terror and heroics

It looks like a horror movie but it's just summertime entertainment--the car wash. Sophie was terrified.



 I realized that I hadn't washed the van since October of 2012, I could still recognize snack crumbs and Great Dunes National Park sand from our trip to Alamosa.  As you can see there are benefits to procrastination.  Aside from all the money and water I saved, the kids were adequately enthusiastic.

I was particularly motivated to wash the van after my heroic drive up and down a winding, rocky, mountain footpath, slash "road" to pick up Bethany for a mandatory dance rehearsal, which by the way, turned out to be the following week, so she wouldn't miss Camp Big Springs.  I had to be back to work in American Fork in less than an hour so I drove through the rusty iron gate at the end of the path a little too quickly, and ended up with a long brown scratch on the side of the van...memento of my day spent attempting to be in as many places as possible, no matter how remote, hoping to win the admiration of my pre-teen daughter.

 This was Friday--retrieval.  I was grateful that I had no clients in the afternoon so Bethany and I could have Sonic and stories about camp.

Old haggard mom and four-year old son who loves me.

end of May

Memorial Day in Granddad and Judith's backyard. That moment when Granddad starts to tell jokes.  Ben winces, Mary looks incredulous.

MacDuff looks embarrassed.

 I'm grateful for memories of times spent together in this place, times when we use to arrive from far away, and times when I've watched them walk ahead of me, making a the path from our house to theirs, past the apple tree, and Grace Bullock's roses, and waving at anyone driving by because they are family now too.

The last week of school followed.  Caitlin and her good friend Ava enjoyed their end of the year field trip.

Mary and her friend Sage made green goo for the third grade sale.

 Ben modeled his metals class creation.

dance and details

There are days when I feel especially grateful to be involved in the details of their lives.  As the spring recital arrived, so did the details.  I took off work for the big day, as the studio director demands a full day of dress rehearsal at the theatre, which extends late in to the night with two performances for the public.  I drove around town for last-minutes...eye lashes, bobby pins, Bethany's lost yellow ballerina dress--found, just in the nick of time, back at the empty dance studio in the storage closet.  I am happy to have earned my own place among the green room excitement...



 even if it was just gathering costume pieces, and stockings, and lipstick lids.

 The final performance of Seussical Jr. followed the next week. Caitlin was happy to have a friend back stage.

 Publicity shots from Suessical Jr. I stole pictures from the banner at the theatre.