the big day

It's always hard when your real birthday falls on a weekday. Other obligations, like school, take over and your day somehow doesn't feel as special as you imagined it.

She wanted me to pick her up early from school...she'd like that every day.

The best I could do was this: Another horse riding lesson, with her favorite horse, Oh, Daddy! (that's his name.)
Getting on is still one of the trickier parts.  And that's a real gun on that picnic table!  Strange how the real ones look fake, and the fake ones look real.


Diego tagged along this time.  He met Walter, the cat.  Oh, how he loved him.




Walter is easy going and pet-able.  Diego gave him an hour's worth.



Then Isabela and I hit the town for the night!  On a Thursday.

So a little background....she has one movie on her mini Ipod.  West Side Story.  It's there because Juan Pablo gave it to me one year as a present...it's one of my favorite movies.

I remember going to the Byrd theater with my mom to see it for the first time.  I was probably Isabela's age and did not want to go, simply because my mom wanted me to.  But there I sat, in those musty, bouncy seats and watched as the buildings rippled across the screen and the opening music began.  I was hooked.

And so is my little mini-me.

And what production should the local high school have opening on May 3rd?  Nothing but West Side Story!  So off we went!

It was great.  High schools are so professional these days.  If you haven't been to a high school show since...uhem...high school, it's time to go back.

Isabela really enjoyed it.  But alas, it was a school night, and the first act didn't end until 9:15pm.  So we ended up leaving during the intermission.  Still, it was a special evening.

I wonder if she'll end up remembering the night she saw West Side Story with her mom, like I do.