A JK(ind) of Weekend

Last weekend was all about J.

Friday he was awarded a bronze medal at Kumon for working six months or more above grade level. He barely missed getting it the last time around, but not anymore.....

The next day, he had his first piano recital, which I wrote about in my previous post. Four months after starting lessons, he was ready for the world to hear him, and he did a great job. Just like a pro.

By Sunday he'd hung up the suit and the medal and he was ready to party.We gathered seven of his best buddies and off to laser tag they went.

It was one of the easiest parties I've thrown and it was obvious that all the boys had a great time.

It was a good weekend for J. And a well-deserved one too.

Music to My Ears

Even as a little boy, J had a knack for music. I remember one time while at a friends house, he sat on their piano and started playing with the keys. He looked like a pro. This was back before the days of iPhones, so I wasn't able to take a picture, but I did think to myself that I wish I had a camera to one day, when he was a famous concert pianist, show him his very first time "playing."

Over the years we've discussed piano lessons. He was really excited at a younger age, and then when he was old enough to take them, the interest waned. 

M has a little Fisher Price piano that plays music by itself if prompted. One day last summer, I heard the familiar sound of one of the lullabies. And then I heard another. D came in and said, "How sad is it that he's playing the plastic piano? We gotta get that kid some lessons." My response: "I thought it was the piano playing itself." He sounded that good. I'm well aware that doesn't make him a music prodigy, but it really was flawless.

Needless to say, in August the horse trailer pulled up with a special delivery.

This time I did have a camera, and, yes, as I took this picture I said, "One day, when he's a famous concert pianist, we can show the world the picture of when he got his first piano." (And somewhere, the poor guy that delivers these things for a living, rolls his eyes as he hears another starry-eyed mother brag about what the future holds for her genius kid.)

The lessons started on his first day of school back in September. His teacher is very impressed by his hard work and, as I suspected, his musical talent :). And while I won't make too much out of it, the S word has been thrown around. One day, many years from now, we'll see how that actually pans out. 

Yesterday was his first recital...he woke up not feeling too well, but when the time came, he brought it:

He's come a long way in four months.

Those first couple of days I was sure we made a mistake. Our home sounded like a haunted house.

No more. That right there was music to my ears.

The 31 Days of Christmas

Forget twelve. At our house we up that number by 150% (and a smidgen).

This year we went up the road to the Noble Fir farm where you walk around, pick a tree, and they cut it for you. Sometimes we go to the parking lot of Grocery Outlet to get it. And that's just as well.

By the first weekend in December, it was decorated and lit.

But the holidays don't officially start until the eve of December 6th. That's when the kids stuff their Christmas lists into their stockings and await the arrival of St. Nick.

And guess who was back for an encore?

Euseb!

He's so darn cute!

And he kept the fun going...sometimes he'd forget to move and end up in the same place the next morning, but he delivered....ornaments, socks, goodies for hot chocolate.

We scored and got to see a dress-rehearsal viewing of the Nutcracker. It was amazing as usual.

Santa came by on the fire truck,

And M didn't run away crying.

She saved that for the infamous photo session and dragged J along with her.

Because it wouldn't be the holidays without tears for the camera.

Winter came a few days early ~ the day before Winter break was to begin.

OSD called a two-hour late start for one

And no school for another.

We had an at-home-day the next with another round of snow play, hot chocolate, games, and what may very well be their last bath together.

(In case anyone is wondering, they both have bathing suits on :)

A trip to Jumping Jacks a few days later followed by dinner at J's best friend's house rounded out the week.

By Monday night, this is what the wind had blown in!

"Twas the night before Christmas

And a White Christmas morning.

The next four days were filled with games,

music,

adventures,

new places,

  and gross places.

There were smiles

and silliness 

and plenty of family time

And as soon as the good-byes were bid, another set of cousins stepped in to fill the void

                             

The slumber party was at their house, but not before playing the wii-U, Legos, and M getting her toenails painted.

As if that wasn't exciting enough, this is where we headed next

This was M's Christmas gift from us, but there was a little something for everyone in this here store: Excitement (M), amazement (me), disgust (daddy), boredom (J).

It came down to Josefina and Ivy Ling (because those were the only two choices I gave her), but in the end, the earrings AND long hair won out,

and Josefina is M's new best friend.

The next day was NYE. We headed to some friends' to celebrate what was supposed to be NYC new years; instead, we ended up staying until a little before midnight thinking we'd be home to ring in 2013, but Daddy was hungry, so

♫ we stopped at Taco Bell for some Mexican eats ♪

And just like that, J had stayed up to see the new year roll in and had late-night grubs for the first time ever! Awesome.

School started the next day and things got back to a somewhat-normal status around here, but the Kings never fail to stop by in the wee hours of January 6th.

They must have followed the smell the the star cookies we made,

And dropped of a little something in return.

And so a month after it all started, this is what I got:

What remains of the Christmas tree is on the floor along with massive amounts of lights and a random ornament here and there.  Hopefully by tomorrow any evidence of the holidays will be stored up high.

I look forward to what the next 334 days have in store for us; that's when we'll be pulling all this stuff down and starting all over again.