The Rains Came and the Sun Set

Our side yard todayThe calm after the storm

We were trounced with rain today as you can see by the one photo of our back yard. After the rain stopped we had a beautiful sunset. Other than lightening the first photo a bit (I accidentally took it using the wrong setting, so it was underexposed) I didn't edit them at all. It was one of the prettier skies I've seen.

Bayou City Art Festival

We went to the Bayou City Art Festival yesterday which consisted of what seemed like hundreds of booths of artwork and a kid's Creative Zone with lots of fun craft activities. We walked around and looked at the artwork (paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, jewelry, etc.) and I found some that I really loved. Everything that I liked was way too expensive. Unfortunately, since Johnny's expectations were set that this was a kid-fun festival he really wasn't interested in the artwork and was fixated only on going to the kid's area, where we ended up spending most of our time.

The moon walk was their favorite event, but turned out not to look at all safe for babies. Sammy didn't get hurt at all, but it looked way too easy for him to get clobbered. Both boys got Jack-o-lanterns painted on their hands at the face painting booth. Sammy sat completely still and quiet while his hand was being painted but when it was all done and he looked up and saw the lady's face he panicked and turned to grab onto me, smearing his pumpkin in the process. Sammy is definitely in another stranger anxiety phase. Johnny made a treasure box by gluing sparkly gems, shiny coins and a big seashell to round box which he then decorated with different colors of glitter glue. We can definitely add to his creation at home with all of our craft supplies. Johnny strung beads onto a pipe cleaner to make a special bracelet while Sammy fondled another cup full of beads and did his best to dump it out. I was of course watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn't try to eat anything, although he doesn't typically put objects in his mouth anymore. Sammy decorated his very own mini-art car with a little help. While he took to the concept of gluing immediately, he didn't quite get that he was supposed to leave the objects on the car that we were gluing on and kept taking everything back off. We settled on a jar of glitter which he shook all over the glue. It was so cute to see Sammy trying his best to participate in all the big kid activities. We all had a great time and enjoyed being out for a beautiful not too hot day before all the rains came back.

Peanuts Gallery Symphony

Awaiting the start of Johnny's first symphony
Trying out a violin in the instrument petting zooTrying out a french horn
Taking his turn at the xylophone
Johnny and Mama all smiles after the showStanding in the waterfall at the Wortham Center
Enjoying the day
Beautiful afternoon on the bayou
I call this cubist cellist
Big brown sphere

I took Johnny to his first symphony on Saturday which was a Peanut's Gang themed performance. The conductor came out in rabbit ears and tail for the first piece, Rossini's Barber of Seville Overture, which was lively and fun, yet not too loud for tender young ears. A 9 year old girl played Beethoven's Piano Concerto #1 in C major and brought me to tears. I couldn't believe how astoundingly talented she was. Playing in front of a gigantic audience is more than most 9 year old's could handle, and she did it with breathtaking skill and speed. God definitely blessed her with gifted fingers. Next there was a 6 part piece by Zwilich entitled Peanuts Gallery for Piano and Orchestra which very effectively conveyed the mood and spirit of each character ... a sleepy lullaby for Linus, a sassy samba for Snoopy, a brooding lament for Charlie Brown, etc. Next there was A Grand, Grand Festival Overture by Arnold which was accompanied by 4 silly maids and their vacuum cleaners. I really didn't get this piece as the vacuum cleaners really didn't seem to interact with the orchestra instruments very effectively. Johnny didn't really get it either. The last piece was the theme from the Simpson's show to demonstrate that much of the music in TV shows, movies and especially cartoons comes from popular classical pieces. Johnny seemed to really enjoy the performance, although he did get a little fidgety toward the end.

After the performance, there was a student ensemble playing in the lobby so the kids could basically walk right up as close as they wanted to watch the muscians playing their instruments. Johnny loved the instrument petting zoo and tried his hand at the violin, french horn, trumpet and xylophone. We stood in line behind a bunch of kids and no one could make any sound with the french horn or trumpet ... until Johnny that is. I explained to him how to blow into it and out came a super loud honk! Everyone around clapped and cheered.

Johnny and I decided to walk around and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and a milkshake. After lunch, we walked around outside the Wortham Center where there are a number of interesting waterfalls and walkways leading down to the bayou. It was a simply gorgeous afternoon and we did our best to soak it all in. Johnny enjoyed stretching his legs and running around the plazas burning off some of that endless kid energy.

Johnny has asked me a bunch of times if we can go back again, so my plan is to take him back for the next performance in December to see the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. We both had a wonderful day and relished our Mama-Johnny time together.