I'll have my cake & eat it, too!

No, I didn't eat the whole thing -- just a slice! And it was tasty, too. We celebrated my b-day by taking a road trip to Vancouver, WA.

I received several nice gifts (two cookbooks, a Brighton necklace, a beautiful brown blouse, and chrome exhaust tips for the Audi) and enjoyed a lovely day with my family -- immediate & extended. Every day should be that much fun!!!!!

Raleigh Court Talent Show

Millie & Sydney collaborated to organize & produce a neighborhood talent show. A lot of planning & marketing went into this production. Admission was 5 cents/patron. This was a BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair) event. Each audience member received a full-color program, a free construction paper fan, and a glass of ice cold lemonade.

We never knew there were so many talented folks in the 'hood! There was a matinee performance at 1 PM, and the main event was at 7 PM. Both shows were wonderful!

I missed getting still photos of Jericho barking the "Happy Birthday" song, the ivory-tickling ballerina, our two resident chefs, and our neighborhood juggler juggling various items. See the following photos for the highlights of the really big show:

A Captive Audience

The Skater's Waltz -- rollerblade style

Tandem cartwheels -- Wheeeeeee!

A welcoming sign...

Crazy Frog

Singing 'lyssa

Flute/Accordion Polka-fest

(It must be the Laughing Polka!)

New digs for Jacobs Carter Burgess

The Smithlings got to take a tour of "Daddy's" new office in Sacramento. Jacobs is the first tenant in the Opus building, and they occupy most of the third floor. Mr. Smith's office is very nice; however, it is going to need a little decorating here & there -- a couple of plants, and a few decorations -- but that will have to wait until after our vacation. (We are leaving on Friday for the annual Fourth of July trek to Vancouver, WA.)

The tour begins here...

Mr. Big Shot?

Liesey amid moving boxes & bare walls...

The Smithlings hold their own "bored" meeting -- Millie's a demanding BOSS!

Today is my mom's b-day!

We celebrated my mother's special day by going out to eat dinner at Il Fornaio.  After dinner, the manager sang "Happy Birthday" in an Italian style. Lovely! It was a low-key celebration, but very fun & very tasty. The pictures tell the rest of the story.

Shear delight!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Last week, two out of three Smith "girls" opted for more stylish, cooler 'dos. It is officially summer, you know!  Millie was shorn of over FOURTEEN inches of hair, and I had about half that amount snipped off of my tresses. We are certainly using much less shampoo & conditioner now. M got a haircut, too, but it wasn't a huge transformation, so he doesn't get a "before & after" blog entry. :-)

Dad's Day Photos

I got to spend Father's Day with my dad (and my mom & sister) this year. That was very special!  Our kids certainly enjoy all of the fun & games when their grandpa is here. There is always some form of mischief or silliness going on when Grandpa is around. :-)

The Smithlings were happy to honor their dad with a new shower head, Tommy Bahama cologne, and a handcrafted candy dispenser. (Thanks to Miss Millie's creative hands.)

"Spring Showcase 2008" Dance Recital

The girls' recital was over a week ago & I still haven't posted any photos from the show. I realized that it has been well over a month since I have added any new items to the blog, which can only mean one thing -- I am too busy to sit at my computer! 

We are working on a patio project, we have grandparents "out west" for three weeks, and we are getting ready to go to Washington state for the Fourth of July holiday. Those are just a few of the things that are going on. I guess it has just become a lower priority to update you on the goings-on with our family with soooo much other stuff going on.

There were two different shows for the spring recital, and the girls got to perform in both shows.  I am sharing one photo from each of the girls' tap numbers. Millie's class was made up of girls ranging in age from 8-14. They performed a patriotic number that was sort of a disco-type version of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." We began referring to their group as "The Doodles." They were so cute, and they did a fantastic job!

Liesey's tap class was small, but mighty. She was so happy that she got to take a "homeschool" tap class this year. The best part was that she got to be in class with two of her very good friends. All three of these girls have been taking ballet for many years, so they were able to fly through learning the steps & progress at a much faster pace than a normal class would have been able to. They brought the house down with their "swinging" routine...:-)

Liesey was also in a Christian dance "performance" & a classical ballet piece. We are proud of BOTH of our dancers. The l-o-n-g hours at the dance studio have really paid off.

I helped out during the first performance by being responsible for three adorable "sparrows" in purple tutus. I spent time backstage with the trio of six-year-olds, helping to keep them entertained when they were not on stage. We drew pictures, played tic-tac-toe, & talked about EVERYTHING. One of the conversations was about our favorite veggies. This one little girl told me that her favorite vegetable was green, and she wanted me to guess what it was. It wasn't broccoli, brussels sprout, cabbage, spinach, peas, green beans, or green peppers. I was stumped, so I inquired as to what letter this green veggie began with. She said, "It begins with the letter R." Now I was really baffled. I couldn't think of a single vegetable that is green & begins with an "R."  I finally gave up... She smiled a toothless grin & said, "How can you not know that it is R-tichokes?!" DUH!!!! Silly me...