Irish Step Movie

I know that I just showed you all of the pictures but I always wanted to learn how to make one of these little videos. Of course it really wasn't me who made it after all... Scott took a break from all of his course work... it was the only thing I asked for from this April Vacation. I love how it turned out...

Dance Recital... Irish Style

Abigail's Irish Step Recital was last weekend and what a hoot is was!  I'd never seen anything quite like it before.  Anna took a few years of ballet and I certainly knew what to expect from a ballet recital... squished in your auditorium seats, balancing flowers on your lap, dances that go on and on and on.  And so I thought that this would be at least similar.  Boy was I wrong.

But before I get to all that I have to share some photos of my little Irish Stepper at home before the big night.  I had her hair done because I was nervous to curl it all up in ringlets myself.  She loved it and was oh so brave in the chair. 














I was super excited about this night. I had everything ready ahead of time and right at the "let's get in the car" last minute I was pouring her elecare (her medical drink) in her thermos and it didn't just spill, it burst over the entire kitchen. Through my dress, soaking me to the skin, dripping off the ends of my hair, and filling my heals, splattering down the windows and dripping off the ceiling.   I was crying and it was awful. I had to take a one second shower, pick a new dress, etc and get in the car in about one minute. And I'm not the one minute kind of get ready girl. I need some time at least. Ugh.. what a start!  I knew as the tears were pouring down and I was rushing to get ready (as everyone was waiting in the car) that it wasn't important but I sure was mad! 

Luckily, by the time we got there and walked in I had forgotten all that had happened back home just minutes before.  Abigail was too excited and too happy to keep me upset.   The moment she walked in the hall she started Irish steppin away!  Too cute. 

Lined up and ready for a last practice.



My parents were there which made Abigail so happy.



And here's the "hoot" part. When other families started coming in the hall they wheeled coolers, brought in hot hordorves, wine and beer. They lit candles at their tables and I had no idea that this dance recital was a party! So Scott ran to Whole Foods and got our family table some yummy food. Now it was a party!

The entire Irish Step school just before.



Abigail playing hand clapping games back stage.



Hugs after her performance





And just when I thought that the food at a dance recital wasn't party enough an Irish band started playing and the dance floor filled. Oh what a night. Dancing after a dance recital. The Irish sure do know how to do it right!





(love her little hand in my Dad's here dancing together)


Party girl took off her Irish Step socks.



Abagail who is promptly in bed by 7:30 danced the night away until 10:30 with her Grandpa, Grandma, sister, Daddy, and me! What a happy memory!

When it's 60 and Sunny!

Here in Connecticut when it hits 60 and it's sunny no one wants to be indoors.  We wait for days like this all winter long.  So when Anna had her group viola class and her teacher suggested they play outside I was thrilled.

It was windy and we were in front of a very busy street but even with my little phone camera I was able to capture the magic of string instruments.  Anna's the one in front ... leading! 



We love viola! 

Boston and a Baby Photo Shoot

music

I was so saddened by the news of the bombing that happened at the Boston Marathon finish yesterday afternoon.  As a little girl I stood at many, many, many marathon finishes; Boston included. It is such a celebration and a relief for the runners.  The unthinkable happened there and I'm praying for all of those affected by such a tragedy.  ~  Last night I couldn't help think about all of those marathons that I watched my Dad... Boston, NYC, Honolulu, Washington DC, and more.  He was a talented runner and Boston was his best time.  I ran the Hartford Marathon twice and once with him.  Watching the finish yesterday made me feel so nostalgic for those special memories.

Today I'd thought I post a few pictures from a baby photo shoot that I did.  I'm sure his Mom has the announcements in the mail by now so it's safe to show them here.  I was blessed enough to photograph her baby belly, the delivery, and her little newborn at home.  These are a few of my favorites. 





























It was such a pleasure to take all of these photos. I did them in four different photo sessions and hundreds of photos were taken. I'm glad that I was able to capture him... he's already growing and looks so different than those newborn photos.

Spring Cleaning

"The Sunshine Seemed To Bless,

The Air Was A Caress." 

 

(John Greenleaf Whittier)

Music first of course... (I love Frances England... don't tell Raffi)

Ahh... we spring cleaned this weekend.  And oh boy do I love living in a freshly deep cleaned house.  It was a lot of work but I had a ton of help. 



Scott is the master at windows.  Inside and out and vacuuming the sills till they shine. 



My whole house feels new. 

All the curtains that could came down, were washed, and hung to dry.  The baby dresses that hang on my girls shelves came down and were washed too.  Oh that clean laundry smell.  There's nothing like it! 

Under the beds, in the closets, floors were scrubbed and carpets cleaned. 

Even though it's me that insists on a full spring clean they all eventually say things thoroughout the day like, "it just feels cleaner in here."  "oh mommy I love the way my room feels." 

I don't have a super fancy system.  We just always start in the top corner room, Anna's,  and dig in deep.  I also keep a list; one page per room of the parts of the room that were spring cleaned and those that just didn't get done so that we could move on to another room (and have it still be the season of spring).  That way it doesn't bother me if I don't get to a few things per room.  I just know that when fall cleaning comes along I'll start where I left off.  I guess part of the list is for me too.  I like to see on paper what we accomplished. 



To celebrate we headed to our local garden shop and came home with pansies to plant.  They certainly cheer up our front steps. 





Oh I love spring! 

Reflections on Motherhood

Lent was good; but not great.  I've been feeling out of balance for a while now.  Honestly, I've been feeling frustrated lately.  I have "all the time in the world" right?  My girls are in school all day (okay, well not Abigail this week) but usually.  Last year at this time I thought about how much time Id have and how much I'd accomplish each day.  Gourmet dinners, scrapbooks all lined up and up to date, spotless house, and on and on and on.  I was sure all of this could be accomplished by 10am too.  Not so...

I sure don't waste my time while they're at school, that's for sure. I have my list and I go and go and go.  Add in their schedules after school and my school and religious ed volunteering and I find myself sometimes frazzled.  And there I go again thinking thoughts around the same circle.  I say to Scott often at night, "I'm a stay at home mom with my girls in school... why can't I get it all done?" 

But lately I've come to realize through just 'no choice' or maybe it's the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that no matter what age my girls are, life as a mom is always busy.  (ps~ I rarely use that word; it's outlawed in our house... I hate the word busy) Anyway, back to my thoughts. 

Scott reminded me that what I'm doing is all good.  It's all for the girls and that yes, it's shifted, but it's still all about building and raising our girls in the way that we want; with purpose and not haphazard. 

But I miss the simple days of playing with toddler Anna on the playroom floor.  Building with blocks and knocking them down.  No activities really... just library time with us together.  I spent those days a bit like these in the fact that I had my list and was all about checking things off.  But in those Anna was just two days life was more simple.  There seemed to be so much time to lavish hugs and kisses on this Chinese daughter I was falling more and more in love with every day.

Now I manage and encourage large school projects, instrument practices, lunches, snacks, and bedtimes.  We chat through friendship issues; I give baths and wash long hair.  I read books, and tuck them in with hugs and kisses no matter how grouchy I can be by the end of the day.  And ya know what I realize as I'm doing this?  These THESE DAYS... these days are the good old days that one day I'll look back at and realize oh those were the days. 

They are playing the magnatiles and stuffed animals behind me.  One still has a little voice and one still needs me to wash and brush her hair every night. 

(this post is not going in the direction I thought it would... thought I was going to write about starting reading the Bible on a daily basis... insert change of pace)

And so I've decided that I'm not only going to stop describing our family life as busy but I'm going to stop looking back.  Sure, when it's time to watch old baby movies I will but every single day; I'm not going to do that anymore.  From now on I'm not only going to make an effort to stay present in each day I'm soak in each day and look for the good old days in it... the things that I'd look back on and miss one day. 

So just for me at the end of every Friday post now I'll type a few things that made that day one that would make me look back and long for that day again instead of longing for Anna to be a toddler again.  There are plenty of those moments in each day. It's just that now I'm going to choose to see them. 

It'll go something like this... as if I'm chatting about this day years from now with Scott like we do about when they were little.

1.  Remember when Abigail walked down the playroom stairs and need to do one step at a time? 

2.  Remember when Anna had her nose buried in those Harry Potter books?

3.  Remember when Abigail got cold after cold after cold in Kindergarten and she and I stayed home together and I got to love her back to health from all of those ear infections?

4.  Remember when Anna ran upstairs to use the bathroom and shouted down to Abigail as she ran, "wait for me!  Don't play without me!"

5.  Remember when Abigail was learning how to write words and she sounded out each letter? 

"The moments I hold most dear are those that arise unbidden in the course of any day - small, evanescent, scarcely worth noticing except for the fact that I am being offered, just for a second, a glimpse into another's soul.  If my experience as a mother has taught me anything, it is to be awake for such moments, to keep life simple enough to allow them to occur, and to appreciate their fleeting beauty."  (from Mitten String for God by Katrina Kension)

Home Again

Last night I knew she had a fever before putting her to bed and she was complaining about ear pain.  So I started her on her antibiotic that the doctor had me waiting on for a few days hoping that it would clear up on its own.  But she always seems to get an ear infection with a lingering cold.  And boy did she! 



She was up all night only sleeping in 15 minute intervals and crying in pain the rest.  The pain reliever didn't do a thing and the antibiotic as we all know will take days and days.  So there was nothing I could do.  Just hold her sing to her in the night. 

I thought she'd sleep for hours today.  She tried but it wasn't until I said, "you don't have to fall asleep; just hold your friends and listen to Raffi" that she was out... oh how I wish it wasn't 30 minutes until I have to pick her up and leave to go get Anna.