First Piano Recital

Gracie and Kate performed in their first piano recital recently and it was such a fun experience for all. Their teacher, Ms. Sandra, asked Gracie if she would go first and Gracie had absolutely no fear getting up in front of a relatively large audience, introducing herself and playing her two songs. Kate followed with the same confidence. After their performances, the two sat in the front row and intently listened to the rest of the children perform their pieces. What a lovely evening!

I am so pleased with their piano progress and the method in which they are learning. They are just happily soaking up music components such as rhythm, melody, symbols and scale. They don't even know what is happening which is exactly the way it should be...pure fun! I love it!

Out of all their activities, piano is the most important to me and it brings me great joy to listen to them experiment with this new piano knowledge. I hope this early love for music will be something that persists throughout their life. It is such a lovely outlet of self expression, something that unites with its universal language. Enjoy this gift, my sweet angels.

Gracie played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Magic Treehouse

Kate played Little Lost Kitty and Dinosaur Music Night

Their Biggest Fans

Mother's Day Fashion Show

I am so grateful for my fun, creative, and very considerate family. My girls put on a fashion show for Mother's Day this year and it was the most thoughtful gift I've experienced in a long time. Grandma and Uncle Eric organized the whole "show" which consisted of both girls modeling 4 outfits. Each of these outfits were coordinated with a song of their choosing as they walked the "runway" (aka the Morgan's backyard stone path).

Some of you know I have a teeny tiny children's clothing obsession which mainly involves Gymboree. I may even belong to a Gymboree message board...gasp! I do branch out a bit and have some other favorites though, one of them being Hanna Andersson, but it is usually out of my price range. Mom has ordered the girls some Hanna dresses in the past and they are just the best quality...I really love them. Well, can you believe she went and ordered the girls cute Hanna clothes and used them in this Mother's Day fashion show? BEST. PRESENT. EVER. Giving the girls new clothes is like giving me a present...yes I just wrote that. It might seem shallow or materialistic but the truth of the matter is that I enjoy seeing them look so cute and know that I won't always be able to pick out their clothing and matching accessories. I have to take advantage of this little pleasure while I'm still allowed to do so! Soon enough they'll want to look like Hannah Montana. For now I'd rather them look like little girls in their Hanna Andersson. I vow to own my obsession and dress them up proudly!

Here they are in the fashion show in the Morgan's backyard. Notice their accessories...Mom made sure their hair pretties and shoes matched. They also had little props to carry. So cute! And this was all a surprise. I had no idea what they were doing. They secretly gathered their accessories at home at brought them to Grandma's.

Gracie in her new Hanna dress,
walking to Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree

Kate in her Hanna dress
Also walking to Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree
or as Kate calls it, the woohoo song.

Gracie in casual wear
Song choice: Adam Lambert's version of Born to Be Wild
(and she worked it!)

Kate in casual wear
Song choice: Aint Going Down 'til the Sun Comes Up


Gracie in swimwear from Carter's
Song Choice: Yellow Polka Dot Bikini


Kate in Swimwear
Song Choice: Yellow Polka Dot Bikini




Girls in Sleepwear from Gymboree
Song of choice: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
See happy Grandma peeking out as they take their last strut on the runway.


The MC: Uncle Eric


The aftermath in Mama's room


And yet another thoughtful present: the girls (with Grandma's guidance) made an "Important Book" for me which details all the reasons why Mommy is important to Gracie and Kate. The structure of The Important Book has been used a lot in our family. Some of you may even remember I used it in my high
school salutatory speech, The important thing about Bishop Gorman is...


The girls' version is definitely my favorite with additions such as The important thing about Mommy is that she helps us get ready for ballet and she takes us out to dinner and lets us have ice cream, and ending of course with, But the important thing about mommy is that she loves us.
Okay, I'm going to go cry now.

Thank you, my sweet family, for a fabulous Mother's Day!

Tomorrow: a duet by Gracie and Kate

So we have our first duet here on Little Duets. Try not to get your hopes up though, it's not all fancy with harmonies and stuff, but I do think it is quite sweet. The girls have a great love for singing and an uncanny ability to memorize song lyrics. Most of their favorites are from Annie and The Wizard of Oz. Today, during lunch, I witnessed them breaking up the lyrics to "Tomorrow" so that each girl had a word or a few words to sing...and they did this totally in sync with one another, without missing a beat. I asked them to recreate their singing activity on camera. And they did, complete with a bow at the end.

Please excuse the wet hair...we'd just gotten back from swimming. Enjoy!