Belly Dancing at the Olive Oil

So we decided to try out a new restaurant with friends.  We new it was Greek, we knew there would be good music and belly dancing, but we didn't know WE'd be dancing.  Katja and the girls in our party were some of the first volunteers.  Each girl was given a wrap-around skirt with jiggling coins sewn to it to borrow so they could get into the spirit of the dance.  They did.

The actual belly dancer danced on top of a table and around the restaurant.

At this point in the evening, Robbie and his friend (George) were enjoying each other's company laughing at the girls as they watched them dancing, and blushing with embarrassment when the belly dancer got too close to their table.  They were most definitely NOT impressed by her charms.  Girls are not on their radar for a long while yet.  For that, I am presently thankful.  They did think it cool that patrons were encouraged to break plates by smashing them on the floor (at $3 a plate).  Needless to say they each got to enjoy that particular treat first hand.

However, soon enough they gave up being only spectators and joined in the fun.  This was a surprise to me.  I guess the fact that two of the dancers were VERY talented (performing manly dances with acrobatics) and rather good-looking helped convince them that they would not look too "sissy" if they participated.

The boys were slow to start, 

but they quickly got into the fun

(Stacey, please forgive me for posting your picture below but I just couldn't help myself!)

Jack was an angel all night.  He loved the music (best part of the entertainment) and the dancing.  He would dance in the aisles at times.  At others, he would grab my hand and take me away from the table saying, "come on, mama" so he could get a better view of the dancing.  He lasted until 10p.m. without ever fussing.  God knew I needed a low maintenance child after raising Robbie (whom I love and adore and would not change for the world), so he gave me Jack.  It is amazing to me how I can have three children and they are all so vastly unique.

  

Sophia, Caitlin, and Katja pose with their little skirts on.  They were bummed that they did not get to keep them.

Jack was recharging his batteries.  My friend Olga and her husband Kenny discovered the little restaurant.  Thank you Olga for making all the reservations for our large party and calling everybody.  It was nice to just show up, catch up with old friends and enjoy the evening.  I like alternating "girls only outing" with "family night out".  Great idea!

Too bad we can't go bowling for a family night out.  I still can't believe I'm such good friends with two (Stacey & Olga) "germ-o-phobics".  What if we buy you your own personal bowling balls that no one else's grubby fingers will touch?  Can we bowl then?

Arrrgh! Captain Jack loves to party!

Jack had fun at a friend's birthday party a week ago.   Pirates and princesses of all ages attended.  I love watching kids all dressed in costumes.  There's just something about it that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and happy.  Maybe it just reminds me of the days when my imagination took me to magical places where every story had a happy ending.  

A big THANK YOU goes to grandma for re-making an old Robbie costume into a pirate one for Jack almost overnight after the one I ordered online arrived in the wrong size. Now I better appreciate the value of keeping all those old fabric remnants!  I will never tell Jack that his vest was made from leftover curtain fabric and his shirt with lace leftover from Katja's old costume dresses.  Though he will think it cool that the Mickey Mouse pirate hat was actually Robbie's from a trip to Disney when he was three!  

He wore the entire costume for a whole 10 minutes.  The hat was the first thing to go, then the sword, and finally the head-scarf.  The rest he didn't seem to mind, a fact he will question with incredulity when he is older.  Below is one of the few pictures I was able to get of him completely garbed. How cute is he?!?

Speaking of cute...  Robbie was mortified (he's at that "easy-to-embarrass" stage) by our friend John's antics.  He tried to act cool, like he was ignoring John, but the flushed cheeks and wide grin gave him away.  We can always count on John for a good laugh....  

"Princess" Reese, our friends' little girl, reminds me so much of Katja when she was little.  She is SOoooo friggin adorable!!!!!  Only at this age is a female's chubbiness and "waddle" walk celebrated and remarked upon with fondness.  I used to call Katja my "Michellin Baby" at this age because her arms and legs resembled those of that company's mascot.  Her Nana Yanko would indulgently refer to her fat rolls as "baby bracelets"....

Happy 3rd birthday, Anna!  Thanks for letting us be part of your special day.

Paco and I with our little pirates

After helping some of the children with their "tiara" craft activities, Katja crowned grandma and declared her to be the "Queen Mother".  I guess that makes me the queen and her the princess?!?  Unbelievably, after five grandchildren, and with the sixth on the way (via Paco & Kerrie), Katja still remains the only granddaughter.  Every time we find out that an impending pregnancy in the family will result in another grandson she exclaims, "I'm still the Princess!!!." And so she is.

Pirates LOVE birthday cake!!!  Don't you know?

After all the plundering, pillaging, and looting, my little pirate was all tuckered out.  Almost as soon as he was buckled in his car seat for the ride home he fell asleep exhausted after all the revelry.  

And he slept peacefully ever after....

" I Shwimming Mama!"

Well, miracles do happen!  Jack has gone from:

1. not wanting to put his little toe in the water, 
2. to going in while holding on to someone (preferably me) for dear life (while wearing some kind of flotation device), 
3. to "shwimming" (as he calls it) while wearing a flotation device AND holding on to a noodle for dear life, to 
   
4. to "shwimming" with ONLY the help of wings or life vest,
5. to "shwimming" with NO flotation device from papa to grandma in the hut tub!

Granted, he really can't "shwim" yet.  He really just pushed himself from one end of the hut tub to the other (2-3 feet?) and glided from one adult to another. But, in the process held his breath/blew bubbles, kicked his feet, moved his arms (doggie like) and did not freak out in the process.  This was definitely an improvement!  As all of the above were achieved this past weekend, and all of August still looms ahead, I am hopeful that he might make even more improvement before the summer is over.  Guess you know what I'll be doing most days until I go back to work!!!  

The sequence below was repeated numerously this past weekend.  It always ended with a smile.

That's my baby boy!!!!

(that smile gets me every time....)

In the end he was so proud of himself, I'm sure he felt like he was on top of the world!!!

Swimming & Making Music w/ Our Friends...

What else is there to do on a HOT Texas Day, but jump joyfully into a cool, refreshing pool!

They all got points for style....

Bella (whom I predict is going to swim butterfly in the olympics one day & we will all be in the stands wearing "Fly, Bella, Fly" t-shirts in the stands.  She not only won her last meet, she beat all the 7-8 year old boys, save one, too!  She is simply a beauuuuutiful butter-flyer!)

Robbie, of course!

Kata (not to be confused with Katja)

Kung Fu - Alex

This is what the kids call the "Slide Train."

Too bad they didn't realize that they should have lined up from Oldest (in front) to Youngest (in back) until AFTER they had all landed on poor little Kata.  Fortunately, she's a tough cookie!

After swimming, it was off to the living room to play some music. In addition to being competitive swimmers, the beautiful and talented Brosvik girls are also very musical.   The girls come by their musical talents honestly.  The mother,  Cassandra (who happens to be Katja's viola teacher) graduated from Eastman School of Music and has played in symphonies and operas in venues all over the world (including Carnegie Hall) before she gave up playing nights, to be a mom and orchestra teacher. The dad, Steve, is the manager of the Houston Symphony and quite proficient at the piano.  They are a wonderful family and friends.

 

Kata on the violin

Alex has played for the Houston Youth Symphony for several years now.

Bella is the family cellist.

(sorry for the fuzzy picture....)

The Littlest Quartet

Katja joined the girls on her viola to form the ensemble.

The girls are all at such different levels of play due to their ages that they had to settle for simple songs to make sure everyone could play.  It was really very sweet.  At one point you will hear Jack speaking loudly in the background as he rolls around the floor (behind the girls) with one of auntie Michelle's winner dogs. Robbie & Cassandra accompanied on the piano. 

The gang plays "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Lightly Row". 

I love these kind of days....  Visits to grandma & papa's always end with music by the children.

Videos Only Grandparents Will Love!

As everyone else will be bored stiff by them.... but, since Nana, Grandpa, and Jeff were not able to attend Katja's latest concert at Sam Houston State University I have posted them here for their viewing pleasure.  Above is Katja after the concert holding her viola. Notice, only Katja deems it necessary to accessorize her instrument to match her outfit!

A bit of background on this....  

• Katja went on her first overnight summer camp to Sam Houston State University's Orchestra Camp.
• It is a combined High School & Junior High camp.
• Students audition upon arrival and are placed in one of three orchestras based on how well they performed during the audition.
• Katja was proud (and surprised) to make the first orchestra (her realistic goal had been 2nd) since she's only going into 7th grade & she was competing vs. H.S students also....
• The students got their music on a Sunday night and had to perform by Thursday.  That's only four days to learn three new songs & play them with complete strangers.  Seems a daunting task to me, but then, I'm clueless when it comes to producing music myself and am easily impressed.
• Her orchestra played three pieces.  I will post two of them here.

The piece below is "One Hand, One Heart" by Bernstein from West Side Story. Katja is the violist in the middle of the screen just behind and to the right to the boy in front center.  This first video was very shaky due to Robbie bumping into me repeatedly (while "trying" to help) and me not able to tell him to back-off (he ignored my LOOK) lest it be recorded in the audio. If you feel queasy, just close your eyes and listen only.  Sorry!

This next piece was my favorite.  It is called "Incantations" by Myer; however, Katja and I call it the "BATMAN song"... as it makes us think of that movie's theme song.  Unfortunately, I ran out of battery before the end of the song!  Next time, I'll only video Katja's orchestra and forget the others....  The camera I was using went from 37 minutes of battery charge to zero in about 2 minutes.  Even I can do better math than that!

Now her teacher wants her to buy a good viola.  Apparently, I have been renting an OK instrument, but not nearly up to what her needs are about be now that she's improving so quickly, playing for the Houston Youth Symphony, and aspiring to attend Julliard School of Music in New York for college (as her "role-model/heroine" who just graduated from College Park H.S. in The Woodlands just did). 

Her teacher also wants her to attend Interlochen Summer Camp in Michigan for three weeks next summer. Apparently it's some major Arts Institute with lots of history. You can only attend if you are accepted after they view your audition DVD.  It costs over $4,000.00 for only three weeks. ;O  LOL!!!!!!!  That does not include airfare and uniforms either!  However, I did find out that they give out over 6 million dollars in financial aid each year, and that they favor giving such aid to aspiring violist & bass players since there are less of them, so I am hopeful.  I do have a Master's in Education.  Surely they have need for some of my skills and I can barter my services for her tuition?!?  Anything... I'll even do windows and toilets.  The lengths we go for our children. Thank goodness Robbie's into football!  Texas has got to be the best place to train for that.  And I used to think shoulder pads & helmets were expensive! LOL!

I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket now ;)

Advice: Don't argue with a 2 year old....

Yesterday, I was playing with Jack just before bedtime. Lately, one of his favorite things to do is undo and redo (over & over) his Shapes Puzzle. As he grabs each shape, he announces the name of the shape, "shircle" and places it in the appropriate spot (the circle indentation in the wooden base.) However, he and I had a disagreement on the name of a shape. I could not understand why he seemed to have forgotten this particular shape, but moreover, why he persisted in disagreeing with me. He would hold up the wooden square piece and say "cat". I would correct him by saying, "no, sweetheart, that's not a cat. It's a square". He would say "No, cat". Doesn't he know that I have a Master's in Education, and therefore, am quite competent at sorting shapes?!? With much alarm, I began to think that my child, who had known (and could name) all of the basic shapes, was all the sudden developing Oppositional Defiant Disorder. After all, I knew he could easily differentiate between a "cat" and a "square". However, I was not to be deterred. I just had to set him straight at once! After all, he couldn't be making such mistakes when testing to go to preschool...

Once more I held the shape in front of him (as shown below) and said "SQUARE".

Jack shook his head (side to side...clearly loosing his patience now), took the "square" away from me, looked at me like I was an idiot, held the shape (as seen below) in front of my face and repeated his utterance even louder...as if I was deaf, or dumb, or both. That's when I realized that while I had been "hearing" him say "cat", he was really trying to say "KITE".... (ding, ding, ding, ding, ding....) I'm sure he was quite proud of me as he saw the light go off in my head and my eyes register understanding. I laughed, kissed and hugged him and said, "Oh, I see, you meant to say KITE!" My two year old looked at me with relief, nodded with a smile, and said, "yeeees". Then he grabbed the star and said, "starfish".... Ahhhh! Now I got it. He had moved on from identifying basic shapes to analogies! Why didn't he just say that!! lol! j/k....

I told this story to the Admissions folks at Cooper today while working there at summer camp. They laughed much at my expense, and then announced (with a straight face) that it was OK. That Jack was welcome to apply for admission into Pre-K when old enough, as they do not "discriminate against children based on a parent's questionable mental acuity". Sighh...

Belated Birthdays Blog Entry

Many Birthdays were celebrated in May and June.  With the end of school madness and then the rush to sign the kids up for summer camps before they fill-up and getting the kids packed to go on vacation, I just haven't had the time to catch up on my blogging.  

The first birthday celebration was that Jack and his friend Jude. They turned two, but Jack at least, celebrated his "Hap-py Day!!!" for about a week.  He definitely has the whole "blowing the candles" thing down....  Below is the cake I baked for the boys this year.  The theme was "pool party", so I baked a couple of flip-flops.  I used orange licorice for the straps.  My nephew Jayce now wonders why not all birthday cakes come with these....

Yes, we actually used the pool noodles to decorate the table.  This was last minute inspiration just before the guest arrived.  You have NO idea how difficult it is to get six noodles to balance just right inside a gift bag so that the bag does not topple over and land on top of say...the cake? It was an irresistible challenge.

For some strange reason, the two mothers who take the most pictures of their children in the whole world (Tracy and I) were total picture taking slackers this year.  The only pictures I got of Jack smiling are completely out of focus.  I am making it a priority to do MUCH better next year.  Below is the Thank You card the boys will be sending out....  I know, it's been a month already, but better late than never, right?!?

Below are a few random snapshots taken during the party....

"Aunt" Tally, cuddling one of the million babies

(How many "uncles" (Eric & Paco) does it take to untangle the birthday boys' fishing rods?)

In case you were not aware, toddler boys looove fishing in pools.  Their plastic fishies are tied to the lines, so they catch something with every cast :)  As evidenced by the picture below... sometimes they catch each other!

"Uncle" Mike with Lissie & Anna after playing in the pool...

The Aunties (honorary and actual) playing with the babies...

The second birthday celebration was that of Katja, who turned 12 in late May.  She opted not to have a large party this year in lieu of some "choice" gifts.  However, she did invite a few girlfriends over to swim and grill at grandma's pool and mark the occasion. 

The girls made ice-cream sundaes, 

and swam until it got dark and the pool lights came on...  

The third birthday celebration, was that of my nephews Zeke and Baz.  This was an impromptu party we threw together as the boys announced that they wanted to celebrate their birthdays(which are actually later in the summer) with their cousins, for a change.  You see, the boys are always taken on some fabulous vacation trip for their birthdays, and thus, are never around to have a traditional party with cake and all the trimmings.  This year they will be flying to France to spend their birthdays in a castle.... but what they really wanted was a swim party with their cousins.  So, we threw them one.  Zeke is turning four and Baz six.

Baz took some healthy swings at the pirate ship pinata.

Zeke went after the pinata with gusto.

I know they'll have a fabulous time in Paris, but they'll remember wacking the pinata, and jumping into the pool screaming and laughing with their cousins, and eating snow cones and candy until their tummies ached....  and that's a good thing. 

Summer Time Fun

The only way to survive our hot Texas summer is to hang out at the pool. We visit grandma and papa's pool as much as possible, sometimes inviting friends to join in the fun.

This is the annual "Papa & Grandma with all the grandchildren in the pool" picture.  Paco and Kerrie just found out that they will be having a little boy, whom they will name Luke, so expect one more little swimmer in next year's picture.

Robbie is still Robbie.  Fun-loving and goofy as ever and looking forward for football season to start.  He has become an avid sports fan.  He watches basketball games online and on tv simultaneously because there's a few seconds delay and he can tell what's going to happen on tv before it happens.  How exactly does a 9 year old find these things out?

Katja is growing up faster than I'd like.  She has had her first boyfriend this year just before her 12th birthday.  His name is Austin.  The romance lasted no longer than a couple of weeks.  He seemed like a nice boy who got all A's (mom's favorite trait), played golf and the violin.  They went on one date, Katja's first, to the movies as part of a group.  Uncle Paco drove her and checked things out.  If there happened to be an a adult she knew in the back of the theater watching exactly the same movie, I'm sure it was a coincidence. ;)