High School and High Fashion

I am often questioned by others about the challenges of homeschooling during the highschool years. We have homeschooled for nine years now, and I honestly think these upper years are some of my favorites. I am inspired by Hannah's commitment to her studies. It worked! She actually likes to learn! (Whew!) I really enjoy homeschooling for high school, and I owe that, in large part, to David Quine's outstanding worldview curriculum.

Hannah attends a worldview academy where she connects with other kids using this same program and is challenged with speeches, debates, and presentations. I stand amazed at what these kids accomplish, and shrink with dread when I recall where my own priorities and interests were my sophomore year in high school. (I was slightly more concerned with properly layering my Units wardrobe and feathering my bangs than I was about school. Ugh.) This class, and the corresponding curriculum, has been a good fit for our family.

The past several weeks the worldview kids have been hard at work preparing for a debate on free will vs. predestination. We hosted some debaters recently for a work session. It was very good to have a group of young people around my table engaged in heated discussion about John Calvin. There was an intensity and sincerity to their work. Such good kids. Such good, normal, and smart kids.

The debate was scheduled for yesterday, but was called off due to our bad weather. It is rescheduled for next week. A little more time to prepare....and be nervous. :)

Each year there is an elaborate Worldview ball, and this year's ball is set in the late 1800's. Each guest is assigned a person to represent. The kids always have fun researching and preparing for their "role", and they even take a series of ballroom dancing lessons! Today we met up with my friend Sheila and her daughter Alicia so the girls could select costumes for the ball.

Hannah and Alicia have known each other their entire lives. Sheila and I became friends when we were pregnant with the girls, and our sweet friendship is a treasure to me that has stood the test of time. Hannah adores Alicia, and they have shared a lot of good times through the years.

We went to a very cool costume shop that had everything under the sun! We were the only customers, so the girls got really spoiled. We played and goofed with the outrageous clothes and accessories, just like a scene from some movie.

Look here, I even found Alicia a date for the ball!

They settled on Victorian ballgowns with trains, petticoats and bustles. Bustles? I don't even know if I'm spelling that correctly. Oh, to be the age when you need a fake rear. We may have teased them just a smidge about the poufs in their backsides.

The shop workers were very good to us. They are going to alter the gowns to fit the girls, and they even made them some jewelry out of lace and beads. They will dye a pair of gloves to match Hannah's dress.

The girls had an audience for their fashion show. Opinions of little brothers were weighed and considered, I am sure.

Gosh, there was the cutest little dressing room attendant who loved to play in the drapes. I wanted so badly to dress her in the funny hats and fluffy feather boas, but I couldn't help but wonder where the hats had been, so I resisted.

I think the girls are set to be belles at the ball. Sheila and I had lots of fun playing with these two when they were little. Today proved to us Moms that little girls are always fun to play dress up with, no matter what the age! :)