This is a funny email I wrote to my Aunt Marilyn, copying all of my cousins and extended family, just before falling asleep with you last night at our Mama-Maya hotel night and my Cousin Bruce’s reply – 🙂 He makes me smile…

From: Luehmann, April [mailto:ALuehmann@Warner.Rochester.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2013 11:25 PM
To: Marilyn Friedrich; Alka Chandna; Amie & Jeremiah Stark; Amy Strande; Luehmann, April; Beth & Darren Pierce; Betty Turock; Bianca Luehmann; Bruce Friedrich; Carol Klongland; Cassandra Pierce; Diane Kuchenbecker; Eunice Low; Gus Friedrich; Jenessa Stark; Jessica & Dave Anderson; Jolene Stark; Jonna Stark; Julie & John Falkers; Kelly & Todd Johnson; LaRae & Clay Fromm; Lowell Fromm; Madalyn Petersen; Mark Luehmann; Mary & Chuck Rohe; Miriam & Lloyd Luehmann; Muriel & Gene Stark; RachonPamela; Ranae & Dan Johnson; Ranae Rohe Rohe; Ruth & Bill Kratzke; Shelly Rohe; Wally Fromm
Subject: Re: Still not enough emails……

Hi Auntie Marilyn

Let’s see – what can I tell you about that might add cheer to your day?
* Painted Maya’s nails tonight bright pink and orange and bright pink, then orange,…. You get the idea
* We have FOUR – count them FOUR – watermelons growing in our front yard right now!! Too exciting!
* I learned today that the deadline that I got yelled at for missing yesterday by almost 6 months was actually August 31, 2013… So I’ve missed it be about 6. Go me.
* The flowers in the park where we had a picnic BLEW your mind – so rich in color they saturated your eyes!!!
* Kelly Clarkson is both incredibly talented and incredibly real. That is so good.
* Teenagers (say mine and 2 of their friends) are HILARIOUS to watch at a Maroon 5 convert. I know we were like that, but really?
* Today I deleted my reply to an email that really made me ANGRY – 3 or 4 times – and finally just wrote the word “Ugh.” and hit “Send.” Believe it or not, that was all that was needed.

Tomorrow’s Friday, and Nemo is a great movie, and sleep awaits us, and we are loved, and that is all very very good.

Happy Dreams Marilyn and family- Love you all
April & Family

From: Bruce Friedrich
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2013 23:30:50 +0000
To: April Luehmann
Subject: RE: Still not enough emails……

I abs. love this email. LOVE. THIS. EMAIL.

And miss you. Bring that family of yours to D.C.!

LOVE your smile Baby Girl!! And when did you grow another pair of feet?

Tomorrow is the big day!!!!

We are ever so close to the big day of Shenanigans! We are setting the course up as we speak!

There have been last minute questions that we wanted to answer to everyone.

First, we will have some day of registrations that will be open, as of right now we have a few time slots open in the later morning.

Second, there will be parking right next the dogwood shelter which is also where registration and packet pickup will take place starting at 7AM and running through until the 12PM wave takes off.

Third, wear comfortable clothing that you can run around in and do not mind getting dirty, as it was raining today and we are running rain and or shine. And make sure to wear running shoes or something that you will be comfortable running around in for about 2 hours or so.

Fourth, the course itself is going to be around 2.5 miles when all is said and done, but again you will not even notice while you are shooting rubber chickens and riding around on trikes!

Lastly, We will be taking pictures of the event that will possibly be available after the event for purchase so you can relive the event over and over again, and continue to laugh at yourself long after the event!
All-Star Shenanigans

Picking blueberries with your Bestie!!

may 2

You finished your beautiful new bag at sewing today…

I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how wonderful your sewing teacher is! Ms Christina is an “educator” in the truest sense of the term – gently assessing where her learners are, making safe places to take risks, nurturing next steps so gradually that you hardly even know you’re developing expertise, managing the “stuff” so that you can focus on your work, introducing you slowly and naturally to the formal language of sewing… you look forward to every class, and you have been doing this for about 2 years now.

I was so impressed with Ms. Christina’s teaching that I invited her to teach in my class at UR. Rock star. That’s all I have to say.

She sent this picture tonight after your class:

Last Saturday was your first communion…

True to Spiritus Christi form, it was a BEAUTIFUL time!
– you sang an amazing song – everyone really meant the words, the hand motions were touching
– you brought something that was very special to you to the alter – you chose “Purple B” – you explained – “she reminds me of God – because they have both always been with me.”
– Mama, Daddy Jim, Madeline, Dan, Daddy, Jen, Dan and Julie were ALL there to hug you and love on you!!
– Father Jim’s sermon was so precious – really connected with you as kids – He told a Hindu story about a god of the forest that took care of a little boy, and the teacher demanded to see this god of the forest but he wouldn’t appear. Later the god of the forest told the boy that your master can see me only when he has a child-like faith and spirit like you.
– Madeline gave you a special purple cross necklace that matches hers.
– We had ice cream cake and a very special dinner with you Madeline, Daniel, Julie, Daddy, Daddy Jim and me.
– That same day, you and I and Madeline and Julie sewed felt bird houses – we did a cool stitch called “needle felting.” I’ll put some pictures of that up here too.

You and I have had the most FASCINATING conversations about testing and poverty and rich people…

After our first conversation, I came across this cartoon – which inspired more conversations…

Tonight I came into your room (when you were supposed to be putting on your jammies) and heard you talking to yourself. You looked up at me and said, “I’m just trying to explain this cartoon about testing to myself.”

I was fascinated, so I said “Let’s hear it.”

So you started talking and we ended up talking for another long time – you were thinking deeply – “So you really don’t mean poor… (you remembered from yesterday or the day before), “you mean different. It’s about being different.”

Then we talked about rich people wanting to stay rich and therefor poor people needing to stay poor as an explanation of privilege. “I don’t like rich people,” you said.

“We are rich people” I reminded you. “What we can do as rich people is to think deeply about these things and not participate in things that hurt others.” You nodded… thoughtfully.

We talked about what the test would have looked like if the fish would have written it….

I love being your Mom.

Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:07:34 -0400
To: April Luehmann
Subject: Maya! 🙂

Good morning, April!

I just wanted to say that your daughter is hysterical and makes us laugh every, single day! I think about these little cuties all the time and this is just one tiny incident that kept popping into my head~

Mrs. St. George came to see Maya this week and we were right in the middle of a lesson. Maya was very much “into it” (talking about comprehension, the need to THINK and ask ourselves questions when we read etc., the magic of reading and how it can make us laugh, cry, take us to faraway places, make us “feel” like we’re there and so on). Maya looked up at me, as if to say, “Is it OK if I go now?” I asked her to please finish the little bit of her snack first (which, by the way, she always “taps into” when we first start our day, it’s like the little nibble she needs or likes to get going). She instantly put the whole “thing” in her mouth, smiled a huge smile and put both arms up, as if to say, “All gone! I’m clean!” I guess maybe you had to be there but it just made Helen and I crack-up, one of those many times it’s hard to keep going with a lesson because they are just so darned cute!

I also wanted to reiterate the kindness I see from her on a daily basis, along with creativity. She was having a disagreement with Halle the other day and made some construction paper representations of her feelings. One was a sad face, one was a heart, cut in half and “broken,” and another one (I think with Halle’s name on it). They were able to straighten it out together but she didn’t speak when she reported it to me/us…she simply showed us the signs. Unbelievable…J

A classmate was in tears (and frequently is, although this week has made a huge transformation and I wonder if Maya’s kindness has had a lot to do with that!)…it was dismissal time. I was trying so hard to get a smile from this child before she walked out the door but she was too far gone (over something VERY tiny but obviously meaningful to her!). Maya watched from a close distance and proceeded to walk up to us, put her arm on the child’s back, spoke very gently to her about how things will be OK and not to worry about when things don’t always go our way etc. The child stopped crying and the two of them walked hand-in-hand out the door. Let me tell you…another one of those moments where it was hard for me not to burst into tears!

These “Hallmark Moments” that happen are often with these little ones and your daughter most definitely has the gift of sincere (!) empathy, caring and love/respect for others. Her “creative juices” are not only blooming (bursting) all over the place but are also put to good use in social/emotional situations.

I just wanted to share that…it’s so important to hear these little things that slip by way too often.

Have a great break and thank YOU for sharing your beautiful daughter with me! She is amazing!
Love,
Karen J