Jack Attack

Finally Jack has a real uniform, a real team, and real games!  He could not be more thrilled.  This was his first game and it was wet and very cold.  He is easily one of the biggest kids on his team and actually really good.  Next to him in this picture is Rocco, the "biggest boy in my class, but I'm actually faster than him."  I think our son has some good competition in him.

They only play 3-on-3, so it gives them a really good chance to learn passing and teamwork.  Can you believe there was actually a kid talking smack at Jack's game?  They are kindergartners for crying out loud!  He loves to tell the story of the "tall boy" that said to him, "You're not going to get the ball!" then just as the kid swung his leg to kick, Jack stole the ball from him.  He is so proud of that moment in his first soccer game and I can't blame him.  I'm pretty proud myself.  

That is Jack's Russian coach in the black, behind him.  These teams are coached by parents, but we really lucked out with this guy.  He says things during the game like, "Are you dreaming or playing soccer?  Run!" which is kind of harsh on a 6 year-old, but he is also very nice and playful.  Every time they score he says, "Celebrate!!"  I'm grateful Jack is getting some good coaching.

I had to add this photo after all of the soccer pics because Jack said to me the other day, "Mom, I really like soccer better than violin."  Oh boy.  His teacher just told me he is one of her best students.  At least he is learning and doing well.  Thank goodness his friend, Seojun is still taking lessons (not that I really care, I mean let's be honest, it's still up to me and so he's taking violin.  Case closed.), so at least group class is fun!  I'm really proud of Jack.  He is a hard worker, no matter what it is.  I think he gets it from Christian...

A change will do us all good.

Do you like it?  My new background for the blog?  It's so refreshing for me, and in honor of a new female joining our family soon (better be soon!!!), I decided to go a little spring-and-flowers on the boys.  It feels wonderful!  On a side note... I am due in exactly one week.  Christian is supposed to hop on the company jet tomorrow and go to NYC for a meeting.  He'll be gone for 12 hours.  I have never been an early deliver-er with our babies, but what if, just this once I go into labor tomorrow?  Will we forever have to tell the story of our first girl coming into the world while her Daddy was jet-setting across the country on a posh private jet?  We're torn.  What's a man to do?  I'll take the pressure off of him and say for the record, I think he should just go.  Check back with me after this is all over - I may have changed my mind.

Daddy Time

I just love the fact that the boys all crowded around to be on Christian's lap instead of spreading out on the couch.  They get all worked up when they hear him coming in the door each night and their favorite thing to do with Daddy is to jump on him when he's laying down (usually on one of their beds).  It's great to see the wrestling side come out in Christian.

At Winfield's preschool they had a Dad's Night where each dad was presented with a portrait and description of themselves.  Here is a little of what Win said about Christian:

"I call him Christian Mitchell or Dad.  He is 100!  He's huge, and his hair is white, but I have blond hair. His eyes are blue like me.  He's at work.  He just works.  He just does some things.  Dad wears worker clothes - white pants and a black shirt.  When he comes home from work, he plays Lego Star Wars with me and Jack.  He is good at Legos.  I like to hug Dad, and he does like that.  Dad likes to eat cheese.  He eats cheese a lot, and that makes his tummy bigger.  Dad and Mom like to go on the computer and set up PBS Kids for me.  I love Dad because he is so cool, and so is my mom."

Yeah, I love that last line.  I love the whole thing.  I have to add my two bits that Christian really IS a wonderful dad.  I'm so lucky that my boys have such a steady, loving, and hard working father and he really is the love of my life.  I can be sappy on my own blog, right?  Love you, Babe.

Oh, and I just have to add a funny side note.  See the hat Christian is wearing?  That is a fleece-lined hat that he wears inside the house.  It's cold here and we have a very drafty house, what can I say?  But, the best is to come to bed at night and see him reading in bed, pajamas on, and a snow cap on his head!  Our house isn't that cold!  Or is it...

Easter Photos, oh boy.

You would think I could capture my boys in a better picture for Easter, but under the circumstances, this was honestly the best we could do.  Winfield wet his pants (at Marriott's) and ended up in size 2 pants that looked like tight knickers on him, plus Jane's underpants (which he called "paneez").  Charles wanted nothing to do with his cute hat my mom gave them when he normally wears it around the house. But wait, the pictures get worse...

Jack holding the newest of his cousins, Madelynn, who is almost three months old.  He is going to be a wonderful big brother to our baby girl.

Nana with the boys.  Again, the best we could do.  This was the only one that they weren't doing fighting/star wars faces.  I guess that is what you get when you holler, "say Darth Vader!"

With the Marriott girls.  We are going to miss them!!!

The Recital

My viola recital was quite an event - for me.  I worked for months to be ready and I really did feel ready.  Admittedly, it wasn't my most impressive program, nor my most advanced playing, but it was the best I could do at 8 months pregnant and I felt very satisfied.  The audience was larger than I dared to imagine and so supportive with flowers and tears!  I think my mom cried the hardest, though.  Although it was only 45 minutes, I was completely spent by the end and grateful to have made it all the way through the Bach Suite.  My dad thought I was going to faint from exhaustion!  

Thank heavens for Megan and Jeremiah who drove up from Evanston to join me in the recital.  Megan was a dream accompanist and Jeremiah made the duet so much fun - for me as well as the audience.  

A serious expression, but kind of funny to think of a pregnant woman playing the viola!

Mom and me after the recital - whew! - in front of the conservatory.  It was such a beautiful hall, inside and outside.  It used to be a residence and then was turned into the music conservatory.

I could not have made it through the concert without my parents.  While I waltzed off to warm up, they cut flowers, arranged desserts, and got everything set up with Christian's help.  It meant so much to have them there supporting me and felt almost like the old days...give or take a few decades.  Adam and Laura picked up David and Abby from the airport and made it to the recital just in time, so I really did have a huge showing from my family alone.  I am one lucky woman!

A Green Day

Charles found the tops of the green cupcakes the only part worth eating.  He got through three before I found him, guilty with chocolate all over his face.  

Thanks to our Paddy, the kids had a ball with the motorized bubble machine, running all around the driveway.  It was a warm-ish day, amazingly, and everyone relished those few hours of sunshine.

Jane and Audrey sporting Leprechaun hats.  Audrey wouldn't take hers off, she loved it so much.

Our three Irish Mitchell boys

What fun are bubbles if you can't add a light saber to them?

I love this action shot of Jack catching the bubbles in his hat.

  It's great to have Irish heritage on both sides of the family.  Raise your hat to St. Paddy!

Caffeine Jitters

It is 12:19 am and I am the only one awake.  After a week-long headache (and I'm not kidding), I decided to go ahead and order a Barq's root beer tonight.  All Utah folk know that Barq's in Utah was caffeine-free, but out here, that isn't the case (such an odd phenomenon, now that I think about it.  How exactly did the Mormons pull that off?).  Anyway, I ordered it hoping a little caffeine would help my headache.  It did!  But, I've got some kind of restless leg/body/arm syndrome.  So what better to do than blog and eat Special K?  I'm sorry I haven't posted more lately, but I will.  I will.  However, no more caffeine for me.  I value my sleep way too much.