Eight dances, two full on dress rehearsals, three recitals. 

So proud of my Avery.

Watching her onstage is such a joy.

She gives it 125% on stage and her facial expressions express her own joy and love of being onstage. 

This year she performed three dances in Mini CDC – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Blackbird” and “Boogie Fever”.  Jazz 1 she performed “Welcome to the 60’s”. Pre-teen Jazz she performed “Supermodel” and Modern she performed “Rhapsody”. 

Schools out for summer! Oakton Elementary School (OES) is out for Avery and Emerson!  Seven years at Oakton Elementary.  Seven years since I unexpectedly broke down in happy tears as they climbed the steps to the school bus on their first day of kindergarten. 

Avery and Emerson are ready for seventh grade.  Emerson especially had a particularly tough year with three different teachers and has been ready since early this year to be at Thoreau.  Harper has been going to school with her sisters since kindergarten…it’s all she knows.  It will be four years again before they are all at the same school.  In time, I think she will not only be fine, but also like being the sole Maddy at OES.  The majority of her friends are in a similar situation having older sixth grade siblings. 

They say you should celebrate your successes and graduating 6^th grade is certainly a big one these days. 

Graduation at Oakton High School.  

Emerson was selected as 1 of 3 students out of 133 total 6^th graders to deliver a commencement speech.  Her speech and her delivery were outstanding!  She was both excited and nervous to get on that stage; however, she not only kept her composure, but also delivered like she had spoken to 1000 people at once previously. 

The girls both took the stage to accept their 6^th grade graduation certificates; Emerson also received an award in Academic Excellence. 

Look at these two I seriously can’t believe how grown up they look!  

Family pics!

A 6^th Grade Party was held at OES to celebrate; an event Avery and Emerson had been looking forward to for some time and had to have the perfect dress to celebrate; and a second dress….the same dress that they had worn just two hours prior at the graduation ceremony would not suffice.

Last day of school…Avery and Emerson look so grown up to me….it’s like overnight they look like middle schoolers!

The obligatory last day of school neighborhood group picture was last minute and for the first time ever, all the kids couldn’t wait to get to school!

The afternoon last day activities didn’t disappoint with water gun balloons, super soakers, and new this year Kona ice!  

OES has truly been a great experience; Avery, Emerson, and Harper have grown academically and socially; it is a joy being their mom and having the opportunity to be on this journey with them.  

“He’s the penis”. 

While my grandma had been speaking gibberish for the last year or so, she sometimes made complete sense with a statement saying “I love you”, “where are you going”, “I’m listening”, “I remember”, “how are you”, or “he is handsome” in reference to a soap opera character. 

Three months ago, I knew her time earthside was winding down and I wanted her to know she was loved, and it was okay to let go.  I went with my mom, Avery, and Harper with the intent of reading her a letter I had written; Emerson joined us later coming from 643 (softball) with my dad.  Upon seeing my dad in her room, my grandma looked at him and said “he’s the penis”.  While I am pretty sure that is not exactly what she meant to say, she clearly knew it was my dad or a man and those are simply the words that came out of her mouth; the girls and I certainly got a chuckle and asked ourselves if we heard what she said correctly! 

Below are the words I read to my grandma, to which several times, I said to her, “Grandma, are you listening?” when I felt like she wasn’t with me and she responded back “I’m listening” or “go ahead.”

******

Grandma – 

It’s been awhile since we have had a real conversation.  I’m not sure when the last one was…5 years ago probably and I am sure you were asking about the girls and what they were up to. You loved to hear about them!

Anyway, I got to thinking and I wanted to share with you…share with you some of the hundreds of memories I have that involve you, and Papa during my childhood.  So in no particular order:

• Walking the wagon across the street to the beach
• Bobbing in warm lake like ocean every summer
• Going to Hollywood beach and picnicking at the picnic benches
• Hanging out at the pool for hours and watching the boats go by. 
• Hanging out in the lobby, checking the mail in the lobby, and riding the elevator to the 8^th floor. 
• Getting the beach chairs from the storage unit.
• Doing kicks in front of your hallway mirror…and checking myself out constantly.
• Your kitchen wall phone cord and you always having conversations with your friends.
• Your twice a year two week visits to Virginia…every March and September like clockwork.
• Going to TCBY as much as we could when you visited!
• Driving back to Florida with you and papa after one of your visits….stopping at rest stops with our cooler of sandwiches to eat our packed lunch.
• You and Papa taking me to Disney World…me wanting to see the fireworks, you not knowing where they were, going on the Dumbo ride instead only to realize that the fireworks were over Dumbo.
• Driving with you to run errands especially Publix and ordering cheese at the deli counter which was sliced each piece separately. 
• Listening to Taylor Dane in the car
• Going with you to your aerobics class…I love watching you through the window in your leotard with all the other ladies. I remember your sweat head band. 
• Waking up every morning and you and Papa would always be at the dining room table, paper spread out, reading the paper or some crossword puzzle action, eating breakfast, drinking coffee. The small kitchen Tv on too!
• Always a jam-packed fridge.
• Having a sit-down lunch daily and discussing at lunch what was for dinner that night.  I always thought that was so crazy and yet I totally get it now!
• Your delicious dinners….peppered steak, some type of chicken, white rice, and salad for you and papa that consisted of iceberg lettuce and a slice of radish.  Oh salads back then!
• Oh and the yellow cushions…they were old and I remember some of them were in better condition than others…how old was I when I finally stopped sitting on them.  Why did we sit on them?  Was it for height or was it so we didn’t spill anything?  Probably the former since they had holes in them!
• Going over the bridge to visit Grandma Molly…walking around the bay at Grandma Mollie’s house, eating Grandma Molly’s rugelach and star cookies.  Why did we not get the recipe?
• Talking to you long distance weekly and always ending the conversation with “I love you”
• Going out to dinners in Florida and Virginia with you, papa, mom, lauren, and me…you always making sure everyone brought a sweater…since you thought every restaurant was freezing….you complaining of your food always being served cold at restaurants…oh how that drove mom and Stuart crazy!
• Going to the movies….always with a sweater! 
• Walking around the Aventura Mall when we visited.
• The time we went out for Chinese Food at House of Mandarin and Papa and Mom split the check in half when they were arguing who would pay it (literally ripped it in half)
• Going out to eat at The Rascal House…eating lots or rolls at The Rascal House.
• Eating a tuna sandwich as takeout from The Rascal House before heading to the airport back to Virginia
• You and Papa coming to see my graduate high school
• You and I talking about our Weight Watchers experience
• Coming to visit you on my spring break with Robyn and you and Papa taking me and my friends out for dinner
• You giving me some of your white seashell necklaces in Santa Barbara at Jason’s wedding
• You coming to my wedding and being so happy for me…you and I both walked down the wrong aisle!
• You coming to visit alone after Avery and Emerson were born.
• Me always sharing something to indicate I was the coolest and you and Papa always absolutely agreeing.
• These are just some of the memories…you and Papa were such instrumental part of my childhood…I always felt so much love from you both. I am so fortunate and blessed to have grown up with both you being active in my life.  26 years Papa was in my life…43 years you were in my life…incredible.  And you not only met, but you knew and loved Justin and my three girls. 
• Papa and you were a great pair…you lived almost 17 years without him, which truly seems hard to believe.  He didn’t live to see any great grandkids and here you are with 16!  3 kids, 3 daughter/son in-laws, 7 grandkids, 16 great grandchildren. 
• Its time…go be with Papa….he left that letter for you…its time that you meet again. 
• I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.