For Fall Break we headed to sunny California and Disney.  I’m so glad we went.  I’m so glad it is over.  I think I’m on vacation sensory overload.  Five days in Disney and then one day in Sea World.  I’m just plain worn out.  The good kind.

There are so many good photos.  Here are just a few of my favorite…

Oh there’s just too many to pick from.  I didn’t even get to Sea World here. ;D

I don’t get “good” photos of Ava anymore.  I mean ones where she’s not making faces or acting weird.  She just never lets me.

Well I got one today.  It was probably because I wasn’t “trying” and she was just hanging with me and Laney.

I don’t remember being this stunning when I was 10. ;D

May was madness for me.

One of the things I forgot to blog about was that Ava was in the school play this year.  They performed Beauty and the Beast.  Ava was one of the town’s people.  I’m glad she got the part.  But practices and performances were kind of a nightmare. ;D

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Ava and I have been fighting over her hair.  I want her to brush it and take care of it.  She wants nothing to do with either.  One of her biggest complaints…her hair is so thick and snarly.  So when she brushes it, it HURTS!  So after lots of going back and forth I took her to the salon for her first, real, grown-up haircut.  I took her to the person I’ve been going to for years.  He thinned it out and cut it into a style.

She is much, much happier.  She’s actually brushing it.  That, of course, makes me happy.  She’s not smiling in the bottom photo…but that’s also typical of these days…I can’t always depend on her smiling and posing for photos.  Ah…the preteen years! ;D

I think it is extremely interesting how things get pass on through a family.  One of the things that runs in mine is that we are artists.  My grandmother was an artist.  My mother is one.  I’m one.  Both girls got it too.  It’s one of the most favorite things about me. ;D  The girls have other things they are good at too…but I’m glad they got this particular talent to go along with the others.

Ava had one of her pieces of artwork chosen for the district art show for the county.  It is a very big deal. ;D  We went to look at it on Saturday.  They are all displayed at the large mall in the area.  It is the first one she has had displayed outside of school.  Laney has been chosen a couple of times.  This go around it was Ava’s turn.

Congratulations…you go girl!

It doesn’t really matter what you put on the celebrate plate so much as the fact that you get it out. ;D

For example.  Here is a rather “boring” egg sandwich.  A staple in our house.  This is what Corey and I had for lunch together the other day.  The reason it is on the celebrate plate is because he got a new job and got the news just minutes before.  He talked about how special getting the plate out was days later. ;D

When you want to make a statement…or just be noticed.  I recommend these…

Real love is sitting at a concert waiting for your child to perform…and you have to sit thru the entire thing because they are LAST.  Not to take away from the other kids.  But let’s be real.  I just wanted to see Ava perform.  Yes.  That selfish part of me.  The nervous wreck part of me.  The part of me that wanted her part to be done so I could relax and enjoy the rest.  Self admittedly I am quite possibly the worst person for saying that.  But admit it.  You feel it too.  At least from time to time. ;D

I don’t have a photo to describe this…but lately it has been a stream of hormones and emotions and first boyfriends, talking on the phone, fighting to get homework done, failing grades, forgetfulness, sassy mouths, more hormones, more fighting…between all of us…and a host of other things.  And no one is a teenager yet.  There are days when weary is a very good explanation of how I feel.  And I think…the worst is yet to come.

Just to add some humor…Here’s what the kids do to Baxter when he sits still long enough.

Lastly…this year’s birth-a-versary present.  To know what I’m referring to see this post.  Corey got me this…

This is the iPod Classic.  No I don’t like any other version of the iPod.  Except this one.  It is so not new anymore they refer to it as the “Classic”.  I think it is more expensive than the iPod Touch.   Oy!  Don’t call me old…I’d rather think of myself as “retro”. That’s “in”, right?  Anyway…I’ve wanted one of these suckers since they came out.  Thank you, Honey!  We’ve been married 18 years this month btw. ;D

…I like to make cakes…of the birthday persuasion…not because it is anyone’s birthday.  But because I LOVE cake.  So I guess that is a reason.  ;D  I made a white cake the other day in my bundt pan.  I thought it might be fun for Ava to decorate it with the frosting.  She was all over that.

It has also been snowing a lot here.  And it makes everything really pretty when it does.  Of course as always it doesn’t last long…which I love.  Still loving the weather here in Denver…how it gets into the 50-60′s and melts that stuff away.  Meantime, it makes for some great photos.

I also got Skitsy-bitsy to pose for me the other day.  Or at least not move.  He used to be really great at it.  He will probably always be better than Baxter.  But recently the sound of the auto focus in my lens makes him get up and get in my face. ;D  Weirdo.  So I got a good photo of him…but I love doing layouts of him when I cut him out and put him “other places”.  So here’s what I did…

Layout credits here.

Ava’s concert last night was…wonderful.  AND.  Not without its own set of mishaps. ;D

Does everything go perfectly?  I could write all about the good stuff and never the bad.  But as it was put to me recently, “Why lie?” ;D  Jeni…I’m thinking of you sweetie!

As a parent you try to set everything up so your kid does well but there are just some things you just can’t foresee.  Like…

When they get up on stage and are all ready for their part…and they don’t have a key ingredient for playing their instrument…a bow.

Oy.

And you have to watch in agony as they just sit there with the rest of the orchestra playing.

And your child is not.

And they have worked for weeks and weeks on this.

I was sick inside.  But I’m also a do-er.  As in I cannot just sit there and watch things go down, especially where my kids are concerned, and do nothing.  I just can’t.

So in between numbers she looks down at me and I’m like mouthing, “Where’s your bow?”  And she points to the conductor and mouths, “In Mr. P__’s room.”  I knew they weren’t done yet and it was worth at least investigating to see if I could find it and get it to her.

So I went looking.  I found it.  Went back stage and had a student deliver it to her in between songs.

She was able to finish with it.

All that said…not to take away from anyone else because Ava was, I’m sure, nervous as this was her first performance ever and I’m sure that played into forgetting an important part of her instrument…the concert was absolutely wonderful.  I’m so impressed with every kid!  Wow.

Even my kid.  When she realized what she had done she didn’t freak.  She had desperation written all over her face but she just sat there like she knew what she was doing and acted all professional.  She plucked when she could and just didn’t bow…until I got it to her.  There wasn’t too long of a time ago she would have slumped down and pouted and just been an absolute…well jerk.  And stayed that way.  All night. ;D  She has really pulled herself together recently.

Sometimes. ;D

Today was Laney’s birthday.  We had cake.  I also took in “goodies” for her to share with her classmates to celebrate her birthday.  We were supposed to go out tonight to celebrate Laney’s birthday but Ava wasn’t feeling well so we are going to try again tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to just relaxing this weekend.

Someone in this house is learning to play the cello.

I also happen to know that she is in the school orchestra.  She has a Winter Concert coming in a few weeks that she is practicing a lot for.  I also happen to know that the sound of a cello echoing through my house is one of the most delightful sounds e-v-e-r.

Oh…and I have it on good authority that she happens to be sounding quite good these days.