Art’s great piano recital (video)

Art played so beautifully at a recital yesterday over the weekend. I was so proud of him. I wasn’t planning to take a video but but then it was do so pretty. He doesn’t play this well at home! What the hell! It was like he was floating over the keys. He was really nervous. Afterwards you can sorta hear him whisper when he comes to sit back down. “That was really good!” And it was. Congratulations, Art.

Bailey and Netta’s recital

Actually, it was a recital for Jessica’s cello students, but Bailey and Netta performed, too. Cause why not? They did great and were brave to get up and play in front of everyone. I took a little video (below) and Lewis took all these photos with my big fancy camera. Nice job, Lewis!

Jessica with one of her students.





Bailey performed Hot Cross Buns and See the Pretty Flowers.

Netta performing Old Sea Turtles.
Jessica on piano!

(a photo I took of them waiting to go on stage)
Nice work, Jessica!

Art’s amazing soccer moment.

We signed Arthur up for a soccer team as part of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation. And informal group of kids led by coach Ray, a dad and a fellow who’s from England. He was a great coach and made it fun. Anyway, Arthur was nervous about joining, didn’t know any of the kids, was shy. And super kind. The other parents delighted in him. I remember once during a game Art and another kid collided, they both hit the ground. Arthur immediately turned over to ask the other kid “Are you OK??” Which is so nice! But the ball, Art, the ball! 
Anyway, they were actually a pretty terrible team at first. Lost bad. But they improved lots and made it to the finals (which sounds a little more impressive than it is). The coach warned all the kids that if the game is tied when it ends during the finals, they would have sudden death overtime (4 on 4, no goalies). Arthur desperately didn’t want to play in overtime, way too much pressure. He asked coach Ray, more like begged, that if there was OT not to put him in. Coach emailed us after practice and asked if we could work on Art a little. Art! The team needs you, you’ve got a strong leg, don’t just focus on yourself! This particular photo is of the moment the game ended tied and Arthur realized he was likely gonna be asked to play in overtime:
So anyway, the real reason I’m writing this post is to share one of the most wonderful moments in Arthur’s short 10-year-old life. If you imagine a life as a line across page, drawn with peaks and valleys, good times and forgettable stuff. This is the high mark. A moment Art will never forget. The game ended tied. Coach Ray put Art, one of the team’s best strikers and a great ball handler, was put in. Oh no! What if I fail! I’m so scared!
It was just great. I was so happy for Art and his whole team. He did it! They won the and then lost their next one, where Arthur also bravely played in OT (that’s the game where these photos came from). I’m proud of our little boy, for being brave and trying his hardest. 

Happy 6th birthday Bailey and Netta!

The girls turned six a couple days ago! Bailey asked for a “dragon cake” and Netta asked for an ‘eyeball cake” this year. And Jessica, who’s loves a good baking challenge, came through with these amazing, tasty beauts. I totally failed to get a nice picture on their birthday so am including a great photo Jess took that we should’ve posted a long time ago of their first day of kindergarten. And then their first day of livin’. Happy birthday Bailey and Netta!!!

End of summer at the Cottage

We’ve

Netta and Mama, hanging out. They’re really good friends.
Bailey, a beautiful boy-girl.
We actually do feed this boy.
Lewis, sparkled.
A sparkling ghost of Jessica.
Look at that intensity.
This is a game of ‘sandball’. A now beloved game invented by the boys and played a whole lot. They love it.
More sandball.
Beach wrestling.
I caught this Northern off the dock! I still can’t believe it! It’s incredible and was super exciting for everyone!
Twins, loving on each other.
Twins, sleeping near each other.
Bailey and a shark.
LOOK AT THOSE MUSCLES!
Scene setter.
Art singing and doing a super weird dance.
A true story. It was super surprising. Afterwards Lewis said, “Papa, that was sorta scary. Can we go back to the dock now?”
And that’s it.

Poor reenactment of a great photo

On the way back from a camping trip on the North Shore or Minnesota (photo of that to eventaully appear in this space), we stopped at Banning State Park, the same place we did a few years ago. I made a wonderful photo that is not printed huge in our house, the kids love to look at it. So they all demanded we find the same rocks and re-enact the photo today. Here’s my mediocre photo of their stellar effort. The original:

and today: