Back to School!

2012 - 2013 Back to School time.  We had our Back to School Feast, with this cake...not that we are celebrating or anything.  We made puffy piggies with Grandma and then had Tatie Anne's BBQ Pork, Green Pea & Ricotta Puree, Roasted Quartered Carrots with Ami & Papa.  

JULIA is ready to have Patty all to herself.  

Elliot has Mrs. Gross for First Grade at Angier.

 A tough name for a first grade teacher.  Elliot is watching to see who is walking to school and waiting for us to leave.

Samantha is ready for the Rainbow Room (pre-K) at Hills & Falls.

Rally for Aly

We dove into the Olympics at our house, head first.  I was already planning to make a big deal of it, but when I was driving to the grocery store and saw a construction sign "Congratulations Aly!" - i had to find out more.  Aly Raisman had just made the Olympic gymnastics team.  She was not supposed to make it to the "all around" let alone win the gold!  She is from Needham, which is the next town over from us...so I talked her up to my girls before the Olympics started.  Prior to seeing that construction sign, I had no idea a local was a contender.  And we watched ALL the coverage.  Usually the next day and after we screened it a bit. Didn't want another "Barbaro" story.

We also liked the synchronized women's diving.  And I still laugh when the Chinese team was cleaning house in this event and a coach was cheering and yelling instruction to her diver and Elliot said, in all earnestness, "Mommy, why are they yelling in Chinese?  They should just yell in English so everybody can understand."

But the Olympics.  Sparked continuous usage of our balance beam in the basement.  And finding all of Zoe's old leotards.  And a definitive choice of gymnastics over dance classes for the fall.  So I found a gym.  There are 2 in Newton. Aly Raisman trained at one of them when she was little.  And it is the one that allowed a class for Elliot & Sam at the same time, so Julia would not have to hang out for hours waiting for them, so yeah, we are crowding into the Aly Raisman gym with all the other glommer-onners.

And when a town the size of Woodstock produces an Olympic gold medalist in the most-watched sport at the Olympics, the whole state beams with pride.  Myself included.  When I saw there would be a "Rally for Aly" we were all over it.  A little parade that consisted of about 6 things: 2 gymnastics squads, a band, 2 convertibles and a fire truck & trolly with past olympians from the area.  It was perfect for us.

Aly cruised by and then THE WHOLE TOWN filed in behind her car and walked the rest of the parade route to their town center gazebo where all the local politicians spoke and applauded her.  And we frolicked around eating free ice cream from Sudbury Farms.  It was great.

Budding Artist

Elliot is over the moon excited that we just found out that her artwork was selected to be on the cover of her elementary school's handbook for this year.  There was a school wide optional contest and Elliot worked hard on her drawing.  It then sat around for a week and on the last day to submit an entry, I remembered we did not turn it in.  It was 5PM.  I had a fever.  It was POURING rain.  Patty had gone home.  Kassi & Ben were no where near home.  And I forgot the school was unlocked for the after-care program...so I told Elliot forget it, we'd just enter next year.  She was crushed.  I mean, she is in kindergarten, she made the picture, it was not her job to remember to turn it in - it was mine.  

She had forgotten about the contest, but now it was the biggest most devastating thing ever to not be a part.  So I sucked it up, buckled all 3 of them into car seats while I stood in the sheets of rain - drove the 3 blocks to the school, broke the law by leaving them all strapped in the car in the parking lot (do I leave the keys in with the AC on and risk them being driven away, or lock the car, take the keys and hope nobody notices them in the tinted windows? I don't remember which I chose) while I ran into the side door of the school and coolly slipped her artwork into the overflowing envelope.  This was last May.  We totally forgot about it.  And then we got the message below.  If you click on the "click here" it will take you to the PDF of the whole handbook and Elliot's is on the front cover.  Oh wait, Ben figured out how to post it:

Yay Elliot!  

PS - Ben and I need to stop making fun of the editors who let slip the "Your never a Stanger at Angier" on last year's cover.  "Hello Kettle? It's the Pot.  You are black."  

Groups Groupies and Groupers

It's been a busy summer.  Especially for being so low key.  Our favorite parts have been visiting friends and family, reconnecting, seeing how the kids have changed, reintroducing the kids to each other - seeing how nicely they all play together, and hoping that lasts for a long long time.  Too much to catch up on in any coherent way, but take a look - you might be in these shots too.  

Chicago friends at Beth & Lach's playhouse:  Sam, Sam, Alice, Harry, Elliot, Max & Julia

On stage at the Lyric Opera house with cousin Caroline after her amazing production of Beauty and the  Beast.  We were happy to have Caroline stay with us the week she was in Boston, though with our schedules, we hardly got to see her - She was getting home when we were going to bed.  We were leaving for work before she had to be up.  But my beauties fell in love instantly and continue to be mesmerized by her.  And you can see why.

Papa, Caroline, Mommy, Ami, Elliot, Samantha

Julia laughing at and being covered in lipstick kisses at dinner.

Cousin Seanie and Elliot at Alex's graduation.

Illinois cousins all lined up:  Julia, Alex, Seanie, Elliot, Samantha, Emilee, Andrew

 The ladies watching some football antics at cousin Alex's high school graduation party.

Grandma, Mommy, Elliot, Auntie Jessie, Julia

 Poolside at the beach:  Auntie Laura, Ami, Auntie Jane, Cousin Janet

 MA cousins at OBX building away:  Sam, Julia, Elliot, Zoe, Uncle Jamie, Milesy, Alex, Alden

 Lining up to watch the talent show:  Uncle Allen, Auntie Jane, Auntie Laura, The Bart-man.  Below some Shore Patrol:  Cousin David, Dominic, Cousin Laura

And then on to the UCLA Cousin reunion.  5 ladies all met in graduate school.  All married men from the same graduate school, and then proceeded to populate the world.  13 in all so far...I think we are done counting but am holding out hope for a couple more surprises (not from us!).  

Above lined up in oldest to youngest, except we don't know which twin came first: Angelina, Antonia, Benjamin, Noah, Adam, Serena, Callista, Elliot, William, Reed, Samantha, Grace, Julia.  

Our 11th girl reunion in 12 years:  Elissa, Patricia, Sherie, Jen, Anne - looking good ladies:  especially for an impromptu end of the night "surprise photo".