Green screen

The end-of-year school pictures came in digital form, with several backgrounds--the next best thing to teleportation!

Tent city

 We set up our tents and camped out in our backyard last night.

 This deluxe campground even has a hot tub (set a bit cooler for younger guests).

After a walk to the camp store (aka Walgreens) for supplies, we enjoyed microwaved s'mores before hitting the sack.

Ballet+anatomy

 Last night, Amalia's Daisy troop went to see the Los Gatos Ballet perform "Sleeping Beauty."

 Included in this special event was a backstage tour.

 The girls were entranced watching all of the performers get ready.

 This is apparently the easiest way to store the tutus so they don't get wrinkled.

 Learning about toe shoes.

 Getting to touch the toe shoes.

 A group picture before we headed into the theater to watch the show.

This is what happens when someone (not me) tells the girls to strike their best fashion pose. Perhaps Amalia was inspired by Benedict Cumberbatch.

My two favorite Amalia questions during the performance:

About 10 minutes in, in a disappointed tone: "Is this just going to be dancing?" (Me: Yes, it's a ballet.)

When a new male dancer comes on stage toward the end of the first act: "What's that lump?"
(After I quietly, but accurately, explained what it was, she said, "I wish he was wearing looser pants.")

S.O.M.

Also while I was gone, Lily was honored as "Student of the Month" for "Responsibility and Curiosity." Here she is receiving her certificate from Principal White.

Phonetic spelling

 So, I came home to my girl all tatted up.

This same girl also wrote a note while I was gone. I believe what she meant to say was, "My mom is camping. I bet she is having a good time."

Weekend retreat

Last Thursday, my friend (and sophomore year college roommate), Nancy, and I went up to Stanford Sierra Camp in Tahoe for the 20th Annual Healthy Living Retreat for Women. It was a breathtaking 2 1/2 days, both in terms of content and setting.

Kayaking on Fallen Leaf Lake at 6:30 in the morning.

 The boat dock.

 On the lake.

Learning how to fly fish. They didn't trust us with hooks. Instead, red yarn was tied to the end of our lines as we practiced casting.

 Our instructor was world champion fly fisher Nina Mcleod from Norway. She was very patient.

 We didn't catch anything except a couple of sticks and pinecones. I blame the wind.

 The view from a wooden swing at the end of the lake.

We also had a fantastic lesson from an officially certified HoopGirl. I don't really know what that is, but she must be good because both Nancy and I can now hula hoop.

 This morning we took a short hike before the drive back home.

Jelly bellies

Yesterday we stopped by the Jelly Belly factory to break up the drive on the way home from Andy's brother's house. We'd gone up there on Saturday to help celebrate our nephew Chase's birthday. 

The paper hats were mandatory during the factory tour. 

I think the girls liked the free samples the best. I also enjoyed the numerous portraits of Ronald Reagan made out of jelly beans.

We even bought some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (of Harry Potter fame). The girls weren't too keen on trying them.

(It being Mother's Day, we also stopped for lunch at one of my favorite places along I-80: Mary's Pizza Shack. I would say it's because the food is really good, which it is, but really I like to go there because they used to have one of my all-time favorite billboard slogans, "Where are you going that's more important than spaghetti?" So meta.)

Speechless

Heard in the Pierce house this evening:

After clearing the dinner table:
Amalia: I wasn't done with my soup.
Me: Sorry, I didn't realize you were still eating.
Amalia: You just threw my heart away, didn't you?
Me: 

Helping Lily with her math homework:
Me: Why did you erase that? It was right.
Lily: I didn't like the font that I used.
Me: 

Observant passenger

Driving to Lily's violin lesson today: 

Lily: Daddy says that people don't know how to drive anymore but they still have cars. 

Me: Was he upset with another driver when he said this?

Lily: Yes. 

Me: Well,

Lily (interrupting me): What, he exaggerates when he gets mad? 

Me (laughing): I was going to say that complaining about other drivers is something that every generation does, but yours is also true--and true of most people, at that. 

Artist's studio

 

Amalia decided to create an artist's space in our newly organized garage, complete with easel, paints and Sour Patch Kids.

According to Andy, she set the entire thing up herself, deciding just where everything should go, including the table and shelves.

 

Lily decided it looked so nice, she set up on the other side.