Music Monday: I Wonder

Shortly before I left for Italy in 1994, I found myself in a very transitory phase. I had a brand new college degree, but instead of looking for a place to live or attending multiple job interviews; I was living at my parents during the down time between my early May graduation and my entrance into the Missionary Training Center. Most of my weekends were spent busily (and often foolishly) with my friends John, Christina, and Jeff as a way to stave off anxiety about the upcoming great unknown. But during the weekday mornings when they were all working or sleeping or pursuing other activities; I spent the late nights or the early mornings walking my parents' neighborhood (a different one than the one from my childhood home, but not far from it) as if trying to commit it to memory. I often sang to myself (since my kids got all of that talent) and my favorite was an old ABBA song my Dad and I had sung together when both the album and the family Oldsmobile were new. It was "I Wonder" which was more recently recorded and cut from the Mamma Mia sequel. I really hope it shows up in the eventual deleted scenes because it was one of my all-time favorite songs and completely appropriate for my life transition. Here is a video of the lyrics. Below, I will answer some of the biggest questions that 22 year-old Melessa was asking back then:

1. Yes, your home and family will be here when you get back. But there will be a lot of people who will have endured the horrors of the Murrah bombing while you were gone. But then and now, no amount of explosives, tornadoes, floods, or tanked economies and education budgets can ever really do permanent damage to your precious Oklahoma. (And stop apologizing to all those Jello belt citizens for being from there.)
2. Your future niece and her little sister will not ever remember that you weren't there the days they were born and, even better, you will be there for every niece and nephew birth to follow.
3. Your Rainbow Dad was right "If it's meant to be, nothing you do will change it. If it isn't, it will fall apart no matter how hard you try to keep it together."
4. This will be the only thing your Rainbow Dad was ever 100% right about.
5. Yes, there will be weddings, cross country moves, and other falling outs while you are gone. and no, your friend group will not still hang out like they did before you left. But eventually you will throw enough scrapbooking parties to get the girls back together and, many years down the road, you will reconnect with the boys when you all become "moms", "dads", and advisors to the next generation of Rainbow, DeMolay, and Jobs' Daughters. On a related note, Karma really has an evil sense of humor, so buckle up for it in heavy and hilarious doses.
6. Yeah, you should have called "that Army guy David" before you left. But you will call him when you get home. (And again 6 months later when he is no longer dating that girl he tells you about the first time you call him.) I refer you back to item #3.
7. Tell "Mom Liles" and your "Other twin brother Travis" how much you love having them in your life, because it won't be long enough in either case. (And be glad you said yes to Nancy when she asked you to be Mother Advisor, because it will give you a few extra years of close contact with both of them.)
8. Enjoy your time in Italy, you will be really happy with the way everything worked itself out. I promise.

Week in Review

Reading


Oliver Twist-


I won tickets to a local production of Oliver! earlier this summer. When I discovered I could download the Dickens classic for free, I decided it was worth a re-reading. Especially when you consider I hadn't read it since elementary school. If I ever finish it, it will be our new 'family reading' book. The problem is finding time to read AND getting all of my kids in the same house at the same time. But we will get there. And again, Charles Dickens doesn't disappoint.

Watching


Since 19 Kids and Counting  finished its season, I haven't watched much. I have seen a few episodes of Kate Plus 8 and while she may not be the nicest person on the planet, I know what it's like to be judged harshly by people who never bothered to get to know me and I can't imagine how awful it would be to have my marriage fall apart on national TV. I think the kids did benefit from their time away from the camera, but they seem OK to me now that they are back on the air. I will always be a bit protective of those kiddos because they were born on the same day as Elisa. And while I certainly lack Kate's Type A organization and time management skills, I respect them. And I really don't like the fact that we still live in a world where it's somehow not OK for a woman to know exactly how she wants something to be and sticks to her guns until it's accomplished.

At the Movies


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2-


I saw this last week when it premiered, but Natalie was at Girls' Camp when that happened so I took her to see it this week. (I LOVE that she wanted to see it with me more than anyone else, because who knows how long that will last.) I cried just as much the second time and loved it just as much too. Perhaps during some downtime on my upcoming vacation I will post in more detail now that Blogger has added a 'click to read more' tool so that I don't spoil it for anyone.

Away We Go


An independent film starring Maya Rudolph that barely touched the theatres before it was gone. And I'm not sure why because I absolutely loved it. :) It's about a couple that is looking for the perfect place to raise their first child and I believe Ms. Rudolph was actually pregnant during filming. It also features John Krasiniski, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, and some hilarious cameos by Allison Janney (who I adore) and Maggie Gyllenhaal. You should check it out! (And by "you", I mean "Anne.")

On Broadway


Ragtime-


When Natalie was little, the Rosie O'Donnell show featured a song from this "brand new on Broadway" show. Audra McDonald performed it. I knew someday I HAD to see it. I had no idea how sad and powerful it would be, but I enjoyed it. And the costumes were so good they are worth mentioning too-and I usually don't notice anything but the songs when I see a show.

"How to Eat Like a Child..."-


This wasn't really on stage, but it was Tristan's last show for the summer. For the last three weeks of rehearsals he has downplayed how funny he would be and how appropriate his solo was (instead of tears of pride, I had tears from laughing). I feel like an idiot for not taping it. Maybe I can get him to sing an encore. As a reward, he got to go to a movie last night after the show and to Great Wolf Lodge with my mom, my sisters, and their kids this weekend. I hope he's having a great time!

Out and About


My work week was light, so most of my evenings were spent cleaning the house instead of blogging/shopping/or anything otherwise remotely entertaining. Which is why I enjoyed seeing so many of my 4th ward friends even if it was because some of them are moving out of state and had a going away party. :( The Norman Oklahoma stake without Bob and Tracy and their awesome kids? I can't imagine it. :(

And my final thought for the week is this: The best thing about having to speak in church is when you have finished your talk and returned to your seat. Can I get an amen?

I'm off for Seattle and the Oregon Coast with Natalie and Caroline which either means that blogging will be much more frequent because I'm on vacation OR non-existent because I'm having a great time. Or both! Have a great week!

Truthful Tuesday

I've written about the woes with my son here many times. So I want to celebrate this particular triumph. After years of struggling to find his niche, I spent most of the first two shows last weekend literally in proud tears to see that he has finally found something he loves with teachers he respects and friends who appreciate him for exactly who he is. As lovely as my daughters were last weekend and as well as they did on stage, this year's show was all about this boy and I am so very proud of him.

Through the years, I've pretty much divided the world into two types of people: Those who "get" my son and those who don't. I treasure the former and, frankly, don't think much of the latter. I am sure that we are not done with challenges-the thought of him starting middle school in the fall terrifies me. But for now, I'm going to bask in the glow of this most recent performance and dwell on the words the director left him with on the last day: "Tristan, I can't wait to see what you're going to do with the rest of your life!"

Neither can I.

(To give credit, one of the other awesome CCOC mom's took this picture. Not me. She's one of the ones who gets my kid-as this picture demonstrates)

CCOC's The Pirates of Penzance: A Redux

For four years, Natalie has enjoyed participated in the Cimarron Circuit Opera Company's Kids' Camp so much that she chose it over attending Girls' Camp for the first time last year. Since last year, I have debated whether or not I did the right thing in letting her choose because my name was certainly muddied in some church circles and more than one 'unfriending' on Facebook occurred as a result of this choice. (Which all seems pretty stupid now, but it hurt a year ago...) After this weekend, I am sure I did the right thing, but I'm also glad Girls' Camp doesn't conflict with CCOC Kids' Camp this year. ;)

Because Natalie has always enjoyed this camp and because I really wanted to believe Tristan could handle himself at an all-day camp AND because Caroline met the age limit this year; I sent all three kids to CCOC this summer. They had an absolute blast and I enjoyed this year's show more than all the other years put together-even the year Natalie had a major female lead. This year, Tristan and Natalie had featured roles and Caroline was so doggone cute that I about melted every time she took the stage. I could go on and on, but I think pictures are a better idea, so here they are:

In short, they sang, they danced, Tristan has some awesome comic timing, and over all they were absolutely brilliant. I am sure they will do other shows together because they really are some talented kiddos even if I am their mother. Maybe one day Elisa will join them. Maybe even Alexis someday. But I'm not sure anything will top the thrill I had of seeing them work together for the first time this summer.

And if you missed it. Shame. On. You.

39 Things I've Learned about Myself and the World

I hear Blogger has been eating posts and giving people who blog regularly fits, so I guess it's just as well I've been too busy to update recently. Between the museum's biggest educational event of the year (Land Run) and its biggest (and only) fundraiser party happening within 2 weeks of each other, my "little cold" also turned into bronchitis and required some intervention which came in the form of Dave dragging me to the minor emergency clinic last Sunday. Actually, I went willingly because when Dave says something is wrong, it usually is. Anyway, I've been pretty busy.

But I got through all of it and feel very proud of what was accomplished at work. And somewhere along the way, I also turned 39, celebrated Mother's Day, and got an upgraded iPhone and a new wireless printer from my family for those milestones. So it's safe to say that life is busy, but it's also very good. I'm pretty sure most people would save their "things I've learned" milestone post for their milestone birthday; but I'm going to do it a year early. It may be outside the norm, but I've always been told I'm not normal. And besides, I may not be able to think of 39 things to put on this list; much less 40 if I wait another year.

1. The only thing I've ever learned from someone who has taken it upon themselves to 'teach me a lesson' is: What a jerk! No matter how wrong I may be and no matter how right they may be, I get too caught up in the rudeness of the way the lesson was presented to actually learn anything except not to trust whoever took it upon themselves to "school" me. 
2. When you lose my trust, you've lost it. Period. (See above)
3. Life isn't fair, but karma (and/or its Christian equivalent) works if you just give it time.
4. I LOVE the Muppets and the world is a slightly better place for having had Jim Henson as a part of it. May he rest in peace.
5. You can ALWAYS go home again.
6. "Jesus loves me" and I love my Namaw for teaching me to sing that.
7. God loves me too-even if I will always struggle to believe that fully.
8. Apparently, I give off a bit of a stand-offish air when meeting new people. I used to try to curtail it, but as easily as my feelings get hurt; I've decided to go with it since it's my only defense from being heart-broken on a daily basis.
9. I may not be a 'born-leader,' but I can be an effective boss when given the opportunity.
10. The Nike commercial in college was right: "It's never too late to have a life and it's never too late to change one."
11. I was right to want a lot of kids. My only regrets are the endless piles of laundry and the endless dishwasher cycles. But in the grand scheme of things, I'll take it.
12. It turns out OU football isn't nearly as "dumb" as I thought it was when I was a teenager.
13. I'm still not much of a pro-sports fan, though.
14. It's better to know straight up that people don't like you than trying to bend over backwards in futile attempts to please them. (It's also a relief to know that it wasn't "just my imagination.")
15. In a similar vein, as sad as it may be, sometimes it's OK to cut people out of your life whose bad attitudes, continual disapproval, and uncooperativeness are having an adverse effect on your day-to-day life. For someone who has always been all about second chances and then some, this was a hard but ultimately gratifying lesson to learn.
16. Cancer sucks
17. So do heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, manic-depressive suicides and other things that cause you to drop dead out of the blue.
18. Death is not an enemy and is often a great relief to those who experience it, but it can be really lonely for the ones they leave behind no matter how strong their faith may be.
19. The bigger the hurry, the bigger the traffic jam
20. I can cook, but I will never be Martha Stewart
21. I can clean, but my house will never be worthy of a Candice Olsen design
22. I can drive, but I still come in last at the Andy Alligator go-karts
23. I am an awesome teacher and have gotten almost as good with the 12 and under crowd as I have always been with the 12 and over crowd.
24. Having 5 extremely bright and talented kids is a lot more exhausting than it is brag-worthy.
25. But I'm still proud of them.
26. The only thing better than still having most of the same friends for the last 25 years is having their wonderful spouses as friends now too.
27. Myrtle lodge dances are still a lot of fun, and as a bonus, a very inexpensive date night for mom and dad.
28. Civic Center season tickets may not be as inexpensive, but they also make for a good date night and are worth the money.
29. I love to travel, someday I will get to do a lot more of it.
30. I love to write, someday I really want to do something with it.
31. I love where my life is right now though, and I'm more OK with the "someday's" than I've ever been.
32. Some of the best TV shows I ever watched: Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Little House on the Prairie, You Can't Do That on Television, Degrassi both in its 80's incarnation and in the first few seasons of the current series before its shark jump a few years ago, Moonlighting (until it got stupid), Thirtysomething, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, That 70's Show, BSG, The West Wing, Friday Night Lights, and, most recently, Parenthood.
33. Some of my all-time favorite movies: The Muppet Movie, the Star Wars movies, anything directed by John Hughes (with special props to The Breakfast Club and She's Having a Baby), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Fisher King, The Big Chill, and any movie adaptation of any musical ever to grace a Broadway stage-how's that for cheating?
34. Favorite songs: "You Wear it Well" by Rod Stewart, "Woman" by John Lennon, "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel and "The Rainbow Connection." (I'd list all the Broadway songs too, but we'd be here all night.)
35. Favorite Broadway Shows: Les Mis, The Lion King, RENT, Mamma Mia, Kiss Me Kate, and Oliver! (also the first one I ever saw)
36. Favorite Books: The Anne of Green Gables series, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Gone with the Wind, Greek mythology, the Harry Potter series, Crime and Punishment, The Prince of Tides, The Return of the Soldier, anything by James Joyce, and I will admit to enjoying both the Twilight series and the Hunger Games trilogy though I haven't really developed a cult-like attachment to either set of books.
37. Best vacations: Any of my childhood visits to Oregon/Washington, teenaged visits to Tucson, the Camp Fire girls' trip to Colorado, the cross-country trip with my Dad that included a stop at Mammoth Caves, KY and Philadelphia to see Aunt Kathy, the first "family vacation" I took with Dave and Baby Natalie to Washington DC to see the Star Wars exhibit with a stop to meet his grandparents on the way home in Tennessee, any and all trips to St. Pete Beach, FL, the WDW vacation with Natalie, Juliet, and Victoria, the bachelorette party cruise to Mexico, FRED: Lake Tahoe, and, while not on vacation, I will never forget the first time I saw Venice, Italy.
38. Proudest Life Moments: My solo in the 4th grade play (I probably still remember the words), getting elected Faith and ultimately becoming Worthy Advisor of Norman Rainbow, being one of the youngest Senior Counselors at Camp Can Ya Ta (because my mom worked there, but still...), my Grand Officer year, successfully completing my mission to Italy (because let me tell you, that was NOT easy-first glimpses of Venice aside), giving birth to my oldest in the old-fashioned way after she got stuck during delivery and everyone told me I would HAVE to get a c-section (of course, all the OR's were full and I didn't have a lot of choice-but no one seemed really sure I could do it anyway and I DID!), getting a Master's degree while raising four kids, having the guts to go seek closure in a few unresolved life issues that needed it, watching my kids excel on stage, being installed as Norman Rainbow's Mother Advisor, being named Interim Director of the museum
39. Life isn't easy, life isn't fair, but overall it's been very, very good to me.

A Couple Reviews

Last night Dave and I went to see the Sooner Theatre production of the musical version of The Wedding Singer. I knew they would put on a great show and they did. I love me some broadway musicals and the sooner actors are outstanding. But, that said, is it bad that I missed Adam Sandler, the "Love Stinks" number, and I really missed hearing the line: "Once again, things that could've been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!" But I did think this Julia's hair was much more '80's than Drew Barrymore's was in the movie and I loved the costumes-I had hair and owned dresses like that. Anyway, it was a cute show and I did find some new songs for the iPod.


The night before that, we rented TRON: Legacy. I thought I really wanted to see this in theatres, but it didn't last long enough in IMAX for me to see it and if I wasn't having the IMAX experience, I decided I would rather wait and rent it. It was pretty good, though there were bothersome holes in the plot and Jeff Bridges seemed to be channeling "the Dude" a lot more than the actual character he was reprising in TRON. But it was still a nice way to spend Friday night with my family and I'm sorry I missed seeing those special effects in an IMAX theatre.


Sorry for the light blogging, the kids' showcase is this weekend, Land Run is two weeks away, and have I mentioned I'm running this museum now? Anyway, I'll check in when I can. Thanks for still reading.

What a Great Weekend!

This week was a very long and trying one. Teaching oneself how to run a museum while already running it is tough. I had to do a lot of phone calls to solicit volunteers, I had to meet with insurance people to discuss our current policy in all its intricacies (when you have historic buildings and artifacts, your coverage is a bit more complicates). I had to teach three days last week. I had to give tours. I had some off-site training. And there was a lot going on the grounds this weekend. Several weeks ago, I had agreed to go with my friends to a play in Tulsa on Saturday; and I just didn't see how I could get away long enough to enjoy it.

My original plan was to spend two nights in Tulsa until my sister beat me to asking mom to watch kids on Friday night. And then, Tristan decided he wanted to audition for a couple of summer musicals and the earliest time available was Saturday at 3:10 which would have us arriving barely in time for dinner once the audition was over and he had been dropped off elsewhere. We were out of most groceries, paper towels, and toilet paper; so I knew I had to make a shopping trip that weekend too. Basically, I felt like life was (as usual) conspiring to make sure I was as stressed out as possible. I knew I couldn't bail on the show because friends had already purchased the tickets for us and we would have to pay for them whether we went or not. By Friday evening, I was shaking my fist at the heavens because nothing was falling into place until all of a sudden it did.

I woke up feeling great at about 7:45 on Saturday morning and was back from the grocery store by 10:30, far ahead of the weekend crowds. My parents dropped my nieces off early at my sister's house and picked my kids up for the night with assurances that Tristan would be on time for his audition. Dave and I drove to Tulsa. We did not have to break up fights. We did not have to stop at bathrooms. I listened to my iPod for the entire drive uninterrupted. We stayed at a nice hotel. We arrived at the perfect time to check-in. We all got cleaned up and met our friends for dinner. Okay, so the walk from the hotel to the restaurant involved walking over a higher bridge than I like to look over the side of, AND it was a few more blocks than I thought. It was still a nice evening spent in good company. And the walk back was even more entertaining-probably because I was the only girl NOT in heels.

We walked back from dinner to the Tulsa PAC and had a perfectly wonderful time laughing at a very inappropriate, very adult, and very fun show. (Avenue Q) Then, Dave, Chris, Sean and I did our best to close down the Daily Grill; but we must be getting old because it was still open when we left. We still had a very good time, though. This morning, I managed to sleep in until 8:30, and because Tristan got a call-back; we were out of Tulsa by 10:30 and I was home doing laundry and dishes for the coming week by 1:30. All in all, I think Dave and I managed 24 hours to ourselves, away from the kids, and having a great time. And all in all, that was all the time we needed.

Week In Review

Remember these? Remember when I used to blog faithfully? I'm hoping that by getting back into regular routines like the Week In Review, I will get better about updating here. (Keeping in mind that I had meetings every night last week and that even though I had some good ideas for posts, I just didn't have the time to write them.)

Reading-


Jurassic Park


It was a 'book club' assignment. (I use that term loosely as it's more of a 'friends who decided to read the same book' than an actual club.) But, I really liked it. I imagine that the movie was a bit of a disappointment to fans of the book and, since I really enjoyed that movie, I'm glad that: a)I saw it first and b)  that it had been years since I had seen it. I definitely like the movie version of John Hammond much, much better and I wish that more of Dr. Malcolm's comments had been moved into the movie script because they were some of my favorite reading in the book. Probably the most amusing thing about reading the book is that I would only read the 'scary dinosaur parts' during the day and not before bed lest I scare myself. I still had some pretty vivid dreams in and around the time I was reading the book, though. So it was probably for the best that I did that. There is much more I could say, but I do not like giving more than mild spoilers here and I should probably save it for the 'book club' discussion.

The Hobbit


I love, love, love this book and was really excited to be able to share it with my kids over the last month. They really enjoyed it too. I am a little curious about how the movie is going to go with most of Peter Jackson's casting centering around characters who are not in The Hobbit or just have cameos. But you know we will go see it anyway. Not that it will ever be as beloved by me as the Rankin/Bass cartoon that my dad used to take me to see at the Norman Public Library in the days before VCR's, but I'm sure it will be good. As far as the books go, I am very impressed that I managed to read the final chapters with the kids without crying. During the rougher parts of my mission, I found myself alternating between Dorothy's clicking her heels together to the tune of "there's no place like home" or Bilbo's chanted list of things he loved although 'eggs, bacon, and a good pipe' never made MY list. Still, this book has been special to me since Favorite Uncle Bob sent it to me for Christmas when I was about 11 and it was nice to finally share it with my kids.

Watching


The DVR has 19 Kids and Counting, Glee, Parenthood, and Grey's just waiting for me to have time to watch them...

At the Movies?


Not this week

Extracurricular Activities:


This week's activities included my very first OKC Thunder game, a work-related board meeting, a Primary Presidency meeting/Valiant girls activity, a district-wide Initiation for IORG that brought in two more girls to the assembly, my sister and my grandmother's birthday, parent/teacher conferences, a church potluck (no complaints about that one, I love those!) co-hostessing a baby shower for one of my closest friends, and a show at the Civic Center. Which explains why there was no time to blog. You already know what came of Tuesday's board meeting and I'll spare you the family party details and just say a few things about the bigger activities of the weekend:

OKC Thunder-It was really fun. I had NO IDEA how much the team gives back to the community. And while I liked it, I think I like college games a little bit better and I have no idea why as they aren't nearly as glitzy and exciting. Or maybe, that is EXACTLY why.

Lanie's Shower-In spite of jokes about tacky games, door prizes, and hostess tactics; my friends and I can actually throw a very classy party. I'm SO excited for Lanie and her new baby boy...it won't be long now! (And if I ever get on this blog and lament my lack of supportive family, please remind me that no matter what shenanigans my mother comes up with *and she was in rare form this week* that I will always have Chris, Wendy, Lanie, and Jen and that our lack of a blood ties make NO difference at all. Love you girls!)

Beauty and the Beast at the Civic Center-It was my 6 year-old's turn to go to the show with Mom and we had a lovely time. She was the perfect age to sit through the show without getting too restless and to LOVE the story too. I noticed that it's been tweaked a bit since I saw it in Tulsa in 1999 and even a little bit since Caroline and Elisa were in the junior version at Sooner Theatre the summer before last, but they are good changes and it's still my all-time favorite Disneyfied fairy tale. I did miss the song between Belle and her Dad, though. Oh well...it's still on Pandora, right?
*And no worries, there are two shows coming up before the end of the season that Dave will actually get to see with me. Not that he minded giving his little girl this ticket at all.

That's all I have time for tonight! Here's to a good week for those of you who haven't given up on me ever posting here again!

Week In Review

Reading-


The Lost Olympian by Rick Riordan


With all the crazy evenings we have here, we are not making progress nearly as quickly as we did through the Percy Jackson series this summer. But, we still really like the book and we have been told by someone who has already read it that it is the best one ever. Hopefully we will read more next week than the three chapters we managed this week.

Watching


Big Bang Theory-


I always enjoy this show, but this one had an homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark, a Wil Wheaton cameo, AND a girls night. This has potential for this season's favorite episode, but the season is still young yet. And overall I will never love ANY episode moment as much as I loved the one when Sheldon hugged Penny.

Grey's Anatomy-


It's hard to do this without posting spoilers, so...favorite scenes for the episode would have to be Cristina and Callie's hair, Alex's face just before Jackson punches him, Lexie telling Jackson "don't be stupid." And Derek and Cristina talking house fixtures.

OU. v. Texas Tech


Now that's what I'm talking about, Sooners! Let's keep that up for the rest of the season, OK?

(Glee is still sitting unwatched on the Tivo. Maybe we'll just watch it as a double-feature next week.)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1


I finally took the suggestions of my husband, several friends, and Netflix and started watching Season One. The special effects make me cringe, but otherwise it's enjoyable so far.

At the Movies


Back to the Future


In honor of its 25th anniversary, we pulled out my trilogy boxed set and had fun watching it on Friday. I caught Huey's Lewis' cameo as an audition judge for the first time ever (and I won't admit how many times I've seen the movie previously). I'm quick like that. Natalie really liked it, though the other kids weren't as impressed. Maybe they will like #3. (I really want to skip the sequel, it confuses me.)

Hairspray


Natalie and her friends wore out my DVD of this, so thank you to Oxygen channel for airing it this week. And I guess I should thank the kids who came to work on Friday and wore me out so much that all I could do was watch movies and Buffy re-runs with my kids that night. Sometimes we just need nights like that.

Out and About-


5th Grade All-City Choir concert


I actually picked my son out of the crowd!! (Still not sure where Natalie was for that 2 years ago and I really wanted to find her.) The songs were cute, seeing people from former and current schools was fun, and so was seeing friends from church. I had 111 kids to teach at work that day, a Rainbow meeting to set up for (and get someone to sub for me during), and still made it to the show before it started. I felt a lot like Super Woman on Tuesday. It was a good thing. (But even better that the rest of my week wasn't quite as packed as usual.)


Shrek: The Musical


When I heard about this one on Broadway, I was skeptical. I liked the movies, but did we really need a musical too? The answer is a resounding YES!!! And I only wish I had the money to take all of my kids to see it. (Natalie and Caroline were my lucky dates last night.) It was cute, clever, and very funny. I haven't bought anything on iTunes in months, but I will be downloading the Shrek soundtrack before today is through. I loved this show and (as always) had a great time going out to see it last night.

On Life and Those Other Plans...

Limited Internet access has increased my reading time dramatically. I've been reading a lot of my writing and screenwriting books. This has, in turn, compelled me to dive into my oft-revisited and never completed screenplay. I consider this to be a good thing. I also think I have reached the place in my life where I am truly past the angst that the screenplay depicts, which means I can just enjoy the journey of writing it now.

I went to two reunions this weekend: My official 20 year high school reunion and an unofficial gathering of the Masonic-affiliated youth groups from the 80's. Both were fun, although so many of us have come back to our Masonic youth group roots as leaders now that I see most of those people on a fairly regular basis anyway. Still, as my screenplay is about my experiences growing up as a Rainbow Girl, the reunion did provide some pretty good writing material.

Of course, I would have been at that second reunion anyway, because it was held at one of the biggest dances of the year and my Rainbow girls just HAD to be there. As I watched them primp in our hotel room and later dance and flirt (the older ones, that art is still lost on Natalie-thank goodness!); I realized yet again that those ships have sailed for me and that it's all about them now. I'm very happy about that. I know I'm not old enough yet to channel Maurice Chevalier's "Not Young Anymore" song from Gigi, but that is how I feel about the situation. One of the recurring discussions of the evening was "I don't know when we got old enough to be the adults in charge, but it's good to be back and even better that my kid can have the same experiences that I did growing up." It brings a certain peace and closure to the wild rides many of us experienced together as adolescents and makes all of us a lot more OK with the fact that, though many of us tried to leave, it's all right that we wound up right back in the same place where we started.

I am grateful for the life I have at the moment. If not all of the circumstances, then at least the place I am within myself to cope with the highs and lows and the way my life has turned out so far. Which is not to say that I don't expect things to change in my next 40 years or so, it just means that I feel much more prepared to weather those years in contrast to how I have coped previously. I am grateful to be the mother of so many healthy, bright, wonderful kids. I'm not a perfect mother to them, but I am a good one. I love our little house in the boonies even though it's in desperate need of updates in so many places. For the first time, I am truly pleased with 'the little screenplay that could' as it grows scene by scene, little by little most evenings when the kids are sleeping. I don't know if it will ever see the light of day, but I WILL finish it. And that feels good too. I am grateful to be back at Norman Assembly #18, even if the learning curve is still ongoing. I may not be the perfect Mother Advisor yet, but I learn from my mistakes as a Rainbow "Mother" just as I do through trial and error as an actual parent. *To date, I have a running list of what to do differently for Exemplifications, Grand Assembly, and now Conclave on my iPhone. Who knows how long it will be before I spend more time deleting items than adding it, but hopefully I will break even when I've been at it for a year next January*.  I used to think my experiences growing up in Rainbow helped prepare me for service in the church's YW program, but as one of my closest friends observed; I think my experiences with YW actually served to prepare me for my role as a Mother Advisor instead. And frankly, the Lodge is a far more familiar "home" to me than any stake center will ever be and I'm happy to be back there.

I may never publish a word, but between this blog and my screenplay; my compulsive need to write and share is relatively satiated. I am grateful for good friends who 'get' this about me, and slightly amused at the short-sightedness of those who don't. While I always try to see the truth in any criticism that comes my way, and while my writer's soul certainly bears the sting from it for longer than most people; I have ultimately decided that it's hard to find anything constructive coming from anyone who has had more than 10 years to get to know me and has never bothered. (And there's the whole matter of the spelling/grammar flaws, but that's just the over-educated part of me rearing it's ugly head.) Then again, at some point some kind of peace will have to be made because I firmly believe it's our ability to love one another without judgement and without reservation, especially those who are so very different from us, that will truly get us to where we want to be in the next life. And I clearly still need to work on that.

And so, as the slogan goes, "Life is Good." (But I refuse to buy yet another t-shirt, so I probably won't be sporting that logo anytime soon.)

(FYI: Comments will return with my Internet. Operating Comment Moderation from an iPhone is difficult, to say the least, but I'm tired of all the silence myself. The usual Comment rules will apply with the change that my husband has requested that anything labelled "Anonymous" be forwarded first to HIS Inbox for preview from now on, then either promptly deleted, graded for punctuation and spelling errors, or sent back to me for publishing. I'm sorry for the inconvenience that will cause for my friend "Mr. Mapquest," who likes his anonymity. Though frankly, Dave will probably appreciate the laugh, and it's not likely that you will get deleted.)

Week In Review

Does anyone remember these? I used to write one every Sunday. Now that my little one is almost a year-old, life seems to have resumed it's usual rhyme and reason and I'm going to try and resume writing these. Blogging more than once a week is also a goal, we'll see how that goes. Anyway...

Reading


Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad about Feeling Good? by Gary Thomas


This was one of those free Kindle downloads on Amazon.com. I started reading it on the 2.5 hour plane ride from Houston to Phoenix because Alexis had fallen asleep on my lap and I didn't have any other entertainment within arm's reach. It's taken me a few weeks to finish it, but I have to say I LOVED its message even though Mr. Thomas would get many tsk tsks from my church friends for being such a fan of Starbucks coffee. The point made throughout this book is that God WANTS us to find joy in our earthly lives without feeling guilty about it, and it is illustrated through countless examples that made me smile, laugh, and nod my head in fervent agreement. One of the many reasons I'm going through a bit of spiritual malaise lately is because I know I am missing that joy I first knew upon understanding what it truly means to be saved. It's not that my church doesn't believe in that joy and doesn't preach it, I just can't find it right now. Don't worry, I'm still looking. This book reminded me a lot of Chieko Okazaki's Lighten Up! and I can't give it higher praise than that.

Watching


Gary England-

No, he's not some new talk show host. He's my favorite weather forecaster in the Metro area. This is tornado season here in the great state of Oklahoma and Gary (and his storm chasers) have been very busy this month, and this week in particular. I am watching some particularly nasty storms passing through the area where my good friend Lanie lives as I type this. (Hope you, Dirk, and the doggies are safe; Lanie!) And it will likely pass from there to where my Dad and Aunt M are shortly after that (In fact, it's there now. Yikes!). So we aren't changing the channel any time soon. At the time of Monday's tornado outbreak (which was very scary even though we were never in all that much danger), I didn't care so much about missing The Big Bang Theory. But at this point if anyone wants to tell me what happened, it turns out I'm kind of curious now. (I know, I know; I can probably watch it online.)

Glee-


I started DVR'ing these after hearing good things about the show. I missed the first month and was DETERMINED not to start watching it until I had ALL the episodes taped. However, once Natalie heard there was a show about teens singing show tunes AND she found it in the "My Recordings" menu, there was no denying her. So, we started watching them out of the proper order a couple of weeks ago. (If you knew how unheard of that was for me, you would be stunned I allowed it to happen-but Natalie is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her show tunes.) Thanks to yesterday's DVD purchase, we are now officially caught up on the show. And, more importantly, we LOVE it!

Grey's Anatomy-


Last week's episode reminded me why I still love this show despite all its behind-the scene ups and downs. I have to admit that next week's 'shooter on the loose in the hospital' plot makes me a little nervous in a shark-jumping kind of way. Here's hoping I'm wrong...And you know I will watch it anyway, so does it matter if I'm right?

Out and About-


Cirque Dreams-


Truth be told, we saw this a week ago yesterday. But I enjoyed it enough that it is worth mentioning even now. It's my favorite of the Cirque shows that I've seen (but keep in mind that I've only seen 2).

Unnamed Middle School Band/Choir concert-


There was a lot of trepidation about this because Miss Natalie auditioned successfully for a solo only to catch a cold in time for the show. I was nervous for her, but she rested her voice all day and nailed it perfectly. I was impressed with all the grades and their performances and enjoyed the concert. I thought this was going to be the last performance/recital of the year, but we have the Academic Awards reception tomorrow. How many days until school is out again?

That's all for this week! Thanks for reading!

A Plea to The Civic Center/Lyric Theatre

Can we please have The Wedding Singer the season after this? Not that I'm not excited about Shrek, but how cute is this little number?

One in Every Crowd

This weekend was the Sooner Theatre Showcase. The kids anticipate their big moment in the spotlight for the eight months they spend in class and parents see it as their pay-off for all the pick-ups, drop-offs, and losing their seats in the lobby while waiting on classes to be over because they politely get up to take a phone call and some rude-ass intellectual wannabe plops himself into it the minute you do that. (Oh wait, maybe that was just me that happened to...) The kids were wonderful, as expected. I was particularly pleased with Tristan's performance. I knew he could sing, but it turns out he can really dance too. Being somewhat of a sap, the end of each kids' performance brought happy tears to my eyes. I was wiping them away when I overheard this:

"I feel so sorry for those boys who get stuck in an all-girl class because their mom wants to see them onstage. That poor kid is probably going to grow up and be gay."

I SO wish I was exaggerating or kidding. The good news was I didn't recognize the woman who made the comment so her kids and mine must not have classes together. (Now I've cursed myself for next year, but anyway...) Another nearby mom must have seen the resemblence and, in an attempt to get her friend to make less of an ass of herself, asked me politely if that was my son who had just performed. I said it was and smiled nicely. Not because I was feeling particularly charitable, but because I wanted to have a good time watching the show. Ms. Tactless asked me if my son really liked being in the class. I said that he REALLY did. I smiled, the music for the next show queued, and I let it go. However, I kind of wish I had said at least one of the following:

1. All Broadway actors are gay you say? I've got two words for you: Hugh Jackman. (Mmm...Hugh...what was I writing about again?)
2. Did you note the rolled up cuffs on my son's jeans? They are too long and too big in a size 8 and he just turned 10. Thank goodness he would rather sing and dance than play football. He'd be killed.
3. So what if he is gay? (Though I think genetics would play a much stronger role in that than singing and dancing on stage. But that's just me.)

I'm glad I didn't engage in anything with her. It would have been, at best, a completely unproductive conversation. I am remided of the phrase "I refuse to have a battle of wills with an unarmed person." It also might have ruined what was otherwise a completely wonderful day. (Some of which Dave caught on video-consider yourselves warned...)

The Good Parts of 2009

This year was a tough one for everyone-or so blogs and Facebook have led me to believe. So I'm going to focus on the good things. I realize this is an unoriginal idea, but I've done it every year that I've had a blog (which, come to think of it, was 5 years ago yesterday-Happy Blogoversary to Me!). Why should this year be any different?

I'm too lazy this year to actually look through my archives, so let's see what I can remember without that...

1. First and foremost, Alexis! Some of the things we need most in life are the the things we never knew were missing. This time last year, I could not imagine being the mother of 5 children. Now, I can't imagine life without her and neither can my children. While I admit I wouldn't have actively chosen to add to the family, this family wouldn't be the same without her and I'm thankful to have such a happy, healthy, beautiful baby.
2. Chicago! I've wanted to go since my parents took two business trips there and left teenaged me behind in Oklahoma. Even better was that I got to see it with good friends many of whom were from there and knew where to go. I have fond memories of Pizzeria Due and watching the snow fall from the hotel windows while we ate and chatted in the lobby
3. The return of the SAHM life. I left my job for good in June. I enjoyed it and I miss it, but I do feel that being at home is where I should be now. Knowing that I can return and volunteer from time to time helps, I've already done this a couple of times. But for the present, there's no way this family of 7 could stay well-stocked in clean clothes and meals that don't come from a bag if all of us were working. And I do speak from experience.
4. Natalie plays the lead! While I was at Girls' Camp, Natalie called me to tell me that she got "a kinda big part" in The Gondoliers. It turns out that "Kinda big" was an understatement, she played Casilda, and she performed beautifully. I am always proud to be her mom, but it was nice to see her shine so that others could see it too!
5. RENT onstage! Back in May, I spent one of my last paychecks to cover gas to Dallas, a pricelined hotel room, and one balcony ticket to see Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal as Mark and Roger. There was so much stress about the money, who was and wasn't making the trip with me, and why in the world did I want to put myself with this when I was tired, pregnant, and almost broke; that I completely lost sight of why I wanted to do this until I was seated at the theatre and the actors came onstage and it was really them! Then, I realized this would probably be one of the most memorable musical experiences of my life. And in the end, it was worth every penny I spent!
6. New Schools. For the first time since we bought this house four years ago, we sent our kids to the schools for this district. All I can say is that I wish we had done it sooner. The drive is shorter. Tristan is thriving at school for the first time since Pre-K. Natalie, as a new middle-schooler, is able to participate in things she loves like Honor Choir and Drama Club and has made a lot of new friends that I really like. The little girls are happy too, but as a Kindergartener and a 2nd grader; I knew they would be OK.
7. "Just call me Mom." In October I went to lunch with some former Rainbow Girl advisors to talk business. I came away from that as the 2010 ingoing Mother Advisor. I have hoped for the chance to do this since I was a teenager, I start in January.
8. Oh Christmas Tree! We got our first live Christmas tree this year. It is gorgeous and beautiful and makes the house smell wonderful! I know it's a small thing, but it made me happy. And it was a first for 2009.
9. Christmas in Norman. A record blizzard kept us out of Tulsa for the second time this decade. (The first time was due to the 2000 ice storm.) Since that year and its Del Rancho dinner, I've always made sure to have some kind of ham or roast in the freezer *just in case* but balked at more than a boneless turkey breast because I wasn't sure I could cook one. With all the snow warnings, I bought the bigger bone-in variety and hoped I wouldn't have to fix it as a holiday meal. But I did. And it turned out that it wasn't even a big deal. Of course, that's because I have my good friend Anita staying here and while I paid attention only to the turkey, she covered the ham, the mashed potatoes, and the homemade biscuits. Thankfully, my sisters were able to make it here too and we had a smaller, but equally lovely holiday gathering in spite of the weather. I missed my grandparents, but I loved being surrounded by friends and family at home.
10. Christmas in Oklahoma City. Aunt M knew me and my 5 children. It lasted a moment and I doubt it will repeat itself, but I am SO thankful I got one more chance to tell her I loved her and hear that she loved me in return.

Wishing everyone a happy, successful 2010!

Music Monday

Because "vacation" didn't quite mean as many free days as I thought it would, I'm phoning it in today. However, you can definitely file this video under "PERFORMANCES I WISH I HAD SEEN LIVE AND IN PERSON!" right along with Lou Diamond Phillips in The King and I, Whoopi Goldberg in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Rosie O'Donnell and Brooke Shields in Grease, or Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal on stage in Rent. Oh wait! I totally saw that last one! (And yes, I'm bragging.) Anyway, since I wasn't there for this one, thank you to whoever was kind enough to post it on YouTube:

Week In Review

Reading-

Sadly, I have no concentration for reading anything this week.

Listening-

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
We finally got it at the library and started listening to it the other day. The only drawback is that Tristan and Caroline are into them now and I can't play the CD's unless three out of four children are in the car. Elisa is our lone holdout, she still requests the Mamma Mia soundtrack every time we get in the car.

Watching-

The West Wing Season 3-

Long ago, Dave was nice and bought the entire series on DVD for me. Then I got pregnant and nauseous. There are shows I still can't stand to watch from previous pregnancies because I was nauseous while watching them. I didn't want this show to suffer that fate, so I put it away until I felt better. By the time I felt better, things were crazy at work and at school and it got pushed to the back burner until now when I remembered I had them. So, because I don't feel like doing much of anything else, I'm making my way through the episodes pretty quickly. In a good way, I'm amazed that such a great show lasted 7 seasons here. We Americans don't usually reward good TV. Based on when the show aired, I've decided it must have lasted because it was the Democrats coping mechanism for the Bush White House. (And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. In fact, watching it makes me more than a little embarrassed that I voted "W" in 2000. I was a military wife back then, what can I say?)

Out and About

Young Producers Les Miserables-

Last month was all about the kids' productions of Beauty and the Beast and The Gondoliers. This month, the high school students in town got their turn to shine and shine they did! Natalie wanted desperately to see them perform (some the the cast are friends of hers) and so the plan was always for her to go with some adult in the family. Because Baby Girl Gregg is in no hurry to be born, that adult was me. And I'm very glad. I am kind of a snob about Les Mis, I saw it on tour when it came here in 1998. I bought the soundtrack. I watched the London Cast tribute on PBS. I knew the kids would do well, because Sooner Theatre prides themselves on that. I had NO IDEA how much they would blow me away. Yes, I cried. Several times. I know I'm pregnant and hormonal, but I'm not the only person who was crying and of my friends who saw it, loved it, and needed tissues; NONE of us had kids who were actually in the production. The kids who did perform were just that good. And the young man who played Jean Valjean was amazing for a male performer of ANY age in that role. If you live in Norman, I can't say enough about the talent of the 14-18 year-old crowd who perform at Sooner Theatre. Between the kids' lessons, the concessions and raffle tickets I buy during their shows, costume fees, etc...I don't doubt that I make a decent-sized contribution to their operating budget. And even after seeing a show that my kids weren't a part of, I still say it's worth every penny I send their way. Remind me of that tomorrow when I pay all the kids' class deposits for the next school year. Either way, it was a wonderful production for actors of any age and they should be very proud of themselves tonight. (And very glad that it's over-I know I would be.)

Good Things About Today...

So...today was my due date, and I'm thinking it's pretty unlikely that anything is going to change with this baby until I meet Dr. P at the hospital like a good little girl and let him hook me up to the dreaded pit drip. I've decided to remain hopeful that my body will be as receptive to this as it has been in the past and that we will avoid a c-section. As far as going into labor on my own? Well...I've never done it before and it was a pipe dream to think it would happen this time. I am disappointed, but I also acknowledge that where this very small puzzle piece fits into the grand scheme of things is a complete unknown to me. Everything happens (or doesn't) for a reason, and maybe just once I shouldn't question things. (But only just this once.) So, I spent today trying really hard to focus on the good that has come from the fact that I'm still pregnant and will probably stay that way for the next four days or so...

• I got to see Tristan's show today. He's been in a 2-week acting class. He preferred this to the big productions his sisters did because it did NOT involve singing or dancing, just acting and some student input on scripts, parts, and costumes. I knew his show was on my due date and just assumed it would be his Dad to take him and watch the play. I'm glad it was me-and he did a great job!
• After the show, the kids and I walked down to the little import grocery store and bought some real, grate-it-yourself parmiggiano and a bottle of aranciata (Italian orange soda) for the tortellini salad I'm making for lunch tomorrow. I usually don't allow myself the luxury, and I'm already very excited about it!
• My house looks great! I mean that in the overall sense, because right now kids are playing, meals are being prepared, and life is happening. But by bedtime it will all be in place again in part because I had an extra week to work on the cleaning/organizing/purge-fest that I started back in June when I became a SAHM again.
• The farther from those last few days in July/first few days in August this baby's birthday is, the easier it will be for me to still do my annual girlfriends' getaway that falls on those dates whenever that weekend happens to be each year. I would never miss my child's birthday, but I get so much from those weekends every year that I don't want to miss any more of them than I have to-obviously, I'm not there this year. It may seem silly to everyone else, but it's a huge priority to me.
• I'm taking Natalie to see a student production of Les Mis tomorrow afternoon. A lot of her friends from the theatre are in it and I really wanted to see them perform too. I had assumed, again, that another family member would go with her and again, I'm glad it's going to be me after all. (A little curious about what's different in a "student" version, but I guess I will find out tomorrow.)
• I've had time to get my hair cut, a pedicure, and see a couple of movies that were on my must-see list for the summer. Who knows what other fun I can find while waiting this out?
• And finally, now that grandma is up for Friday nights, I can go join her right now for some pizza and a good game of Scrabble instead of just hearing about how the kids got to do it while I was in the hospital.

See?! It's really not so bad. And sooner or later, I will have a new baby. I'll keep everyone posted...

Week in Review

Reading

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher-

I spotted this in the bookstore while shopping for someone else and knew I HAD to read it. I was familiar with most of what she was going to write about, but of course I was unprepared for how funny she would be when she did. I took me about three hours to read the whole book, it was that funny and that compelling. I love Carrie, and not just because she played Princess Leia once upon a time. I would definitely recommend this for a quick, entertaining read.

Listening

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Time to move on to book 2. This time, all the kids are excited about it and mad when I won't play it because one or two of them aren't in the car with me. I'm glad we are all enjoying it, even though it is probably my least favorite of the series.

Watching

Veggie Tales: The Ballad of Little Joe-

Yes, I really did just skip from a summary of how much I enjoyed reading the somewhat PG-13 rated writings of a woman who frankly discusses her struggles with being bi-polar and an addict to a cute little Christian cartoon. I am nothing if not eclectic. But THIS one I got to share with my kids, who all loved it. And, of course, so did I. But their spoof on Lord of the Rings is still my favorite.

Clean House: The Messiest House in America-

I often avoid these shows for fear of seeing too much of my own home depicted on-screen. Last night's house was SO bad though, that it actually made me feel better about mine. I loved what they did with the house, but I feel like these kind of shows don't properly address the issues that surround people who hoard their stuff like that and that as soon as the cameras stop rolling and these people are left to their own devices, the problems just start all over again. It seemed really clear to me that something like that may happen with the family they showed last night, in particular the mother. But...what do I know?

At the Movies

I'm sure I watched a movie at some point last week, but if I can't remember it now-it can't have been very good.

Out and About

The Gondolier's by CCOC Kids' Camp-

In case you missed all my glowing reviews on Facebook, my daughter is AMAZING!. At the beginning of the month, I was at Girls' Camp. I got a call one day from Natalie telling me that she was going to try out for the small, but very funny part of The Duchess after successfully auditioning for the company. (They audition for the camp itself, and then for individual parts during camp's first week.) She called me the next day to say the audition had gone well, but that they had also had her sing for the part of Casilda, the duchess' daughter and, as far as my wikipedia reading had told me, one of three female leads in the story. I just thought they wanted to hear how much her voice had matured since last year, because even my untrained ear knew that it had. I guessed that the roles of both the duchess and Casilda would go to older kids (I think they go from 9-16 years old or close to it) and that Natalie would be one of the "contadine." This suited me just fine because she is young and the "contadine" ("farmers' daughters") sing in Italian which I really wanted her to do. The next day, I got yet another call. A very excited call! Natalie had gotten the part of Casilda. I think I told everyone at Girls' Camp. Some of them even knew why that was a big deal. I was thrilled for her. And then I decided that because there were three female leads that it was a slightly larger part, but probably not as big as I was thinking it was because, after all, my daughter was still just 11. And with that, I spent the rest of June driving her to and from practice every day.
It was kind of funny to me in a "that's my life" way, no sooner did I stop driving the little girls to Sooner Theatre for dress rehearsals at Sooner Theatre then I had to start driving Natalie there for hers. But soon enough, Thursday came and it was time for the matinee performance. CCOC Kids' Camp typically does a split cast, so most of the lead roles had two people to perform them. In the matinee, Natalie was a contadina (chorus), and an older girl was doing Casilda. That older girl was VERY good. She had sparkling eyes, a strong smiling stage presence, and of course an incredible voice. I loved her performance and I was very nervous for Natalie to follow in her footsteps. I was reassured by another parent who had seen the rehearsals that while Natalie did the character differently, she was just as good and I would love watching her. I hoped so...but I did wonder what they were going to do when it was time for her to hit that 'super high note' (not being as musical as my daughter, that's what I called it-apparently, it's was a middle high C whatever that means).
So, before long the evening show came. Our whole family was there including both sets of grandparents and one of my sisters (the other was joining me the next day). The curtains went up, the opening number happened, and then...Natalie came on-stage. Was she sparkling and vivacious like her predacessor? No. She was demure, but it worked equally well. Watching her sing love songs with her 15 year-old co-star wasn't nearly as odd as I thought it would be, and did you all know my daughter can hit a middle high C? Because I didn't, but she sure can! (Yes, I cried) She was amazing. I didn't know she had that in her. She does still need a headset, but two of her music teachers assured me that her lungs just need to catch up to her voice and that, in time, she won't need that any more. (They also told me not to push too much with telling her to project because part of that is know-how, which she has, but that part of that is also physical maturity for her lungs, which she doesn't yet.) She was a little shy, she was a little nervous; but she is also 11 years-old and playing a leading lady who turns out to be a queen at the end of the play. So I was beyond pround of her and I wish I had done more advertising to get people to that show (Chris, you are excused.). All Natalie wanted was for her cousins, her friend Laura, her Dad, and her PaPa's, MeMe, and Judy saw her in the show; so she did not care. But I wish more people had seen her because she was wonderful. (And that's really my fault because I didn't make a fuss about it until the days of the performances.) In an aside, I find it amusing that she turned out to be queen in the show, because she is the only one of my daughters who does not fancy herself to be secret royalty. All in all, it was a big success for our summer and something I'm sure Natalie won't soon forget, because I know that I won't.

4th of July Party-

Somewhere in there, I managed to get the downstairs of the house presentable enough to have our annual 4th gathering. Even with the rain, we had some good food and managed some fireworks. The city cancelled the big show, but we had another gathering last night for that one which was also fun. For me, being able to sit in my backyard and go in and out of my house at will really beats the crowds at the park every year. Not to mention being able to put on some pretty neat shows of our own legally given where we live. I'm glad our party was smaller this year because between the pregnancy, Natalie's shows, and all the prep involved for all of it; I was pretty spent by the time people left on Saturday-and that was without sitting through the fireworks. Next year, I hope it doesn't rain, and I would love to see more people. But this year, I think it was perfect just as it was.

Week In Review

Reading-

Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson-

It turns out I didn't give this book enough credit last week. It actually has been a very good source of information as I transition from at-work mom to at-home mom and try to re-establish some long-overdue cleaning and maintenance routines around here. I would buy it, but it is essentially the same information as Martha Stewart has in her Homekeeping book and I already have that one, even if Ms. Mendelson seems to speak my language a little but better.

Absolutely Organized by Debbie Lillard-

This is a little pocket-sized book about, what else, cleaning , decluttering, and establishing schedules. It was very handy to keep in my purse and pull it out for some light reading at all the little girls' rehearsals and shows this week. I doubt I will ever be quite as scheduled as Ms. Lillard, but it was some good food for thought.

Listening

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone-

We finished it on Friday and it really feels like summer now. It's silly, but having first experienced Harry Potter as an audiobook on summer vacation, having gone to a few summer release parties, and having seen a few of the movies released in the summer-Harry Potter has become part of summer vacation to me much like taking a road trip, seeing a drive-in movie, watching fireworks, eating watermelon, etc...We pick up the next one as soon as the library has my on-hold copy available.

Watching

Chess: In Concert

Actually this aired over a week ago, but I didn't see it right away and I thank the DVR for making sure that happened. Adam Pascal (who I recently saw performing in Rent), Idina Menzel, and Josh Groban...what wasn't to love about that? As many musicals as I have seen, Chess hasn't been one of them. I hope it eventually comes (or comes again) to the Civic Center or Lyric so I can change that.

At the Movies-

The Proposal-

To celebrate Deborah's last week in Oklahoma (sob, sob, sniff, sniff) some of us took her out to dinner and a movie. This was your typical formulaic romantic comedy fare, but it was good entertainment for a girls' night out-and I always love to see Mary Steenburgen in anything. Betty White and Craig T. Nelson were a nice touch too. It was all in all a cute movie. I probably didn't find Sandra Bullock's character as detestible as I was supposed to in the beginning though, because I totally understood why she had to fire that guy. (This happens in the first 5 minutes and is not really a spoiler.)

Out and About

Sooner Theatre's Beauty and the Beast-

After four performances for the little girls, I think it's safe to say I definitely saw this. My little ones were cute, the bigger kids did a GREAT job with some very tough material. I am continually impressed with the professionalism of both the performers and staff, and grateful my kids get to be a small part of the overall picture. Having said that, I have to admit some relief at being done with the practices and shows. I need my mornings this week to get the house ready for the big 4th of July doings...Also, poor Sooner Theatre really gets hot when the house is packed and it's hot outside. This pregnant mama was pretty uncomfortable for most of the shows. (But still managed to cry when her kids danced and sang and when the older kids took their final bows.)

A Classic "Me" Moment

Sorry, I know all my posts and Facebook updates have been about nothing but children's theatre, and this one will be no different. However, I do enjoy a good laugh at myself and then I enjoy sharing it with others, so I just had to post this.

Since the second week in June, I have had three daughters in three different theatre classes. The schedules themselves have been pretty straightforward, though. In the morning, it alternates daily between the two younger girls from 9-11 a.m. After lunch, Natalie has a daily rehearsal. A lot of driving is involved, but I do think who goes where at what time has been easy. This week has been a little more disruptive because the little girls have had performances in addition to their classes and Natalie has had to be 10-15 minutes early to her rehearsals for some extra practice time. However, I've successfully juggled it all thus far and have been celebrating ONE.MORE.SHOW for the littles since last night.

So, I woke up this morning and quickly got Elisa out of bed for her very last class. She got up cheerfully whic doesn't often happen and enjoyed keeping me company while I got ready. I was especially pleased that she and I were dressed, showered, and ready to leave the house five minutes before it was time to go. And that's when Caroline came to me in her pj's and messed-up hair and informed me that I had awakened, fed, and dressed the wrong kid. Elisa's last class was YESTERDAY and today was HER last class. Oops! So, Caroline dashed into her clothes, grabbed a granola bar for the car, and Elisa wailed in protest because "Mommy you SAID it was MY class today!" So I rushed Caroline to the car for her class and Elisa came so that she could see she wasn't missing anything. Fortunately, we still got there before class got started and everyone had a good laugh at my mistake-myself included.

Natalie's take on all of this: "Mom, I hope you aren't getting Alzheimer's or something."

Me too, kid. Me too.