It takes a Village to raise a Musician!

I know I could not make the right decisions for Katja without the the guidance, help, and support of her wonderful teachers. We had a mission this weekend- to buy Katja's first viola. The Mission was accomplished successfully thanks to the dedication, knowledge, connections, experience and love of children and music of her two private teachers. Since all I was good for was driving Katja to San Antonio to the Texas Music Educators' Convention where vendors from all over the US convened this past weekend, I took pictures to preserve the memories. The pictures tell the story.

1. Before we arrived in Town her teachers were busy narrowing down the options.

2. Once we arrived we lost no time getting started.

3. This is only the right side of one of the two the Expo Halls...

4. With thousands of people talking and trying out instruments simultaneously it was impossible to be make an informed decision with regards to tone quality within the hall.

5. It was surprising to me how we were allowed to take valuable musical instruments to a hotel room so we could play them in a quiet environment. Apparently a common practice. It helped, of course, that the salespeople knew the teachers by reputation. I just had to take a picture of Katja walking through the hotel/convention carrying three instruments. No one even gave her a second look.

6. Once in the hotel Katja took turns playing each viola several times while her teachers listened.

7. Her teachers listened to each instrument without looking at it so as not to be influenced by make or looks.

8. Then her teachers played the instruments with their eyes closed to assess feel and sound from the player's perspective.

9. Mrs. Brosvik played each instrument again (eyes open) while Mrs. Meitz listened (still not looking). This allowed us to hear what the instrument would potentially sound in the hands of a pro. (no offense Katja!)

10. The Winner, by unanimous choice was Viola #3 - a 15" Pedersen from Robertson & Sons out of New Mexico. Not a typical instrument for a 7th grader, we were informed, more appropriate for a High School All-Stater. I guess we picked a good one!

11. All were QUITE pleased with the purchase.

12. But we were not finished yet. Apparently, she still was in need of a new bow.

13. So more shopping was on the agenda. Katja did not mind one little bit.

After a physically and emotionally exhausting afternoon and some really fantastic music by some of the most promising young musicians in the state of texas we celebrated over a wonderful dinner complete with steaks and Pinot Noir!

My heartfelt thanks go to Mrs. Brosvik and Mrs. Meitz! It is teachers like you that make a difference in the lives of children and their futures. You are a credit to your profession. I know my child's life is even more wonderfully blessed because of your part in it.

Symphony Portrait

Katja had her first official Houston Youth Symphony portrait taken this year. My baby girl looks so grown up...*sniff*

Her first concert was this past fall. She played for the HYS's String Orchestra (the youngest group out of four ) and sat 2nd chair viola, which translates to "front and center", right in front of the conductor. She was thrilled. Aunt Beth and uncle Robert surprised all of us by purchasing tickets to her concert (before they even went on sale...sneaky!) for the whole family so we all sat front row center of the balcony and had a fabulous view. Afterwards (see pictures below) they had us all go to their house for a little post concert reception for Katja.

My 12 Favorite 2009 Christmas Moments...

(in no particular order!)

#1 - Santa's Helpers....

Jack and Jayce LOVED everything associated with Christmas. At the sight of a camera they would scream "candy cane" and crack themselves up....

#2 - Waking up Christmas morning in coordinating (warm & cozy) holiday "jammies"...

What can I say? It's a tradition that started when I was a child and I've continued with my kids.

#3 - Watching my kids come down the stairs to see what Santa brought them.

They are so good. They actually wait for me to get my first cup of coffee, feed the dogs, and get the camera before they rush to look under the tree.

#4 - Grandma and Papa's annual attempt to get a picture with all of their grandchildren.

This year the grandchild count reached 7 with the birth of Luke to Paco and Kerrie. Unfortunately, Luke did not make it to the picture this year. Maybe next year!

#5 - Spending time with my big brother and his family.

Robert Jr. travels a lot so while we get to see his kids at least once a month, we don't get to spend time with him and Beth nearly enough. Christmas is the one time we know we'll get to spend some time with them.

#6 - Spending time with my baby brother and his family.

We hang out with them all the time as Jack and Jayce are not only cousins but best buddies but having the boys discover the joys of Christmas together made it even more special.

#7 - Spending time with my sister and her family

Michelle and Chris own two stores so during the holidays we barely see them until they close their stores on Christmas Eve and FINALLY get to relax.

#8 - My Kids' Reactions on Christmas Morning to their loot...

Never mind that they are now 12 and 10 years old respectively, I can still manage to surprise them with gifts that they weren't expecting but were thrilled about. For Katja this year it was book #2 of a series she just fell in love with. For Robbie, what else, a new football and kicking tee.

#9 - Finding The Perfect Gift for each...

If you know my kids, NO explanations necessary, right?

#10 - Cousins playing football in the yard

I am saving this picture! I bet they'll still be playing football like this on Christmas ten years from now! Of course, grandma won't have to worry about them running into the street then and they won't be in matching outfits.... ;)

#11 - Robbie Singing Karaeke on Christmas Eve

Robert and Beth got a portable karaoke machine for all the cousins to have fun with. Much to our surprise Robbie was first to grab the microphone and give it a go!

#12 - Katja Singing a Solo (One Candle) with her choir about Peace.

She sang this several times. The first time was during the choir's Winter concert with all the lights off and her lighting the first candle during her solo, etc. Unfortunately, the lack of lighting resulted in a black screen during video taping much to our disappointment. Fortunately, the choir went from school to school during their Winter Tour singing songs from the show and I was able to record her while she sang at Robbie's school. His classmates found her to be pretty. Robbie was perplexed, "Pretty? Dude, that's my sister..."

Hocus Pocus Fun

I love Fall! It is my favorite season of the year. I love the weather. I love the colors. I love the food. And I love all the outdoor festivals and activities that go along with the season.

Halloween has always been one of my favorite Holidays. We always make a big deal of dressing up (adults too..), get lots of candy, get together with friends and/or family and have a good time.

This year I knew I wasn't going to have the kids for Halloween so I made sure to find ways to celebrate the holiday with them beforehand. One of the things we did was attend the Hocus Pocus Pops concert put on by the Houston Symphony at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion. This was our first year to go, and I can predict it will become another family tradition. Why did we like it?

1. Entry was free ;)
2. Great Music from Movies like Superman, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. by the Houston Symphony. (My kids actually do enjoy classical and/or instrumental music.)
3. Picnics (food from outside) were allowed so i didn't have to pay $10 for burger. We actually went through the Chic-fil-a drive through on our way to the concert and ate the food on the hill.
4. Fun activities for the kiddos were available prior to the concert. Your kid could carve out a miniature pumpkin and leave the mess behind for someone else to clean.
5. Candy and other goodies were available for the kids.
6. Sitting on the Hill on a blanket (or rental free lawn chair) while the kids (mine and all their cousins) ran around having fun.

Jack dressed up this year as Buzz Lightyear. He's into Toy Story these days.

My mom got all the boys glow-in-the-dark necklaces. Jack dismantled his and used it to conduct the Symphony. He called it his "lightyear". He was so darn cute that I had to try to film him "conducting" even though the light conditions were atrocious. I took him to the stairs between the hill and the covered seats so the safety lights could help illuminate him a little bit. The visual quality is not very good but one gets the general idea.

I love how as the speed of the music increases his little hands move faster and faster until he ends up using his whole body in a frenzy, then slows down again with the music and claps and yells "yeeeeey!!" when the music ends. I better hold on to this clip. If he ends up being a famous conductor it may be worth some money in the future! lol!!!

Katja invited some of her musical friends to dress up and join us. They're all such nice girls. It was cute (and refreshing) to hear them comment on the various musicians, instruments, and songs between talking about friends, school and boys.

Robbie and the cousins were there too but I can find my flash drive with those pictures so I will add them later when I find them otherwise it will be Christmas before I post this October blog entry!

Happy BIRTH day, Baby Luke!!!!!!!

Here HE is...... Baby Luke will celebrate his birthday on October 27th each year, exactly one day before his auntie Millie (who turns 40 in exactly six hours and 18 minutes and not one minute before).

Back to Luke- He's a Monster of a baby by Rivera standards.

• He weighed: 8. 45 lbs
• He measured: 22.5 inches
• He was born with LOTS of black straight hair (When I asked if it was curly or straight Paco said it looked "matted" to him. Hmph! Men!)
• He looks like "The Presgrove side of the family with Paco's nose." (The second pictures illustrates this point better.)

We affectionately refer to this one as the "baby burrito" picture.

Luke has increased the Presgrove grandchildren count to 2 and the Rivera grandchildren count to 7. That is 2 boys for the Presgrove side and 6 boys and 1 girl (aka- Princess Katja) for the Rivera side. All grandparents are reported to be beaming with pride. Luke is having his first bath as I type, and he is pretty sure he hates the experience.

More pictures (these were emailed to me) coming soon as I am off to the hospital to check out and hold my nephew for the first time. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening!!!!

A prayer of THANKS to the Almighty for this safe and healthy delivery. Both mother and child are enjoying perfect health.

Cousins & BFF's

Jack and Jayce may be cousins by blood but they are BFF's by choice. After "parallel playing" for most of their lives they finally "found" each other at last a few months ago and are now inseparable. We get them together at least once a week, usually, so they can entertain each other and burn some energy having fun playing in each other's company. In addition to the usual trek to the park or the back yard they also enjoy...

1. Ending the day taking baths together and playing in the tub before donning they "jammies" and expressing their discontent at the the other's imminent departure for the evening.

2. Playing Naked Basketball just before bath time. Doesn't everyone??

3. Putting together puzzles (without fighting!) :)

...and eating dinner together (sorry, no pic available of this elusive act). It is the only way we can get them to eat sometimes. Somehow sharing a meal with a friend makes the prospect of eating more appealing. Sometimes we wonder how they are still alive. I could feed a small third world country with all of the food I have served Jack and he has refused to eat. Thank heaven for vitamins! Whoever invented Gummy Bear Vitamins has this mother's deepest gratitude.

First Highlights!

Katja got her first highlights on Columbus Day. My hair dresser of 20+ years (Beth) did the honors. She foiled about six strands around the face and we were quite pleased with the results. Katja is quite into grooming and primping these days. She wakes at 5:30 a.m. just to roll her hair and puts much thought into every outfit she wears. She such THE girly-girl. I thought I had a few more years before we reached this stage, but alas, time snuck up on me! Sighhhh.... Here's the latest on Katja:

• Her new nickname (at school & with friends) is "Kat" though she does go by Katja as well.
• She is playing volleyball for Knox as well a singing in the choir and playing in the school's orchestra.
• She just had her first concert "chair audition" with the Houston Youth Symphony and will be playing 2nd chair viola at the November 8th concert. This means she gets to sit front and center on the stage. Of course, she wanted 1st chair but got beat out by a girl that has been playing since she was four years old. The good thing is that she will have someone to push her and challenge her so she will be motivated to continue to work hard on improving and maturing her skills as a violist.
• She goes to Junior High All Region Orchestra Auditions tomorrow. Since she made it last year as a middle schooler, her goal this year is to make the top orchestra and rank in the the top three in the region. Her teacher told her that all of the top students will play the right notes, but that the top players will be those who can make their violas sing. We'll see!
• She had her first junior high boyfriend last week, but as of today he is already ancient history. Her only regret is that she is now without an escort to her first dance- a Halloween costume dance at Knox Jr. High. However, she did point out to me that word is out that she is once again "single" and there are still almost two weeks before the dance.
• She is also trying out for All Region Choir Audition. She is singing "Alice Blue Gown". I will post a recording of her singing it soon.
• Speaking of singing! All of the Knox Jr. High volleyball players went to watch the College Park volleyball team play at one of their home games. Just before the game started the announcer introduced Katja by saying that she would be singing the national anthem. When I asked her why she had not told me that she would be singing she informed me that she had been volunteered by her teammates at the last minute and even she had not known anything about it. So, she had no qualms about singing "cold" without practicing even a bit and in front of hundreds of people without a moment's reservation. Poor thing my child, she is so shy!

Jack loves to watch Robbie's football games. He yells "Go Robbie!" from the sidelines, climbs the fence to get a better view (as seen below), and runs up and down the sidelines having a ball. It was so cute the other day... I took Katja and some of her girl friends to see the Woodlands High vs. College Park football game at the new football stadium (gorgeous!). Jack had the most fun of all. The weather was misty all day so he got to wear his London Fog coat with his yellow rain boots to the game and even got to hold mama's "brella" at times. He would stand on the stadium benches and make comments such as these on the game:

• "(Gasp) He catch the ball, mommy!"
• "Oh, no!!!! He fall down!"
• "Go Robbie!!!!!" (He assumed, of course, Robbie was one of the players ;)
• "Holy moly! He kick the ball highhhh!"
• "He run with the ball, mommy!"
• "Isha big helmet" (at half time when WHS brings out the giant inflatable helmet for the players to run through."

Robbie got a hair cut. The "bowl" haircut is no more. (sniff, sniff) I will post recent pics of him with his new "doo" after tomorrow's football game.

Best Personal Game!

Robbie had his best personal football game ever today!

At least, I thought so! Here are some of the highlights of Robbie's accomplishments today:

1. He rushed for many (I lost count) yards on offense. He always gained ground. Never has the defense been able to keep him from making forward progress.

2. He scored his second touchdown of the season (games #1 & #3/today). He probably would have scored one on the game #2 as well but his team was winning by so much that Robbie was banned from touching the ball after half time.

3. He sacked the quarter back.

4. He created a fumble and recovered the ball for his team while playing defense.

5. He made MANY defensive tackles.

Below is a picture of him fighting for a few more inches before falling to the ground while holding on to the ball for dear life.

Yep, football's his "thing". It took us 9 years to help him find it, but was well worth the wait. I thank God every day that both my older kids have found a passion for something and that they are both pretty good at! It will be curious to see what ends up clicking with Jack.

Robbie's got Football Fever!!!

"GO Robbie, RUN!!!!!" That was heard often on the sideline of Robbie's first football game of the season when he was playing offense. When he played defense the yelling (by his Papa) switched to "Get 'em Rob! Stop 'im!" That then deteriorated to "Hit somebody!" Men...

• Robbie is playing offense and defense again, but his main position is that of Fullback. (I have come to learn that this is a position where he gets to actually run the ball.) Having played the line all last year, and barely having touched the ball, this was quite the surprise for us. As it turns out, he is the guy you give the ball to when you only need a few yards to get the first down.
• He is not super-fast, but he is Strong, so he can bully his way through a line several yards before he is downed.
• He runs through the middle most times and averages about five yards per carry.
• He was 1 yard short of scoring a touch down on one play and an inch from scoring another but that was OK because his team went on to score on both of those plays anyway.
• He has learned three plays so far: 32 Wedge, 31 Trap, & 18 Pitch Pass. Any men reading this blog may actually know what the heck those plays might be.
• After going into half-time trailing the other team, the coaches decided to play Robbie in defense as well. This decision paid off well. Two of his tackles were especially spectacular. In one, the boy that had scored several touchdowns for the opposing team was about to break-away once more when Robbie, realizing the boy would outrun him quickly, dove and tackled the kid by wrapping his arms around his waist and landing all 100 pounds of himself on top of the kid. Needless to say, the kid had the wind knocked out of him and did not score for the rest of the game.
• His team this year is the Titans and his coach was a professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Can you tell the boy just LOVES football?!? It took me years and half a dozen sports but the boy finally found his "thing". It has been said that is not just a sport for him but a Passion. I tend to agree.

This uniform will NEVER look that clean again! This picture was taken just prior to the first game of the season.

I just LOVE this picture!!! Too bad it was low resolution and I couldn't blow it up any more. It was taken as the boys were warming up by running to the scoreboard and back. I'll have to ask coach to have them do this again before the next game so I can try to take another one....

Next game is Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Go Titans!!!

First Day of School

My brood on the 1st Day of School on the way to catch the bus.

Katja and Robbie were both eager for school to start. Jack felt the excitement even though it was not his first day back to daycare. I offered to drive them to school on the first day, but they had both visited their campuses to meet their teachers and declined my offer. Whatever happened to the days when they held my hand all the way to homeroom and then had their picture with their teacher on the first day of school? I was strictly prohibited from taking more than 5 pictures and all of those were to be taken in front of our house, and only because it's been done every year since they were in kindergarten. Robbie made sure to kiss me goodbye while we were still inside the house. Katja welcomed kisses even at the bus stop; however, calling her "princess" is now strictly forbidden in public. At home, however, she demands her royal status.

Robbie started 4th grade. I took him to "meet the teacher" the previous Friday and, as it turned out, they all knew him already. The fact that they all hugged him and joked with him, as opposed to greeting him with cold/fake smiles was encouraging. The fact that he was excited about who they were was even better!

Katja began junior high. She is a 7th grader and has embraced her new school with gusto. She has already made the top choir, orchestra, and volleyball teams. She has also started talking about boys and the first dance. Sigh. It's going to be a loooong, interesting year.