Annoucing the arrival of the new son of Catherine and Aaron, as yet unnamed. I think I'll call him A.J. (for Aaron Jr.) until something becomes official. I can't just keep saying "him"; although Deborah and Elizabeth both were unnamed for a week after their births--the hospital personnel kept hounding us for a name so they could send in the birth certificates. But names are just so important!
He was born about 1:20 pm, Saturday, May 19, 7 lbs 14 ounces, 20 inches, blondish, wavy hair--enough for the nurse to use a comb when she bathed him (a new implement as far as newborns go for the Sullivans!), and healthy--all ten toes, etc. Hopefully, pictures will soon appear here!
Catherine said labor went so quickly that he doesn't have a cone head.
I'm on my way this evening to Wisconsin to do the grandmother thing--play with Connor and Brenna, hold the baby, cook some meals, and enjoy myself immensely. I can't wait!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Disney--Days 3 and 4
Day three--Epcot. Tired feet. Hot. Grateful for any shade. Loved Soarin'. Did it twice since that is what we went to first as the park opened. Other amazing things--Mexican mariachi band; a group that played on garbage cans and lids; a playful fountain; Kevin and Deborah did the Moon mission (they said I WOULD NOT like it). 
And African drums; English street actors; and hundreds (it seemed) of school classes there on field trips.
Day Four--Magic Kingdom, again. But this time it was from 8 a.m. to 11 pm. We were tired after the evening fireworks, but as we noticed all the crowds leaving the park we just couldn't pass up the chance for short lines at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. We left when the park closed (knowing full well that the next day was Sunday and we could REST our fatigued bodies).
The Bailey girls--as now constituted.
Oh how hard the work is to really have fun!
And African drums; English street actors; and hundreds (it seemed) of school classes there on field trips.
Day Four--Magic Kingdom, again. But this time it was from 8 a.m. to 11 pm. We were tired after the evening fireworks, but as we noticed all the crowds leaving the park we just couldn't pass up the chance for short lines at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. We left when the park closed (knowing full well that the next day was Sunday and we could REST our fatigued bodies). 
The Bailey girls--as now constituted.
Oh how hard the work is to really have fun!Recent Reading
Reading to the girls has been one of the best things we've done (right after family home evening and family scripture reading). The list of books continues to grow. Recently we read Wilson Rawls' "Summer of the Monkeys". This is a story that Grandma Mildred Bailey always read to her 4th grade classes. Now I know why. It is funny and folksy.
Then we read "Princess Academy". We enjoyed it as well, though it is about 180 degrees different from Summer of the Monkeys. But it different than I expected. It was about poor girls from a mountain region who are being tutored and trained because one of them will be chosen to wed the prince because of a prophecy by the kingdom's magicians.
For our book club, we read "A String in the Harp", a Newbery honor book. I related to it right away as a family relocates to Wales from the U.S. and the unexpected trials they encountered. Ancient Welsh myths enter in, so it combined fantasy as well. It was a good read!
I love a good book!
Then we read "Princess Academy". We enjoyed it as well, though it is about 180 degrees different from Summer of the Monkeys. But it different than I expected. It was about poor girls from a mountain region who are being tutored and trained because one of them will be chosen to wed the prince because of a prophecy by the kingdom's magicians. For our book club, we read "A String in the Harp", a Newbery honor book. I related to it right away as a family relocates to Wales from the U.S. and the unexpected trials they encountered. Ancient Welsh myths enter in, so it combined fantasy as well. It was a good read!
I love a good book!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Bird Hotel Update
They hatched about 2 weeks ago, and now the nest is almost full with growing little babies--four of them. When they are asleep it is hard to tell what is what. And now the robins have rebuilt their nest in the nanking cherry tree--right at eye level and there are two blue eggs in it. I love it!
Happy Birthday!
I don't do birthday parties anymore. But sometimes, we come close. I found a cute pinata at the store, and had leftover Halloween, Valentine, and miscellaneous candy to put in it (it wasn't full, believe me!) The safest place to locate a blindfolded person with a wooden stick was out on the end of the swingset. Alice got first go at it.
Everyone had a turn. And then another turn. And then Elizabeth knocked the tab out of the top so it couldn't hang from the rope anymore. That pinata just would not break! So we set it on the wooden beam, and allowed hits without being blindfolded. Finally, one end of the rainbow broke open!
Finding wrapped candy in all that bark and mulch took some doing. Alice had one friend from school, Kelly Olsen, and we also invited the Davidson girls (Ruth is 6 and also had her birthday the same day, and Grace is 3--they live a block away and their mom is my visiting teaching companion).
But that wasn't the end of the day! Alice chose to go to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday dinner. Because you get to sit on the saddle. The food is also good, but secondary.
Later that night, after Elle and I got back from Mutual, we had her strawberry-glazed angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yummm!
Everyone had a turn. And then another turn. And then Elizabeth knocked the tab out of the top so it couldn't hang from the rope anymore. That pinata just would not break! So we set it on the wooden beam, and allowed hits without being blindfolded. Finally, one end of the rainbow broke open!
Finding wrapped candy in all that bark and mulch took some doing. Alice had one friend from school, Kelly Olsen, and we also invited the Davidson girls (Ruth is 6 and also had her birthday the same day, and Grace is 3--they live a block away and their mom is my visiting teaching companion). But that wasn't the end of the day! Alice chose to go to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday dinner. Because you get to sit on the saddle. The food is also good, but secondary.
Later that night, after Elle and I got back from Mutual, we had her strawberry-glazed angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yummm!
Day Two--MGM Studios
I've waited a year to post these pictures... but not on purposed. I just never got around to it!
On day two were were at the gate 30 minutes before opening and practiacally first in line. This was our modus operendi every day--it added to the fun when you are first in the park and can choose whichever ride you want and there is NO line! Star Tours was fun, but so was the car chase show, and the Rockin' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith.
On day two were were at the gate 30 minutes before opening and practiacally first in line. This was our modus operendi every day--it added to the fun when you are first in the park and can choose whichever ride you want and there is NO line! Star Tours was fun, but so was the car chase show, and the Rockin' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith.
But the ultimate thrill was the Hollywood Tower. (I think this was taken the second time we went to MGM--on our last day, since all our clothes are different). I even got the shot with the elevator door open up on the tower. Riders are in the elevator and get to experience free fall. I only did it once. While Deborah and Kevin went on it several times, the girls and I enjoyed ice cream cones or saw a stage production of Beauty and the Beast.
By the end of day two, our feet were beginning to get tired. But wait! Epcot Center is tomorrow! 
Thursday, May 10, 2007
A Year ago today...
Can it already be a year? The day after Alice's birthday last year, we flew to Orlando, and by 5 pm we were standing in line for Splash Mountain! The people at the hotel (where we bought our 6-day pass) thought we were crazy to head to the park with only 5 hours left of the day. Weren't we tired from traveling? They just didn't know about the Bailey family--we can pack more activities in one day than just about anyone! (Just ask anyone who has been with us on one of our cross-country driving trips!)
Having Deborah with us made the whole trip even more fun--she's game to try just about anything if there might be even an iota of fun in it somewhere.
Ah, the obligatory picture of the Magic Kingdom castle--just to prove we really were there.
In a year or two, it would be fun to take the extended family, grandkids and all! This grandma won't mind sitting out with a stroller while everyone else rocks out on the Aerosmith roller coaster.
Having Deborah with us made the whole trip even more fun--she's game to try just about anything if there might be even an iota of fun in it somewhere.
Ah, the obligatory picture of the Magic Kingdom castle--just to prove we really were there.
In a year or two, it would be fun to take the extended family, grandkids and all! This grandma won't mind sitting out with a stroller while everyone else rocks out on the Aerosmith roller coaster.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Deborah and Brushfire
Deborah sent us the following links, so you can see her in action on Youtube! "It's not really the best sound recording, but it's all right. Just from somebody's little camera. Oh, Susanna Around the World is from our show in the Madsen Recital hall in March." The show with B minor is from Long Beach, California.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBoGajHLiLw B minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MsOMfKQnow Oh, Susanna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBoGajHLiLw B minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MsOMfKQnow Oh, Susanna
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Elle and the NIJO concert
For the past semester, Elle has been attending 2-hour NIJO rehearsals every Friday evening. (Boy, does that hamper what we can do on a weekend!) They recently had a 1-day tour (and got out of school to do it, yippee!), and a final concert.
What, you might ask, is "NIJO"? It is the Northern Iowa Junior Orchestra, with 6th-8th graders (and some extra-talented 5th graders), representing 14 different schools, with entrance by audition. Typically, the students are in Suzuki Book 4 or above, so they are pretty proficient. And they have a GREAT conductor.
Mr. Schilke has a wonderful sense of humor, works well with these kids, and loves music. You would think they would HATE giving up their Friday evenings for four months, but they actually look forward to it! That's the difference a good leader can make.
Elle is the first chair violist. Who knows where her music will take her? She does have some yearnings to go to BYU and play the fiddle in a folk group--I wonder where she ever got that idea?!?
What, you might ask, is "NIJO"? It is the Northern Iowa Junior Orchestra, with 6th-8th graders (and some extra-talented 5th graders), representing 14 different schools, with entrance by audition. Typically, the students are in Suzuki Book 4 or above, so they are pretty proficient. And they have a GREAT conductor.
Mr. Schilke has a wonderful sense of humor, works well with these kids, and loves music. You would think they would HATE giving up their Friday evenings for four months, but they actually look forward to it! That's the difference a good leader can make.
Elle is the first chair violist. Who knows where her music will take her? She does have some yearnings to go to BYU and play the fiddle in a folk group--I wonder where she ever got that idea?!?
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