Solo!

M3's solo is close to the end. Grease is the word!

Mothers' Day and Dance Performance

We had a great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa! They got to see M3's dance performance (pics below); we ate, we biked...thanks for so much fun, G2! Here is a Mother's Day pic:
I am having some problems loading the videos from the kids' concerts, so here are some pictures from M3's dance performance. The piece was choreographed by a college student who was studying community dance, and it was called "Woven Stories."
M3 is making a very Markish mouth in this last pic!! Weird to think there is a gene for that sort of thing!

Spring Concerts

This makes me laugh. M4 is in the blue vest.



(I posted this before, but Blogger has been having some "issues" I think. ARgh!)

The Festivities

Some photos of the crazy goings-on around here lately! All within the last week!

M4's spring concert (I have a video I'll post, too):
Coloring eggs with Nana:
Representing Japan in the International Student Organization's Cultural Evening with their international "sister," Chinami (and a student named Claire in her lovely kimono):
On the hunt on Easter morning!
This in addition to music, tae kwon do, M3's rehearsals for the dance performance she's in this weekend, and hanging with Nana and Boppa. A good, busy time was had by all!

More spring break...

We wanted to do something special with the kids after our big trip, so after orange belt testing we went on to Dubuque to spend the night at a fancy hotel (Hotel Julien). The kids actually chose a hotel suite with a kitchen over a room at the water park hotel!! Wha??! Honestly, that was OK by me!! We had fun in their little pool (just the right depth for M4) and hot tub and watched multiple episodes of Must Love Cats on a large television.

We also sauntered across the street to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Much fun was had:

M4 checking out the otters...they come close to cats in cuteness!

Driving a riverboat!

This giant catfish sure was ugly, but it was very friendly!


Balancing on Huck Finn's raft. It's a sweet little museum and aquarium. We also toured an old river dredge (high in spook factor because we've read some of the Skeleton Creek books). It was tough to come home after that and know we had to go back to school the next day, but we survived.

Now we've got lots of events coming up: the kids' choir concerts, M3's all-city band concert, Nana and Boppa's visit for Easter, a fundraiser for Japan, M3's performance in the spring dance concert, the college president's inauguration, various college graduation functions...whew!! I'm tired just thinking about it all! No weekend getaways for a while...

Spring Break Art

I wanted to take the kids to do some fun stuff on spring break (although they're pretty happy just staying home and playing). But y'know...the big people went to Europe! So I took them to the Des Moines Art Center one day. It's actually a really sweet little museum with many works by the biggies.

And a great outdoor garden with a park connected. Much fun was had:
Knights on their funeral pyres.

Peekaboo!

Check out this odd structure in the pond down the hill!

I love Andy Goldsworthy. He built a cairn here and at Grinnell College's CERA biological research station, and he built one on each coast as well. He does amazing natural art.

Before we went to the museum, I took the kids to La Mie French Bakery in Des Moines. Again, post-European vacation guilt. It was delicious!

Orange Belts!

M and M were promoted last night after testing for their orange belts last weekend. They were very excited. Now I need to test for my yellow belt. We are really having fun participating in TKD together. Now we just have to get Mark to do it, too!