Arthur-itis

What's that you say?

You weren't able to catch Sam in his role as King Arthur in the school play Knights of the Round Table?

Well, let me make you feel like you really were there by deluging you with photos, from opening curtain to final curtain call:

You're welcome.

Sincerely,

Stage mother in training

. . .

p.s. Go get your Danish pastries, folks. Tomorrow is St. Lucia Day--hooray! Other Lucia memories here and here.

MormProm

Last weekend was the Stake Prom in these parts. Lauren went with a friend and had a grand time.

Hooray for rewearing last year's dress (although she fretted over its poofiness). Recycling!

I love seeing all the different dresses that reflect each girl's style and personality:

Greg and I were spies chaperones (which Lauren graciously endorsed). We can report that a good time was had by all. What a great group of kids.

. . .

On another topic altogether, it's my turn over at Segullah today. I'm telling the Birthday Lady story and musing about something my mom first told me about: Fifth Business. Come on over.

He rose from his sick bed

Sam had a piano recital today and we weren't entirely sure whether he'd make it, what with the whole stomach flu thing afflicting him since Tuesday, but he did it and with gusto (and a few pre-recital butterflies). Sam's awesome piano teacher has really encouraged his composing as well as his playing and so they chose this Sam original for today's performance. I give you Anxiety, with an embellishment of some guy's cough and my gritty realism (shaky) camera skills:

It made me remember piano recitals of my youth. It's where I first learned that I get sweaty hands when I'm nervous. And then I get really, really sleepy, which is the opposite of the adrenaline boost that would be helpful. I remember having odd, out-of-body thoughts like "those are my fingers playing this song. Weird. I'm really sleepy. How do I even remember the notes? DO I remember the notes?" and then I'd either stumble or, miraculously, my fingers would take over without needing my pesky brain.

I love that Sam called this Anxiety. It's like a musical map to one of his emotions. A window into his (not pesky at all) brain.

"it's the lovelight in her eyes..."*

 

Look who turned 15 this weekend!

Miss Maddy had a fabulous Saturday birthday: breakfast with some friends after her violin lesson, picnic+pie+presents with family, and then a party extravaganza with more friends (20!) here that night. 

Yep, Maddy's a joy and I feel lucky to know her and love her and mother her. She's one of those souls that came to earth already wise, curious, and open-hearted. One night when she was barely three, the girls were getting ready for bed. I asked them what they wanted to do for their last activity before bed. Read a book? Tell stories? Little Maddy piped up "I know! Let's talk about our feelings!" It cracked us up but it is very much who Maddy is: observant and sensitive and aware of everyone's feelings.

It's not that she's perfect or doesn't have struggles (remember this?) but she bravely lets herself feel the difficult emotions (like her occasional bouts with anxiety or sadness) or acknowledge whatever challenge she's facing, talks about and works through it, and is stronger and more compassionate for the struggle. 

{Brag alert.} I forgot to mention this earlier this year but maybe it's a good time to say it today. For posterity, right? {Feel free to skip; I'll never know.} At the end of the school year, the faculty members of her school select a student who has made outstanding contributions in the areas of the school values: service, leadership, character, and loyalty. Maddy received the award this year and here is part of the tribute one of her teachers wrote--he even was a bit verklempt as he read it out loud:

In the classroom, all of her teachers past and present describe her as a student who makes positive connections with students and teachers alike. She can always be counted on to do the right thing and she puts others before herself. Beyond the classroom, as a member of Student Leadership, she has been a leader of leaders. The faculty advisor describes her as "one who knows how to lead in a gentle way." As a member of the Model United Nations team her diplomatic skills are exemplary. These skills were clearly apparent as she carried herself as an ambassador would, admirably representing [our town] on the middle school trip to China. She has been integral in organizing and presiding over many of our student assemblies, including this one we are enjoying today. 

 She's a keeper.

*"it's the lovelight in your eyes where'ere you go" is the final line of one of our family's traditional birthday songs. We're the third generation to sing this particular string of 6-7 songs before the candles are blown out and the kids hold us to it every birthday (even if we do sometimes forget some of the words and make up our own).

In press

We were surprised to find that Lauren showed up in The New Era (our church's worldwide youth magazine) this month in the feature they did on the pioneer trek we did last year in our area.  It was fun to relive some of the memories + to have such a nice moment with her friend Ian captured in print.

Lauren is in the yellow bonnet, pulling the handcart

And then, in a freaky coincidence, we found that Sam was in the Friend (the children's magazine) for this same month for a little service project he and the other children did last year at the Old North Bridge.

Sam's in the red shirt on the bridge

You'd think we hired agents or something! Two children featured, three children in our family. Hmmm. Way to mess with our slippery + tentative balance of sibling equity, church magazines! (Luckily, Miss M didn't have a Marcia, Marcia, Marcia moment at all.) 

Finale

 

Post prom, day after celebrations: potluck dinner + roasting marshmallows + Roman Holiday outside

I love these kids.

They really know how to stretch out an event and milk it for all it's worth.

The end.

I promise.

And no one is more glad for the closed chapter than a certain younger sister. She's been a great sport but I can tell that L Attention Month--what with the college trips, proms + dress shopping, surgery + get-well visits--has taken its toll on the sisterly vibe.

The First Prom

 This weekend was the stake prom, a church-sponsored dinner dance (with dates) for teens in the area.  I didn't have these where I grew up but here they're a big deal and, for many of the kids, the only proms they attend.

For the grandparents to see:

 There's a saga about the dress: She ordered it online but, since it was strapless, she knew she'd have to modify it for the church prom. The long story includes delays at the tailor, a frumpy result, unpicking the modifications and, a few hours before the dance, an emergency trip to the mall without her to find a cover up. Whew. 

A nice cute boy in our congregation asked Lauren back in early February by drawing his invitation on the sidewalk with colored chalk outside the church. It was his first date ever and they had a good time getting to know each other better. One prom fail: we left the boutonniere at home in the fridge. She brought it to him the next day at church but it just wasn't quite the same. Plus what 16-year-old wants to wear a boutonniere at church? 

They met up with other friends for a big photo shoot before the dance. Halfway through the group shot we realized it looked like a wedding photo, with the white dress in the middle :).

 G was one of the chaperones and drove L & her date to the dinner-dance.  He did this quick, warm-up spin with her before they left. I heart this photo.

. . .

In the meantime, Maddy met up with all of her friends (too young for prom) for an "anti-prom" party. I went on a Sam date--we ate Mexican food and watched the pilot episode of Lost. (He has started watching the current season with G and me and has been dying to see the beginning.)

All in all, a lovely evening for all and in spite of the Cinderella looking getup, Lauren came home with both slippers in tact on her feet.

. . .

Do you have memories of your first prom?

Marched

Whoops, did I say I was going to post monthly family photos and summaries of our doings?  Don't look too hard for February's entry.  But then again, that's February for you: Good intentions, dreary execution.

But here is today's March entry, with a photo taken in the two minutes before Sam ran out the door to piano lessons.  Louie came up to the camera to check things out (maybe bomb-sniffing dog potential? he can earn his retainer reimbursement money! [see below]) just as the shutter clicked.  Classic.  For the record, none of us liked this photo: Lauren didn't like her hair, Sam was goofy, my bangs never cooperate and I swear that double chin is no longer welcome here, Maddy is blurry, and G is nowhere to be seen.  Perfect, I say (except the G missing part). Real.

So what to say about us this month?

Sam got his braces off, then 6 days later Louie delighted in finding his retainer case and chomped it, snapping the retainer cleanly in half.  I think we now hold the record for fastest return to the orthodontist for a new retainer.  Go, W family pride!

I have not exercised once this month.  And I have quit eating sugar 6 times this month but the mini Cadbury eggs have gotten the better of me every single time. My house is too close to a neighborhood grocery store that stocks Cadbury for me to exercise self control.  And I don't walk there, I drive.  Still, I am inspired by all my marathon training, vegan eating friends out there. I'm living vicariously through them for now, but inspired.

After a long hiatus we have started reading a book out loud together when we can.  I just may have been inspired in part by this article about a dad and daughter who read aloud together every night until she left for college.  Fantastic.  So, what are your suggestions for read-alouds with kids (ages 11-16)? Over the years we've done Harry Potters, Under Sea Over Stone, Hunger Games, Little Women, King in the Window, The Wheel on the School, a bunch of EB Whites... How about you?

Speaking of good articles, do you use Delicious?  I have started bookmarking articles there that I find interesting and I'd love to know what you're reading, too. Drop me a comment or an email if you have a delicious account so I can check out your favorite articles, too.

Yesterday, we watched the old musical Carousel.  I had forgotten about all that talk of Billy beating and hitting Julie Jordan. Billy! It's not okay. Still, that scene at the end when he comes back to earth to make everything all right for his daughter...Sigh. I think it's ripe for a revival. I'm picturing Hugh Jackman as Billy Bigelow, maybe Katie Clark as Julie Jordan. 

Lauren took the SATs this month; I think she finds out tomorrow how she did.  I'm finding myself to be in complete denial about this whole college idea. Right now she's looking into USU, BYU, Westminster, Washington University in St. Louis (hey Christie!), and Emory. But it changes weekly. Trying to strike the balance of being supportive/interested without falling into the zone of over-controlling on one side and complete denial on the other is a challenge.

Maddy delights us with her jaunty zesty fashion sense.  She puts scarves and layers and sparkly shoes and leggings together like nobody's business.  

She's been dreading violin lessons lately and we had a long tearful talk in the parking lot for 15 minutes before she went in. Oh the pressure she puts on herself, that girl.  I basically gave her a license to fail gloriously, here's your license to mess up, Maddy.  To make mistakes and slop your way through something and not be the best.  Just be the one who has fun doing it. Don't worry about the recital and measuring up. Just flail your arms around and make music for you.  My two girls could give each other lessons: one has extra doses of laidbackness, the other has conscientiousness to spare. It's too bad they can't just ladle a little into the other's cup.

Finally, it has been brought to my attention that I do not post very many pictures of myself.  Here ya go, circa today, proof that I do indeed exist: 

                      beyond here there be thighs...

Sunday dinner @ 135

Just a little love letter to my grandparents' house (fondly known as 135):

Taken from flip video I took last weekend on a whim, shaky camera work and all. It's part of my personal geography, that house.  I love everything about it and the people therein.

Music: To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra

5 people x January

Taking a cue from Tara, I'm going to try to do a monthly round-up of what's going around in our house, complete with a family photo (except January, when it appears I didn't get the camera out at all so I'm borrowing a photo of the MFA instead) 

[edited to add: January is a month to convince yourself into enjoying things, don't you think?  So if this recap seems on the rosy side to you, you're right.  Be assured that there are many dismal and frustrating things I'm leaving out in order to spruce up the month a bit (or read some of them in my comment below).]

One highlight this month was attending the John and Abigail Adams Benefit Ball at the Museum of Fine Arts with G this past weekend. It was refreshing to get all fancied up and enjoy the art + music + food + people watching. It felt very Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler-ish to be drifting around the galleries after hours by ourselves.  I should have taken pictures (and didn't) but I did find a dress I loved (hence the mall trip in Sam's postcard below) and G looked very dashing.  I'm even getting better at cocktail party small talk and being brave about introducing myself to complete strangers.

In other news, I handed in my first qualifying paper, hosted the Young Women's New Beginnings last night, and am deliberating about my hair (again) and exercise regime (still) and house projects.

Lauren just finished midyears, a week-long exam week in her high school where they hold 3-hour exams in place of classes for a week, college style. Makes me glad I did high school the easier way, not the quasi-college way.

Also, she's taking an SAT prep class on Saturdays and is still fencing her heart out.  We hardly ever see her, really.

Lauren and I played a flute duet for stake conference + it was a pleasure to play together like that (I was so proud of her).  She has a robust social life and, recently, there's a certain favorite boy (and that's where the blogging boundaries end, I believe). 

Maddy keeps growing taller and taller, which has made her legs and ankles ache regularly.  

In typical Maddy style, she dives into many after school activities with gusto--model UN, student leaders, yearbook, helping a friend with stage design for the musical. She's transitioned to staying behind her closed bedroom door more often, texting, and littering her floor with clothes--full blown teenager but without much attitude (knock on wood).

I love that she wears an Audrey Hepburn pendant every day.

Sam went on a klondike derby campout with G (6 measly degrees! Brrr) and they were both great sports.  

Sam goes through wide piano swings, on one end of the spectrum flopping around and avoiding practicing and on the other end practicing up a storm and composing like crazy.  Guess when he likes his lessons more??  Yeah, it's a tough lesson to learn...over and over.  

He also plays basketball and still says "I love you" out loud when I drop him off at school in the mornings. It makes my morning and I consider each one a gift since I don't know how much longer it will last.

G had a great birthday this month--it's so nice to have something to celebrate in January. We surprised him by planning and booking a boys' ski trip to Utah this weekend for him and 7 high school friends who will be flying in from all over the country.  

G's also been coaching Maddy's basketball team, getting involved in some non-profits in Boston,  and working hard at his day job.

Also memorable: Blueberry pie for G's birthday from PetsiPies. The smell of snow in the morning. The taste of sixth grade spaghetti and the smell of sixth graders dancing. A few good fires in the fireplace. Watching the stars with Sam for his science project. Snow tubing at Nashoba. Mike's Pastries + italian food with Christin in the North End.