After swimming lessons and cross-country wound down, we found ourselves almost wishing for something interesting to do with the evenings--you know, besides homework. So when auditions for the musical Oliver! were posted, I couldn't help being enticed. To be honest, I'd been eyeing them since the season schedule was posted this summer. It seemed like a good follow-up to Theo's Harry Potter performance over the summer, and the Fort Wayne Youth Theatre is a very old and respected company. Besides, I thought acting might be a good backdoor to getting Theo to open his mouth and sing occasionally. Since they make good ticket revenue, the children who are cast pay only a small costume fee--what with the dancing and all, it seemed like a nice alternative to signing up for a winter sport.
I took Theo, Addy, and Emerson all in for the audition, sliding in the door only minutes before the end of auditions. They took all three kids from me to audition them in a separate room. When they came back, the kids told me that Emerson hadn't behaved particularly well, but they had all sung their songs and tried out some readings for the show. We were surprised when only a few minutes later (before we'd even gotten back home), the directors had called to invite Theo back for callbacks for the lead role the next day! He had to learn a new song that night as well, which he did (with plenty of coaching from Aaron), and managed to do well in the audition the next day. So well, in fact, that despite me telling him that it was a long-shot (and hoping it was as well, to be honest), they called and offered him the role of Oliver a few hours later. They decided to double-cast the role, given the age of the actors, the eight performances that would be required, and the timing of the show (during flu season in February), so he, along with another boy, will be singing the lead role in a major musical production! Of course it's quite an honor, but it's also a heck of a lot of work. The rehearsal schedule came out the next week and requires between three and five hours of rehearsals four or five nights each week for him, plus two hours a day four days a week for Addy, who was cast as an orphan (they recommended that Emerson try out for another production when he's a little older). It should be interesting seeing how it all works out over the holidays, although January and February should be easier.
Already things are getting a bit nutty, to be honest. Having four kids in three schools is even more challenging than I expected. Theo's school starts a full hour and a half before the elementary school does, so just getting up and getting him there isn't easy. We are carpooling with a friend who lives nearby (I drop off, she picks up), which saves him the half-hour bus-ride, not to mention the 5 am wake-up time, but which still means keeping up a pretty intense morning schedule. There are three schools to try to volunteer in, two different schools to take late children to (plus signing them in) if any of the younger kids miss the bus, and different end time for the middle school. It all adds up.
Among other things, we're worrying about whether Theo is sleeping enough--he's always been a bit of a night owl, and the early start time doesn't work well with that. The block schedule at his school, Woodside, is definitely a better fit for middle school than the alternative, as it means that Theo only four classes a day instead of seven or eight--but it's still quite a lot of school materials to keep track of. Theo's bad habit of forgetting to turn things in is still plaguing him, unfortunately. Middle school is not especially forgiving of late assignments (students lose 10% after the first day, 50% after that), and so far Theo has sometimes found the thought of turning something in a day late even more intimidating than not turning it in at all, meaning he has lost credit for several assignments that he has actually completed. I have a hard time knowing whether or not to support such harsh consequences for a smart kid who does decent work but has a real struggle with being responsible. On the one hand, sometimes real-life consequences are the best teachers; on the other hand, it's hard to see a child losing confidence over something so trivial. I question every day my decision to go ahead and let him start middle school instead of home-schooling for a year first, but he insists that it's what he wants, and it's exciting to see him so enthusiastic about playing the trumpet and participating in ISB (technology classes) that I couldn't offer him. I do appreciate the good friends he is making through the Alpha program he is participating in as well--one thing I can say for Theo is that he always chooses good friends.
Emerson, on the other hand, is loving his new school. His teacher really is one of the best I've seen--she is so creative with her class, and I love seeing the interesting projects she engages them in. I went down to help with a "pioneer learning day" (which culminated their class reading of Little House in the Big Woods) at the environmental learning center that sits on school property. There was a cabin where the kids could do projects to learn about pioneer activities, and I helped the teacher teach "Cotton Eyed Joe" to the kids in a sort of square-dance formation. It was a fantastic learning experience, and so much fun! I really see Emerson blossoming in this class, and I'm glad he has this opportunity, despite its seeming inconvenience.
Addy and Sera are both doing great in school. Sera has blown her teacher (and me) away with her quick reading abilities. She has gone from barely reading to the top of her class in only a couple of months. She loves her friends and has already learned to stick up for herself to the two boys in her class who teased her about her Dora backpack and lunchbox at the beginning of the year. Any attempt to intimidate feisty Sera is bound to go awry. She thrives on the order of the school day, and would rather do school work than almost anything else--if I ever had a child who could take on full-day kindergarten, Sera is the one. More often than not, she and Addy come home and play another round of school in their bedroom or the basement. Addy, meanwhile, has a great teacher as well. Though Addy is in a different class from most of her friends, her funny and dramatic teacher is a great fit for her. She's really one of the brightest kids in her class, and I think she enjoys having a chance to shine, as well as to help others. And fortunately, she manages to fit in plenty of play time with her friends during recesses and after school (as I try once again to make friend Fridays a frequent thing).
We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving this year with the Stumps, a family that we've always enjoyed, but with whom we haven't had as much opportunity to socialize as they live across town from us, as well as with a new and fascinating family in our neighborhood, the Hickmans--a couple who met when the husband was serving a mission in Russia, where the wife grew up (Siberia, actually). They have an adorable baby boy, and the other family has a baby girl, so Addy was pretty much in heaven playing with them. Aaron made an amazing Turkey as always, I bookended the meal with pies, and our guests brought pretty much everything else. We had a wonderful time talking afterward. I especially enjoyed talking with Brother Stump, who served a mission in France. I've been working on a book about Van Gogh, so it was wonderful to talk through the streets of Paris and down along the Seine with him.
Outside the trees have lost most of their leaves and the chill of winter is setting in, but there is great gratitude in our hearts for our wonderful family and friends. Even when life gets a little nutty, it's a good life to live. We wish you a wonderful holiday season!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Fall Photos
Fall Photo Shoot
Fall Festival and Zombie Walk with friends
Happy Halloween!
Making and decorating cupcakes
Scary witch
Spiderman
The White Witch
Nikki Minaj
The trick-or-treat clan
Fall Fun and Happy Hauntings
September launched us into the wonderful world of routines, of which I am so fond. I spent the school time during August clearing away the clutter of the summer so that by September things felt all lovely and organized around the house. Of course, there was plenty to do to prepare for KinderKeys classes as well, so I spent a fair amount of time doing some last recruiting for classes and preparing new curriculums for two new classes I added. I was thrilled to fill two preschool classes, as I am totally committed to giving preschoolers an awesome (and most importantly fun) start to music--I have found that the early start gives them such an ownership for their musical skills, as well as developing their ear at a critical period. I've also started a second year class that is a lot of fun, and am experimenting with a class for older children (right now just Theo and Addy and one of Theo's friends as I figure out how to run it in a way that is fun and functional). I feel lucky to have six classes, all of them full or nearly full. Between planning and launching the classes, I have tried to carve out time for writing and revising, which has felt amazing--I'm starting to feel like a real writer at last.
An awesome date to the Gala Ball at the Auburn-Duesenburg automobile museum started the month for Aaron and I. When we decided to purchase a membership at the automobile museum in January (it's cost basically paid for our first visit), we had no idea that our membership would include the lovely ball that was held on the first Saturday of the month. It rounded out a weekend festival celebrating the car manufacturer's brilliant history as one of the premier automobile designers of the early twentieth century, and was held in conjunction with one of the major auctions of antique cars in the country. Aaron and I dressed up to the hilt (well, not quite to the hilt, because I wasn't sure how much would be over the top--if we go back next year, I won't be shy about glitter and peacock feathers at all) and drove up to the museum, leaving Theo in charge of the kids for the longest we've let him babysit so far. The whole affair was awesome--we loved checking out all the vehicles that were up for auction, especially since Aaron recognized many of them on sight, and could fill me in on what history he knew, having lived with his grandfather who owned quite a collection of classic cars at one time. Despite being the youngest couple there by about 25 years, we enjoyed dancing our hearts out to the live swing band that had been brought into the beautiful ballroom just off the old showroom, and indulging in the hors d'oerves, eclairs and petit fours that were spread across the tables. Despite our rediscovery that I'm far more inclined to try to lead than to follow when we dance (though Aaron is the better dancer), we had a lovely night.
Addy's birthday fell right on Labor Day this year, which made for easy celebrating. A little date with me over to Barnes and Noble, where she picked out a birthday cupcake, was followed by a breakfast out (at dinnertime) to IHOP, where piles of fruity pancakes and waffles were enjoyed by all. She came home to presents of watercolor paints from Sera, a tadpole habitat from Emerson and Theo, a fabric arts kit from me and a claymation kit from Aaron. Although as usual I considered having her birthday party every weekend all month long, I only got my act together as the month was ending. She had wanted to have a horse birthday party, so I looked into taking Addy and her friends to a farm where they could ride some, but we ultimately ended up deciding on a trip to the zoo as the season neared its close. Though it initially seemed like a little bit of a cop-out for a party, it actually ended up being one of the best parties we've had! I had gotten some straw sombreros from the dollar store over the summer, and with a bandana around their necks, the girls made awesome Mexican cowgirls. The zoo has horse and pony rides, which cost more than the other rides, so it was a first for Addy and all her friends to get to ride them. They each got a chance to ride around a beautiful little walking path, looking like they had been doing it all their lives. After that, we had a chance to visit the rest of the exhibits, but really, the best part was having a bunch of gorgeous little girls who are at exactly the right age to pose for a million pictures all the time--I love it! When they had had their fill of animals (especially the goats who tried to eat their clothes) and rides, we headed out to the picnic tables for presents, where Addy was well-spoiled by friends who know her very well. They gave each other lots of hugs, and enjoyed some cupcakes before the ride home.
Other fun events included the Johnny Appleseed Festival, which we always love, a fancy anniversary dinner date for some friends, the IPFW family picnic, cross-country meets for Theo (which left him sweaty but happy), and lunch dates with mom for all the kids on Fridays, which was a great, if too short, way for me to keep up with all their school happenings. By October, fall settled over our little city, and the leaves exploded into a better show of colors than we had any right to expect after such a dry summer. I managed to sign Emerson and Sera up for swimming lessons at the same times, and although it ended up being at such a terrible time that we didn't make it to even one class on time, the drive through streets arched over with red and gold leaves to get there made up for it a bit. Theo's cross-country season closed out in style, with a lovely awards night, and the making of goals for next year. We launched two new clubs at our house, the Boy Book and Movie Club for Theo and his friends, and a Mother-Daughter Book Club for Addy and some her friends (and mine). Both were a lot of fun, even if it has taken me forever to get around to starting them. Other happenings around our home included, amazingly, after years of thinking it might never happen, all four kids beginning to enjoy playing and practicing the piano. Somehow switching it up into class-form has been the magic bullet for Theo, who has always felt that having teeth pulled would be more enjoyable than practicing, until he discovered this year that being able to do something many other people can't has unexpected benefits. His band class has become his favorite, and seeing the improvisation that goes on in the upper levels there has probably helped fuel that fire. Whatever it is, I'm not one to complain when he works hard at his songs and spends time trying to figure out what he has heard someone else play as well. At Aaron's request, he has also begun taking viola lessons and will be trying out orchestra instead of band next semester--it's not his favorite idea, but we wanted to give him the opportunity to learn to play a stringed instrument as well.
In mid-October, Aaron dodged out of town for a trip he's been planning and looking forward to for quite some time. He received funding from his University and the Partners for the Americas for a trip down to Brazil, where he had the chance to conduct several choir groups in a festival in Porto Allegre. Hopefully he'll get a chance to pop in here and write up a few of his adventures down there, but let it suffice to say that he had some wonderful, unforgettable experiences, and almost as importantly, got to indulge in some of his favorite Brazilian dishes. While he was away, as is my tendancy, we had lots of adventures. Since Aaron tends to be more of a home-body and enjoys being close enough to his bed to dodge in for a nap most days, when he is gone I have extra liberty to take everybody everywhere. Initially I planned for a day trip up to Shipshewana one weekend, but when the van had a series of electrical problems, I didn't dare risk it. Instead, we enjoyed the Fall Festival and Zombie Walk downtown with some friends who were also down a father for the weekend. We enjoyed some excellent Halloween activities, got our faces painted like zombies (at least Sera did), and closed it off with a visit to The Old Fort, the real Civil War fort for which Fort Wayne is named, which was haunted up with a real headless horseman, soldiers from the Civil War, and stories and tours through the buildings of the Old Fort, heavily rumored to be haunted. The stories of hauntings were pretty creepy, and supposedly completely true, but luckily, even as we toured the sites by candlelight, we did not come across any phantoms or ghosts--though Theo kept the phone-camera running the whole time just in case. Afterward we warmed our cold bodies and spirits with hot apple cider around the campfire and under the stars.
Last of all, we rounded the month out with some Halloween celebrating. Although Addy had her school musical on the same night as our ward trunk-or-treat, I picked the boys up earlier in the day and took them to the daytime performance at her school. Addy had a solo, which she did an awesome job on, both in the afternoon and when Aaron went to watch her later that evening. Meanwhile, I took the boys to the celebration at our church, where they got a head-start on candy-hoarding, not to mention some good times hanging out with their friends. On Halloween night, we rounded up some extra kids to join us for trick-or-treating. It was quite a cold night, so by the time it got dark, I loaded up those who were still feeling the call of the candy and drove them around to an extra few streets of houses. Naturally, they paid me back richly in chocolate. This year's goulish holiday gave rise to Nikki Minaj (Theo), the White Witch (Addy), Spiderman (Emerson), and a very wicked and snaggle-toothed witch (Sera). We hope you, like us, were treated more than you were tricked!
An awesome date to the Gala Ball at the Auburn-Duesenburg automobile museum started the month for Aaron and I. When we decided to purchase a membership at the automobile museum in January (it's cost basically paid for our first visit), we had no idea that our membership would include the lovely ball that was held on the first Saturday of the month. It rounded out a weekend festival celebrating the car manufacturer's brilliant history as one of the premier automobile designers of the early twentieth century, and was held in conjunction with one of the major auctions of antique cars in the country. Aaron and I dressed up to the hilt (well, not quite to the hilt, because I wasn't sure how much would be over the top--if we go back next year, I won't be shy about glitter and peacock feathers at all) and drove up to the museum, leaving Theo in charge of the kids for the longest we've let him babysit so far. The whole affair was awesome--we loved checking out all the vehicles that were up for auction, especially since Aaron recognized many of them on sight, and could fill me in on what history he knew, having lived with his grandfather who owned quite a collection of classic cars at one time. Despite being the youngest couple there by about 25 years, we enjoyed dancing our hearts out to the live swing band that had been brought into the beautiful ballroom just off the old showroom, and indulging in the hors d'oerves, eclairs and petit fours that were spread across the tables. Despite our rediscovery that I'm far more inclined to try to lead than to follow when we dance (though Aaron is the better dancer), we had a lovely night.
Addy's birthday fell right on Labor Day this year, which made for easy celebrating. A little date with me over to Barnes and Noble, where she picked out a birthday cupcake, was followed by a breakfast out (at dinnertime) to IHOP, where piles of fruity pancakes and waffles were enjoyed by all. She came home to presents of watercolor paints from Sera, a tadpole habitat from Emerson and Theo, a fabric arts kit from me and a claymation kit from Aaron. Although as usual I considered having her birthday party every weekend all month long, I only got my act together as the month was ending. She had wanted to have a horse birthday party, so I looked into taking Addy and her friends to a farm where they could ride some, but we ultimately ended up deciding on a trip to the zoo as the season neared its close. Though it initially seemed like a little bit of a cop-out for a party, it actually ended up being one of the best parties we've had! I had gotten some straw sombreros from the dollar store over the summer, and with a bandana around their necks, the girls made awesome Mexican cowgirls. The zoo has horse and pony rides, which cost more than the other rides, so it was a first for Addy and all her friends to get to ride them. They each got a chance to ride around a beautiful little walking path, looking like they had been doing it all their lives. After that, we had a chance to visit the rest of the exhibits, but really, the best part was having a bunch of gorgeous little girls who are at exactly the right age to pose for a million pictures all the time--I love it! When they had had their fill of animals (especially the goats who tried to eat their clothes) and rides, we headed out to the picnic tables for presents, where Addy was well-spoiled by friends who know her very well. They gave each other lots of hugs, and enjoyed some cupcakes before the ride home.
Other fun events included the Johnny Appleseed Festival, which we always love, a fancy anniversary dinner date for some friends, the IPFW family picnic, cross-country meets for Theo (which left him sweaty but happy), and lunch dates with mom for all the kids on Fridays, which was a great, if too short, way for me to keep up with all their school happenings. By October, fall settled over our little city, and the leaves exploded into a better show of colors than we had any right to expect after such a dry summer. I managed to sign Emerson and Sera up for swimming lessons at the same times, and although it ended up being at such a terrible time that we didn't make it to even one class on time, the drive through streets arched over with red and gold leaves to get there made up for it a bit. Theo's cross-country season closed out in style, with a lovely awards night, and the making of goals for next year. We launched two new clubs at our house, the Boy Book and Movie Club for Theo and his friends, and a Mother-Daughter Book Club for Addy and some her friends (and mine). Both were a lot of fun, even if it has taken me forever to get around to starting them. Other happenings around our home included, amazingly, after years of thinking it might never happen, all four kids beginning to enjoy playing and practicing the piano. Somehow switching it up into class-form has been the magic bullet for Theo, who has always felt that having teeth pulled would be more enjoyable than practicing, until he discovered this year that being able to do something many other people can't has unexpected benefits. His band class has become his favorite, and seeing the improvisation that goes on in the upper levels there has probably helped fuel that fire. Whatever it is, I'm not one to complain when he works hard at his songs and spends time trying to figure out what he has heard someone else play as well. At Aaron's request, he has also begun taking viola lessons and will be trying out orchestra instead of band next semester--it's not his favorite idea, but we wanted to give him the opportunity to learn to play a stringed instrument as well.
In mid-October, Aaron dodged out of town for a trip he's been planning and looking forward to for quite some time. He received funding from his University and the Partners for the Americas for a trip down to Brazil, where he had the chance to conduct several choir groups in a festival in Porto Allegre. Hopefully he'll get a chance to pop in here and write up a few of his adventures down there, but let it suffice to say that he had some wonderful, unforgettable experiences, and almost as importantly, got to indulge in some of his favorite Brazilian dishes. While he was away, as is my tendancy, we had lots of adventures. Since Aaron tends to be more of a home-body and enjoys being close enough to his bed to dodge in for a nap most days, when he is gone I have extra liberty to take everybody everywhere. Initially I planned for a day trip up to Shipshewana one weekend, but when the van had a series of electrical problems, I didn't dare risk it. Instead, we enjoyed the Fall Festival and Zombie Walk downtown with some friends who were also down a father for the weekend. We enjoyed some excellent Halloween activities, got our faces painted like zombies (at least Sera did), and closed it off with a visit to The Old Fort, the real Civil War fort for which Fort Wayne is named, which was haunted up with a real headless horseman, soldiers from the Civil War, and stories and tours through the buildings of the Old Fort, heavily rumored to be haunted. The stories of hauntings were pretty creepy, and supposedly completely true, but luckily, even as we toured the sites by candlelight, we did not come across any phantoms or ghosts--though Theo kept the phone-camera running the whole time just in case. Afterward we warmed our cold bodies and spirits with hot apple cider around the campfire and under the stars.
Last of all, we rounded the month out with some Halloween celebrating. Although Addy had her school musical on the same night as our ward trunk-or-treat, I picked the boys up earlier in the day and took them to the daytime performance at her school. Addy had a solo, which she did an awesome job on, both in the afternoon and when Aaron went to watch her later that evening. Meanwhile, I took the boys to the celebration at our church, where they got a head-start on candy-hoarding, not to mention some good times hanging out with their friends. On Halloween night, we rounded up some extra kids to join us for trick-or-treating. It was quite a cold night, so by the time it got dark, I loaded up those who were still feeling the call of the candy and drove them around to an extra few streets of houses. Naturally, they paid me back richly in chocolate. This year's goulish holiday gave rise to Nikki Minaj (Theo), the White Witch (Addy), Spiderman (Emerson), and a very wicked and snaggle-toothed witch (Sera). We hope you, like us, were treated more than you were tricked!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Splendid September
Off to the Gala Ball at the Auburn-Duesenburg Museum
Blowing me kisses as they head off to school
Addy's Birthday Party
Love these girls
Log ride
Ready to ride
They look pretty authentic, don't they?
Other Adventures
Fall on the Farm hayride
Family zoo trip
They blend right in with the squashes, don't they?
I only wish this was from a trip to London (it's at the zoo)
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