On Getting In

I have a few posts on this blog that celebrate the days when Anna or Abigail have 'gotten in' to something.  Usually viola related.  It's good for me to celebrate here.  And remember just how I felt.

The things that feel 'big' now will one day seem sweet and small.  I already know I'll look back and say to myself, "oh, I remember when Anna got into inter El... it was such a big deal then."  And I'm not trying to minimize it.  It was a big deal but now looking back it just reminds me of a sweet time our family life.  Here she was finding out that she was getting in (5th grade).



 And (back here) is the post on that special night, the concert.

Things to 'get in' get bigger with each year.  We cheer for first steps, and celebrate that first lost tooth.



And then life moves on.  We celebrate 'graduating' elementary school as if it's the biggest thing in the world.  (I sure did celebrate it like it was the biggest thing in the world back here and here and here)

The bigger that Anna is facing now is high school.  Some of you readers have already 'been there, done that'.  But I haven't yet, so to me it's first steps, and first lost tooth, and first time writing their name...

And this.  Do you remember this audition for Anna?  (back here)  I wrote in that post how proud I was of Anna for her audition.  That day her audition was for the possiblilty of two select high school orchestras.  Solisti and Camerata.  And she got in!  Solisti is in a league of it's own.  And like I said in the audition post, it will be a long shot even by senior year.

But honestly I never ever thought Anna could get into Camerata.  Camerata is a select high school chamber ochestara with students from both high schools in town.

Anna and I went to listen to one of the Camerata concerts this weekend.



They were truly amazing.



almost impossible to capture in a phone... (especially with bad seats)



I am so excited for Anna to be involved in this select group of young adults. It makes going into high school not so scary knowing that you are already part of a daily group. Anna is painfully shy (as in she eats her lunch with a book each day, all three years of middle school... no worries. She likes her books) and already belonging to a group before high school even starts is a big deal for our hearts.

When the email came through I had Anna sit in the viola room and told her there was something I wanted her to read. I didn't record her reaction like I did above. She wasn't a little girl anymore. Just a fine young lady who gave us a big smile and has sunshine in her soul. And we are very very proud.

I love this email and have yet to delete it from my phone.





So getting in, it doesn't always happen. But we are grateful that this time it did.

February Weekending

Friday

windows open, breeze blowing



outside enjoying





bare legs and cute sneekers, 74 and the sun starting to go down, ice on the water, loving being outside



skipping like it's spring



oh so pretty



walking and breathing in that good good air



Anna barely has to do anything and she sure impresses that little sister of hers







after bath reading





Stuart Little finishing (oh, but that last paragraph, one of my favorites in children's chapter books)



Saturday

cleaning (and showing me her tidied up baby area)



warm and humid making curls around her face like sticky summer



afternoon concert with this sweet girl (not in it, just going to it)



listening to a high school group together (and getting her a gourmet cupcake 'downtown' after)



bike riding with daddy (learning how to not need a push when she gets started)



Sunday

more reading



head back laughing



me, planning



sunlight catching

Seasonal Confusion

It's 9:45 and I sure am tired.  (which is why there are no pictures.  Maybe I'll add them in tomorrow.) I am a morning girl.  That is for sure.

Today after teaching at two schools I picked up Abigail and Anna, Abigail, and I went to the resivour to walk and enjoy some fresh air.  It was 75 degrees today.  And sunny!  Never in my life!  It's February.

I didn't quite know what to wear to teach today.  I tried the spring cute pants but my shoes didn't work.  I tried a spring dress but my legs were not ready.  So I settled on the jean skirt and a lavender JCrew blouse.  Perfect.

Right now my mantle is still all February which means cozy and snowflakes and little Valentine birds.  But I'm packing them up tomorrow.  After I sleep with the windows open ... in FEBRUARY!!!
Wishing you all wonderful weekend, whatever the weather brings your way!

More... Valentines Day

This was the day before Valentines Day.  My parents dropped by.



My mom brought a Valentine cake from the allergy safe bakery



So so pretty and so so good.



And my Dad made me this amazing bird house.



If you've been here on this blog before you know how I love seeing my birds outside especially in the winter.

This was way back when I got my Grandpa's bird feeder.

(February 2013)





And it has blessed me every since.







And last fall my Dad asked me if I wanted him to build me a bird house... yes please.

It's amazing and I can't wait to get it all set up in the backyard just in time for spring... the possibility of baby birds in that palace of a bird house...



It was a fun but quick visit with cake eating and Valentine opening.



It ended quickly as school (and Valentines Day) was the very next morning.

Four Day Weekending

It was the most wonderful weekend. Mostly because we had four whole days to play. And play we did! Because our calendar looked like this...



a dream come true I tell you, dreams really do come true. If you make them so. Right friends?

I started off my weekend on Saturday morning vowing to take a ton of photos but I'm looking at my camera and wondering where they all are. I know we did MORE than that! I must have REALLY been enjoying myself because there are certainly not four days worth.

But still I want to remember.

Friday night ~ Grandma B came over to do leggos with Abigail. She was all lit up inside. And this lovely teapot/cup is perfect for solo tea. Although you know I love a tea party, I sure do love some tea time on my one too. I can't wait to try this out.



Saturday ~ I know this is boring to blog but we cleaned the house. Top to bottom. And once it was all clean and pretty again, (this is so good, read slow) Scott said, "I'd like my girls to get dressed up. I'm taking you out." Isn't it romantic? Swoon. When I pressed him for more information (like what to wear) he told me we'd be waited on that they there would be real napkins and white table cloths. (I don't get out very much, can ya tell?) I was happy to get all prettied up.

As a principal he has gift certificates to restaurants, oh so many. And we never ever use them. Here's why: (1) I like being HOME. (2) Eating out is all so complicated with allergies and Abigail.

But he had me at "I'd like my girls to get dressed up, I'm taking you on a date" so we went.



I loved the company. I love the feeling of all of us all around the table. I loved the warm bread that came out. It was such a special lunch. EXCEPT for the fact that I'm never eating out again. It was frightening what happened.

We carry these cards with us. Business cards that we give to the serve to give to the chief concerning Abigail's allergies. And we've never had a problem.



We all got served the most lovely meals and we were all eating happily. Oh sooooo good. Until
Abigail said,"something tastes funny". Scott and I looked at her food which seemed to have something stringy in it. It looked like cheese. We panicked because she had already eaten some. I tried to stay calm but kept thinking... what dumb parents we are, pretending that we can go out to eat like normal people. We don't belong here. On and on my thoughts raced. Scott tasted the meal and now thinks that it was shaved garlic and perhaps not cheese, but we truly don't know. (and since she's not anaphylactic, her reactions take the form of damage to her esophagus. Internal damage.) They made a new meal for her just in case and I was relieved when that was over. Scott remedied the afternoon with some antique browsing.

"



I looked at these online and was certain SURE I wanted an old vintage toy stove to help my new kitchen look a little vintage~y. But in person, not so much. Now I'm rethinking it again. Good thing we live close.



I came home with one little treasure. I little porcelain doll house stove. Because even though we put in an AMAZING new stove, we actually tried to put in an restored, vintage 1952 Merritt and O'Keeffe stove into our new kitchen. It didn't work with the lay out. So I got this little doll house one. I'm going to add it into my tea table area. And remember how we tried.



Saturday night was date night for Scott and I after bedtime. We ate a yummy snack and watched a silly Hallmark movie.

SUNDAY ~ Mass and the homily was particularly amazing . And I loved being with my family in church.



And since it was 55 and sunny (unheard of for February) Scott washed (inside and out) our cars. Can you see him out there with the hose. Still some piles of snow, but it's melting quickly in all that sunny sunshine.



Now I've lived in Connecticut my whole life, I'm not naive... there WILL be more snow. And I'm a winter girl, I don't mind. But we sure enjoyed the weather!

Sunday afternoon there was pie making and that night we watched a family movie.  It was so much fun to sit in the family room and watch something with the girls, start to finish while they feasted on apple pie.  Such a wonderful night.







MONDAY and TUESDAY found us at home (I know, boring) doing lots of playing.  A bit of organizing clothes too.  It was lovely to not be busy, to finish conversations and thoughts.

We had a lovely tea time Bible Study.





We studied a little of what God says about the topic of stress.



And extra time...



I love that this verse spoke to her and I love that she wrote in her age right there in the Bible.



Time for Bananagrams at the breakfast table.



Extra long nights reading.



Relaxed, happy, and homework free for a few days.



I vote (if there ever was such a vote) for a four day weekend once a month.  It is just was families need!



(with lots of time to mix up all the toys and create what I call "worlds" as big as they want.



Time to paint and be silly.



I hope you're all having a wonderful week!