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| on a 60 degree day, perfect for eating lunch al fresco! |
1) friend reunion. my best friend from childhood (roughly ages 6-12) messaged out of the blue to say she was in town for a graduate school trip and could we possibly meet up? we hadn't seen each other since high school although we've kept each other in the loop about life updates periodically. I quickly secured a babysitter and headed out to meet her for trivia night at a local bar along with her grad school cohort. in a serendipitous turn of events, I had just been talking to my siblings about how I've always wanted to go to trivia night at a bar. what better way to cross it off my bucket list than by combining it with a long overdue friend reunion?
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| now... |
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| ... and then! (we were very proud of ourselves for making these newspaper trees) |
we had a good conversation interspersed with much discussion over the trivia questions (and it was just as much fun as I'd imagined -- questions spanning all types of genres!). afterwards we headed back to her hotel lobby and just talked and talked, reminiscing over childhood memories (some that we both shared, and others than only one of us remembered!). it was such a delightful evening and made me reflect on my own kids' current friendships and how important these relationships are even when you may go years without seeing each other.
2) Mom & Dad's visit. we had a lovely visit with my parents. lots of time spent talking, laughing over the kids' antics, and enjoying having two extra sets of helping hands (Mom made dinner for us several times and Dad helped Nick with his latest backyard construction project, and a few times they stayed back at the house with the little ones so I could shuttle the big ones around with less wailing and gnashing of teeth!).
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| no sooner had they arrived than Dad immediately challenged them to a plank competition |
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| FaceTiming with Auntie Krista and Jasper the cat |
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| Grandpa assembled her Big Wheels |
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| playhouse construction underway |
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| caution: men at work |
Mom's birthday fell over their visit, as it typically does. I took the day off work, and with the littles in daycare and the older ones in school, we had a lovely mother/daughter day! traditionally, we have visited Phipps Conservatory, but Mom had the brilliant idea to visit the Frick Museum and Clayton Mansion, an iconic Pittsburgh landmark that has been on my list to visit ever since we've moved here. this was the original home and grounds of the steel magnate Henry Clay Frick. we joined a guided tour that was incredibly informative and highlighted the juxtaposition of the Frick family's wealth against the reality of life for the immigrants who came here to work in the steel mills. I could have spent another hour in the house.
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| this was the first building we encountered on the tour. I thought it was a guest house but no, it was a playhouse complete with a bowling alley. just a tad bigger than the one Nick is building for our kids... |
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| the private greenhouse |
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| the front entrance to the mansion |
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| we entered through the servant door. no photos were allowed inside but suffice it to say, it is well worth a visit if you ever come to Pittsburgh! |
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| lunch at the adorable cafe on site after our tour. they had several fun winter-themed cocktails on the menu! |
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| this smoked salmon flatbread was absolutely delicious |
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| after lunch, we visited the carriage house which includes a collection of automobiles and carriages owned by the Frick family, as well as additional vehicles from the area |
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| Henry's daughter, Helen Clay Frick, became a philanthropist and avid art collector. she established the Frick Museum on the grounds to display some of her collection, with the rest displayed in the Frick Collection in New York. |
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| birthday cupcakes back at home! |
3) Chorus Fest. Greta was selected as one of three sixth graders from our school to participate in the regional chorus fest put on by the Pennsylvania Music Education Association. she practiced the music at home and had one rehearsal after school before the day of the festival, when fifth and sixth graders from dozens of Pittsburgh area elementary schools spent all day together at a suburban high school rehearsing before performing in a concert that evening. I was absolutely amazed at the quality of their singing after only having rehearsed for one day -- especially because the music was all memorized! as an added bonus, we ran into several college friends who were music ed majors and were now attending the festival with their own students. I hadn't even considered that possibility but it makes perfect sense and was so fun to see them again!
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| Greta is to the far left, standing at the very edge of the top riser |
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| the moment she could tell where we were sitting by our unabashed cheering |
my favourite song of the concert, I Am But A Small Voice (audio only):
4) Valentine's Day. for years, Valentine's Day celebrations for us have centered more around the kids. Mom knocked it out of the park with special gifts for everybody, and for added fun, we got to FaceTime with my nephews while they opened their gifts too.
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| with a bonus neighbor child (fortunately I had a few extra bags of Valentine's candy to put together a little goodie bag for her too!) |
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| Nick got the girls these chocolate lollipops and they were a huge hit |
a few days after February 14th, Nick and I were able to go out for a date night. we chose Eleven, a classic Pittsburgh restaurant that has also been on my list to visit for years (sensing a theme this month?!). the food was absolutely delicious and the server was great. to top it all off, we had a gift card so felt quite justified to splurge. at one point Nick had stepped away from the table and an older woman at the table across from us came over to me and said she loved seeing us say grace before our meal. it was a simple reminder that these private practices have a broader influence than we often realize!
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not the best lighting, but these desserts (and Nick's cappuccino) were SO GOOD
 | | when we were first dating, I made fun of him for carefully checking the receipt to make sure everything has been billed correctly. now I find it endearing (not to mention prudent!). |
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bonus round. babies being cute:
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| Victoria's drawings are very heavily focused on ears these days |
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| no better remedy for middle school angst than four-year-old snuggles |
I love watching the Olympics -- preference for summer over winter because I love gymnastics, but I do love watching the ice skating and at least a little bit of the snowboarding and skiing. I didn't manage to watch as much as I wanted but did thoroughly enjoy the opening ceremony. it was well executed, classy, and whimsical!
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| this sequence was my favourite! |
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| and my ABSOLUTE favourite was the moka pots! I loved these when we were in Italy and couldn't get over the bright colors and their heels. love, love, love! |
the basketball season wrapped up during the last week of February and first week of March with the third grade team playing in a tournament (they came in 3rd overall!) and the JV girls making it to the semifinals of the diocesan playoffs (they lost but played hard). much to my dismay in looking back over my camera roll, I don't have any photos of the semifinal game -- was just too wrapped up in the game in the moment!
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| so fun to have friends/Cece's godparents come watch the first game (although their team lost and Cece had a frustrating game -- but all was made better by dinner afterwards at the Pittsburgh staple restaurant Eat'n'Park) |
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| the next game she scored two baskets and was over the moon! |
and finally, Cece and I went to see Beauty and the Beast together (her counterpart Christmas gift to Greta's ticket to see Wicked with me)! it was such a fabulous show and even more fun having her as my theater companion for it. the dancing, the set, the special effects were all truly magical.
Your turn: Have you had the opportunity to reconnect with a childhood friend? Did you ever participate in a school chorus or band festival? What's your favourite thing to watch at the Winter Olympics?
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