Meeting Our New Teachers

Following Joy's middle school orientation yesterday, we got the chance to meet some of her teachers.

The technology teacher has already talked her into joining the robotics club (Joy is applying for the position of chief programmer) . . .

. . . and the art teacher has a bright blue mohawk and Star Wars art on his walls, which I think is pretty awesome.

After meeting Joy's teachers, we headed to the elementary school open house to meet Daniel and Anna's teachers too.  Daniel will be in Mrs. Supreme's class . . .

. . . and Anna's new teacher will be Mrs. Williams.

Joy Meets Middle School

My biggest little girl is growing up.

This morning we accompanied Joy to the new student orientation at her middle school.

I think she's a little nervous.  Does she look nervous to you?

While Joy went into the gym with the rest of the new sixth graders, the other little Hendricksons and I went to the parent orientation in the cafeteria.  The room was packed, so Anna and Todd spent most of the next half hour on my lap.  The principal and other staff members told us a little about the school's curriculum, and informed us that rapid, dramatic mood swings are perfectly normal in middle schoolers.  Frankly, I needed that last bit of reassurance more than I needed to know what electives Joy will be taking.

After the orientation, we joined Joy (and about a hundred other people) in her homeroom class, where she was handing out her spare highlighters to classmates who didn't have one.

Joy then demonstrated that she could successfully open her locker.  By the way, you may notice that Joy has acquired a purse, which she takes practically everywhere now.  When I offered to buy her a new backpack for middle school, she said she'd rather keep the old one and get a purse to hold her pencils, calculator, chapstick, etc.  It's both sweet and disconcerting to see my little girl acting more and more like a young woman.

One thing hasn't changed though: Her favorite part of the school tour was the library, with its shelves and shelves of big books that might actually take her a whole afternoon to finish.

Sleeping Queens and a Giant Moth

Anna received a card game called Sleeping Queens for her birthday yesterday . . .

. . . and the kids have enjoyed playing it all day.

We were also excited to discover this large, beautiful moth on the sidewalk when we went school shopping today.  Yes, summer is winding down, and a new school year is right around the corner.  It has been fun to hang out with my kids for a couple months, but I'm ready for school to start again.  I think the stimulation and change of scene will be good for the kids, and a little more peace and quiet will be good for me.

Anna Turns Seven!

How did Anna spend her seventh birthday?

Reading a graphic novel about Zita the Spacegirl.

Playing a music game at her piano lesson.

Splashing in her piano teacher's pool after the lesson was over.

Getting birthday calls from relatives.

Blowing out a number 7 candle on the Minecraft cake her big sister made for her, because they like to play Minecraft together

Happy birthday, Anna!  Thank you for sharing your cheerful personality and lots of hugs with us!

A Weekend at the Faire

Some friends invited us to check out Maryland's Renaissance Faire with them this weekend . . .

. . . so I got my old Renaissance costume out of storage and braided my hair all fancy . . .

. . . then we met up with our friends (who also like to dress up for the occasion).  In case you're wondering, that short-haired brunette on the right is Joy.  I meant to give her long hair a trim recently, and accidentally cut off a lot more than she wanted me to.  Everyone else thinks her haircut looks cute, but she still sulks whenever anyone mentions her new look (#momfail).

At the Faire we watched a jousting tournament, a death-defying stunt man, and a funny puppet show, all of which were so captivating that I completely forgot to photograph them (sorry about that).  We also paid for the privilege of blundering our way through a big maze.  Todd says we should go that way (maybe).

The music, shows, and lighthearted atmosphere were fun, but when it all came down to it, Anna's favorite part was swinging on a tire swing with some other kids.

Farewell to the Faire; it's time to head home (and trade that tight bodice for a T-shirt, thank you very much!).

Minuets and Smoritos

What have the Hendrickson kids been up to lately?

Building a train track with friends.

Making smoritos (fold chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, etc., inside a tortilla, wrap it in foil, then bake).

Playing at the park on days when it's not too hot.

Meeting up with future preschool classmates at the library, and making a craft (with Big Sister Anna's help).

Playing the piano a lot.  Daniel's teacher wants to teach him "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but after he dutifully practices it at home he opens a more advanced book to figure out how to play a minuet.  Anna, on the other hand, is perfectly content to just play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and then go read a book.

A Purple and a Punk Caterpillar

One of the fun things about moving to a new state with lots of woods nearby is that we frequently spot wildlife (usually of the insect variety) that we never saw back in California.

Outside the pediatrician's office, we recently saw this beauty fluttering around.  I think it's called a red-spotted purple.

Today, we found this fuzzy little guy on our car.  A bit of internet research revealed to him to be a banded tussock moth caterpillar.  I don't know whether those tufts serve any useful purpose, but they sure look cool.