Naomi at the Piano

I never tire of seeing Naomi at the piano. This was at our last group lesson of the spring semester. (She didn't take the time to adjust her bench, so she has the dreaded T-rex arms!!)

Peter Loves Toothbrushes!

Peter loves to brush his teeth! At Ikea today, he saw a bin of scrubby brushes and asked to hold one. Who'da thunk he would try it out as a toothbrush!!

Flashback to June in Utah!

Saying good-bye to Uncle Edward was awfully hard!

Naomi and Hannah!

Naomi and her friend Hannah enjoyed playing with the leftover facial expression stickers (originally meant for a pad of blank face shapes)...

Piano Pronto Competition!

I am participating in a competition for piano teachers where we record some of the pieces from the repertoire we teach. I'm having a great time with it! Last week I had to record my piece around 11:00 pm so I didn't have kids clam orient in the background. :)

Naomi SMILING while in the dentist's chair??

It's true! The girl who cried and gagged and screamed while they were even just trying to get x-rays seems to have been replaced by a calmer, nonchalant, easy-going young lady. We've literally fasted and prayed that she would be able to get through dentist appointments. It It feels like we've turned a corner! (On tiptoes, though, just in case it was a fluke.)

Yay for Naomi the Brave!!

Our Nervous Dancer!

When we put on a family show, it's pretty easy to predict where each child will end up:

Naomi will be on the couch with a book, alternating reading with watching. 

Andrew will be cuddled up against an adult.

And Gabe? He'll be dancing with nervousness behind the couch...around the corner...and behind anything that will allow him to occasionally peep over at the TV before he quickly dives back down to hide!

Fun with Daddy!

Peter had some fun with Matt the other day...

Spring 2015 Studio Recital!

For documentation purposes:

The performers:

Presentation of flowers and gift card for my graduating senior, Orrin:

The set-up (so much fun to plan and prepare with 

Autumn and Jefrilyn, my recital committee members!):

The crowning jewels of the refreshment tables. 

A fabulous friend made 80+ of these...she is truly a great friend!: 

My favorite feature: each student received a balloon with a box containing Hershey's Hugs and a personal message of encouragement or praise from me to them.

To get it, though, they had to identify a technique the composer used in my piece ("Royal March of the Lions" by Saint-Saens) to make it sound like lions. This was great - every single student wanted to make sure they talked to me after the recital! Even the youngest students figured it out with a little help, thinking about dynamics, changes in octaves, tempo, etc.

The cupcake tower:

The program table:

My first time performing at one of my studio recitals - I LOVED IT!!! 

I hadn't realized how much I have missed performing. 

This will definitely become a tradition for me.

A beginner trio, including Naomi (in the center). Most of my ensemble work as a student was when I was older. I was blown away by how much work we had to put into learning parts PLUS listening to each other PLUS balancing well. Ensemble skills come fairly naturally to me, but now I am more aware of how much work it can take in the beginning!

They worked very hard and performed beautifully!!

First Day of Swim Season!

On Saturday, our neighborhood pool opened for the summer. The kids were so thrilled! They were there for hours and returned with purple toes and wanting hot chocolate!

On a side note, check out Andrew, my almost-five-year-old who still barely holds up a 24 month bathing suit! I tried a larger size on him but was convinced the weight of the water would pull it right off.

Piano Cookies!

For my studio's spring piano recital, a terrific friend made 80+ of these cookies. They were beautiful!! And Andrew certainly didn't mind that there were leftovers. :)

Brothers

This picture is just because these boys fight so much that I sometimes need a reminder they occasionally end up loving their time playing together.

(They are playing with a moon sand construction tractor set. Best investment of the year.)

JUST IN: Peter Disrupts Bedtime Routine!

Usually Peter goes to bed before the older three kids. Last night, he was still awake and I let him lie in Naomi's bed for a few minutes. He stayed still for a bit:

Then he stood up:

And began jumping, as if he was on a trampoline:

The he sat on Naomi's head and started bouncing:

He's not a regular bedtime invitee, but he's certainly entertaining when he's allowed to join in!

Which Does Peter Love More?

Spaghetti? Or baths?

Either way, he's a happy camper tonight!

Morning Activities

What does a mom do in the morning? Sometimes what she needs to get done. But sometimes she lets the junior assistant activities coordinator plan the events. Then we end up standing on a bench, flipping light switches on and off and giggling:

Having Fun with Aunt Allyson!

Allyson hopped over from Philadelphia for a weekend visit, and we loved having her here!

Cuddling during bedtime stories!

Allyson brought a mustache game! I didn't get a chance to play, but it certainly produced a lot of squeals and giggles!!

French toast!

At the office...

While I do lesson plans and studio management tasks, Peter works, too!

FHE

Last night FHE was in the car as Matt worked past the kids' bedtime and I was driving from some piano lessons in the students' homes to a piano lesson at our house. Our lesson was Naomi relating some of Jesus's miracles. It included stopping by Wendy's for Frosties to have for the FHE treat, which we got to have AFTER the kids were good during the final piano lesson of the day!

Hey...at least something by the name of FHE happened!

Easter Bunny Stopped By!

Stackable crayons, slingshot bunnies, gunny sacks, candy...what an exciting surprise the kids found on the kitchen table! Thank you to the generous Easter Bunny!

The stackable crayons have proved most thrilling General Conference bingo card markers!

Happiness is...

when Mommy lets you dig...and dig...and dig! This is the only spot in the yard Andrew is allowed to dig, and he can spend hours down there!!