So much going on here at {Home} with the end of school! I'll start off with the most exciting event, homeschool prom!
~1~
Josie and Meg attended our homeschool prom. This was Meg's very last prom, she is graduating!! (I can't believe it!) I was so lucky to get to play photographer again for their group of friends. Meg is in the center, with cowboy boots and Josie is on the far right in purple. They had a great time, the girls came over to our house to get ready, we went to a nearby location for photos and then they had dinner and prom at a restaurant near the Queen Mary. More photos [maybe] coming up (it's a bit tricky when there are kids not your own in photos) we will see what I come up with :)
~2~
Amie's Hogwarts for Muggles class ended. Her last few classes involved herbology, quidditch matches, building their own Diagon Alley with boxes and exploring currency, and making this very cute golden snitch. She was really sad that the class was ending, she really enjoyed it, the teacher and the kids she studied/played with. It was a really good class, the hour drive was a bit much for me though. I'm really relieved that the season of driving is over.
~3~
Our new kitchen island is finished! Sky totally demolished the old island, built a new one and installed a stained concrete counter-top himself. He did a really great job, this was his first time working with stained concrete and his first time making a concrete counter. We went with a dark brown color. I love, love, love my new island and my new stove-top.
~4~
Our homeschool year is wrapping up. Meg and Josie's Biola Star classes ended last week, they were busy with finals and parties. It was a little sad, Meg is graduating and she is all done with Biola Star, Josie is done too, since she will be attending the performing arts high school for 11th and 12th grade. Demi will be taking two classes with Biola Star next year, and Amie will be taking one, so it's not totally goodbye. I am so thankful for the wonderful classes Biola offers to the homeschool community. I truly don't know what our high school homeschool would have looked like, without them.
~5~
We had a piano recital recently and all of our kids played. Josie and Meg played "A Thousand Years" and our wonderful neighbor joined them with her cello. Here is a shot of a rehearsal at our house. She is truly amazing, I want to be like her when I grow up!! She truly is so graceful, kind and intelligent. She reminds me a bit of Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter :)
~6~
Sky treated me to two workshops at the Create Mixed Media retreat that happened nearby in Irvine. I was so excited to learn how to do encaustic collage. Now that my homeschool mom career is changing, big-time, I am looking around and thinking about what I want to do with my time. Art is big on my list, I want to spend time (any time, really) on art. I haven't done anything with art since the kids were born, really. My artistic outlets have been scrapbooking- which segued to blogging and then also photography. I have directed my kids towards the arts, but neglected to address it much, myself. I am realizing though, that things don't really look like they are going to slow down, much...so I need to carve out some serious art time for me. As soon as things slow down, I will give it some serious thought.... (it's a circular problem...)
~7~
I went to yet another parent meeting at the performing arts highschool. At this one, they handed out contracts- very much like car buying contracts- to us, wanting a pledge of the $4,000 per student they expect to bridge the gap between what the State pays for the academic side of the school, and the costs of running the arts conservatory side. I kind of hyperventilated a bit....I thought we'd be able to work some of it off in volunteering. Nope. They want our credit card number or bank number. Super serious. It's totally worth it, this school is phenomenal. It is one of the top 4 high schools in OC, even if it didn't have the amazing arts side, people would be lining up trying to get in just for the academics. I found out at this meeting that they had over 3,000 applications and only 400 spots. Our Josie was one of them. :D I am a super proud mamma, excuse the gushing/brag... She asked me to help her set up a blog for her artwork (super exciting moment for a blog-nerd!) and I will link up when she's got it going. She is drawing the header in photoshop- she amazes me.
Whew! so that's the run-down with all that is going on here. How 'bout you, bloggy friends? -How's the start of Summer shaping up for you?