Julia + Javert

Inspired by Julie and Julia, I’m going to undertake a task of similar, but limited, proportions. For the rest of the month of August, I’m going to post at least one Facebook status a day using only lyrics from the musical version of Les Miserables.  I’ve seen this show at least six times; it’s my favorite musical of all time – I still know the lyrics by heart. The story is so sweeping, the themes so universal; there’s something in this show that everyone can relate to.

Fast fowarding 20+ years since Les Miz debuted, during which time the Internet era came of age, I’m counting on the timelessness of the conflicts and emotions to allow me to cover a wide range of messages conveyed via Facebook’s status update feature. I’ve bookmarked a site with all the show’s lyrics documented, so I can parse out the most applicable lyrics to what I’m feeling at the time. 

Sadness, joy, anger, self-pity, existential angst…it’s all there. And I’m going to start tapping it.

Matthews Beach

With Leslie out of town in Vegas, and Savannah up in the San Juans with her friend’s family, it was all Lily, Liam and I. We started the day watching Monsters vs. Aliens, a great movie that really surprised me at how funny it was. Like Schrek, the film was aimed as much at the adult audience as the kids; however, unlike Schrek, the humor was executed almost at a level just a bit higher . It wasn’t as crude, yet still laugh out loud – the 50s SciFi theme worked perfectly.

Afterwards, I grabbed my camera and headed out to Matthews Beach in Seattle. I wanted to get some shots, taking advantage of  the overcast skies to catch something interesting on the lake.  Harder than I thought, I immediately got an opportunity for a focal point when Lily lost the ball I had just bought at Rite Aid (for $5!!). This is, of course, after I told her NOT TO LOSE THE BALL IN THE LAKE! Oh well, turned out to be a good subject.

Going….going…gone!

 

 Liam on the monkey bars

Lily & Adler

Neighbor Kid Laughter – Jaden & Auden

Liams’ Birthday Party – Gorgeous Spring Day!

What a great day for a party. Finally, we got to use our new deck. The sun was out, the temps were in the upper 60s, lower 70s. The doors were all wide open to the welcoming spring day. 

Some shots to enjoy:

 

Colorful Bouquet for a Beautiful Spring Day

Lily’s Lewis and Clark Play

Lily played the part of Cassie in this year’s annual Fourth Grade Lewis and Clark play. Savannah was in the show four years ago, and now it’s Lily’s turn!  Cassie is the role of a Fourth Grader who narrates the Lewis and Clark story that comes alive around here. Put on by a combined cast of both Fourth Grade classes at Arrowhead, most roles were played by multiple kids. 

This year, the production was held at Bothell High School’s Performance Art Center, a great resource for the Northshore School District.

Here’s Lily with the rest of the class singing a song:

The music director guiding the kids as best she can from her position in the front row:

 

Lily in her role as Cassie:

 

Lily in the final number, then taking a bow as a Cassie:

Liam’s T-Ball Debut

Liam has started t-ball. The kids are nuts. The older ones are more coordinated and more focused. The younger boys (like Liam), just want to tackle each other and get dirty. Some of my favorite photos from practice and his first game:

First day of practice. Kind of scary for Liam.

His friend Joey from school was on his team as well. So cute they held hands.

 

Playing catch at his first practice:

Giving mamma high-five after practice:

Running – Liam’s favorite activity:

His first game – Looking good in his uniform. Go Mariners!

Liam’s first at-bat (that’s coach setting up the tee)

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Here are some other recent photos from his practices:

Liam Turns Five!

Today, March 19, is my son Liam’s 5th birthday!  We’ll have a party for his friends in a couple of weeks (we’re booking The Reptile Man again…had him for Liam’s 3rd).  Today was the family party. After a day at school, where he had an ‘It’s my birthday’ blue ribbon pinned on his shirt and a special cupcake, we took Liam out to Mexican food at our famous restaurant.  I haven’t been feeling great, but I wasn’t going to disappoint my little man by not taking him out.

Savannah took this rare photo of me. I’m always behind the camera.

Ashton had discovered (and enjoys!) the sour tartness of lime.

Last Day in Vegas

Last night, we ate at this interesting restaurant at Encore called Switch. Every 30 minutes or so, the ceiling and the walls would ‘switch’ out and change the look of the room’s interior. Great steak and salad.

Today, we walked the strip, stopping in at various casinos for a little table action. The crowds were out today! I think the fact that it’s the weekend closest to St. Patty’s day is a big driver. We stopped at the Imperial Palace, where they feature ‘Dealertainers’ who take turns performing every 20 minutes or so. Very kitchy. Here’s the Michael Jackson dealer leaving the stage:

We finally ended outside of Planet Hollywood, at Trader Vic’s, where I enjoyed a number of Meneheune punches (as well as some calamari and other tasty appetizers).