What's new?
Bantam19 just brought home his cap, gown, tassel and a box of graduation announcements, prompting me to call up the place that took his senior pictures for the yearbook and get that order in for wallet-size pics to include in his announcements. This is coming up too fast!
Blondechick17 just tried out for the girls' soccer team at her Christian school, knowing that everyone makes it and assuming she'd be on the JV team. (She hasn't played since 5th grade.) To our surprise, she did well in tryouts and was put in as a floater between the varsity and junior varsity teams! Then she got the bad news that because she was a transfer student, she's not allowed to be on varsity until next year. (AS IF they had recruited her to play soccer!) So--only JV games for her this year. A bummer, but not an entirely bad thing, her parents think, given our busy schedules, plus now she'll start every game on JV. We are so proud of her for trying something new and pushing herself athletically!
Bantam14's big news was getting his braces off! Now he can't stop smiling. But also, with BC17 busy at soccer practices, Bantam14 had a decision to make about their biweekly guitar class, which she had to drop. The "class" would now consist of just himself--would he continue? Bantam14 and the teacher had a frank conversation, and the outcome is that they are both excited about B14 continuing alone--in fact, the teacher offered to extend the biweekly lesson from 45 minutes to an hour, at no extra charge. They are both there anyway--he waits for his next student, and B14 waits for B11's tap class and Chicklet7's jazz class to finish up--but he offered because he likes B14, who is now psyched to spend more time practicing, in lieu of doing theater this spring. He's already made great strides!
The youngest three just started taking a gym class for homeschoolers, taught by the PE students at nearby Carthage College, and they love it. It was so fun to see B5 exuberantly playing all the parachute games. (Wasn't that your favorite day ever, back in elementary gym class?)
B11 and Chicklet7 are beginning a new session of classes with our Christian kids' theater group, but B11 did not audition for this session's production. (Because Mom needs to free up some time and mind space--gotta focus on taking B19 and BC17 to look at colleges and apply for summer jobs!) But Chicklet auditioned, "for experience only," a courtesy the group allows 7-year-olds who've been in the program, who will be old enough to audition "for real" next time. She sang "Tomorrow," from Annie, and despite her butterflies and shaky knees, she introduced herself and sang loudly and clearly just like we practiced! She stayed right on pitch and didn't forget any words. She forgot to smile, she was so nervous, but we were so proud of her!
I am keeping close tabs on my blood pressure. I just bought a nice digital home monitor at Aldi, of all places! We realized that another medication that I've been on has "high blood pressure" listed as a possible side effect, so I am hoping that once it completely clears my system, mine will go back to normal. It could take a few months, and meanwhile I'm on blood pressure meds. I have to watch not to get dehydrated, but otherwise, I'm feeling fine physically. A little stressed, a little too busy this year--with a part-time job, all the driving to and from school, and continuing to homeschool as well--but the end is in sight, now that spring is upon us: Blondechick17 will be taking her driver's test in just a few weeks, the part-time job will end, and we have the whole summer to catch up on school!!
Nothing's really new with Papa/Father Rooster--he just continues to balance both roles so well, even when things get stressful at work and ministry places demands on him too. He handles difficult situations with such love, diplomacy, honesty and tact--I am continually amazed! He is uniquely gifted to manage all that he does, and he does business and ministry both so well. He was a favorite presenter at the San Antonio conference--as he usually is at these events--and it was fun for me to see him in his business context, so different than the usual Sunday morning ministry role that his family is accustomed to seeing him in. He is such a gift to our family and our church.
And that's the news...for now!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Church News
Holy Week begins tomorrow!
We are doing the full complement of services: Palm Sunday, Blessing of Oil & Water (on Thursday afternoon), Maundy Thursday, Stations of the Cross (on Friday afternoon), Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.
I am coordinating the readings for all, and I've been a few steps behind ever since I realized that we weren't using the same Palm Sunday Passion reading from last year! I guess we're in Luke's gospel this year. Who knew?
I arranged it into a reader's theater version for four men and two women; we've rehearsed and are ready to go tomorrow morning. It sounds like the weather is going to be quite chilly and possibly rainy, so we are planning an interior route through the Kemper Center instead of our usual outdoor processional. I think it will be fun. The Kemper Center is such an interesting building, and it has a reputation for being haunted! We'll process through corridors that many of us have never seen before...bringing the presence of Christ with us.
For the Vigil, I've also arranged the Creation reading for a family of five to read, and had a great idea for how we could pantomime, with children wearing international costumes, the Gathering of God's people reading from Zephaniah. It's the last one and often feels like a bit of a let-down after the Dry Bones reading, which has more intrinsic dramatic potential, but I think using the kids will keep things interesting all the way to the end! We're repeating a few things from last year, and I keep forgetting that I need to practice the reading that I'm doing, "Come, buy, without money and without cost." We have lots of rehearsals in the coming week!
Oh, and the music--it's going to be fantastic. One of our members is a professional violinist, and she has world-class connections who are stepping in to help us out at the Vigil. She has planned some amazing pieces of music, and has been working with my musician brother-in-law on some original compositions, as well. Blondechick17 is singing, with others; Father Rooster will sing the Exultet...I can't wait!
We're also doing two baptisms at the Vigil. One is a teenager who wishes to be immersed, but the Kemper Center won't let us do an immersion baptism inside the chapel. So we're going to have to process outdoors onto a little porch, at least a few of us, for that part of the service--and wrap him up warm right afterwards!
The other one is the infant son of our friends Amy and her husband! They are coming all the way from...oh my goodness...Montana, is it? Somewhere out west--Amy, prompt my poor brain. We have known these two since before they started dating. We did their marriage counseling, and Father Rooster married them, and their older daughter was born within weeks of Bantam5, and Amy started blogging shortly after I did...and then they moved. And there isn't an Anglican church out there, and so--they are coming for a visit and a baptism!!
In other news, we have been working with a graphic designer and a website designer and finally settled on a logo for our church. The website isn't done yet, but we now have business cards we can hand out to invite people to Holy Week services or just to give them contact information for future reference. And we have an ad going on this weekend's editions of the Kenosha News, listing all our Holy Week services and times. There's going to be a web ad too--check back here for a link! We also have printed a "Thanks for visiting" postcard that we can use to follow up with visitors.
Yay, Holy Week! My favorite church week of the year!
We are doing the full complement of services: Palm Sunday, Blessing of Oil & Water (on Thursday afternoon), Maundy Thursday, Stations of the Cross (on Friday afternoon), Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.
I am coordinating the readings for all, and I've been a few steps behind ever since I realized that we weren't using the same Palm Sunday Passion reading from last year! I guess we're in Luke's gospel this year. Who knew?
I arranged it into a reader's theater version for four men and two women; we've rehearsed and are ready to go tomorrow morning. It sounds like the weather is going to be quite chilly and possibly rainy, so we are planning an interior route through the Kemper Center instead of our usual outdoor processional. I think it will be fun. The Kemper Center is such an interesting building, and it has a reputation for being haunted! We'll process through corridors that many of us have never seen before...bringing the presence of Christ with us.
For the Vigil, I've also arranged the Creation reading for a family of five to read, and had a great idea for how we could pantomime, with children wearing international costumes, the Gathering of God's people reading from Zephaniah. It's the last one and often feels like a bit of a let-down after the Dry Bones reading, which has more intrinsic dramatic potential, but I think using the kids will keep things interesting all the way to the end! We're repeating a few things from last year, and I keep forgetting that I need to practice the reading that I'm doing, "Come, buy, without money and without cost." We have lots of rehearsals in the coming week!
Oh, and the music--it's going to be fantastic. One of our members is a professional violinist, and she has world-class connections who are stepping in to help us out at the Vigil. She has planned some amazing pieces of music, and has been working with my musician brother-in-law on some original compositions, as well. Blondechick17 is singing, with others; Father Rooster will sing the Exultet...I can't wait!
We're also doing two baptisms at the Vigil. One is a teenager who wishes to be immersed, but the Kemper Center won't let us do an immersion baptism inside the chapel. So we're going to have to process outdoors onto a little porch, at least a few of us, for that part of the service--and wrap him up warm right afterwards!
The other one is the infant son of our friends Amy and her husband! They are coming all the way from...oh my goodness...Montana, is it? Somewhere out west--Amy, prompt my poor brain. We have known these two since before they started dating. We did their marriage counseling, and Father Rooster married them, and their older daughter was born within weeks of Bantam5, and Amy started blogging shortly after I did...and then they moved. And there isn't an Anglican church out there, and so--they are coming for a visit and a baptism!!
In other news, we have been working with a graphic designer and a website designer and finally settled on a logo for our church. The website isn't done yet, but we now have business cards we can hand out to invite people to Holy Week services or just to give them contact information for future reference. And we have an ad going on this weekend's editions of the Kenosha News, listing all our Holy Week services and times. There's going to be a web ad too--check back here for a link! We also have printed a "Thanks for visiting" postcard that we can use to follow up with visitors.
Yay, Holy Week! My favorite church week of the year!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
And...Pictures!
Papa Rooster didn't have room for his big camera, but he did pretty well with his little pocket size, I thought!
This was one of my favorite pictures--it's of Mrs. E and I enjoying the perfect temps and breezes on the roof of our hotel, and I like the lines, angles and shadows. The only problem I can see with this photo is that it isn't a Dr. Pepper in my hand.
Oh, the many wonderful Tex-Mex restaurants on the Riverwalk! This one even had a mariachi band.
Papa Rooster and I considered this trip a delayed anniversary celebration--since we never can get away on December 20th.
Evening on the Riverwalk...
...and at The Fig Tree, the French restaurant which was our hands-down favorite. (I had Beef Wellington with asparagus and mushrooms, and tastes of Bananas Foster, Chocolate Bombe and Brandy-Poached Pears for dessert!)
Here we are at Texas' most famous landmark--the Alamo! It's a sobering and meaningful place to visit.
And this was the funny little bed-and-breakfast backyard cottage where we spent two nights--and evening and mornings on that delightful porch!
The proprietor served us a beautiful, bountiful breakfast in her charming home packed full of intriguing objects and decorations.
Spring at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens!
A step back in time to Gruene, TX...
And a late lunch at The Grist Mill restaurant there, overlooking the Guadalupe River.
Our last memory of San Antonio is a Sunday morning stroll on another part of the Riverwalk:
See the whimsical flying fish above? (Click to enlarge.)
Looking toward the old Lone Star Brewery, which is now the San Antonio Museum of Art.
On the grounds there...wishing we could stay another week!
This was one of my favorite pictures--it's of Mrs. E and I enjoying the perfect temps and breezes on the roof of our hotel, and I like the lines, angles and shadows. The only problem I can see with this photo is that it isn't a Dr. Pepper in my hand.
Oh, the many wonderful Tex-Mex restaurants on the Riverwalk! This one even had a mariachi band.
Papa Rooster and I considered this trip a delayed anniversary celebration--since we never can get away on December 20th.
Evening on the Riverwalk...
...and at The Fig Tree, the French restaurant which was our hands-down favorite. (I had Beef Wellington with asparagus and mushrooms, and tastes of Bananas Foster, Chocolate Bombe and Brandy-Poached Pears for dessert!)
Here we are at Texas' most famous landmark--the Alamo! It's a sobering and meaningful place to visit.
And this was the funny little bed-and-breakfast backyard cottage where we spent two nights--and evening and mornings on that delightful porch!
The proprietor served us a beautiful, bountiful breakfast in her charming home packed full of intriguing objects and decorations.
Spring at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens!
A step back in time to Gruene, TX...
And a late lunch at The Grist Mill restaurant there, overlooking the Guadalupe River.
Our last memory of San Antonio is a Sunday morning stroll on another part of the Riverwalk:
See the whimsical flying fish above? (Click to enlarge.)
Looking toward the old Lone Star Brewery, which is now the San Antonio Museum of Art.
On the grounds there...wishing we could stay another week!Monday, March 15, 2010
The Blog Has Been Dark...
But I’ve been enjoying the sunshine in San Antonio!
It has been a crazy couple of weeks. In between Mulan and our getaway, I was hard-pressed to get everything in order to be gone for five days, including getting ready for Showcase--the final week of theater classes--tomorrow night, less than 48 hours after our return! But ready or not, I left last Wednesday to meet Papa Rooster, who was already there and up to his ears in conference meetings.
I took a bus to O'Hare with a friend whose husband works with Papa Rooster (we were friends from church before they were work colleagues) and then we separated to fly on the airlines we had the most frequent flyer miles with (the consolation prize for wives whose husbands have to travel a lot!). Our husbands picked us up and took us back to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, right on the Riverwalk, where we had a bite to eat--Mexican food, of course! Fabulous salsa there at Casa Rio.
The next morning the wives slept in, had lunch and then walked all over downtown San Antonio, wishing we had worn shorts and admiring the beautiful architecture of some of the oldest homes in town. That night, PR’s employer sent the whole group of us out to a ranch for a Texas barbeque dinner, country music, line dancing, and an honest-to-goodness rodeo.
On Friday, the wives relaxed on the sunny roof of the Hyatt Regency until the conference finished up at noon and our husbands were free for the weekend. We had more Mexican food outdoors on the River Walk, and then spent an educational and moving afternoon at the Alamo before checking into our B&B for the weekend--which ended up being very unique, unusual and delightful! That night we headed back to the River Walk for French cuisine in a beautiful outdoor setting at The Fig Tree, which ended up being the most amazing meal of the weekend.
On Saturday, our innkeeper provided us with a wonderful breakfast and directions to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, where we spent several hours enjoying the sunshine and huge diversity of God's creation. Then we drove the rental car to the historic town of Greune, where we visited shops and had a late lunch outdoors on the terraced riverside at The Grist Mill restaurant. Wonderful food, beautiful setting, great conversation with our friends.
That evening we attempted to find parking and a restaurant on the Riverwalk that had a wait of less than an 1.5 hours, but since we weren't that hungry after our large and late lunch, we gave up and walked to Hemisfair Park for a festival of the arts called Luminaria. It was crowded and getting late, though, so we didn't stay long. After our day of walking, we all slept soundly!
The next morning, Father Rooster led us in an outdoor Eucharist before another wonderful breakfast with our hostess, and then our friends had to leave for the airport. Papa Rooster and I had a little more time, so we walked for awhile on another river walk, near the San Antonio Museum of Art. It was such a beautiful day, we didn't want to leave, but at last we had to return the rental car and board an airplane to chilly Chicago.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Papa Rooster’s parents were covering meals, chauffeuring duties and general supervision of the Hen House. We are so grateful to them! It was hard to come back, but wonderful to see our kids and hear how things went while we were gone. We showed them pictures, but it may be awhile before we get any posted here--PR has yet another trip coming up, and I am back up to my ears in have-to must-do's. And this morning my Prius, that just got new front brakes and tires and its $75,000 mile check up, wouldn't start.
Yup, after living like a queen for the weekend, it's just a little bit hard to be back!
It has been a crazy couple of weeks. In between Mulan and our getaway, I was hard-pressed to get everything in order to be gone for five days, including getting ready for Showcase--the final week of theater classes--tomorrow night, less than 48 hours after our return! But ready or not, I left last Wednesday to meet Papa Rooster, who was already there and up to his ears in conference meetings.
I took a bus to O'Hare with a friend whose husband works with Papa Rooster (we were friends from church before they were work colleagues) and then we separated to fly on the airlines we had the most frequent flyer miles with (the consolation prize for wives whose husbands have to travel a lot!). Our husbands picked us up and took us back to our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, right on the Riverwalk, where we had a bite to eat--Mexican food, of course! Fabulous salsa there at Casa Rio.
The next morning the wives slept in, had lunch and then walked all over downtown San Antonio, wishing we had worn shorts and admiring the beautiful architecture of some of the oldest homes in town. That night, PR’s employer sent the whole group of us out to a ranch for a Texas barbeque dinner, country music, line dancing, and an honest-to-goodness rodeo.
On Friday, the wives relaxed on the sunny roof of the Hyatt Regency until the conference finished up at noon and our husbands were free for the weekend. We had more Mexican food outdoors on the River Walk, and then spent an educational and moving afternoon at the Alamo before checking into our B&B for the weekend--which ended up being very unique, unusual and delightful! That night we headed back to the River Walk for French cuisine in a beautiful outdoor setting at The Fig Tree, which ended up being the most amazing meal of the weekend.
On Saturday, our innkeeper provided us with a wonderful breakfast and directions to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, where we spent several hours enjoying the sunshine and huge diversity of God's creation. Then we drove the rental car to the historic town of Greune, where we visited shops and had a late lunch outdoors on the terraced riverside at The Grist Mill restaurant. Wonderful food, beautiful setting, great conversation with our friends.
That evening we attempted to find parking and a restaurant on the Riverwalk that had a wait of less than an 1.5 hours, but since we weren't that hungry after our large and late lunch, we gave up and walked to Hemisfair Park for a festival of the arts called Luminaria. It was crowded and getting late, though, so we didn't stay long. After our day of walking, we all slept soundly!
The next morning, Father Rooster led us in an outdoor Eucharist before another wonderful breakfast with our hostess, and then our friends had to leave for the airport. Papa Rooster and I had a little more time, so we walked for awhile on another river walk, near the San Antonio Museum of Art. It was such a beautiful day, we didn't want to leave, but at last we had to return the rental car and board an airplane to chilly Chicago.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Papa Rooster’s parents were covering meals, chauffeuring duties and general supervision of the Hen House. We are so grateful to them! It was hard to come back, but wonderful to see our kids and hear how things went while we were gone. We showed them pictures, but it may be awhile before we get any posted here--PR has yet another trip coming up, and I am back up to my ears in have-to must-do's. And this morning my Prius, that just got new front brakes and tires and its $75,000 mile check up, wouldn't start.
Yup, after living like a queen for the weekend, it's just a little bit hard to be back!
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Back from Ancient China
Yes, I'm back...but too busy to upload pics from Mulan yet! Papa Rooster has been traveling and he's my main man for photos. I have a few on my camera but I've become somewhat camera-phobic about trying to upload them without PR or a teen at home to help me when things invariably go haywire.
Plus I've been focusing hard on my job this week to get ready for the end of this winter session of theater classes, we had a church meeting one night, B14 and BC17 both have research papers in progress AND I haven't been sleeping well.
But I do have some videos that Papa Rooster got ready for me to post a few weeks ago, so maybe it's a good time to start doling them out.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, is Bantam11's one-minute audition number, "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. I promise you: You will be entertained!
Plus I've been focusing hard on my job this week to get ready for the end of this winter session of theater classes, we had a church meeting one night, B14 and BC17 both have research papers in progress AND I haven't been sleeping well.
But I do have some videos that Papa Rooster got ready for me to post a few weeks ago, so maybe it's a good time to start doling them out.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, is Bantam11's one-minute audition number, "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. I promise you: You will be entertained!
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