6 YEARS OLD

Dear Elena,

April 30th, 2011 was your SIXTH BIRTHDAY!! I know you have been so excited about turning six. You want to do more around the house--"washing dishes" and "feeding the cat" are jobs you want to do, now that you are older. You LOVE soccer, baseball, playing catch, and all manners of dollies and PINK.

You are an amazing girl. You are a great student at school. You are finding a way for yourself, more and more on your own. Whether it's playing or working at school, being a great Daisy scout with your scoutmates, being an amazing, patient sister to Vivian, being active outside or being creative inside, you are an inspiration to your family and others.

We love you always, in all ways. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

E's choice this year for her Birthday Theme was "Music and Math". (We typically have a theme bday; usually this works great, and it "levels the gross motor field" b/c the kids are exposed to something new). I tried my best to serve that up...but the concept of music theory (VERY mathmatical!) is extremely complex, not to mention I'm not a musician of ANY type! So, I tried...I gave a brief (well, I hope it was brief, it was probably a little too long) discussion of What is Sound (vibration through a medium), natural frequency (like a wet finger on a wine glass--"Glass Harp") and that you can make a scale with any given note (I tried starting with C, making one octave with glass bottles containing different levels of water). Then while people had pizza and cupcakes, some short vids of non-traditional musical instruments (saw, glass harp, PVC pipe organ, and Vadrum videos of "classical percussion"). Then I had an acapella group come to the house--my favorite group from UVA when I was there as an undergradate, The Academical Village People ("AVP") to sing us a few songs. They were GREAT!! Uncle Andy also brought his instruments (guitar, amps, loop stations, keyboard, and microphone) in the playroom so between the "shows" the kids could jam, or play, or listen.

Kids listening to "the show"


Never Say Never


A Whole New World


Happy Birthday Serenade


Viv learning guitar


Playing outside after the "shows"--E falls about a minute after walking in the grass. But her friends help her up--no worries.






E playing with the soccer ball! I'm not helping her at all here!


Vivian's tribute at the "Afterparty" (family and presents)


E's summary, in song


EXHAUSTED!!
E and Uncle Andy "faking a nap" (but it wasn't faking!)


Thank you to all our friends and family, and huge thanks to AVP and Uncle Andy for making Six a great birthday celebration!