Oh Ho Ho, It's Magic... You Know

NEVER BELIEVE IT'S NOT SO!

As the Focker Christmas Gift of Spending Time Together, last year Eileen proposed we all go to the Magic Castle to see Johnny Ace Palmer. The timing didn't work out last year, but it did this year, so we did it up big!

And lo, it was very magical. The only other time I've been was the last time the five of us went, shortly before Tim and I got married. This time felt extra fun - the magic shows we caught were better, and we got a really nice tour from one of the member knights. No pictures from inside, because it's AGAINST THE RULES. Per Cary Grant. And some of the many other famous people who like to see magicians and practice magic. Sadly, we didn't see former Magic Castle president Neil Patrick Harris. Or Harry Potter. But we did see Johnny Ace Palmer throw an actual rabbit out of a hat.

Our cousins were here for their spring break earlier in the month, which was awesome. It's so fun to see the four of them together, goofing off.

We also went and met some baby goats. Many kids for the many kids. Ellie was especially taken with the baby goat that fell asleep in her lap.

This week the kids' school did their Open House, which they have renamed the Showcase and gussied up as we're in the final weeks of the school choice period, where you can make a big stink to find the perfect special school for your perfect special child (our kids go to their school because it's less than half a mile from the house, and I didn't move to the burbs to do private school.) There's a much bigger song and dance this year, with lots of stuff prepared for the whole school to see. However, we mostly got our food trunk dinners (burgers and tacos) and visited their classrooms and then let the kids run wild around the grounds with their friends.

One of the things the school does is called Chalk Fest, where the kids draw a chalk picture of a book cover. It sounds very overwhelming, but they really break it down - one person grids out the squares, one person draws the outline using the grid, and then the kids are assigned a square to shade appropriately. I signed up to draw the outline for Ellie's class, and I'm amazed at how it all came out.

Then, just for fun, I also drew this tiger!