  We told stories and sang up an appetite, and it was time for lunch when the workshop ended.  That settled us a bit, but then there was more joy and excitement when we took a Frosty Field Trip, courtesy of our dear friend, Devin "Sweet T," who was in our program for several years before his family relocated to Arizona in 2023.  Devin loved Frosties so much, and he was the one who inspired us to start making occasional trips to Wendy's in the first place!  Here's a throwback pic of one of our stops with Devin.

Devin's family loves the Arc of Abilities and all of Devin's friends very much, even the ones they've never met, and they keep up with our adventures.  Recently...well, back around May 24, we sent Devin a stack of Happy Birthday cards to let him know we miss and love him.  Next thing we knew, his family sent us a gift card to Wendy's so we could enjoy Frosties with Friends, just like we did back in the day with Dev!  Here's another throwback picture of Devin and a few friends when we celebrated his 30th birthday in 2022.  We had so much fun lighting a candle in his Frosty!

Shoutout to Annmarie and Laura who wore their celebratory ice cream shirts today!  

Our friends at Wendy's in the Kingsmill area are awesome!  They seem to have the same crew of team members working every time we stop by...and they all seem happy to serve their customers.  If there is any doubt as to whether or not we were happy customers, check out these shots.  The only thing missing was our friend, Sweet T.  Devin, we hope all your Frosty wishes are coming true in Arizona!  

Devin "Sweet T" and Family...we are grateful for your loving friendship over all these years.  Devin was one of our Arc of Abilities charter members, and we made so many great memories with him during his time with us.  Thank you for the Wendy's gift card.  It was a real special treat as we were able to select from Wendy's "fancy" Frosty menu and try some of their new Swirls and Fusions!  (We wonder if Dev has a new favorite, or is he still a Classic Chocolate guy?)  

Friday

After all the excitement of the week so far, we gave the camera (and blog writer) a break today!  It was a great Friday - we worked at PSP, cooked a delicious lunch, learned about Labor Day, and shared our school spirit for College Colors Day.  Here are a few details before we call it a week...

Our Pet Supplies Plus crew today consisted of Thomas, Gail, Alexis, Kevin, Erik, Michelle, and Kate.  They worked great, representing our program with pride!  Here, they are posing with Roxanne, and showing off some fun pet toys. Thanks Roxanne and Scott for providing a great workplace for us.  We have learned so much!

This little guy wants to invite all pet lovers to stop by PSP on September 6 from 12-2 p.m. for a Tailgate Party!  There will be treats, cool swag, fun deals, and more!

"Greetings" from Devin who stopped to have lunch at Buc-ee's on his way to Florida!  Have a great time, Dev!  We miss you already!

Meanwhile, back at the center, Annmarie, Drew, Abraham, Patrick, Laura, Xavier, and Liz helped prepare lunch.  We had pizza/pasta casserole with Caesar salad and garlic bread.  Tasty!

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Choice Time, sharing our college colors and checking out favorite fight songs, and taking a walk around the JRES campus since there was no school today and the weather was so nice.  We took this photo in front of the school where these large cement balls were recently placed and then painted with the JRES mascot, a dolphin.  They are really pretty!

For College Colors Day, we had representation from UVA, Virginia Tech, William and Mary, and Duke.  Many of our friends are looking forward to college football season!

That's a wrap on the last week of August.  Things will definitely be a little less "exciting" next week compared to this week, but we'll still have fun hanging with our friends and doing our "usual" activities!  Here's what we have to look forward to as we welcome the month of September:

Tuesday:  One of our favorite days of the month is here:  Bowling and pizza for lunch!  We'll stop at Freedom Park first so we can check on the garden since we didn't make it there last Tuesday.  After bowling we'll eat lunch at WISC and take a walk.  It looks like a beautiful start, weatherwise, to the week!

Wednesday:  We'll do our service work today so please wear Arc shirts.  We will also update our calendar for September and begin to transform our room decor to fall colors!  In the afternoon we will have a science lesson that explores whether or not animals can be friends with other kinds of animals?!  Lunch on your own.  JRES Cafeteria is available for Popcorn Chicken Bowl or Yogurt Combo.

Thursday:  We're planning a movie morning since it's National Newspaper Carriers Day which is a great time to watch Disney's Newsies, and throw in a little history, too.  We'll also have a lesson for National Wildlife Day with a focus on sloths...a popular animal with our gang!  We're cooking, too:  Baked Potato Bar with green beans and fruit salad for lunch.

Friday:  It's an Eaton work day so please wear Eaton shirts and bring a bagged lunch.  If the weather is nice we will eat lunch at New Quarter Park, take a walk, and play corn hole.  

Here's another reminder to sign up for the 5k!  We hope to see a lot of our AoA friends at the race on October 4th!  Register by September 5th for the discounted rate!  Just click the photo and you can sign up in a jiffy!

Enjoy a beautiful Labor Day Weekend,

Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang

Happy Birthday, Laura!

This week was a lot of fun!  We had several adventures and activities that were great, so it's always hard to highlight just one.  For example, we had a really interesting lesson at The Mariners' Museum on Tuesday, hung out with our therapy dogs and handler friends on Wednesday, watched the 3rd and final Ralph S. Mouse movie on Thursday, and celebrated Laura's birthday on Friday (after an Eaton work morning).  We're very lucky to have all of these activities and more to keep us occupied each week!  

Tuesday

A rainy early morning gave way to clouds and even a bit of sunshine as we headed to The Mariners' Museum.  No one got wet loading the vans, going into, or leaving the museum, and for that, we were grateful!  Once at the museum, we hooked up with Wisteria and Cindi for a super interesting lesson about how the US Navy "camouflaged" (in plain sight) ships during WWI to keep the Germans from sinking them!

 Cindi asked us what we knew about camouflage, and we mentioned typical things like animals, insects, and "Army guys" who use camouflage.  Then she told us that during WWI, the Germans were using "unterseeboots" (submarines) to sneak up on and fire torpedoes at American and other Allied ships.  Some artists at the time, led by a marine artist named Norman Wilkinson, came up with the idea of painting ships with patterns and geometric shapes that would help confuse the Germans when they spotted the weirdly painted ships through their periscopes.

The idea was that instead of concealing the ships, the complex patterns and colors would make it difficult to estimate a ship's speed or direction, and therefore make it very hard to plan when to fire at the target.  Wisteria told us to imagine looking at one of the dazzle ships through a periscope from inside a submarine.  With it moving in the water, bobbing up and down, and being painted in strange shapes and patterns, the Germans would have a hard time hitting their mark...and they didn't have torpedoes to waste!

The bottom picture here shows what a ship looked like with and without its dazzle paint.

Dazzle painting ships didn't technically "camouflage" them in the sense of being concealed, but still, it made them difficult to target.  Cindi said the military wasn't so sure of how effective dazzle painting was, but there was some evidence that it helped save lives!  By WWII and beyond, there was better technology to help ships avoid being struck by torpedoes, so dazzle painting of ships wasn't used much after WWI.

Our project was to create our own dazzle patterns on ship drawings.

We enjoyed coming up with color schemes and patterns...we weren't surprised that many of our friends chose colors of their favorite teams!

We imagined we would get seasick and not have very good aim if we had to look at some of these designs through a periscope before firing a torpedo!

After our designs were complete, Wisteria showed us a model of a dazzle ship that was painted at our very own Newport News Shipbuilding!

Wisteria also took a moment to thank us for our many visits to the museum over the years, because through our feedback, she and other museum staff have been able to better understand how to make exhibits and activities more accessible for people of all abilities!  For example, this popular exhibit is being reworked to make a larger boat and remove the steps so that it will be accessible to those in wheelchairs.  There are also plans to add audio support to the display, so those who are visually-impaired, or who have reading challenges, can learn more about it.

Thank you, Wisteria (and Cindi, not shown), for an educational, interesting, and fun lesson today!  Who knew that painting boats with dazzling colors and patterns could be helpful during a time of war?!

It was almost 12:30 when we got back to AFCC, so we had lunch and Choice Time, and then we prepared some dishes for tomorrow's fun activities!

Annmarie, Alexis, and Laura whipped up some fresh pesto using the basil we harvested from the garden last week.  We're going to use it as dressing for a pasta salad which will be a tasty snack when our therapy dog friends visit tomorrow.

Under Devin's approving 2 thumbs up, Gail, Erik, and Emma helped mix the filling for chocolate pies that we will serve tomorrow when we enjoy a visit from our former member, Sam.  

Wednesday

We had a day filled with visitors, and what a wonderful time we had with them all!  First, our therapy dogs and handler friends came for their monthly visit.  Our theme today was cookbooks!

We are thankful for the JRES Library for always welcoming us to check out books!

Can you spot Aja in Abraham's lap?  Erik and Patrick also read in this group with Aja and her handler, Susan.

Marisol and Tucker were joined by Nan, Devin, Xavier, and Michelle as they shared favorite recipes and also read books about animals and food!

Thomas, Alexis, and Kevin got hungry as they read cookbooks with Caroline, Pip, and Indy!

Kent brought Leo and Tavish (tucked behind Leo near Kent) to hear favorite recipes and food stories with Drew, Liz, and Annmarie.

Hearing Bryan, Gail, and Laura read from their recipes got Casey's attention!  Carol gave him a treat for being such a good listener!

After our reading rotations with the therapy dogs, we gathered in our main room to play Food Bingo, which was fun and made us hungry!  Luckily, we had a snack buffet that came together in a beautiful way.  We made pesto yesterday to mix with pasta as a way to use our bounty of basil from the garden, and to have a tasty treat to share with today's guests.  Much to our delight, they also brought contributions, so we ended up with tastes of redskin potato salad from Carol and Casey, oatmeal raisin cookies from Susan and Aja, and donut holes from Kent, Leo, and Tavish!  Thank you, handler friends, for sweet and savory surprises that we all enjoyed very much!

We're putting in a plug for Kent's Positive Dog Training business.  We snapped the contact info from the back of his t-shirt!  If you or anyone you know is looking for assistance with dog training, we cannot recommend Kent highly enough.  He's got some certifications, but more than that, he's got the spirit and demeanor that dogs (and people) love!

Thanks to Carol and Allison who put together the flower arrangements for CSL this week while we were busy enjoying therapy dog time!  

We finished the morning with some movement activity and a passage from our read-aloud so we would be ready after lunch to welcome Sam for a "farewell" celebration!  Sam left the AoA in June to pursue travel opportunities with his family, but we didn't have time to pull together a fitting farewell.  Until today!  Thanks Coach Teri and Tim for dropping Sam off to spend the afternoon with us.  We really enjoyed a chance to tell him how much he will be missed, and to wish you all the best in the future!

Laura made a beautiful speech as she told Sam that he is "very, very special and very, very kind."  She tells us every day that she misses him. 💙

Everyone knows what best buddies Devin and Sam are.  Devin's speech included how much he misses Choice Time game playing with Sam.  He and Sam had a special connection, but Devin sincerely wished him well in his new adventures, because that's how Devin rolls. 

Alexis read the group card we wrote for Sam, which was included in a parting gift for him.  We didn't get a picture, but we gave Sam two framed photo collages highlighting some of our favorite pictures of him from 2016-2025.  Sam is a "charter member" of the Arc of Abilities!

Everyone knows Sam is a pie guy, so we celebrated our friendship with his favorite, chocolate pie!  

After pie we rounded out the afternoon with a few of Sam's favorite activities.  There was dancing, a challenging game of  American History Jeopardy, and a friendly game of corn hole.  EVERYONE won today because we got to see a good friend and relish in great memories!  Don't be a stranger, Sam!  Safe travels on your next trip to Arizona to see family, and we'll look for you down the road at other Arc events!!

Thursday

Today we were busy cleaning, cooking, and preparing for a party!  But first, we started the morning with an unusually energetic dance warm up!

Our tables were overdue for a thorough cleaning, so Bryan, Drew, Patrick, and Abraham went through a few wipes and got the job done!  Xavier removed games and puzzles from the shelves so Bryan could wipe them down, and then Xavier helped Bryan replace things.

Our friend Laura is having a birthday and it's a special one!  We started getting ready today for tomorrow's party, because we have to work at Eaton in the morning and want to have everything set up before we go.  Erik, Alexis, and Emma decorated colorful napkin rings and then got silverware ready.

Gail, Annmarie, Laura, and Kate worked on making colorful bubble letters that will spell something special!

Of course, the letters colored by Liz, Kevin, Michelle, Devin, and Thomas will also be needed for the special message!

Here's a sneak peek of how our decorations look...don't let Laura see!  😂

It was time to cook lunch when we finished the decorating work.  Some of us went to the gym for free time, but others volunteered to cook.  Erik grilled the burgers, Gail and Laura sauteed onions and potatoes and then combined them to make home fries!  Our lunch plate was very tasty, and also included sauteed patty pan squash that we harvested from the garden last week.  The home fries were made with the last of our harvested potatoes.  Thanks again, Master Gardeners, for supporting us with therapeutic gardening!  Our lunch is so much better when we eat things we learned to grow for ourselves!

There was one more short film in the Ralph S. Mouse series we have been watching, so we settled in near the end of the day to laugh at a silly mouse's antics after he hitched a ride to school in a kid's pocket!  Nothing too heavy here, but a lot of laughs!

Just as our movie ended and we got tables and chairs put away, Tracy and Katrina popped in to tell us about all kinds of fun activities and events coming up through Parks & Rec.  There will be Exceptional Expeditions, Sensory Walks, a fun Halloween-themed painting and mocktail experience, and even a trip to a county fair!  Tracy will send an email to families with all the info, but our guys brought home fliers today for a jump start on checking out the fun!

There were big cheers when Tracy announced destinations for the Monday "Exceptional Expedition" trips scheduled for this fall.

Katrina announced the addition of more "Sensory Walks" that will take place at different county parks.  These will also be held on Mondays!

One extra event is a trip to the Isle of Wight County Fair during special "Sensory Hours" that will be on Friday, September 12.  Tracy and Katrina will stop by AFCC to pick up anyone in our group who would like to join this trip, and pick up after the trip will be at the JCC Rec Center sometime around 5-6 p.m.

Friday

Vocational work on Fridays helps to keep us grounded.  We were excited as we anticipated Laura's party coming up this afternoon, but first, we had to go to work at Eaton!  We did our usual, sorting, packing, and consolidating parts.  A few of us also clipped small pieces off of larger ones.  We were busy and efficient...working hard so we could return to the center to party harder!  😉

Our timing was perfect when we got back to the center as Laura's parents, Lisa and Tom, and her nieces Olivia, Eloise, and Charlotte were just arriving, too!  Time to celebrate Laura's 40th birthday!

🎉🥳🎉🥳🎉🥳

There's nothing better than a Friday afternoon pizza party, except when the party is to celebrate one of our friends!  We agree with Laura's shirt that she is "Another Year Cooler!"

We are very thankful for the delicious pizza luncheon that Laura's parents, Lisa and Tom, provided for us as we helped Laura bring in her 40th year!  With the Peanuts Gang as inspiration, we feasted on pizza and other goodies such as Sally's Honeydew and Lucy's Lemonade!

Liz was home with a summer cold and we missed her...but Erik stepped up and was an excellent Beverage Cart Attendant substitute!  Liz would be proud of how well he served Lucy's Lemonade to everyone!

Laura adores her nieces, Olivia, Eloise, and Charlotte (not in this photo).  We all enjoyed having them join us for the party!

Here's niece Charlotte along with Laura, dad Tom, Oliva, mom Lisa, and Eloise.  We gathered them for a family photo before we sang and devoured Charlie's Brownies! 😋  Thank you Tom and Lisa for putting together a special party for your special girl.  Turning 40 is a big deal, and she deserved ALL the attention today!!

After Charlie's Brownies, we played Peanuts Bingo and also watched a Peanuts Summer Musical on Apple TV+, courtesy of Laura's family.  During the show, we enjoyed popcorn with fun mix-ins like Peppermint Patty's peppermint patties, Linus's m&m's, Marcie's gummy bears, and Pigpen's pretzels.  The party was so much fun!  Laura, we hope all of your wishes come true, and your 40th year is your best yet!  You look fabulous, Darling!

What a way to wrap up the week!  We have much to look forward to next week, including a trip to a new museum AND the return of lunch orders from JRES Cafeteria!  Here's a look at our plans:

Tuesday:  We're going to visit the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William and Mary for the first time today!  It reopened earlier this year after a 2 year renovation and expansion project.  Our host/art instructor will be none other that Xavier's stepdad, Steve Prince.  Steve is the Director of Engagement and Distinguished Artist in Residence at the museum, and he's looking forward to working with us at "his" place!  (He's worked with us at our place before.)  The weather looks promising for a picnic, so please bring a bagged lunch and hopefully we can enjoy eating outside and also check our garden at Freedom Park.

Wednesday:  We will work on CSL flower arrangements and volunteer at GCOC this morning, so please wear Arc shirts.  We will play card games as we learn why today is National According to Hoyle Day, and we'll also complete a Mystery Science lesson and activity about dealing with mosquitoes!  Lunch on your own.  JRES Cafeteria (!!!) is available and they are offering Asian Chicken with Veggie Rice or Flatbread Sandwich.  Lunch price remains $3.10.  

Thursday:  We are thrilled to welcome a workshop presentation from Young Audiences of Virginia / Arts 4 Learning this morning!  We'll spend time with two special guests who will lead us in a lesson on songwriting and storytelling.  Later, we will celebrate the wonderful summer we've had with a visit to Wendy's for Frosties, a gift from our dearly missed friend in Arizona, "Sweet" T (Devin T.) and his thoughtful family!  Lunch on your own.  JRES Cafeteria is available for Domino's Pizza or Hamburger.

Friday:  This morning we will send a group to work at Pet Supplies Plus while the others join the Cooking Crew to prepare our lunch, so please wear PSP shirts.  The Friday before Labor Day is National College Colors Day, and we like to celebrate our favorite schools and teams, so feel free to bring a change of clothing for the afternoon.  We'll also have our annual Labor Day lesson, and one last kickball game in the gym since it's the first "day off" for the students since school started on Monday!  LOL!  Pizza/Pasta Casserole with Caesar Salad for lunch.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang

 

P.S. Don't forget to register for the 5k by the end of August!  The registration fee increases on September 1.  Click the graphic below for a link to the registration page!