Tidbits

Some kitten cuteness to start off the post...

Much of this week's happenings weren't very photographable. Violet had a very different schedule this week, with a field trip all day Tuesday with the junior high to the Museum of Tolerance, and state testing twice at the independent study school campus. With Violet gone more, I was able to work on this blog a bit more. And, this would be Violet's last field trip of her school career. Sniff!

Cora also had a weird week, because she is NOT doing state testing - we opted to exempt her from it - so she had weird start times, too. 

 

I'm vice president of Cora's school's Parent Advisory Council and I helped arrange a clothing drive fundraiser. I helped collect clothing Wednesday late afternoon for two hours. About half of these bags came in while I was there helping.

We also cleaned the house a bit to prepare for the arrival of my friend Emily, who is coming this upcoming weekend.

Also this week, my Dad and I went to Cora's theatre rehearsal to prepare the press release. He took the following photos, while I interviewed Jarod, Dani (here, as Roxie), and Cora. I got the release written and submitted to the local paper.

Cora and the "Murderesses" sang "All That Jazz" a few times while we were there, so that a friend of the program could film it. He put together an amazing promo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C56m8CGy_Ly/

Week in Review

 

We attended our last Open House at Violet's junior high, and went around seeing the TWO teacher she has there, along with old friends who taught Cora and Violet in past years. This is Ms. Mathis, Vi's science teacher.

Several cool experiments were set up in the science lab, so Vi and Stace gave them a go.

We also visited Mrs. Davidson, Vi's favorite teacher, who teaches yearbook. Violet will miss this class and teacher! Cora loved her too, and had her for history.

The big question we got all evening was, which high school will Violet attend? And she's come to a decision - she'll go to the school she's zoned for, where her friends will go, where Cora went last year. 

Cora was pretty disappointed, and my mama heart was touched to see it. I love the bond my girls have, and we all do wish it would have worked out for them to have that single year of high school together. But, it just was not to be. 

I could see pros and cons for both schools for Violet, but in the end, she would have only had one year with Cora there, had she chosen Cora's current school, while she'll likely have four years with her girlfriends.

Here's a photo of our back stone fruit trees. Fingers crossed for a good crop!

Earlier this week, Stace and I saw a comedic murder mystery in Newhall, and we all had a family dinner at Stone Fire for our March birthdays. 

Our front nectarine trees are also covered in blossoms. 

Earlier this week, my right shoulder started hurting badly, in a spot that I'd noticed some funny twinges over the past two months. I made an appointment with the local orthopedic specialists, and an X-ray showed this little calcium deposit. They gave me a medication, which has helped a lot. I'll do physical therapy as well.

Also this week, Violet and I went to another art show opening at the local gallery. They seem to change shows every six weeks, with a celebration each time. Violet went to Teacision with her school friends, and then to one of their houses. 

Week in Review

While I was out with the ladies, Stace took Violet to the archery range. She still enjoys archery, though for the time being she's stopped her mounted archery.

From the car on the dirt path to the range, they spotted this bad boy. Yep, that's 100% a rattlesnake. Notice the larger diamond-shaped head and rattle!

Violet doesn't just shoot arrows, she throws them. All good for her PE credit hours we need to track at home with her new schooling situation.

Speaking of school, it's going very well, but Vi has had a ton of algebra to do this week to get caught up to where the Learning Post algebra course is. She's been a bit frustrated but she's getting through it. Thankfully the English and history assignments are easier.
 

Living his best life! Seb got height AND the bean bag when we stacked cushions up to get them out of the rain this week. 

Cora took a rest day this week, following the extreme energy output required for Puffs (or any show run). 

Here's the completion of the beautiful bird puzzle Aunt Patty and Uncle Bill gave us when we went up to visit in September!

And, we didn't get a photo, but JT, Jim and kids came up for lunch Friday to return Violet's camera that we accidentally left in their car when they came out to see Puffs. We met up at the Indian restaurant and enjoyed their filling and fabulous lunch buffet.

Puffs, Friends, Fam and Volunteering

 We all enjoyed seeing Puffs!

 Cora's fans follow her, even when she changes schools and their kids don't attend the same school anymore!

For the Saturday night show, Coach Greg, Jen and Sue and Pauly made it out.

We managed to get a family shot this time after forgetting to with her last show.

(Also - FOR THE RECORD - I am the shortest in the family but Cora IS wearing very tall heels. Thank you for listening.)

JT, Jim and the kids came all the way from La Verne on Saturday afternoon! We so appreciate them making the long drive out to support Cora.

On Friday night, we had Christina, Mrs. Hawthorne and another former Meadows teacher, and Colleen, Rigo and Liana. 

Cora's theater friend from her old school, Abbie, came out with her mom.

And Cora's other friends Sadie and Grace also came out - she was so glad to see them! Other friends of Cora's came out but I didn't get photos of everyone. 

Cora had fun getting to know Lucas, who played Oliver, and introduced him to Dungeons and Dragons.

As usual, our family was as helpful as we could be with the sets and props. 

My dad took the headshots and the promotional photos, and I made the cast photo board and wrote the press release that the local newspaper ran (below) with Dad's photo.

Week in Review

Violet was having a hard time in school. She was doing well, grade-wise, but really deeply disliked being there all day. She missed quite a bit because of tummy aches and other illness, to the point that Stace offered her $10 if she made it through a full five-day week.

Spoiler alert: she didn't! We ended up making a significant change, and she's now enrolled in the district's independent learning program. 

She takes two classes at her junior high still - yearbook and science - and will still be on campus to see friends. But the other classes, she's taking at home on the computer, with a teacher checking in with her weekly. So far, it's going well and seems to be a good move.

Cora was asked to take part in a short film project for an acquaintance's college film class. He was making a Western music video set in the late 1800s. Luckily, we were able to make my old vintage prom dress and a fitted brocade coat of Cora's work for her outfit.

Here she is, ready for filming. Ain't she purdy??

Stace wanted to get a photo of the girls when Cora got home, all made up nicely. 

Love seeing them laugh together!

 Violet and I took another Quigley walk, and it was warm enough that I was mindful of snakes.

Now, we basically never come across snakes, but I had mentioned to Violet that we should be aware. And boom! This little guy was on the path. He was actually pretty small, so not scary whatsoever. No rattle either.

Back to School

And just like that - summer was over and Violet started 8th grade, and Cora began her junior year.

Violet didn't love school last year, especially her first semester, but she said she was ready to get back to a routine. She had quite a boring summer, so it was nice to have her OK with going back to school. 

She's still taking yearbook, and her friend Leah is now in the class with her. She has a few of the same teachers Cora had, too.

Cora started her first day at the new high school, and it went well enough. She's not a super social kid, especially with people her own age, but things went OK. New campus, all new teachers (except for Jarod!) and a couple of thousand new faces. She's taking algebra II/trig, English 11, U.S. History, ceramics, theater and stagecraft.

The traffic around her new school is atrocious - the high school is directly across the street from the area's junior high, and though the starting/ending times are staggered, it's still one main road in and out for them. Ugh, I miss the traffic patterns at her old school, that's for sure. We'll have to figure out a system.
 

Seb also had his first day - of sitting in this box.

I turned around and caught him in the playroom, surrounded by new school supplies, squeezing himself into the box for Violet's new tall black boots. 

This was Violet after her registration day last week, with her new books and her look of "Why a photo, Mom?!"

And I wish I'd taken a photo of Cora at her new school on registration day, but I forgot.

Fun with Nan and Pop, Part I

Stace and his dad spent some quality time together on Gord's birthday, going shopping at tool stores and then getting a beer at Telco, one of the local breweries Stace enjoys. 

They also went to the picturesque Iron Horse Bridge, where the mighty Santa Clara River actually looks like a real river.

It was nice that Nan and Pop were here for Violet's induction into the National Junior Honor Society, which took place Wednesday evening at the Hart auditorium.

 

Thursday was "May the Fourth," a date celebrated by Star Wars fans for its similarity to the phrase "May the force be with you." 

We'd heard that Pocock Brewery was having a big event, so we dressed up and drove over. It was PACKED! Like, we could barely get in the door! So, we walked around to check out the festivities and people in costume, and then went back out. We stopped for a quick photo with this car before ending up back at Telco.

Open House plus Tidbits

Violet had her Open House on Thursday, and was pleased that Cora came! 

Cora wasn't really excited to go, and we often don't force her to go places, but Vi was asking her to come and see some of her English work on the classroom walls. 

Thankfully, Cora's favorite Web-streaming D&D troupe, Critical Role, took this particular Thursday off, so that worked in our favor. And in the end, Cora did go around and say hello to a few of the teachers she'd enjoyed in her all-too-short time in junior high.

In fact, we never got to go to an Open House for Cora at this school, because of Covid.
 

The Accelerated Math students worked in groups to make little putting challenges, and Violet's sadly was worse for the wear after an unexpected rainstorm Thursday afternoon. 

Stace had encouraged Violet to cut their project like a puzzle to be able to get it to school, as we don't have a big truck for transport. However, the transport problem didn't seem to affect anyone else, as most other projects were very elaborate and large. The girls got a good laugh at how, um, not excellent Violet's team's project was. 

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. 

Violet is much more of a winner when it comes to art and English and history.

Her poem here was pretty stellar.

ODE TO A GRAIN OF SAND

Birthed from time

Older than life

Beauty in the midst of strife

What became of you,

Oh, great mountain?

As all submit to time,

Even worlds return to dust.

Humans search for cities 

of ruin

For knowledge of secrets.

But what becomes of the overlooked?

Perhaps something of beauty

but instead glass and stones.

Perhaps you know history 

beyond comparison

yet all memories fade to dust. 

Also this week, Seb apparently caught a tiny bird.

And, the poppies are starting to pop; this was the yard of my friend's neighbor.