THISTER THASTER

SPTh - Sun

I'm having a hard time blogging in Montana.  My parents even have wireless access this year (vs. last year's dial up situation!), but I'm enjoying our time here, and haven't stopped to blog.  I better start, though, or I will never catch up!  I thought I would jump back into SPT this month.   I am loving Lelly's monthly themes.

The first July theme is SUN.  We have certainly had our share of it here in Montana.  I forgot how much closer we are to the sun up here vs. our sea level elevation.  Burns come a lot faster. 

This is probably the most unflattering SPT I have ever posted, but it was actually taken on Tuesday, and I'm just going for it.  We went down to West Yellowstone to the Grizzly Discovery Center.  Can you see a self-portrait friend in the background?  Yep, a Yellowstone Grizzly!

My last pair of contacts ripped the morning we left for Montana.  This means my Oregon-induced sun sensitive eyes have had to endure way too much sun without the benefit of sunglasses.  Squint city.  And then my glasses are so ridiculously thick (even with high density lenses), that my glasses pictures always turn out extra special looking.  Oh well.  A squinty, truthful moment in time captured!

Progress

We're on the road to Montana. And... We made it past Hermiston! Big progress over last year's trip.

Relief in Sight

I have an appointment with my magical chiropractor at 6:30 tonight.

He is fabulous.  I have had neck issues since I was 17, and was in a sort-of car accident where the accelerator jammed in our car.  I didn't hit anything, but I had to resort to all kinds of things to get that car to stop, and I think I went from 65 to 0 in about 2 seconds.  That's the sort of physics that is not friendly to the spine. 

I come from a family who does not believe in chiropractors.  They were known as quacks who would try to cure cancer or other non-spine related diseases by cracking the back.  It all looked so violent and horrible anyway.  I went to various doctors over the years, who could or would do nothing to help my neck issues.  One gave some great advice, "Just have more picnics, honey."  Riiiight.  I'm having trouble turning my head from side to side due to lack of food in a basket.  So, I had resigned myself to living with neck trouble.

A few years ago one of Keith's dental colleagues was helping me get fitted for a night guard (little plastic thing you bite on at night instead of clenching your own teeth together).  He could tell I had something weird going on with my neck, and suggested I go see this chiropractor.  I did not want to, but he would not fit me for my night guard until I did.  So, I went with high expectations of quackery and low expectations of help.  And, what do you know?  After some x-rays he could pinpoint exactly what my neck problems were, and knew how to fix them.  And he did.  And, he's not the violent twisting jerking kind, but a certain kinder, gentler, magic-er specialty kind.  Now occasionally I will re-injure myself and have to go back, but it's not a very frequent thing.  He has a special place in my heart for fixing what I thought was un-fixable.

 

And it's because he's so good at what he does, and I owe him a debt of gratitude, that I put up with his office.  Holy tomatoes, that office is like nothing I have ever seen.  For one thing, they only got computers last year!  Can you imagine that?  I was SO shocked to see computers that last time I was there, I almost fell over.  The office decor is circa 1987.  The only real decorative item being a stained glass spine hanging from a suction cup.  There are no magazines, just 10 chairs in very tight proximity to one another.  You just stare at each other and try to figure out why everyone else is there.   They are usually 30 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes behind schedule.  And you wait, and you don't complain about it.  He has a 3 week wait for appointment times.  The fact that I was able to get in today is a miracle.  Really, like a real miracle.  If you think miracles have left the earth, I am here to witness they have not!  The first time I called, they said July 15th was the earliest they could see me, no matter what condition I was in.  I called back to get put on the cancellation list, and they said I could come at 6:30.  Miracle!

But, those things are all just small inconveniences compared to the big office problem he has.  He has the front office staff from the underworld.  (Except for Dawn, who must be new and was able to get me in today.)  These women he has back there are absolute hags.  They are mean.  They don't smile.  They don't greet you.  You're lucky if you get more than a grunt when you sign in.  They're not even all that pleasant looking.  His wife (not a hag) is his office manager, and I wonder if she hires these yuckies to keep office flirtations to a minimum.  Because, seriously.  Hags.  What's the reason for that?  And, they can't really be doing a good job.  They just sit back there and gossip and give you a dirty look if it sort of seems like you might be listening to them.  But, when you are good enough at what you do, that patients will wait 3 weeks in pain to see you, and then sit on your plastic mauve chair for an hour waiting again to see you, all the while being glared at by office hags 1, 2 and 3, then I guess you don't need to hire anyone competent or friendly.  So, it all works out for him.

And since today I will hobble in with a body that is sort of twisted like a corkscrew, and I will walk out straight -- it all works out for me, too. 

Horizontal

Often on days when I am really busy and just overwhelmed with the "who, what, where, when, how, now" of life, I think it might be lovely to just spend an entire day in my bed.  The only time you get to do that is when you are really sick, and then you can't enjoy it because you're too busy hacking things up or sleeping off "non-drowsy" medications that didn't quite work as expected. 

Today, it is sunny and we have the most amazing blue sky.  So blue it's almost periwinkle.  The contrast between the sky and the green trees out my window is just stunning.  It's supposed to be in the mid-70's -- perfect temperature as far as I am concerned.   A perfect summer day.   Should we go to the park, take a walk, have a picnic?

I know!  Here's a great idea!  You should take advantage of this gorgeous gorgeous day, and lie flat on your back all day in your bed and really "enjoy" it because you're not sick.  You can have your big kids bring you food and drink.  You can have your big kids wrangle the little kids for you -- even changing diapers.  Wouldn't that be fun?

Well, let me tell you, it's not fun!!

I noticed last night that my lower back had been getting more and more sore as the night progressed.  PQ had jumped on my back earlier, and while it didn't exactly hurt at the time, it didn't exactly feel good either.  I figured with some Advil (what can't Advil cure?) and a good night's sleep, I would be fine.  I woke with a start early early this morning because someone from Massachusetts called our house by mistake.   And it was then that I could tell that things were not better from the night before.  But, it wasn't until I tried to get out of bed, that I realized I was in trouble.   I could barely make it the 8 steps from my bed to the bathroom, and that involved some serious contortions and lamaze breathing techniques. 

So, I am horizontal today.  I've resorted to the indentured servitude of my children.  I am surrounded with get well notes, a water bottle, 2 remotes I haven't used yet, my laptop, a book, and the phone.  Keith offered to cancel his day and come home, but really, we're doing fine.  Brynlee has been a champion.  They brought me some peanut butter toast this morning, so I'm being well cared for.  I can't walk, sit, or do any of the in betweens without wanting to cry or die.  The spine is a terrible thing.  I don't know what I've done to mine, but it is indeed, very angry.

Of course we are supposed to go to Montana on Friday to spend one last summer trip at my parents' river home before it sells.  And right now the thought of sitting in a car for 12 hours is more than I can bear.  I can't do laundry or clean my house to get ready to go.  I'm just laying here, watching this perfectly good periwinkle sky go to waste, and hoping that I don't have to eat peanut butter toast again for lunch.

End of School

I'm sort of a stickler about order when it comes to blogging, and it's been bothering me to no end that I haven't blogged about Emerson's birthday yet.  You see, I took pictures, loaded them onto my desktop computer, and deleted them off my memory card.  But now, my desktop won't turn on.  And I am calmly trying to ignore that problem (made easier because of a working laptop), so that I don't freak myself out about what could be lost.  I'm sure it's all recoverable.  I'm thinking it's an "on" button issue, and I have all the computer knowledge to back that up.  ha!  Anyway, I don't have pictures of Emerson's birthday and I find it impossible to post about it without the pictures.  So ... whenever I get my computer fixed, I will post about it.  And now I feel better having gotten that out there.

So, for today's post, we'll be posting about the last day of school for Brynlee & Emerson.  For Avery, it was just another "last day of school", but for Brynlee & Emerson, it was the end of an era.  Brynlee finished 5th grade, which means she'll be in middle school next year (here in Oregon, at least), and so they had a 5th Grade Recognition program on the last day.  And Emerson finished kindergarten at our little preschool/kindergarten, and will be heading off to big public first grade in the fall. 

The last day of school for Brynlee & Avery was June 12.  Much better than the June 21 or something it was last year.  Brynlee had a good year.  Her teacher was the perfect fit.  Young, creative, enthusiastic -- she was great.  She had just returned from teaching for 5 years in Japan, and so she just had a fresh perspective that was SO nice.  Brynlee's 4th grade teacher was one of those severely burned out people who treated everything as a burden, and so Ms. Bondi was a breath of fresh air. 

 

They had a little program for the 5th graders with a slide show and a speech by the principal.  It was nice. After that, there was a buffet line of fruit, doughnuts, muffins, and sparkling cider for the kids, and they got to hang out in the multi-purpose room and sign yearbooks.  PQ is quite a little celebrity among Brynlee's friends, and so she got to sign quite a few yearbooks.  It was hilarious, and she felt like a million bucks.  Brynlee has a great group of friends. 

PQ had just finished signing Emily & Rochelle's yearbooks, and Emily was adding a note so she could remember whose swirly signature adorned her page. 

On June 13th was Emmie's last day of kindergarten.  She even lost a tooth the night before, which she was so thrilled to be able to show her teacher and friends.

The girls couldn't believe she had to go to school a whole extra day.  It was a bittersweet day for me.  I have become so tired of that drive twice a day (the school is not near our home), and felt ready to be done.  But, when I went to pick her up, I surprised myself by fighting back tears.  And then losing that valiant battle, and bursting into sobs as I took these pictures.

Yep, there were 3 kids in her class.  I am not sure if these kids are extra large or if Em is extra small, but it cracks me up that she's a head shorter than the other two.  Em is famous for taking her hair-do out at school -- hence the lovely do she's got going on.  It wasn't so much the last day of kindergarten that got me --though I am in complete disbelief that my little Emmie is heading off to big kid school in the fall.  I was sad to leave Ms. Lyn, the wonderful kindergarten teacher that each of my girls has had and loved.  She is amazing.  She's calm, peaceful and kind, and she's been an absolute treasure to our family.  I love her dearly.  So, it wasn't easy to leave for the last time. 

But when Monday came, and I wasn't packing lunches or driving over the river and through the woods, I was pretty happy that summer had finally arrived.  Maybe it didn't take until Monday morning to feel that way.  That night we took the girls to see Kung Fu Panda (liked it way more than I thought I would), and we had popcorn and gelato for dinner.  We followed that with a trip to the bookstore where everyone got a new book to start summer with.  And, we ran into Dr. R at the book store, which Emerson has not been able to stop talking about.  Almost every day, she stops to recall and share what a delight that was to her.   In the words of Martha -- summer vacation... it's a good thing.

Greek Quesadillas

Here's a quick dinner (I'm attempting a great big blog catch-up here.) that we enjoyed recently -- Greek Quesadillas. 

There's no true recipe here, but it was quick and tasty.   I'm always up for something different.

We used whole wheat tortillas, melted with mozzarella cheese. 

Then we used the following toppings:

Tomatoes (we used grape tomatoes to avoid any salmonella issues and because they are yum.)
Cucumbers
Cooked Chicken (we used a rotisserie chicken from Costco -- it was one of those nights.)
Sauteed Red Onion
Greek Yogurt
Feta
A sprinkling of oregano.
Parsley

The only thing I would do differently is leaving off the parsley.  But, that's only because I really do not like fresh parsley.  If you like it, leave it on.  That's the beauty of meals like this. 

Aaah, summer.

We're alive and well.  We've just been basking in the laissez–faire schedule of summer time.  I can't tell you how much I love and need this time every year.  I think we're doing a pretty good job of doing just about nothing.  Today at breakfast, the girls said, "Um, what day is it?"  That says to me that so far summer is a success.  Everyone is happy.  It's about 75 and sunny today.  Perfect.

But, I do have much to post about. 

For now I will tell you the story of helping an animal give birth, which seemed to create a minor stir in the post below.  It's really nothing that earth shattering.  But, in high school I had a cat named Mabel.  She was somewhat of a harlot, and was frequently pregnant with kittens.  Once she gave birth to kittens in our upstairs bathroom, and she wanted me to stay with her.  I did not particularly want to witness the slimy miracle of cat life, but she was scared and in pain, and so I stayed and petted her and tried to calm her until the kittens were born.  I didn't have to actually perform any procedures or anything, but I did help to keep her calm.  Perhaps I see a future career as a cat doula.  ya.  I don't think so.

But, that was the story of helping an animal give birth.  

Jane's 200

Sweet Neighbor Jane is celebrating her 200th newsletter.  Very exciting!  Wouldn't you love to be Jane's real neighbor?  So she has put this list of 200 things on her blog, and you bold all of the things you *have* done.   I have enjoyed reading these, especially the parenthetical explanations that some of them include.  So, here goes.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights (O Canada)
16. Gone to a huge sports game. (NBA & Chicago Cubs)
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (not from a job, but from life on occasion)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run (Does the Wii count?)
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun. (I do a mean Murray from Flight of the Conchords)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight (is that even possible?)
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke (in Japan!)
50. Lounged around in bed all day (see #23)
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain (I live in Oregon.)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Fortune Cookie business in 5th grade)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie (Bald Away Video with Lou Horowitz)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently (Japanese, but I can't claim fluently)
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy.
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (not yet)
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph.
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (last name)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (love this!)
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place.
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play (if we're counting Broadway comes to Portland, then yes)
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band (Oh, the shameful days of marching band.)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar (bleh)
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place (Anywhere is historic in it's own way.)
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter (my goal in life is for this to never ever happen)
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter (Amy and I had a little too much fun doing this in high school.)
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (Besides Al McCoy, I got a letter from Barry Goldwater (former Senator and ran for President in the 60's) as part of a high school history project.  The stinker took the time to answer my letter in a very personal and detailed way, but then refused to give permission for me to use it in the project because "his letters weren't for public use.")
166. Worn knickers (they were purple, and it was 1984)
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane (every time)
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale (who has done this??)
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel (Japan)
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives (not bees, but I'm quite prone to skin hives -- awful!)
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR (I would love to say yes, but I'm not confident enough to really say I know it.)
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Empty Nesters

I'm thinking it will be at least 16 years before we fit into that demographic.  It's a little horrifying to think we'll ever be in that demographic, actually.  The end of the school year always leaves me aching with the tangible mark of the passage of time. 

But, this post isn't about that.

Aren't they sweet?

Well, I'm sad to report that my fears of this nest being in a very low to the ground flower pot came to pass.  On Monday morning, we noticed that there were only 2 birdies.  We were sad, and wondered what had happened to lose 2 of them, but not all of them.  They certainly weren't big enough yet to get out of the nest on their own.

Then today after returning home from errands, I noticed there was nobody angrily peeping at me.  So, I checked the flower pot and found an empty nest strewn about on my front step.  Aaah!  So sad! 

I am very prone to projecting human feelings onto animals or birds (or inanimate objects), and so I've been feeling worried about that mother bird.  Did she come home with a fat worm in her beak and find her babies gone, or was she madly peeping and defending her chicks?  I'm sure I will never know.  What kind of predator would take the nest out of the pot?  To me that doesn't speak of a cat's skill.  A raccoon maybe?   PQ is quite sure it was a puma.

Anyway, we're all sort of dejected to find out that our little guests are no more.

And I just have to mention that this was the coldest June 10th on record in Portland.  We were at 56 degrees for a high.  It was chilly.  We lit a fire in our fireplace tonight.  How sick and wrong is that.

To end on a happier note, I got a bee in my bonnet last night at 12:30 (this morning?) to see if I still remembered how to knit.  I took a class 5 years ago, put it away for a move and haven't touched it since.  I find it quite soothing and relaxing, and thought this might be a good thing.  So, I dug my old knitting out, and was amazed to find that I still remembered.  It was entirely subconscious, though.  It's one of those repetition things that eventually becomes second nature like riding a bike, I guess.  Good to know.  I spent my piano lesson time knitting today -- just practice, not making anything specific.  But, I think the bug has bitten me again.  Shall I make some ski masks?      

A Week of Performances

Last week was crazy busy in our household.  Three of the major events consuming us were a school play, a piano recital, and a cello recital. 

First up was Brynlee's 5th grade musical.  As previously stated, their music teacher sort of makes me crazy, but I really had to hand it to her.  She managed to create a musical play from scratch with the kids' input that gave every single 5th grader (4 classes!) a part.  It was definitely a feat.  The play was called "The Granny Awards" and had several grannies giving out Oscar type awards to various fairy tale characters.  It was really cute, and there are a couple of major hams in the 5th grade who really stole the show. 

Brynlee, while not a ham, had quite a stage presence in her Fairy Godmother role.  Here she is at home before leaving for the play.  I can't believe she's not wearing the cape in the picture!  What was I thinking here? 

We spent about an hour curling her insanely thick (and long) locks to get just the right ethereal look.  I almost forgot to take pictures, until we were on the way out the door.

Then on Saturday we had Brynlee & Avery's piano recital.  Avery played 2 solos and a duet.  Brynlee played 1 solo, 1 duet, and 1 trio.  It was a bit crazy arranging rehearsals for all these various duets/trio, but they all turned out really well.  We had to leave early to make it to Avery's cello recital on time, and so we were sitting toward the very back of the church the recital was held in, and so I got no good pictures.  Brynlee had helped Avery rehearse her duet "Simple Gifts", and they actually played it better together after 2 days than with Avery's real duet partner.  Probably has something to do with the fact that Brynlee has a few more years of piano study under her belt than Avery's duet partner, but I like to think it's because they have good sisterly chemistry.  So, I asked them to play it again today so I could record it.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure.  They got a bit tripped up, but I thought it was pretty cute.  And not bad for being really only the 4th or 5th time they'd ever played it together.

After the girls were both done playing, we sped away to Avery's cello recital.  The piano recital was at 3 in Portland, and the cello recital was at 4 in Charbonneau -- I can't believe we actually made it! Avery was part of the first group to play in what turned out to be a rather emotional recital.  3 of Charlene's (cello teacher) advanced students are moving on.  It's a real loss for her because they're all exceptional.  One boy is moving on to a professional performance teacher because he has finished all 9 levels of the Suzuki literature.  He's only been playing the cello for 5 years.  He's a treat to listen to, and really amazing.  Another boy is moving to Australia.  He is some sort of musical/cello genius.  He's the cutest boy, and he's been playing the cello for 2 years.  He went from beginner (Twinkles) to mid-way through Suzuki Book 5 in 2 years.  2 years!  That probably only means anything to Suzuki parents or former Suzuki students, but holy cow.  He's unbelievable, and every teacher's dream come true.  And a humble, sweet kid to boot.  He played 2 movements from Vivaldi's Sonata in E minor -- it was beautiful.  And the third boy is moving to Korea.  He's a sweet kid, and I love his family.  Their lesson is right after ours, and so we've gotten to know them over the last year.  His mom does not speak much English, but is totally in love with PQ, and they are good friends.  When she comes into the cello studio, PQ says, "Hello Friend!"  I will totally miss this family!  This boy played a cello/violin duet with his sister that their mom wrote -- amazing! 

Back to Avery ... She has progressed a lot this year.  She struggles with real perfectionism and it's something I'm constantly working on with her.   In May she had her Certificate of Merit exams, and I thought it might be too much for her just emotionally.  I knew she could do the music theory and the cello playing, but she was stressing herself out about it so much.  In her lesson 3 days before the exam, she broke down in sobs as she'd forget a dynamic change or something.  It made me cry for her in the lesson, and we were quite a sight.  Charlene can be a demanding teacher, but she took my sobbing girl in her arms and kissed the top of her head and told her how great she was doing and how she needed to relax and not worry so much.  That actually made me cry even more.  But, by that Saturday, Avery was in fine form both musically and emotionally.  She did so well during her exam.  She passed both her oral theory and her performance with Honors.  The adjudicator had such excellent comments for her, both on her current performance and on her potential as a cellist.  What I thought was crushing her ended up being such a fantastic growth experience for her.  She has gained such a boost of confidence from that, and I have been able to tell a difference in her.  It's been sweet to see.   After playing in a quartet and a solo, she got a certificate for that at the recital, and also a medal for tying for 2nd place in practice points.  That medal didn't leave her neck all day!

After sitting through all of these performances, yesterday Emerson presented each of us with invitations saying:

"To Mom.  Dear Mom.  Plese come to my piano practice."  So, after dinner, we all went into the piano room and watched her practice.  And then in order to get her to stop, we had to bribe her with post "recital" treats just like we had at the real recitals.  She just needed her moment in the sun.  I wish I had taken a picture of her.  She's dying to learn an instrument of her own.  And I suppose it is her turn.