Your First Recital – So proud of you!

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Oh my goodness! I am so proud of you. Coolest thing? You are MORE proud of yourself!!

A few weeks back, at a relatively stressful time, I took you to piano lessons. It was Nov 14. The week before your piano teacher, Jenn, had told Daddy Jim that we needed to help you pick out a Christmas song for your holiday recital. I wasn’t there on Nov 7 with Daddy Jim, and I really didn’t know how this all worked. So I stressed out a bit trying to help you find a song you liked at your level that “wasn’t taken” by someone else whom Jenn teaches. We got to piano Nov 14 with a piece you liked and had practiced a bit and it was “taken.” Sigh.

So, Jenn (somewhat frustrated) played some pieces out of the book I got you to help you make a new selection.

You chose “Deck the Halls.” But then, when she asked you to try it, you said No. Jenn encouraged you, and you kept saying no. You were nervous – and rightly so, as it was much harder than anything you had done before. Deep sigh. Finally, you tried it. (And on the way home, when I asked you to tell me what you thought the “good things” and “the things you would change” were from you lesson, you said that you would change that you didn’t try Deck the Halls when Jenn asked you to.

Fast forward to tonight.

First Piano Recital.
Rock Star.
You.

Here is a video of you – click here






Thankful for you and our wonderful family

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Today is Friday – our

Thanksgiving day – you were with your Daddy and his family at Kate’s house yesterday on the official day. You came to see Daddy Jim and me this morning at 9:30a. We started our day with a trip to Wegmans to pick up a few things and a meal for my graduate student Swagata and her family. They are from India, so they don’t know too much about Thanksgiving. On top of being far from home, Swagata and Baby Sharanya have been really sick forever! They needed a little love…

To help them celebrate, you and I created Holiday Craft #1: Place settings

This is the email they sent to us at the end of the day:

Dear Maya, Madeline, Daniel, Jim and April,
It was a real treat for us. We were all so touched. We invited quite a few of our friends and had a gala time. We even showed our parents the spread over skype. They were so excited and happy. Please tell Maya that her handiwork for the oranges was adored by all our friends.
The food was sumptuous. Sharanya also loved it.
We couldn’t have hoped for a better Thanksgiving. Thank you for everything.
Thank you for making us feel a part of this culture.
Attaching a couple of snaps.
Best!
Sharanya, Wreeto and Swagata

This picture is for my Dad, your Opa – I love him so much, and I miss him…

Who’s the turkey now?
Hey Baby Girl –

Slightly disturbing:
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Hey Baby Girl –

Highlights from Thanksgiving 2013 –

You and Siobhan prepared and gave me “Spa Day”


Funny email I wrote last night

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This is a funny email I wrote to my Aunt Marilyn, copying all of my cousins and extended family, just before falling asleep with you last night at our Mama-Maya hotel night and my Cousin Bruce’s reply – πŸ™‚ He makes me smile…

From: Luehmann, April [mailto:ALuehmann@Warner.Rochester.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2013 11:25 PM
To: Marilyn Friedrich; Alka Chandna; Amie & Jeremiah Stark; Amy Strande; Luehmann, April; Beth & Darren Pierce; Betty Turock; Bianca Luehmann; Bruce Friedrich; Carol Klongland; Cassandra Pierce; Diane Kuchenbecker; Eunice Low; Gus Friedrich; Jenessa Stark; Jessica & Dave Anderson; Jolene Stark; Jonna Stark; Julie & John Falkers; Kelly & Todd Johnson; LaRae & Clay Fromm; Lowell Fromm; Madalyn Petersen; Mark Luehmann; Mary & Chuck Rohe; Miriam & Lloyd Luehmann; Muriel & Gene Stark; RachonPamela; Ranae & Dan Johnson; Ranae Rohe Rohe; Ruth & Bill Kratzke; Shelly Rohe; Wally Fromm
Subject: Re: Still not enough emails……

Hi Auntie Marilyn

Let’s see – what can I tell you about that might add cheer to your day?
* Painted Maya’s nails tonight bright pink and orange and bright pink, then orange,…. You get the idea
* We have FOUR – count them FOUR – watermelons growing in our front yard right now!! Too exciting!
* I learned today that the deadline that I got yelled at for missing yesterday by almost 6 months was actually August 31, 2013… So I’ve missed it be about 6. Go me.
* The flowers in the park where we had a picnic BLEW your mind – so rich in color they saturated your eyes!!!
* Kelly Clarkson is both incredibly talented and incredibly real. That is so good.
* Teenagers (say mine and 2 of their friends) are HILARIOUS to watch at a Maroon 5 convert. I know we were like that, but really?
* Today I deleted my reply to an email that really made me ANGRY – 3 or 4 times – and finally just wrote the word “Ugh.” and hit “Send.” Believe it or not, that was all that was needed.

Tomorrow’s Friday, and Nemo is a great movie, and sleep awaits us, and we are loved, and that is all very very good.

Happy Dreams Marilyn and family- Love you all
April & Family

From: Bruce Friedrich
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2013 23:30:50 +0000
To: April Luehmann
Subject: RE: Still not enough emails……

I abs. love this email. LOVE. THIS. EMAIL.

And miss you. Bring that family of yours to D.C.!


such a special night

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I wasn’t sure…

I wasn’t sure part way into this night that all of this was a good idea…

In fact, not until everyone else left did I know that it was, indeed, a very good idea.

So, let me back up…
Tonight I picked Halle up 5pm – then Great Northern pizza and salad (which you have been asking for many times in the past 3 weeks) – and then we picked up you. You were hanging with Julie, Dan and Madeline at Julie’s this afternoon, because I had an intense deadline and you weren’t feeling the best.

I took you and Halle and the pizza to Highland park – by the most AMAZING garden of flowers!!! You were sort of into the pizza, you were sort of playing with Halle, you were sort of aware of me, and I was ze-zausted from my intense, emotional workday. I’m thinking, “Well, I’m not sure this is a good use of energy.” That said, you two did climb trees, have jumping contexts, and create many skits that involved both of you rolling down a hill.


Then we headed to the Hyatt downtown (7 minutes away) for the

“Super Cool, Back-to-School Swim Party”

that I had

planned!! Given the choice of many 3rd graders or just Halle, you chose just Halle. All good.

You weren’t having the easiest time being generous with Halle to “push the button” in the elevator, open the door with the key card (though you were better with that), etc. We went down to the pool, and you were still out of sorts – sometimes happy with Halle, sometimes mad at the world, and I thought – What have I done?!?!

I want to raise a grateful, humble, generous child – and now I bring her to a nice hotel, and she isn’t grateful? I am not helping her!!! Beating up on myself for being a bad mom by giving too much, we ended the night by going up to the room.

Here’s where the story gets better. After creating skits with Halle and me (I think 4 of them – all requiring someone to hide in the closet), you and Halle read your Big Book of Why. We walked Halle and Daddy Jim to the car, and you and I came back up to the room.

Everything changed.

We painted nails.
We told stories.
We were totally silly.
We sang Kelly Clarkson.
We read Harry Potter.
Then we read Horris, Morris but mostly Deloris – and you did all of the dun -dun-dun-DUNS at the appropriate points in the story, and we giggled some morel
We snuggled in bed – as you reminded me that you are going to “try” to go to sleep but you were not sure how successful you’d be. I held you and reminded you that I didn’t just meet you. You snicked and fell sound asleep within minutes – maybe even seconds.

Precious time.
Truly precious time.
You are you now snoring away in the king bed that awaits me.

I so love being your Mama….


First Day of 3rd Grade

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The day started:
Our neighbor rang the doorbell. Ariel, who did not take up the “need” for first day clothes, looked Maya up and down and said slowly, “ready for school? Wanna shoot some hoops?”

πŸ™‚ Love it

Bus driver was late, Maya’s bus assignment was messed up, but nonetheless, we’re off!! Third grade (Maya), eighth grade (Dan) and tenth grade (Madey), here we come!!!

From our phone conversation tonight…

Mama: How was your first day? I’m dying to know!!!
Maya: Great.
Mama. Did your shoes make it the whole day?
Maya: Yup.
Mama: What was your favorite part of your day?
Maya: Recess
Mama: Okay, what was your favorite class?
Maya: Reading. We read the 1st day Jitters.
…
(great book by the way if you haven’t read it)

Mama: Did people tell you they liked your shoes/outfit?
Maya: Some.
Mama: I showed a million people your picture from this morning, and they all thought you looked awesome!! So cool!
Maya (without skipping a beat):

I’m glaring at you Mama.

(I so love your wit!!)



Tomorrow is the Big Day!

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Tomorrow is the big day!!!!

We are ever so close to the big day of Shenanigans! We are setting the course up as we speak!

There have been last minute questions that we wanted to answer to everyone.

First, we will have some day of registrations that will be open, as of right now we have a few time slots open in the later morning.

Second, there will be parking right next the dogwood shelter which is also where registration and packet pickup will take place starting at 7AM and running through until the 12PM wave takes off.

Third, wear comfortable clothing that you can run around in and do not mind getting dirty, as it was raining today and we are running rain and or shine. And make sure to wear running shoes or something that you will be comfortable running around in for about 2 hours or so.

Fourth, the course itself is going to be around 2.5 miles when all is said and done, but again you will not even notice while you are shooting rubber chickens and riding around on trikes!

Lastly, We will be taking pictures of the event that will possibly be available after the event for purchase so you can relive the event over and over again, and continue to laugh at yourself long after the event!
All-Star Shenanigans