The Big Wedding, Etc.

I loved the pomp 'n' splendor of the Royal Wedding. Joe and I watched it live in the middle of the night (although he wasn't awake on purpose -- but since he was sleepless he sat up with me and made running commentary, a la Mystery Science Theatre 3000).

I loved the magnificent spectacle of it all. Who was in charge of this thing? I want to shake her hand. Every molecular detail of it was so excruciatingly just-so. Here are things I loved:

1. The clean streets and Union Jacks waving between spring-green trees.

2. Shiny cars.

3. Westminster Abbey. It's ONE THOUSAND years old. I read a wedding commentary that was complaining about the puny attempts at floral arrangements inside the church, but can you imagine even making a dent with flowers? They put live trees inside instead, which I thought were beautiful.

4. Kate's wispy thin veil.

5. And wispy thin waist. Good grief, did this girl starve herself? It did make for a lovely silhouette, but Kate, sweetheart, have a chocolate doughnut now. The pressure's off. (Actually, maybe it's not...poor thing.)

6. The boy sopranos in the choir with their ruffly collars and little spectacles and peachy complexions.

7. And the orchestra -- behind which pillar, post or vestibule was it squirreled away? Oh, it sounded wonderful. Wouldn't you love playing second violin in that group?

8. Seeing Elton John in the congregation singing the opening hymn (to the tune of "Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah.")

9. The priest who gave the introduction in his round English tones, talking about bringing up children in the "fear and nurture of God" ("fia and nuhchuh")

10. William having a wee spot of trouble getting the ring on Kate's finger.

11. The fact that there was no wedding kiss inside the church (apparently deemed inappropriate) and no cheesey, "May I present to you...for the first time...the Duke and Duchess of CAMBRIDGE" (catcalls/whoops).

12. William's fast and goofy handwaves in the carriage.

13. Footmen!!

I didn't anticipate caring so much for the darn wedding, but it was just so cool to watch! Even the reruns are mesmerizing.

On the domestic front -- Emma snapped a pretty good photo of the new birds a few days ago

(l to r: Violet, Twinkle Toes -- and I know Violet isn't violet, but that is her name nonetheless)

And big news in the dental arena -- Emma's first tooth loss (this happened a couple weeks ago). We didn't even know she had a loose one till we went to the dentist recently and he discovered it. Emma was thrilled to have a loose tooth and wiggled it incessantly. A couple Sundays ago, after I went to a choir practice, she told Joe she wanted her tooth OUT, so he cleaned up the pliars and pulled it out and Em apparently made nary a squawk. Tooth fairy brought her a tootsie pop and two bucks.

Sayonara.

Easter Festivities

Easter this year was action packed, or at least as action packed as a day with three hours of church can get. I feel sorry for all of the primary teachers on Easter in a too-small room filled with sugar dazed kids, trying to get a gospel message across. The halls were filled with kids bouncing off of each other in a pastel frenzie.

Right after the meeting, Kat and Andy picked us up (in the new Katmobile) to go to Boo's for an Easter extravaganza, complete with ham, rolls, two kinds of salads, cheesy potatoes, clam dip and pig candy (my contributions), with cake and ice cream for dessert.


There was an egg hunt after dinner, watched over closely by a panel of judges, to see that no rules were violated (hardly any were).

Here is a photo of the participants. Thanks to Boo and the Alex Bunny for a great hunt.

I don't think Em stayed still all afternoon. Not even long enough to eat. She was playing with anybody and everybody she could.


Since we missed the annual Aunt Barbie Spring Lollapalooza and Eggstravaganza this year, it was good to see kids on the search for all things plastic/sweet. Happy Easter! Okay then.

Birthday Girl

Emma just concluded a big bang-up of a birthday week. Started a week ago Saturday when we purchased two birthday parakeets. Emma's been pining for a pet ever since Roscoe the fish expired a couple months ago. So we got two 'keets, a greenish-yellow one (named Violet) and a sky blue one (Twinkle Toes). They're set up in a cage on top of a TV tray in the corner of the computer room and seem to be making themselves to home. They chirp and squawk and peck at their birdseed, and so forth.

Tuesday was Emma's 6th birthday, a regular school day, but she did get to wear the birthday crown at school and they sang 'Happy birthday to you (cha-cha-cha)..." and she passed out packets of fruit Gushers to her pals. Grandma & Grandpa Hiatt joined us for lunch after school and we had Harmon's fried chicken, raspberry lemonade, and chocolate ladybug birthday cake.

Saturday we had a great big ol' party at a place called "Bouncin' Off the Walls" in Sandy. We invited her whole school class plus a few extra (we even had a couple of complete strangers at the beginning; that little girl in the pink headband below, for example...have no idea who she is, but she took off after awhile). The proceedings began with counsel and advice from the proprietor...

....then they filed into the sanctum

and bounced off the walls and slid down the big slide...

The kids seemed to have a good time. Here are Logan and Kaitlin (a couple of Emma's good friends from our previous ward):

and John from her class...

and Marissa from class...

Kaitlin again (my golly, look at those big brown eyes and dimples).

Good friends Nadia and Hanah who live up the street.

Courtney, who lives around the corner.

Anya and Anna, whose parents are our friends from way back (they're cousins).

Little Missy Em...

It was so fun and easy. They had a hostess who kept track of the kids in the bouncy room, so I just sat on a bench and watched and talked to my friend Jen, and then we went into the party room and had Costco cake and Emma opened her veritable plethora of birthday presents (I mean veritable. plethora...made me a little queasy...).

And thus concludes birthday number 6 for our little dumpling. May she live long and prosper.