Madamoiselle Adele

Adele had her first professional modeling gig yesterday.  It wasn't a big name company, but they paid her good money and she LOVED it.

It was shot in a Parade of Homes home (which was amazing!)  She was the daughter in a family shot for a home security company.

When Adele was a baby my brother Mitch came for a visit.  He looked at her adorable little face and said, "She is going to grow up and be one of those models that when you see a picture of her parents you go, 'huh?'"  Ha!  Still makes me laugh thinking about it.  Well, hand-picked, these would be her parents...

First Day of School

After seven years of homeschooling, Tennie, Adele and Ceci had their first day of SCHOOL yesterday.  

There was a LOT of nervousness about making friends, catching up where they're behind, sitting through an entire day of school without the flexibility of homeschool, etc.  Geoff asked them to show how they were feeling as we headed off and their expressions pretty much tell the truth...

Ceci - truly scared out of her wits.  This kid has never been to school.  Ever.  She didn't know what to expect and couldn't understand how she would make friends before recess and lunch.  She was nervous everyone would think she wasn't smart when they heard her read.  She was afraid she was going to get hungry and not be able to get a snack.  All understandable being 10-years-old and going to school for the first time.

Tennie - excited but nervous.  Excited because she has been wanting to make this transition for a couple years and is ready for more social and academic rigor; nervous because she knows her academic holes and the effort required to make them up.  Overall, she is confident this is the right move for her.  First time in school since 2nd grade.

Adele - feeling, at last, that she has something to do and somewhere to go everyday.  No nervousness about making friends, where she is academically or jumping in.  Her eagerness for this new adventure was palpable.  And, her clenched fist shows that butterflies are a part of any new unknown. First time to school since kindergarten.

Geoff and I took them to school and gave final hugs before seeing them to class.  We both also picked them up, anxious to hear their observations and experiences.  

These first two weeks for Tennie and Adele is a leadership intensive (in-depth study), in addition to academic and personality assessments, assemblies and getting to know their crew (a group they meet with every beginning and end-of-day throughout the year to set and review goals). Their after-school comments:

Tennie - pretty boring.  Wished it was more engaging and interesting.  Excited to go back.

Adele - pretty boring.  Sat in the same place all day.  Read some things.  Had an assembly where they talked about helping a school in the Dominican Republic.  She found the presenting teacher and asked how she could get involved.  This is her passion.  Ate lunch with a girl in her crew.  If it continues like this she might rather homeschool (except for that D.R. project...)

Ceci's 5th grade jumped right in to normal routines.  She has a group of girls who want to be her friend.  She was surrounded by friends at recess and lunch.  She did a spelling assessment but didn't feel stressed at all because the teacher said it was just to see where they were. She was relieved that other kids at her table didn't know how to spell, either. She wishes she were starting in 3rd grade so she had a few more years in the upper elementary.  Everything is so much fun.  Can't wait to go back.

Good things ahead.  This school is a great fit for all three, and we're excited for all of the possibilities available to them.

Back-to-School Night in the Atrium (Monday night)

Back-to-School Dinner

Sunday night we had our annual back-to-school dinner.  Our theme this year is STAND AS A WITNESS.

We discussed three symbols for them to take to school.  First, a mini For the Strength of Youth card to represent our standards and discipleship.  It is a reminder that our example is our greatest witness.

Second, a knight keychain all of the cousins got at cousin Camp.  It is a reminder of the armor of God and who they really are as warriors in God's army.  They are not alone.  He is their strength.  Their testimony is their greatest weapon against evil.

And third, a mini flashlight to expose the adversary and his lies.  He tries to lie and deceive us about who we really are and what we are capable of doing; his lies exist in our culture and traditions, and they exist in academic literature and lecture.  This is to help them remember to see things as they really are; to discern between truth and error.

Homemade gluten-free Oreo ice cream...YUM!

Big changes ahead for our family!

Dr. Adele & Dr. Ceci

After an annual check-up with the pediatrician this week, Adele and Ceci set up their own doctor's office and played for hours.  This make-believe play is dwindling in our household so I LOVE when it comes out.  Actually, Ceci would dress up and play all day long but her playmates are growing up...

They created a board with all the employees of the office:

 

Notice all the earrings...

Funny how they perceive nurses!  I then got a shot of them operating on their patients...

Carnival Birthday Party

Last week, the day before Blackberry Days, Erica and Davey put on an adorable carnival birthday party for their twins, Eli and Kate, who are turning two.  They enlisted the older cousins to run the booths, and Liz dressed up as a clown (who knew she had a balloon twisting talent?)
  

Elise is at the snack table where guests were encouraged to make a face out of food.

Tennie's face painting booth was a huge hit.  Who knew she was such a gifted make-up artist!

Adele ran the pin-the-nose-on-the-clown booth.

Bailey ran the water shooting game.

Little guests could dig in the sand for a prize.

Ceci took pictures at the photo booth.

This one of Lucie is my favorite.

Em was trying to coax Zoey and Tate into dressing up, but she is the true star of the booth...

Tennie's Yoda and tiger on Jamison and Anders

Davey's sister's kids put on a puppet theater.

Davey did a clown act at the end of the party.  He started with some juggling...

He then gave a demonstration of how to walk past/over a banana peel without slipping, only he wasn't successful.  His first fall came as a surprise and I didn't get a picture of it, and too bad because it was award-winning!  But I got a few of the subsequent falls.

Kids and adults alike laughed out loud.  We think he should take the act on the road.

Adorable kids with adorable parents

Taeya managed the penny toss booth.

Happy Birthday Eli and Kate!

Blackberry Days 2015

Blackberry Days (Geoff's family's reunion) was held at a ranch in Oakley this year.  A generous man Geoff works with offered to let us use his ranch guesthouse and property to gather, and it was beautiful.  

Erica and Davey designed the t-shirts...

Geoff's parents met on a field trip to Chartres Cathedral while on a study abroad semester to Copenhagen

Tennie and Taeya

Elise

Clare

Geoff, Adele and Ceci set up our tent

An hour of star gazing during the Perseids Meteor Shower

Erica and Davey with twins, Kate and Eli

A line for fresh spring water

Ian, Bailey, Geoff and Adele

Noodle hockey

Despite the fact that Taeya broke her wrist on this rope swing within the first few hours of arrival, the kids spent hours on it.

Elise and Clare on Ahab the horse

The "invite only" volleyball match

Adele and Frankie

Anders and Jamison

Geoff's dad and his soon-to-be-wife, Heather

Ian

Christian 

Davey and Kate

Some of the cousins climbed a nearby mountain one afternoon.  It was 2-hours up and they were self-prepared with water, snacks and a walkie talkie.

Ceci cooling off upon their return 

The explorers: Taeya, TK, Tennie, Ceci and Mitchell

We went to Summit Inn Pizza and got pizza from Dan, Dan the Pizza Man (who is Heather's uncle, and who treated us all to ice cream)

We went to Rockport Reservoir one evening, and then the next day.

Zoey, Lucie and Elise

Ceci slept in the hammock one night

Geoff and Ian

Trent, the boat owner, driver and waterski teacher extraordinaire

Geoff

Adele is hooked.  She got up twice and stayed up for about 10 minutes each time.

Tate, Taeya, Ceci and Zoey

Christian

A group explored the property on bike (that's Geoff)

TK, Taeya and Ceci are very proud of their thigh-deep hole in the thick, clayish mud

Heather charming all the kids with gold and silver tattoos

Heather showed up in this outfit to play volleyball and earned the nickname "Boots"

The whole group

Until next time!