The Last Dance

Pen performed in her end-of-year dance concert last week, and it was her final time dancing with the drill team. She made Dance Company for next year (she's so excited), and we can hardly wait for her to have that experience. I'm sure she'll love it. 

I did my best to capture some pictures of Pen as she danced, although the low light made it a bit tough. Nevertheless, I managed to catch her in some lovely moments. It almost looks like she's holding poses, but they're just brief snapshots of movement. Pen is a beautiful dancer and is really learning to emote. It's such a pleasure to watch her dance. 

One of the dances of the evening was actually choreographed by Pen (it was our favorite, not just because she choreographed it-- it really was the best). The lighting for most of the dance was too low to be able to get any clear shots, but I love some of the ghostly images I was able to capture.

I really liked this next dance, too. Pen danced really beautifully with some gorgeous lines.

I love the photos I took of this last dance because you can really see how Pen emotes as she dances. You can feel it, even. 

It was so much fun to watch Pen dance. I can't wait to see what next year brings.

The Keeper

Ginger's very last season with her soccer team just ended. Such a bittersweet moment. The team has been playing together for 4 years and the girls have really bonded and grown close, but most of the team is starting high school next year so it's time to move on to even bigger and better things. 

After years of not wanting me to take any photos at her games, Ginger actually asked me if I'd take pictures to capture her as she played. I was so thrilled that she asked. Yes, Ginger, I'd love to. This year, Ginger really began to develop her skills as a goalie. Her contribution to the team was invaluable and, as a former keeper myself, so much fun to watch. I'm glad I was able to capture just a little bit on film.

Ginger's timing to know when to come out and challenge for the ball is incredible. It's a tough thing to learn, so to be able to sense it naturally the way Ginger can is great.

So much fun to watch Ginger play and to see what great friendships she has made. Thanks for letting me take pictures, Ginger! Great season, we're proud of you! 

Our Normal

Some normal goings-on have been scattered amongst all the celebrations. Now I just have to gather them all up and try to put some sense to them. As usual, of course, I use the word "normal" loosely, with the understanding that our normal may not be very normal to others. Ha!

We took a few bike rides… until Edith crashed and now she won't get back on the bike. Oops. When I tell her she needs to just get right back on the horse, she tells me her bike isn't a horse. We'll work on it. 

Big lost his second front tooth! It was flapping around a bit, annoying him, and he was afraid it would distract him during his basketball game so he yanked it. It's a good look for him. So dang adorable with the freckles.

There was some longboard riding…

And some longboard races…

I love how detailed Edith's drawings are getting to be. 

This one is getting framed for the wall:

I'm glad we finally got around to doing the puzzle I got for Christmas. I loved how it brought everyone together. I loved that when I misplaced Rophone, it ended up that he was down working on the puzzle (and here I just thought he was in the bathroom for ages!). It was definitely a group effort, and we finished it less than 24 hours after opening the box. Time to buy another!

Edith has been sleeping on the floor ever since she got her big girl mattress. Now that we're finally in our own place, it was time to get her into a bed. I scored a totally awesome deal on a solid wood bed ($15!!), and managed to find some little tables that I could use for an end table to replace the teetering stack of boxes that I was using and as a night stand for Pen. So exciting to do stuff like this!

Here the stuff is after a first coat of paint. Edith chose "Sassy Lilac" for her bed, which I think fits her perfectly. The color next to it on the paint chip card was "Imperial Lilac", and Edith said she wasn't going to get it because it's EVIL. Big has been talking to her a lot about Star Wars. Ha!

Auntie Opera came for a quick visit during the week. The kids sure did love having her here, especially with the dramatic accents she brought to their game of "Clue". 

I was so excited to put Edith's bed together (thanks, Rophone!) and get my table in place. They're exactly as I'd hoped! This house is starting to look more like a home. Our home. 

I've been trying to catch up on my blog posts (as you can tell), and it works great to have Edith work in her workbook as I write. It may make my thoughts less cohesive, but it's nice to work together.

After Rophone got home yesterday he proposed that maybe we should spend some time outside. What a perfect idea. It was overcast and stormy-- just the kind of day we like best. Big and Edith really enjoyed showing off what they can do on their scooters.

Rophone pulled out the bubbles after they were tired of riding their scooters. It turns out that blowing bubbles in the wind is a total blast-- especially when your bestie-Daddy is there to enjoy it with. You can tell just how much Edith loves him by the look in her eyes. 

What a fun afternoon, and what a fun (and actually really quite normal) past few weeks we've had! I sure do love my family and the things we do.