Lots of happenings

I found this picture on my phone and it made me smile...Gianna in her glory with tons and tons of those tubes of plastic animals...

Gianna's 2nd grade biography on Neil Armstrong...

I found this picture on my phone too...my funny little girl who is forever telling a story...

Nicholas loving his baby sister...

the trio...it really is amazing how they physically match so well right now...

Julia at Dance Explosion...the most difficult competition of the season...

and she placed 7th!  Pretty amazing...

1st Brooke Colletti (The World of Dance)

2nd Hannah Winship (McKeon)

3rd Cassidy Becker (Starline)

4th Jordan Remillard (McKeon)

5th Charlotte Beaudrot (McKeon)

6th Brooke Hill (McKeon)

7th Julia!!!

8th Sari Thaler (Rising Stars)

9th Hannah Smith (McKeon)

10th Mina Micera 

cousins visited from California...

the girls...

the boys...

Julia's 4th grade state park presentation...

friends Emily and Leah...

and best friend Lizzie...

Spirit Day at school...Julia looks so much like Nicholas in this picture that it's kind of freaky...

my handsome boy...and no he doesn't look like Julia in this picture : ) 

Nicholas' 5th grade musical...they sang a medley of Beatle songs...

He was just so cute...they all were...

My girls had their dance recital...

They were both amazing.  I'm so proud of them...

Julia was a huge help to me this year with 15...yes 15 costume changes!!  Julia is fabulous with the lipstick!  Not me.  I get it all over the place!  She even helped Gianna into her costumes. Julia only had one meltdown last night.  Not bad for Julia!  ; )

Gianna's dances were the highlight of the night for me...

Look at those smiling faces!!  No nerves...just so much confidence and pure fun! 

and this dance was the biggest hit of the night...

They had the audience clapping right along with them.  Gianna is a true performer...

I can't believe Nicholas is moving on to middle school in the fall.  Honestly, where does the time go?  It feels like yesterday he was leaving Little Blessings.  But he is ready.  That's for sure.  He is growing up before my eyes.  What a wonderful boy he is.  So loving and thoughtful.  He still tells me about ten times a day that he loves me and that I'm pretty.  Look what he made for his teacher as an end of the year gift...a fabulous chocolate cake!  I guess she's a chocolate lover...she better be! 

Here are some videos from Nicholas' 5th grade musical...just the cutest! 

 

Rainbows

A storm blew through here the other day and just after...this appeared in the sky...

I love that it's right over our house.  It was a perfect double rainbow...

Just beautiful...and I loved that people were posting pictures of this from all over...from our little town...

 

and in Boston too...

 



 

Just beautiful. 

My view

Here's the view from my "office"...

I consider myself very lucky to be able to work from home.  It gives me so much flexibility and I appreciate it so very much. 

Happy Father's Day

Julia's recital tap dance

Gianna's recital tap dance

Gianna is fourth in from the right...

Gianna's recital jazz dance

Gianna is fourth in from the right...

Special Friends

Gianna has made some very special friends this year in school. These are her four best friends...and from what I hear, they are inseparable at school...

Rory, Grace, Katherine, Jessica and Gianna. 

Toots

My Dad used to call me "Toots" all the time when I was a little girl.  But I haven't thought about that for many years.  It was long forgotten.  So about a week ago, I was needing my Dad's love, comfort and wisdom.  As I often do, I picked up his picture by my bed and slipped his Boston College ring onto my finger.  I talked to him out loud about my thoughts and gave the picture a kiss and held it close to my heart.  I looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes.  At that very moment, I heard clear as a bell in my head "Toots".  My eyes flew open and with the biggest smile on my face I said, "I heard you Dad!  I heard you"!!!  It was him.  I just know it.  It was him.  : ) 

Julia's solo - Starpower

Julia did a beautiful job this weekend at Starpower.  She placed 4th out of 34 girls for her solo!  

Overall Results: 

1. Olivia Alicandro - Rhythm Dance 

2. Emily Spurr - Rhythm Dance 

3. Ana Paula Mirando - The Greater Boston School of Dance 

4. Julia 

5. Nina Guitierrez - Seven Star School of Performing Arts 

6. Camryn Devanney - Warwick Dance and Gymnastics 

7. Alyssa (our studio)

8. ?

9. ?

10. Geena (our studio)

Trio from Starpower

Happenings

Sometimes it takes me weeks to catch up on the happenings around here...Gianna had her 2nd grade biography report presentation.  She did her report on Neil Armstrong and it was awesome!!!  Her teacher told me it was one of the best in the class!  She's a smarty pants for sure!  : ) 

Gianna and her adorable friends from school, Jess (Harry Potter presentation thus the glasses and outfit) and Katherine...

Gianna and Julia love to play "sled dogs".  Gianna's obsession continues with dogs...now it's Huskies.  She makes sled teams out of her stuffed animals and her little plastic dogs.  So cute.

Mother's Day was very nice. 

Kimmy made a delicious lunch and this special homemade strawberry shortcake...yum!

What a gorgeous spring day it was...

My beautiful Mom...

Brandy Boots...

The girls played for hours in the woods...the same woods I played in when I was their age.  I wish we had woods at our house.  It provides hours and hours of entertainment...

Julia and Gianna are competing at Starpower this weekend.  Julia had her solo first thing this morning.  She amazes me with her extraordinary grace and talent.  Here she's just being a DIVA....ha!! 

Julia got 5 out of 5 stars (equivalent to a platinum) and 4th place overall (and that was out of 34 girls)!!!  Fantastic!!!  I was kind of late taking out my camera and snapped a picture just as they were bowing and leaving the stage. Oh well. 

1st Olivia Alicandrof

2nd Emily Spurr

3rd Ana Paula Miranda

4th Julia!!  

7th Alyssa (NEDA)

10th Geena Lesser (NEDA)

Funny video of the girls playing "sled dogs". 

Gianna's 1st Communion

It was a gorgeous day for Gianna's 1st communion....

She was as pretty as a princess...