November happenings + What a WEEK it's been for our girl~~

I will start with something sad - our neighbor Mike (who had been not doing well through much of Covid) died of a terminal brain illness.  We have been communicating with his sister since before last Christmas about coming to check on him / something was going on. This spring his family moved him back up to Michigan and we were told he had dementia and frontal lobe loss / degeneration. It progressed quickly and we received word that he was being moved to hospice... then less than a week later... he passed on Nov 2.  

He was an architect and neighbor - neither Todd nor I worked with him, but knew a lot of the same people in the industry. He attended many soup nights and we went to each other's bonfires over the years as well as concerts on the square (this photo of our friend Cecilia and him on the square), spend many new year's together, etc.  In looking back, wondering if some of the brain degradation had been going on prior to Covid / he was sometimes hard to be around but he will be missed. 

One of our former neighbors arranged to have a Catholic Mass said at his church here in Marietta (January was the earliest time), and we will host a bonfire for anyone who wants to raise a toast after the mass.

Todd's mom also ended up back in the hospital again.... she fell again and broke her arm.  (problem is... she's been using a walker, but cannot use the walker with only 1 arm... so her recovery on walking / getting around / getting back home is going to be set back a bit.)

Later in the week, we had Mercer's pancake breakfast for his baseball fundraiser.  This time, Isabella and I stopped by for breakfast and Todd worked the event all day - helping with the making of pancakes. 

He was frustrated.... he thought his job would be making pancakes on his own, but he had to manage teenagers.  ha ha.  One of the moms there takes photographs / I found a couple of Mercer in her reel.  

Isabella and I had a big day planned after pancakes:  we were going to the hair salon to "give" Isabella her birthday present!  All she asked for was to have her hair colored. So... we went for it.

Here's a photo - the LAST ONE of her beautiful brown curls! (sniff sniff!)

The process took FOR.EVER. I have never had my hair dyed or colored... I had no idea what to expect.  Whew - were we both in for an education!  It took FOR-EVER.  We were there close to 5 hours!!

Josh painted her hair with bleach.  (ugh)

Rinsing.

Drying a bit.

Then, came the color. 

And cutting (different person - Chelsea) 

who THEN blew it dry and straightened it! 

She was SOOOO excited by it all - how it came together in the end.  

Isabella earned the "Student of the Month" for her class this month - November!  Todd and I were both so shocked and surprised by this... but super proud!

Then... during the same week at school - we went to a reception for the entrants for the Reflections art competition.  Isabella made up a new song and we recorded it / entered into the competition.  She got 2nd place and her music entry will be in the school-system wide (across elementary schools) "regional" competition.

The guy (volunteer dad) who was running the competition said that he and the judges liked the fact that she made a song out of something that was initially a mistake: she was practicing piano one day and played wrong keys, but liked it.  (Actually, it did sound better!)  So she had to write a little bit about how "her voice" is being used to share with the world that it's OK to make mistakes - sometimes really great things come out of it.  The organizer played it on the TV in the room as well as the others' visual arts performances. 

We had the Cherokee Heights art festival.  None of us exhibited. Mercer and I went at 6:45 to help unload cars and set up tents with vendors.  (He needs some community service hours that - if he submits - he can help earn a special certificate at school.)  

But... he really enjoyed it.  He was working with other boys from the neighborhood and literally hung out there ALL DAY - even after his shift was over! 

Isabella was not at the art festival very long.  She went up late with Todd but also had a birthday party to go to in the middle of the afternoon... making pizza.

And, today she had a party of her own -- and ate pizza there too!  She invited some friends from school - who we don't know / didn't hear from unfortunately - and a couple of other friends we do know their families and who came.  Mercer invited a friend.

Although small, she had a good time at the trampoline park. 

They added a new slide which the kids stood in line for a long time for.  She said it was fast and fun.

At home, we had a small thing too - since her hair coloring was the main gift!

Overall - although a little smaller.... a little more low-key, she had a good day.    

Whew - what a week it's been for our girl!  

This is 10!