dance recital:

Naomi had her first dress rehearsal and dance recital this week.  It was a very cute show, and everyone did a great job with it.  There were little ballerinas dancing to Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head with little umbrellas and local beauty pageant winners.  Lucas did well considering he didn't really sleep the night before.  The cookie we gave him during her performance probably helped.  Photos weren't allowed during the performance, which was a hip-hop number to Justin B.ieber's "Baby" (Naomi actually doesn't like the song, but Lucas does).

Cutie patootie.

She almost didn't want to perform until she saw her costume.

Naomi with M before the show.

Curtain call.

All the little cuties.

Naomi and H after the show.

date night/avengers/different gifts:

Manny and I went out to see The Avengers on Friday night, sort of a postponement from Mother's Day, while L babysat the kids.  It was really nice to get out alone and watch a movie at this mall we've been going to since college (but it has changed quite a bit since then).  We had a quick dinner beforehand by the theater and shopped a little.  Of course, we spent a lot of time talking about the kids, but also other things.  I'm always reminded how well we get along on our date nights.  Lucas has been out of sorts all week, and he didn't behave too well from what Naomi told me, but L handled it all very well.  It feels great to have a babysitter we can trust.

The Avengers was pretty good.  Manny gave it 3 out of 4 stars, and I'd probably say 8.5 out of 10 (I need a bigger scale).  The cast was the best part for me, from humans to superheroes to the villain, all good actors.  Ruffalo's Hulk was a pleasant surprise.  The studio didn't promote his character much, probably due to previous problems with the franchise and fan expectations, but his take on Dr. Banner is my favorite so far.  I've seen all the recent Marvel movies except Thor, which this one was largely based upon, and I thought the writer/director did a fantastic job meshing it all together.  The action and comedy were on point.  The one problem I had was some of the choppiness of the Hulk/Black Widow storyline.  If some sources I read are accurate, apparently they cut some of their interaction, which made sense to cut, but it left what remained a little  more confusing to me.  Manny thought the first half was slow, focusing a lot on the villain and not enough on the relationship development between the superheroes.  

I posted this on F.acebook, but even though it's just a movie, it made me think about how each character pertains to human nature.  I also thought about the team as a whole.  They all had the same goal, more or less, but the path to get there didn't require them all to be the same, and success lied in letting them shine in who they already were.  There is no one gift, but many gifts.  And even in being who they were, when faced with their greatest challenge, there was no evaluation of whose power was more necessary, no hierarchy, no seeking after their own glory over another's.  Black Widow and Hawkeye weren't really superheroes in the supernatural sense, but they were just people with certain skills and a lot of heart.  Though they seemed weak, especially compared to Hulk and Thor, they were still integral to the team's success.  

It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12:21-27:  The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 

kitchen clean:

For years, we've had spilled baby yogurt stains on our lower cabinets.  I have tried everything from OrangeGlo to Murphy Oil to get rid of it.  I even thought of refinishing them.  I decided to look online and just buy the good stuff.  The Rejuvenator is expensive and smells like turpentine, but it works!

Before and after, with just one round of light scrubbing.  I might go over it again one more time.  The cabinets are probably about 35 years old, and the parts I did look so much better now!

new york pizza:

Pictures from the New York pizza restaurant.  We ate inside in the area that looked like a subway.

A slice of cheese, please!

Lucas's reaction when I told him what the sign said.  No running, climbing, screaming.  Or else, no pizza for you!

That's a good pizza!

misc update:

After I returned from the brunch last Saturday, Manny took us out for New York pizza as a bonus to Naomi's New York school project.  Two gigantic slices of any pizza, even specialty, and a drink with free refills for $6 wasn't bad at all.  We then went to Target and got Lucas a new big-boy carseat.  He is beyond stoked and talks about it all the time.  He asked me to make his room red and gray like his seat.  :)  When we got back, I had a lot of cleaning to do in preparation for my M.ary Kay consultation with a friend the next day after church.  I was asked to host a party, but everyone I invited declined.  This was the third round of friends I'd asked, but among my friends, very few wear make-up or already have a product they use and like.  It's the same for me, but I wanted to help her out at least with our own purchase.  The eye make-up didn't work out well.  Naomi was pretty horrified.  The gentle facial stuff that doesn't usually cause problems for anyone made my face itch.  I have skin problems, but I've found a compatible cleanser in Y.ves Rocher products.  The hand lotion was fine, and there were other items I found to purchase.  I was glad it ended up being one-on-one.  Not only was it less stressful, but I had a chance to talk to catch up with her about things we wouldn't normally bring up in a group setting.

Our head pastor returned to the pulpit after a trip to Asia, and we were glad to see him back.  We have four different preachers, and I noticed each one has his own style, and that style appeals to different people (all great, though).  The head pastor's style suits me.  But even more important than that is I've witnessed a lot of humility in his actions and responses to people.  He also has a lot of care for the community around us and wants the gospel to spread in it, and he takes action and makes it happen.  All churches can grow in different areas, though, and we're doing our part to increase hospitality in the church.  The men's ministry also seems to keep switching gears, but I trust and pray it will become focused soon.  I appreciate how a leader of our former women's ministry at our previous church wouldn't start it up before the men's ministry.  As for preferences, yes, I really miss choirs and traditional hymns, but I'm there to sing praises with others and will gladly do so.  I also miss people that attend the other service, but I'm thankful we have other means to connect.

While my friend came over, Manny took the kids to a birthday party (isn't he swell?).  I'll post photos later, but Naomi had the best time.  They did an at-home party with water balloons, a piñata, some snacks, and cake and ice cream.  Naomi loves parties at houses.  They stayed the longest, and Naomi got a chance to pet the dog.  Lucas wasn't sure about the water balloons at first, but a nice friend of ours asked if he wanted to join and he did.  Naomi said she was really nice to her like Grandma.

We are in the home stretch of the school year.  Homeschool should end for us by next Thursday, and then the ISP has a few events and trips left, some of which we should be able to make.  It's been a wonderful school year for us, and I'm very much looking forward to starting up in the fall again.  We'll do a little summer school, but we have a lot of other things planned, so it won't be as steady as last summer.  I know they say it takes a lot of patience to teach at home, let alone be a parent, and I'm not the most patient person, but what's cool is that I've learned patience through teaching and being a parent, and I really love it.

Lucas has a follow-up appointment tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to seeing our regular pediatrician again and seeing if we can pinpoint the issue.

update on lucas:

Lucas's condition appears to have started improving this afternoon.  It could be the antibiotics or it could be clearing on its own (like a viral infection), but either way we're so thankful and praising God.  I received a copy of the results online, a great service from our provider. I noticed his urine sample was indeed flagged for the presence of proteins in the urine, contrary to what the doctor told me, so just from my medical transcription studies, working in an Endocrinology/Nephrology department at a hospital, and Google, it appears that he probably has renal insufficiency.  I guess we'll see after the rest of the results come in, but for now, we're so thankful for any improvement, let alone this much improvement.

prayer request for lucas:

Please pray for Lucas, who has gross hematuria (an abnormally large amount of whole red blood cells in the urine).  This morning he didn't urinate as usual.  I gave him water until he finally went to the bathroom at 2pm.  He said that it hurt to go, and the urine came out quite dark and bloody.  I immediately called the doctor's office and there was just one opening today, with a different doctor than ours.  So thankful someone was able to see us within a half hour of my call.  Both kids waited patiently, and Lucas actually seemed excited to be there, saying, "Yes, yes, I want to see the doctor."  We gave him some more water for a urine sample, which was successful, and it looked like cranberry juice, quite red.

The doctor came in and told Lucas he could sit in my lap, but Lucas said he would get on the table and climbed up there.  He seemed to enjoy the real-life version of the many doctor/vet games Naomi and he have played.  Temperature and blood pressure were completely normal.  A fever or high BP might have indicated a bacterial infection.  He pressed on Lucas's abdominal organs.  No sign of pain, so kidney stones were unlikely.  No vomiting or diarrhea to indicate a stomach bug.  No dehydration, no constant urination to indicate bladder problems.  No sore throat, which would indicate possible issues with the tonsils or adenoids.

The doctor did an initial urine analysis which showed no trace of bacteria.  While the doctor was entering information, Naomi brought Lucas a few toys to play with, but Lucas said, "I can't play right now, Naomi.  I'm seeing the doctor."  After checking a couple things, the doctor narrowed it down to a few possibilities and said it was most likely hemorrhagic cystitis, possibly due to a viral infection.  He also said if there was no virus, it could be some other type of bladder infection or even hemophilia.  He gave me the option of having blood drawn, and I definitely wanted to cover the bases.  I also dropped off the rest of the sample for a full urinalysis.

I was praying for wisdom and received some.  I decided to explain to Lucas what was going to happen with the blood test rather than catching him by surprise and losing his trust, which is a big deal with our kids.  He seemed pretty frightened but remained brave.  The lab workers had him squeeze his eyes shut, and I suddenly decided to count to 30 loudly, and it seemed to distract him.  He didn't cry or make a sound.  What a brave boy!  What an answer to prayer!

Afterward I took the kids to an Indian ice cream shop.  Lucas was fighting back tears and looking at his arm as we got out.  I know it was scary and painful, but his mood quickly changed when he saw his treat.

A couple hours later, the doctor called to give us some reassuring news and some not-so-reassuring news.  The reassuring news was that there were no white blood cells or proteins in the blood to indicate a bacterial infection or nephritis (kidney infection).  The bad news was that there were also results in conflict with that.  For example, there were nitrites in the urine which would indicate the presence of bacteria, even though three other results showed no bacteria.  He ordered a culture test to confirm, and put Lucas on antibiotics anyway just in case.  The results also showed a large amount of whole red blood cells.  Usually blood in the urine can be alarming, but broken red blood cells can diffuse and make it appear worse than it is.  In this case, for reasons still unclear, the kidneys are letting a large amount of unbroken blood cells through.  It's definitely gross hematuria.  However, since there were no proteins in the urine, this didn't fully indicate renal insufficiency.  Also, painful urination is usually associated with a bladder infection and not the kidneys.  Lucas cannot communicate specifics to us about the locations or intensity of the pain.  Hopefully with further testing, we'll get more answers.  The doctor is currently looking at nephritis as a possibility.

I started Lucas on the antibiotics, but it troubles me a little because they work the kidneys hard as well.  But I guess you have to weigh the good vs. the bad. I'll be sure to give him probiotics after the 10 days.  I'm praying that it'll clear up soon, and that it is "just" an infection that will soon pass.  If you remember, please pray for our precious son.

children's ministry brunch:

The leaders of the children's ministry threw the volunteers a brunch on Saturday (we really should throw them one; they've done a phenomenal job).  It was so encouraging and exactly what I needed.  Friday I was feeling a bit out of the loop.  Our life group hasn't been able to meet in a while due to unforeseen circumstances, I can't make the women's bible studies this year without a babysitter, and I just wondered if anyone knew who I was anymore.  It's not that I need anyone to serve me, but I missed people.  So I prayed about it on Friday night.

Saturday morning, I walked in and immediately received a warm welcome and acknowledgment by everyone.   The conversations were refreshing, and the food was perfect.  I'm such a fan if brunch food.  Then they showed this hilarious video (some talented folks there):



We played games, and I won one again--the scrambled word challenge.  I don't know if it's because I'm a lefty, but when I was a child, my reading comprehension suffered because all the letters would move around in my mind.  I'd have to strain to focus and read.  I guess this weakness turned out to be good for something.  :)  The prize was an ice cream scoop, bowl, and giftcard to C.oldstone--yeah!.

The best part was when people shared encouraging stories about the kids, the parents, other volunteers, people who'd walked off the street into our church, and just how God made everything work out to His glory.  You couldn't make this stuff up.  It wasn't an information session, but I learned so much that day.  So I felt revitalized as I left.

It's also nice to hear that our life group will be meeting again, the women's study might hire a babysitter if there is enough interest, and that the YMCA is allowing us to share with their attendees this summer for vacation bible camp.  They had no building for their last week, and hearing about us through our community center, asked if they could partner with us for the last week of the program.  How amazing is that?!

inspiring video for mother's day:

..or any day.  Heartwarming.

lunches with friends/mother's day:

We had M, S, and D over last weekend for lunch.  At their request, I won't post their photo.  I made a simple lunch, barbecue chicken and pasta salad.  It was a nice time catching up.  Afterward, I watched the kids play outside.  I don't know what's more work, having people over or watching the kids play (I am not a "watch" the kids while I play on the phone type), but it makes for good memories and a good example for the kids.

Manny came home a little early for three days and took the kids out for an evening walk while I got some time to myself (mostly to clean) right before Mother's Day.  On Mother's Day, we went to one of my favorite places for lunch with a friend from church, and it wasn't crowded at all.  Afterward, I just needed a nap.  Lucas actually didn't fall asleep till nearly four in the morning.  Apparently, he's allergic to something outside in our patio area.  He came in from playing ball in the late afternoon on three separate days with swollen red eyes that were really itchy and sneezed continuously.  I gave in that Saturday night and gave him some Benadryl (no children's Claritin on hand), which put him to sleep.  So he woke up from his nap at 9:30 and was up for most the rest of the night.  I probably wouldn't have gone to church on so little sleep had I not been on the nursery schedule or made lunch plans with the friend (which I didn't want to cancel).  I think God is always reminding me that He is my strength when I'm unsure if I'll make it.

Even Lucas, having just a few hours of sleep managed okay in his class and did some hand and foot print painting that he says he wants to show Grandma.  It's a big deal, because while art is totally Naomi's thing, he doesn't care for coloring or painting or writing anything, so I hope he begin to be more comfortable doing these creative activities.

Naomi surprised me with cards in my favorite color and wrapped toys she says were from her and her stuffed cat Abigail.  She wants a real one, but we can't accommodate a pet right now, and Manny isn't exactly a cat person.

We weren't able to find a babysitter for Saturday night, but it worked out with Lucas's allergy attack.  Plans have now been made for a date night soon, and the kids are excited about that because they love babysitters.  We don't have family nearby, so we're very thankful for the couple people whom we can trust with the kids.
 

Naomi set the table for us.

Naomi practicing on her scooter.

Lucas wanting to join in.

At my favorite Korean fried chicken place with buddy B.

Sweet sentiments.  In these cases, I have to fight myself not to correct her grammar.

bread machine cinnamon rolls:

The kids love their cinnamon rolls, and I finally came upon a keeper recipe for them.  We finished off one pan, and I froze the rest.  This was a special occasion, as we try to watch our flour, fat, and sugar intake, but they were homemade, so we can be at least be sure they contained no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor/color, or preservatives.  

girl talk:

Once every month or two I've been hanging out with my friend O.  It's hard for me to go out alone in general, but we make an extra effort for her.  I have personal reasons, but I would have done this long ago had I not had the philosophy that I should try to divide my time equally among everyone and not just certain people.  Impossible, but I still tried.  So now I know.  I do still make an effort to manage my time so that I am not being exclusive, but I feel okay now about making the occasional extra effort for a smaller circle.  Anyway, it was a wonderful time.  I feel very at ease, myself, and refreshed around her.  It takes time to develop a relationship to that level but also a mutual willingness and understanding.

We went out to Cheesecake Factory.  We usually can't go wrong with this place, but we ordered Cobb salads that were just too huge!  They were just okay.  We should've shared one, because we tend to order the same types of dishes anyway.  So now we know.  :)

The salad looks so much smaller in this photo than it did in person.

boys and birds:

We went to Naomi's classmate's 7th birthday party, consisting of all boys except for one baby sister.  Naomi went from my sweet fairy the week before to a rambunctious girl who stabbed a caterpillar with a fork, much to my horror.  I actually teared up.  I really cannot stand to kill even the littlest creatures.  But the boys were all killing spiders and whatnot, so there you go.  It was a nice party at the park.  I really like the simple parties, even though we have done some major parties ourselves for Naomi.  Lucas's will always be more low-key, I think.  

While I was out with the kids, Manny had some male-bonding time with Chris, who also skipped a kids' birthday party.  They did some male shopping and had breakfast and lunch together.  Then I got my turn with my monthly night out with O.  It was a fun Cinco de Mayo!

Under the parachute.

Nice tree for climbing (but not too high--I'm paranoid).

Angry Birds cupcakes!  Naomi and Lucas went straight for the yellow ones.

Lucas enjoying a game of catch with the birthday boy's Great-Grandma.

Four boys and a girl.

sports night:

Just catching up on events first, but will have some variety in the posts coming soon...

Naomi went to an evening sports event for school-aged kids at the community rec center.  She's been twice before and loved it.  She goes in without knowing anyone each time, but usually manages to make some friends.  This time, the theme was beach fun.  Naomi decided to wear her Hawaii Hello Kitty shirt for the occasion.  She's dressed herself completely for the past few years, even for special occasions.  It helps me have extra time to brush or do her hair, which in this case, fell apart by evening's end.  

Kids getting ready for some fun.

Naomi had a ball.

The visor she made.  I like how she used the pineapple for the o and a flower and surfboard for the i.

cec birthday:

We had a great time at C's birthday party, although it was sad to hear that there was an emergency involving their family member the night before.  We often just have to go on for the children.  Thankful to know the person is okay now.  

It's been a while since we've been to CEC, and Lucas is still scared of those disco lights, but he did his best to stay brave when I told him we had to stay.  He's becoming increasingly confident and communicative.  It's funny--when I want him to stay with me, he wants to run off, and then sometimes when I want him to go and play, he wants to stay with me.  I'd like Naomi to play more with him, but I understand her wanting to take advantage of the time with kids her age as well.  Sometimes you can't fully find balance; you can only avoid extremes.

Naomi and the birthday girl.

Playing a little b-ball.

Lots of kids.  Naomi and Lucas are in the middle.

Ticket blaster!

Lucas figured out how to play skeeball at his height by ricocheting the ball.  He did pretty well for his first time!

The girls getting rid of pesky pests.

fairy birthday party:

We had our first afternoon party here (in the past, the afternoon was naptime for ours or others' children) as well as our first all-girl party.  It made everything easier with the limited entertaining space we have in our home.  Three of the moms stayed while the others dropped their girls off.  We live by the street, so it helped that the kids were older.  

Manny bought some pizza and made some nachos for any adults staying, so we decided to invite Chris and O (his wife) at the last minute.  We were glad they were able to make it on short notice.  An unexpected bonus was that Lucas had someone to play with while I took photos or watched the girls.  Manny had to run out to get the cake at one point, and it was nice to have their help.  Some of the moms remarked that they'd never seen Lucas have such a good time as he did with them.  They gave him piggyback rides, chased him, and played video games with him.  

Naomi was a great hostess to her friends.  Many of them didn't know each other, but Naomi did her best to introduce and include everyone.  She gave away her cake top to one friend and the birthday present from the fairy, a tutu, to another friend.  I'm thankful our kids are great about sharing and giving, but if I don't take a photo of the items, which I didn't, they're gone forever!   During the present opening, Naomi made everyone feel like their present was the best present ever, whether it was clothing or something she already had.  Even when there was one thing I knew she didn't want (strawberry soap--she doesn't like berries), she never let on and said she could give it to her brother.  She got rid of the gift receipts and declared that she wouldn't exchange or return anything.  Like her parents, I guess.

We were very pleased with the performer.  Even though it's an extra expense, she really gave the girls some great memories.  Another mom wanted to hire her as well.  She may be retiring after this year, so we felt thankful to have had her at our party.  When Naomi saw her photo online, she picked her right away.  She was the one!

On to the party:

The first girls arrive.  Loved that one girl came as Cleopatra!

Eating outside.

The Faerie just "flew" in!

She was sweet and hilarious.

Magic/puppet show.  She pulled out a mouse, then a turtle, then the tutu.

O giving Lucas a ride.

The girls after the faces were painted.  Naomi actually didn't want her face painted that much and only wanted a few cat whiskers, but she ended up with a full cat mask.  She was very gracious about it.  The fairy was very talented and teaches face painting herself.

The grassy area of our complex was a perfect spot for a hula lesson.

Tinkerbell and friends cake time!

This part always grosses me out a little.

Naomi asking everyone to help her open the present.  :)

fairy party prep:

When Naomi was born, she came into a sea of newborn boys.  Though it taught her to be resilient yet yielding, it did not change the fact that she was still different.  I'll never forget the look these boys had when she pulled out the feather boa and asked them to dress up for the tea party.  Then they went back to being boys.  Now, many years later, she has come into an abundance of girlfriends, and this year, we had our first all-girl party.  She did miss the boys, but I think it worked out well to do it this time (plus, she went to an all-boys-except her party the week after).  She says her favorite party is still last year's party because more kids could come, but this came in a close second.

She was very excited to help with the party planning.  Some of her ideas were over the top, but I kept to her color scheme (which was entirely different than what I'd envisioned), and we agreed on a fun menu together.  Usually I enjoy making the cakes, but they take up a lot of time.  Plus, having the party here meant a lot of work during an already busy week.  So the Coldstone giftcard from Grandma for Lucas's birthday cake went to Naomi.  Yep, I went there.  Lucas doesn't really need or want big parties.  He likes the low-key parties at home with a cake design of his choice.

So, on to the party.  I am not and have never been a girly girl, but I have some idea what girls like, so I brainstormed some affordable favors and food, and the internet helped make it happen.  I had to skip the pinata again this year.  Naomi and I wanted one, but I wasn't sure about the weather and the extra expense.  We'll have to do it another year!

First up are the favors.  I made some homemade glittery pink and purple playdough for the girls.  The batch I made with food coloring came out beautifully.  The batch I made with Kool-aid came out a little on the sticky side.  This has happened each time.  By process of elimination, I conclude it's the Kool-aid, but I don't remember enough about chemistry to know why.  I added extra flour to the Kool-aid batch, and that solved the problem.  Online reviews said that if you leave it in the fridge long enough, it'll eventually come to the right consistency.

The favor bags contained one ball each of pink and purple playdough, Tinkerbell fruit snacks, and a pair of sunglasses.  I handed out organic lollipops to some kids at the party as well.  Each label was made with my leftover scrapbook stuff and some fairy stickers handed down from Manny's cousin (parties are an excellent way to use up what you have).  I bought a large set of these cellophane paper bags from the dollar store some years ago and have used them ever since.  The kids like seeing through them, and they're easy to tie with this white curling ribbon I've actually had for 15 years and try to use every chance I get.

I made the spring banner with a free template I saw on Money Saving Mom.  The coffee filters didn't look right flattened, so I left them as they were.

With the extra mini clothespins, cardstock, and twine, I made a basic birthday banner.  I also put up the photos from Naomi's birthdays each year.

The tissue paper flowers took longer than I thought they would, about 15 minutes each, so I stopped at four and skipped making the cardstock butterflies I originally planned.  I stuck the flowers on some branches using twist ties.

On to the food.  I made a toadstool caprese salad of sorts made of tomatoes, string cheese, olive oil, salt, and basil.  I had the idea in my mind, and online photos helped.  Naomi doesn't like raw tomatoes, so she requested the cucumbers on the side.  

Red velvet cookie sandwiches I've made before, but with the chips inverted to make them look more like ladybugs.  I was going to pipe a line and head on each, but decided to skip that as well. 

Next were the butterfly-shaped chicken salad sandwiches, and melon wands made from watermelons and cantaloupes.  These took all morning to make.  I looked online for melon wand ideas, and found this cute one.  It was harder to stick the popsicle sticks into the melons than I thought it would be, so I'm glad Naomi wanted to skip the honeydew.  On the right are some chicken teriyaki meatballs (Aidell's brand from Costco).  They're easy to prepare and quite delicious.  No onions, either!

We served citrus water as well.  Two limes, three lemons, three oranges, and some ice.  I thought the lime was a little strong, so I might cut it down to one lime next time.  I gave in when Naomi asked for two sets of paper lanterns to have more color.  There is actually a multicolored pack of three lanterns with our color scheme, but we couldn't find it in any of the stores.

Last but not least, in the bottom right corner is a cute ladybug garden Easter basket I found at the supermarket for cheap.  The napkins turned out to be slightly too big to place in them, so I rolled up the utensils in them and tied them with ribbon (the same old white curling ribbon) like my mother-in-law did one year.

We also served rainbow trail mix and yogurt pretzels on the table in candy dishes.  I've seen tons of candy on party tables to make them colorful, so I thought those would be good alternatives.  Finally, after 12 years, I've put these crystals from our wedding to use!

The weather was beautiful that day or I might have put up some Christmas lights as well.  Manny helped clean and set up our back patio, a perfect spot for the fairy's magic show.  Yes, we hired a performer this year, a fairy I found through online reviews.  Naomi originally wanted Tinkerbell, but the reviews weren't too impressive for the other local companies, and they charged more to have the character.  I'm glad we went with a generic woodland fairy, because she was anything but generic!  It was a busy and exhausting week, but it was worth it to celebrate with friends and have people over who hadn't been to our place.