Dancing Posted By: Stella

Hello Readers! Today we have a treat for you. Leo, Rus, Tert, and Filia worked hard on a show filled with dances, some of which were learned from Grandma ;-) (Including the Habenera and the Polka!)

So...here are our performers:

 ~Filia~

 -Rus-

 -Tert-

-Leo-

First we have to crank up the electric piano and get all dolled up :-) 

Waiting in the back we see some signs of anxiety...

Tert declares that he is tired and wants to take a nap. He says he's the sleeping tiger...

First we're going to see some dances from Rus and Filia:

 Look at that big, beautiful smile on her face!

 He looks so proud!

Hugs!

<3 <3 <3 

'N kisses 

 Brothers :-)

When Filia started whimpering Leo was quick to pull out some of Stella's handcream and Filia's tears turned to giggles :-) 

 Dancin' with Filia

 Craziness!

Tert looks on, "Seriously? How can you guys be so crazy?" Oh boy, Tert...

 Father-Daughter Dance

Next Leo claimed HIS dance with the princess :-D

 Filia 'played' the piano and then took her turn dancing...

Now I have a special treat for our readers! I have never tried posting videos before-so bear with me!- but I got some dances on video, and post them below as the 'grand finale!'

Here is Leo and Filia dancing the Habenera. (Love Filia's giggles in both of these videos :-D)

Here is Leo and Filia dancing the Polka! See how happy she looks?! ;-)

And finally-the absolute must-see! Tert dancing the ah-ah-hmmm.... ;-)

Pre-School Activities 2012 By: Stella

Hello to All of Alma Mater's Readers:

With the school year creeping up on us, we are busy pasting schedules up on the fridge, taking inventory of school supplies, sharpening pencils, and working on some extra curricular stuff. You can tell that it is pre-school time at our house by noticing the bowl of papyrus soaking on our counter, the school books piled in masses in the basement, the filling bookshelves, and the planners all over our computer table.
 Leo and Rus decided that they would begin their mummy kit. I got a few pictures:

 Leo and Rus are hard at work...

 Ew! Insides of a mummy :P

 Reading up on Mummies...

 -Mummifying the body-

So glad I had my camera with me and captured his face when he saw the mummy!

 Putting on the mask to signify that it is a 'Pharoah' mummy

 Insides in the shrines, mummified cat on the mummified mummy, check, check check...

'Death shall come on swift wings to him that toucheth the tomb of Pharoah'

Meanwhile...

 Tert tried out his "abc's WRITE AND WIPE!" Alphabet cards :-)

 These cards are really cool! They are dry-erase tracing cards, with a picture on the back of something that starts with the letter on the opposite side. Tert loves them...

 Next it's time for 'Your Big Backyard.'

More tracing...

Good job Boys!

Good job Tert!

Quotes

It seems like I've had less quotes from the kids lately.  Filia is so funny and cute, but you have to see her in action to know what I mean.  She has the most adorable names for us, and calls two of her brothers "honey."  Every dog she sees is "Arora!" (for Cora).  She is a chatterbox, but most of her words are some mysterious language only known to her.  :)

And Stella adds...

Filia always looks forward to watching some "Happy!" (aka Waltons) in the evenings.  She always calls out for some "Happy-Nanight!" as it is approaching her bedtime.  She'll snuggle in between Stella and Leo and watch the movie until it is time for bed.  Then she'll rush upstairs and hurry into 'Sissy's' bed.  On one such night she was frustrated that Leo wasn't going to bed so she cried impatiently:
        "Happy-all nun! Honey-Nanun-Honey-Nanun! Bye!" And she shut his bedroom door on him ;-) Translation: "Waltons-all done! Leo-GO TO BED! LEO GO TO BED!!! BYE!" I guess she needed some peace and quiet :-)


I brought Rus for his annual allergy blood work today and told him that, even though the doctors' visits weren't much fun, I loved spending the extra time with him.  His response was, "Mom, I LOVE talking with you.  Talking with you just brightens my day." 

Tert is a little nut as always.  Stella has done a great job capturing his personality with her photos.  He told her the other day that "his cousin has allergies, but he won't catch them because he washed his hands after he touched her."

 After attending the closing ceremony for VBS (held at a church in our area, not in our usual church) he asked on Sunday morning: "Are we going to the real church or the one where we sing about saving?"

Birthday Getaway

Stephen's birthday wish was for a relaxing night away with me at the Common Man Inn in Plymouth.  We had visited there once when I was several months pregnant with Tert (just before our 10th anniversary), but this was our FIRST, BABY-FREE night away since our honeymoon.  No maternity clothes, aching feet and pillows to prop my large belly. No small children in our bed or babies to nurse through the night. Stephen and I had anticipated every detail of this long-awaited trip, and the timing was perfect.  It followed an exhausting "vacation" week of replacing our own roof and preceded the season of crazy overtime hours to pay for Stella's braces.  Never have we needed or appreciated a break more...

We began our date with a hike up Mt. Kearsarge and shared a picnic lunch with a breathtaking view.  After a quick stop home to nurse Filia and check on the slow cooker, we kissed our little ones goodbye and headed north.  Our spacious room had a fireplace, a lovely view, and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my romantic husband. I could scarcely wait to present him with his birthday gift, so we opened a bottle of champagne and some fancy chocolates I had packed and settled into our cozy love seat.  Stephen was delighted with the album I had made for him.  It was a compilation of all of the letters, cards, and sentimental notes we've exchanged since we met.  What fun it was to relive the shy days of dating as we read our earliest letters aloud.  These captured memories sparked so much wonderful conversation through the special dinner and evening that followed.  Stephen and I agreed that this getaway was the most refreshing and delightful time we've shared in over a decade.  As wonderful as our honeymoon was, this 24 hours together even surpassed our first days as newlyweds.