Shhh...We're Writing the Constitution

I enjoyed Olivia's 5th grade performance at school.  The kids sang out so well. Delegate Number 14 is looking good.

Writer

Sammie was hard at work while writing and illustrating this book she wrote.  I noticed it while she was off playing somewhere and picked it up and read it.  I thought it was quite clever and it surprised me a bit at the end.  Joey and I had a good little laugh over it.  I love finding these things around the house and when Sammie gets going on a project, there is no resting until it is finished.  I think she inherited that trait from me.

An Artist and an Excellent Student

I can never get enough of Olivia's drawings.  She has such a knack for putting personality into her art work.  She will make a great cartoonist/illustrator one day.  They always put a smile on my face with their actions and expressions.  She has her own drawing style that is ALL her.

And speaking of Olivia...

She was Student of the Month for the month of March.  She works so hard at school and always wants to do her best. 

Skating Bunny

Abby wore her bunny whiskers, nose and ears all afternoon after preschool on Thursday.  She loved it.  She also beat me at memory which happens quite often.  She's really good at it.  I always make the mistake of giving a hint on the first match she finds and then it is just all over from there.  She pays attention to detail for sure.  Then we have roller skating bunny.  She is getting really fast on those things and the bunny ears never came off.  Not once, until bath time.

A Little Bit of Rain

We have had so very little rain this year.  We literally ran outside when it started and it was gone and sunny 5 minutes later.  My girls love any reason to open an umbrella.  The use of them is pretty novel around here.

We're Off to See the Wizard

When one of my friends said that she was going to do the choreography to our community's Wizard of OZ play I thought that it would be fun for the girls to sign up.  First it was just going to be Olivia.  She really wanted to do it.  Then when we got to the tryouts, Sammie said that she wanted to do it too, so they both tried out and then we were thrown into one of the busiest activities we have ever done.  It was so worth it though.  Everyone who tries out gets a part and it ranges from ages 5 to 18.
It really wasn't too busy until the week of the performance.  It is so much work getting ready for a show.  A few nights we didn't get home until after 9 on school nights.  On performance nights we didn't get home until after 10.  The girls were exhausted, but there is this exciting energy when you are part of a play.  I think we will definitely have to have this experience again.
Olivia had the part of one of the Apple Trees and was also in scenes with "scary trees."  Sammie was a Sleepyhead Munchkin in Munchkin land.  Here are lots and lots of pictures during the performances and backstage.  My parents came down for the performance and we went out to dinner between performances.  Olivia was slightly mortified to go out to dinner with "tree" makeup on her face.  She was ok though when we got there and we were the only ones at the restaurant.
Keeping all these kids busy backstage was a lot of work.  They spent hours and hours in this green room all week long. 

 Olivia is the tree on the far right.

 Taking bows

 Finally getting that makeup off after having it on all day.

 Sammie and one of her friends who was an "Ozian"

Ciao!

We had sort of a surreal weekend last weekend.  Angela and her family came to visit all the way from Italy.  It was so wonderful to have them all here.  It was truly a joyous occasion.  It was one of those moments when you just feel completely happy.  We haven't seen Angela in 10 years.  Not since we went to Italy and stayed with her family.  We only had a 9 month old Olivia at the time and Angela was engaged to Nico.  Now, we each have 3 beautiful little girls.
I first met Angela when she was serving a mission in Temple Square.  I was a BYU student and Joey and I were dating.  Her took me up to Temple Square once to meet her.  It really was then that I recognized what a wonderful person Joey was.  I saw how he had kept up meaningful relationships from his mission and I could really see how his mission influenced his life.  He loves Italy so much.  It is just a part of who he is.  I am so blessed that I was able to go back with him to Italy and meet so many wonderful people.
Angela and her family stayed with us in our house.  Then Joey's parents came down to see her family too.  Then Nico's sister, Camilla,  called her mission companion in San Jose and her companion came down with her husband to see Camilla. 
The kids were a bit frustrated that they couldn't understand each other.  I think by Sunday they were a little more patient with it.  Poor Ilaria (almost 8) was so frustrated every time she would try to ask me something.  When I didn't know what she was saying she would sigh and then try to find Joey.  I can understand some things, but I didn't prepare myself for this weekend at all because we weren't sure if it was going to happen until just a few days before it did.
It was busy and joyful and my house and my body are still recovering.  But it was so very worth it.  We hope that next time we meet it will be sooner than 10 years and that it will be in Italy :)

Lots of pictures, but too many cameras.  No one knew where to look in some of these.