The Music Man

The Music Man
Produced by the SLO Little Theatre
May 15 - June 14, 2015
Directed/Choreographed by Zach Johnson
Music Director Lacey McNamara
Serafina plays Amaryllis
Jamie plays Mayor Shinn
The rest of the photos: http://jf2.com/150521/

6/14/15
Last couple o' pics:

Director Zach gets to hold his next Regusci starlette.

The River City Youth Band

Final "selfie"

6/9/15
A few more pics. Thanks to Pam!

5/25/15
This is definitely one of my favorite parts of doing the show - physical warm-ups. Shaley leads us through 5 minutes or so of movement (something between dance and calisthenics). It's great fun and I'm raring to go when we're done. Thanks for the pic, Pam Hester!

5/21/15
All the photos: http://jf2.com/150521/

5/20/15
Reviews (PDFs): Tribune, New Times

5/20/15 Update
Our final positions. Photo courtesy of Danielle Dutro McNamara Photography .

5/13/15 Update
Tomorrow night we have our preview audience and then we open Friday! Many thanks to Danielle Dutro McNamara Photography for these photos.

At this very moment on May 30th at 7:30pm, Lexi was born.

5/6/15 Update
We're a smidge over a week from opening. Tech week begins in a couple days. Final touches are being applied to movement and character. It's quite exciting...

Some of the Teens and Kids ensembles

The marquee is up!

The set is coming along...

Reading Ambassador

We sent Nana on a reading mission to Nipomo...

Sam's Birthday

Wow, two cool activity-themed birthday parties in a row. This time, it was a surprise archery birthday party for Sam at Central Coast Archery. All the photos: http://JF2.com/150502/

AJ's Birthday

This birthday party was designed to burn off a great deal of kid energy. Thank you, Pacific Flips. All the photos are here: http://JF2.com/150425/

Children's Day on the Plaza

We had to break for frozen yogurt before we got done with the whole event.

All the photos are here: http://JF2.com/150411b/

Easter Egg Hunt

OK, it's a day early. But our Sunday is shot what with  all morning at church and all afternoon at Music Man rehearsal. So, it's today!

All the pics: http://JF2.com/150404/

Homeschooling for the Win

Tracy posted on Facebook... Painting Georgia O'Keeffe style flowers while reading Hamlet!! Homeschooling for the win!!! #homeschooling. Lynn M. Foster commented: I can't believe you are painting "Georgia flowers" while I am gone! But, really, good for you, enjoy and may we paint more next week! AJ must be in heaven.

Matteo                -                AJ                -                Serafina

The Kids are on Heroic Quests

The Regusci Kids, Sam, Serafina, Matteo and A.J., have embarked on a Heroic Quest to do good around their school and community for the next two weeks in order to raise money to support their school - SLOCA!!!

On Monday the 16th the kids stayed after school and helped cleaned classrooms.

Today Wednesday the 17th the kids will be doing the Quest of Diligence and help create posters to hang around the campus to remind themselves of their commitment to each other to adhere to their character traits.

Monday the 23rd - they will stay after school to embark on the Quest of Respect - making thank you notes for the brave heroes overseas who protect us all.

Wednesday the 25 - they will create paper flowers to use through out the year as a random act of kindness.

Their Final Quest will be Friday March 27th. They will be handing out roses to community members and also help to clean up downtown and beyond!!

Sam will also be participating in the Act of Kindness - on Thursday March 26 he will go to the Little Wonders classroom and read stories with them!

These are the quest the kids will be doing for sure but there are others along the way they may participate in as well! It is sure to be busy and exciting few weeks!

Please sponsor the Regusci Kid's by making a donation to their school! All contributions are 100% tax deductible.

THANK YOU!!!

Why Would We Move?

"Your house is fantastic! Why would you move?" A question that I know rests on the lips of many friends and family. A sentiment I agree with as my heart and soul soaks in the serene views and environment; or when I watch the kids engaged in the wide variety of activities a house and property this size has to offer. Four of the six children that live here came home from the hospital to this house. In past conversations I have said, "I am only moving out feet first!" Now we joke that Jamie and I will be stationed in our rocking chairs fastened to the roof of the car as it descends the hill for the last time (just like Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies). But, everything has its season and the right choice for our family is a change of address. The reasons are as varied as the people that live here, but we are united in the belief that we want a lifestyle that allows plenty of time to actively enjoy friends, family, and activities both individually and with the entire clan of eleven individuals.

Our challenge is to locate that "one person" who will love this home as much as we have. This house is rich with potential. For us it has provided magical entertaining experiences for large groups, yet privacy for the four generations that shared the house so they could be a part of the party or bow out. I have imagined it as the perfect bed and breakfast so close to wine county, yet secluded from the hustle of the city. The downstairs could be an apartment or rental unit all unto itself and the owner can live upstairs allowing the downstairs rent to pay for their serenity and million dollar views. We have loved having our homeschool room and a busy office downstairs. Having home, work, and school under one roof affords one the luxury of enjoying family at unexpected times throughout the day. Hopefully, the right person will stumble on this house, as we did, and love it as we do.

2055OakWay.com

Lynn

Outing to Avila Beach

We wore them out today! At least that's the hope. The twins were up till all hours last night; that's not to be repeated. We parked ourselves under the bridge over where the creek comes into the ocean - nice shady spot. It got quite warm out there today. And crowded. OMG, they were parking all the way up Cave Landing Road when we left about 3pm. All the pics are here.

Grand Pi Day

Once every century the date and time line up to be the first 10 digits of Pi. You know, 3.141592653, or 3/14/15 9:26:53am/pm (two chances today!). Of course, this is the day for the American way of writing the date. If you write the date D/M/Y you're out of luck. Anyway, at 9:26:53am we were deep into a concrete lesson on Pi being the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle. The four Bigs got into it, the twins not so much,

Tangents

Homeschooling may result in tangents.

Short Bus, Long Bus

The boys started special day class 5 days a week for 2.5hr. After much agony we decide the best choice for the whole family was for the boys to take the bus. Let's just say the first day there was lots of tears from both mom and boys. (the other kids are super jealous). My favorite part of the whole thing is in the afternoon instead of the short bus they ride home in the big long bus. Just my two little peanuts, no other kids in that huge bus!! Makes me laugh. The drive blasts wheels on the bus for them and they sing the whole way home, thank God for awesome bus drivers who love my boys. #preemiepower #lifewith6kids #25weekers

First day of school

#‎preemiepower‬  Those quarter-size backpacks are too much!

Right On, Developmentally

Look at that, right as they're turning three they are doing exactly what 3-year-olds are supposed to do. Classic picture of horizontal building. Going vertical comes at a later developmental stage, Lynn tells me, as she rattles of names like Piaget and Gesell. Of course, there are other areas where they're still a bit behind.

Twins Birthday Party

And guess who arrived just in time, by train, from Kansas City, for this momentous occasion? Papa Bill! And, arriving from Nipomo, the cousins! All the photos: http://jf2.com/150207/

AJ: What?! Tata Rara is moving?!

Yes, AJ, that's right.

It's Saturday morning almost 8am. And, instead of the hustle and bustle of rounding everyone up for our traditional Saturday McLintocks breakfast with Robob, I'm sitting here writing this post.

You see, Papa Robob, Founder of the Compound, has moved to a senior center very near Lynn's sister's home. He and the moving van left yesterday.

It's the end of an era.

Hard to believe it was that long ago (2007) when Robob,  Lynn, and Tracy thought they'd give house hunting one more shot. Following a couple major medical issues, Robob (and the girls) had been looking for some kind of property where we could all bunk up together, but to no avail. That Sunday was to be the last ditch effort at hunting down a suitable place (and we'd switch to remodeling efforts at our place in Nipomo). Et voila! Here we are, nearly eight years later and 7.5 more great grandkids for Robob (there were but two great grandkids, Sam and Serafina, when we all moved here in 2007).

It's been a heckuva ride! And for that we all will be eternally grateful. Actually, the ride's not over. The Compound remains intact, albeit one man down. It'll just take a little more effort to get us all together again from time to time. Note the CompoundLiving.com silhouette logo (upper right): Robob is now depicted as a photo on the wall, and a cradle has been added in anticipation of the Spring baby.

For Robob and his new nearby family, we wish all a great run at the next phase of their lives.

To recap our fun over the years, here's a glimpse at Robob's shenanigans since he opened the Compound in 2007:

Robob - Kizoa Video Maker

Papa Bill's Preschool Celebrates 40 Years!

In 1975, Papa Bill (Jamie's Dad) started a preschool at the Village United Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS. They're celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year! And look who ended up headlining their newsletter for the month - Papa Bill.

The picture was taken at Tracy and Matt's wedding where Dad officiated in his "Robe of Many Colors". My sister made that robe for Dad way back when for his use at the Village Church. As you might imagine, it was a big hit with the adults as much as with the kids! People who knew him well would request that he wear that robe when asked to officiate a wedding, funeral, etc. He and the robe are both long retired now, and both are doing well I'm happy to report.

And note that face in the upper left corner of the photo. That's Lynn! And as chance would have it, it's appropriate that she would end up in this photo in this newsletter because she began her teaching career (almost 40 years ago!) teaching at this very preschool. To this day, she speaks very highly of that experience and of the High Scope curriculum that they were using then and continue to use today. It's one of the feathers in her cap that she helped get this preschool going as well.

Click here for the 2-page article in their newsletter.

Elephant Seals

Tracy got a hankerin' for a road trip up to see the elephant seals, and so that's what we did! The drive is over an hour one way, but has always been well worth it. Today was no exception. The behemoths were fighting and girl chasing, moms were birthing and nursing, you name it.

All the photos and links: http://JF2.com/150110b/

Breakfast at McLintock's

The kitchen remodel kicked off this tradition. And ever since, Papa Robob has led the charge every Saturday morning to McLintock's in the Village for breakfast. Mainly for the Bloody Marias, but they also have the best eggs and bacon around. Cups of whipped cream for the kids is a crowd pleaser, too! Sometimes there's a couple people tag along, sometimes it's the entire Compound like this morning, and on rarer occasions we'll have others join us as well. A sub-tradition for this breakfast trip is the Rooster Hunt. Papa Jamie will take whatever bigs want to go on a rooster hunt between the time we order and the time the food arrives. That's just about enough time to make a round-trip to the creek side of the Arroyo Grande Village where the roosters hang out. The roosters have their own website! Today it was just Papa Jamie and AJ on the Rooster Hunt.

All the photos and links are here: http://JF2.com/150110/

Christmas at the Compound - Really!

The "Foster Christmas" was really held at the Compound, albeit on New Year's Day. A sampling of the pics are below; all the pics are here: http://JF2.com/150101

Lift Off!

All nine of Robob's great grandkids
on Lynn's branch of the tree, plus one on the way!