Weekly menu

Encore Presentation
Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
galoush, baguette, caesar salad
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches; celery with blue cheese dip; salad or fruit?
hot dogs (ooh, Nacho Dogs for me and Trev!)
spaghetti; cheese bread; salad
filet o'fish sandwiches; fries; fruit
Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
galoush, baguette, caesar salad

On the back burner:
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Tortilla Soup
Crab and Cauliflower Soup (for me and Trevor)
PW's Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas
fried broccoli

Photo Ops

I am determined to not pay $12, or even $7, for Holly's passport photos. I read a little online and found great reviews of two websites that promise to get the face placement and photo size within passport standards.

With no sunlight that day, I knew my biggest challenge was to avoid any shadows, both on Holly's face, and in the background.



We took a bunch of photos, and I played on those stupid websites for two hours. Contrary to claims and to all reviews, the pictures were not printing out 2" x 2". I was soooo frustrated until I finally realized I could do this in about 5 seconds in Word. There's my duh moment.

In the meantime, though, this worked out well.

Why are there no shadows on Robert's face?

Hmm. I still have shadows in Holly's photos, so we'll have to retake, but I'm very glad that the hard part is over.

Just another day in the loony bin

Simultaneously in the car yesterday:

Kristine slapping herself, making stretchy faces, and sticking her tongue out as far as possible in an effort to remain awake while driving.

Robert turning the radio volume up louder and louder, leaning closer and closer to it in an effort to hear something.

Trevor in the back seat, burping long and continuously.

Holly wheezing her seagull/dying donkey laugh.

We are all completely insane.

Oops!

Holly received a lovely, handwritten note thanking her for her recent tour at Elon College.



Unfortunately, she never made the tour. We'd registered but changed plans at the last minute when her stomach began acting up during our trip last month to North Carolina. I tried to "unregister" online, but it was after the tour, and the website wouldn't permit it at that time.

As an aside, I'm reading a wonderful little book about this school, and I'd love for her to take the opportunity to tour it again. Really, this time.

Stars!

Trevor's basketball team is undefeated! From their fast tournament play to begin the season, through their four regular season games, they never fell out of first place. Championship games are next weekend. Wooooo!

Weekly menu

Chicken Souvlaki, pita, hummus
Giant Burritos
Orange Chicken, potstickers, rice, fried broccoli
ham, baked corn, mashed potatoes
Slow Cooker Pork Tacos
Robert's choice
galoush, baguette, caesar salad

On the back burner:
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Tortilla Soup
Crab and Cauliflower Soup (for me and Trevor)
PW's Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

Both ends of the week

Monday--Valentine's Day, nice, low key. I worked; Robert slaved all day to fix one of my favorites for dinner, along with bread and salad. We gave Holly and Trevor little boxes of candy and small gift cards, for which they were so sweetly grateful. They also received lovely cards from family.



Friday--this was the temp outside at 8:15 this morning. I love Virginia. It's gonna be a great day!

Trevor's turn

Before Holly agreed to go to TeenPact, I'd already signed Trevor up for a one day class aimed at 8-12 year olds. While I didn't give him the option of not attending, he was eager to participate. He also had homework to bring to class: a few memorized verses, a mock bill, and copies of letters he'd sent to state lawmakers.

Logistically, it was a challenge for me, between Holly's class ending Thursday, Trevor's class beginning early Friday, figuring what to do with Holly while I was at class with Trevor all day (an adult had to be present with the kids), and I was reluctant to make that three hour drive each way two days in a row.

So we stayed overnight at the hotel, leaving Holly behind in the morning.

Trevor's class began the same way at the other class, with a get-to-know-you activity (lots of these pics to follow).


The session began with with two songs, one silly, where the kids jumped up and down almost as fast as they could.


They broke into pre-arranged committees, and we went to the Capitol to prayer walk. I'm very thankful for the great weather we had. It was chilly, in the 30s, but the sun was warm, and there was no rain or snow.


I found a mom to watch out for Trevor if necessary, and I raced back to the hotel to pick up Holly just before check out time. We missed the kids going up individually to the front of the room to read their bills (which were then assigned to committees depending on topics). Shortly after we returned, the kids broke for lunch, which we ate in the building cafeteria.

When lunch was done, the kids split up into their committees, where they discussed and voted on the bills to which they'd been assigned. The program did a terrific job with age-appropriate activities keeping the kids engaged and moving around a lot. The next exercise was a scavenger hunt back at the Capitol. Each student was given a list of two dozen questions to find or answer with their family: What color are the curtains in the Delegates' meeting room? Find a picture of Pocahontas. Who laid the cornerstone at the Capitol building? What is next to the statue of Edgar Allen Poe? Holly was a huge help here, as she knew, or knew where to find, many of the answers.

The new public entrance to the Capitol, part of a

27,000 sf underground addition built in the last decade.
I also learned it's only one of eleven U.S. capitols without a dome.

When we returned to the meeting room, the kids participated in a mock legislature, the same way that Holly's class had. They were given a sheet of paper with protocol written out, and some of the kids who'd attended previously were familiar with the process. They voted on bills they'd written for their homework, including allowing penguins free meals in fancy restaurants, and a bowl of ice cream for any child who makes their bed in the morning. Everything went very smoothly (and hilariously!), and most were not shy at all about joining right in.

Closing

We left for home, and with all the leftovers of the food I'd packed for Holly, there was no need to stop on the way home. It was a great end to an exciting week. Not surprisingly at all, Trevor can't wait to join Holly next year for the four day class.

---------------------
Growing up, I had four years of California state history. I can't say that's served me particularly well, as I haven't lived in California in 30 years. Virginia history is a little different in the way it ties into our country's history as a whole.

The Capitol building was designed by Thomas Jefferson, with then-Governor Patrick Henry laying the cornerstone.

The Virginia House of Delegates is a direct successor to the House of Burgesses, which first met in Jamestown in 1619, making it the oldest legislature in the Western hemisphere.

Richmond served as the Capitol of Confederacy, and following its fall on April 3, 1865, President Lincoln toured the Capitol on April 4. He was assassinated a week later.

So fascinating to me, and what a privilege for my kids to have this particular opportunity to see our state government in action.

Light reading

Holly received a gift card for Amazon on Valentine's Day. She used it tonight to buy a book for her Kindle, Beowulf in Old English, with an English translation. This is her FUN reading. The way she picks up languages, I wouldn't be surprised if she already knows most of the words.

She's buying this for fun, but I'm thinking I should be buying it for her. It's practically all I can do to read (and write) plain English.

Sometimes my kids leave me absolutely speechless.

The end of Holly's week in Richmond

Trevor and I drove up on Thursday, which was the last day of Holly's class. We stopped at the camp to pick up her luggage. This was what was left of the door decorations created by the girls in Holly's cabin.


The students were at Richmond again for the day, but left everything packed, ready for parents to pick up belongings. A few were staying one more night for an optional public speaking class on Friday.

After driving all morning, Trevor and I stopped for lunch before going to the Capitol. To my relief, parking was a cinch again. I worry about those little details.

Family was expressly invited to the afternoon portion of the class, where the students participated in another mock legislative session with all of the formal meeting rules, "Will the author of this bill approach the well?" "May I ask a question of the lady in the well?" etc. It was very entertaining, both for the class and for the spectators.

This was followed by a few speeches and other closing activities, giving another chance for the students to say goodbye to the staff.


Holly, Trevor and I spent the night in a nearby quiet and large hotel. Holly professed to living on canned fruit, mashed potatoes and granola bars during the week and opted to have pizza delivered to our hotel room. We spent the evening listening to her stories of the week, interrupting only to watch American Idol. It was an early night, only better if Robert had been there, but someone needed to stay home and take care of the pets. Maybe next year!

TeenPact

There are so many things I want to both share and remember about this week. I'm pasting parts of an email I wrote about it, and I may repeat something from my last post, or my next post. The program far exceeded any expectations we had for it, and I encourage anyone who is remotely interested to check into it further.

Students are given homework in advance to bring to class, including copies of letters written to their state rep and state senator. (Keep in mind, this is a class on state government, so all info pertains to that level, not federal.) They prepare a mock bill to present at the class and are given a sample form to model. There are a few Bible verses to memorize regarding authority; vocabulary words to look up; basic state facts to memorize (governor, lieutenant governor, how many Republicans/Democrats at your state house, etc.). They read and answer questions about the governor's most recent State of the State address; and answer a few questions about three Constitutional amendments of their choosing. There is also a dress code to which the students must adhere--ties for young men (most were in suits); mid-calf or longer skirts or dresses for young ladies (no pants!). It was a bit of a pain to shop for that, but Holly later appreciated it, saying that it made them fit right in with the other women at the capitol (none of whom she saw in pants!), and that she enjoyed dressing up.

Two-thirds of the 75 kids signed up for the week stayed at the local Boy Scout camp. The other 1/3 commuted in each day. Holly commented that it was definitely to everyone's advantage to stay at the camp, that kids who just came to the day sessions were missing out on so much of the evening activities and bonding that helped make her experience what it was.

The classes were held in a conference room a few blocks from the capitol. When we arrived, there was a short get-to-know-you exercise that had the 75 kids talking to as many other classmates as possible. At first, it was very formal, lots of hand shaking and introductions, "Hello, my name is ___________. Would you sign one of my boxes?" As the kids warmed up, it became a bit more casual and loud.

They were asked to be seated and listened to a short introductory speech or two. Immediately after, each row had to approach the front of the room, and each student had to begin reading their mock bill. Just as in our capitol, as soon as the Chairman determined which committee the bill went to, he would bang the gavel, even in mid-sentence, assigning that bill to a certain committee. And then the next student would read their own bill. Some kids read just a few words; others read several lines. It was a great way to get through a potentially nerve-wracking experience, as it was short and quick, and everyone had to do it. (There were a dozen or so kids who were returning students; the majority of the class as a whole was quite outgoing.)

The students were then assigned to one of four or five committees. They broke off into their own committees and began discussing the bills that had been assigned to their particular committee. Most kids' bills went to a committee other than where they were assigned; it was totally random, as their committee assignment was predetermined, but their bill was sent to a committee depending on its topic. After discussing each bill (with the author sometimes defending it if he/she happened to be in the committee), it was voted on by the group, either passing or failing.

That was just the first afternoon. The kids went to the camp via carpool assignments arranged by the leader. They had a bit of down time, ate at the dining hall, had a 15 minute worship session. They had a brief Bible study led by Guest Director Bob Shanks, who is a lobbyist for HEAV (Virginia's homeschool association). (Each state class has a "Guest Director" who oversees the program for the week.) There were organized games designed to yet again really engage all of the kids. They retired to their cabins, and a staffer came around to each cabin to debrief what was learned during the day and to pray with each cabin in a small group. I think each cabin set their own rules for lights out; each cabin (of 4-5 girls) also had a parent chaperone.

Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with a variety of activities, including visits to the capitol and to the legislature building. There were several trips back and forth from the conference room, and I'd been forewarned to send along a lot of bandaids for blisters in those new heels! They prayer-walked at the capitol complex. They were broken up into groups of 3-4, approaching different people in the building with the intent to find lobbyists to whom they could present specific questions. There was a Constitution drill, where the students raced to find specific sections in the Constitution as quickly as possible. The kids were assigned to different political "parties," nominating and electing their own officers, spending one evening campaigning for their party, designing posters. The winners gave speeches at the end of the program.

The kids were constantly being put into different groups--committees, carpools, games, giving them the opportunity to meet and bond with as many of the other students as possible. It was further evidence of the organization and foresight that impressed me. All of the staffers were teens who'd been through the program. They fly around to lead different state classes, making it easy to maintain the high standards of each state class. (In contrast to AWANA, where one church can be well run and a church a few blocks away can be utter chaos.) It was an amazing group of young people who actively make every attempt to reach the students, draw them in, uplift and encourage, and in doing so, change lives.

Incredible week, wonderful time, terrific organization. God is at work in these kids, and it was amazing to watch it happen.

Holly goes to Richmond

Holly's in Richmond this week attending TeenPact. TeenPact is a Christian organization for homeschoolers that offers classes on state government and leadership.

She spent Sunday rushing to finish the homework she's known about for several weeks. Months, even. It was not made easier by the fact that she was sick this weekend, although that gained her a bit of sympathy from me.



In an effort to make sure she had enough food if she was hungry, or if her stomach was bothering her, we packed enough food to feed the entire camp: three kinds of granola bars, popcorn, Chex Mix, saltines, apples, craisins. That's just what I can remember.



I also sent enough medicine to stock a small pharmacy: cold meds, pain killers, vitamins, stomach meds, anti-nausea pills, and probably more.



We drove three hours to get to the Boy Scout camp where many of the kids are staying. The setting was remarkably similar to Franklin County. The camp was pretty, including a lovely dining hall; the cabins were surprisingly small--10x12 rooms with three bunkbeds, a table, 10 hooks on the wall for clothing, and a concrete floor! We dropped Holly's things off, lunched at Chic-Fil-A in Richmond, and made our way toward the Capitol.

I'm sayin' it: I was expecting something similar to Denver. I'd heard parking was "tight" in Richmond. I guess this means you can't park in front of the building. I parked around the corner (and walked past several open spots directly in front of the building).

That's my car under the red arrow;
I was standing on the pedestrian bridge of the building.

The class was two blocks away from the Capitol. At 25 floors, it is (hilariously to me!) Virginia's second tallest building.

It rather dates itself in the early 80s, do you think?

All right. Richmond is NOT Denver!

75 kids total are attending the program, with 48 filling up the camp. Most of the rest of the kids are local, commuting each day. Upon arrival, they were given an activity to encourage them to meet as many classmates as quickly as possible.



I should add that the dress code is very strict, particularly for girls--only skirts or dresses are allowed, which must cover their knees even when sitting!

At this point, I left the room to go to the bathroom. When I returned, the doors were shut, and I could hear they had started inside. Parents were allowed to stay and watch, but I preferred to wait until a break so I could say goodbye to Holly and head home. In the meantime, I walked to the Capitol complex just blocks away.

Cool statue of George Washington.

Again, that Denver thing. I was expecting a capitol building with a golden dome, one you can't miss.

Yeah, this is it.

The Governor's Mansion is in the same complex, which is pretty neat.



And a beautiful building just outside the complex (I think it was a church).


I had Holly's two letters (homework) to deliver to the General Assembly building, and when I went through the metal detector, the security guard asked me, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Sarah Palin?"

Actually, Sarah Palin looks like me, but I didn't tell him that.

I went back to wait outside the class. The homework included writing a mock bill to present. Knowing that most of the kids would likely choose topics such as anti-abortion, homeschool rights, or lower taxes, Holly chose term limits on House Delegates and Senators. (This was easy for her once she discovered our delegate has been in office since 1962!) The kids went to the front of the room, one at a time, and read their bill, where it was sent to a different committee depending on the topic. When the committees gathered to discuss their various bills, the kids took a break. I had a very quick chance to say goodbye, and I headed home.

Three hours, ugh. I flew (figuratively speaking) home, made no stops on the way, and got there just after dark.

The students were allowed to bring cell phones for the sole purpose of contacting parents. Holly's texts last night were completely cryptic. "wats our phone number?" "will call tomorrow. ilu"

What does THAT mean? She's surviving? She hates it? She loves it?

Tonight, there was one more message that included the words, "Tday was gud.."

Okay, I can exhale now. I think.

Basketball and sun. And son.

We put a basketball hoop on the driveway, but it's been waaaaay too cold to use it much. Trevor and I got out there last weekend, taking advantage of the only warm day we've had in what seems like four months.



I should know better but I still haven't learned. (See here and here.)



At least I didn't hurt myself.

Fun to pick up a basketball again. Robert and I used to play one on one back in the olden days, back before kids, back when I had another life. It's fun to pick it up again with Trevor; I'm very glad that we have the hoop right here!

Friday, friends

Friday night. Took Holly to soccer practice. Joined other soccer moms at one's nearby home. Chatted. Drank coffee. Uplifted. Ate chocolate. Encouraged. I am blessed by my new friends.

Weekly menu

Chicken a la King, fresh mozzarella and cherry tomato salad
Superbowl Snacks--Rotel dip; sausage-stuffed mushrooms; Knorr's Spinach Dip; potstickers if needed
Tortilla Soup
Giant Burritos
Crab and Cauliflower Soup
Chicken Souvlaki

On the back burner:

Marlboro Man sandwiches
chuck roast?
pork tenderloin roast
fish and chips (okay, french fries)

U.S. Figure Skating Championships

As one of her Christmas presents, we bought Holly tickets for the ladies' short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, NC. Obviously, she couldn't go alone. Because I'm a great mom, I sacrificed and agreed to go along with her.



Holly ice skated for several years while we lived in Colorado Springs. Her best friend picked up the sport too, and the girls spent many hours at the nearby rink together, Trevor and Kelsi's brother usually tagging along. But Kelsi's family moved away; the rink turned into a Dick's Sporting Goods. And Holly's enthusiasm for skating fizzled out.


Skating has held a spot in my family for almost as long as I can remember. My sister skated for several years as a pre-teen, at the same rink where Brian Boitano got his start. Lori's earliest claim to fame was skating with Brian in an ice show, just the two of them for one of the songs. Lori and Brian shared a coach, the same woman who would later see Brian through the Olympics.


Back in 1988, I had the opportunity to attend several nights of the U.S. Championships in Denver. Tickets back then were dirt cheap, I think it cost us $6 for each show early in the week, and a friend and I eagerly went all week long.

Holly and I went to similar competitions four and five years ago in the Springs.



We drove down to Greensboro last week, intending also to take in a quick tour of Elon College. Holly's stomach acted up again, so we skipped the school and went to the hotel. She was feeling a little better already. We watched silly tv, ate a quick dinner, and make our way to the Coliseum.


Based on experience, we knew corner seats were a great choice. We were just eight rows up from the ice. Holly commandeered my camera and took over 200 shots, including those through this post.

After the show, we went back to the hotel and watched Mrs. Doubtfire into the wee hours of the night (or is it morning?). The next day, we wandered through the mall, stopped at Chili's for lunch, and made our way home to Roanoke.



Two nights later, we watched the ladies' long program on tv, which showcased the top skaters from the event we'd seen in Greensboro.


As Holly gets older, I feel that my time with her is slipping away. I treasure these special things we do, making memories for me as much as for her.

Winner Alissa Czisny

She still misses skating. She still has her skates. I continue to hope she'll take the opportunity to pick it up again here. Soon.