First Day of School (well 5th day anyway)

     I had really good intentions of getting a photo of the first day of school this year.  That would have been five days ago.  It was even on my electronic calendar.  However, life intervened and the photo was never taken.  Ian wasn't up, then boys had to go off and do a wood stacking job ... yes, life intervened.  Next thing I knew, it was Friday.  Amber came downstairs this morning all dressed up and ready to have her photo taken.  Well, we don't ever do anything traditionally ... so we weren't going to pose on the front step as if to head off down the driveway either to walk to school or catch the bus.  So, the boys are dressed for the photo in whatever they were in when I said, "Let's go ... time for the photo shoot."

     So, here they are.  Ethan is "using" the thesaurus, Amber is studying something from her language binder, and Evyn is diligently studying his Algebra (from last year).  In regard to Evyn, he and Ian are getting tutoring for their Algebra classes and should be able to finish before long.  Ian should be complete with Algebra 2 by the time he begins Running Start with Olympic College, and Evyn could be a bit longer than that.  However, their tutor, Tanya Sutter, is willing to keep working with them until their lessons are complete and they have an end of year grade for next year.

     However, I digress.  Our first photo:

 All their lovely faces

     And lastly, our "graduate" joins us with his version of his first day of school.  As I wrote earlier, he starts mid/late September.  In the meantime, he's completing a few other things before heading off.

   Non-traditional ... yup, that's what we are!

Kitsap Fair - here we come!

7:42 a.m. - Alarm, snooze, alarm, up.  Time to get things going for the day.
8 a.m. - Feed kids, shower some kids.
8:50 a.m. - Makeup and hair - well, for Amber anyway.
9:07 a.m. - Packing dance bag, some still showering ...
9:25 a.m. - Car packed and out the door
10 a.m. - $6 to park the car and unload and head to the front gate at Kitsap Fairgrounds
10:15 a.m. - Still waiting at the gate for Ian's Scholarship Class kids
10:20 a.m. - Still no kids, head toward the Pepsi Family Fun Stage
11 a.m. - Just For Kicks performs - most of those sitting on the stands are family - as usual

Simply Irresistible

 Performance Team's jazz number.  Amber is third from right (in pink).

 Amber and her high kick.

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

 Musical Theatre number.  Amber is on the right.

 Amber is center between her friends Erin Alonzo (left) and Piper Burke (right).  Ethan was also in this number this weekend, but sadly I didn't get a good photo of him.

Black Horse and a Cherry Tree

 The boys tap class number also went to the fair.  Originally the class had 12 kids, one of them Ethan.  Unfortunately, they were a girl shy, so he opted to be "big guy" and sit it out.  Additionally, his tap shoe is broken and we have to replace it.  Evyn is on the left with Sidnee Sutherland and Ian is on the right with Vanessa Alonzo.

 Final pose for Black Horse.

Rhythm of the Night

 We also brought the older kids' Musical Theatre number.  Ian is on the left and Evyn on the right.

You Give Love a Bad Name

 Ian's Scholarship Class was invited to perform at the fair.  He taught four classes over the summer and had some new kids, so they did an abbreviated version of the song.  The kids did a great job.  The boys' scout friends performed.  They are center:  Mark Mathis (left) and Noah Mathis (right).  The center boy is another homeschool friend, Jamin Cummings.  His two sisters are on the left.

Hip Hop Mix

 This number is all the Performance Team members - mini, junior, and senior.  Amber is in the back on the left.

 Amber is just center left here.

And that was our day at the Fair.

Soon to be published

I can not officially announce that I will have one of my little sock patterns published in association with Debbie Macomber's next book, Angels at the Table.  It's a simple red and white Christmas sock with beads.  The book will have a code in the back associated with the pattern.  Readers will be able to plug in the code on her website and be able to download the pattern.  I'm not exactly sure on how it will all work, but as I understand it to date, the pattern will be up for about a year (maybe?) and then it will go to her free patterns page.  She has purchased the pattern from me, so from here on out I do not have the rights to it and I cannot sell or benefit from it in any way.  However, my name will be out there as the designer :)  That is such an amazing thing to me!  Will keep everyone posted when I know more about it.

On a related note, I have also been asked be Debbie Macomber's A Good Yarn Shop to design enough to do 12 monthly knit-alongs for mini socks.  The shop will purchase the patterns and I can teach classes for the knit-alongs and they also want to pre-package the socks with the yarns and patterns, etc., to be sold possibly on their website!

What does this mean?  I have to get a business license!

It appears I have nearly become a designer of miniature socks!

So, what's on my list?  I have about 14 sock ideas ... now I just need to get them written up and decide which ones go with which month!  Here is what I have so far:

January - Owl
February - Snowflake
March - Dragon
April - Rain
May - Trees
June - Sea Shore
July - Whale (to go with Silverdale's Whaling Days)
August - Briar Rose
September - Coffee
October - Apples
November - Moose
December - Angel

Other items on my list that may replace or rearrange the above:
Dog
Whale (I have 2 - short-finned pilot whale and a humpback)
Mt. Rainier
Salmon
Totem
Ferry
Halloween
July 4
Ballet
Harry Potter (couldn't forget something for these!)
Pirate
Magic (Ian wants me to do one for his favorite card game)

A good many of these I have NO idea how I'm going to do them.  They were just ideas we came up with when brainstorming.  Most of them are on the "other" list at this point.

Well, that's my news!

Someone posted this on Facebook today and I HAD to share it because it SO reminded me of Ian when he was little and sitting in his high chair in Iceland.  He knew how to open up the CD drive on the computer, put in his game, and play before he could even walk!  I hope you get a good chuckle out of this like we did!

One World Taiko Drummers

The drummers came from Seattle for our summer reading program event.  What an opportunity for Evyn and Ian!  They both had a chance to play these amazing taiko!

http://youtu.be/CsYdwzYfoX4

Evyn has now asked if he could please have a taiko for Christmas ... oyvey!

Rewind Back in Time - 20th Year Celebration

I am going to attempt to post only the couple videos I was able to take with my phone while "playing" stage manager this past week.  These were all taken last night (closing night).

Simply Irresistible was performed by Just For Kick's Senior Performance Team.  It was choreographed and directed by mother/daughter team Jen and Taylor Scott.  Amber is wearing pink, 2nd row (middle when it starts), 2nd from right.

Just click on the words below and it will take you to the video.  May want to pause it to let the buffer fill before starting so you can watch it straight through without it stopping.

Simply Irresistible


Hey Ricky was performed by Ethan and Amber's tap class.  It was choreographed by the studio owner, Tanya Bleil-Johnson.  Amber is second in from the left.  Of course, they all look exactly the same!

Hey Rickey

Back in March/April, Tanya asked the three boys if they would meet with Ryan Posey and learn Smooth Criminal.  Their friend, Jonathan joined them, and the four boys had a crash class on this piece.  It was so fast and difficult.  From what I understand, this particular number has been done quite a bit over the years.  The one dancing closest to the camera is Ryan, who choreographed it for them this year.

Smooth Criminal

A few weeks prior to recital, Christine Luders, the ballroom teacher, asked Evyn, Ethan, and Amber if they would do the East Coast Swing number, Crazy Little Thing Called Love.  They would be dancing with the team.  Christine used a couple of the other older kids from the teen class, too, who had done the number the year before.  (It was being done because it was part of the anniversary celebration.)  So, in about a day's time, Ian taught Evyn the moves, and then he picked up the rest at practices.  

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

And that is all I have in videos from backstage.  Enjoy :)

To Graduate or Not to Graduate, That is the Question

All these graduation pictures on Facebook ... and all our poor boy gets is a shove out the front door and a hug when he reenters.  No gown, no mortarboard hat, no rolled up piece of paper with his name on it, no "Pomp and Circumstance" or cheers from a crowd.  But, I couldn't be any more prouder of his hard work and determination.  As far as homeschool goes, he is done and graduated in my eyes.  I will no longer be teaching him at home.  (Granted, he still has a couple more weeks to wrap up his KONOS studies and his mathematics.)  However, in the eyes of the school district, he is a Junior in Running Start ... his education isn't quite over.  Because of that, he is NOT officially a senior in their eyes.  So, we will keep his studying going with small unit studies to earn his BSA merit badges.  He'll walk again in two years, but then it will be with a bit more ceremony.