Ramona-bration

We've had a lot of opportunities to celebrate Miss Ramona the past few weeks. Back in March, her classmates at school nominated her to receive the Integrity Award (unbeknownst to her).

Families were invited to the assembly and grandparents were able to access live streaming of the event through the internet. It was fun to see our little Ramona pop up to accept her award when it was her turn. 

Afterward she told me she was completely surprised that she was chosen, but I am sure she deserved it. She really does try to do the right thing, especially when it comes to being a good friend.

We also recently got to celebrate Ramona turning seven years old. Some friends came over for a party the Saturday before her birthday. 

This party had a fashion runway theme--Ramona practiced strutting on our homemade catwalk before guests arrived.

We started the festivities with a craft table. It kept the girls' attention for a little while.

Paula and Mika got their own "little sister" craft table.

Paula's fashion model:

Mika's fashion model:

Ramona's fashion model:

Several girls got bored with crafting and went upstairs to find their own entertainment . . .

. . . but we lured everyone back to the kitchen with food and cupcakes.

Perhaps the highlight of the party was dressing up each girl in tissue paper (each outfit hurriedly put together by me). The girls picked out gift tissue for their skirts and lined up to have their skirts fitted and receive a toilet paper top.

Ramona in her design:

BreeAnn, April, Allegra, and Ramona ready for the runway:

For the catwalk, Ramona had the idea of using some type of special lighting. Forest attached a couple of blinking bicycle lights to the wall, so once those were going, along with some music, the runway was primed for our little fashion models.

Mika in her orange skirt:

Paula was so pleased to get her own sunglasses and necklace:

Although our birthday party invitations always say: "No need for gifts," and the party itself never has time allotted for opening presents, some friends always seem to come with gifts in tow. Ramona spent some time the following day writing thank-you notes.

She also spent some time doing this:

Here is Ramona on her actual birthday, getting ready to head out the door for school:

She got a special visit from Dad in the cafeteria that day:

Also, she came home excited about all the birthday goodies from her teacher, Mrs. Haselby:

That afternoon the sisters had a quick after-school snack before getting ready for swimming lessons. We have been going every Monday since mid-March in hopes of getting the girls more proficient by summer. Ramona and Mika are each in their own swim classes, and I go in the water together with Paula for the parent-child class.

After this set of swimming classes, we met Forest at a nearby McDonald's for a celebratory birthday dinner.

He brought Ramona a Star Wars balloon, as requested. Paula saw it and started making her famous Chewbacca noises.

Back at home, Ramona finally got to open her gifts. Mika stood by her side the entire time and Paula enjoyed trying to scavenge through presents received.

Star Wars Episode Seven!

Ramona admiring some paper butterflies made by Mika

Card from Mika

She just needed a little help with spelling but wrote all the words herself

For dessert, I got away with serving leftover cupcakes instead of baking a big cake. But we made sure there were sprinkles and seven candles.

Ramona's balloon, "stuck to the ceiling," as described by Paula

Dear Ramona,
    I am so glad you are part of our family. You are such a vibrant, enthusiastic girl, bringing a spark of life to the Dixon party. This past year you have learned a lot of new things and done a lot of growing up. Going to school full day for first grade was a difficult transition because you missed being home and playing with your sisters, but now you are doing a great job balancing school time with home time. You've picked up several dance moves at your ballet class, started reading chapter books, switched from baths to showers, learned lots of new songs on the piano, and are becoming a better swimmer. You still give me a hug when you get off the bus from school and sometimes even hold my hand as we walk to our house. You love your sisters and are so excited to meet your little brother--I am pretty sure you put your hands on my belly and talk to him more than anyone else in our family. I am so proud of all your accomplishments and the person you are becoming.

We love you Ramona!
Love
Mommy

Cello through the trimesters

This pregnancy has had its yucky moments, its productive moments, moments of sheer exhaustion and moments of quiet gratitude. I am so happy that through it all I have been able to hold on to my cello teaching and playing.

First Trimester:  I did have to drop out of orchestra rehearsals for a couple of months around this time, but somehow I was able to keep up with my cello students. Back in early November (in the midst of severe morning sickness), I miraculously had a vomit-free day to pull off a student recital for my studio. I definitely could not have done it without Forest's help setting up chairs and the refreshment table. Eight students participated, and everything went remarkably well.

Second Trimester: This past summer I was invited to join a string ensemble playing various music: a movement each from a Haydn quartet, a Mozart quintet, and a Mendelssohn quartet. We met once or twice a month to rehearse. In early February, we performed all of them at the Love Notes Gala: a fundraiser for the Loveland Orchestra. By this point, my pregnancy was a lot more manageable. I was eating normally and had a lot more energy, so I felt up to the challenge of playing chamber music. It was a difficult set and we had a lot of notes, but all of our practice paid off--we sounded pretty good! 

Third Trimester: So far, the last trimester of this pregnancy has not slowed me down much when it comes to cello. I have found myself teaching sixteen cello students, organizing a recital for nine of them, and just as busy as ever rehearsing and performing for orchestra.

With that said, it is probably about time to start slowing down and resting up so I can focus more on our family and upcoming new addition. Sorry, cello--you are going to get packed up and gather a layer of dust this summer, I'm sure!

Easter Sunday

On Easter Sunday I left the house early to rehearse a musical number with a group at church--we played a gorgeous arrangement of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for string quartet plus piano. Our string quartet was two violins, cello, and double bass (not the conventional two violins, viola, and cello) so the bass player played the cello part and I played the viola part, both of us just switching some octaves to adjust for our instrumentation. Three fifths of our little ensemble got up to perform with protruding baby bumps (myself included), all three of us having due dates within a few weeks of each other. I am guessing the imminent newborn stage is going to keep us rather busy for a while, but hopefully we can get together and play music like that again someday. 

After church our girls went down in the basement to find some Easter eggs. This year, they were filled with pennies.

During Paula's nap, Ramona and Mika each did a painting page from Grandma . . .

. . . and also dyed a few eggs.

By the time Paula was awake, the sun had come out and made the outdoors look considerably more pleasant. I hadn't planned to take any Easter photos earlier, but decided to bribe the girls with some candy to change their clothes and collect eggs in the yard so I could snap a few pictures. This time the eggs didn't have pennies inside, but I was surprised at my daughters' enthusiasm as they gathered them.

The grass was still a bit brown and the breeze a bit chilly, but seeing my girls enjoying the sunshine in their pastel dresses somehow made it feel a little more like Spring.

Disney Magic

A few weeks ago, I took Ramona and Mika on a Mommy-Daughter date to see a performance of "Disney on Ice." We have never seen anything like it before, and the girls were pretty excited.

There is definitely something magical about Disney, especially for children. The music, the characters that draw you in, the happily-ever-afters. Most of this stuff I am okay with.

Double-sided cards from "Alice in Wonderland"

Tinkerbell flying high

Prince Naveen, Tiana, and Minnie Mouse

Possibly every Disney Princess skating with her Prince during the finale

The type of "magic" that is less satisfying to me is the marketing magic that makes Disney so good at making money. I was hoping to leave the ice arena that evening simply feeling good about spending time with my daughters and enjoying an entertaining performance together. Unfortunately, I was completely unprepared to be bombarded by multiple colorful kiosks (there must have been at least 15) outside the arena selling their overpriced but strangely alluring Disney merchandise, as well as several insistent vendors holding out enticing "grab bags" as people headed toward the exits. "Last chance!" "Get them while you can!" 

The resulting effect for us was: two little girls filled with an overwhelming sense of consumer lust, plus one irritated mother who was determined to not give in to pressures to buy, spend, and get. My children know I don't open up my wallet for just anything--I try to be thoughtful about most purchases (some would term this "cheapskate"). They never ask for things at the store and only occasionally express that they wish they had something. Even for kids like this, the atmosphere of commercialization was just too intoxicating at the Budweiser Event Center that evening. There was whining all the way back to the car, and an overall feeling of disappointment as we drove home.

Thankfully, the "good" magic did manage to survive in some form. The next day, I heard Ramona singing some of the songs she had heard the night before, and from time to time the girls recounted memorable parts of the performance to their dad. So, maybe it was worth going, despite some sour moments at the end. I just don't know if our family would survive a trip to Disneyland or Disney World, as un-American as it seems to deny our children that experience. Don't worry, Disney, you'll still get our money, in one form or another. There is some good in you, after all!