Bremerton High School Homecoming

Ian and Samantha (Sammie) have been friends since they took dance lessons together at Academy of Dance in 2005. After we left the school, she has been the only one who has remained in touch with all our kids. They have been very good friends.

This year Sammie was going to quit dancing altogether, but her ballet teacher sat down and had a long talk with her and convinced her not to quit. Part of that was discussion was about learning to do new things and that formed into partner work. Sammie called Ian and asked if he'd want to take private lessons with her in ballet to work on partner work, her grandmother, (my friend Maxine), would pay for it.

They have been taking private lessons now for almost a month.

Then he got a message from her asking if he'd like to go to the Bremerton High School Homecoming, as friends. Both are very grounded kids. Maxine assured me on several occasions that this was absolutely only as friends. Sammie's parents initially told her no when she asked to go to homecoming. But, when she told them she was asking Ian to go with her, they were happy to let her go.

I was only able to take three shots before they left. They all look the same, so no need to post more than one here. Sammie looked stunning in her dress. Her heels brought her up to my height! She looks so tall and elegant here. Ian took along his iPod to take some other photos this evening. Not sure how many he'll get or if he'll get any. If he does, we will post them tomorrow.

I am so glad they have remained such good friends.

Maxine said they were going to stop by Sammie's dad's store (game card shop) in Bremerton before heading to the school tonight.

World Heritage Merit Badge

Amber has been working on her American Heritage Girl World Heritage Merit Badge. She had to select three countries to learn about and chose Italy, Belgium, and France. One of the requirements was to make a meal. She chose to make Italy her lunch menu, dinner her French menu, and breakfast the following morning as her Belgian meal.

Making pesto from scratch.

Amber is mixing the pesto in with the fucilli. It was a very tasty meal ... but MY was it garlicky!

It was a nice idea to have toasted chibata bread with our noon meal. It helped to take the edge off the garlic. She melted some cheese on top. It was crunchy and yummy.

Lunch

Dinner was from France and these beans were amazing! They weren't fresh from our garden, but they were fresh from the store. Nothing frozen in this meal. All fresh ingredients. Roasted slivered almonds topped the beans. YUM!

Potatoes au gratin were a fantastic side. I had forgotten how much I really enjoy them, too. I remember Mom making them when we were kids. Brought back delicious memories.

The main part of the evening's French menu was pear pork. It was very tender and very tasty.

Dinner

Bananas flambe was dessert. Best left to Dad because of the fire. It didn't taste as amazing as it had in the past. But, maybe that was just me. However, it could have been the banana liquor, too.

Flambe!

A little glow.

Breakfast the next morning was Belgian Waffles with a fruit compote topped with homemade whipped cream. Yummy :)

Pottery Wheel and Painting

We showed up at Claywerks and she showed the kids their pinch pots, completed after their final firing. Then she said they needed to paint their coil pots. Kids and I were not happy. We had planned to do all the painting/glazing at the end, paying for one full day in the studio where they could finish it all. She appeared to be cutting corners as if she didn't want to get the clay out. Two still needed to do figurines and all of them still needed to throw pots on the wheel. I told the kids they needed to paint their coil pots as quickly as possible. THEN she brought out their slab pots, which still had not been fired. They were still green ware. She told them they could paint those using a different glaze. Ethan was too nervous to paint his, as his was pretty precarious as it was and she had already repaired it between our visits, as it had fallen apart already, but would be more stable after firing.

This is Ethan's coil pot. A dragon ... of course.

Evyn's slab pot, which he's being very gentle with as it's green ware, will be a pencil box when completed.
Ian's slab pot was a mouse and cheese figurine and container.
Amber is working on her slab pot, which was a butter dish.
Their completed coil pots.
Amber finally got a turn at the wheel. She seemed to be a bit of a natural at it. I don't know how much the teacher actually spent with her and the completed pot.
Done!
Ethan was on his second time trying to produce something, and Ian was just beginning.
Evyn was working on his figurine. He was making a solid item, and the teacher didn't want him to do that. She wanted it hollow on the inside. Of course, she didn't tell him that.
Ethan's second bowl.
Done (some help from the teacher!).
Ian was doing a great job. I thought it was going to be a cup, but he ended up with a very nice bowl.
Evyn making final touches on his figurine.

Evyn's Herbst is Installed

After the technician removed the spacers, prepping his teeth to receive the caps for his Herbst, the initial fitting revealed his loose tooth was going to have to be removed. It has been loose, made even more so by the spacers. She said she'd have Dr. Yorek removed it for him so they could proceed. Evyn sat up, reached in, and yanked it out! No thought, just did it! I was shocked! So, here it is, in the baggy, to come home to for his tooth fairy, Max. The wad of white in his mouth is to stunt the little bit of bleeding.
The caps are on his top teeth, which you can almost see in the back of his mouth. The wire that was in the brackets was removed so they could do the work, and because he will receive a thicker wire on this visit.
A peek into Evyn's mouth reveals the piston attached to the top left bracket. This device is similar to the one Ian had, but it is now more compact and easier on the wearer in that it stays in place and there is less opportunity for wires to pop out during the changing process in the mouth. Evyn's device resembles a spy scope or pirates telescopic telescope. (Gee, wonder if that makes sense? I know what I mean, but describing it is difficult!)
Here the technician engages the piston to the lower bracket with a little screw driver.

Nine months to a year before they are removed. Right now he has an angry look about him, as his teeth match edge to edge. They over correct, and then bring the teeth back in the final phase.