A Year in Review via Shutterfly.

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A love of recitals

Ashlyn is big fan of dance recitals.  Is it the dancing?   A little. She enjoys ballet for sure.

The real reason?  Ashlyn is a fan of make-up!  She looks forward to recitals like Christmas and talked about this one for weeks before it came just so she could have the opportunity to wear authentic lipstick and mascara.

When the day finally arrived, she was in perfect compliance with whatever I asked because she knew what was coming... 

 Check out those lashes!!!  I secretly adore recitals as well because I get to put mascara on those amazing eyes!  

Oh, and of course, another reason to look forward to recitals?  The loot!

Yes, she put that sticker on her head.  And yes, she would not allow me to take it off.

Zoo Field trip!

There is a first for everything, and on a whim I decided it was time to have my first experience chaperoning a field trip!  I showed up bright and early to attend Eliza's 1st-grade field trip to the Zoo, and it was a breeze of a day!  The weather was perfect with a light breeze and warm sun,  I only had 4 kids to look after, and the schedule wasn't too rigorous or demanding.

Here is my crew:

Eliza saved me a seat on the bus and was practically bursting all day to have her mom with her. So sweet.  We spent quite a bit of our freetime at the Zoo playhouse.

Running...

...and playing...

...and running!

The kids loved petting the stingrays.

All around great day.  No complaints here!

Bedhead anyone?

This is Ashlyn on any typical morning.  I'm not sure I've ever seen such darling bedhead.

Springtime and Park days

Lately the weather has been absolutely delightful.  The kids and I have frequented various neighborhood parks in our thirst for frolicking.  All of them are getting so big now that I barely have to pay attention anymore--not that I would completely ignore them--but it's rather nice to be able to read a book in the grass and not worry that my little babe or toddler might fall off something or other. 

I made a seriously sobering realization though during one of our escapades.  I am officially old enough to get nauseated by the swings.  What, what??  I mean, prior to this particular park day, I can't remember the last time I actually pumped my legs on the swings to get some good height, but during this venture I felt that stomach-in-the-throat feeling every time I would swing forward!  I was so upset!  So upset that I forced myself to swing for a good 10 minutes as if to spite myself.

And I will probably do it again next time I go to a park with swings.

Ezra's First T-Ball Game

With wrestling done in December, Ezra has been looking forward to starting T-Ball.   He requested baseball stuff for Christmas and tried his best to figure out what to do with his glove, bat and ball.   By the time T-ball practice came around he squatted down like a "Pro" to catch whatever ball came his way.

Here he is at his first game:

The game was really more like a glorified practice in that the boys all took turns at the tee, then ran to first while the other team scrounged for the ball and threw it to first base as part of their training (no matter if the runner was already on base).   Each boy batted once per inning and all the boys got to home plate eventually through the inning (the last boy running a homerun by default).   They don't keep score in this T-Ball league, which I think is fantastic.  Ezra certainly doesn't know what he's missing by it, and in the meantime he is learning to hit and catch. 

Good stuff!

Oh, and did I mention that the girls got stuck in the mud during the game?  Classic.  Ashlyn kept stepping out of her shoes because they were swallowed up in the goo.  I laughed.  A lot.

Learning to Write

Being that Ezra is in Kindergarten and learning to read and write, he recently made an effort to test out his new skills.   How sweet is this?

Feeding the Ducks and other Adventures

We recently discovered the local Riparian Preserve and boy did my children love it!   The place is overgrown with tall grasses, weeds, wildlife and fish.  Apparently you can fish in the reservoir and go camping in the park--all in the heart of this thriving metropolis!

We brought some bread with us to feed the ducks.  Those ducks were well-acquainted with our kind and practically ate in our laps!  Good stuff.

After the entire loaf was devoured, the kids explored the park.  But, it wasn't long before Eliza managed to whop Ezra in the head with the old-fashioned water pump handle (on accident).  His head started to ooze blood everywhere and so I hustled him to the van to find the first aid kit, only to discover that all I had were small band-aids and nothing to clean up all the blood.  Fortunately for us, there was a boy scout troop at the park to go camping and they were more than happy to do a good turn.  They offered some clean gauze and a smile.

Ashlyn's Great Ideas

Ashlyn has always been a little stubborn and a lot determined but recently both qualities have come to a head with this overwhelming desire to make her own choices and do things her own way.  

Getting dressed in the morning is a fun ordeal every day.  I raise up shirts A, B, C and D and ask which she'd like to wear and inevitably she'll say she wants none of them and will choose option E.

Generally speaking when I ask her if she wants something her first answer is "No", but then after she has a couple seconds to think about it and make it HER idea, she'll say "Actually... I want that one." (The one I offered the first time.)

Normally this behavior can grate on my nerves, but last night made me laugh:

Me: "Ashlyn, would you like to say family prayer?"
Ashlyn:  "NO!  You say it!!"
Me: "Okay, I'll ask someone else to say the prayer."

[Ashlyn's face goes from stubborn devil to elated angel as she jumps up and down and raises her hand]

Ashlyn: "Oo, oo, can I say the prayer??"

I rest my case.

Swimming with Dolphins

When I was in high school I took a class in "Anatomy".  During our Psychology of the Brain section we all took personality tests and one of the questions asked about our favorite animal.  Up until that point, I hadn't really considered having a favorite animal because I wasn't attached to any at the time (see previous post for more on that), but this was a verbal test and you are supposed to say the first thing that comes to your head so I said "dolphin".   Apparently this had some sort of meaning as to how I view myself or some such Freudian mumbo-jumbo,  but I didn't think much about it then.

Since then I've acquired more of an affinity towards the playful creatures.  There's a lot to admire--energetic and smart as they are. I don't live near the beach--or anywhere that has real dolphins on display, so I hadn't really noticed this little yearning in the back of my mind to learn more about them and perhaps interact with them, but when an opportunity presented itself last week during our cruise to Mexico I jumped on it faster than a fat man chasing an ice cream truck.

I didn't know that I had a bucket list, but apparently I do.  "Swimming with Dolphins"?  Check!!  And the best part?  My whole family got to participate!  Eliza and Ezra adored our little dolphin "Frida".  

Meet Magnolia

So, we've been talking about getting a dog for a long time...  I don't like dogs. Thus, our "talk" has been just "talk".

But, before I get ahead of myself, I should probably explain that although there isn't any single incident that turned my heart cold to canines, I have never found much to love about them.  As a kid we always had a dog, but they were generally big, ugly, smelly, and sometimes scary.  I steered clear of them at all costs.  Needless to say, I never "bonded" with a dog.

But, just so that you don't think I'm prejudice, I don't like most animals enough to have them as a pet.  At some point in my life I silently vowed to never own a pet.

That vow broke 3 1/2 years ago with our pet fish, Killa.  He was a hearty fish that managed to live through very few tank cleanings and sporadic feedings.  He lived longer than most even.  Lucky him.

Then, about a year ago Ezra started praying for a dog.  It was cute, but we brushed it aside.  Shiloh and I joked that we'd give him a dog when he turned eighteen as a "going away" present.

Around July, however, we started seriously considering a dog when we realized that we were definitely done having kids, and foster kids may still be many years off.  Ezra wants a brother so bad, so we thought perhaps a dog would "fill the void".

Thus began a research project on my part to find the best breeds, ages, genders, etc...  I started scouring local shelters for an older, calm female dog that didn't shed.  We came really close to adopting a Vizsla/Boxer last month, but it wasn't to be, so we moved on...

Then, on my birthday a few days ago we were perusing Animal Kingdom in the mall (in a casual search for a breed we love), and we saw the cutest little cocker spaniel puppy.  This particular variety of dog was NOT on my list because even though I have always loved the way cocker spaniels look, I believed their shedding was beyond my limits of love.  Still, we took  her in a room to hold her because, well, if felt like a fun thing to do at the time, but I was NOT prepare for what would happen next...

You know that starry, slow motion effect that they put in films to denote two people falling in love?  Well, that same pricking of my heart occurred for this little puppy.  We spent about 45 minutes in that room with her, and didn't want to leave.  Both Shiloh and I bonded with this dog in a matter of minutes and it just felt like she was part of our family already.

Given the intensity of my dislike for dogs prior to this event, I was blown away at my change of heart (and Shiloh's).  So, it didn't take us long to decide that we would go ahead and purchase her... no matter what the  gouge-my-wallet price.

And that's just what we did.  Meet Magnolia:

A Violin Piece to Aspire to.

Lately I have confined myself to 89.5 KBAQ because I am boycotting all the junk on the radio these days.  So, as I drove home from carpool (in which my car vomits 7 elementary school age kids), I heard the most beautiful violin duet.  It was moving and emotional and I thought to myself, "I want to learn to play that someday."

But, before I get to that.  Let me explain... I purchased a used violin in the Spring so that I could learn to play along with Eliza and Ezra.  Here it is in all it's glory:

I can play through all of Eliza's songs so far (she is most of the way through Suzuki Book 1), but I haven't considered paying for lessons for myself, so who knows how good I'll ever be.

Still, in my heart I've ALWAYS wanted to play an instrument beyond my voice.  I purchased a piano soon after we moved into our first house, but again, I have never paid for lessons so all I can play is about 1/3 of the hymn book.

Perhaps I'll convince myself someday to invest in myself when I have more time or run out of excuses.  But for now, I am inspired by Kreisler and Joshua Bell and the songs "Liebesleid" (Love's Sorrow) and "Liebesfreud" (Love's Joy).  Here are all four together: