Sounds Like Prom

Last weekend, I was able to make it up to Virginia for the Celebration of Life for my friend, Fiona.  She passed away a few weeks ago from brain cancer.  Twelve years ago, when her son was 3 months old, she collapsed.  A group of us were meeting up to go walking that day and she never showed.  That began her cancer journey.  She was given only a year to live and she made it twelve and was able to see her son grow up.  She was one of the nicest, generous, and most joy-filled people I have ever met.  And she was Australian, so she was super fun to listen to.  I have the assurance I'll see her again in heaven one day.  

Henry and the set crew group are building benches and staining them.  He said they are turning out really well.  In the downtime, when they had to wait for a crew member to get back from Home Depot, he learned how to play poker.  Specifically Texas Hold 'em.  He had the whole family play on Saturday, but the ladies of the house did not have the stamina.  I'm more a blackjack girl.  Faster, with easier rules.  

I did not realize why Josiah's rehearsals were five hours long when the play is two hours.  He says they go through the play twice each day - once for the main person and once with the understudies.  Since Josiah's role does not have an understudy, he's in both groups.  He says it is a lot of downtime where he has to sit quietly.  Showbiz isn't all glamorous.  He is looking forward to practicing with the actual props and sets soon.  

Caroline's science class did a Genetics Lab this week.  The big mobile van comes twice a year for them to do labs.  Caroline said they found the DNA of a pea.  It was pretty fun, but she thought the van could use a little fresh air.  

This week ended with Field Day.  The kids are in Rountree House and despite doing well in the upper school games (1st in basketball & wiffle ball; 2nd in pickleball and volleyball), they came in 3rd place overall.  Josiah and Caroline said there was a kindergartener in their group that moved at his own pace.  He was enjoying himself a lot, but he moved so slow at the three-legged race that the other groups went three lengths to his one.  There were a few other games in which his performance was similar.  But he was having fun, which is really all that matters anyway.  Josiah and Caroline were paired up in the three-legged race.  Caroline said she used to crush this at Awana because she and her partner would count off their steps and they always won.  But with siblings, there was no counting.  Just a skinned knee...

At noontime, the whole school had Lunch on the Lawn.  A local restaurant supplied hot dogs and Josiah said they were quite good.  I had to order them about a month ago.  At that time, Henry said he didn't want any.  He would make his own lunch that day.  I wasn't believing that and ordered extra.  He proceeded to eat both of his and part of Caroline's.  He is very much in a growing phase and is always hungry.  My K3 class walked around to watch a few games, but they were turned off by the cool weather.  One more week of classes until Easter Break.  

Josiah headed to prom on Saturday.  When you have a small school, prom was open for 8th-12th graders.  Henry did not want to go.  Josiah's class took pictures together (still hoping they send those) and then went out to eat.  It was a fancier restaurant, so they rebranded Josiah's chicken tenders as 'chicken fried chicken'.  He even ate his goat cheese mashed potatoes and green beans.  Everything tastes better at a fancier place.  He enjoyed the prom and hung out with two friends the whole night.  The location was pretty, too.  I only saw it at night when I picked him up, but he got a few shots from earlier in the evening.  

While Josiah was out dancing, the rest of us played Charades.  We pull out the cards from Pictionary Jr. and use them to play Charades.  There were times when we could not figure out what Henry was acting out.  He would then switch gears and pull his ear for Sounds Like.  The first time he did it, he formed the letter E in ASL.  So, I proceeded to say bee, see, me, knee, etc.  We failed that round and when Henry told us the word, he exclaimed, Macaron-I.  Huh.  Another round, he said sounds like 'O'.  When we did not get that one and finally gave up, Henry loudly said, "Po-ta-TOE".  My bad.  I think we may have skipped "sounds like" in homeschooling.  

Since we moved here at the end of summer last year, we've been watching as all the spring flowers have bloomed.  Our front yard was flanked by white azaleas that all bloomed together.  It was a beautiful surprise.  The picture does not do them justice.  Azaleas are my favorite.  

Oh, and Henry ate a sandwich while Benson silently watched.  And drooled...