Senior Lunch

 

This year the events for seniors and their families were changed up. Sadly, the Moms Tea was taken out. There was a senior lunch on November 10th that was for seniors and both parents. This event was held in the auxiliary gym. The lunch was catered by a local café. The tables were artfully set but I didn't take a photo. I didn't wear a dress because the e mail said this was a "casual" lunch! I felt bullied out of wearing a dress. I did notice some moms who did wear dresses. C's class is very large. About 95 students. For comparison, A's class had 65. 

The students were asked to write a letter to their parents and read it just to the table. This was a good idea. This wasn't as intimidating as speaking in front of the whole crowd. The letter was printed up in a handwriting font and framed. The students were asked "what value has your parents passed on to you?"

We weren't able to sit with C's best guy buddies (table already full) but we got to know some of his other friends and their parents. I wish we were at a round table but we were at a rectangle cafeteria style table and could only chat with those closest to us.

J finds going to events at the school to be very encouraging. We learned about one of the girls in C's friends group that her family has taken in many foster children over the years and has adopted 2 boys. 

One of C's best friends is away visiting colleges in Texas. His dad came to the event with a giant canvas photo of his son and lots of people posed with it!

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Family Weekend at Biola

It was quite a weekend. I couldn't be in two places at one time. I wanted to go to Biola's Family weekend but it was the same weekend as homecoming at C's high school. I chose LA sunshine! I will write about C's homecoming in a separate post.

I traveled with my friend Rebecca who has a freshman son at Biola. They go to our church.

We left early on Friday morning. After a terrible wait for our rental car (over 90 minutes) at Santa Ana airport we drove to our hotel, checked in (I wouldn't recommend where we stayed) and then met up with our boys on campus.  Rebecca and her son did their own thing. I found A working on a paper. This is his cool view.

He texted me the photo above and I had to find him. I did it!

This spot is part of the library. 

Friday night was "punk n pie" which is a talent show (by students) with pumpkin pie served at the end. This is a long standing tradition at Biola. There was a outdoor dinner (before the show) for families that signed up for it. 

Biola gave me a free blanket. I sat on the lawn and saved a good spot. A's friend group joined me later. 

The talent show was a bit long but I enjoyed it. Comedy, bands, soloists. There was voting done by QR code. The best act (jazz group with a vocalist) won.

Afterward, at 9:30 pm, one of A's classmates (Tristan) showed his short film in a screening room. I didn't really "get" it but that's OK. Smiley. This is the screening room.

Saturday I was signed up to take a free self defense class put on by the security dept at Biola. I was way too tired to get up in time for it. I went to the 10:30 am presentation of 3 CMA films on campus. One was made by A's friends.

All were top notch. The names of the films (I want to remember them) are What to Do with Wallace Woods? (done by Liam and Nick and Tucker), Never Felt Better, and Amelia The Twin. I met a professor at the end. He's the one holding the mick.

Next was lunch for visiting families with the dean under a giant white tent. I sat with a couple from Bothell whose son is also in CMA. The dean spoke. He is always funny. There were several musical numbers. One was marimbas, one was a solo and then 2 songs by the Biola University Chorus. "Oh Happy Day" was my favourite. 

I had a headache - probably brought on by the long wait for the car on Friday. I rested in A's dorm room while he did homework in another spot on campus. After my rest I went to look for him here at this rooftop garden.

There are tons of great places that are inside or outside and are shaded or not shaded for doing homework, depending on one's preference. This is the view from the garden.

We met up with Rebecca and her son and we took some photos. Then the four of us went for pizza at a tiny place in Buena Park (same city as Knotts Berry Farm). I dropped R & J off at Knotts Berry Farm for the special Halloween event. Not my thing. Not A's thing. A had to study so I went back to hotel for R&R.

Sunday morning I drove Rebecca & J to J's church which is pretty close to Biola.  Then I met A at his church for the 1111 service (the church has 2 morning services). He rode along with 3 guy friends, one of which has a car.

This is the courtyard as I arrived. A big place. 

I enjoyed his church - Fullerton Evangelical Free. We sat together. His friends were nearby. A and I drove back together and had lunch in the Biola cafeteria. Again we sat together. I had roast beef.

I was glad to meet more of his friends. That was one of my goals for the trip. 

After lunch R and I said goodbye to our boys.

Here is an interesting tree on campus.

R and I drove to Laguna Beach which I really like. She had never been there. I was there in April 2021 with A when we visited Biola for the first time. As Rebecca put it in her Instagram post: "there is a lack of understanding about the coffee requirements for visiting Seattleites in Laguna. Choices were $8 lattes at one place, no iced choices at another place and no other places. Finally found a Whole Foods tucked in a back street. Weird!"

We soaked up as much sun as we could. We walked on the beach for a bit. I found my favourite spot in Laguna.

We drove to airport and returned rental car. We had dinner at a restaurant inside the airport near the gate. Santa Ana airport is a medium sized airport and security lines are never long. 

We had another adventure when Rebecca couldn't remember where her car was parked in the airport parking lot. She looked for a long time. Eventually a parking lot person helped locate the car when she called and gave her license plate number. They track cars and they could tell us the location. We had both thought the car was on level 5 but we were on level 2. This was at 1 in the morning so I got home very late. The moral of the story is always take a photo of your spot in a large lot.

Other than that hiccup, Rebecca and I were great travel companions.

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