summer orchestra concert

Nicky played in the GTCYS summer orchestra concert last night at the Como Lakeside Pavilion.  He'd been looking forward to it for quite some time.  Except for the steamy humidity and some mister stinky b.o. dude sitting next to us (and Zach asking "What's that SMELL?") it went really well.  Nana & Papa and Uncle Andrew & Aunt Monica and Nicky's violin teacher came out to watch.  Sitting a few rows back, we couldn't see him playing, but I snapped him coming offstage.

busy holiday weekend & baby Abigail!

This lazy blogger finally had to log on to talk about the extended 4th of July weekend.  We had a fun couple days with family in Iowa and saw the cool Clear Lake fireworks show.  Friday we headed home and then out to Waconia to meet our good friends Alesha & Nick's awesomely beautiful much longed for scrumptious new daughter Abigail Ann. 

What a blessing and a gift Miss Abbie is, and we were very honored to meet and cuddle her.  Congratulations Nick and Alesha!!

Rounded out the weekend with some yard work, a stop at the Elko flea market to look at old junk, and saw Man of Steel in 3D at the IMAX theater at the MN Zoo.  Don't think we'd been to the IMAX before. Wish the movie had been better.  It was 90% whirring images and deafening noise.  Relentless crashing, fighting and general destruction just doesn't trip my trigger.  Some of these new action movies have about as much plot as a fireworks display.  But for supper last night Nate and I had Cold Stone, so it all ended marvelously.

wrappin' up the school year

Saw this blog post linked to elsewhere on the web.  It's about slumming it at the end of the school year, and man, I can relate.  Except I wish I was sane enough to start letting things slide during the last month or so.  I keep those logs and planners checked and signed down to the bitter end.  I make sure the kids' assignments are all turned in, because these days you're supposed to log into the parent portal and keep on top of your kids for every bleedin' little thing.  And I'm neurotic enough to play along.  But it's almost over!  Zach has been done with preschool for a week and a half, today is Nicky's last day, and Thursday is the last day for our middle-schoolers.  Yes!!  Now if only the weather would cooperate so it would actually feel like June.  This dreary chilly holy cow what's that bright orb in the sky! stuff is beyond old now.  C'mon, 95 degrees and humid, let's go!  Yeah, yeah, but I'd rather whine that it's too hot than too cold.

end of a Camry era

We bought a car this past weekend after an annoyingly long hunt for a reasonable deal.  It's a Pontiac Vibe; a well-built, reliable car according to Consumer Reports (knock on wood).  We've driven Camrys (Camries?) for almost 14 years, so this is a departure - kinda.  The Vibe is a sister model (whatever that means exactly) of the Toyota Matrix, so we're not entirely ditching our Toyota past.

We found a way to make our teenager actually want to spend time with us, because Michael was really into the whole car buying process.  He wanted to drive through every car lot in the twin cities metro and go on every test drive.  He scoured every print-out of vehicle descriptions we had laying around, and occasionally had some helpful info inside that car-obsessed head of his.

Adrienne the artist

In Language class, Adrienne has a weekly assignment to define certain words and idioms.  They have to make a sketch of a sentence they come up with, and I've found some of her drawings kind of funny and cute.  Yeah, I know, she's my kid, so of course I believe she's special and all.  But I think she could be a cartoonist or somethin' with the way she draws facial expressions.  Maybe it's because I never really moved beyond stick people drawings myself, but her subjects even have fashion sense...

Meanwhile, in weather related news...we're hitting the 70's this weekend.  Yeah, baby!  We haven't hit 60 since November. 

April thundersnow brings May flowers?

You are now entering the weather twilight zone...the "I thought I put away the snowpants for good already, dang it!" zone.  The average is 60 now, so they say, and we're nowhere near that tropical temp.  We were woken up overnight the last two nights by loud sleet pellets smacking the house.  The snow had finally melted, and now this icky heavy white slop is all over.  Phooey.

But, anyway, Michael had a jazz concert the other night:

At home afterwards, we realized Michael is taller than Grandma Elaine.  If height correlated directly to how much you eat, though...yeah, he'd be 10 feet tall.

the many moods of a 14 year old

It was Michael's birthday yesterday.  He had a very specific wish list of things he didn't get at Christmas and hoped to score for his b-day.  At times last night, he was happy enough to produce a real smile.  Trying to get in his head here...

Sweet!  Let's do this.

This 2.5 second delay for an additional picture is unacceptable.

Yes!  Finally.

Why did my weird mom ask me to put my head by the cake?  I'm gonna look goofy then.

I'm so over this lame singing...ergh...

Happy 14th Michael!  Love you!

Waiting for real spring

Brr.  Sayonara to a crazy cold March, and here's hoping we can at least hit average temps in April.  A weird robin came to our deck a few days last week to flutter at the window and peek inside.  Drove Felix bonkers...

"Lemme in, I must have come back too $#@* early!"

I wonder if it's the bird who nested under the deck last year and didn't appreciate our photographing her babies.  I bet she wants some Hitchcock style revenge!  Thank goodness we don't have a real chimney.

Anyhoo...Happy Easter y'all!

Nicky's ninth

Nicky turned 9 this week!

I thought as the kids grew out of the baby/toddler stage it'd be easier to get them to pose for pictures.  No way José.  Teens and five-year-olds are photo saboteurs extraordinaire.

Saw this video on the news yesterday; something to rival the goat version.  No disrespect Taylor...Zach likes your song and we rock out to it in the minivan.

Habemus Papam!

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina is our new pope.  He has chosen the name Francis, or Francesco to those Italians.  Which does sound cooler, frankly.



The peace prayer of St. Francis~

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

“Preach the Gospel at all times; and when necessary, use words.”

 God bless Pope Francis!