This morning I went into the garden to capture some of Jeanine’s roses.

This evening, Nicolai and his band, “Breaking the Ice,” were the closing act at the Thoreau Talent Show. They performed “Sweet Home Alabama” and as an encore “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Not shown in the photograph is their keyboard player Jeremy. The boys brought down the house.

This evening Kyle performed at the Acton Jazz Club for a crowd of 40 backed by his guitar teacher’s band. It was his first performance and he was more than a little nervous before he took the stage. Once he started playing he was terrific.

Jeanine and I attended Maya’s Writer’s Workshop at her school. She has written several stories over the last year and she read to the audience from her favorites including “A trap will not work,” the story of a drowning Guinea pig saved in the nick of time by the father. Jeanine is not pleased with the fact that I am the only parent featured in her stories. Maya’s stories are quite good, but nothing compared to her dramatic presentation style.

For her birthday Maya requested Swedish pancakes for dinner. The whipped cream could only support a single candle which Maya quickly extinguished.

Maya’s smile tells the whole story. When we got in the car to return home, Maya’s first question was “when is my next lesson”.

In other action today, Nicolai finished his soccer season at the Commissioner’s Cup Soccer Tournament with one win and one loss. My team won a decisive 5-0 victory (I had one assist) to advance to the Division Finals. Regrettably, my team will likely forfeit that match because several team members will be traveling to Germany to watch the World Cup. If the game can be rescheduled, we will have a shot at a perfect undefeated season.

Here, Maya guides Hartley over some poles. The horse would prefer to walk around them so this takes careful steering.

It is quite possible that life as I know it has come to an end. Today, in celebration of her birthday tomorrow, Maya had her first horse riding lesson. She is pictured here on Hartley sporting new riding pants and a helmet she received from her brother. Maya was fearless and did not stop smiling for the entire lesson which included grooming, riding, feeding and washing the horse. 

I think it is safe to say that Nicolai enjoyed himself thoroughly as did his brother.

Nicolai requested an AirSoft theme for his birthday party (held early before his friends scatter for the summer). We agreed on rules of engagement with respect to photo journalists which spared me from being targeted. I am happy to report that the guns soon gave way to an old fashioned game of capture the flag. Later they watched the new Pink Panther movie on the big screen.

Good sport that he is, Kyle allowed Maya to groom his hair. As I type this, he is wearing this new hairdo outdoors while practicing soccer drills.

Proud mother and slightly bored sister look on from the audience.

Nicolai performed with the school band in a concert this evening. Try as I might this were the best shots I could get.

World Cup fever is translating into hours of additional practice in the back yard while Jeanine looks on happily from her swing.