Closing Ceremonies

The homeschool group held a talent show.  Isaac and Drew played a piano piece from their upcoming recital.  Drew was very nervous and ended up making himself sick from worrying too much about this extremely low key show in front of his friends.  He got car sick on the way home and the combination of it all led to him getting sick in our front yard when we arrived home.  He rushed his song a bit and forgot to count his beats, but he did fine for his first performance in front of people.  Isaac brought his music on just a piece of paper without a folder and the air conditioning came on in the middle of his performance and blew his paper onto his hands.  He kept playing like a champ and never missed a note.  The show must go on!

Genevieve got the second highest award for the National Latin Exam, Maxima Cum Laude, a silver medal.  She was shocked and we are so proud of her!

Genna wearing her medal!

The eldest four children have been taking piano this year.  It was Drew's first year, Isaac's  5th, Genna's 7th, and Hannah's 8th year playing.  I tried to attach the videos I took, but they are too big to upload here.  After Drew getting so nervous for the talent show and rushing his piece, we asked that his teacher sit up there with him and help him keep time.  He did so much better with that moral support!

Before the show...

Genevieve was the only one with a closeup for some reason.

Drew

Hannah

Isaac

Genevieve's seventh grade class (with the tenth graders and the schola club) put on a recital at UTSA.  It was truly a beautiful performance from everyone.  The schola group has many teachers in it and I love that.  Lots of talent!  Genna sang and played the recorder with her class.

And finally, to close out the school year, the eighth grade had a promotion ceremony to the high school.  To everyone's surprise, her good friend gave the commencement address. 

Hannah receiving her "diploma"

Shaking hands with the teachers

After we left the building, we were able to nab Hannah for a couple pictures.

We went out for ice cream afterwards!

Genevieve's 13th Birthday Party

These picture are all out of order.  My sister so graciously hosted Genna's party.  She invited her one home-schooled friend here and her "lunch bunch" as I so nerdily refer to them.  Nearly every one of the girls she sits with at lunch since day 2 of school when I suggested she try sitting next to that sweet girl named, "Gabby" who we had met before school started at a Great Hearts party.  My instincts on this one were right on.  Genna has picked such kind-hearted friends.

The brothers and cousins didn't get to join the swim party until after the two hour party "ended."  They were chomping at the bit inside during the party.

I made her just a pretty cake with no theme or anything.  I chose yellow because it is spring-like and cheery, just like my girl!

It was a pleasure to watch Genevieve and her friends move as a herd and giggle constantly.  I loved it!  She had great time too!

A Birthday Girl and Her Bird

The day after Drew's First Holy Communion, was Genevieve's birthday.  While she was at school we pulled out the bird cage we bought for her bird and decorated her bedroom door with birds and notes.  I made a sign to hang in the cage that said "A parakeet coming to a bird cage near you."  We had he come up stairs to surprise her after she and Daddy were home.  She was so happy because she was really not sure if we were getting her one or not.  I wanted her to come to the store with me to help pick one out and I wanted it to be after final exams when we actually brought the bird home.

This is my most recent favorite picture of Genna!

I got the idea to decorate her door because they decorate lockers at school when it's someone's birthday.  It may be a new tradition!

Fast forward one week and we went to the pet store that I had been told about that focuses more on birds.  We talked to the guy that worked there and asked a bunch of questions.  He even agreed to work for the next two weeks with the bird she picked out until we returned.

Fast forward another two weeks and school was out!  The day after, we went back and she was ready to come home with us.  Genevieve picked a name too.  Hyacinth.  It is a character in the book I am currently reading aloud to all the kids, The Vanderbeekers of 421st St., and hyacinto means blue in Latin.  Turns out she is living up to the character's name and is also very timid.  I call her a Nervous Nellie.  She didn't eat for 36 hours when she got home with us.

Let me introduce Hyacinth!

My secret for training parakeets is to put them inside your shirt.  It calms them down and gains their trust.  It definitely helps to calm her down to start off a session with a few minutes cuddling inside someone's shirt.

Drew's First Holy Communion

I made the cake over the course of several days.  We had an intimate gathering planned afterwards at our house.  My parents and Brian's were able to make it, but his mom was out of town.  It's the first time we've been able to have grandparents present for this sacrament in our family.

Before!

After!

 I took Drew early to get in the line up and the rest of the family came in the van with Brian.  I sat with Drew since they asked for one or two parents to sit with the First Communicants. 

Drew has a tendency to get nauseated easily.  In the car.  If he's too hot.  If he didn't eat enough.  When he kneels.  He has trouble kneeling for long.   That was our only issue during the Mass.  He was fine, but he has to put his head down a little and lean back on the seat.

Bobby suddenly wouldn't leave my side and so I was trying to hide him behind me, but it didn't work from this angle.

I was so excited to give him his quilt!  He helped me pick out the fabrics to mix with his baby clothes and I "designed" a nautical themed striped quilt with squares of his baby clothes forming an "X" on it.  It was nautical because that was what his baby room was (and, therefore, he had many matching blankets and outfits.)  His favorite color is red and everything has to be red all the time, so I made sure it had a lot of red in it.

It was a good day...a great day!

Boys Doing Boy Stuff

Isaac had a pretty good ending to his baseball season that started out a little rough because I was late to register him (not realizing that they start practices in February when we were still in the thick of basketball and football seasons.)  One of his first practices he was hit in the face by the ball when a teammate threw it to him, but didn't make sure he was looking first.  The team made it to the playoffs, but lost the first playoff game.  Isaac had a super hit in the game to decide the playoffs though.  He became the clean up hitter on the lineup over the course of the season.  He can hit the strikes, but in this age strikes are the exception.  Therefore, there is a lot of walking and stealing going on.

Troops of St. George had a camp out this spring.  The boys got to fish and Isaac learned to put a worm on a hook.  Drew did not have the perseverance for it though yet.  The boys were so exhausted after two night of camping out!

The older two boys went with Dad another weekend to a friend's ranch and got to work on gun safety and shooting.

The rest of us met them out there and Bob got to sit on a four-wheeler and climb on a tractor.  Genevieve got to drive the golf cart, and Hannah claimed "she nearly killed" them.  I'm sure that was an exaggeration.

Drew gave me a fright at the playground between the library and the YMCA.  There are two kid playgrounds and then there is an adult outdoor exercise area with resistance machines.  While a friend of mine was standing in the shade of the cover on the adult exercise area, the kids gravitated over to us and started trying out the equipment.  I was watching and had warmed them about watching out where the equipment is in relation to their friends.  Alas, Judah's friend hopped off a machine and the bar attched to it that had been held back by his weight swung forward right as Drew walked by.  The metal bar hit him on the forehead.  He stopped and rubbed it really slowly.  I asked him if it hit him and he kinda did a half smile and said, "Yes."  I told him to come here and I pulled his hair out of the way to check his head.  My friend and I gasped at the same time.  Drew looked dumbfounded, still not crying, and asked, "What?" a little dazed like.  We decided to see if the library had ice and I asked him his name and a bunch of questions before I let him move.  He kept laughing at my "silly" questions.  What's your name?  How old are you?  Who's the president of the United States?  I was just sure this was a concussion that was going to show itself in a delayed fashion.  So I asked him if I could carry him.  Again, he chuckled  and said I could.  Then he started asking what was wrong and if he could see it.  I pushed getting ice on it first and sitting down for a while.  I took these pictures so I could send them to Brian and see what he thought I should do.  He ended up being totally fine, but I watched him for a couple of days pretty closely and kept the activity to a minimum as best I could could.  Hannah blacked out the next day after a concussion once, so you never can tell.

On a more happy note, I love that we are able to go to my nephews' games and performances.  Turner had a TOTS performance that we quite enjoyed.  My favorite was that he kept asking his dad in the middle if he could shoot yet.  Sorry to disappoint the guy, but there was no shooting in this one.  He rocked his dribbling and following instructions!

Brian just though this was adorable.  Bobby was looking for a lid for his milk cup I bet.  He suddenly has had an increase in milk drinking again, but it has to have a lid and a straw to be fun you know.  You can't blow bubbles sufficiently if it doesn't.