Valentine Party 2013

Look at all those sweet babies!



 

 

 

 

Abs and Caleb racing

Ryan and Blake racing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Craft Time

We have had almost a decade of Valentine's Day parties with our church home schooling friends, the names and faces have changed over the years, but the fun and camaraderie remains!  This year Mrs. Gungan was the brave host of our crew. 






Time for the Races

There were plenty of games, relay races, crafts, food and most importantly Valentine's Day boxes to leave goodies for friends!  Mrs. Gungan is the hostess with the mostest, she always has fun games for the kids and is able to keep kiddos from pre-school to high school engaged! 

One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.

Proverbs 22:11

Casa Manana's Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale

The obligatory pose in front of the Casa marque!

If you are familiar with any of Casa Manana's Children's productions you know there is a spin on every story and Rapunzel!: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale is no exception.

 

This was a fun musical production of Rapunzel complete with the evil Queen named Lady Za Za (not to be confused with Lady Gaga).  In this tale Sir Roderick searches for a noble quest along with his hair dresser side kick Edgar who searches for the perfect head of hair to coif.

 

It was filled with lots of silliness, this Rapunzel was definitely not the swash-buckling Rapunzel of Disney's recent Tangled, but still very enjoyable.  And of course, after any Casa play we enjoy lunch out with friends, bonus!

 

My personal favorite long-haired, tangled Bible story:

Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men.
He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the
thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught
in the tree. He was left hanging in midair,
while the mule he was riding kept on going. 
2 Samuel 18:9

Bon Appétit! with Julia Child



Today's adventures took us to the Dallas Farmers Market Demonstration Kitchen for Dallas Opera's Family performance of Bon Appetit! 

 

Susan Nicely tours the country portraying Julia Child, the eccentric French Chef.  A local reviewer wrote, “With Susan Nicely’s lovely mezzo-soprano, precise diction and sharp acting, Nicely plays Julia Child with a devilish twinkle making this highly amusing short opera a delight.”

 

In the performance she sings her way through a mock TV taping of Julia Child's television show demonstrating how to make a Bittersweet Chocolate Cake.  The program even include the recipe!  Way too many steps for this A.D.D. mom!   In prep for today's field trip we did Netflix a Julia Child episode, the movie Julie and Julia, and the kid's favorite, Dan Aykroyd's Saturday Night Live Skit as Julia, you know purely research!

 

Of course we met up with other homeschooling families,  I include a picture of Frankie holding up our PEACH sign outside the Dallas Farmers Market.  Every field trip we attend, Sissy is out front with the sign and a smile to greet our friends!  

 

Inspired by the creative cooking, we then headed over to the Farmer's Market and picked out lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Tell me honestly, doesn't that make you hungry looking at all those yummy foods!  And to prove the apple (or orange) doesn't fall far from the tree, Abigail and I had the same idea while sampling the fresh oranges!






 

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Job 8:21

Wizard of Oz Play

Gates to Oz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With our home school groups Wizard of Oz play just around the corner, we took time out today to watch Frisco's First United Methodist Church's production of Oz.  We went with six other families from our drama club to enjoy and check out their staging costuming etc. You may recognize the gates to Oz, they will be making an appearance in our production.   Caleb got to visit with their director and get staging ideas, as well as make-up ideas for the main characters.  Cute performance, the lion stole the show with her boing-boing curls!

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.  Phillipians 4:8

Dallas Opera Family Concert

 

This afternoon I coordinated an outing for our home school families to a family opera at the Winspear Opera House. Dallas Operas Family Concert featured arias and overtures from The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro,and Carmen. The Dallas Opera's orchestra was led by Maestro Anthony Barrese, and joined by a Mezzo-Soprano and lead Baritone. Before the concert there were crafts and activities for kids. The activities were really geared towards Elementary age children, but the concert itself was for more Middle School age children. I was hoping for the performance with images from Gilligan's Island with Skipper singing Hamlet to the music from the Marriage of Figaro, or cartoon videos from Bugs Bunny etc. But I'm sure there are copy write laws etc.

 

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.

Proverbs 12:14

Dallas Holocasut Museum

Survivor Magie Furst

 

 

Our adventures today today took us to one of the few museums we have never visited in Dallas, the Dallas Holocaust Museum.  It is so easy to plan a fun visit to an art or historical museum, but it is difficult to get excited about a museum dedicated to a genocide of innocent Jews.



Kindertransport & photo of Magie
and her brother

The kids have read quite a few books including Number the Stars, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl; and The Hiding Place.  We have even seen the Dallas Jewish Community Center's presentation of Thru the Eyes of a Friend: The Anne Frank Story.  But there is nothing that can prepare you to listen to the first hand account of one of the survivors!  

 

Our home school group, PEACH's field trip today began with a docent led tour of the permanent exhibit. The museum is tastefully day and conveys the horror of the events while equally highlighting the heroes.  Right now there is a special exhibit entitled, Anne Frank: A Private Photo Album.  It is a collection of 71 rarely seen photos taken by her father Otto Frank.  

 

Following our tour we heard personal stories from survivor Magie Furst.  Mrs. Furst is 84 years old and was from Germany.  She and her brother were on a Kindertransport that rescued Jewish children by bringing them to the United Kingdom when she was 10 years old.  At 16 she and her brother and mother all made it to New York where she would later meet and marry another Jewish Holocaust survivor and eventually settle in Dallas.  She was never in a concentration camp etc., but she really helped the youth understand the climate and the turmoil of being separated from her mother, the loss of her father.  She was just an inspiring and powerful woman. 

 

I saw that Groupon currently has discounted prices for the museum, so check that out if you are wanting to attend the museum!

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that
you do not forget the things your eyes have seen
or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.
Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9

 

Somethings Afoot

A date night with honey!  Our dear friend Eddy has re-kindled his interest in theater and we have enjoyed seeing him perform in Oklahoma!, And Then There Were None, and now Something's Afoot!

Something's Afoot is a musical parody of an Agatha Christie mystery.  Ten people are stranded in an isolated English country house during a raging thunderstorm. One by one they’re picked off by clever, murderous devices. As the bodies pile up (in the library, of course), the survivors frantically race to uncover the identity and motivation of the cunning culprit before they become the victim – all while singing and dancing!

It is somewhat a musical 'Clue!'  Such a clever play and of course Eddy was fabulous!  My introvert hubby and I really enjoy seeing our extrovert friend on stage, can't wait to see what he does next!

 

 

We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery
that has been hidden and that God
destined for our glory before time began.

I Corithians 2:7

Dallas Symphony Youth Concert

Caleb, Lisa & Abigail with her Koala Bear hat! 

2012-2013 Dallas Symphony Orchestra

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has a great education program to introduce youth to the symphony.  Even a lot of adults think boring, stuffy when they think about attending a symphony.  But the youth program really shows the kids how fun and
entertaining and even inspiring the symphony can be.  In a digital world it is easy to forget how great live music s

Matthew, Richard & Caleb

ounds!  I love that feeling of the giant pipe organ vibrating the chairs!

 

Today's youth performance was entitled 'From Fantasia to Tubby the Tuba," it included music from Disney's classic film Fantasia.   There was a great performance of the character dances from The Nutcracker by students from Booker T. Washington High School in full costume.  We also enjoyed a reading of  Tubby the Tuba and his search for a way to "fit in" with the other instruments of the orchestra. 

 

We attended with sixty or so friends from PEACH, (Plano Educational Association of Christian Homeschoolers).  The field trips is one of my favorite reasons for home schooling!  

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

A Day with Dad

If Jon is in charge of the days activities you can be sure it will include one of three events:  a trip to Extra Innings for batting practice; a trip to Texas Archery Academy; or a trip to Bullet Trap for shooting.

 

In a time where children and guns have become a scary thought, it wasn't that long ago when my Dad would take my brother and I to shoot tin cans at my great-granddaddy's farm. 

 

All three of the kids love shooting bows and arrows, Frankie is by far the best shot.  When it comes to guns Caleb and Abigail both have a healthy respect for guns. 

 

Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the
lowest points of the wall at the exposed places,
posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.

Nehemiah 4:13

Dallas Maverick vs. Oklahoma Thunder

 

 

There are many things I miss about living in a small town, most of them revolve around people and relationships.  However, one thing I have learned to embrace about city living is all the great stuff there is to do!  There is never a shortage of events, museums, exhibits etc. 

 

Tonight Jon and I went to the American Airlines Center for the Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma Thunder basketball game.  It was such a tight game, you didn't even have to be a basketball fan to get to this game!  Of course the fact that we were sitting in the Thomas Reuters suite did enhance the experience. 

 

Here are some fun pics from our evening.  We even saw our friends from Oklahoma, the Durhams at the game, which is funny we've been friends since that small town and now enjoy life in the big city together!

The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 12:26