Izzy reward

Salted caramel cones on our Institute outing!

Katy and her gang of boys scooted to ice cream.

Katy and Matthias are doing duets and this is how the look at each other during the piece! They're silly monkeys who have a lot of fun together!  They've really bonded a lot over the last year since their first Institute together then a year of group classes and studio recitals. And with Matthias' big brother Lucas too who plays guitar.

Katy Isabella and Vivian waiting to perform

Midweek honors recital at MacPhail Institute

Not Hungarian again!!!

Katy really doesn't like the Hungarian Song in Book 2 but it is quite popular at Institute. She is really a fantastic audience member but I did catch her with a pained look rolling her eyes back when subjected to her second Hungarian Dance in their Group Class Mini Concert!

Master class

We love master class with Mrs Kotrba. The kids learn so much in depth and it's wonderful to have the opportunity to really drill down to the nuances and mechanics of truly beautiful piano playing.

The kids get to play teacher for each other.

Group class with Miss Annette

9 kids between the ages of 5 and 9 bouncing. 9 balls in time to a the rhythm of Old Mother Hubbard = chaos for the first 5 minutes (balls rolling off the  stage followed by panicking kids) then miraculously they all sync in time at the end.

Katy in her first composition class

The start of an intense day and week at MacPhail Suzuki Piano Institute. Katy loves it!

Katy's composition teacher is composer Wynne-Anne Rossi. Katy is thrilled to be learning how to notate a glissando.

Yoga for musicians

It's summer holidays week 5 so...

...it's tennis with Emily at Holy Family High School courts!

It's nice to see Ali from basketball here too.

Last day of basketball camp!

Summer Week 4

AM basketball camp

Katy has 4th of July jetlag and is valiantly attempting to play basketball with mostly 8 year old boys who have played before...she's having fun though! Maybe she can ninja them with cartwheels and backward rolls together with some twirls and leaps???

She seems most involved huddling in pow wows and general chat on court!

Summer week 4

PM swimming lessons with Miss Marie

It's been 2 years since the last lot so we are long overdue! We've found a very warm swim school. It's like Phuket water. Miss Katy finds it suitable.

Hammock time

Proud to be an American!

Three little patriots!

Princess Little Pink Piglet of the Caramel Tribe

Dad's birthday troll

Finally dada gets to try out his trolling motor, the raison d'être and piece de resistance of his boat and the driver behind his whole devil went down to Georgia trip with Papa!

Happy birthday Dada!

Dad's first summer fish from Lake Minnetonka!

It's a bit slow going reinventing the wheel as we get set up for Minnetonka but here's the first reward. Not to be eaten yet though as we're not set up for bringing them home yet. Birthday present for this little guy from the big guy!

4th of July parade at the lake

Smelling the roses

Long tradition of rose garden adulation in the Lai Family. A must to visit the local rose gardens on every family trip.

A particularly lovely breezy Sunday afternoon at the Arboretum with a live jazz band.