Christmas music?

At the orthodontist's office this week, (yup, it looks like we'll be there a lot in the future), I heard Christmas music playing in the background.  Really?  I feel like Halloween was just yesterday!  This month is flying by at lightning speed and I can't quite catch my breath.  Birthday parties, a whirlwind trip to Maryland (courtesy of Southwest points which had to be used by December), preparing for a school Saints project, and plain old every day life are making the days of the calendar zoom.

Here's Bea at her first ever attempt at rock-climbing at classmate Ethan's party:

Experienced traveler waiting outside baggage claim:

Obsessed with the Whatever After series!  (and I kind of am too!):

After cousin Miles's 7th birthday party, the kids headed to the park down the street.  Here she is with cousins Noah, Dominic, Linden, Jaden, Marco, and Lorenzo:

The highlight of this trip was seeing the new "Wizard of Oz" themed playground at Watkins Park, just minutes from Lolo and Lola's house:

Cartwheels over the rainbow!

Young at Heart!

Goodbye yellow brick road:

The ruby slipper slides were awesome!

Not time to leave yet!!!!!????

Spinning around to get dizzy in the poppy field:

A trip to Ikea for lunch is more fun with Linden around!

Then we spent an evening with Anthony's sister and family, and Bea helped her Ninang prep the supper:

 Parsnips and carrots peeled!!!

We came home in time for an exciting week at school, including a field trip to the Worcester Ecotarium:

and the next day was the Saints presentation.  Beatrice was Kateri Tekakwitha:

She was a real pro as she read a 2-page report to the class:

She and Samm also did a presentation about the patron saint of Vietnam, Our lady of La Vang:

                                                   Final bows for the littlest saints!

The class got together again Saturday for Rowan's 7th birthday party at our local prep school ice rink, the very place where yours truly took lessons in the 70's, sporting a Short 'n Sassy haircut of course.  Bea was struggling when we were trying to hold onto her hand but once these "walkers" came out she really took to it! We may have to try some lessons for her this winter.....

                                                                 on ice, and NO HANDS!

                               
              The whole class showed up but only the bravest parents took to the ice, with skates on that is.  After the first 15 minutes or so, and once I didn't need to stay right next to Bea,  I really got my "ice legs" back and had a great time.

Marshmallows, cocoa, pizza, and a variety of "winter wonderland" treats and activities made it one of the best parties ever!

I joked that this looked like a picture of the local nursing home's group of 2070:

I started this post on Thursday and ended it on Sunday.  I'll have to post more often during this season of craziness, that's for sure!

7 and a Half

I will never know exactly why she requests an umbrella on sunny days,

why she say "Viet Nam" differently than the way we say it,

why she regularly asks what they're doing in "her" country at any exact moment,

 why she's intensely private, modest, humble, easily embarrassed,  and "despises" being center of attention or conversation.  I just know I love her so very much and love the young lady she's becoming. I don't want to rush the time by, most days I try to find ways to slow it down, but in some ways I can't wait to meet the incredible adult that she will be. 

But for now, here's my 2nd grader:

Happy Halloween!

Here's Bea heading out to a fun-filled Friday at school, complete with costume in the bag for the morning parade and afternoon party:

I'm not sure who the 10-year old is in this picture,  but she resembles my baby girl!

Here's grades PreK-3 before the parade:

Hawaiian hula princess, right in the center, was so happily surprised that we showed up!

Beautiful Hawaiian princess!

and her best buddy, talking dog Martha...

Off to downtown trick-or-treat...

She and Annie (aka classmate Lily) met up and got some loot together:

And on actual Halloween she ditched her main costume once again and put on a tiara, a tutu, and some wings and the "fairy princess" tentatively went door to door with me in the car on many yards away, for the very first time.  Big deal for my shy girl!  After the pumpkin was full to the brim, we went back home and enjoyed giving out candy to the dozen or so groups that stopped by.

Mid-Fall Fun

Anthony's folks and Tita Evelyn came up for a week, mainly for Anthony's one-man show at the local community college.  Opening night was a huge success!

Here's the proud daughter:

a tired, but also proud aunt:

                                              and an interested father reading about his son:

So many of our friends came out.  A great night indeed.

                                                      Bea stayed close by during the Q&A:

                                      Annalena and her family were in town for pumpkin carving!

I guess Bea was heavily influenced this year by the recent activity in her mouth!

Here's the lineup!

One great thing we did while Lolo and Lola were here was make homemade dumplings.  Bea's been wanting to do that for a long time, and they were yummy!

Finally, in preparation for her St. Kateri Tekakwitha project in a few weeks, Bea got this costume online.  I think we're already done with Halloween shopping for 2016!

Unbeknownst to us, Lolo and Lola brought a St. Kateri rosary bead and medals up to CT, and this little girl is the proud owner of them now!

(on a side note, that medal lit up the vibrating beeper at the 99 restaurant last week to get us a quick seat the moment it touched it.  Bea wondered if we'd witnessed a miracle??)