Best Compliment I ever Got:

"Mom,  I love you more than ice cream.  You're better than sugar."

My need to write that one down got me back to the blog after many months away hibernating. It was Fall last time I wrote, and now it is Spring. Some of the highlights of winter are caught below in a hodgepodge of photographs that there are too many of to edit in chronological order. Its a mess of a post, but if I put off publishing it, I just may not get to it for many more weeks! We've been busy playing games, doing puzzles, reading, continuing with aikido training and practicing piano for Bea's talent show next month.

These are included below, along with photos from pre-Christmas and Christmas, a visit with Rachel to see Sound of Music, Worcester in Tet with Quynh and the Chazanoffs, Tet at SJS, events from Catholic Schools Week, Cirque de Soleil with Daddy, Women's March in Providence, first Build-a-Bear ("Moon"), Boston Museum of Science with Samm, Valentine making party, a visit to MexiPho and the Atheneum, a March virus which forced two days home from school, and fun in the snow, which we had quite a bit of in-between some very mild winter weather. It's been a wonderful season, and Bea is getting ready to turn 9. I am loving this happy, affectionate stage she is in! Her piano playing is sounding much more mature lately, her cursive writing is beautiful, her times tables are improving daily, and her aikido is really coming along. She's now a Red Dragon belt and will soon be moving out of Tots into the Kids class, which will be a giant leap. She started Theatre again, and Lolo & Lola will come up in May for that performance. We are starting to plan our summer activities, and the school year has really flown. So here it is, Winter 2016-2017 encapsulated:
.

 

 " 

....and a surprise appearance by Mrs. Claus!

Breakfast with Santa, 12/4/16:

Santa: "What do you want Santa to bring you this year?"

Beatrice: (mumbling and quiet voice)  "I can't think of anything."

Santa:  "An elephant?  Okay, I will try to get you an elephant!"

guess my Christmas shopping isn't done after all.....

Well, that month flew!

November felt a lot like October with beautiful weather and long-lasting foliage!  We met the Chazanoffs at Plymouth Plantation on Veteran's Day and the kids had a wonderful time!

Beatrice's 3-month Theatre class did a culminating Broadway Revue show, and she did a nice job singing "I Won't Grow Up," "Let me Entertain You," "There's no Business like Show Business," and she's been stomping around the house singing parts of Hamilton also.

 In preparation for Thanksgiving, Bea made this wreath for Tita Lucy, with all the things for which she's thankful:  food, turkey, God, family, cousins, and pencils.  A very complete list!

Grades 3 & preK led a Thanksgiving service at school, and luckily Lolo & Lola were in town to see it, along with her show!

(they were also in town for the Dancing with the Stars season finale!)

We spent four wonderful days in Maryland, so wonderful that I didn't take a blessed picture.  Apparently Bea did, though, as I just found these of my pumpkin pie and Lolo & Lola's front yard on my iphone:

and then returned for the Razzle Dazzle light parade, such a fun annual tradition! Here are three third grade angels:

and a selfie with Rowan's mom.  Christmas season, here we come!

a warm November day

Halloween

The holiday started with downtown Putnam trick or treat Friday night, which Samm joined us for.  The girls had fun, but the highlight may have been sitting at Victoria Station reading their free comic books!

Fuchsia 014 was a pretty unique costume!

Anthony headed to NYC with his cousin and Truman and Hank came over for an overnight.  We went swimming at the Y and then the kids shot some hoops, or played steal-the-ball-and-run as Bea demonstrates here:

At night we went to a spooky Halloween place in Pomfret and the kids loved it!

Monday was her class party and school parade.  Bea has been in this six years now, and this is her last as it ends with grade 3.  One of the big kids next year!  For today though, she was a Vampire Nail Polish Bottle...