Family Affairs

May is over filled and flowing with family affairs: birthdays, Mother's Day, weddings, field trips, end-of-school-year events, and miscellaneous visits. Cindy and I have been furiously making cards and fixing food and snapping pictures ALL month.

On Friday, we went to the end-of-year talent show for Little Red Schoolhouse (LRSH)--the supplemental school program that the home-schooled Tippetts attend. At LRSH, the kids get instruction in art, writing, science and music. In my mind, there is nothing more heartwarming than children's voices raised in song. The sound sends shivers of pleasure through me. Anna Mae sang a solo that was particularly touching to Cindy and me for Ashley once sang the same song and we have it on tape: "Jesus Take the Wheel." Anna Mae's voice rang out clear and beautifully and the tears fell from our eyes.

At the end of the program, August was given a special acknowledgment because he will be moving on to high school next year (home school high school). Helene (the mom presenting the gift) mentioned August's talent as an artist. Later in the great hall we saw a sample of his skillful management of perception in a water color rendition of river with bridge. For my birthday, he gave me a water color of Table Mountain that is also remarkably detailed.

One of the parents put together a cool slide show of the school year in which Gianna stands out as one of the most photogenic members of the class. I swear she was in more pictures than any other child.

We got home late, so Huck and Nell, who had attended the show with us and spent the night, slept late. They rose happy, played with slinkys and later chomped blueberries while sitting in my wheelbarrow.