Libby's Dress Rehearsal

Let me preface this entry by saying that I never realized what a great camera we had! Never took the time to read the manual until recently. When I say recently, I mean less that two weeks ago. It has some really great features! Even takes full length movies! Wish I had known that before Maison's program! Can change color, do different effects, etc. I guess it was worth the money, two years ago when we bought it!

Tonight Libby's dance class had their first dress rehearsal. Things were going as planned. Kids ate dinner with no complaints, and Libby was extremely excited about getting to wear her performance dance outfit. Everything was great until she decided she needed to wear the matching bow in her hair. We had to be there ready to go by 6pm, and at 5:45pm she decides she needs this "pony". So there I am, knee deep in super-fine baby hair, comb in one hand, ponytail holder around my pinkie, matching bow in mouth, trying to gather that fine hair into somewhat of a ponytail. The hair was putting up a tremendous fight. (I've never seen hair that refused to be styled!) Feeling like I was losing the battle, I called for reinforcements. With the assistance of my trusty side-kick Jason, we finally managed to create a ponytail. He held the hair while I tried to comb it back, without all of the "road bumps". No such luck. With minimal speed bumps, I slid the then circulating cutter offer ponytail holder off my numb dead dieing finger, wrangled the hair in it, slid the bow through the pony, headed for the camera, changed the batteries, and out the door we went. All in a matter of 61/2 minutes! Speed Styling.

So two minutes and some awesome driving skills later, we get to the recreation center. Of course the parking lot is full, because most parents got there early. We had to park in section N... Nosebleed. So I grab her hand and we make a mad dash. Her shoe, her tu-tu, and other stuff is flying as we are running. I stop to gather things up, put Libby in the good ole football hold and run. (Those 2 hours a day on the treadmill from 5am to 7am are paying off.)

We get to the room just as they begin to line up for practice. As the girls patiently listen to directions. I began getting the camera ready only to realize the batteries I grabbed were dead! So I frantically call Jason, explain where the good batteries are and beg him to drive like the wind. I watch them line up, feeling so proud, yet really sad. I couldn't believe the batteries were dead. So as any mother would do, I kept trying to turn the camera on just in case it actually worked. I sat and watched her dance occasionally unable to resist waving back at her. Just as the teacher shuts the music off, Jason walks in the door with working batteries. I was absolutely sick! Missed the whole thing because of dead batteries! Feeling like the worst mother in the room, I sat and held her while the older girls danced. We talked and snuggled. To my surprise, they had enough time to run through the show one more time! Miracles do happen! I took my "Worst Mother of the Year" badge off and handed it to the guy beside me when he said, "Oh, I guess I had some extra batteries right here."

Double Click to See the Tiny Tu-Tu Tot in Action

Maison's First School Program

For the past couple of weeks, Maison has been practicing his parts and memorizing scriptures. Little did we know, this was going to be a major production! Last week I spent the majority of my afternoons helping the kids paint their set. Had I known my family were professional art critics, I would have declined!

They performed worship songs, scriptures of thanksgiving, poems, vignettes, and small one act plays. Maison sang in the choir, played a pilgrim, and portrayed the father of Goldilocks. That night before the show, he was showing everyone his mustache followed by, "you know, it's not real", like we couldn't tell it was drawn on with marker. Yes marker, the outside says washable, so I guess we'll find out how washable after bath time. Maison could very well be sporting a mustache for Thanksgiving.

Below is a snip-it of Maison's best clips along with some photos. I missed is father lines for the play, but he said, "Be a good girl. Don't go near the trees, or in your room you'll stay." I hope to have their whole thing on here as soon as I can get a copy!

We are so proud of him!

Double Click to See Swivel Hips McGee in Action

Maison is wearing a Pilgim's hat and vest, black sweat suit, and of course is the only 6 year old with a mustache.

Squanto Meal

Maison's school shared a Squanto Meal today at school. Squanto Meal consists of apples, cornbread, and succotash (a mixture of corn, carrots, onions, beef and cream). Squanto and his people provided the Plymouth Colony with this portion of the Thanksgiving meal.

(Delicious)

The early settlers of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts were particularly grateful to Squanto, the Native American and former British slave who taught them how to both catch eel and grow corn and also served as their native interpreter. Without Squanto's assistance, the settlers might not have survived in the New World.

The Plymouth settlers (who came to be called "Pilgrims") set apart a holiday immediately after their first harvest in 1621. They held an autumn celebration of food, feasting, and praising God. The Governor of Plymouth invited Grand Sachem Massasoit and the Wampanoag people to join them in the feast. Evidence to support that claim came from diaries of Plymouth. The settlers fed and entertained the Native Americans for three days, at which point some of the Native Americans went into the forest, killed 5 deer, and gave them to the Governor as a gift.

Cake Auction

This has been one crazy week! In between musical rehearsals and performances, a cake had to be baked and decorated for the Boy Scout cake auction. The auction took place at Penn Elementary, complete with real auctioneers!
There were quite a few cakes. We will definitely have to step it up a bit for next year! The cake with the highest bid was around $80.00! Hope it was frosted with real gold!



Maison's cake went for around $20.00 courtesy of Papa Ed. The boys came home with 2 cakes, Maison's and a pudding cake with gummy worms. Apparently they also had a Darth Vader cake, but gave it to a little boy who didn't get a cake. How nice! Maison's cake went with Jason to work and the worm cake is still in the fridge. Not too bad!

"Honk" Jr

I used to teach science at LaSalle Middle School and help with their school's musical production every year. I continue to help every year with the musical, which is quite the show. It is performed every year in the Theater at Xavier High School; complete with costumes, make-up, lights, music, and microphones! Hard to believe it is 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

This year's production, "Honk", was a contemporary retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's Ugly Duckling. Maison's school received special permission to attend the Thursday afternoon show. The students loved it, Libby fell asleep, and Jason struggled to stay awake!