Baby's First Prom (Grace's Version)

 

It's like this dress was made with her in mind! The color, the beadwork, the style were all so perfectly Grace. And this gorgeous corsage was the cherry on top of the sundae for sure! When she and her friends decided they wanted corsages I knew that she needed something other than the standard rose corsage. All my searching kept turning up only that style and then I happened upon Pepper and Fern Floarl Design. Nikki's website was giving the vibe we were looking for, and I was thrilled when she said she would be able to make Grace's corsage and that she had the most perfect peachy pink shade of rannunculus that would look amazing with her dress (she was not wrong)! Dave picked up her corsage (and one for Grace's friend Shea as a thank you for inviting her to join them at the prom) this morning and we were in awe from the moment we took them out of the bag. Nikki has a true talent and we will indeed be customers for as long as she is in business! 

Since Parker has such a small graduating class (like 30 students), the junior and senior prom is held together. All of the juniors, seniors, their guests and families met at this gorgeous spot (conservation land in Groton) for pictures before heading to the venue. What a beautiful night for a prom! 

Possibly the best thing to come out of the two years the girls were at Parker are the friends Grace made. They are the kind of friends that I have no doubt will remain connected to each other for the rest of their lives. I love that they have continued to include her even thogh she returned to homeschooling It was amazing to see them all together tonight and I cannot wait to hear all her stories when she gets home! xo 

June

 

June. Pride month. Emma's end of the year presentation. Children's Sunday. The last day of Parker (yay!). Dance Recital, Father's Day weekend and four new chicks to add to the flock. A visit with Frank in Boston and a return home to Plymouth Church. A full month indeed! xo

And That's A Wrap

 

And that's a wrap on this school year AND the girls attending public school! It was an interesting experience for sure, and lots was learned, the biggest take away being that they are homeschoolers through and through (and we are a better homeschooing family than traditional school family for sure)! Excited to have them returning home to finish their high school years! Peace out, Parker! It was a wild ride, and we are grateful for the teachable moments and friends made along the way but we are ready to get back to our regularly scheduled programming!

As is our tradition, we ended this year with ice cream! The girls opted for a trip to Ben & Jerry's today! 

Have a wonderful summer, everyone! xo 

Happy First Day!

 

And so begins another year at Parker! Have an incredible day, ladies, and an amazing year! Be your kind, compassionate, curious selves and be sure to do something to make the world a more beautiful place! We love you to the moon and back! xo 

And That's A Wrap!

 

And just like that their first year at Parker has come to a close! They had such an incredible first year there and are already looking forward to next year! Crazy to think that both my babies will be high schoolers next year! For as much as we missed homeschooling, we are so grateful to be part of the community that is Parker. Not only are there many former homeschoolers there but everyone is so welcoming and supportive and encouraging. We have seen our girls apply all that we have taught them and grow and flourish, too! Bring on summer! xo 

Yesterday At Parker

 

Yesterday puppies came to visit the Div 1 students! 
Seriously, I am not sure if this is school or summer camp but whatever it is sure is awesome! xo 

Off to Parker Ski Club

 

Last week was the first week of Parker Ski Club and since I forgot to post this picture then I figured I'd post it now (on week two)! x0

Tonight At Parker

 

In which Emma sings during tonight's Cafe Wednesday! xo 

All Dressed Up

 

In which Grace attends her first semi-formal and has a fabulous time! xo

With Thanks

 

The girls made cranberry sauce, cornbread and cards to thank their advisors for all that they do! xo

At The School Dance

 

In which the girls attend their first school dance last Friday! It was a '90s theme (which makes us feel old!)! They had a fabulous time! xo

On The Soccer Pitch

 

In which Emma tries something new! xo

First Day

 

It's the end of an era! Go out into the world and be great, sweet girls, but even more importantly be kind! Have a great first day at Parker! 

And a fabulous first day was had indeed! xo

A New Beginning

 

A little over one week ago we received a phone call that totally changed our world! Back in January we put in application for the girls to attend Parker Charter School. As we were not sure what the 2021-2022 school year would hold for me (work wise) and the girls at Seasons of Seven wise (would they have a high school program?) we decided to cover our bases and apply. We knew it could be tricky as there aren't often many open spots for grades eight and nine but we figured what was the worst that could happen? They don't get in? And so, they were waitlisted and we figured that perhaps mid-year we'd get the call. Little did we know that we'd be getting the call one week prior to the new school year beginning but that's exactly what happened! 

After I got off the phone and my head stopped spinning I shared with David what I had just been told. He was as blown away as I was! We then discussed this opportunity as a family and the answer was clear: Grace (who was being offered a spot) really should take it. After all, this was her only chance as they don't take new students after ninth grade. And while we have absolutely loved homeschooling we knew that with me working full time that they would not be given the rich experience that they had been given all the years prior. Honestly, there was one day last spring, as Emma was making her catapult that I found myself really sad watching her. She was doing a great job, but I couldn't help but feel that that project really would have been so much better if she and a group were able to work on it together. 

With how rich their entire educations have been all these years we wanted them to have just as rich of a high school experience, too. And we knew that they would not get that at the town high school (and we knew the town high school was not the right place for them at all). We toyed with enrolling thing in one of the local Waldorf high schools but both required sizeable tuitions and were at least an hour away. We were hopeful that Parker would work out in the end and after the people we have spoken to and the tour we took (and registration today) we know that this was a school that was made for them! 

Parker is such a truly special place! It is an essential school, which means that they follow these ten common principles. They do not give traditional grades, nor a traditional diploma. To move up to the next division the students need to present their portfolios and give an explanation of why they feel ready to move up (in that subject area). To graduate they need to complete a senior project and portfolio and present that at senior exhibition. The school encourages students to think outside the box. They encourage students to embrace their mistakes. They encourage and embrace individuality and diversity. Parker truly is the stuff of dreams! 

Parker's very unique education is so very much inline with how our girls have been raised and educated. We are grateful to have been a homeschooling family all these years, and we are grateful that the girls had all the opportunities they had as a result, and became the incredible young ladies they are as a result, as well. And while we are sad that our homeschooling days are drawing to a close we are excited that they will be gaining a community of people that will step in where we left off ('cause Lord knows high school is NOT in my wheelhouse)!

To learn more about what makes Parker so unique be sure to watch this video. It captures so perfectly why we are glad that our girls will be attending! 

And so, we went to register Grace today and ended coming home with Emma registered as well! The girls are thrilled and so are we! We are so very excited to be a Parker family and cannot wait to see all that awaits them. xo