brain malfunctions

So... I was just reading through some of my more recent postings and noticing all of the spelling and grammar errors.  Sorry about that, my brain isn't really working properly these days.

Mormon Battalion

I am still trying to get all caught up and I think I am just about there. (And sorry these posts have not been in any kind-of order.) We went down to San Diego in February to watch BYU men's volleyball. While we were there we went to the new Mormon Battalion museum. If you ever get the chance to go....take it. It was wonderful!

Cougar Heads

David took each of the girls to a BYU basket-ball game and out to eat for a fun daddy-daughter date. This has become a sort of tradition that the girls look forward to every year and Robert can't wait to be old enough to go to one too. (He has to be able to sit still for a little bit longer first!) This year they wore there hats from Aunt Crystal.

Another Field Trip

The CA Science Center had an exhibit about the Islamic contributions to science in the middle ages. It was fascinating. After this year, I have a whole new perspective on the "dark ages". Yes, those years are called dark for a reason, but maybe they weren't as dark as the history text books make them out to be. And some things that I was taught in school are simply not true. For example, did you know that most people in the medieval period knew the earth was round? Yup, Christopher Columbus was never worried about falling off the edge of the world, regardless of what your 2nd grade teacher told you.

We saw a full replica of the elephant clock invented by al-Jazari.

 And while we were there the girls rode on the high wire bike, 43 feet above the bottom floor!

Anna, of course, was fearless! Crystal, do you remember the cow ride in OK?

Alahna wasn't going to go until she saw Anna having so much fun. She was a little less fearless, but still made it all the way across!

Hufflepuffs Rock

Our Hufflepuffs are awesome, winning the house cup two components in a row.  So yes, that means we finished "Tales of the Bards" and next week will finish "Revolutions of the Renaissance Men". This year is just flying way to quickly!

At the end of "Tales of the Bards", or Year 4 at Quercus Alba, Robert was awarded an Ivory Acorn Award for his achievement in reading. He has really taken off and will read a Magic Tree House book in one day. Alahna was also awarded an Ivory Acorn for excellence in everything, but especially foreign languages. That kid has a gift. She is the youngest in our Latin class by a couple of years, but is right up there at the top of the class. And she doesn't even have to try! She hears it and it just sticks in her head. And for French, let's just say that when I have a question she's the one I'm asking.
 

St. Andrew's Abbey

In January we went to St. Andrew's Abbey. It was one of the coolest field trips so far. The monks knew we were studying the middle ages so they focused on the role of monasteries and the church throughout the dark ages. We learned so much and had the nicest monk to give us a tour. We even attended mass where we were able to use some of our Latin skills. The girls were almost bouncing out of their seats when they started singing one of the songs we learned last year. 

The Abbey makes and sells ceramics all over the world to support themselves. This is one of the kilns.

Father....wish I could remember his name..... ringing the bell for mass.

And our wonderful tour guide. Can't remember his name either. I really should have written them down.

Congratulations Alahna

Today Alahna took the written part of her Certificate of Merit piano test. Yesterday she took the actual test. She had to sight read, play all her scales and 5 finger patterns in under 4 minutes, play 4 songs from memory and one with music. And of course she passed with flying colors!

She has been working towards this for months and we are super proud of her.