The Netherfield Ball

This past Saturday night was the Netherfield Ball, a recreation of the English country dances depicted by Jane Austen in her novels. Here's Bobbie and Sarah in period dresses and hairstyles before the event. It was an event specifically for the teenage homeschoolers like Sarah. Many of her friends were there, both girls and boys.

This was all the idea one of the mothers in our homeschooling network group. She attended a Contra dance at a nearby college and got a committee of like-minded people together to produce the event. Bobbie secured the new fellowship hall at our church and it worked out perfectly. The only glitch was getting the air conditioning working for the Friday night instructional session.

The dances featured a caller who told us all what to do. She also introduced each dance with a little historical background. My favorite was call Juice of Barley which featured a lot of turning and crossing. So much so that I felt like I had too much of it by the end of the dance.

One of the great things about this dance was the fact that there were entire families there sharing the fun. One family of all boys explained to their young men that this event was all about the girls and that they needed to honor them. If these guys had any doubts, they didn't share them. But I am sure that having mom and dad also dressed in period costume helped a lot. But let's just say this much, none of them had any problems finding a dance partner.

Signs of Spring...

... from our yard.

Master Class

Sunday morning Sarah took a master class with the local ballet company. Her friend Rachel got tickets and talked her into going. The class was challenging but Sarah and Rachel were up to it. They both danced very well learning their combinations and even smiling!

The class took place in one of the rehearsal studios within the big performing arts center, home to the ballet, opera, and most traveling Broadway shows. It's one of the old movie theatres built in the 1920s and restored in the 1980s. During the restoration they expanded the stage to make it deeper and higher. In addition they added several rehearsal spaces as well including this one.

It was fun to be downtown on a Sunday morning, going in the stage door entrance and taking the elevator to the studio. I was expecting one of those old elevators with and expanding cage style door and an operator, but it seems they modernized the elevators with the rest of the building.

Nana also danced in this theatre in her vaudeville days entertaining folks between the "picture shows."

Spring Planting

Once a month for the past four or so, John and I have gotten together with other home school fathers and sons to spend the afternoon together and learn something.

This afternoon we planted vegetable seeds to sprout and later transplant. First we learned about basic garden tools and how to take care of them. (Remember this is a group of guys.) Then we planted the seeds. Finally it was time for cookies and a little bocce ball in the backyard. This has been a great group of sons and fathers.

Earlier this year we hosted a session. Since it was cold we choose an indoor skill, electricity. After a short course in safety (!) each father and son teamed up to replace an outlet in our living room and foyer. Everyone learned some practical knowledge and we got new outlets. Overall, not a bad bargain.

Big Night

Last night was a big one for all of us, but as usual I only have pictures of Janine. Nobody else would sit still for a photo.

First we ate dinner at the Fiesta Mexicana fundraiser at our church. The proceeds go to support the high school youth group mission trip to Tijuana this summer. It was a taco dinner catered by a nearby Mexican restaurant owned by a member of our church. The dinner was held in the new church fellowship hall.

Here's Janine with her dear friend Grace whose dad owns the restaurant. The food was good, but I was disappointed that Bobbie and I were the only ones using the really hot sauce. But what do you expect for a Presbyterian church?

Later in the sanctuary of the church our local homeschool group held a student recital. There were nearly 50 performances mostly piano pieces and recitations. Both John and Janine did recitations.

John with his friend Andrew recited a poem for two voices called Water Strider.

Again, here's Janine who recited Jellicle Cats by T.S. Elliot and late of the Broadway show, Cats. She really dressed the part and rehearsed with great cat-like moves. But when she got up there she was much more subdued.

"I saw all those eyes looking at me!" she said afterwards. Next time she will learn how to look at the top of the audience's heads instead of their eyes.

This just in...

Justin, John and Andrew received an honorable mention from the Shakespeare competition. While the judges did not choose them to move on to the finals, they did think enough of their scene from the Taming of the Shrew to give them some additional recognition.

Huzzah!!!

(My personal apologies to anyone who lived in the Twin Cities in the 1970s who associate that word with the silly radio commercials for the local Renaissance Faire. You know who you are.)

...Slowly I Turned...

Despite best efforts, nobody got the Inch by Inch reference.

Well here it is in living black and white cinema. A classic vaudeville routine interpreted by classically trained vaudeville players, the brothers Howard with some help from Mr. Fine.

Enjoy the references not only to Niagara Falls, but also to Pittsburgh.

Don't be shocked. Read here. Places and cites were commonly used in vaudeville as a trigger in a routine.

At the Blue Line

Here's cousin Grace (number 20) after the other team iced the puck at their Saturday night game. While on Friday night Grace scored two goals in her team's 5-0 victory, the Saturday night team was fast and a bit chippy. Grace's team was shut out 4-0.

With a 12 girl traveling squad, and playing a full Olympic sized ice sheet, they skated their hearts out and legs off. Interesting fact, three of the 12 girls are triplets!

I was impressed by how Grace skated off two hooks by the other team. But to no avail, no penalties were called. She also did a good job working the puck down the ice not only through traffic, but also along the boards.

We don't know, but we think Grace's team came the farthest for this tournament. One family's airline tickets fell through, so they drove from Denver to Toronto. Yikes!

The other teams were no help answering this question. Most wondered if Colorado was a town in Northern Ontario. In their defense all I can say it that they weren't there for a geography competition.

Inch by inch...

Yesterday we stopped off at Niagara Falls on our way back from a long Easter weekend in Toronto. That's it over John's right shoulder in case you need help.

We drove up on Good Friday to see our cousin Grace play in a hockey tournament and visit one of our favorite cities. I will add more about the trip later this week, but I thought it best to start at the end especially when I can post a photo like this. (Extra points for the person who can identify the headline. Use the comments link below.)

Science Club

Here is Janine playing foosball with some of her friends at last week's Science Club meeting. There are about seven homeschooling families that meet every three weeks or so to share tasks in teaching science.

There are four groups: 12-14, 9-11, 6-8 and under six. The last group has story time and a snack while the rest do an experiment or demonstration that builds on their reading and home activities.

Everyone benefits by sharing the teaching tasks and the kids have formed some great friendships. It's great to see how they get along and how their personalities show through.

Sarah's Birthday

We have been celebrating Sarah's birthday for the last two days. Last night we went to a local tapas bar for dinner. Naturally Sarah ordered the anchovy bruchetta among other delights. John and Janine stuck with their favorites of meat and potatoes.

When we got home late last night we opened gifts. If Sarah had a Harry Potter Christmas, then this was a Jane Austen birthday. Grammy and Gramps sent a one-volume compilation of Jane Austen as well as one of the Bronte sisters. At Target Janine found the DVD of the BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice. It's six hours with all sorts of extra goodies.

Here's Sarah's cake from a party at this afternoon's Science Club session. She had a great time teasing her mother by keeping the camera to herself allowing only her friends to take pictures. Ah the joys of the teen years.

Great Card

Found this card at Target the other day. Bobbie can't wait to send it to one of the ballet ladies.

Mark of Honor

This past Tuesday I encountered an interesting man selling flowers and Steelers merchandise. He was stationed at the entrance to a garage that I parked in during a business meeting.

After the meeting as I walked past he said in a booming voice, "DO YOU KNOW THE MAIN CAUSE OF MALE PATTERN BALDNESS?" Absent mindedly I said no.

"AN EXCESS OF TESTOSTERONE. IT'S A MARK OF HONOR."

"Thank you sir!" I replied.

Skating Show

Yes the skating show really was outdoors and yes it was cold despite a clear warm afternoon. But it was probably the best weather in the past five skating shows.

The ice was smooth thanks to the nice weather as well as the Zamboni. The kids were ready to go and didn't want to leave the ice. They had their routines down and all three skated very well.

Significantly, John was the very last kid to leave the ice of all 50 plus in the show. For most of the year, he was the first off the ice with very little practice on his own. We don't know if this means anything yet, but it may be a start. This picture is worth every minute we spent driving them back and forth to the rink this winter.

Afterwards the skating director was nice enough to invite us to the skating team party despite the fact that none of our three was on the traveling skate team. Perhaps with three kids taking lessons and appearing in the show we got the volume prize. Nevertheless, we all had a great time and finally got home at 11:00 PM tired, but very happy. Finally, here's Sarah with her skate team friends, Karissa and Joe when they were preparing for the show. (Note Karissa's mom fussing with her hair.) We will bring out these pictures next fall when skating season starts again to remind us why we do it.

Skating Show Preview - Janine & John

Here's Janine in her skating show costume just after the dress rehearsal on Thursday. John and she are in the large number for the kids at the pre-Alpha level.

They skate around in two or three big groups of seven to ten each. Those with a bit more skill zoom through the groups as they criss-cross the ice. It may be pretty basic, but the kids really enjoy themselves and it looks like all of them are trying hard.

The other day John said that he didn't want to get his haircut until after the skating show so he would be warm. Good head on that boy.