Recital 2009!

It's that time of year again.....

After several months of hard work, the annual recital took place this weekend. My girls are dancing at two studios this year (don't ask - it's been a nightmare). Anyhoo, this was Liv's ballet recital. I should preface this by saying that Liv's dance instructors have been telling me for the past two years that she should continue studying ballet.

Because she's good.

She took ballet from an amazing instructor this year and it definitely was worth it.

BUT! I have to watch the whole recital in order to see my daughter's dance. Here are some of the highlights......

I am not a fan of tap. Just doesn't do anything for me. But this dance.....was amazing. I was in awe.....

This was cool. I don't really remember the dance too much but the colors and pictures were pretty wild....

Company dance (those girls that are really AWESOME at dance make Company). They were dancing in the aisles....

Bad picture, but you get the idea....

And here is Emma's dance - "Hakuna Matata". The costumes were out of this world and the girls were fabulous....

And finally....FINALLY....my Olivia.

Now, let me tell you that I took pictures throughout the show and so did my dad, as we have for the past 6 or 7 years. Obviously, we didn't use flash, nor were we the only ones snapping pictures. I probably have 40+ pictures of the recital up to this point. And Olivia's dance was one of the last ones.

And there she is, front and center....

I cried.

I always do, but watching my daughter dance, and seeing her up there on stage and seeing how easily it all comes to her....it took my breath away.....she was beautiful.

And then an usher came up to me and told me I couldn't take pictures.

I countered with "No FLASH pictures, as they said in the announcements. And I'm not using my flash"

She proceeded to argue with me.

I put my camera down - but dad kept snapping away.

And then another usher told him he couldn't take pictures.

At very nearly the end of the show.

After we and every other parent in the theater had been snapping (non-flash) pictures all evening.

In the middle of my daughter's dance.

The dance I had been waiting for ALL NIGHT.

And then this person made me miss part of my daughter's performance by arguing with me.

I almost knocked the bitch out.

Seriously.

But then I saw this gorgeous face after the show.

I mean, WOW right?

Not quite sure how she came from me.

Since she has to be backstage for the entire recital, she hangs out with the "big girls" who taught her some new moves which she demonstrated for us all.

And here they are....the Dynamic Duo! Buddies since birth - Emma and Livvie!!

Emma's still in her Zebra costume from her Hakuna Matata dance.

Usually the recital is in the afternoon and we all go back to my house for a cookout or we go out to eat to celebrate. This year, since she's older now, she was in the evening show, and it didn't end until about 10:00 p.m. Needless to say, she was nowhere near ready to go to bed when we got home, and, having been in quite a few plays and performances myself when I was younger, (a-HEM) I knew she was on an adrenaline high and she'd never go right to sleep. So, I let her stay up with me for a while. I think we finally went to bed around midnight. It's quite possibly the latest she's ever been up, but we had a great time, giggling, telling stories and (of course) snapping a few pictures.

She looks like a teenager in this photo - YIKES!!!

Her dad and I are so proud of her and so impressed with how far she's come with her dancing.

I can only hope she continues....

Broken record...

Seriously. I sound like a broken record.

Because I have been B U S Y!!!

And, don't I say that EVERY post????

Mister and Gamma Judi came down a few weeks ago and spent a lovely Saturday with us and my parents. It was so good to see them. It'd been almost a year - EN-TIRE-LY tooooo long....

It took about 30 seconds from the time they walked through the door for Sydney to request a rousing game of cars with Mister.

As you can see, he happily obliged.

This is their special thing. He's so patient with her. And Gamma Judi taught Liv how to have a proper tea party. They used to have special tea party dates.

They are so amazing - I mean, what kid wouldn't want an extra set of grandparents that do those kinds of things???? My children are incredibly lucky and they love Mister and Gamma Judi so much.


Last Saturday was Sydney's birthday party. It was a huge success, Sydney had a great time, got loads of loot and - get this - 90% of the guests were boys.

My little girl has them all wrapped around her little finger. Hmmmm.....

You know what happened last Sunday, because I already told you. But feel free to peruse this post, lest you forgot.

Wednesday, I traveled to the National Zoo with Sydney and her Kindergarten class.

No, no, no, those are Orangutans, not kindergartners!

Sheesh!

I haven't been to the Zoo in ages, and it's changed a bit. The trees are more mature, it's laid out a bit differently than I remember, and monkeys walk along wires that are suspended 6 stories above the park. Who knew?

Apparently, that's progress people.



At first I was worried they would crawl down and maybe run rampant through the Zoo. Then I got real and realized my biggest worry was that they would poop while they were 150 feet in the air with me standing directly beneath them shooting pictures.

Luckily, I dodged that bullet!! (Insert gratuitous laughter here)

No trip to the National Zoo is complete without a visit to the Pandas.

The kids stopped at every one of the water misters throughout the park - and believe me, they had one about every ten feet. They got soaked and thought it was great.

Until they realized that it was only about 72 degrees outside and there's LOTS of shade.

Then they were cold.



Sydney entertained me on the long bus ride home....

Wait Mom! I have a mouth full of food!

Well, OK, if you MUST take my picture....

Mommies Rock

We live next door to my mom. It can definitely be tough (and I think she'd agree). But I love living next to my mom and dad. Sometimes I won't see them or talk to them for days...

But they're there.

I'm almost 39 years old, and the fact that my parents are 20 steps and a roll down the hill away is very comforting to me.

Me and my momma....

We made our annual pilgrimage to the nursery to buy each other flowers, and then Daddy cooked us dinner.

(I was tired - can you tell??)






It was a great day - relaxing, yet productive......

Sydney made Mimi a present!

The best thing I ever did....the one thing I am the most proud of...

......is giving birth to these two amazing people.

They are my life, my love, my heart, my soul and everything I live for.....




I hope your Mother's Day was everything you wanted it to be.......

Mine was.

YO' MAMA!!!

Happy Mother's day to all the mom's in my life.

I love you all!

More tomorrow - fabulous day, fabulous dinner and several cocktails makes for a very tired Mommy.....

I woke up yesterday morning to this sweet little whisper....

"Moommmmyyyy....wake uuu - uuppppppp. I'm siiiix now!"

She then crawled in bed with me and we snuggled and I marveled at how my sweet little baby is six years old. I'm so glad my kids are happy and healthy, but I'd be lying if I said I was glad they were growing up....I want them to stay little forever and it's just not happening.

I asked Sydney to please stop growing up and she told me that was

"CRRRR-AZY"

To prove her point, she showed me how much bigger her hands and arms had gotten overnight.

You know, cuz she's SIX now.
So she's bigger.

Here's the birthday girl before she left for school...

She chose the Japanese steakhouse for her birthday dinner - I guess she had a good time last year...

This was her face when the waiter told her she had to catch the shrimp in her mouth.....

She did it though - several times.....

Sydney told me - very loudly at a point in time where the restaurant seemed to go quiet for just a few moments (ever notice how that happens at the worst possible time?)....


"Mommy! I do NOT want the Japanese people to sing Happy Birthday to me".

(And yes, I know that's not a politically correct statement - but, hey - she's six)




And they sang anyway.

Doesn't she look thrilled? She was embarrassed by the attention....



Here's my baby, after her big day....

Two minutes on the couch, two minutes of getting her back rubbed, and she was

O U T

Birthdays are exhausting, you know....

Happy Birthday Love Bug

I can't believe you're six.

I love you Sydney Alexandra.

Eight down, Four to go.....

Whew!

And now, a much needed break from all things Hopkins.

Well, except for my parents and my baby bro.

Who happen to be Hopkins', but are in no way associated with that fine institution that is taking all of my money.

Wait a minute though.....

There has to be a connection there somewhere, right?

I have to be related to Johns Hopkins somehow, right?

And as a former "Hopkins" attending "Hopkins", shouldn't I get a break on tuition????

Hmmmmm........

Procrastination

"Procrastinator"

Pro*cras"ti*na`tor\,

n. One who procrastinates, or defers the performance of anything.

Someone who postpones work (especially out of laziness or habitual carelessness)

That's technically the definition.

But I bet if you look it up here's what you'll see.....

Procrastinator

someone who postpones work (especially out of laziness or habitual carelessness)

Yup. That's me.

I have my final project for the last class of this semester due on Wednesday in the class that I am struggling in.

And I've known about this since, oh I don't know, March?

Oh, I've been thinking about it and I've gathered bits and pieces of what I need over the past few weeks.

But really - I started it yesterday.

It's due Wednesday.

Yeah. Not Good.

I have come to the conclusion that I am burned out.

Based on the fact that my grades are slipping a bit (and by slipping I mean A-'s rather than A's - which is a HUGE difference for me), and the fact that my attitude about school really - well - it sucks rights now, and the fact that I really feel like I don't CARE what grades I get - I just want it OVER.....

I have decided to take a break.

I have been going to school since before Olivia was born - with the occasional semester off to have a baby or two.

So, I'll finish up this class on Wednesday, finish up my Independent Study class on June 12'th and then I'm taking the rest of the summer off.

Seriously.

No. Seriously.

Not kidding.

Well, unless a class I really want to take is miraculously offered over the summer - but that won't happen.

So, I'll enjoy my summer, play with my kids, maybe get in a weekend or two away and come back to school in the fall ready to kick butt.

I'll be relaxed - I'll be refreshed - I be re-energized - I'll be -

I'll be going crazy by June 21'st.

We made it....

No air conditioning.....and the temp is dropping 20 to 25 degrees tonight. No need for it now! Even the weatherman on the local news this evening complimented us.

Well, OK, he technically he congratulated anyone who hadn't turned on their A/C yet.

But he was totally talking to me.

I love my house. Really, I do. But these trees lining the driveway? I'd have bought the house just for them....

Take a good look and don't blink, or you'll miss them. My next post will be pictures of pink snow drifts......

We don't need to go to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms...

We finally got our fence installed. The boys are very happy......

They had to sniff every inch of new space.

It took awhile.

It turned out great and the boys have room to RUN (and run they have).

Baxter - chillin' in his yard....

Brian, surveying his domain.

H.....O......T......

It's. so. hot.

It's been in the 90's for the past three days.

The 90's!!!!

It's only April.

I simply can't turn on my air conditioning yet.

Because, again, it's only APRIL.

It's just a thing with me.

Like Christmas shopping in July.

Can't do it.

It just doesn't feel right.

Unfortunately, if last night was any indication of what the next two nights will be like, I think I'll probably have to break down and turn it on.

It was hot as balls.

Miserable sleeping.

Seriously. Miserable.

The temperature is supposed to drop back down to the 60's on Wednesday. If we can just hang in there for another day and a half, I can avoid turning on the air conditioning......

Maybe I can convince the family to "camp out" in our unfinished, below grade basement....

Where it is currently about 50 degrees.

Perfect for sleeping.

Blog Stalker

I follow a lot of blogs. Many of which never even know I was there. I read the trials and tribulations of said Bloggers lives....the good, the bad, the sad, the funny....they make me appreciate what I have, long for what I don't, laugh out loud, ponder the universe and sometimes realize how insignificant my problems really are...

They are the blogs of parents who have lost children or spouses, or are dealing with children with special needs and need prayers. They are the blogs of working moms like me and blogs of people who have touched others with their profound words. They are the blogs of my friends and the blogs of those whom I've never met.

There are blogs of people I know only through the blogs of others. I've come to know their children, their spouses, their hopes, their goals. I cheer when they achieve something and I cry when they don't.

I try to leave comments on most, to let them know I was there, and that I was interested and that I "listened" to what they had to say. I would say it's odd, but if you have a blog, you are throwing yourself out there for the world to see. I do.

There are blogs that I stalk. I quietly follow- still interested - but just not commenting. I myself have some blog stalkers. They don't leave comments, but they check in, they read about what's happening in their lives and I hope they get a chuckle every now and then and - sometimes - I hope I make them think about something they wouldn't otherwise consider. They don't have to leave a comment, but I wish they would, because I'd like to know what they think.

Then there are some blogs that you read and are instantly hooked. there's some connection there you can't put a finger on, but you "get" this blogger and you comment every time you visit. You try to make witty comments, you sympathise when something is wrong, you become a cheerleader when needed and mostly, you just enjoy reading that bloggers way of writing and communicating and want to hear what they have to say.

One blog in particular comes to mind. I have been reading Andrea's blog for....a long time now! I have no idea how I found it, but the title caught my interest...

Pass the Zoloft.

She's since started another web page with her sister-in-law, Karin. Although i haven't "known" Karin as long, I love checking in with her as well. And the name of Karin's blog?

Gin and Bear It.

Oh Yeah. These girls know how to catch your eye, that's for sure.

Andrea has an incredible gift. I encourage you to read. The link to Andrea and Karin's web page is now located on the left. And maybe she'll make you stop and think about your own life.

And maybe, just maybe, she'll make you laugh out loud. I know I do.