BamBam grows up ...

... and makes his First Holy Communion today!

Today is the anniversary of John Paul the Great's death and so we thought it appropriate for our BamBam to make his FHC on the date when his patron was sent home to the Father.  As an added bonus, it was First Saturday, so we had Morning Prayer, Rosary, Confession AND Mass.  

LegoManiac was able to serve and String Bean was happy to have a chance to dress up and look lovely in pink!

Congrats, BamBam ... we are very proud of you and love you very much!

Birthdays: Lego Maniac turns 11!

[Note:  this should have been posted last night ... but here it is ...]

Lego Maniac at 3 ... when the toys were kid-powered.

Lego Maniac at 4 ... when paper hats were the style.

Lego Maniac at 11 ... when "Wii, Wii, Wii ... all the way home" means something quite different now!

Happy 11th to our wonderful son ... you bring light and joy to our hearts every day!

God bless you!

Family: stage mom reflections

WARNING:  the following post is a bit sentimental and sappy and brags a bit on my child.  If you don't want to read it, don't.  If you're with me this far, listen on in!

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After months of rehearsals ... many that got in the way of family or personal activities or desires ... THE play opened last night. Dh and the littles were in the audience, along with our favorite priest/chaplain. Opening night was upon us.

A plague of butterflies filled my too-little dinner stomach ... while my heart beat it's own tattooed message:  "don't screw up, don't screw up".  I was restless, nervous, anxious, worried ... I was a stage mama.

You see, this was LegoManiac's first real performance.  True, he's always acted (and acted-up) in the living room or school room.  True, he was a superlative monkey in a version of Magician's Nephew last winter.  But ... this was real theater: admission, costumes, lighting, mics, make-up ... the whole nine yards. 

LegoManiac's role in the musical Mame is a big one -- he gives the first line ... he sings a few solos ... he buzzes the audience on his black heelys ... and he's in every scene but one in the first of the two acts.  Yep, the evening is fraught with opportunities for him to screw-up throughout the almost two hours that he is on stage.

And where's mama?

Watching helplessly from the wings ... opening and closing the curtain ... getting tennis elbow while the butterflies are overproducing in my stomach and my heart continues to pound.  I can't help him with costume changes ... or props ... or get his tail out on stage.  He has to take care of it himself.  He has to be a big boy and focus and emote and ennunciate and slow down and remember the words ... all by himself.  But he's still my little boy ... and I so want to protect him from making a mistake ... from forgetting a line ... from generally just screwing up.  But, I can't protect him forever ... and with this play he gets a chance to practice being "a big boy".

And that boy didn't make any obvious mistakes (actually making one forgotten line into a better, more emotionally-charged bit) ... the audience enjoyed every minute ... and, more importantly, LegoManiac felt good about himself and his fellow cast and crew at the end of the day. (I know this because he and I sat up from midnight till almost 1:30, discussing it all, sipping wine (me)/tea (him) and noshing). 

I love this little boy of 10 ... and when Mame sings "Where's that boy with the bugle" ... it makes me want to cry because it reminds me that he won't be little for too much longer and I'm so thrilled and honored that I can spend this much time with him, experiencing his successes, his failures, his big and little triumphs ... experiencing his life!

Thanks to Mame and all the veteran cast and crew who have helped this stage mama and her little boy learn so much about the great art of acting.  God bless you all.

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OK ... one down, seven more performances to go .... and I'm sure I'll be just as nervous and worried at each one.  But nothing will ever beat the thrill of seeing my little boy ... act like a big boy, doing his best with his God-given talents at opening night November 5, 2009!

Week in Review: July 12 - 18, 2009

This has been an amazing week here at the "farm" ....

On Sunday, July 12th -- Lego Maniac tried out for the Fall musical here at the Lake -- Mame! -- and he garnered the key role of Patrick, 10-year-old orphan adopted by his Auntie Mame.

So we spent much of the week ... pulling Lego Maniac off the roof (yes, he was THAT thrilled), hauling him to pre-rehearsals, and listening to the songs and dialogue of the script and getting him ready for his role as a wealthy 10-year-old orphan living with an eccentric (but very unschooly!) Aunt. The show will be NOV. 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 & 15 -- so if anyone is interested in watching our little meadowlark sing his heart out, please let us know as we have room to house you!

We also found out this week that one of our favorite nieces is expecting, due on February 15th (altho hoping for a February 14th delivery) with their very first child. String Bean and I are already designing a knitted layette ... just waiting to hear on the gender!

On Thursday, July 16th -- we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel ... including Kotch making a batch of granita di cafe -- wow, this stuff is great. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it (and it is definitely worth trying, especially in July when the temp reaches 95+ and you want coffee but not hot coffee!) :

Granita di Caffe (Coffee Ice) Italians are big celebrators of this feast so here's a traditional drink that is well worth making. This coffee ice is cool and refreshing for this summer feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
INGREDIENTS
· 3/4 cup sugar
· 2 cups warm water
· 1/2 cup lemon juice
· 2 cups strong coffee
DIRECTIONS
Stir the sugar into the warm water until it is melted and add the lemon juice, stirring for about five minutes. Add the coffee, strain, place in a freezing tray, and freeze, stirring frequently, until it becomes a mush.
Serve the ice slush in glasses, topping the glasses of ice with any of the following: whipped cream (add vanilla, sugar, almond extract, etc.) liqueurs (Amaretto, Kahlua, Baileys, etc.) chocolate curls or small pieces candied citrus peel or even just a twist of fresh lemon on top of the ice ... wow!

This is definitely worth making and eating ... and eating somemore!

On top of our wonderful week, on Friday String Bean and I stopped at the brand new knitting shop (not one mile from the house with a brand new coffee shop next store ... is God telling us we should be here or what?!) and we found out that the owner will be hosting a weekly knitting night starting soon. How cool is that? And the night she chose does NOT conflict with anything else we're doing (or planning) so it is now on the calendar as a sacrosanct day!

We've also been doing LOTS of work around the house -- weeding, cleaning, fixing and generally getting the house into great shape. This is definitely a house worth working on ... and living in ... for many years to come!

And with the lake to go walk to ... and play in ... every evening ... what's not to like?

So, when are y'all coming to visit?