Last Day

 

If it weren't for the fact that I love sleeping in over the summer I would be bawling my eyes out right now since this is the last day they will all get to go on the bus together and see each other in the same school.  Alexandria won't have another sibling with her until she is a Senior. in. Highschool!  This year there were tears.  Isabel cried because Mrs. Rother is leaving.  AJ cried because he's just a sweetheart and felt bad leaving his crying teacher, Miss Meek.  I've never seen so many tears on the last day of school.  I'm going to chalk it up to them being emotionally drained after working super hard and doing their very best this year.  Now bring on the sleep!

So Not Miserable!!

We have been waiting for this day for months! Ever since the movie came out and I saw how much my kids like the story of Les Miserables I have wanted to take them to the musical. Finally, the day arrived. We may have been a little to eager to get there, arriving just an hour early.

Luckily, the Phoenix theater is right next to an art museum. So we walked around the sculpture gardens while we waited for show time. AJ found some round parts under that dude's skirt. It was....awkward. The things you find in "art".

The show was scheduled to begin at 7:30 but by 7:10 we couldn't handle any more exposing sculptures so we excitedly made our way down the hall of mirrors and into the theater. 

We spent the next 15 minutes pouring over the program and all the actors we were going to see perform. 

Shhh! Don't tell. I snapped this picture while inside. Apparently there are no pictures allowed but I wanted to remember these next moments with these four Les Mis aficionados. Plus, we were on the first 3 rows. That's a kodak moment. Then the lights flickered and the music began. Suddenly, we were swept away to France in the 1800s and loving every minute. 

If the Cesar's had to review the Phoenix Theater production of Les Miserables it would go something like this. (The following was all discussed by my children in the car on the way home after the show.) The favorite was Madame Thenardier. 

She was just enough crazy to keep you laughing the entire time she was on stage especially when she winked at Alexandria and Isabel who were seated in the front row. Jean Valjean sang beautifully but he seemed angry most of the time, a little out of character for Monsueir le Mayor. We were thankful we weren't seated front and center. Those people may have gotten sprayed...by Marius. It was an embarrassing spitting issue that was very noticeable from the front row. "Red, I feel my ssssoul (spit, spit, spit) on fire. Black, my world when ssssshe'ssss (spit, spit, spit) not there." You get the idea. It was enthralling to hear Stars sung by someone who can actually sing and not Russel Crowe. As a whole the production was magical! Inspiring us to love and forgive we cried with Eponine, cheered for Gavroche and hoped for Marius.  The parallels between Jean Valjean and Javert were somehow unveiled to me for the first time helping me to understand the mind of Victor Hugo just a little more. The intimate setting of the Phoenix theater allows the audience to feel like you are a part of the show and the songs envelope you in emotion.  We really liked the French flag sugar cookies during intermission too.  Definitely a must see! My four children may seem a little young to sit through a full show but it was so good that they are already asking if we can go back.

Rap Music

"I have a little girl.  The best in the world. She knows what to do.  She knows who to be.  I'm proud to be her mommy."  - Rapped by Ondria

 

Sometimes we get blessings and we have no idea what we did to deserve them.  Alexandria is one of my blessings.  She turned 12 in January and has been begging me to take her to do baptisms for the dead.  She finally got to go but not with me. Mommy fail!  The young women in our ward went last week.  She was super excited.  I made a lame attempt to make up for not taking her for her first time by getting her a new skirt for the occasion.  I'm resolving to taking her before school gets out.

 

I don't worry about Alexandria.  She usually makes good choices. I never have to explain right and wrong to her. She just gets it.  She was born that way.  I don't know how.  I'm pretty sure she didn't get that trait from me or Papi.  Just saying.  For example, we both got down with Snoop and Dr. Dre 20 years ago.  Rap music, it was cool.  Alexandria's opinion of rap? "I don't like rap. It's just a bunch of bad words in disguise."  I surrender, she's right! Good thing I left my old school rap music out of the iTunes library. I love you Alexandria!  Thanks for being an awesome example!

Stella's lunch

How can you not love that little face?  She was downing the apples and peanut butter she had today for lunch. I thought her face was going to explode with goodness when she tasted the peanut butter. 

It's her favorite place to sit, right by the window so she can watch Chloe while she eats. 

Fire pit

 

There is no better place to sit around and tell stories than by a fire pit.  So many ghost stories have been told there this year with our little family that I think we're going to have to change the theme for next year. 

Then there's the s'mores....we love s'mores, regular s'mores, s'mores with mint cookies, s'mores with chocolate covered cookies, s'mores with no cookies.  I only wish that we had a few more cool days left in the season.  Soon AZ will be on fire and we will have to say bye to the fire pit for a few months.  But we will bring you back dear fire.  Too much fun is had around you to keep you in storage for long. 

Best Seats in the House

As the weather warms up that means one thing around our house. It's ball season! This week we have a game every night. The boys have 3 games. Alexandria has 2. It can get kind of crowded at the games since the bleachers aren't very big. No problem for the boys though. They have Papi's innovative skills. They just made themselves a seat in the trees, little monkeys! I'm not a big fan of the weather warming up or a big fan of ball. But I love watching my kids play. 

Conference Weekend

Did you hear about the stupid criminal who kept boxes under the hood of his car?  He robbed our flip house, stole all of Papi's tools then couldn't leave because his car wouldn't start probably due to the boxes under the hood.  So he called a taxi and a tow truck instead.  The thing was we got there before the tow truck.  He left his wallet, ID, everything we need to know who he is and where he lives. If it hadn't have ruined our long anticipated conference weekend I would have been laughing at the dumb guy's losing efforts.  Let's be honest, I am still laughing.  Such a fool!  But now I'm wondering who is really the fool because it's been 3 days and the Mesa Police still haven't arrested him. 

Fortunately, we were able to watch conference as a family on Sunday.  We love conference weekend!  My kids even watched it while we were talking to the police on Saturday.  And they were home alone!  Everyone has their conference binders.  We eat candy, lots of candy.  We make food that we only have on conference morning.  It's such a relaxing two days at the Cesar home.  I'm already looking forward to October!

Stella's Sunday Afternoons

When 1:30pm approaches on a Sunday afternoon, things at the Cesar home get really busy.  Everyone in the one little bathroom, trying to get everyone's hair done and teeth brushed can sometimes feel like how many clowns can we fit into the car.  But it's all worth it when I walk outside after shooing all the children out the door and see this picture perfect scene in front of me, a big brother taking his little sister's hand and leading her to church.  He loves his baby sister.

 

Know who else loves this little girl?  How else could she have gotten him to paint her toenails?  She's already working that Cesar charm on her Papi.

In the cabin

Sometimes the best memories are created while doing nothing.

Heads

 

Why can't Spring Break be Spring Month? Pics courtesy of our Kohl's Ranch stay.  Did I mention that it was beautiful weather and just chilly enough for a jacket? We needed a month.