Highlight Reel

I read a phrase recently that has stayed with me.... It said something like, "don't compare your behind the scenes footage with someone else's highlight reel."  There have certainly been times I've blogged about our behind the scenes footage.  Like laundry. And sparkler night.  But I guess the very nature of keeping a family blog, a record for the kids, is that we pretty much capture the things worth capturing. And really, for the most part, our behind the scenes footage is pretty good. 

Yesterday John had to spend the day traveling for work. I planned a fun, pretty easy day for me and the girls.  Somehow this Fall we have begun a tradition of pancake Saturday.  Sometime after the Women Rock marathon when I was no longer waking up at 5am to run forever I started waking up and making pancakes.  (A good trade!) I make a big batch and freeze them for breakfasts for the week.  Ava likes plain buttermilk pancakes (this is the best recipe I've found) and Amelia likes them sprinkled with chocolate chips.  Fortunately this pancake recipe is very forgiving.  I accidentally added an extra egg to the batter and they were still great!

Then it was time for dance.... Amelia's up first and she was all riled up that John wasn't here because he's the only one who knows how to fix her tights the right way.  You see, when Lane was a little boy he was very particular about his socks.  This trait appears to have continued on through to the littlest member of our family because it takes John's special touch to make sure the tights are her feet the right way.  Amelia also wanted two little buns, which I attempted with mixed success.... Oh, and her tap shoes are too small now. Being told this 5 minutes before class is very helpful.

Then sweet Ava goes to dance. She puts on her leotard and it is way too small. Like she can barely stand up in it.  When did this happen?  So we had to improvise an outfit for dance.  Her jazz shorts and a shirt until I can go buy some new dance gear....

While Ava was at dance I made some of this fudge.  It is seriously about the best fudge I've ever had.  I don't usually like fudge with mix-ins, but this is so delish.  Oh, but our grocery store didn't have hazelnuts, so I subbed slivered almonds.  While I stirred fudge and switched laundry Orbit laid in his sunny spot playing with his new lion.  A gift from Grandma Jo.

My mom was kind enough to take the girls to see a movie in the afternoon and I headed out for a very nice run. I showered up and met my mom, the girls and my dad for an early dinner at Zombie Burger. And here's where the behind the scenes footage is a bit more realistic than the highlight reel.  Amelia just didn't have a good night and it kind of took over everything.  She was whiney, clingy.... she hit her sister during our 30 minute wait for a table.  She lost privileges, was taken to the side to be reprimanded.  Despite being asked a couple of times if she needed to go to the bathroom she waited until our food was set on the table to announce she needed to go.  She didn't touch her food. Everyone else tried to work around her, but she was a 500 lb. Zombie in our evening....

Here Ava proves it by trying to eat her head!

Once we got home, got showered up, into jammies and settled she had calmed down quite a bit.  Before bed she curled up to me and said, "I'm sorry I made bad choices at the restaurant mom. I will have a better day tomorrow."  And really, that's all I could ask for....