BCPS High School Art Exhibit at Goucher College

May 30, 2019

    Rachael received the honor of having one of her pottery projects chosen to be displayed in the Rosenberg Gallery at Goucher College. A few pieces from each of the high schools in the county are chosen by the visual arts teachers to be exhibited. Rachael's project was a pottery bowl made of layered slab pieces that she had fashioned into buildings. The bowl looked amazing with a terra cotta effect but she decided for it to really take on the look she was going for, it needed color. Because of deadlines approaching she brought the bowl home. I almost never get to see the projects in process so it was a treat to see her work on it and detail building after building, roof after roof.
   The bowl turned out beautifully just in time for the exhibition. We all got ready to go, increasing the dressiness factor after our first attempt. We zipped over to pick up Josh and we headed up to Towson, to the Goucher campus and hurried into a crowded gallery. Students, families, friends, and faculty packed the gallery taking in some truly impressive pieces of art. Rachael's piece held it's own and displayed beautifully.  We enjoyed checking out the art and a few cookies and then we filed into a standing room only auditorium. Jim took Johanna outside at this point.

   Each of the schools had faculty in attendance and they introduced all of the invited student artists. Ms Spiradigzlioi said some very nice things about Rachael. The presentation had started late and was running long, so after 3/4ths of the schools we made our exit. We had dinner reservations at the restaurant were Emma works and she was putting in an order for us so we could get out of there before another reservation was due in.  It was fun to see Emma at work and our food was ready for us shortly after we sat down.
   It was a fun night and a delight to get to see all of the exhibited art by such talented students. I am incredibly grateful that my girls have had access to large, skilled, and supplied art programs. They have each been gaining skills and have been exposed to many art types. From photography, painting, and clay to theater, band and orchestra. It has been an enriching experience in their lives. Rachael benefited greatly to have a place and time in her day dedicated to creating something with her hands, with an eye toward beauty.

Rachael's bowl received a judges award that came with a $50 check, and her piece was chosen to be displayed in the offices of the sponsoring law firm. Rachael is hoping that it doesn't sell and she will get to bring it back home.

Spring of Sacraments

May 2019

The first weekend of May we gathered at OLV for Claudia's First Communion.

May the 15th we celebrated Confirmation with Katherine and Sophia. I had the honor of being Sophia's sponsor. She chose Narcisa de Jesus as her confirmation name for an Ecuadorian Saint who was canonized in 2008.

And the Last weekend of May we celebrated John's First Communion.

It is such a blessing to get to witness our nieces and nephews receiving sacramental graces. For each of these events, my siblings and their families, as well as extended family, came out to witness to the significance of the sacraments, to offer our support and joy. As my brother Will offered grace before a celebratory meal, his words caught in his throat as he expressed his joy that John now gets to enjoy Christ's gift of Himself. It truly is a blessing to witness.

May they each continue to enjoy God's graces and grow in their faith.

Johanna's Field Day

May 22, 2019

Johanna loves it when we get to visit her at school, so I volunteered to help with Field Day. Grades K-2 get to spend the afternoon out on the field, doing all sorts of playground games. The day has a non-competitive focus and really is just a day of fun outside.

I was assigned the 3-legged race station with two other volunteers. The day was beautiful, not hot at all. Just pleasant. The school is overcrowded so there were over 400 kids coming our way in groups of  about 12. There were multiples of each station, including the 3 legged- race. I went through the lists and found Johanna's group. She was in group #1. I checked my station schedule and discovered that Johanna's group would never come to us. I talked it over with the other volunteers and we all agreed to swap out so we could find our kids and go around with them for a while.

Shortly after this, Johanna and her teacher came across the field to find me. Johanna was crying, she knew I was on the giant field somewhere but didn't know where. We hugged and I explained the plan, and that I would be visiting her soon. She didn't look reassured but she did go back with her teacher.

When I was releaved of my station, I joined Hanna's group and I was glad to see she was participating, although she didn't have much energy. She was recovering from a cold and had missed school the day before. Johanna played Giants and Elves, and the egg-spoon race. She wasn't quite herself and when it was time for me to go back, she clung on to me. One of the other girls in Johanna's group was also teary and was looking for her Mom. The group leader asked if I could help find her Mom. I got her name and realized this little girl's Mom was one of the 2 Mom's I was volunteering with. It worked out great and I was able to bring her over when it was time for me to return. Johanna came with me and sat on my feet for a while.

Johanna had a good time but she was wrung out. She crawled into bed when we got home and took a solid nap.

Senior activities and a college decision

She is doing this! She is finishing high school and is going to college!

Rachael is in the home stretch of high school, and her perseverance is paying off. She didn't give up even though she may have felt like it at times, and she is seeing fruits from her struggle. I am so proud of her.

The college application process was fraught with anxiety. It includes too many options, with too many financial, career, living and well being considerations. It is stressful. Rachael considered a few schools, but prioritized UMBC because it is a fantastic school, is close and allowed for her live at home with her cat. There was an early action application deadline Nov 1 and we finalized the application fee 5 minutes after the deadline. It was what it was, we would have to wait to see. We were so excited when a fat envelope arrived in December with an acceptance and a very generous scholarship. The next application deadline was approaching and Rachael asked, "do I have to submit more applications?".  I told her "If you want to go to UMBC, then no. You can say yes and be done.". She was happy to say Yes and so were we.

Spring included another visit to UMBC and it reaffirmed that this was a great decision.



Rachael took 2 art classes this year and was recognized by having 4 pieces in the High School showcase at the local art guild. Rachael had been talking about her clay projects throughout the year and it was gratifying to see them first hand.

Rachael is the Secretary of the Math Honor Society and it was fun to see her speak at the spring induction and then receive her senior cords.

Rachael also received her senior cords for the World Language Honor Society for her efforts in Spanish at the start of her high school journey.

Throughout all of these special events Rachael worked with the Robotics team to prepare for the Worlds VEX Competition.  I'll add a separate post on that.

When they got back from Worlds, she shifted to AP exam prep and finishing up her assignments for the year. It is a whirlwind and all of the activity allows the distraction from the goodbyes that are coming. I think this distraction makes moving forward possible, and Rachael is doing just that.

Rachael's Senior Prom

May 5, 2019

Rachael and Josh have been dating for over 6 months and both intended to go to the prom together.  But they were preoccupied with VEX Robotics and a lot of the details of the prom happened the last minute. I had insisted on taking Rachael dress shopping earlier than last year because dresses are all too long for her 5'1" frame and need to be hemmed. She found a green off the shoulder ball  gown that we had to order online in her size. When it arrived she decided that it needed too much tailoring to fit well, and instead we called the store and put a black off the shoulder dress on hold that she had also loved. I ran out and picked the black one up, and we did a fitting so I could hem it. The dress was taken care of but the prom tickets, Josh's outfit, before prom plans, after prom plans and flowers were unplanned.



The 2 days before prom Rachael and Josh were back and forth over what color shirt and tie to wear, and what they were going to do before and after prom. She wound up borrowing her cousin, Joseph's black bow-tie. They decided to make the corsage and boutonniere themselves out of succulents and set aside time on the afternoon before prom to do it. Rachael and I picked up small artificial succulents at the dollar store, and she picked red clover from the side of the road, with green from our yard and a few flowers from the grocery store. I hit the craft store for floral supplies.  Josh came over early on Prom day and they worked together on the flowers. The flowers turned out great and I just helped secure them.  Josh wound up napping while I did Rachael's hair in braids and a low side bun and she got dressed into her black gown.

The plans for the day were in flux. Most of their friends weren't going to prom at the Hyatt in the Inner Harbor, but they wanted to go out together for dinner before hand. A potluck was suggested, the Aquarium was considered, but instead we wound up hosting the seniors with some snacks and a chance to take pictures before they went to a local restaurant. We didn't have much set-up time but a quick run to the store and a team effort to clean up the living room and dining room and we were ready. Rachael's friends arrived and a few parents. Compliments abounded and we made a few quick flowers for friends who had forgotten about them. We took pictures of them in their finery.  They made a dinner reservation at Indian Delight as we were posing them for photos. It had been very wet so we took pictures in our neighbors driveway.  The after prom plans also shifted that day and they wound up grabbing permission slips for the after prom party at the bowling alley. They all piled in cars with big smiles and headed to dinner. 

Megan - What's old is new

This year Megan has become friends with some of the kids in the Catholic home school community. Katherine and Teresa belong to a home school Co-op and they frequently invite us to outside activities such as musical productions and retreats. Megan joined the co-op highschool group for the March for Life as well as the Mount2000 retreat. She has been chatting with a number of the teens she met for the past few months, especially Rita. Rita invited Megan to her quinceanera Mass and party. Megan had a blast. Then Megan was asked if she wanted to join a group of them to go to homeschool prom.  Her cousins, Joseph and Michael, former homeschoolers were also going, so there would be a good group of people she was friends with attending.

Megan began going through the closet and tried on my dresses. I was tiny in highschool so most didn't fit even though Megan is thin, but Megan could fit into the bridesmaid dress from my sister Becky's wedding. Megan looked beautiful in the floor length floral gown. The shoulders were gaping just like I remember they did on me, so I took up the shoulders and the dress was ready with a day to spare. We also went out shopping for a nice pair of heals that don't kill her bunions and can be worn for years to come.

The day of the prom, I did a series of french braids in Megan's hair and then we left the back fall to her shoulders. Her sisters gathered around as we worked on her hair in my room. And right on time she was ready to go. Megan looked beautiful. I think she was a little anxious as the pre-prom and after prom plans got canceled, but soon an after-prom get together at the Double-T filled out the plans for the night.

When Megan isn't on a fancy adventure she can be found in her room, with earbuds in. Usually on her bed with Cobh near by. Cobh can't jump up or down by herself anymore, so Megan lifts her onto the bed and there is a beanbag that Cobh uses to slide back down. These two have developed a cute relationship and Cobh generally spends the night on Megan's bed. Megan has claimed our big kitty as her own. We only disagree with her halfheartedly.