Yesterday was our actual 16th anniversary and Ed brought me home 16 peachy-orangey long-stemmed roses and a funny card. The flowers are absolutely beautiful--the prettiest roses I've ever seen. Their being orange has a lot to do with it, I suspect. It was a sweet surprise. I don't get flowers very often so when I do get them, they're even more meaningful.

For Ed, I made my famous (and favorite) oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I'm embarrassed to say I ate about 15 of them over the course of the afternoon and evening. That's the last time I make cookies on an empty stomach!

Joey played in the Jr. Piano festival yesterday. Her pieces were the best she'd ever played--I was so proud of her! The dynamics were great and she didn't have a single mis-step (mis-finger?) in either song. And her memorization was perfect, too. The adjudicator wasn't very good, though. It was apparent to me that she wasn't familiar with beginning students, though. She gave everyone a 4 (out of 5) and I know that last year's adjudicator would have given Joey's performance a 5. This one didn't smile and she didn't give very positively-framed remarks. Joey didn't seem to mind or care--she was happy with the whole thing, and indeed, a 4+ is a very good score and her performance was as good as we could have hoped for so it was ok. I just wish we would have had an adjudicator who was more young-kid friendly.

On the way home, she almost fell asleep in the car. Her festival class was at 9am and we were home by 10am. But she hadn't slept well Friday or Saturday and I suspect that she might have been nervous and not slept well Sunday night either. At any rate, I told her she could lay down for a bit before I took her to school. Well, she slept until 1pm! There was no point in taking her to school for an hour after that. I guess she really *was* tired! I had her to about 10 pages from a workbook so that it wasn't a completely academic-free day. I could have been tough and made her go to school without a nap but it seemed in all our best interests to let her rest.

Amy's back from Seattle. Yay! She and Aidan are coming over for the afternoon and dinner. I'm making Shepherd's Pie for dinner. It's my night for the Good Neighbor dinner so I'm making two of them.

I went to the dentist for my little filling/bonding. It was quick and painless. I have the best dentist ever. His shots are so gentle and pain-free. I'm deeply impressed with his skill and tenderness. Now half my lower jaw, bottom lip and tongue are numb, though. Every once in awhile, my tongue forgets how to swallow, though, and it gives me a slight panic. It's a strange sensation to be trying to swallow and have my tongue not move. It'll go away soon--he only gave me half the dose he usually gives because it was such a small procedure.

Time to go pick up Joey from school and take her to piano. Ta!

--L