We are Aria's parents, Karen and Ted. We've created this blog to keep a diary of the beginning of Aria's life. We would love for you to comment on our posts. Our plan is to save this blog and share it with Aria as she grows up.
The Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Youth Choir sang two songs at the Christmas Eve service. They had sung the same songs as part of the Christmas Pageant a few days earlier.
Here is a video of the youth choir singing
Here's Aria and others during the candle lighting at the end of the service.
Here are some photos of Mom and Dad singing in the adult choirs.
Karen directing and singing in the women's ensemble.
Choir singing by candlelight - Ted is front and center.
Aria was part of the Christmas Pageant at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship on December 21, 2014. She had several singing parts and also played the role as one of the shepherds.
Aria played the role of Violet in the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY) performance of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on November 21 and 22. This was Aria's second play performance at BAAY and she absolutely loved it. The cast was part of the Mini Pixie Theatre, which is BAAY's theatre for 5 and 6 year olds. Click on the link below this image to view the video of the performance on Nov. 22, 2014.
Aria had a very full Halloween this year. In the morning, Aria participated in her school's annual "Historical Halloween" event. Each child in year one and older picked an historical figure who has made a difference in the world. Aria picked Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Karen spent many hours preparing the costume and Voila! Aria was transformed into Mozart. Here she is just after composing a new concerto at the piano.
First year students were instructed to give two or three sentence presentation. Here is a video of Aria presenting in front of all the family, friends, and teachers on Halloween morning. In the video Aria says "My name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I was born in 1756. I died at the age of 35, but my music will live on forever."
A week before Halloween, Aria drew a design for a pumpkin and she and Dad carved it. On Halloween morning, after her school event, she and Mom carved another of Aria's designs. Then, Aria carved a third pumpkin completely on her own, as you can see in the video below.
To top off a great Halloween, the rain cleared up and Aria and Dad went trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. Aria had decided a month or so before that she wanted to be a skeleton for Halloween. Karen spent a lot of time drawing each bone on white cloth so that it was anatomically correct and then gluing the bones onto a black pullover, pants, and gloves. Mom then made covers for Aria's shoes with all of the correct metatarsals and phalanges, and then Aria did the cool face paint, as you can see in the photos and video below.
Happy Halloween from the Skeleton, the Witch, and Frankenstein's Monster!
September has been full of wonderful experiences for Aria. She is now a first year student in the 6-9 classroom at her Montessori school and she loves school, she started karate classes and continues to enjoy it, she is making leaps and bounds in learning to read and write, not to mention many other joyful experiences as summer comes to a close and fall begins. Here are some photos from the month of September.
Aria had a nice crop of cucumbers this year. Aria loves cucumbers.
You never know when you will be delighted by an Aria kiss
Aria rides a "cow" at the Whatcom County Farm Tour
Aria has a mean swing. Dad showed her how to swing a baseball bat and she got the hang of it in not time sending balls over my head.
A nice moment with Dad
Practicing karate with her teacher, Mr. Moench.
Each week Aria has a new set of words to learn how to spell. Here she is spelling "rope" with Mom.
Aria got a cool world globe puzzle for her 6 and 1/2 year birthday. After she put it together and put it in its stand she studied the continents.
A snuggle with our kitty Sky.
Aria got an HO scale electric train. Here she is at the controls.
Keeping an eye on the train as it whizzes by.
Aria took this photo of her doll Pearl as Pearl watched Aria and Dad make dinner.
You know all those ads for milk saying "Got Milk?" Aria decided to make her own version with a milk mustache.
Aria has been asking to take karate lessons so Aria and Mom visited several martial arts studios. Both Aria and Mom really liked Boom! Martial Arts and the head teacher so Aria has signed up to continue lessons with him. On her first day she took a private lesson and then a group lesson and broke a board with her powerful kick, thus earning her white belt.
Aria shows what the board looked like before she broke it.
Aria demonstrates the kick that did the board in (it never had a chance).
Triumph!
Aria demonstrates on Mom what to do when someone grabs you from behind.
The teacher wrote these words on the board that Aria broke
"Aria broke this board with her front kick 10 Sept. 2014 at BOOM! Martial Arts
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST!
Greg Moench"
All three of us have joined the choir at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. Aria joined the youth choir and Mom and Dad joined the adult choir. Both choirs performed two songs together as part of the service on September 7, 2014. All three of us had a great time and really enjoyed being able to sing together.
Aria performed in her first play with speaking parts. The play was called "The Stinky Cheese Man." Aria played two parts - Foxy Loxy and the Queen. This video is of the second performance which took place on July 12, 2014.
