Center Stage

Alyssa and her teacher Miss Suzannah - it's been a great 2 years!!

On the heels of our return from a fantastic week in Vermont, Alyssa and I were on the run getting ready for her dance recital.  This year her Creative Movement dance class performed to "Jesus Bids Us Shine" sung by Veggie Tales.  So cute!!  We were especially excited that GG and Poppy were able to make the trip down from Vermont to see it...only 3 days after leaving them!!  Aunt Ange and Gram and Grandpop came too!

Getting Made Up

My Angel Showing off the beautiful Flower!

Backstage with the Class

A few action shots

After a great show, we went back to the house and continued the "this-weekend-is-all-about-Alyssa" theme by getting to work on her much anticipated swing set.  Lumber, screws, nails, saws, measuring tapes and a couple of hard working men over the afternoon made good work for the first day.  Meanwhile, Alyssa and GG decorated the sidewalk.

Thank goodness GG is so artistic, because the extent of my chalk-art drawings tend to be hopscotch and letters and basic stick figures.  Alyssa colored in hearts, drew penguins and something that I think looked like an elephant.  GG started with a sun and it took on a life of it's own.  There was so much chalk that the drawing actually survived 3 days and 2 rain storms!!

Alyssa requested that the picture be special to Uncle Malachi...she said that she just misses him so much with him living so far away in Italy.  Then she decided she wanted to list essentially everyone she knows and we compromised with adding "to everyone".  She even took a minute to put herself in the picture and record a special message.

What happened to the swing set, you ask??  Well, it took one more day with the help of friends and Poppy, but it got finished and Alyssa is in heaven!  Swings, glider, slide...what kid wouldn't be thrilled?

May in Motion...

So, the name of this blog is "Life in Motion" and there has been so much MOTION in May that I haven't had time to think about posting - ironic, huh?

We've had several big moments in May, including our week-long trip to stay with GG and Poppy in Vermont.  The car ride was long, as always and made even longer by the torrential rain that we traveled through for 7 out of the 8 hours.  Alyssa did fantastic, as she usually does.  Toy Story 1, a nap, lunch, Toy Story 2, some books and a doll and she was entertained for the trip.  I focused on seeing out the front window while listening to an audio book - best invention ever for long car rides!

As always, our time in Vermont went by too quickly.  This time seemed especially so as we managed to fit in 2 parties, plus Poppy's birthday and Mother's Day!  Not to mention the requisite baking and cooking to be done by Alyssa and GG.

Alyssa picked out a project to make Poppy for his birthday.  We didn't have time to make it before leaving for Vermont and I thought that it would be a fantastic little project to keep her busy when we didn't want her underfoot.  She was thrilled.  Paints, Glue, Candy...what more could a kid want??

Not only was Friday Poppy's Birthday, but it was also Party #1 - at a place called The Carving Studio.  This is a place that GG worked at over the last year as a chef.  It is a studio for artists from all over to come and work.  They have people come to teach and to learn - primarily the art of carving beautiful Vermont marble.  The resident artist from the past year, Leonidis, is from Greece and the party was to wish him well as he leaves to embark upon his next adventure.  Alyssa loved walking around and looking at the sculptures and telling us what they were (and she's pretty good even with some of the more abstract ones).  Her favorite was the coral.  She knew what it was right away and said that she wanted to stand in front to have her picture taken pretending she was like a mermaid!  Thanks Ariel!

Saturday brought another party.  A bridal shower for a friend of the family.  Alyssa was all dolled up in her pretty flower dress but, alas, no pics of that.  However, I do have a picture of her "after party dress".  See, it rained during the party.  A lot.  And, while she was told to stay out of the rain when she went out to the porch, she wasn't particularly successful at staying under the tent.  So, her soaking wet little body got draped with a t-shirt from the bride-to-be.  Of course, it was too big but with a little help from a hair tie, all worked out just fine.  

Sunday.  The parties are over...the making of the Lemon Squares and Almond Horns and Strawberry Green Bean Salad was over.  Now, it was Mother's Day.  Again, Alyssa picked out a project to make for GG.  Making it in secret was a bit tougher since GG was ALWAYS around, but we managed.  This was definitely a 2 person project and by the time we were done, both of us have painted fingers!!  Our Alien Q-tip Flowers...

Once Alyssa realized it was Mother's Day and that she didn't have a gift for me, she was so sad.  I told her the giant hug was plenty, but she was super excited when GG gave her money to buy me a present and she picked out new fuzzy slipper socks for me!!

Sunday and Monday were also spent checking out the (hopefully) soon-to-open restaurant, The HarvestMoon, but that is a story for another post.

Nearing the end of our trip, Mr. Woody finally awoke.  Let me take a moment to tell you about Mr. Woody.  I wish that I had a picture, but I don't.  Mr. Woody is a tree in my parents yard.  It has nailed into it these big eyes and a mustache so that it looks like the tree has a face.  Ever since Alyssa could talk (and let's face it, that's been just about since she came out of the womb), Mr. Woody was her friend.  He leaves gifts for her hanging from his "arms" and he talks with her (yes, she has finally figured out that it is GG from inside the house, but she doesn't care) and she picks flowers for him and gives him hugs when we get there and when we leave.  It's endearing, really.  The gift this trip was a fancy glow-stick kit.  It was filled with glow stick and directions to make different things like flowers and glasses and other things.  Along with Poppy's help, she made a few to use as night-lights in our room.

Tuesday came before we knew it and off we were.  Back in the car for the long drive home.  On the up side - it wasn't raining.