2nd Grade Star of the Week

Noah is the Star of the Week.

He made this poster at the first of the year.

He is really proud of it.

He pointed out that the poster is now wrong.

Since tonight at Karate, he just got his blue belt.

To me, this boy is a star all the time.

Sofia's Dancing Debut on the Stage

Sofia in her Stage Costume

 Sofia started taking Dance in the fall.

Every Wednesday there is a whirlwind of excitement as we ready ourselves to go.

To her real ballet class.

Her teacher is Ms Stacy and she loves her.

All day everyday we play ballet teacher, ballet class, dancing etc.

In other words she is obsessed.

That is one of the reasons we put her in a class.

 She had two performances.

One at the Festival of Trees 

and the other at their Dance Recital.

Her costume is so adorable, with the gloves, the yellow and the flower.

She got to wear makeup.

Luckily she had a birthday party to go to earlier in the day to break it up.

I LOVE this,  it brings me almost as much excitement and joy 

that it gives her.  It was so so fun.

Kristin (13) and Sofia after the Performance

She was spectacular. 

Kersten admitted a couple songs in that it 

actually was really fun to watch these recitals.

The kids are so so hysterically adorable. 

My brother Nik and his wife Lena even got her flowers for her performance.

Video of Sofia's Dance

I just filmed this on my point and shoot camera but you get the idea

Lights on Temple Square

Every year the day after Thanksgiving

We have a marvelous party downtown

with my husbands fam.

We eat amazing food 

hang at the Plaza

And see the glorious lights on Temple Square

In Salt Lake City.

bundled up family

 It is always crowded.

This year a bit bitter cold.

Magical.

This is one of my very favorite traditions ever.

I look forward to it every year.

Sofia by the pink lights

 Sofia is at the age where everything is 

wonderful,

magical,

and extra special.

She loved every minute of it.

She saw the Christus through the window of the visitors center

and insisted we go up there.

It was so packed we barely got up there.

The look on her face as she gazed at the statue of Jesus

made the crowds and hassle totally worth it.

At least for me

Noah under the "Red Tree" we got engaged by

Noah is older and it getting into stories of our little families history.

It was a big deal to him that this is the tree, we got engaged by.

They both wanted to walk around to see the nativities from around the world

just to see the cute baby Jesus'.

This was a marvelous night.

Ask Me about Dom

A couple weeks ago  on a tuesday,  my Sofia informed me that her husband Sal had died.  He had been her husband for a couple of months.  She would wax poetic about what they did together and that "he Love me".  I was horrified that my son in law Sal (who I always secretly thought was a trucker) had died.  He died of old age.

"He was really really old."

 She informed me then, that she had married Dom that afternoon in the Juna Temple.
I asked her to tell me about him.

"Well, He is a husband."

Like a husband is some kind of species.

She then explained that he had spiky hair that is dark.  He is tall and big.  He is a good dancer at a ball.  He loves to use keys.  And he likes to eat fish.

And he is really old.  He is eighteen.

Sounds like an amazing husband

Happy Halloween 2011

Add caption

 Happy Halloween!

Good Ninja with Stealth and Awesome fighting moves

I am Tangled, you have to dance and make funny faces

Mashed Potatoes I think

courtesy of KFC

I wish I could sit down and type something witty, sarcastic and so funny your gut would hurt.  I have blogged numerous times during my sleepless, hacking, coughing nights, mulling through all the thoughts in my head, finding that one who would be worthwhile to actually sit down and type as fast as my fingers would allow.  They are all just mashed up like potatoes, gooey and messy.  Sticking to all the corners in my mind.  So I decided to just spread the potatoes all over the plate and sculpt them into a volcano until gravy erupts all over.

You would hope as you grow older that you would learn that others opinions do not matter in the scheme of things.  And that you would stew and simmer the little things someone has said over and over until you go a bit dizzy.  A thoughtless word or joke turns into bubbling cider that its so hot it burns.  The way you want to be.... is not how you are seen... and you have to be okay with that.  The endless talking and talking.  More thinking ....All any of us can do is our best right.  As they say 'until you walk in their shoes or my shoes".  So I have to tear down walls brick by brick.  Keep trying and moving forward,  doing and being my best, moment to moment.

Now I am choking on my next thought,  I can't swallow,  Oh, oh, oh,oh, oh
I was called to the principals office.  And not for my son, but for me.
 And if you want to get technical it was the Vice principal i actually spoke with.
Did she really just say he has been Tardy NINE times and it is only October?
Yep I am an awesome Parent.  I swear it has not been that much.

Oh, and now a private meeting with the teacher.
heart hurting again, pressure behind my eyes.......
It has happened, it is beginning.
Oh, how being a mother can hurt.
Grateful it was swiftly, artfully handled.
Noah did not even hear a thing.
Small blessings.
So nice an apology email from one of their dads.
Kids can be so mean.
Wow, my boy has so much self confidence.
Another blessing.

I seem not to be able to stay on top of everthing this school year.
I did remember picture day at Sofia's preschool.
She really is stunning.
Wow,  my girl is beautiful.  I am not bias in any way.
She is a tough one, my Fia.
Her new things is that she can't walk and I have to hold her.
Luckily sometimes her legs can still hop like a bunny,
waddle like a penquin or crawl like a puppy.
It seems to get us to where we need to go.

Picture by Ashleigh Butler

Oh, she has a kissable face.

And just for so you all know who I hung out with this weekend

My Brother in law Jason

Creepy isn't he.....