Spring Break

For the sake of efficiency we are compressing several spring-related events into this spring break post. There was a lot of joy to be had, in a lot of different ways.

There was Easter - it was a good one, but also a hard one.  Grammie Ellen had come out to celebrate with us, and almost as soon as she got here she broke her foot hiking up a mountain with Elena and Steve.  She was so brave, and so involved in everything even though she was in pain and couldn't move much.  But we were all sorry we missed the kind of together time we usually get.  Steve and Grammie Ellen held down the fort while Christina took the girls with her to Mass for Easter Sunday.

Elena continued her fascination with the pop star (Keira) from the movie The Princess and the Popstar.  She has spent the entire winter and spring figuring out how to earn money or influence us so that she can have different parts of the costume. (Since this isn't a particularly popular character right now we do a lot of this ourselves.  Christina sewed this Keira dress, and found these purple suede boots only after two months of searching!)

It's worth it, though - she gets right in a groove as Keira and is so, so happy.

Clara shows no interest at all in being the Princess (the other half to the popstar) and we love that she knows what she likes and what she doesn't.

That girl does like to dance, though!

"Here I am, doing what I want, giving what I've got, never a doubt now..." 

All of us in this house can sing the popstar songs by heart, but no one belts them out as well as Elena.

In one of Christina's counseling classes there was an exercise where the school counseling students demonstrated how to boost student self-esteem by making these flowers.  The petals are positive descriptors of the self.  When Clara and Elena saw Christina's she brought home they wanted to make their own.  Elena's says: "Dancer, silly, writer, sister, I am Keira" and a few other things that are your guess.

Clara says she is silly, happy, funny, a joker, and again - a few things that are your guess.

Inspired by the popstar (who wears a purple wig) the girls wanted to dye their hair.  We got colored hair spray and had at it.  They were thrilled, and Christina was thrilled at how easily it washed out, too.  This turned out to be a pretty painless way to bring about some joy!

And, wonder of wonders, a doughnut shop opened in Missoula!!  We spent a LOT of time here this spring - from waiting over an hour on opening day to buying up to three doughnuts each when we stop by - we are big fans.

Christina and her sweethearts - this was when Steve had gone with Grammie Ellen to help her get back to California, and Christina and Clara and Elena were pretending they were on vacation in Missoula.

And what is a vacation without a trip to the local brewery?

You know, the local brewery you go to with your priest?  You don't do that?  You should try it.  It was fun, and we are all pretty disappointed that Fr. Carver is moving to Washington - they are lucky to be getting him.

Finally, Christina's alma mater, Syracuse University was doing very well in the NCAA tournament this year.  The girls got a few more chances to learn the "Let's go Orange!" chant and to practice saying Otto's name (they confuse him with Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame).

And all spring long there has been silliness abounding.  These girls just keep expanding their sense of humor - sometimes it makes sense to us, sometimes it doesn't - but come on - this is hilarious, isn't it?

 It was a happy spring, but we are ALL ready for SUMMER!!!