Make The Rain Stop

Good evening everyone. Going to try to get through this quickly. I'm pretty exhausted after a busy end of April.  It's been raining for days and I'm ready for Mother Nature to turn off the gloom and doom weather. Mia was back at school and her routine this week. She was glad to see familiar faces again like BFF Charlie. Wednesday, I worked REALLY hard on nailing a lunch note for her that took way too long. Mia's been really into the ultra-creepy movie Coraline lately, and I wanted to draw a picture of the main character as best as I could. Luckily, it turned out and she was really excited about it. Friday, I took off for the Milwaukee Torrent kickoff party. I picked up a very excited Mia from school and we jet over to Cascio Interstate Music to look at violin lessons over the Summer. Mia's totally stoked and it'll be good for her to learn her instrument she so badly wants to master.

Later, my buddy Jon and I met up and drove to the Torrent kick off party. Met some of the new players, got my season ticket and has some incredible beers. All in all, awesome time. Saturday, Mia FINALLY had dance again after a long two-week break she didn't really want. She had a lot of fun and is looking forward to trying on her costumes for pictures next week that Jill will be photographing (the entire academy). Later, Jill and Mia went to a baby shower while my brother Andy and I braved the crappy weather to watch the first home match at Hart Park for the Torrent. They took on UW-Whitewater. We stopped at Leff's first for some beer and food. I was pretty impressed with the sandwich I got and he liked his burger. Beers were well-priced as well. Some more of The Flood members rolled in and we walked over to the stadium. I stupidly forgot my tom and the other guy who was going to bring the bass drum couldn't make it, so it was a pretty silent march over. We'll make some noise next weekend for the home opener. We were all fired up on the stands cheering and then...they kicked us all off. They were worried about lightning and we all had to vacate. Not as much fun cheering from the fence. The freezing rain was absolutely miserable for everyone and at HT with the score 1-1, most of us split. I felt horrible leaving the game, but I couldn't stand out there another minute. They ended up winning 3-1. Great game for the team. They played today at Valley Fields which thankfully for everyone who went to the match, has a ginormous dome over it to keep everyone warm and dry. They won again with only one more friendly match left this Wednesday in Elm Grove. These guys are doing really well and I hope they can beat Lansing on Saturday for the league opener match. I also hope we can generate a better supporting section, otherwise I'll be chanting for very few people. After Jill and Mia came home, we watched the Penguins/Caps game and Mia did some homework with her buddy Remi.

Today I got up nice and early to watch Chelsea beat Everton. They played Southhampton during the week and won that match (that I missed due to work) Today, they did very well creating chances and defending well. If the Spurs would have lost to Arsenal, we would have a very comfortable gap to easily take the title in the last few games. Alas, the winds weren't in the Gooners sails and they blew it. Damn Spurs.

This week, I have a slew of projects to accomplish. Friday, myself, my mother in law and father in law are volunteering at the High Interest Day at Mia's school. Should be a lot of fun. I'm doing something art-related. Saturday, I've got the Torrent game and hopefully can take Mia.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Sunny Days With Friends

Good evening! Completely exhausted from the night at work, but I've got some writing to do reflecting on Mia's Spring Break. Majority of the week, she spent time with friends including Hayden, Cecilia and Noelle from her kindergarten. Hayden and Cecilia met us twice at different parks and on Tuesday, Mia got to hang out with old friends she hasn't seen in a long time. Trey, Irianna and Kaylee met up and they had a great time. Mia's been missing Trey since his epic Halloween party and Irianna and Kaylee, Mia hasn't seen since end of 4-K? Anyways, the kids had fun and will hopefully get to hang out over the Summer.

Wednesday, Mia went to Valley View Park with Cecilia and Hayden and I think this park may be her favorite. We haven't been there in a long time and I sort of forgot it was still there till Cecilia's Mom brought it up. After a few hours of fun with friends, Mia and I visited the hockey store in search of some of her favorite little dogs. Luckily, she found them and played with them for a little while till we went to Guitar Center. Myself and Mia did some drumming on the E-Kits and Mia actually held a beat (sort of) The drum set she used was a great height but the kick pedal was wonky and she couldn't hit it at the same time. I applaud the effort. She wanted to try one of the bass guitars but they were way too heavy to hold on her little lap. It was a fun afternoon with the diva and I was thoroughly impressed with her drumming skills.

Another thing Mia did a lot of on her break was reading. She's super confident with reading and I believe it was Friday, she read a book front to back by herself. It was sort of a graphic novel and she really enjoyed it. Saturday was supposed to be dance class, but for some reason, the doors were locked and they gave the kids the day off. I guess for Spring Break? We went to Trader Joe's and went home. After that, I watched a very nerve-wrecking FA Cup Semi finals match between Chelsea and Spurs. We got the win 4-2, but it sure was a tough one. The shining moment was the incredible strike from Matic that secured the match. The reaction from his teammates on the bench was unforgettable. Almost better than the goal. The final match, we'll play Arsenal and hopefully will get the FA Cup. Tuesday, they play but I'll be at work :(

After the match, Jill and my Mom went kids resale shopping while Mia and I played soccer at the park. Mia put on the Hazard jersey and ran all over the pitch. She's getting really good at shooting with her opposite foot that she normally does. It was a lot of fun, just her and I.  Jill came home later and we had dinner. That night I had made plans to see The Descendents but they completely fell apart. The Milwaukee Torrent had their first friendly match that night as well in Racine and won 4-0. They play this coming weekend and I hope the weather is good.

Today, we spent the majority of my time before work outside enjoying the warmth. Back to reality tomorrow for Mia. School. She's not excited but IS excited to see some friends again.

This week, I'm working on a drawing for a 2nd grader I taught as well as other projects. Friday is the kick off party and Saturday is the Torrent vs Whitewater match. Should be fun. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Eggs, Art and Friends

Good evening everyone. A bit behind on writing/blogging but it's been a pretty busy week (and weekend) Let's get to it. Wednesday was a really busy day. Tuesday night when I got home from work, Mia was asleep on the couch, but suddenly woke up and asked half-asleep "can you come to lunch tomorrow Daddy?" Yeah sure that's fine. So Wednesday, I met up with her for lunch. Her friends were surprised I was there, but like the last time, talked my ears off. I couldn't stay for recess (which of course lead Mia and Charlie to do puppy dog eyes) but returned later to teach the 2nd grader class Drawing Characters 101-Featuring BB-8.

I was honestly nervous. I have never taught a group of 23 kids before, I'm not that great at public speaking and frankly not even sure they'd enjoy the experience. Luckily, all of them did. They were super polite, friendly and asked many questions. Some wanted me to be their permanent art teacher and one kid asked for my drawing I did (with the kids) I told him if it was okay with his teacher it was fine with me. So I gave it to him. He wanted it signed and I found out the next day, he had it framed to put on his wall. I felt like I was a bit rushing myself because of the sincere lack of time to teach them. We had to move as slow as possible so all of the kids were on the same page (literally) After we were done, I showed them my binder of 130+ drawings I've done for Mia. They really enjoyed that. I was asked to return again before school lets out. Now that I know their skill level, I may teach them something like Emoji's or something simple, yet a bit challenging if you look at it correctly. Wednesday, I taught them shading and making an object "move". If I do Emoji's I can teach them color value and gradients with yellow. These are tricky concepts but I think they can get it. The class ended up being a lot of fun for me and I look forward to the next time I meet these guys again.

After the class was over, they all were giving me high fives as I attempted to find Mia. Mia met the very friendly 2nd grade teacher and we were on our way. Friday was Mia's first full day of Spring Break so what did we do? We hung out at Noelle's house with friends. It was nice enough out for the kids to play outside for a few hours.

Saturday, we took her to dance which we found out later was cancelled. Blah. Later, we played tennis with Jill's buddy Leanne who visited for the weekend. Mia was having a hard time with it, but wants to try it again. Later, we went to my parents house for some Easter egg hunting with cousins and dinner. After that, Jill, Leanne and myself met up with my friend for some tasty alcoholic ice cream drinks.

Sunday, I watched some of the crappy Chelsea vs Man U game in between our Easter Brunch with Jill's family. The game was garbage. The Blues couldn't make a shot off and just couldn't break down their defense. The gap is much smaller for the lead and we meet up with Spurs for the FA Cup semi this weekend. Later, I went to work.

Today, Mia met up with friends Hayden and Cecilia at the park. They had a great time, and tomorrow, Mia's meeting up with some of her old preschool friends she hasn't seen since October.

This week, we're just making the most of Mia's Spring Break and enjoying the weather while it lasts. Saturday I was supposed to see the Descendents but I have a feeling it's going to fall through.
That's all for now, thanks for reading!

If The Shoe Fits, TIE it!

Good afternoon everyone! Been a busy week, and April seems like it's already flying by. Mid week, I watched the very exciting Chelsea vs Man City game. We were ahead going into the 2nd half and I had to run to pick up Mia from school. As soon as she got out of class, I had said "hey how was school?" She responds quickly "Great, but what's the Chelsea score?" Priorities. She was glad we were winning and as soon as we ran home, she shed everything off (jacket/backpack) and sat down on the chair to watch the rest of the game. While cheering on our favorite team, she was also able to write up her thank yous to her friends for their birthday gifts.

Towards the end of the week, Mia had mastered something truly fantastic. The always tricky shoe-tying. That morning, she was playing with the laces on my hoody and just about had it but we didn't have time to play around so she had to get to school. Apparently during school, one of her friends Cecilia's laces were loose and asked Mia if she could tie them for her. Mia said she wasn't sure how to tie yet, so Cecilia took the time to show her the method she knew. By the time I got home from work, I was told she could do it. Friday morning, she tied her OWN laces like a pro. I'm totally proud of her. We really didn't have much to do with her new skill. It was her friend that had the patience to show Mia. She now likes to untie our laces only to re-tie them herself. Bravo little diva!

Saturday, she had dance class. I think she's slowly losing interest in it. She's looking into maybe doing a different activity after she finishes her semester and the dance recital. I think its good that kids want to try different things. She didn't quit mid-through everything and still really loves dancing.
Who knows, maybe she'll keep going, but as of lately she's been wanting to take tennis lessons with her BFF Charlie from school.

After she got home, we drove to the zoo. I skipped the Chelsea vs Bournemouth game because the weather was absolutely gorgeous and it'd be insane not to be outside. The Blues won and I watched the highlights before I went to bed. At the zoo, Mia took her instamax camera and took beautiful photos of the animals. Later, we went to the park and enjoyed even MORE of the day off together.

Sunday, the nephews came over and Mia took them to her playground at her school while I went to work.

This week I'm teaching the class of 24 2nd graders on character drawings. Nervous but excited. It'll be a lot of fun and I hope the kids really enjoy it. Mia starts Spring Break on Friday and has a birthday party to attend. She wants to keep as busy as possible on her break so hopefully we'll get to hang with lots of friends. Saturday is Easter at my parents house and Sunday, we'll do an Easter Brunch at our house before I go to work.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Dance Party at Mia's House

Good morning everyone. It was quite the busy week over here so let's get to it. Monday was Mia's actual birthday, so I surprised her class by joining Mia for lunch. It was truly a trip. A few of them yelled "MIA'S DAD!" when they saw me as I joined her for lunch. I got to first hand, watch how they do everything. She sorta forgot I was with her, as she walked off to get her strawberry milk and mark where her name is on the list for payment. All of her fiends tried to figure out where to sit and where I'm sitting. They all talked my ear off about everything from boys, to math to "how do you do art so well?" It was fun. There was no chance that I'd leave without joining them for recess, so after they finished their food and were dismissed, they got their coats and went outside. The weather was pretty lousy, but they made the most of it. Most of the time, they tried to figure out what they actually wanted to do. We ended up playing duck, duck, goose. It was fun. They were sad when I had to leave, but Mia was glad I was able to join her and didn't let me leave till I got a kiss on the cheek.

Later, Jill and I together picked her up. She was totally surprised that Jill got to join me. She's never picked up Mia before, so it was truly a treat. We went to Stone Fire Pizza for dinner and games after. Mia's getting really good at racing games and beat both Jill and I at Mario Kart. We had an amazing time, just the three of us.

Wednesday, I was off again and Mia got to walk home with Noelle. Wish it was warmer out, but luckily Saturday was pretty great. She went to dance class as I watched Chelsea let a pair of stupid goals go in from Palace. No clue how we blew this game, and couldn't get any of the dozens of shots in. They play this week so I hope we can beat Man City and widen the gap back to 10 points. Later, we got our taxes done and set up for Mia's friends-from-school party. We had 8 girls total in the living room watching Moana after a very noisy dinner of pizza. The kids ware crazy, but from what I could tell, had a great time. They didn't make it through the movie, since some of them wanted to do art projects. A few wanted to sit with me and watch it. One lounged on my lap as the others were having a dance party. It was intense. After about 8pm, they all started leaving one by one, giving Mia big hugs. She said this was the best birthday party ever. I'm truly happy we could give her something like this. It wasn't an overly expensive party at a big place, but it was fun enough for the kids and thats all that matters. She's got some really fun friends that love her to pieces and I love watching them interact and talk about which boy likes that girl" etc etc. They got her light sabers, Shopkins, a handmade pillow case, and dolls for her birthday.

Sunday, Mia did homework before I went to work. This week, nothing super busy going on. I may have a photoshoot for Ian Bennett's clothing line, but we'll see how the weather is. I was recently presented with the possibility of teaching a 2nd grade class art and drawing techniques as a "reward' for good behavior during class. This is an honor and I'm excited to dive into it. Haven't completely decided on what to do, but it should be a lot of fun.

That's all for now, thanks for reading! :)