This year Abi was in the school play, Down on Grandpa's Farm. Like her spring play last year, she did not need to try out; instead the kids were divided into groups by animal, where they got their assigned lines and were taught a group dance. Abi's group was the Border Collies and they danced to the song "Who Let the Dogs Out?" As you will hear in the video, by the end of the song, the audience was singing along which made it really fun for the kids. This play was written and directed by 4th and 5th graders at the school. They get to write their group's script as well as pick the song and choreograph the dance. As you can imagine, it is quite entertaining - this year we had horses dancing to Gangnam Style!
Abi had a blast - she really loves performing and does an awesome job each and every time. I am always amazed at how easy she can memorize her lines without much practice. If it were me, I would have to rehearse for hours and even then there would be no guarantees...I guess that's what happens when you get old :)
If you can't tell, Abi is in the middle of the stage in the gray pants and white shirt.
Sorry about the quality of the video -those dang lights make it impossible to see - sorry!
Farm cupcakes that Abi and I made for the after-party.
Abi played spring soccer this year. It is a bit more informal than the soccer league offered in the fall and allows the kids much more practice since they play games twice per week. All of the practice helped because Abi really excelled this season. She seemed to understand the concept of the game a bit more and enjoyed playing with her teammates. I couldn't be prouder of her hard work and improvement!
I'm not sure where this kid gets his crazy imagination from but I absolutely love it. From his made-up characters, to his funny accents, to his random conversations, comments and stories, he keeps us all entertained and laughing from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed.
This weekend Abi learned how to ride her bike without training wheels. This was a milestone that I was dreading since Abi is often quite fearful of doing physical activities she has never tried before. Couple this with her tendency to get easily frustrated and her dramatic personality (i.e. lots of high pitch screams!) and we have a potential disaster on our hands. Josh and I took turns working with her up and down our neighborhood street and before long, she was riding by herself. We started with her little bike so we still need to work on big new bike but this was a good first step. Way to go Abi!
"I never knew how much love my heart could hold until someone called me mommy."
We made our traditional trek to Bellevue Botanical Gardens...
And then took a much needed break...that is, until the kids spied the zip line at a nearby park!
One of the best parts of my weekend was the awesome dinner and breakfast made by my hubby. It was delicious and so fun to have a restaurant-quality meal from the comfort of my own kitchen. I'm one lucky girl!
To celebrate Mother's Day in Abi's class, all the Moms were invited to a Mother's Day Brunch, hosted by the kids. It was adorable. The kids helped make the food, create menus, serve the food and even wrote Mother's Day poems. As soon as we got seated at their desks, we were given a menu and Abi asked what I would like to order.
She then headed to the "kitchen" and returned with my breakfast.
Me and my beautiful girl
Just in case you need help deciphering it...
My Mom
Likes to meet new people
Is prettiest when we go on vacation
Doesn't like to cook
Thinks I'm a sweetheart
Wishes I am going to be a good cook
Loves when I give her a kiss
Hopes to go to California again
The kids were given the opportunity to read their poems out loud in front of the class. Abi said she was too shy and didn't want to but it was still fun to hear the poems written by the other kids - some made me laugh and others made me tear up. Through the kid's words, you could hear their Mom's advice and encouragement. I walked away not only feeling blessed for being Abi's Mom but also reminded of just how important my role as a Mom is to my kids and their futures.
My favorite view...looking down at my little girl from her carrier.
As she gets bigger, there are days that my back aches after carrying her around all day but I won't give it up for anything in the world. It going to be a sad day when she outgrows her carrier and I won't be able to look down and see that sweet face looking up at me.
One of my most-cherished and favorite thing about Mother's Day is attending the Mother's Day Teas at the kid's preschool. It was awesome during my turn with Abi and equally great with Brady.
Brady greeted me outside and escorted me to my seat where he presented me with a picture of him with Josh. As you can see, he was just beaming with pride and excited for all the festivities to begin.
Next, the kids served us pound cake, strawberries and juice.
Me and my handsome boy
After we took this picture, he looked at me and said, "why is your hair so crazy?" I told him that I just curled it and he told me that he didn't like my hair curled :)
Apparently he is a big fan of ponytails!
Brady and his best buddies
Before the performance began, the kids left the room to prepare and we watched a slideshow containing pictures taken by the teachers of their day-to-day adventures, learning and playing throughout the year. It is so fun to see everything but also a bit sad to realize the school year is almost over and a reminder that our kids are growing up faster than we would like.
Brady didn't sing too much during the performance but I do love watching him and the little girl standing next to him. She is one of his friends and according to his teacher, they often play "dollhouse" together.
As you can see, Brady perked up a bit as the performance progressed and and was all ready for his favorite song - the silly dance.
(Sorry for the quality of the video - I was trying to record while preventing Nattie from crying)
I love you Mommy because:
You play with me, and play trains everyday, and because you give me breakfast.
With the card, Brady gave me a handmade beaded pin.
Brady with his teachers
Another Mother's Day Tea that I won't soon forget!
