partridge family move over

as christmas approaches, a flurry of end-of-year concerts descends and proud parents everywhere get to sit in accoustically-challenged turn-of-the-century school and town halls and take bad video of their kids, while wiping tears from their eyes.

so who am i to break with tradition, eh?

apologies in advance for the poor quality. it was recorded on my little point and shoot. i have asked santa for a new camcorder.

here's miss 12 at her singing debut. she was so nervous i thought she would pass out.

here she's employing the 'stare-at-the-roof-and-get-through-it' technique

but by her second song, she was a little more relaxed. this pic was taken on the canon with the big flash. what a difference!

this is her 2nd song, so she'd warmed up a bit.

anyone with a pre-teen who hasn't been living under a rock will recognise this song.




here's my show pony 17 year old with her school of rock band, 'cross-eyed mary'. this was their 'triumphant return' gig (the first one as a 4-piece). they dropped a guitarist (not on her head), but a long story nonetheless.

she's playing my favourite of their songs "just for you".



then there's this one; once i realised you had to zoom BEFORE you hit the record button. DOH!!!


then there's miss 10 at her keyboard concert. short and sweet. it was all over before i even had a chance to hit the record button.

here's the 'supper' table. note the complete absence of anything home-made. we had planned to take care of that...but left them on the counter at home. miss 12's fresh chocolate chunk cookies

and some random photos to finish. i'm just loving these long summer nights. my favourite part of summer. dinner's over, there are no after-school (or dinner) activities, and the sun is STILL out. apparently we're in for a 'scorcher' - YEEHAH!!!ever noticed how cats always look slightly perturbed at the affection that's being shown towards them?