...when you're living out a dream

Top 10 Things I Love About Harry at 10

10. He loves water, fountains, and making wishes

9.  He loves music and the library

8.  He has his own sense of style

7.  He digs deep into whatever interests him

6.  He loves maps, Google Earth or old style

5.  He will persevere

4.  He is creative

3.  He is a charmer

2.  He lives on the bright side of the road,
loves nature and
can find beauty in every moment of every day

1.  He loves everything,
especially me,
for which I am eternally grateful

 Everything Is Awesome (unplugged)

To Say Merry Christmas To You

The boys' school had their Winter Program tonite, filled with catchy tunes and a lot of wonderful story about celebrating the holiday despite snow storms that disable the power.  Harry's class were the line workers, and Jack's were carolers complete with ukuleles.  Their music teacher always writes the most creative music and scripts for the kids.  Cuteness abounded.

Harry and his great friend Olivia getting ready for the show,
thanx for the hat and the sweet delivery system!

Jack seriously playing his ukulele

Harry fought to keep his hat on, but had a great time

Jimmy Buffett's Mele Kalikimaka

Let me tell of a time when the world was in rhyme with the sound of our laughter

Harry has always had some connection with opera and lives his life in music, so when an opportunity to go to a real, live opera came up....we jumped on it!  

First, there was the stylish dressing and posing with Mommy...

 ...then the sweet goodbyes with Brother Jack 

(Jack says this picture makes him look like a ragged boy and Harry like a rich man)

 His big send-off pose 

 Let's go, already!

 To get into the spirit of the nite, we went to his favorite Italian restaurant....

 ....you got it, it has a fountain!

 A little more posing, just in case it wasn't obvious that we were excited.  He thought this one made it look like we were really on the streets of Italy ;-)

 A taste of Italy

 It's delish

 ...and messy!

There were no pix during the show, but it was a really great job in a nicely refurbished theater with an art deco styling that Harry dug.  He made it through most of the first half before nodding off, seeming to really like the acting and singing.  He did as if there would be any lady singers after the first scene was nothing but bohemian men.

To say thanx to Daddy for directional assistance and let him and Jack know we loved them, we stopped at a sweet old-fashioned donut store on the way home. 

He's still perfecting his milk 'stache 

The fat lady, as the expression goes, has sung!

La Boheme

Son, can you play me a memory

The boys have been playing around with their new musical instruments for the last couple of months, and things are starting to sound more like real songs. Harry even serenaded us with some 'dinner music' earlier today...I could get into that!

He first played this yesterday, with Dean and I in other rooms, both recognizing it....I was flooded with the memory of them sitting at Story Hour with Miss Kitt and doing their 'twinkle hands', trying to follow along....precious memories.

Billy Joel's Piano Man

I Just Want To Bang On The Drum All Day

Jack very proudly performing his first song

Todd Rundgren's Bang On The Drum

I'll do funny things if you want me to, I'm your puppet

The Enrichment teacher did a puppet presentation today at the boys' school - Harry gave a great answer to one of her questions, and Jack got to act out the part of narrator during a little play about school conduct. It was a lot of fun to get to see each of the grades, and the bonus was getting to see the marionette scene for The Sound of Music 6 times ;-) Jack wants to learn to yodel now, and I think I'm watching the movie again tomorrow since I'm craving a little musical happy!

Harry had his long-time pal Trevor over for a playdate today, and they found that they both have a passion for percussion - they were good enough that I didn't even mind the noise ;-)

Can you tell that they are totally jamming here? So sweet - thanx for sharing him, N!

Marvin Gaye's I'm Your Puppet

Presents To Send You

Well, birthday money was burning a hole is some boy pockets last week, so we headed to TRU. Harry got a cool roll-up piano, and Jack got a bunch of new Legos with their money from Grammy and Papa.
Jack chose this synthesizing guitar and Harry chose a monkey he names "Sweetie" from Grandma. Thanx to you all, they are happy boys!

After tough toy shopping, nothing beats a trip to 5 Guys!

bellied up to the bar

Jimmy Buffett

Photographs and Memories - Spin Cycle

Jen's weekly Spin was about "Memories" a few weeks ago, and I've been Reminiscing, taking pix and humming tunes ever since. I had almost given up hope of running across another bicentennial quarter, especially with the minting of the state quarters in the last decade, but I lucked into one the other day and got all mushy inside. My beloved Gramma and I loved to collect these quarters and wheat pennies - it's been so long since I've found either, but it's always a gift I cherish when I find one and am overcome by a rush of Precious Memories.

I have so many wonderful childhood memories - from singing Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head atop Jimmy's shoulders sometime around the age of 4, to falling for the Doobie Brothers after hearing Black Water - I was 6 and at my first sleep away camp, and it was an anthem of sorts...we had no idea what it meant. Jim Croce's You Don't Mess Around With Jim was popular when I was in 1st grade, and I can still remember us all hanging out by the front door singing it while we waited for our parents to pick us up. I saw the Doobies, Aerosmith, Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett and all sorts of cool 70's acts. There are all sorts of awful 80's songs that bring back a rush of teen power and angst, and great dance tunes that remind me of the wild days of college...it seems like just about every song I hear evokes some sort of memory, and I usually toss out the bad as soon as they rear their ugly heads.

What brings back memories for you? Do you tend to remember the good times or the bad?

And seeing as I need some kid photos, how about this flashback and last weekend's updated versions?

This is Harry's foot during the first days, circa March 2004...
and last weekend - gulp!

When I realized how much his foot had grown, I decided to get a hand shot...

and ones of Jack, so he's not 'jealous for another day' ;-)

And in case you're wondering, songs that bring back baby love the most so far: Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World, Bob Marley's Get Up Stand Up (I saw today that there's a new kids' cd BisforBob), Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rascal Flatts' (yuck) Highway for Jack and Everyday for Harry. The boys love music and playing 'name that tune' and naming the artist - it's been fun, so far!

Happy Reminiscing - check out Sprite's Keeper for this and other great spins - give it a whirl yourself!

Jim Croce

Mama don't let your cowboys grow up to be babies

The boys got to experience their first concert while helping Aunt Jackie celebrate her birthday...

They had a great time - sunny day, Willie Nelson, and a whole lotta attention from Aunt Jackie and her friend Lori.

They hammed it up for me after getting set up on AJ's blanket
Harry mastered the chillin' pretty quickly

They tried to get their first peek from the ground, but we did give them a shoulder-eye view for a bit

Wishing AJ a happy birthday!

Harry's version of the lighter salute

They figured out pretty quickly that it was hard to hear, but still wanted to gab

Jack made up a bunch of games (you'd think *he* was the one drinking!)

Harry reminded us a few times that he was really excited

This was our view, but the sound was great! Who can believe the guy's 70 - I think he sounded better than when we saw him 7 years ago.....maybe he's got something with that medicinal aid of his ;-) (Be glad the pix aren't scratch-n-sniff!)

Singing Blue Eyes Cryin In The Rain

We ran out of lite, so I'm still playing with the pix of Harry clapping with his hands AND feet (Willie was that good!) and developing his own field sobriety test.

It was a real treat to take them to their first concert. I have a long-standing love of Willie, ever since seeing him in Honeysuckle Rose when I was 14 (yes, I'm *that* old!), so if it couldn't have been Jimmy Buffett....