Pandora

Today we took a ride to the scrapbook store in Bellows Falls. A few weeks ago we discovered the Pandora app for my iPhone. I don't really quite understand it, but you type in some music that you would like to listen to. We put in The Drifters from the '50s and '60s. It will then play a song by the artist that you put in, but it also plays other music of that genre. It was so much fun. We listened to it all the way to Vermont. Of course, lots of back roads in Vermont don't have any cell phone connection, so it would go in and out. If you like any of the music you can actually buy it from iTunes right on the phone. Technology - it blows me away!

On the road I saw a little door in Jacksonville, VT.




And a post office in Wardsboro, VT.

Marley with the violin, Mason's long hair

Today was the first full day that Mark, Janelle, Mason, and Marley were here. Marley wanted to look at Mark's old violin, and he taught her how to play Mary had a Little Lamb. I don't think Mason liked it. He kept saying to her, "Don't play it Marley." Marley has been playing the trumpet in the school band since September, but she said that she always wanted to play a stringed instrument. So........she is going to check at school to see if she can play a violin there. She said she would rather play the violin than the trumpet. I'm not sure if Kristen was too thrilled. She said she already suffered through the violin once with Mark!

Mark played the violin from 4th grade through 7th grade.  I guess it became "not cool" to bring his violin to school when he started junior high!

Mark in 1983, 4th grade

On another note.........
Mark was giving Mason a bath tonight and I just couldn't resist taking pictures of his long hair.





It looks so much longer when it's wet!

356/365 - Marley's narration

Marley had the beginning narration of the children's musical Meet Me At The Manger last Sunday night at our church. Someone on Facebook tagged me with this picture. I am so excited to have it.

353/365 - Meet Me At The Manger

Tonight Bethany's Children's Choir put on the Christmas musical Meet Me at the Manger. They have been working on this since October and they were wonderful. I absolutely loved it. I was so proud of Marley. She had the opening narration Twas the Day Before Christmas. She did a great job. They all did. Everyone there seemed to love it. They got a standing ovation!

Marley had a lot of her people there. Mark, Janelle, and Mason came. Mason got so excited when he saw Marley up front waiting to saw her part. He waved both hands and said "Arla". Toby's father (Bebil) was there along with Big Baba, and of course me and Paul. It was a great night. It never ceases to amaze me how much Bethany does for and with the children in our church.

This is the choir. Marley is in the back row, far right.



In the afternoon we had dinner and Marley worked on her project for school Touring the Northeast



After dinner we had cake and ice cream for Toby's birthday. One funny thing...Marley lit the candles for Toby's cake and we turned off all the lights while she walked in and we sang "Happy Birthday." Mason started crying, really crying hard. At first I thought it was because we turned the lights off, but I think it was when he saw Marley holding the cake with the candles lit in the darkness.



Mason loved Toby's cake!




Poor Toby, it was a short celebration as Marley had to be at church early.

Anyhow...Happy Birthday Toby!

New jumper and new Mother Goose DVDs

My friend from work, Cindy, lent me a jumper type thing for Mason. He has one at home so he knew exactly what to do in it. It was so funny to watch. Today our new Mother Goose DVDs came in the mail. Quite a few years ago now my friend Cindy lent me a Mother Goose VHS tape. She thought Marley would like it. We all liked it, especially Big Baba. It is done with real people dressed up in nursery rhyme costumes singing and dancing out the nursery rhymes - bright colors, catchy music. Well, when Cindy's little granddaughter came along I returned the tape to her. Big Baba really missed watching it. When Mason came along we decided to see if we could get the same thing on the Internet. They were available on DVD and they came today. Mason loved them. Really, for at least the first half hour he jumped in his jumper watching the TV. It was so cute!

This was the old VHS tape -



This is what the new DVDs look like. If you ever come across them, little kids (and Big Babas) love them.

289/365 - Marley's recorder and Mark taking a picture of Mason

I couldn't decide which picture to choose today so I am posting two.



Marley came over tonight very excited about the fact that she got her "recorder" at school yesterday. It is an introductory instrument. She had a sheet showing the finger placement for the notes on it. She played every note for me...one by one!

Mark and Mason came to visit tonight. This picture is of Mark taking a picture of Mason on his phone to send to Janelle at work.