BAYS

Yesterday, Ella auditioned for the Bay Area Youth Symphony and later that afternoon received an email that was music to our ears.

 

Dear Ella,

Thank you for auditioning for the Bay Area Youth Symphony. BAYS is pleased to offer you a position with the Preparatory Orchestra for the 2017-2018 season. To accept this position please respond to this e-mail....  

Special thanks to Mrs. Christa Razem (Bay Area Montessori House after school music teacher) for recommending she audition--and for having confidence in her, knowing she would only have a couple of days to practice a piece of Suzuki violin music she hadn't played in three years.  

She went in with butterflies and came out with smiles.  "It was a good day for a good day!"

Update on 10/10/17:  Ella had her first rehearsal a few weeks back, but with her recent confirmation of dyslexia, reading the music in small print left the words floating all over the page--and "a tornado in her head."   

Christmas...

...was a little hectic this year--not in the shopping-kind-of-way, but in the moving EVERYTHING in our house, garage, and attics, so the long-awaited home remodel could begin.  

Ella asked Santa for the usual wooden top and candy cane (which he obliged:).  

He also surprised her with roller skates and a special handmade Luke Skywalker costume--complete with Jedi robe.  

She played violin in her school's Christmas program.

Made gingerbread cookies with her friend, Gabby.

Stayed true to Christmas pasts--celebrating the journey and birth of our great King.

Enjoyed Elf Shennigans:  "Three Kings" 

Movers

Munchers

Snowman

Coveted daddy time

And...ended the season with our gift of experience:  

family massages to relax those-oh-so-sore-moving-muscles.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Headed down the unassuming road between Houston and Austin that is as quiet and undisturbed as the cow pastures it cuts through.  Destination:  a colorful community centered around antiques, lifestyle, history, and culture--and mom's favorite place of respite. 

Thank you Gary McKee for making Ella feel so welcomed--and including her on Polkabeat.com  https://www.flickr.com/photos/polkabeat/sets 2015 2nd Fiddle Festival.  It's fun for little ones to see themselves in pictures;).

Instramentalist/musician extraordinaire, Mark Rubin  http://www.markrubin.com/Markrubin.com/Home.html, inviting Ella to play a song for him.  He shared stories with her about his mentor, Itzhak Perlman http://www.itzhakperlman.com, and commented to her "your form is better than mine."  

Thank you Mrs. Meghan and Mr. Koko for always focusing on the importance of good form;).  

Taking it all in.

Playing for the band during break;)

Ed Proullard, Creole musician

Erupcion Hidalguense, Mexican Huapango

A few unexpected requests during the evening...

Playing for the birthday lady!

...and dancing with her daddy!

Stunning concert hall at Festival Hill Institute.

 Our stay is never long enough to enjoy all that is...Round Top!  We'll be back.  

One Girl Band

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