A house divided

At the end of April, Brad went to Johnson City for a couple of days (to hear senior thesis presentations by seniors at his high school), and he took Brynn and Lily with him (to play with Gran and Grandpa). Claire, Hallie, and I stayed in Durham, as I decided that would be the perfect opportunity to do state testing with Claire (per the homeschool requirements for the state of North Carolina). 

It was only a couple of days, but everyone had a really great time with a brief change of pace!

Headed to TN with Daddy! These two had a blast getting to play with Gran and Grandpa, eat favorite foods, watch a movie in the basement, roam the garden, and play with special toys from Daddy's childhood. Could you even ask for more?

I administered Claire's test at home, and we did it over two days. She'd never taken any tests of this format before, so I actually purchased a practice test from Teachers Pay Teachers, which we worked on for a few days before actual testing. I'm glad I did! She felt a lot more prepared, which helped her feel more relaxed. She is my daughter who thrives on preparedness.

Day 1: Dress up for test days! It's the Brassart way.

We didn't do any school work on testing days, so when she finished her testing for the day, we just did whatever we wanted for the rest of the day. Claire thought our testing days were fantastic! We had nachos for supper (which she LOVED) and watched Night at the Museum. We went for a walk and read books and worked on crafts. I let her sleep in the bed with me, and she could take a hot shower for as long as she wanted. Living the life, I tell ya.

Only having two children genuinely felt like I had no children. 

Nachos and a movie! On a school night!

This baby finally got a bath!

Clean and fluffy

Testing, day 2!

She told me many times that she missed her sisters, but she was LOVING getting so much time just the two of us (plus Hallie). I'm always glad when they can feel like an individual and not just one of the bunch. 

Grabbed this picture of the two of us right before the others pulled back in the parking pad.

I really enjoyed having time with just Claire; she's a true delight to chat with and has the sweetest mind and heart. I'm so proud of her! And she did a great job with her testing! We'll have to see if we can replicate this situation for next year's testing, too, I think...