Quick Update

Here's some info for those of my loyal friends who notice when I fail to keep my blog current!

Great News!

Lyndsey and Michael Martin are expecting a baby! This is truly a God thing, as those of you who know their story are aware.

And, my sister Amanda and her husband Ben are on their way from Boston back to Seattle. We cannot wait to see them again and have them nearby for babysitting. (Just joking, it's your friendship we treasure not your childcare!)

My contract as a Teaching Assistant at Mars Hill Graduate School was renewed with an increase in hours and an increase in pay. I'll be the personal TA for Dr. Roy Barsness, who I really enjoy and learn a lot from.

Good News!
I'm headed out of town to Astoria, Oregon with my sister Randi and all 9 kids to visit my father and brothers. We've been invited to the 50th Anniversary celebration of a dear couple Randi and I have known since we were little girls. So we are taking a road trip without the guys (Chad is in Connecticut with the Coast Guard Academy and Mike works Sundays!).

Sasha and I had a better day at math yesterday. We're taking the weekend off and looking forward to better days ahead. I' m learning all about incentive (versus threats) and things are looking brighter today.

Thanks for tuning in!

Homeschool Woes

We are doing our first round of "Summer School" at the Johnson house. Sasha did not-so-hot in math and standardized math testing this year, and so we agreed to do math summer school.

Sounded like a good idea at the time.

I am now considering Military School.

As much as I believe in what we're doing, as much as I believe the options in our area are limited, as much as I believe in the social/educational/spiritual benefits of homeschooling. . . I'm fed up with 9 year old attitude and tears over subtraction. And addition. And multiplication. And division. Well, you get the point.

This is just a chance for me to lament. Any pity would be appreciated and taken in exactly the right spirit.

Ballet Recital '06 and The Jungle Book

Chloe's First Ballet Recital: Red Rose in the Emperor and the Nightingale.
Sasha as a Spanish Dancer in Swan Lake with Lily

This time of year comes around more and more quickly, it seems. With three girls dancing recitals are a family affair that essentially eat up most of June. But I'm not complaining! Some of my best memories from childhood involve dancing, and I hope that my girls will have great experiences to remember.

Sasha finished her (gulp) 7th year of Ballet and her second year of Jazz. Lily took a year off of dance to try out gymnastics and did just great. Chloe is in her first year of dance, taking a combination ballet/tap class. Isaac says he wants to take tap next year, and I guess I'll have to arm wrestle Mike about that one. As broad-minded as he is about things, I'm not sure he's ready to have a son in dance lessons.

Sasha danced Swan Lake this year as a Spanish Dancer. Her class of girls are all on the verge of going on to pointe shoes next year, which is a BIG deal for those of you non-dancer types. She is a really beautiful dancer and it's such a shock to see this little kid get up on stage and reveal a completely unique and independent personality. When she dances she is bold and self-assured. And all of this is completley outside of me. It's all her. I think I'm okay with this.

Chloe, I must say, is probably more of a football player than a ballerina. She's built for soccer, or swimming, or rugby. The girl is sooo strong. But she is also beautiful and danced with so much personality. She loved tap more than ballet, which makes sense because it's noisy. As is Chloe.

The two bigs girls, Sasha and Lily, auditioned and were accepted into a children's theatre production of the Jungle Book! Missoula Children's Theatre travels around the country in the summer and does these one week workshops and then productions. Sasha was a Wolf Pup with a speaking part (!) and Lily was a monkey. They both worked really hard all week and then did a singing/dancing production that was great fun. I ordered the DVD so I'm sure to bore you all with the show when you visit!