Super Fun Saturday

Since Spencer went to Toccoa this weekend, I had to figure out what Ella Ann and I were going to do all by ourselves all weekend long. I always pick up a monthly copy of the Ponce Press, a local news magazine, and this month it featured an article about the Atlanta Opera's annual Family Opera Day this Saturday. Since we all know how much Ella Ann loves music, I thought this would be a great thing for her to experience. Boy was it! It was only $5 for me to get in, Ella Ann was free, and we had so much fun! They had tons of craft stations set up and we managed to make something at every single station and I got to carry all of it around! By the time we left, both of us were covered in glitter and feathers and had glue dried all over our hands...which Ella Ann was not too happy about! She got a heart drawn on her hand at the face painting station. All the other kids had elaborate designs on their faces, but not Ella Ann, she only wanted a tiny heart on the back of her hand. For those of you who don't know, she is a very particular girl and doesn't like anything on her that's not supposed to be there.

She also went to an instrument petting zoo and took a turn at strumming a violin (she LOVED that) and tried on costumes. We got to watch an amazing opera performance and joined in the singing. Ella Ann sat in her chair intently watching the performers and loving every minute of it! She kept repeating to me, "I don't want to go home! We're not going home! We're not going home!!"

I took a few pictures at the Atlanta Opera, but once my hands were loaded down with crafts, I had to stop! I also uploaded an encore performance by the musical talent in our house!

Making her crown.....

tambourine....

and wand. Which she was very proud of, as you can see!

"Petting" the violin.

At the costume station. This is about as dressed up as she would get...a few necklaces and a hair piece around her neck and one of them is from home!

Watching the opera performance with her makeup brush in hand as usual!

Warning! This video may cause intense dizziness!!!! I have sung "Shout to the Lord" to her randomly about 4 or 5 times. I didn't even know she had picked up the words to the chorus until she started singing it to me on her own this morning! In case you can't understand her, here are the words:

Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing,

Power and majesty praise to the King.

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar,

At the sound of your name.

I sing for joy at the work of your hands,

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

I also wanted to post a picture of Ella Ann's new perch! This is where she sits (on our chest in our bedroom) while I get ready in the morning. She will tell me all that she sees outside and will talk to the trees, bees, sky, etc. One time I heard her saying, "Hey squirrel!! Hey squirrell! Whadya doin'? Are you playing? Ohhhhhhh."