Fabulous Annie

I have aways said that Annelise is the child who will accomplish whatever she dreams. Over the past couple of weeks, Annelise's dream has been to put together a play for the talent section of school meeting. So, at recess she rounded up seven of her friends and organized, wrote, directed and stared in a re-mix of Little Red Riding Hood. Each day I would receive updates on the progress that the girls were making. "Should we invite your friends over for a practice? Would you like me to look at your script and see if you need any help," I couldn't help but ask. She assured me that everything was under control. At recess she had the girls practicing, she arranged to audition for Mrs. Dooley, she gave assignments for costumes, and she even gathered together a few props from our storage room. Last night Annelise brought up a piece of red felt from last year's M&M Halloween costume. She instructed me where to cut, pin and tie strands of ribbon to create a hooded cape. As always with Annelise, my best place is on the sidelines. Lucky for me, Annelise is such fun to watch! Today Steve and I met at the school for the showing of "Little Red." Annelise and her friends were the first to preform in school meeting. Annie was a star, clearly enjoying the spotlight. The audience giggled when Red Riding Hood's father, not mother, reminded her to talk to strangers and while on her way to Grandpa's house, there was a cameo appearance of the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. I didn't quite know what to expect when I found my seat in the audience this afternoon, but as always, Annie's dream was a success.

As a bonus, Jonathan appeared on the stage next, with his friend Andrew. They had proposed to the principal that they present a sports trivia question at each school meeting throughout the year. The students would have the week to drop their answers to the question in a box located in the front hall. The winners would be acknowledged at the following school meeting. Steve and I knew that this addition to school meeting had been approved, but were pleasantly surprised when Jonathan appeared in front to the microphone, asking the students how many times the Patriots had won a Superbowl in the history of their franchise. You could see little boys throughout the student body bounce in their spots, as if wiggling and squirming would help hold in the answer.  We look forward to many sport tid bits shared around the dinner table this year. 

She Made it!

Tonight Emilie's friend, Maddie, called. The conversation immediately crescendoed, I heard a click, the phone drop and footsteps racing up the stairs. Emilie lept into my arms. "I made it! I made it!" On Tuesday Emilie had tried out for Select Choir, the equivalent of Madrigals on the high school level. She hesitated to try out. Only a few sixth graders would be chosen, her teacher warned. Emilie told me that all of her friends who had tried out had parents and siblings with singing backgrounds. She was right. Lizzy's mom sings in a band and Sarah's family preforms in local musicals. I decided there was no point in mentioning that I actually did sing in the school choirs throughout junior high and high school. I didn't consider myself a singer then and I don't now. I couldn't offer much help in her prepared piece, except for being the pianist, so I got my friend, Julie Berry, who is the ward choir director on the phone and set up a time for Emilie to run through her piece a few times with her. Julie had great advice and sent us home with a few ideas to practice, which we did, over and over late into the night. The next morning I sent Emilie off to school, proud of her risk taking and excitement to try new things. Tonight the results were posted online and sure enough, Emilie's name was included. She will sing soprano 1 and preform throughout the year at concerts in school assemblies, around our town, and even in Boston. She will meet weekly, on Wednesdays, at 7:00 am for practices. She also is enrolled in the school choir as an elective course.

Congratulations Emilie!        

He Made It!

Last Sunday Jonathan mentioned, late at night, that the elections in his class for student council representative would be held the next morning. "What does this mean," I asked? "I need a letter convincing the class to vote for me" was his response. The class could not know who the letter was written by because the teacher intended for the students to vote on the content of the letter, not the popularity of the student. In Jonathan's case, we knew this would be a disadvantage. Jonathan and I spent the next hour or so huddled around the computer, transforming his thoughts into text. This is what he came up with:

A few years ago I drove into the Nixon parking lot as a new student from a different state. When I first saw the school, I wondered if I would be included in soccer at recess, if the math problems would be harder here and if I would be happy and love this school as much as my other school. I soon found out that I would be happy here. Three years later I love this school and I am hoping to make it an even better place by being on student council.   

I would make a good class representative because I want to make a difference at Nixon. I could do a good job representing the 4th graders. I know that some of you think that we should be able to use the playground structure during recess. Some of you also think there needs to be  more sporting equipment such as bats and balls. I have heard some people say that we need to improve the quality of school meetings. I think that there should be a better football field with football lines. It also would be a good idea to have students spotlighted at each school meeting. I will listen to your suggestions and also come up with my own ideas. I will also not be afraid to talk about them at Student Council and with Ms. Jay. 

I know that my experience with being on many different teams and speaking in front of different groups of people will help me be a great member of Student Council. 

Now that I have been at Nixon for three years, I know that I am lucky to play soccer on the play ground and do math in the classrooms. I know that I a lucky to be a Nixon student. This year I am also lucky to be in Mr. Kotkin’s fourth grade class. I hope that I can represent all of us in Student Council this year. I know that I would do a good job. 

Signed,

Elvis Presley

Jonathan came off of the bus beaming. I knew that he had won! "It was the Elvis Presley that got me the votes" he exclaimed. I am sure he was right. If he can't get votes as Jonathan Ebert, I guess Elvis Presley will also do the trick! 

Congratulations Jonathan! 

We know that Jonathan is in for a great fourth grade year and can't wait to see how he makes Nixon a better place.

(Annelise was student council last year and Emilie was student council the year before. Thanks to Annelise's great school posters and Emilie's idea to repaint the playground lines, which really did happen, through student council, Nixon is a better place!) 

A Leap Forward

Last weekend I felt like I took a huge leap forward in my parenting journey. In Sudbury, ballroom dancing classes are offered to all sixth grade students. During the course of six lessons, the eleven and twelve year olds in our town learn etiquette, social skills and classic dance steps. On Friday evenings the middle school cafeteria is transformed into a ballroom, filled with girls in their Sunday best and boys milling around in khakis, blazers and ties. The program is a huge success, with few missing the opportunity to better themselves in the area of elegance and sophistication . Last Friday was the first event, and Emilie and all of her friends were signed up and ready to dance. I dropped Emilie off at her friend Jackie's house for a pre-dance party. The girls had snacks, got ready together and arrived in a group, which was the main purpose of this pre-dance event. After the event I was the lucky mother who picked the girls up. They jumped in the car and immediately exchanged stories from the evening. "That was a little awkward." "Mike's hands were so sweaty!" "You were so lucky! You got to dance with Cassie's cousin!" The girls exclaimed. They all agreed that the night was full of excitement and they were looking forward to the next dance. I brought the girls home to our house for pizza and sundaes. Apparently they hadn't had enough dancing because they turned up the music and danced and sang to "He Could Be the One," "Hoe Down Throw Down," and "All the Single ladies."

Lizzy.Katie.Emilie.Lindsey.Cassie.Natalie.Sophia.Julie.Jackie

Although I wondered if Emilie was a little young for a ballroom dance, I reminded myself of Cotillion that the children attended in my neighborhood as sixth graders and the stomps in the Bryant Junior High cafeteria. We danced to songs like "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Lady in Red." I remember Jared Johnson tripping over my shoes while we danced and Mr. Trajio, the principal, prying apart couples who were dancing too close together. I am sure my friends exclaimed how lucky some us were for our dance partner choices and how unfortunate the social awkwardness of others was. I am also sure that, if given the opportunity, we all would have benefited from a few Sudbury ballroom dance lessons!     

Back to School

In our household, the excitement that comes with the first day of school is incomparable to any other event of the year. The back to school ritual begins weeks in advance. As soon as the school supply list is mailed we head out to Staples or some other office supply destination. Backpacks are organized and then reorganized. A trip to the mall for a new outfit or two with each child is taken alone, which is significant. That outing always ends over a Ben and Jerry's ice cream scoop. Phone calls are made to best friends once the student class list is mailed and, despite which teacher was originally preferred, it changes to the name that appears on the top of that long awaited list. "Yep! Mrs. Roth is the best teacher in second grade. Always has been and always will be," we hear. The pantry is stocked with lunch supplies that will soon be packed in brown paper sacks, with a note signed by me tucked inside. The daily countdown is refigured and repeated to the youngest ones who can't keep the days straight. Finally first day outfits are laid out with only a few days to go. Blessings are given and goals are written. The day arrives, with children who couldn't sleep the night before but still awoke before sunrise. Pictures are taken on the door step, seven years running now. The new middle schooler is walked through the woods and sent on her way, with a text wishing her a good day. The elementary schoolers know the drill: when the bus stop is in sight, take off running and drop your bags to hold your place in line. Pictures, kisses blown and hands waving until the bus is out of sight are still permitted on this corner. 

 

Emilie and her best friend Sara walk to the bus every day

When three o'clock rolls around I hear about new lockers, an upgrade from tables to desks in grade two, football's resumption during lunch recess, same spot on the playground and same players, the new kid from Dallas and of course the bus ride home. The children are happy. How grateful I am for good teachers. This year will be a success.

True Blessings

Today we brought Mia to church, all dressed in white, ready to be blessed and given her official name, Miriam Caroline Ebert. Miriam gracefully wore the same beautiful dress that her three sisters wore. 

Steve did a beautiful job, despite Miriam's howls through the entire blessing! (Bishop Ainge even commented, to the congregation, on her large lunged singing potential.) Steve mentioned Miriam's great grandmothers and blessed her to emulate their strong characteristics of faith, motherhood and grace. He included her siblings in the blessing and the special role that she plays in our family. He also blessed her to be faithful, stay close to the gospel, find a loving companion and have an eternal family. We were so grateful for our friends who participated in the blessing. However, we missed family and friends joining in the circle. 

Brandon White*Blake Zenger*Mark Marcantano*Steve*Danny Ainge*Paul Gorman

(and Jess Hatch, not pictured)

For the first time in six baby blessings, we opted out of hosting a huge dinner afterwards and instead attended a barbecue in the backyard of our neighbors. Miriam's big day was simple but sweet. I am so grateful that I am able to have all of my children blessed and named into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

Disney Die Hards

I have always wondered, "Who actually buys the five day Disney pass?" I now know the answer. We do. This past summer we had a Spendlove family reunion in Orlando, so after doing the math, and figuring that the five day pass was actually less expensive than the two day hopper pass, we headed south for a solid week of Disney. Our week began in 101 degree temperatures at Animal Kingdom. Even with the heat and the crowds, we managed to enjoy our day of 4-D bug shows, backward roller coasters and safari rides. We did have to find ways to keep cool, though. 

Our next day was spent at Disney Studios. The little kids were entertained at the Little Mermaid show and Beauty and the Beast production and the big kids headed straight to the Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, with their mother, the brave one, in tow! 

We spent a day at Magic Kingdom, which we know inside and out but still love, as was evidenced with our late night at the fireworks show and then six kids asleep on the monorail back to the parking lot at 1:00 am. 

The next day Steve returned to Magic Kingdom with Sophia and Ezra, who we felt had not enjoyed enough Disney magic. Steve spent an entire day focusing on princesses, character parades and Dumbo rides, while I took Emilie, Jonathan, Annelise and Mia to Epcot with our Moreland cousins for educational rides and a trip around the world, with stops at destinations including France, China and Morocco. 

We ended the week at Disney Quest, a seven story building full of simulated rides and games. 

During the week the kids collected and traded Disney pins, a hobby that Charlotte, Josh, Ben and Daniel Moreland introduced to our children. We just happened to be at Epcot when a trading convention was held. We didn't attend, thankfully, but heard that one pin sold for seventy-five thousand dollars! (I guess our definition of Disney diehard is relative!) 

Fortunately we were able to fit in a few other memories to counter balance all of our Disney fun. We took the kids North for a day at Cocoa Beach where they collected shells, watched the surfers and swam in the warm Atlantic. 

We spent a day at St. Augustine, which was discovered by Ponce de Leon. Emilie had researched and reported on this famous Spaniard explorer and treasure hunter earlier in the year, so we felt lucky to be able to have an expert with us to fill us full of Floridian history. 

Another day we followed my parents to Kennedy Space Center. We took a tour out to the launch pad and different viewing sites, climbed inside a space shuttle and took a ride in a simulated lift off, created by authentic astronauts. We learned that there would be a rocket launch later in the evening, so we pulled off to the side of the road to see all of the knowledge that we had just absorbed about the space program come to life. Each trip has a regret and this was the moment for our Florida trip. After sitting for thirty minutes, it was reported that the launch would be delayed, so with tired and hungry children, we decided to wait for our next opportunity to see a real live rocket lift off into space, I guess. About ten minutes later, we looked to the sky to see the remains of the rocket launch that we had just passed up. Immediately we were disappointed with our impatience. 

The purpose of our vacation to Florida was to spend time with our Spendlove extended family. Several activities were planned throughout the week. Our children looked forward to the traditional get togethers as much as they did to the Disney parks. We spent an evening at the Newly Wed Game, in which Steve and I came dead last. (Everyone agreed that the longer the couple was married the less chance they had of getting the answers correct, which proved to be true!) We attended the family auction, with Grandpa David as the auctioneer in his traditional garb. How and where the tradition began, no one remembers! This is always the highlight of the week for the children. They spend Monopoly money buying all sorts of items that have been filling other family members' closets. Of course the odder the item brought, the more appeal it has. Fortunately Jonathan was outbid on the dress shirt with a huge Texas flag that he desperately wanted to buy for Steve as a late Father's Day gift! However, we did drag home a XXXL golf shirt that fit Jonathan like a dress. We met for an adult dinner out and a pot luck dinner in, followed by a night to reminisce about Grandpa Cliff who wanted so badly to make it to the reunion. Despite the destination of the different reunions, the family time is what brings each aunt, cousin or grandparent hundreds of miles to spend a week together. 

When I began planning this trip, I was reminded that I am truly my mother's daughter. Each trip that my family went on growing up, consisted of excursions extremely far away from our destination to fit in some random cultural experience, which I am sure we are all better for. In the early stages of the planning process, I did some map questing and realized that we could really fit in a bit of Southern charm if we were willing to do some driving. With a little more research, I found that flights were cheaper into Charleston, South Carolina than Orlando. So, unlike any other family would do, we flew into Charleston and then drove down to Savannah, Georgia where we walked under Spanish Moss and ate Jambalaya and barbecued pork, drove through the bayous and stopped at a roadside stand for peach cider and pecan pie (which I told Steve was in and of itself worth the additional six hour drive).

On our way back home we spent a day in Charleston where we walked along the historic waterfront, shopped at the Slave Market where trusted slaves were allowed to purchase items for their masters, and watched weavers create sweet grass baskets, a craft brought from Africa. We ended the day with a horse drawn carriage ride through cobblestone streets lined with the iconic pastel buildings, palmetto trees, and gas lanterns of this old city, as we listened to the history of Charleston. 

The next morning we headed to the airport, leaving Little Mermaid and Alice and Wonderland, the rockets blasting to space, the Spaniards and surfers, our beloved family members and the charm of the low country behind.