PINK, KHAKI, GREEN, and BLUE
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The Cowboy by Isaac
A Princess Finds Her Prince by Olivia
Olivia made her third appearance on the theatre stage recently, just two months after her last theatrical production. She was happily cast in two roles of the play, The Fisherman and His Wife. The play was adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale about a satisfied fisherman who has a very dissatisfied and greedy wife. One day the fisherman caught a magical fish and although he released the fish, his wife demands that he return to the sea over and over and over again asking for more and more each time.
Olivia was cast as the Wife's Neighbor and the Royal Announcer. It was a very comical performance and included many of Olivia's fellow thespian friends. What also made this play extra enjoyable for Olivia was the writer of the play was also the director. Olivia had a grand time under his direction and got to see first hand how one directs his own written creation as he has foreseen it.
This play was unusual from the others that Olivia has been a part of. Although the final two shows of The Fisherman and His Wife took place in the theatre, the first six were traveling school shows, meaning they traveled to 6 different schools with their production, taking all their costumes, props, and curtains on the road with them. It was a positive experience for Olivia and allowed her include a different dimension of acting to her performing career. :)
Olivia backstage before the final shows with Cat and Dog (who were her siblings in A Christmas Carol)
Dog, Cow, Rat, Magical Fish, and Cat
Olivia with her amazing and fun director
Olivia as The Royal Announcer
For her Friday evening show, Olivia had her granddad and grandma who had come from out of town to see her performance along with her mom, dad, and brothers.
Then for her encore show her sweet friend and children's minister came to cheer her on and even presented her with white sweetheart roses.
Olivia truly loves the life of theatre. This time she dedicated 55 hours to the play and again was truly sad when it was over. I look forward to seeing how the Lord is going to use this talent in her life - He is definitely giving her confidence and training her for the spotlight. :)
RED, WHITE, BLUE, and GREEN
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Olivia and I drove my Mom to the Memphis airport bright and early Saturday morning and said our goodbyes.
Afterwards, we had a GIRLS DAY OUT!
Where did we go? We went to Olivia's and my favorite places, of course! We started out going to Target. And since we didn't have any boys speeding us along, we ended up taking 1 1/2 hours.
From there we headed to Barnes and Noble and spent another 1 1/2 hours previewing and deciding on which books we wanted to take home with us. I LOVE that my girl loves books. Her favorite bookshelves are always history and classics. :)
Our next stop was lunch. Olivia chose Stix hibachi, which I may or may not have had an influence in. ;) She chose ginger salad, spring rolls, and steak from the hibachi grill. I had onion soup, a couple of Olivia's spring rolls, and spider rolls.
Then we both declared we couldn't head back home without a proper dessert. We managed to find a cookie cafe and made our selections. I chose a snickerdoodle and she a M&M chocolate chip. We broke each in half and shared with one another. It was determined the snickerdoodle was the best and promised each other to make a recipe of some together VERY SOON. VERY VERY SOON.
After sufficently filling our bellies, we thought it was probably time to head home to see our boys. On our way we stopped off one more time . . . this time on the side of the road. We picked a huge bouquet of yellow daffodils to bring home to remind us of our special girls day out.
And what an incredible girls day out we had! I LOVE spending time with my girl! :)
BLUE, RED, YELLOW, and BLACK
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RED, BLUE, and GOLD
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100 years ago Roald Amundsen along with four members of his team and 16 dogs reached the South Pole and planted the Norwegian flag in the frozen Antarctic ice. This discovery was historic as man was still trying to conquer the earth just a century ago.
Olivia has long been fascinated by the story of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott and their "Race to the South Pole." I recall her receiving a book on explorers several years ago which sparked ignited her curiosity. The following weeks she checked out probably a dozen books on the subject from the library. She researched and learned all about details of their routes and explorations.
Even today she is so interested in their stories she included The Story of Polar Conquest on her Christmas wish list over a month ago. In fact, she has shared so many intriguing details of Amundsen and Scott with me that she has now drawn me to their story. :)
When I realized today was the 100th year anniversary I knew I must do something special in honor of the discovery.
Tonight after dinner I made a South Pole Marker, grabbed our stuffed penguin, scattered some marshmallows around, and then scooped Polar Cream (vanilla ice cream) and whipping cream into white ramekins, and topped them each off with a miniature south pole marker.
The kids thoroughly enjoyed their Polar Cream and Olivia enjoyed sharing facts about the Amundsen exploration with us while Isaac talked about our "Captain Cook," of Mr. Poppers Penguins, of course. :)
I'll leave you with this excerpt from the New York Times:
When Roald Amundsen's ship, the Fram, left Norway on Aug. 9, 1910, it carried, in Amundsen's words, "nineteen men, ninety-seven dogs, four pigs, six carrier pigeons, and one canary." The ship was nearly 20 years old, and the expedition leader, Amundsen, was 38. He was already a formidable polar explorer, but this voyage to Antarctica and the South Pole made him one of the greatest explorers who ever lived.
On Dec. 14, a century ago, Amundsen and the four members of his team reached the South Pole. "That day," he wrote, "was a beautiful one," and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon they planted the flag of Norway, each man with one hand on the flagpole. Like so many other days on that polar journey, that day was "like a pleasure trip," as Amundsen later reported. The weather was good, but even better was the planning. The Norwegians were born skiers, excellent dog handlers and skilled navigators. They proceeded across the ice exactly as they had done across the ocean, fixing their location again and again by dead reckoning and with sextants. They also left innumerable cairns and markers to guide them on their return.
In his book, "The South Pole," Amundsen makes none of this sound heroic. He admired the English for their "pluck and grit," but what you feel in reading his account is joy and adventure. Even now, Amundsen is too little admired, mainly because his straightforward success was eclipsed by what a member of Robert Falcon Scott's expedition called the "first-rate tragedy" of Scott's polar push, which ended in the deaths of Scott and his four-man team.
On Dec. 14, Amundsen was at the pole, writing a letter to Scott wishing him a safe return. Scott was 34 days behind him, on a different route. Scott's journal for that day reads, "We are just starting our march with no very hopeful outlook."
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Information and pictures taken from:
www.wikipedia.org and www.visionforum.com
Olivia was cast this holiday season in Charles Dicken's familiar classic "A Christmas Carol" and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Olivia had the favor of playing the role of Martha Cratchit, the eldest daughter of Mr. Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's poor clerk.
Olivia had a whopping total of eight performances, two of which took place during a perfectly timed winter snowfall.
The theatre lobby was filled with goodness of the early 1800's - candles, smells of spiced cider, an antique tricycle and teddy bear, and Victorian Christmas trees adorned with strings of cranberries, gingerbread men, and lace fans.
During Act One, Olivia played the role of Mr. Fezziwig's daughter during his very festive party. Here she is before going onto stage to square dance with Mr. Fezziwig.
Act Two brought the role of Olivia's beloved character of Martha. Here is Olivia's cast family: Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cratchit, Martha, Belinda, Peter, and crippled Tiny Tim.
Martha and Belinda with their parents and the Christmas goose
Olvia also shared the stage with her two close fellow homeschool friends. Here she is with Scrooge's nephew's wife and Belle (Young Scrooge's fiance). There's always fun going on when these three are together. :)
Olivia's sweet director
Opening night brought Olivia her mom, dad, brothers, grandmother, and granddaddy to cheer her on.
It's obvious to me that we have a thespian in our midst. Olivia never complained one time after the 90 hours put in on this production and she was saddened after the final performance saying goodbye to her fellow cast members and friends who became more like family the last 2 1/2 months.
She's already talking about her next play and dreaming of what role(s) she might be cast to portray. :)
What's her father's and my response to that?
God bless us . . . everyone!
:)
RED, BLACK, WHITE, and PINK
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This weekend:
Olivia performed in "A Christmas Carol" production each day.
Olivia performed a song in our church's Singing Christmas Tree.
I decorated for Christmas.
Michael made hot chocolate three times and caramel popcorn once.
We gazed upon a beautiful full moon.
We lit our third candle of our advent wreath - the pink candle of "joy."
Olivia and I had a Girls Afternoon Out this beautiful fall afternoon. While the boys were at home watching Star Wars and perfecting their lightsaber skills, we were out seeking fall color and eventually found ourselves under a magnificent red maple enjoying pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
We enjoyed sketching some of our fall treasures in our nature notebooks and talking about current events in our lives - like the plot of our current read Johnny Tremain, her fondness of taking violin lessons, our plans for a family Christmas ministry opportunity, and her love of rehearsing for A Christmas Carol. I {heart} moments with just my girl.
Pink Flamingo trimmed in metallic gold
Completed September 28
1) by Olivia
2) by Isaac
3) by Joshua
Continental Colors
Completed July 29
Because some days you just need to paint . . .
Back in February I conducted an interview with Isaac the day after he turned four, so I thought I'd interview my new ten-year-old as well this year. (Again, thanks for the idea, Megan.)
Mommy: What is your favorite color?
Olivia: PINK! You know that! (True, that one's no surprise! It always has been. I wonder if it always will be?)
Mommy: What is your favorite thing to eat?
Olivia: Chocolate! Anything chocolate!
Mommy: Where is your favorite place to eat?
Olivia: Chick-Fil-A
Mommy: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Olivia: An archaeologist. Or museum curator. (The museum curator is just of late.)
Mommy: What do you dislike?
Olivia: Math
Mommy: What is your favorite day?
Olivia: Saturday because it means I get a day off from math and Daddy gets to stay home.
Mommy: What is your favorite thing God made?
Olivia: Flowers
Mommy: What type is your favorite?
Olivia: Roses. Pink roses.
Mommy: What is your favorite movie?
Olivia: The Wizard of Oz
Mommy: Where is your favorite place to go?
Olivia: Virginia
Mommy: What is your favorite subject in school?
Olivia: History
Mommy: Your least?
Olivia: Math
Mommy: What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Olivia: Read. Or cross stitch. And making friendship bracelets.
Mommy: What is your favorite memory from the past year?
Olivia: Going to Williamsburg (Posts coming on that soon.)
Mommy: If you could be any type of animal, what would you want to be and why?
Olivia: A dog because they receive lots of love.
Mommy: Do you think you'll get married when you grow up?
Olivia: Probably
Mommy: Do you want to have babies when you grow up?
Olivia: Maybe
Mommy: What is your favorite thing to eat that Mommy cooks?
Olivia: Mmmmm. Chicken and dumplings. Mmmmmm. (This makes me happy. And is surprising since just several years ago she HATED them.)
Mommy: What do you most enjoy doing with Daddy?
Olivia: Playing games with him.
Mommy: What do you most enjoy doing with Mommy?
Olivia: Read and cook
Mommy: What do you most enjoy doing with Isaac?
Olivia: Play with Playmobil or Legos.
Mommy: What do you most enjoy doing with Joshua?
Olivia: Play whatever he wants to.
Mommy: What are you looking forward to now that you are 10?
Olivia: Learning more. (WOW! That makes a homeschool mom feel good.)
Mommy: Do you like your new town, house, and room?
Olivia: Yes
Mommy: What do you most like about the new town you live in?
Olivia: My new friends
Mommy: What do you miss most about Georgia?
Olivia: My old friends
Mommy: What does Daddy do all day?
Olivia: Work
Mommy: What does Mommy do all day?
Olivia: A lot. Cook, work on computer, take care of clothes, wash dishes, take care of your children. . . (I'm glad someone notices all I do. :) )
Mommy: What is the most valuable thing in the world to you?
Olivia: My family (What a sweet answer.)
Mommy: What will you do next year when someone asks you how old you are and you don't have anymore fingers to hold up?
Olivia: (Smiling.) Hmmmmm. (Moving her eyes from one side to the other and thinking.) I'll hold up ten fingers and then say "And one toe." (Giggling.)
I am amazed that my little girl, my first-born, is ten. The time truly has flown by. I am blessed immeasurably by Olivia. God has gifted her with the most compassionate heart and I look forward to seeing how He will use it one day. May I continue to set a Godly example for my sweet precious daughter.
My Olivia turned 10 on Monday. I began by giving her a spa treatment complete with candles and sprinkled rose petals. The spa included a bubble bath and painting her nails dainty pink.
For lunch Olivia requested to dine at a local cafe. She ordered a sandwich and we ate surrounded by bright artwork by a local artist.
Then for dinner she had requested pizza. I made individual pizza crusts and we all put on our own toppings.
When I asked her several days before her birthday what she would like to do, the first thing Olivia said was make homemade ice cream. She wanted cookies and cream flavored so we sat around Monday afternoon proir to dinner and made (rolled) our own ice cream. We had a ball. :) (I couldn't resist.)
Olivia is 10 now!
My June birthday girls
My new 10-year-old
HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVIA!!!
Olivia requested to have an American Girl party this year for her birthday. Since we have been studying the colonial period in history this year and she loves Felicity, I thought a colonial tea party would be appropriate. And she approved. :)
My goal was to incorporate as much of the history of the time as possible. My mom worked hard getting mob caps ready for each girl. We polished silver and decorated in red, white, and blue, and pink. :)
Betsy Ross' flag was our mantle centerpiece, as well as a pear Williamsburg tree, a Williamsburg 5 finger vase, and Olivia's cross stitched Betsy Ross flag.
Olivia donned a period dress that was a birthday gift from her grandma and granddad.
The tablescape was comprised of white linen tablecloths, pink balloons, a silver candelabra and white candles, silver teapots containing pink roses and miniature Betsy Ross flags, fine china, an assortment of differing teacups and saucers, white linen napkins, silverware, and menus for each guest
Throughout the party the girls participated in the making of items that would have been made in the colonial times.
Here the girls made pomanders reminding them that baths were not taken often during colonial days. Small items were often made to help improve the fragrance and welcome people indoors. Pomanders were one such item which were made by sticking fragrant cloves into an orange or apple.
They hand-dipped candles as many young girls did in the colonial period to provide light. Candles were hand-dipped and took a lot of time and hard work to make. They were made of tallow, wax, and beeswax most often. Wicks would be tied to a stick and dipped over and over again into the wax. By using berries, they were able to make different colors.
They also made butter. In colonial times making butter took time. First, the cow would be milked and then the milk would need to settle to let the cream rise to the top. The cream was then placed in a butter churn and churning was required to produce butter. It often required hours of long hard work.
Olivia was so proud to be surrounded by her wonderful new Mississippi friends this year for her birthday.
Children in colonial times made games out of items they had around them which allowed them to use their imagination and creativity to invent. One such game was the clothes pin drop. The object simply (but not so simple) was to get the clothes pin in the cup.
In colonial times, paper was very expensive and scarce, so every scrap of paper was saved. On special occasions, people cut paper into decorative designs that were treasured as gifts. This craft was called papyrotamia.
Olivia in a petticoat?
I also taught the girls how to fold a piece of paper and make only one cut forming a five-pointed star. This was like Betsy Ross did impressing the Congressional Committee that enlisted her to sew the first American flag. (Did you know that George Washington’s original rough draft sketch for the flag indicated 6-point stars, a form he apparently preferred? Betsy Ross, however, recommended a five-pointed star. When the committee protested that it was too difficult to make, Betsy took a piece of paper, folded it, and with a single snip of her scissors, produced a symmetrical five-pointed star.)
Olivia's birthday cake was special this year in that it was Martha Washington's recipe. This was Martha Washington's Great cake made with dried cranberries and candied orange peel and a meringue frosting.
Served alongside Martha Washington's Great Cake recipe was historically accurate, Liberty tea. When the king of England placed a tax on tea, many colonial families, protested it. Colonists who did not agree with the kings rule were called Patriots. They refused to buy, sell, or drink tea. Instead, they made their own ‘liberty teas’ from flowers, herbs, and fruit leaves. We made our Liberty tea by steeping raspberry leaves in boiling water.
Olivia and Felicity
Olivia was very blessed to have all four of her grandparents with her to celebrate her 10th birthday party.
We love you, Olivia! Happy 10th Birthday!
Check out more pictures from Olivia's 10th Birthday Celebration. See "Olivia's 10th Birthday" in the left hand column under Photo Albums.
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Information gathered from
Felicity's Cooking Studio
