The Touch of the Master's Hand

A week or so ago, (after reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, and watching the movie during a special family movie night) my kids received this...

A beautiful invitation to a Masquerade Ball!  We spent some time making our mask and learning proper etiquette for a formal, elegant ball throughout the week.  Here are the exquisitely dressed young gentlemen with their masks on their way to the Ball!

We were headed to Edwards Mansion in Redlands for a night of elegance and refinement!  Everyone looked beautiful and so handsome.   

We were officially announced...

danced (Hunter's favorite part although the picture does not show it!),

Hunter's not sure if he should accept this dance from  an "older woman"...

ate delicious and incredibly cute art and music themed treats,

were inspired by a very talented young pianist,

and enjoyed the company of old and new friends alike!

Who are these two intelligent and beautiful women?

Oh!  It's Julie and Melissa!

And some Handsome men!

One cool dude...

I did not take these pictures and did not know this was going on, but I am sure glad it is documented...

  

 The kids each received a cookie with an art masterpiece on it. Then, they had to look for that masterpiece throughout the Mansion. Tanner ate a Degas 

and Hunter enjoyed Flaming June, by Sir Frederic Leighton, 

but it broke...

After we recovered from the broken cookie, and as they were enjoying their masterpieces, they received a mysterious note saying it was urgent to meet in the ballroom at a specified time, signed by none other than the Scarlet Pimpernel!

After meeting lots of new friends (Tanner's favorite part), it was time to meet in the ballroom!  Here, the Scarlet Pimpernel had us all laughing, but more importantly, he inspired us to seek truth, beauty, and goodness and champion the cause of these virtues.  

 

He invited the kids to join his league as they search for The Touch of the Master's hand in the music and art created by geniuses of the past.   The kids were excited to join him in this most important work, and excited to know our focus for the school year!

It truly was a fun, elegant, and inspiring evening. I feel so blessed to be working with a bigger group of families this year who all work so hard to provide a truly remarkable and meaningful adventure for their children's education.