March....so far

3.7.15

My turn to drive the "Ski Club".  I spent the day reading The Rent Collector by the fire in the Moonbeam Lodge while the kiddos enjoyed Solitude.

3.14.15

Once in a lifetime Pi experience was celebrated!

We got together with friends to share pies.

Turns out none of us are real fans of cooked fruit.

Peanut Butter

Banana Cream

Chocolate Mint

Chocolate Cookies & Cream

If I am going to eat pie, this was the best case scenario. 

Well....I wouldn't mind a pecan or pumpkin, but those seem out of place in March.

3.17.15

Shamrock Smoothies & chocolate coin hunt

Byron's class had a walking field trip to Dick's Market,

frosting roses, tatter babies, a green donut....good times, good times.

I was trying to be extra healthy after the overindulgent pi party.

Broccoli, asparagus, chicken, pasta in a basil pesto sauce, and fruit rainbow!

Can not believe I forgot the G in ROYGBIV!

I didn't forget the IV, the purple grapes just didn't look great, and I couldn't find another purple fruit.

Dixie Chicks just shy of 20 year reunion

We were going to try an re-create the notorious college Target Photo but alas....although Tawney made for one evening it this time, Amber couldn't make it.  So we will wait for our 25th I guess. 

Mirissa got her mother-in-laws time share.  Lots of talking...lots of eating....hot tubbed

we "Swigged" (we had to, it replaced the shake place we use to get shakes from in college...see HAD TO-no choice).

Got pedi's (we are not looking sharp because we hadn't showered yet, we were going to get massages...but they were booked 3 days out! Next time...)

shopped a bit...but mostly talked.

Love these girls. 

New Beginnings Values Mall

The YW president found this idea on-line. I was skeptical of the mall/shopping theme, but it turned out really cute.  Since each presidency member each took one shop it wasn't too bad time-wise either.  Set up and take-down was the hardest part.

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge (my store)

Choice and Accountability

Good Works

Integrity

Virtue

Treats were "Cinnabon" hot rolls and Orange Julius.

Valentines Day 2015

When did February become the new December?

Valentines Day always feels like a sneak attack but this year was especially bad.  We felt BUSY with the play, and skiing, and history fair, and M's birthday, and 2 class parties...it felt very much like December.

I had a running list of cute sassy valentines card sayings filed in my head, but in the end we bought or made super simple ones because it was all I could manage. I am realizing that like Christmas cards which have to be started in November...Valentines cards will need to be started in January. Which means, they might be store bought from now on depending on how much of a break I need January to be.

The weekend before Heart-day Miriam asked if we were going to draw names for "Secret Valentines". I hesitated because I had nothing cute planned, like a cute dinner...special love notes to the kids....a thoughtful gift.  Luckily, I relinquished control over what I thought it SHOULD be and we kept the tradition (although simplified) going. 

I am so glad we did.

I love seeing these kids express love to each other. Soren, ball of enthusiasm that he is, signed all his secret love artwork, and immediately told Darin he had him. The other two kids were so sneaky, and so cute...handmade things from school, little treats purchased during quick Target trips. 

Darin, who had drawn my name took care of a special Valentines dinner.

Grandma and Grandpa sent cards with expressions of love.

So see? It I didn't have to take it all on myself anyway.

Byron is so cute....

100 year old kids celebrating 100 days of school.

Peter Pan OVERLOAD!

"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!"

"All the world is made of faith, and trust and pixie dust"

"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it"

"I suppose it's like the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us"

"Oh the cleverness of me!"

"I taught you to fight and to fly. What more could there be?"

"Build a house?" exclaimed John

"For the Wendy" said Curly

"For Wendy?" John said aghast. "Why she is only a girl!"

"That" explained Curly, "is why we are her servants."

"Never is an awfully long time"

"....children know such a lot now, they soon don't believe in fairies, and every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies', there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead."

"Pan, who and what are thou?" he cried huskily

"I am youth, I am joy," Peter answered at a venture, "I am a little bird that has broken out of the egg."

"Tink was not all bad: or, rather she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change."

J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

(but not necessarily in the Peter Pan jr. script)

11

Just like 11 years ago...the Patriots won the Super Bowl on the eve of her birthday!

While we watched, we made sugar cookies for her class treat.  I know...I know...you aren't suppose to bring home made stuff...her teacher is a super cool rule bender, which is my kind of woman (and I know all the kids in Miriam's class, all their food allergies and stuff).  It didn't matter anyway, it took a few batches before they started to turn out so we didn't end up with enough for her class anyway, I ran to Costco for a treat.

So, we had yummy cookies for lunches all week long!

(they were really good...her friend has an almond allergy so we used lemon in the icing...so good!)

This birthday fell on a busy time in M's life! Her birthday was the opening night of the school play Peter Pan so she had 2 performances that day.  Then there were performances every night that week that I had to be at, and she performed in 3 of them. The weekends are taken with her ski group, and History Fair is looming over us, so a friend party would be a bit much for me this year.

Also, we bought her gift back in September.  She loves to have season tickets to the local theatre and you have to purchase them early so no surprise gift to open.

And yet, I think this was her most exciting birthday ever.

We wrapped a lot of little things for her to open all day long.

Instead of a birthday shirt, we got her a Tinker bell shirt (her part in Peter Pan).  She really is Tinker bellesk....spunky, smart, brave, spontaneous, loyal, yes even bossy, but that is a good quality in moderation.

Instead of flowers, we got her peridot earrings to wear during the play.

A ballet leotard she has needed, a giant peanut butter cup, some caramels....and of course a reminder of the plays she gets to go to all year long.

Soren and I took her out to lunch at Cutlers.

Darin came through with flowers for me.

There were lots of flowers for Miriam throughout the week from sweet friends and family who came to watch the play.

We saved doing the singing the cake until G'ma & G'pa Rass and Ray could come, along with Tatum. So fun to have them come to watch M in the play!

11 amazing things Miriam has done this year:

1. Tried out for the school play, performed as Tinker bell.

2. Sang 3 solos in church

3. Finally got her pet Rats (Opal May Blossom Ray, Megan Tatum Ray, and Nicolette Ray).

4. Biked 10 miles in the rain.

5. Started to babysit for $ and took care of a neighbors dog (saved $ for Legoland and SYTYCD Tour).

6. Joined the Ballroom dance team, tried tennis lessons, started skiing.

7. Read the whole Harry Potter series in 2 months.

8. Visited Arches and Goblin Valley for the first time.

9. Ballet Solo.

10. Miss Pleasant Valley Days first attendant.

11. Cleaned her pet rats cage nearly every week since she bought them.

Happy 11th Mir-cat!