7 Quick Takes ~Family life edition

~1~

Whew, I don't know where to start, so I will go in chronological order...first up is the 4th of July Parade at the horse community closest to us. Meg and Josie rode in the parade.

~2~

Meg said that glitter and horses equaled a dream come true for her girlish heart

Merlin, the horse was a patient subject.

~3~

I decided to up my walking game and do more actual running. As in running.  not walking. I decided to try out the couch to 5k app to guide me along, and I really like it.  The app, not the running so much. Maybe.  The running part is starting to grow on me, I'm starting to crave it when I can't go.  The app is pretty cool, it tells you to warm-up with a brisk walk for 4 minutes, and then when that is done, it tells you "lets jog" and you do that for a certain amount of time, and then it tells you "let's walk".  It's very, very handy.  The photo above is of a small corner park in my neighborhood, it's at a corner that is more of a triangle.  I love all the flowers here.

~4~

I had the best hot dog of my life at LinX Artisan Sausage in Old Town Orange.  It was so good I tweeted it.  I'm not usually a hot dog person, I have maybe one once a year. This restaurant recently opened and I was curious.  I ordered a chicken hot dog, it had pesto and asiago cheese in it, beside other yummy things I can't remember.  The bun was a pretzel bun.  The fries there were also awesome.  Okay, now I am really hungry... tip, my first dog was awesome I think because I didn't have a ton of toppings, just mayo/mustard/ketchup trio and a sprinkling of grated cheese.  The next time I went, I went crazy on toppings and it made the bun soggy and cooled the dog.  I think less might be the key because it lets you enjoy the amazing flavors of the hot dog itself.

~5~

This past week has been pretty rough.  My grandmother blacked-out and fell on Friday night.  My grandfather has dementia and followed the ambulance in their car to the E.R. after they admitted her, he tried to go home and got very lost and confused.  Eventually, after he asked many people for help, a policeman took him home.  My sister and I have been taking turns all week, taking care of grandpa and visiting grandma in the hospital.  My sister lives closest, about 20 minutes away and I live over an hour away.  It's been rough, we had some family drama with our Uncle, who is a deadbeat and has some emotional and perhaps mental problems.   We like living very calm, drama-free lives.  I'm also very much a home-body.  This week has been very stressful.

~6~

Funny thing about stress and worry; it doesn't add anything good to your life.  I spent a good part of the week very upset, worrying, and trying to figure out best how to handle my uncle.  I kept trying to pray, but my mind would just not relax.  I couldn't read or concentrate on anything except the worry.  And then, one night this verse kept haunting me:

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things, but one thing is needful"....Luke 10:41, 42

 Funny how I can try so hard on my own and forget to just let my burden down. (and my anger, and my sense of justice)  His yoke is indeed easy, and His burden light. If we could make Christ that "one thing" life would look very different to us, and I suspect we would be very different.

~7~

spending time in a retirement city, and in a retirement mobile home park is very interesting.

*7 Quick Takes is hosted by Conversion Diary

7 Quick Takes-Homeschool graduation edition

~1~

We have our first homeschool graduate!  We started homeschooling Meg for pre-K (in case I messed up I had an extra year to figure it out) and now, 14 years later, I am done as her primary teacher.  We had a simple dessert graduation party for her.  Dessert party = brilliant idea.  It was rather simple, we set up tables outdoors and strung lights up on the front patio and tree and then set out different desserts and coffee.  The main focus became visiting, which was such a great bonus.  I was so busy visiting and fetching chocolate mousse (Sky's homemade brilliance) that I forgot to get my camera out until it was too dark for good photos.  We had a really, really nice party.

~2~

It's Bible conference week, known at our church as The Summer Training. It's like a semester Bible class stuffed into one week.  This year we have 4 people from Russian staying with us (Meg gets to practice her Russian) and a bonus Texan. There's always a Texan in the bunch.... :p  Sooo, this week is really, really busy- lots of cooking of meals and whatnot.

~3~

bonus photo of the wonder-labradoodle.  She's all kinds of awesome.

~4~

the kids and I attended an open house for a new parkour gym in our area.  We went, because Demi-Sky in particular is very enamored by the whole parkour concept.  Really, who wouldn't be?  Don't we all, deep-down inside wish we had some stealth, secret ninja moves?  Okay, if you don't know what parkour is, click over to this youtube video - I'm very familiar with this one, because my kids watch it over and over, it was my introduction to the concept of parkour

Assassin's Creed meets parkour on youtube

~5~

So yeah, we went to the open house, it was pretty cool and my Amie got very excited about the whole thing, she wants to take classes there.  It's called Firestorm Freerunning & Acrobatics.  Soo, besides the trampolines, climbing rope, obstacles, they had a section of climbing bars.  When I was in elementary school, I lived on the bars at recess time and my friends and I could do amazing and dangerous things on these bars. I happily climbed onto these bars and happily told my kids all about what I used to do and egged them on to try it.  {no, I did not try any of it, after the cartwheel incident of 2006, I learned the hard way that just because I think I can still do something, doesn't mean my body agrees}  I did try to do an underhand mount-thingy and couldn't get my legs past an horizontal with the floor position...sad. So, I egged my kids on to try different things, climbed around on the bars, swung my legs up onto them and did monkey-bar type swinging on them, in an attempt to engage my kids.  And then, for the next 3 days I was downing advil like candy...it was so very sad how sore that little bit of exercise made me!

~6~

Sky and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.  We met 26 years ago at Corona del Mar beach.  For this anniversary, we went back to the beach where we met, and then had dinner at a local pizza place we used to go to all the time while we were dating in highschool.  We really had such a nice, simple evening remembering when...

~7~

I played photographer for Meg's senior photos, which is really a lot of pressure when you are not a professional.  I captured a few nice ones, I think.  Here is one- involving her favorite horse, of course...

hope your week is a blessed one, friends!!

7 Quick Takes is hosted every Friday at Conversion Diary  :)

Circle of Moms Top 25 Homeschooling Mom blogs- vote!

This blog is in the running over at Circle of Moms for the Top 25 Homeschooling Mom blogs - I'm pretty far down the list, there are only 2 days left for voting, but if you could click over and give a click for me, I'd appreciate it.  -click the button thing on top there...

thank-ye

:)

7 Quick Takes -Create Mixed Media Retreat Edition

~1~

I stumbled upon this mixed media retreat happening right in my backyard.  Stumbled, yes- about two weeks before it was to happen. Usually, I see neat ads for incredible art retreats, but the ads will say something like "come to the beautiful Catskill mountains."..or Hawaii or somewhere else just as impossible for me, but this time, it was nearby!  I looked at all the great workshops offered, whittled my wish list down to 6 classes, then down to 4, then down to the two I was most interested in.  (this retreat covered days!)  I am hoping they will be back next year!

~2~

The class I was most interested in was encaustic collage.  Last year, when we were visiting San Juan Island, I saw an artbook with encaustic artwork in it.  I had no idea what the medium was, but intrigued, I googled it.

I discovered that encaustic collage used beeswax as the main medium.  This was the art technique I was most excited about learning more about.  The class did not disappoint.  By the time I had laid down my first layer of hot wax, I knew I was in love.

~3~

Have I mentioned before my love affair with flamingos?  Yes, it goes deep with me.  I'm currently on the look-out for a large metal flamingo I can dress for holidays.  I gather from Sky's silence on the matter, that he is in full accord with my wishes...hey, if he doesn't speak up before I hit "buy now" it's totally not my fault.  ---sooo, I tried the encaustic technique here with a flamingo photo I took and printed out on paper.  I love the paper doilie layer..it just works.  I need to add a pink feather to this, and then it will be done. I like it, because it has a sort of kitschy feel.

~4~

So the retreat was several days, many of the attendees stayed at the hotel, but I just drove in both days.

The encaustic class was 6 hours long.  Oh the joy!!  It went by soo fast.  We had a lunch break and I enjoyed eating at the hotel restaurant.  The whole day was very relaxing and yet very electrifying at the same time...kind of an art-induced head-buzz.  The second class I took was on making transfers, pretty useful.  I did well with the water and mat medium transfers, but went down in flames with the gesso transfers.

~5~

The bathrooms at the hotel had these signs, which amused me, greatly.

~6~

We are done with school!  Officially- except I am rolling out a pretty rigorous course of study for the Summer.  We switched Josie over to Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2 - I kind of lurve it because it is self-correcting. If it goes well, I might use it with Demi in the Fall.  Right now, I've got Demi working on Aleks math- it's online.  Amie has moved over to Math Mammoth.  I plan to have both Amie and Demi using Aleks Math in the Fall along with whichever program we also decide to use.

~7~

Meg and I are going through the book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations together right now.  I wrote earlier how I felt panicky over the fact that Meg is graduating and that I feel like so much was left undone.  The book is a small, gentle way to address my feelings and to keep touching base with her.  We meet once a week to discuss our reading, over a bagel or something equally yummy. :)

*7 Quick takes is hosted over at Conversion Diary

7 Quick Takes -Homeschool Prom edition

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?

*7 Quick Takes Friday happens every week at Conversion Diary

Wordless Wednesday -Lavender fields forever

Happy Wordless Wednesday

Smells like high school Science fair project time

We homeschool all of our kids, but our high school students take a few classes with a wonderful enrichment program. This year, Meg is taking Chemistry, British Lit and Economics outside the home, and Josie is taking Biology and General Lit and composition.  Which brings us to the current season we just survived, known as Science fair project time....

It was high school Science fair time here at {Home}  which resulted in much angst/ late nights/ trips to the art store....flies in my fridge...you know, the normal types of stuff....

Meg leans towards life-science type projects, and she tries, mightily, to bring horses into the equation.  After the gold-fish training science experiment last year, I issued the proclamation that we would have no more Science fair experiments involving live subjects (after a whole batch of highly trained goldfish died two weeks before her project was due).  Famous last words!!!  Meg's newest experiment involved mom using her credit card late at night to order 200 blue bottle fly pupae.

homeschool world is crazy world sometimes.

it gets better, they lived in my fridge for weeks.  In the butter compartment in the door.  I got to see them every time I opened the fridge.  good times.

So, her experiment involved testing the efficacy of different fly repellents.  She compared a popular insect repellent for families, an all natural insect repellent, and a horse insect repellent.  We had 50 flies in 3 containers, plus a control container, and then the fly repellents applied to fly paper on the bottom of the containers.  Meg researched the chemical make-up of each repellent and explained the process of how they worked on the flies.  It was interesting.  [minus the weekend she left and several escaped and spent several days loose in my house]

Josie's Biology Science fair project was a 3-d model of a red blood cell.  She constructed a model and researched/wrote a report.  She used wooden embroidery hoops, red mesh and pom-poms.

We purchased two sets of big wooden embroidery hoops (because each set has two different sized hoops so they fit inside each other- we wanted them to fit exactly the same size) and then she painted them red.  She used hot-glue to attach the red tulle/mesh purchased at the fabric store, and then put big red pom-poms inside to represent the hemoglobin, and a few of them had small white pom-poms attached to represent oxygen.  She labeled the different cell parts with little paper signs attached with toothpicks.   The only difficulty was making the distinctive donut-hole dimple in the center, she used thread, but it wasn't very convincing.  If we had more time to re-plan, I think we would have used darker red paint to make a shadow look for the center, or maybe a darker material in the center.  We decided to leave it alone, we didn't want a failed attempt on our hands right before Science fair day.

And so, whew!....done!

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