All Children's Chorus of Annapolis

Marissa had her first audition with the All Children's Chorus of Annapolis. She NAILED it, but we won't know until tomorrow if she made the choir or not. I'm crossing my fingers because I know she really wants this...me too!

She was so nervous for her audition, I sat in the room with her and listened to her work with the instructor on the piano and do some singing exercises; I was choked up the entire time! She was adorable and she really did do so well. I know I'm bias.

So we wait for a call tomorrow. I can't wait!

No apologies.

I've often times been the butt of a joke in that my kids are always so "done up" or "put together". Usually that's followed up with advice that I just need to let my kids be kids and dress themselves or fix their own hair or show their own creativity. I always have to roll my eyes at this.

Just because your child looks a mess doesn't mean that you're supporting great creative genious in your offspring...it only means that the child was solely responsible for their appearance. On the other hand, just because my children are dressed nicely, with meticulously fixed hair and coordinating accessories, that does not mean that I'm a controlling "Mommy Dearest". You choose your creativity and I'll choose to teach my children how to be well-groomed individuals.

Creativity and self expression can be fostered in so many areas of life. My children choose clothes that fit their style and their mood; I simply show them a nice way of putting everything together. My children are well mannered, well groomed and YES they are put together!

Isn't that what society looks at later in life? When you go for a job interview, you should look your best! When you date...you groom yourself to attract your partner, correct? Even the most creative individuals I know are well put together; they are stylish, colorful, eclectic!

My children are happy and CUTE! I know I'm biased, but I think they look adorable and they look well cared for and they feel good about their looks. They are CONFIDENT. So if you don't feel like dressing your children up or fixing their hair...fine. That's your prerogative! Don't hide behind "promoting creativity". I choose to teach my children to look their best and take pride in their appearance. No apologies here.

Arms - Christina Perri w/ lyrics

My love...

I realize he's not smiling, but for anyone who knows Marty, you know he's happy. He's pretty stoic. You never truly get a sense of his mood through his outward appearance. Believe it or not, we were actually laughing prior to this picture. I love the picture. It's my Marty... I couldn't ask for anything or anyone greater in the whole world. Corny I know, but its true.

Cute. Cute. Cute!

My son says the most adorable things. I honestly don't know where he comes up with this stuff! Yesterday while driving him to school I hear him talking about how he thinks he's growing. Then he exclaims, " mommy! I think my legs are growing! They are all the way to my feet!"

I just laughed! That was the best!

Class Clown

Well, here you have it; our little class clown. He's a jokester alright. Always crackin' jokes, giggling away, saying the darndest things!

Yesterday, we're in line to see a butterfly exhibit. We were with my daughter's BFF, her sister and her mom. The girls were so excited to see the butterflies. They were talking about how beautiful they are and how they are so majestic. Christian, in a tone that was just so "matter of fact" says, "You know they suck your blood?" Then he bust out laughing! Where does he come up with this stuff????

I love how happy he is about life. He loves to laugh, loves to make other laugh and within 2 minutes of meeting him, you'll know he has a heart of gold. God has truly blessed me!

Best Friends

Of all the things in my life that I can be thankful for, one of the biggest delights is that my children truly get a long. I know they are young, but I really don't foresee them ever drifting apart. They just LOVE each other. They miss each other when they are away; be it at school, playdates without each other, whatever the occasion. They are always THRILLED to see each other again.

I think it reminds me of my brother, Michael, and I when we were kids. We were so close and even today as we approach our mid twenties and thirties, we're still pretty darn good buddies. I think having a sibling is a wonderful blessing, but when that sibling becomes your best friend...well, life just doesn't get much better than that!

Beauty and Brains

Last week I met with the head of my daughter's school to discuss her SESAT (its a standardized test her school uses) scores. Normally, I'm not a fan of standardized testing. I think that many schools teach for the test rather than teach children how to think for themselves. I can say with the utmost confidence that her school does NOT do this! I LOVED their stress-free approach, the format of the testing and how happy and excited each of the students were to jump in and participate! One more reason to love her school!

Her stanines were right at 7-9. Her hightest scores in Listening and Reading where she scored in the top 4%. Her math and environmental learning scores were in the top 12%. These scores are compared nationally and I was so impressed with how well she did. As her parents, we've always felt/known that she's a bright little chicky...but this really validated what we've walways believed.

I've never seen her father or her grandfather, Beebop, so proud!

Easter Wish

This Easter is going to be especially hard. Its our first Easter without Karen. Easter really was "Karen's Holiday". I've spent the last 9 Easters with Karen. Many might think that Thanksgiving would have been the really hard holiday without her, to be honest, all of them have been hard. But Easter really became her thing. We always celebrated Easter in Bethany Beach. We would go to her Golf Clubhouse for Brunch and an Easter egg hunt and it was just always such a special day.

Karen wasn't religious, so I don't know why she chose this holiday to make so special for us, but she did. I can't imagine spending Easter any other way. This year, we're going to the beach to be with my father-in-law. I know this will be hard on all of us, but we're going to muddle through. My brother and his wife are bring their baby girl to our beach house and we'll do our best to make it a wonderful day for the kids. I wonder if my daughter will understand that things are different. Of course she understands the loss of her grandmother, Beemom, but will she relate Easter to her?

My wish for this Easter is for God to grant us peace. Its been almost a full year since we lost Karen and I know that this coming weekend is going to really drive it home how much she is missed.

Chef and Sous Chef

Something I've always loved about Marissa is her love for food. She's just like me, there are very few foods we've met that we didn't like. For her, she could live without raisins, but that's pretty much it.

Recently, she has become increasingly more interested in cooking with me. Personally, I think she loves the "science" of it, but I'm not complaining that she sees it from an educational aspect. I just love the quality time that we're able to spend together. To be completely honest, she's a great little helper too! She has a natural passion, a hunger to learn and appetite that's hard to match!

I think it's pretty crazy that a 6 year old loves so many different kinds of foods, the more exotic the better too! She's no "chicken nuggets with ketchup" kid. Her favorites include, sushi, mushrooms, squid and peppers. WILD! I have no doubt in my mind that by the time Marissa reaches her teens she will have an extensive collection of tried and true recipes that are specifically designed for her adventurous palette.

God sure knew what he was doing when he gave me Marissa. Eating and cooking are just a couple more things we love to share and I think it will be a bond that will forever keep us connected!

Disconnected

Over the last several months, I've really been evaluating my relationships with people. I find myself calling people out to the floor and standing up for myself more. On the flip side of that, I've also been just letting relationships fizzle while avoiding confrontation. We've all had those relationships, the ones that take more effort to keep united than you actually should put into it. It doesn't mean that the people are necessarily bad people, it just means your season is up. Not every relationship has to end in a bang. Sometimes, it just needs to fade out silently because there really isn't a "fault" of anyone's...its just a passing.

I've always kept in the back of mind: "A reason; a season; a lifetime. When you know why someone is in your life, you'll know exactly what to do." This quote has really helped me at times put into perspective what my relationships are and what value we bring to each other's lives. Recently, I've found myself looking deep into my relationships and evaluating what value we bring to each other. Sadly, I'm finding that I put a lot of effort into things that bring me value or allow me to give much value. I'm constantly finding myself exhausted and scrambling to spare people's feelings. Remembering this quote helps me understand what the relationship was/is in my life and also helps me evaluate whether it is something I need to put more effort into or just let subside.

So right now, I'm feeling disconnected as I evaluate my life and my efforts into relationships. How do I want to spend my valuable time? Why do I put so much effort into people who don't value me? Hopefully, I'll get my thoughts together and start feeling good about the relationships I have with people.

A Society of Dummies

I don't know why this angered me as much as it did, but boy did it anger me! I went to the book store this week to find a book on how to braid hair. I am looking for some "how to" books to learn some new hairstyles and braiding techniques for my daughter. While perusing the book selection, I notice there are a lot of "________ for Dummies" Really?

Gardening for Dummies
Make-Up for Dummies
Relationships for Dummies
Parenting for Dummies
Choosing a Dummies Book for Dummies (I wouldn't be surprised if they really had that one!)

What is wrong with our society that people are actually buying these Dummies books? Do we not know how to research anymore? Do we just search for the Yellow and Black book that screams, "PICK ME! I can explain this in terms that any moron can understand!" I was offended. I felt like if I wanted to learn anything on every shelf there was a book glaring at me and calling me a Dummy. Could these books be any more offensive!?!?!?!

So there is my rant. Do your research people and stop looking for easy answers. Just because you want to learn something new, don't sell yourself short by calling yourself a Dummy. BLECH!