Concert at the Park

When: July 3rd

Time: 7:00 pm

Place: Flat Top Park, West Richland, WA

Who: Bring the whole family!

Cost: Free!

[2006]

I look forward to performing this concert each year.
It's fun, festive, and patriotic.
So come, bring a picnic, and enjoy the show!

See you there!

Inching Along

A few days ago, Elisabeth made her first attempt at army crawling. Needless to say, Donald and I are ecstatic! Our dear baby has beat all the odds and continues to amaze us with her development.

Have a look:

Elisabeth Elva ~ 21 months old

***Video of 'peek-a-boo 'coming next week.

The Sprinkler Park

My blogging buddy, Zoe, recently asked, 'what is a sprinkler park?'. So I thought I would snap a few pictures to share:

This park is where we spend most of our time during the summer. The children have so much fun running through the water as it shoots up out of the ground....and equally as much fun climbing all over the play equipment. Donald and I especially love the fact that it offers the same benefits as a pool (cooling off, playing in water) without the potential danger.

Have a splish-splashy kind of day!

Elisabeth's 1st Haircut

Elisabeth's hair has finally started to grow....but only around the edges. So we decided that it was time get rid of her mullet.

before:

after:

Thank you, Libbie, for making Elisabeth's hair look so neat and tidy.
We love her new 'do'!

Peek-a-boo!

This is Elisabeth's favorite new game to play with Donald. As soon as she pulls the hat off, Donald surprises her with a loud 'peek-a-boo!' and she erupts into laughter. They play it over and over and over.....and she acts just as surprised every time!

A Trip to Spain

This week we have been learning about Spain. Activities included watching several educational videos about Spain, listening to Spanish music, a Spanish lesson (taught by Alexandra), and cooking a traditional Spanish dish called Tortilla de Patatas, which is sort of like a potato omelet.

potatoes

onion

eggs

And one very upset Lorelai who

begged and begged for regular food.


Next week: China

What's this all about? Click here.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Elisabeth recently landed a starring role in a promotional movie for the United Way. We filmed last Friday and I must say (in a very biased, motherly way), the camera loves her!

Donald and I are excited to see the finished product. If it turns out good then I think I know what the Sorenson's are giving out for Christmas this year! (They promised us as many copies as we please!)

A Hidden Talent

"Lex, it's here!" I called out as I heard a large delivery truck stop in front of our home.

Squeals of excitement rang through the house as Alexandra and Lorelai made a dash for the front door. There on the porch lay a package containing the first-ever printed copy of The Little Girl and the Magic Violin, a story that Alexandra recently wrote and published.

She could hardly wait to tear the box open!

(My favorite part is the About the Author page.)

We sat together and read her story; it was perfect, cover to cover. Alexandra's face was in a permanent smile all the while. Afterwards she told me, "I guess we know what my hidden talent is."

"It's not hidden anymore," I replied.

***Interested in purchasing your own copy? Click here.

The Trouble With Spasms: Part II

I was holding Elisabeth at the dinner table on Sunday when a spasm hit. She face planted straight into a spoon on the table in front of her. The red line going across her face (see above) is not a scratch, but an imprint of the spoon. Ouch.

I also find this picture interesting because you can really see how much stronger her right eye is. It is focusing on the camera while the left eye wanders. I have noticed this quite a bit lately, but it's the first time that I have gotten a good picture of it.

Last (but not least), yesterday while in the grocery store the cashier looked at Elisabeth and said, "I just love the 'special' babies. They have nothing but love to give. You must be one very special lady to have such a special little girl. She'll bring you so much happiness."

I cannot tell you how much that meant to me. Usually people that don't know Elisabeth won't say a word about her, and that has made me a little sad at times. I don't want her to be ignored just because she is different. So to have someone say such beautiful words about Elisabeth brightened my whole day. I smiled back and told her, "Yes, I am the luckiest mother in the world."

Pac-Man

The Scene:

Place: Sorenson home.
Time: Friday night.
Who: Lisa (sitting in chair) and Donald (playing on the Wii)

The Script:

Donald: "Do you know what game this is? "
Me: (Did he really just ask that?) "Yes Donald, I was a child of the 80's, of course I know what game that is."

Once a Kid, Always a Kid....

[My mom and my sister at Disneyland yesterday.]

Lucky them!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

(A little bit of Mary Blair happiness, just for you!)

Hot Off the Press

Alexandra just published her
first children's book!

Want to buy a copy?

Click here.

Summer Goals

While I do want the summer to be carefree, I certainly don't want to waste the days away. So I have a few goals in mind. Some are daily goals, others are things that I want to accomplish by the end of the season:

• Enjoy reading (for leisure) every day.
• Eat a bowl of oatmeal each morning.
• Learn Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca on the piano.
• Organize the pictures on the computer.
• Take the children on a daily outing.
• Have Alexandra watch four movies each week in Spanish.
• Finish organizing all my 2008 posts into a Blurb book.
  
  
  

What are some of your goals?

"Arnold....Arnold....Arnold"

Okay, I am quite sure...make that 100% sure....that nobody (except my brother) will understand my title reference. I won't explain it here, but in case you were wondering it comes from a documentary called Pumping Iron. (Want to borrow it? Call me)

Moving on.....

Elisabeth has a new trick. It's one that we have seen only a few times, but Donald managed to snap a photo of it a day or so ago. As you can see in the picture, she uses her arms to push upward. This is a huge skill for her. Hopefully it will continue. Sometimes when she learns something new it doesn't last long. For example, once upon a time she figured out how to say 'Mama'. She would lay on the floor and say it over and over and over. That word (her only word) has long since slipped away. And so it is with Elisabeth's development; many ups and downs; things come, things go. But we're hoping that her little push up trick will be here to stay (at least for a while!)

A Writing Desk

I've wanted a white writing desk for some time now. Someday I will splurge and get one. I will put it in my bedroom facing the window so it will offer a view of trees and birds and other living things in our backyard (children included).

And I'll keep it stocked full of stationary and pens and write letters to all my favorite people. It will be lovely.

It's a Small World

One of our goals in raising our children is making sure that they have an awareness and appreciation of other countries and cultures. We do love our little corner of the world, but it is just that; a little corner.

Next February the winter Olympics are taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Seeing as that is not too incredibly far from where we live, Donald and I are hoping to take a family trip to Vancouver during the Olympic games (but I am having trouble finding hotel accommodations at the moment, so we'll see). We are also making grand plans to take the children to London in 2012 for the summer Olympics.

To help prepare our girls we have decided to focus on a different country each week. Our studies will included checking out books from the library, eating traditional meals, creating costumes, and listening to a variety of languages (among other things).

The fun part was choosing which countries to study first. Donald had the idea to spin our globe and let the girls place their finger on it with their eyes closed. Wherever their finger landed would be a country that we would study.

We decided to pick 8 countries for starters. They are:

China. Russia. Spain.

Sweden.

Hawaiian Islands, USA.

Egypt.Brazil.

Turkey.

Stay tuned for weekly highlights as our family becomes
better acquainted with the world in which we live.

Au Revoir!
Adios!
Auf Wiedersehen!

A Summer Recital

Pink tutu's. Music.
Warm evening air. Dancing.
Applause. Pointed toes.

Ballet.

~Lorelai Leigh ~

Being Practical is So Overrated

Summer Weddings

Tonight I am playing with my string trio at a wedding. I love performing at weddings...especially summer weddings. Playing outside in the calm evening air; there is something magical about it. Tonight's wedding is going to be at a winery. I expect that it will be lovely.....and traditional. I can tell by the music that was requested. The bride wants the traditional Bridal Chorus and Wedding March. It's not always like that. At the last wedding I played the bride had us play Scarborough Fair as she walked down the aisle and The Theme from The Godfather as the recessional. It was a little strange (to me), but a bride gets what a bride wants.

Q & A

Todays post is dedicated to answering a few questions that have been asked in my comments section over the last week or two.

Q: "How on Earth did you keep animals from getting to your strawberries?" - Rachelle

A: The only animals that we were really worried about were our two dogs (they like to dig)...so Donald put a small fence up around the garden (and it's kept them out so far).

Q: "Do you guys have a pool?" - Jill

A: No, but we are lucky to have friends that do!

Q: "Where are you going for vacation, Lisa?" - Dani

A: We are going to visit my family in Southern California....which will include a trip to Disneyland and lazy days at the beach (among other things).

Q: "What kind of sandwiches [did we eat at the park]?" - David

A: Turkey.

Q: "What kind of camera do you have?" - Katie

A: Canon Powershot S5IS

Q: "What did Donald the 'cop hater' think of the note?" [see Monday's post] - Susan

A: It makes him 'hate cops a little bit less'.

And a few questions about yesterday's post:

Q: Does she get to continue the dual language program all through elementary school or is it only Kindergarten? - Jill

A: She will be in the program for all of elementary school.

Q: Is this public school? Is this offered? Do you have to apply? Did she have to take prereqs? - Katie

A: Yes, it is public school. There are two classes offered for the entire district with a total of 26 English speaking spots, so there was a lot of competition to get in. Alexandra was tested and fortunately she was accepted. There were not any prerequisites.

Any more questions? Ask away!

Kindergarten: Complete

It seems like yesterday that I wrote about Alexandra's first day of Kindergarten....and now it is her last. Donald and I are simply amazed at all she has learned since last fall. We are happy with the decision that we made to enroll her in the dual language program. 9 months ago she didn't know a word of Spanish, and now....well, just watch:

School's Out!

A Music Recital

I held an end-of-the-school-year recital for my students this past Saturday. They have all worked quite hard this year and it was rewarding to see them perform at their very best.

[Me and my students]


Lorelai and Tessa handed out programs at the door.

And what fine program passer-outers they were!

[photos by Charlene Hardy]

What's next?
A one month hiatus from teaching....and then it's back to business.

Mayberry

We just got this note from our local police department:

It made me smile. I am glad I live in a small town where life is simple, crime is low, and (apparently) the police officers have enough spare time to send out notes with smiley faces. It's almost as good as living in Mayberry (minus Aunt Bee).

Oh why must I be practical?

I was recently walking through Target when I spotted this:


I fell in love.......with the whole collection. Something about it just speaks to me. Unfortunately (for this adorable set by Orla Kiely), I am too practical. I went home empty handed. Ugh.

Want to see more? Click here.

Dear Susan,

Happy, happy birthday.

Hoping your day is filled
with all the things you love.

FYI: Susan is my mother-in-law.
She is also one of my best friends.
Want to visit her blog?
Click here.

A Love/Hate Relationship

Avocados

Lisa: loves
Donald: hates
Alexandra: loves
Lorelai: hates
Elisabeth: undecided

Girls Will Be Girls

Last night Donald worked late so he could earn some extra buck-a-roo's to put towards our annual vacation this summer. That meant the girls and I were on our own for the evening. We packed sandwiches and nail polish and went to the park for dinner. Yes, I said sandwiches and nail polish. We treated ourselves to manicures and pedicures after we ate. Girls will be girls.

Miss Independent: Part II

At 20 months old Elisabeth has learned how to hold her bottle! This is a huge accomplishment for her....especially because she is using her left hand (which she usually likes to pretend doesn't exist).

She doesn't have the coordination yet to pick the bottle up on her own....but if we place it in her hands for her she can pretty much handle the feeding from there on out.

Next goal: Teach her to eat solids! (this might take a while)

Click here to read Miss Independent: Part I

Let The Fun Begin!

School will be out next Wednesday and I am giddy with excitement. We have been living a very organized and structured lifestyle since last Autumn and we are ready for a break. No waking up to an alarm in the morning, no coordinating schedules with Donald, no shuttling kids back and forth. Freedom.

We kicked off the season with a pool party/BBQ with friends last night. I felt myself entering full summer mode and had to keep reminding myself that it was still a school night for the children and I needed to get them to bed at a respectable time (which I didn't). Oh well, we had fun (and that's more important than a punctual bedtime, right?).

Our First Strawberry

This little strawberry grew here, in our yard,

on this piece of Earth that we call our own.

Nature never ceases to amaze me.