My birthday

I'm 31!

We kind of celebrated my birthday all week..starting with going to a Tori Amos concert (her Night of  Hunters tour).  I have not been to a concert in YEARS, and it was absolutely wonderful.  We also went on a date--such a wild week! 

Pre-concert dinner--street hotdog.  Yum.  

It was actually kind of gross, and that's saying a lot coming from me.  

But seriously, it was cold.  

I found that it was a problem improved upon (but not solved) with MORE MUSTARD.

Tori performed with the Apollon Musagete Quartet--these amazing European guys (3 violinists and 1 cellist).  I could not believe how crazy they were-their performance was so rhythmic and dramatic.  The first violist (far left) is really tall and broke a string at least twice--he was playing in such an aggressive way, and it was like they were dancing on the street rather than playing classical instruments.  It's hard to explain, but they kept the beat with their movements even though there was an absence of drums.   

Here is Tori in front of the Bosendorfer piano with her keyboard behind as usual.  She just switched back and forth and played both at the same time.  I can't really wrap my mind around that.   

Here's Tori shaking hands with the crowd. 

SETLIST

1.      Shattering Sea (Amazing and truly memorable, favorite undiscovered gem for me)

2.      Seaside (Solo)

3.      Suede (featured the Quartet plucking strings, drumming on their instruments, and I wish I could hear this version again and again rather than the studio version)

4.      God (Tubular Bells & Running ... more, Up That Hill teases) (Solo)

5.      Nautical Twilight

6.      Winter (totally teared up for this one--first time I thought of this song as Matt holding Ramsey's hand as her Daddy, beautiful song)

7.      Crucify (Solo)

8.      Ophelia (Solo)

9.      Cooling (Solo) (great song that I'd always hoped to see live, spoke to me about dealing with pain and loss)

10.     Fearlessness

11.     Maybe California

12.     Star Whisperer

13.     The Wrong Band (Solo) (Tori's attempt to be political, it was great)

14.     Imagine (John Lennon cover) (Solo)

15.     Pretty Good Year (Solo) (made me think of Beck growing up to be a man)

16.     Edge of the Moon

17.     Precious Things (great live song)

18.     Spring Haze

19.     Cruel (fabulous)

Encore:

20.     A Multitude of Shades (by the Apollon Musagete Quartet)

21.     Carry

22.     Cloud On My Tongue

23.     Spark (LOVED this one)

24.     Big Wheel (this song had incredible rhythm and just went BOOM)

This is a homemade cake, made by an amazingly talented friend.  I was so surprised. 

 Devil's Food Cake with Swiss Meringue icing.  It was SO good.  I couldn't stop eating it.    

Ramsey took my picture on my birthday :)

This is the card Matt gave me.  Such a funny guy, haha.   

Birthday date with Matt--I asked a random person in the yogurt shop to take our picture 

and joked "we don't get out much" but she didn't take the bait.    

I love Matt, and am grateful to spend my 32nd year (note corrected year Zina!) with him by my side.  

Getting ready for Christmas

 Beck and Ramsey have a blast on this estate sale find for Matt to change the oil on the car.

Oh, the beautiful weather.  

It has been so temperate and incredible--the best fall since we came to the DC area.

Family photo in Wayne, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia)--we visited a dear friend, 

Ashley Smalley, for Thanksgiving and managed to get almost NO photos.  

She and her boyfriend, JP, made a delicious dinner, and we had a blast.

Take Two!

Enjoying a lovely park in Wayne.

Beck and Ramsey played on the see-saw with JP's help.

Oh dear, this boy is so wonderful.  

I love this picture--we are blessed with so much laughter.

This is the Christmas tree farm where we got our first family Christmas tree.  It is fresh and gorgeous.

Matt "supervising." 

Proud Papa.

The tag on this tree said "lovely" and it is true.  I love having this tree in our home.

Matt put up the outdoor lights and Ramsey asks to see them all the time.

Happy birthday Ramsey!

Starting with the night before, December 4....

 At a friend's house performing in the "show" the kids prepared.

Ramsey is very serious about her twirling.

Lately, Ramsey has not been interested in staying in her room when it's bedtime.  We found her here in our bed with Bella, with the lights on.  She used to sleep like this when she was an infant.

Onto her birthday, December 5....

Birthday morning!

 Birthday poster.

Silly face.

She is getting so tall!

Friends Jacey, Lillie, and Calvin.

From left to right: Baron, Allie, Mikenna, Sloane, Lillie, 

Sarah, Ramsey, Leah, Calvin, and Jacey (Beck not pictured)

 We played pin the star on the Christmas tree.

Ramsey and Jacey putting beads on their necklaces.

Ramsey and Daddy cuddle.  Matt stayed home from work and enjoyed Ramsey all day.

Mommy helping the girls with necklaces.

The crafting table.  We made ornaments, Christmas trees, necklaces, and Christmas puppets 

(all crafts purchased at Michael's).  Ramsey is an avid crafter.  

When I asked her what kind of party she wanted, she said "plain."  

She only wanted to invite girls, but was fine with little brothers attending 

(the only boy she wanted to invite was a friend's little brother, but not the actual friend himself).  

She later said she wanted Christmas decorations, so, that's what she got!  

Ramsey,

You are our girl, we love you so much.  You are independent, easy-going, and just glorious.  Mommy loves the quiet afternoons spent watching "Huckle Cat" (Richard Scarry's Busytown Mysteries), crafting, doing reading lessons, working on chores, and reading.  Daddy loves Saturday Daddy-daughter dates going to estate sales and grabbing frozen yogurt (and other treats) together.  You are a quick runner and have a long attention span.  You are sensitive and quick to point out when someone has hurt your feelings.  You are a listener and you like to tease your brother.  You are not demanding and you do not ask for much.  This year for Christmas you asked for a jewelry box and a house for Blue Doggie.  You also said we should get Daddy a new phone for Christmas.

You are asthmatic, but your asthma is under control (you take 2 puffs of a Flovent inhaler each morning during cold and flu season) and we are hopeful that you will outgrow it.  When you start coughing and wheezing, we give you 2 puffs of a ProAir (Albuterol) inhaler or liquid Albuterol through a nebulizer (a 15-minute breathing treatment).  You undergo these treatments willingly and are very compliant.  You are otherwise healthy, and at your 4 year visit your weight was 34.2 pounds (44%), your height was 40 inches (57%), and your BMI was 15.05 (41%).    

We love you and are so happy you are in our forever family.

xoxoxoxo,
Mommy and Daddy  

Wesley United Methodist Preschool

 Beck and Ramsey started attending Wesley Preschool in September.  This is the first day of school.

Ramsey is in the Thursday, Friday 3 & 4 year-old class.

Beck is in the Thursday, Friday 2 year-old class.   

Beck's classroom-his teachers and Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Cook.  There are only 10 kids in his class.  

He is the youngest, but it isn't really noticeable since he has such incredible verbal skills.  

I cried when I dropped him off!

This is Ramsey's classroom.  The teacher (Mrs. Townsend) is trying to coax her to leave because I am waiting for her, but she is so excited about the book the other teacher (Mrs. Costanzo) is reading.  I cried when I dropped her off too.   Luckily Ramsey and Beck's classrooms are next door.  Ramsey starts her day on the playground (when the weather is nice) and ends in the classroom, and Beck starts his day in the classroom and ends on the playground. 

Going home with Daddy-she LOVED school. 

 Beck also LOVED school.  The second day he cried when I dropped him off, then after that it was smooth sailing.  

Playing dress-up at open house with her pal Sarah.

Vrrooooommmm, Beck loves cars and trains.