Ballet, baseball and end of school

 What a wonderful and busy time we have had. June 10-11 was Lily's show and it was so amazing. It was Alice in Wonderland, which is one of the few Disney movies I actually don't like, but the storyline was creative and fun and it made for a good show. Friday night we all went to Nicolletti's for dinner and then the girls went to see Lily dance while the boys went to Curtis's baseball game. We were all so impressed and had so much fun and everyone got teary-eyed because Lily danced so beautifully. It was especially fun to have my parents here for the first time so they can appreciate what Lily does. My mom gushed about how impressed she was with the choreography and creativity of it all. I love that it isn't a typical dance recital but an engaging story that is fun to watch even when your kid isn't on stage. Lily danced so well and had a great time and it was just a wonderful night.

 

 

Saturday we went to Brandon's last baseball game and he played well so that was fun and it was wonderful to have two sets of grandparents there to cheer him on. We even all lined up after the game and made a tunnel for the team to run through and that was really fun. Then we came back home and hung out and talked and I made a big breakfast for dinner then we all went to Lily's show together. It was a bit of a different vibe with the boys there but still a fun evening. Lily cried when she came out, I think the fatigue and emotion of being done after so much time and effort got to her. Plus one of her good friends isn't continuing with dance and lives far away so Lily probably won't get to see her much anymore and that was sad. But we took pictures and told her how amazing she was and when we came home we had her put all of her costumes on while I took pictures of her in each one. I'm proud of my girl for working so hard and making new friends and being so dedicated. I'm glad she has found something she loves and that brings her joy while teaching her so many important life lessons. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday my in-laws left and that was sad. I had thought it might be weird hosting all the grandparents but I think it all went really well. There wasn't any awkwardness and everyone was kind and happy and it all worked. Monday the kids went to school, I took my parents out on a special date for their mother's day and father's day gifts and then spent time getting ready for my piano recital. It was that evening and it went well. All of the kids made a few mistakes but they also all played well. I'm always proud of them for getting up in front of others and playing and they had all worked hard to be ready. They each played two more formal recital pieces then everyone went back up and played a fun one they had picked from a movie. It was an hour long and then I had popcorn and mom had made cinnamon rolls so we visited for a few minutes and ate and it was all very nice and lovely. I don't always love teaching piano but I do appreciate how it connects me to members of my community I would not otherwise have a reason to interact with. It was a relief to have it over though and I am on a three-week break and it is wonderful. Somehow I only have pictures of the food. Josh took the one of me with all of my students. 

 

   

Tuesday I just hung out with my parents and we played a game and it was nice. I took Lily to the orthodontist (she's almost done!) and that night Curtis had his first all-star practice. They originally said he couldn't do it without 100 percent time commitment but then came back and asked him to play anyway. The tournament is Saturday and Sunday and then Monday and Tuesday if needed. He won't play on Sunday but we'll see how the rest of it goes. I'm glad he still gets to be on the team even though I was pretty done with baseball but now that we have no other commitments, spending an hour and a half at the park isn't so stressful. The other kids just play and I read and it is fine. 

Wednesday I drove my parents to the airport and got home just in time to welcome my middle-schoolers off of the bus. Lily and Mahi were kind of emotional even though they are both ready to be done with middle school. Change is always hard even when it is welcome. Then when Emma and Brandon got home they were also emotional and sad about not being with their teachers any more and friends moving and such. I had expected to dance and be happy and maybe go to the pool to celebrate but since everyone was tired and sad, we watched a movie instead. 

 

Thursday was do whatever you want day. I let my kids do this once a year and it is a nice break for all of us. I stayed in bed and read until almost 10am and my kids watched a lot of tv. Curtis read all day. I did take the other three to the pool for a bit and they had fun swimming with the Ainas who were there. It was a super relaxing day after such a busy few months and I finally finished our book club book, which I wasn't crazy about. 

Friday was doctor appointments and then we ran a crazy amount of errands. We went to Target, Old Navy, Famous Footwear, the library, Walmart, and BJs. Then we went to the Glasses house for dinner (we were supposed to have a picnic but thunderstorms deterred us) and it was a nice evening. Then I went back to Walmart and BJs  and Giant because I kept forgetting stuff or they wouldn't have what I needed. It was ridiculous. 

Saturday we cleaned and then went to Brandon's baseball party. His coach is awesome and hosted a BBQ/pool party at his house. It was super nice of him and we had a good time even though it is challenging for all of us to be social in that kind of environment. He gave each of the boys their own baseball card with their stats on it and gave out awards. Brandon won Most Improved Player and I was really proud of him. He has come a long way and we're going to move him up in the fall to the next league level in order for him to stay with his coach and team. Right after the party we went to see Lightyear, which on the surface was fun but there were definitely some issues with it. We dropped the kids off then Josh and I went and got a late dinner and walked around Solomons. It was nice to spend time together.