{Wicked} Fun

In the midst of running the mom-taxi to theater rehearsals and performances this summer, we squeezed in a little {extra} fun with some of our theater friends, too.

It was a full day of Shrek rehearsal (I'll get to that soon) and this mama at the optometrist's office (for 3 hours, but who's counting?). Fun, yes? ;)

We headed on over to the center of the concrete jungle for some {Wicked} fun.

 

Unfortunately, hubs had to fly out and couldn't make the show...

 

so, we did the next best thing and invited one of the girls' theater friends to come along with us.

 

Sweet and fun. When theater friends attend a show, they might just put on a Wizard of Oz performance outside the theater for the viewing audience, of which some patrons may actually give applause. Too cute.

A beautiful night with beautiful girlies.

the gift of an ordinary moment

in my head, i'm quite the domestic goddess around the house, an organized martha stewart, if you will, and a healthy version of paula deen in the kitchen.  like i said, in my head.  my head doesn't always play out in real life.  life is messy.  i've mentioned that a time or twenty.

truthfully, i try.  but i tire of spinning so many plates.  a few of them, self-inflicted, i'm sure.  so much to do, so little of me to go around.  that's where i stand in this season of motherhood.  chances are, you know where i'm coming from.

a friend of mine asked my soon-to-be-thirteen-year-old (excuse me whilst i have an i'm-not-ready-for-my-girls-to-grow-up-tantrum) what we did over spring break.  my sweet girl told my friend that we cleaned.  and did schoolwork.

nice.

laughing, i walked up and reminded her that we only had theater and schoolwork this past week.  evenings were completely free for playtime since all dance classes & piano/voice was cancelled.

maybe we could take more breaks if we were not involved in theater, dance lessons, competition, piano/voice lessons, music guild, etc.  but the girls really don't want to give up any of their passions; therefore, some schoolwork must be seized during hours our public school friends might be on break.

i'm so glad mama is here to remind them how much fun they get to have each week. ;)

oh, i kid.  when asked, the girls will tell you that they love us.
and we have fun. 

sometimes, when distracted with my many spinning plates, i need a gentle nudge...
to just breath
and take in the moment.
i'm sharing one of those tissue-inducing nudges with you here...

after wiping my teary eyes, mama closed up shop.  reading could wait till the afternoon on this particular day.  

making a spontaneously-fun moment would come first.  they grow up so quickly.

getting our studies in is certainly important.
absolutely.
but not more important than appreciating life with those we love. 

to prove how dedicated i was, i even left the nikon at home.
this was truly about quality time, not quality of pix.
sometimes, the iphone captures the best moments.

(we called this our tree in the trail. ;)

may you and your family collect more fun-filled memories,
and guilt-free-parenting-plate-spinning.
because... well... life happens.
yo.

did we mention what we did this summer?

willy wonka, of course.
we may have mentioned it a time or 20.

i'm still in recovery mode.

recovery includes homeschooling a 5th and 7th grader, finding my way through piles of laundry, a new theater production, preparing for an upcoming piano recital, and a new 3 day a week dance schedule.  this mama is tired.  but i'm sure you guessed that. 

mama has been busy chasing our beautiful lil' lives, which has left little time to document it.  i really don't like that... because i tend to forget some of the details.  (nope, i'm not losing my memory.  or suffering with denial)  

thank heaven for instagram.  that's all i'm saying. ;)

nearly every day, i shuttled my oompa-loompas to theater.

they simply couldn't get enough.

as a young person, musical theater gives such a wonderful outlet for creative expression.  they are assigned their roles, then allowed to fill their character with fun personality.  creativity is essential for personal growth.  when kiddos learn to trust their creative instincts, they increase in confidence, self-esteem, public speaking, their ability to work well within a group... and even how to deal with disappointment.

this is why i signed up for the insanity; otherwise, mama would love to catch up on some r and r.  keepin' it honest. ;)

besides, who would want to be responsible for breaking up this friendly group?

this is how it looks backstage.  cozy, yes?  the kids were warming up, saying good-bye to themselves, and putting on their character.  too cute.  see my sweet lil' oompa? ;)

gracie's other character, veruca, is not so sweet, while having a tantrum.  bad nut. ;)

nator played the ever-too-nurturing-with-food ms. gloop.  she was a fluffy sweetheart, with her lil' german accent.  

 

unless you try to melt her chocolatey augustus.... or mispronounce her name.  her name starts with gl, not p.  

after our current theater production, we plan to take a break during christmas.  you know, so we can make room for rest all of our holiday festivities. ;)

after christmas, we plan to meet back up with our homeschool theater group!  fun!

we are just *crossing fingers* that our dance competition schedule agrees with the theater and piano recital schedule.

my nerdy factory worker and i say good-bye... for now.

it's time to review script and watch the new orleans saints.  
sigh.  may the force be with them.


we hope the start of the new school year is treating you well!
hugs!!

August 2012 ~ week 32 {Willy Wonk-y edition}

one would think that by the sheer number of miles we put on our mom-taxi that this mama actually enjoys the hustle and bustle.  truth is, this mama likes down-time.  quiet.  home.  time to think.  and reflect.

"introverts unite.  individually."  hahahaha... love that quote.

i know that we could slow down a tad, but truth is... how do we choose to eliminate something which enriches the lives of our littles?  that must be the key... if it's not building little lives, it doesn't make the cut.

piano each week?  keep.
theater, even when the schedule calls for multiple practices weekly?  are you kidding me?  the girls would call cps themselves if we tried to cut this. ;)
dance a few days a week?  you should see the look on gracie's face at the mere thought of cutting this.
the occasional field-trip?  okay, so long as it's occasional.



there are several other activities which we could get involved in that i know would enrich us in other ways... but we have to prioritize and choose those we are most passionate about.



co-ops?  not for us.
university art classes?  again, no.



christian scout groups?  this is something we participated in for 2 years, then cut - to make room for other passions.

outsourcing more subjects in various organizations?  no, thank you.

devoting time to too many busy tasks can make one a bit wonky.



wonky.  although fun at times, it's not my cup of tea.  i like hot tea.  i digress...



for the past 5 weeks, our girlies woke each morning, without complaint, for theater practices.   a few times, gracie even tried to wake me earlier than my alarm clock.  ummm, no thank you.  good thing she's so stinkin' cute.  they committed their summer to willy wonka.  {interpret as: by the end of the day, mama is usually left feeling like willy wonka, himself, beat mama with a candy cane.}

them: YAY!!  
me:  yeh.  

truthfully, i'm passionate about it because they are.  i love watching them perform and grow confidence.  it's priceless, really, and gives their father and me swollen heart syndrome.



being a great mom, and giving our girls a great-memory-filled-childhood, is my passion.

it gives me strength to deal with another mom that has truly tested my friendship and patience over the past 2 years.  that, alone, could fill another blog post.  *sigh*  people are just weird sometimes.



any time i'm tempted to feel weary in well-doing, i look at the faces of our girlies.  they truly inspire me.  that... and a picturesque sky, of course, but the girls are a tad more entertaining. ;) 

 

this wonk-y edition is brought to you by hmama, oompa #1, and oompa #3.   

we shall share more of our willy wonka performance pictures soon (we still have 8 more performances to go), but for now... i'm soaking up the quietness of these last 3 days in which we have had complete. quietness. in the house.  nothing on the schedule.  just reading... and a little school organizin' for mama.  you know... as i prepare for another year for living life on the edge of wonk-y.

holla.

{for those who've asked...  i'm not sure when the mom-taxi videos will be up again.  my former video camera died, and i haven't fallen in love with anything else since. *sigh*  my girls miss them, too.}

{american girl}ie goodness

girls: "hey, mom, may we have {insert a few girls' names} over soon?"  me:  "sure."  girls: "hey, mom, mckenna is coming out with a movie soon."  me: "cool."

uh-oh

little did i know, it would soon snowball into a night of 13 {home-educated} squeely, girlie girls. because if you invite so-and-so, then you must invite so-and-so... and if you don't invite so-and-so, then so-and-so will get their feelings hurt.  you know how it goes. 

so this is how it went down... ummm, a week ago.  
this introverted mama needed some recovery time, you know.

we shopped for decorations.  mama needed a wee more tulle.  i mean, what's a girlie gathering without tulle?  we spent a day cleaning {really... why?} and party day was spent crafting, decorating, and baking {thanks to a certain wonderful daddy who loves his girls; baking is not beyond him}.

we made a banner, letters cut out using me ol' cricket.  the girls blew up balloons.  let the record reflect that mom did not have to blow up, or tie, one. single. balloon.  dad taught them how to tie and they were in business!  thankyoujesus.

we hot-glued foam stickers {that can later be used in smash-books} on toothpicks to be inserted in rice-crispy treats {nom-nom}, brownies, and cookies.  

nope, i didn't juice veggies for everyone. *gasp*  we want them to come back, you know.  the treats were gluten-free, but i cannot divulge the sugar content.  in caring for 13 excited kiddos, i'm sure working off calories isn't a problem.  yeah, i'm stickin' with that story.

hubs was a trooper and took care of dinner {$5 cheese pizzas} and secured nervous jasmine... in our room.  yeah, she wasn't too happy about that set-up.

the key to keeping 13 girls as drama-free as possible is to keep them busy.  can i get an amen?!

the girls played american girl bingo with pre-bagged peanut m&ms.  no complaints there.

they had fun playing the "who am i?" game.  

for that, we posted information about each doll {you can copy what we typed by clicking here} on a tri-fold poster board.  as the girls arrived, gracie and nator posted a doll sticker {found at michaels} on their back, matching a sticker on the poster board.  

it was each girls' job to go around to all the other girls and ask them questions that they could only answer yes or no to.  the prize? simple joy in the achievement.  i'm cool like that.

there was a lil' cha-cha slide and cupid shuffle going on, too.  they had a little sugar to burn.  maybe.

during the movie, i burned popped popcorn.  my microwave skills were a bit rusty, but i eventually got the hang of it.  remember... i don't really use our microwave.  anyhoo... have you ever tried watching a movie with 13 girls?  yeah, quiet is not happenin'.  overall, they seemed to really enjoy the movie.  thumbs up.

i keep telling the girls that i'm a cool mom.  maybe they'll believe me, one day.  you know, i did invite them all to stay the night.  half of them actually did.  they stayed up half the night.  

for breakfast, we fed them gluten-free pancakes with xylitol sweetened honey, organic eggs, and organic strawberries.  kinda makes up for the dinner menu, yes?

the important thing is that fun was had by all... and the adults, exhausted, slept right through the middle-of-the-night-giggles. zzzzz...

don't forget to tell your girlie that she can watch mckenna's movie, airing on nbc - saturday, july 14, 2012. 8/7c.

{twelve} years old

::what makes you happiest?
cuddled up inside with a thunderstorm going on - bella, my one and only lap cat, for now, on my lap - while reading a nice, good book.

::one thing you'd like to try this year?
finish crocheting my blanket and learn how to crochet a flower.

::favorite food?
mom's lasagna, sweet potato french fries, whole sweet potatoes, homemade pizza, turkey bacon, sweet cream ice cream with white chocolate chips @ marble slab, and raw almonds with 86% dark chocolate. 

::the one food you hope never to eat again?
if i could, i would choose vegetable juice. {insert much laughter from mom} 


::favorite game?
in a box: apples to apples, jr.
video: kit mystery - ds game

::favorite place?
being home is my favorite place in the world, my granny's home, and theater.

::favorite outfit?
my school uniform! {pajamas} *giggle* including my new soccer slippers!


::favorite animal?
my cat, bella.

::favorite song?
these are a few of my favorite things {sound of music}.

::favorite book?
mother-daughter book club series, american girl series, and a little princess... so far. 


::favorite thing about school?
that reading is a subject.

::what would you like to be when you grow up?
mostly a teacher, but it's always changing.  the one that stays in my head the most is teacher. 


::where in the world would you like to go?
even before we studied rome, i've always wanted to see the roman colosseum and the leaning tower of pisa.  also, washington dc - i've always wanted to see a lot of things there.  and one day, i want to go to new york.

"A daughter is, a joy bringer, a heart warmer, a memory maker; a daughter is love." ~unknown  

   "A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart." ~unknown

Eleven-11-{eleven}

the lovely alita, from alita jewels treasures, tagged me on this, and I thought it might be fun to play along.

The Rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random facts about you.
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag new people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and let them know they have been tagged.

 1. love when i can start my day with a cup of hot tea and hugs... minus an alarm clock.
 2. being a homeschool mom is one of the best decisions ever made for our family.  no regrets.  even on rough days. {repeat last line to self} ;)
 3. as a kid, i once lived in a trailer.  down a dirt road. 
 4. hubs says i seem more relaxed since leaving the institutional church.  i have to agree with him.
 5. did you know that i am a former pastor's wife {with my current husband}? *giggle*
 6. i had trouble finding a picture of myself without my lil' chickadees.  this pic was taken at the rodeo - a year ago.
 7. i miss running. the elliptical is the life for me now. crazy joints.  need to get back to the gym.  note 2 self: exercising in one's head does not count.
 8. juicing veggies is my new healthy passion.
 9. clutter and rude people drain my energy.
10. italian food is my favorite.  my hips can't handle the carbs though. *sigh*
11. love yummy smells, especially in the form of essential oils.

*************************************************

alita's questions:

1. At what time in your life did you find yourself on an emotional roller coaster?

definitely after we resigned from institutional church ministry.   our entire lives were tied up in church.  activities, friends, job titles, hobbies.  everything.  it took a few years to recover.

2. When was the last time you tried something new?

with motherhood, i'm finding a new challenge almost daily.  day-lee.  other than motherhood, it has to be our adventures in alaska.  i'll always hold those close to my heart.

3.  What does your joy look like today?

constant. always there. no matter what. happiness is another subject altogether. i'm choosing to have that today. ;) 

4.  Do you see to believe or believe to see? Give an explanation, too. 

good question.  would i be avoiding the question altogether if i simply said, yes?? ;)  see to believe... i suppose life has left enough tire marks on me that sometimes i believe you need to see actions in a person before you can believe their words.  believe to see... in god.  but then again, we see his workmanship all around us, too. ;)

5. What is the single most religious experience or moment of pure faith, you have ever had?

pure faith?  after struggling with infertility, taking 4 pregnancy tests still took a good dose of faith. 

6. What is the difference (in your opinion) between being in love and falling in love?

call me an old, married lady... but, i believe falling in love can best be described as "puppy love" or infatuation.  hollywood movies have done a great job of blurring the lines of what real love is.  being in love is choosing to love someone... even on bad hair days.

7. When you close your eyes what do you see?

a cool day at the beach, enjoying the sounds of the ocean. <-mommy's happy place.  it's always much better in my head.  you know... my kitchen produces gourmet meals, the house looks like a magazine kind of picture. a girl can dream, right?

8. What is your earliest childhood memory? Which one stands out as a teen? and now?

childhood: walking to school and being offered a ride. <-scary.

teen: sweet 16 surprise party my mom planned at home.

now: snuggling with my girls.  running my fingers through their hair. <-moments to bottle up.

9. What are your top five favorite things to do with other people?

just chill at home. conversation over hot tea... we could go white water rafting?  just saying... anything but shopping.  that i like to do on my own. ;) 

10. What do you owe yourself?

a relaxing vacay?  or simply a lil' non-mama time.  it's been a rough motherhood week.  

11. If your life had a soundtrack which songs would be included? 

i'm sorry.  i can't hear anything except the sound of music playing in the background. our current obsession. 

*************************************************

my questions:

 1:: what was the biggest surprise in becoming a mother that you've experienced, so far?

 2:: how are your navigational skills? ever gotten completely lost?

 3:: what's your favorite quick meal to prepare?

 4:: do you organize the paperwork in your home efficiently or do you feel as if it's taking over?

 5:: has your perspective of god changed over the years? if so, what was the defining moment?

 6:: do you get energized from being around people or from alone time?

 7:: if you had an entire day to yourself, what would you do with it?

 8:: have you ever cried because you were so happy?

 9:: are you a reader?  if so, what's your favorite book?

10:: what top 5 attributes would you consider high on the must-have list in a friendship?

11:: what's your favorite thing about yourself?

*************************************************

i tag: lisa @ the army chap's wife 

       jessica @ teachable moments 

       karen @ homeschool girls 

       theresa @ red oak lane 

       brenda @ the family revised

       rach @ in his hands  

if i didn't get to your site to tag you, please feel free to play along!  let me know if you do - i'd love to read your answers.

a moderate ride {day 3}

if your children are not the ride-ridin' type, an amusement park is a must-stop when you go on a lil' family vacay.  make sense, no?



at least there's the water-gun-shootin'-game-thingy. winners and non-winners win a cape.  super powers might be attached.  it's a win-win.  

there's the car that runs on a track.  employees still have to check for fastened seat-belts when these lil' minors are driving.  safety first.



and these famous looney tunes.   gracie's favorite part.   gracie gave bugs bunny the 'call-me' hand signal.  he returned the signal to her... then gave me the 'call-me' hand signal.  

and that was the day hubs almost knocked bugs bunny out.  we kid.  maybe.



nator drove her first car.  no guidance from a track.  just railings.  of which she only bumped into once, while looking up for me.  not bad for a first drive, right?  gracie was happy riding as daddy's co-pilot. 



nator wanted to upgrade from the beloved 'shamu express' at sea world and try a moderate ride at fiesta texas.  she chose the large rocking boat.  during which, she vowed not to ever try again and determined rides were not in her dna.

i seem to be the only willing-coaster-rider {well, so long as it doesn't spin side-ways} in my family, yet i don't have a riding partner.  truthfully, the older i get, the less attractive they look.  the rockin' boat almost did me in when i looked sideways at hubs and gracie below.

the ferris wheel,  the one ride the girlies will ride, is about our speed.  so long as the girls don't look down.



okay.  secret's out.  i married a pirate and gave birth to a neon-colored-wanna-be hippie. 

gift shops... and the traditional lighting of christmas tree, being ushered in by carolers {who are not afraid to sing about jesus}, fireworks, and looney tunes?  those are always welcome.  and fun.  

but a night-cap at the macaroni grill?  yum. mo.

i suggested skipping the amusement park next time since we don't do rides.  gracie said, "but moooom, the looney tunes show!"

so... is coaster-riding in your dna? ;)