Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Friday, Emily went on a school field trip to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis to see Hansel & Gretel
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/events-a-tickets/browse-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2011/12/04/45/-/- she absolutely loved the story & pulled up images so she can share about each character. Wish they needed parent chaperones for this trip. My music was orchestrated by nature that morning while walking Charlie down to the lake & listening to the slight sound of puppy feet sliding on ice. Can't wait for it to thicken up, I love walking on frozen water & hearing the howls of ice beneath my feet. Eerie! Girls came home with a friend for a sleepover & we had planned on seeing Arthur's Christmas...what a true holiday delight. The movie took me back to when I was a little girl sitting by the window looking up in hopes to see Santa & his reindeer glide by in the sky. Never saw him but I still do BELIEVE! The movie had me & my husband in tears & definitely with a much bigger HEART for the magic of Christmas. Especially looking more forward to donating toys next weekend for ALL children to get a present Christmas morning. We then came home & the girls turned our kitchen into a Gingerbread village.
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/events-a-tickets/browse-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2011/12/04/45/-/- she absolutely loved the story & pulled up images so she can share about each character. Wish they needed parent chaperones for this trip. My music was orchestrated by nature that morning while walking Charlie down to the lake & listening to the slight sound of puppy feet sliding on ice. Can't wait for it to thicken up, I love walking on frozen water & hearing the howls of ice beneath my feet. Eerie! Girls came home with a friend for a sleepover & we had planned on seeing Arthur's Christmas...what a true holiday delight. The movie took me back to when I was a little girl sitting by the window looking up in hopes to see Santa & his reindeer glide by in the sky. Never saw him but I still do BELIEVE! The movie had me & my husband in tears & definitely with a much bigger HEART for the magic of Christmas. Especially looking more forward to donating toys next weekend for ALL children to get a present Christmas morning. We then came home & the girls turned our kitchen into a Gingerbread village.
O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree
...
I love Sunday mornings especially when the house is all quiet, outdoors are covered with 3-4 inches of a white powdery blanket & not a creature is stirring not even a mouse. Christmas music playing & my mind content on a beautiful weekend to look back on. Yesterday since we didn't make it to the Reindeer Run because a few people in the house couldn't wake up in time, not mentioning any names, we decided to get our tree. First stop my husband thought lets go to Minnesota's largest candy store to check it out only to drive all the way out there to see a sign opening next July. oops! So next was Chaska's Holiday Family Fun in their cute downtown business district. Treats were in every store, including a yummy one for Charlie who has yet to leave his bone behind, & a few Christmas presents ok well another dress for me at Lillian's...I just love their clothes well everything under their roof quite frankly. Another score was a yummy Dark Sweet Cherry Balsamic Vinegar...mmm I can just taste it already in Derek's cooking. Onward to pick the perfect tree at Minnesota's very own Home Depot Tree Farm. Trees, trees & more trees...balsam firs, mixed spruces, frasiers on and on I am not picky when it comes to trees, just something big, full & tall. After all the looking, I found the perfect one we all agreed on! whew! First comment out of Derek's mouth..."it's too big" No such thing! Tree fits well in the perfect corner of our house that we will be decorating today! :o) The best part of the picking the tree was watching the man wrap it like a present!
In the store we found Santa 
& what perfect hats the girls were wearing. Santa directed us to his favorite corner in the store where they were having a Snowman building party.
An hour later three very happy girls had made Snowman napkin holders 
Best message I love to live by..."Everywhere I go, there I am" making memories! :o)
I love Sunday mornings especially when the house is all quiet, outdoors are covered with 3-4 inches of a white powdery blanket & not a creature is stirring not even a mouse. Christmas music playing & my mind content on a beautiful weekend to look back on. Yesterday since we didn't make it to the Reindeer Run because a few people in the house couldn't wake up in time, not mentioning any names, we decided to get our tree. First stop my husband thought lets go to Minnesota's largest candy store to check it out only to drive all the way out there to see a sign opening next July. oops! So next was Chaska's Holiday Family Fun in their cute downtown business district. Treats were in every store, including a yummy one for Charlie who has yet to leave his bone behind, & a few Christmas presents ok well another dress for me at Lillian's...I just love their clothes well everything under their roof quite frankly. Another score was a yummy Dark Sweet Cherry Balsamic Vinegar...mmm I can just taste it already in Derek's cooking. Onward to pick the perfect tree at Minnesota's very own Home Depot Tree Farm. Trees, trees & more trees...balsam firs, mixed spruces, frasiers on and on I am not picky when it comes to trees, just something big, full & tall. After all the looking, I found the perfect one we all agreed on! whew! First comment out of Derek's mouth..."it's too big" No such thing! Tree fits well in the perfect corner of our house that we will be decorating today! :o) The best part of the picking the tree was watching the man wrap it like a present!
In the store we found Santa 
& what perfect hats the girls were wearing. Santa directed us to his favorite corner in the store where they were having a Snowman building party.
An hour later three very happy girls had made Snowman napkin holders 
Best message I love to live by..."Everywhere I go, there I am" making memories! :o)
Friday, December 2, 2011
Advent Calendars 2011
Tis the Season to Advent Calendars. My girls love getting them each year as much as I did growing up. Mine used to come each year from Germany, I would so love getting them from my Aunt Anniemitz. I can just taste the German chocolate in my mouth now. I should order them from Germany now that I think of it for my girls in the future. Hello wake up we now have the world wide web Elizabeth...ding ding ding!
Needless to say what my daugthers don't know won't hurt them!
I wish I was the super creative mom...because I have been looking at all these fabulous Advent Calendar ideas this last week & there are fabulous ones out there. I especially love this one http://www.dillydaliart.com/2011/11/christmas-activity-calendar.html I now have a new reason to go to Home Depot's paint section. Who'd a thought paint chip samples could be used for this & a few other projects I have found. I can see it now..."Chaska mom arrested at Home Depot for taking one too many paint chip samples" hahaha But very clever creative moms out there & I would stand up for those rights to not be violated by the "Law"
I have yet to venture to Home Depot but this weekend we are going to the Tree Farm that is located in the suburbia farm of the Home Depot parking lot & getting our Christmas Tree. So I might be found in the paint section of the store, just browsing! What are we called "Starving Artists" yeah that's it! So if I get to making this wonderful Advent Calendar a few days already into December it will bring the joy I so vision. Stay tuned for pictures to follow of the Paint Chip Creations. ; )
My Little Orchie
"Life is one grand, sweet song. So, start the music"
~Ronald Reagan
Indeed it is! Ever since Emily has started Orchestra we have been watching her bloom daily like an Orchid. Love how they are called "Orchies" by their Orchestra Specialist Monica Hahn.
Her first intro to violin was "Plucking" til her lil fingers got sore. Glad that's past because her thumb made mine hurt. The first thing she learned was
UP like a Rocket (jumping off launch pad hand)
Down like the Rain (land on violin hand extended from left side of body with elbo hanging from left side)
In and Out like a Choo Choo Train
(from violin elbo to hand extended straight out in front of the violin shoulder)
Around and around like the Golden Sun
(pulling bow hold up to the violin shoulder on the left side of the body and circle back to the hand, this keeps the ferris wheel from wandering away from the front of the invisible violin)
Dance on my head just for fun
Love this song...I even have it memorized.
Well she has developed since this she now knows how to play "Jingle Bells", "Dreidel" "A Mozart Melody" & "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" So proud of her & very blessed that this school still has orchestra for elementary students. I have put a little request in that she learn how to play the "Happy Birthday" song by December 15th (my 40th) What a present! Never would I have imagined this 10, 20, 30 + years ago that I would have my two girls to bring me such bliss for a birthday. So Blessed I am!
Yesterday was Emily's first before school practice where in addition to what she has been bringing to her practices she needed to bring her stand for a first time full orchestra band practice. She loved it & from reports from her instructor she loved it as well. Three more before school practices til her Winter Concert December 12th Can't wait to hear the magic to my ears. Then again the lil Orchies get to perform at school on December 22nd for a "December in the Hall" performance for the students, teachers, staff & parents! How lovely! To end again with a very wonderful quote by our former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan "Life is one grand, sweet song. So, start the music"
http://youtu.be/Uud53VtXfHg
Thursday, December 1, 2011
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