In true Ally McBeal cadence — part proud mum, part theatrical aside — I write to say that my 13-year-old dancing star memorised and presented Augustine's City of God (Book XIX) with surprising gravitas and charming stage presence: she captured Augustine's opening move — that he must first set out how men try to fashion happiness in this unhappy life so we can see the contrast between the empty dreams of philosophers and the hope and fulfillment God promises — and delivered it so clearly that the idea of two cities, earthly and heavenly, felt less like dry doctrine and more like a living, dramatic choice; she spoke the weighty lines with measured breath, turning complex reasoning into a gentle story for our homeschool circle, and in doing so she literally lit the room (and my heart), living Roald Dahl's wise reminder: "If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely," which she did — thoughtful, bright, and utterly lovely — demonstrating memorisation, comprehension, and performance all at once, a delightful snapshot of learning in motion.