Wednesday, September 30, 2009

bowing out...

this will be the farewell season of the omaha ballet company. hard economic times. sad ballerina times. you see, my girls are both OBC ballerinas. we enrolled wren last year because we wanted her to have a dance class that was instructional and educational, but also fun. we wanted her to participate in a recital that was not hours upon hours long, did not include dance routines that were inappropriate to the age groups dancing, or costumes that were revealing or provocative. we also loved that she could see her teacher dance in some of the ballets at the rose...especially "confetti" - which is held in a very intimate setting and absolutely wren's favorite of last year! basically, we wanted her to enjoy being a 3-yr-old ballerina. her sister waited patiently as she watched her big sister all last year at class. and then the pinnacle of the year: getting to dance on the ROSE STAGE! wren's excitement made my heart burst! and due to "technical and music difficulties" during the first portion of the recital...she got to perform her "cat" routine TWICE! beyond overjoyed was she! and all summer linnea and wren "played" dance class. and recital. and anxiously awaited their class to start. and meet their new teacher. and finally...september 8th got here! but, now just 4 classes into this year...the OBC is done. finish out the year and it is done. i am sad. not only are my girls, and countless others, losing their dance class...but our community is losing Nebraska’s only resident professional dance company! and the "nutcracker"! we were going to wait one more year to attend the "nutcracker" so that linnea would be just one more year older. however, we will be attending it this year. it's last year.

and, next fall? well...we will not be shopping around for a dance studio. we will move to ms. robin's new dance studio. this new school will be housed in a new facility and will offer the same classes, syllabus, levels, and many of the same teachers that we already know. she'll continue already-existing programs such as the student company and spring showcase (recital) — while adding lots of fun new classes, an in-house concert series, and potential performances with the omaha symphony.

because if there is one thing i know...these two girls gotta DANCE!

wren, the happy ballerina after her 1st recital!


wren showing off her "great job!" flowers!

wren on the rose stage!

wren and her classmates taking another bow!

wren at the end of the recital!

wren getting ready to bow!

wren at rehearsal for the showcase - on the rose stage!

wren and her best friend, bailey, waiting to perform!

wren waiting patiently to perform! wren, hamming it up at the rose!

linnea, the happy ballerina!

linnea, the ballerina!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

remarkably everyday...

that is what has been going on with me and mine. just everyday stuff. getting to pre-school on time. swimming and working out at the Y. going to another football game. spending the day with an auntie. doing crafts. praying for our house to sell. y'know everyday stuff.

here are some notables from the past few days:
my "instant energy concoction"...diet coke & rock star on the rocks...a much needed cocktail a couple of busy, busy days.
spending time at the park with the daddy...swinging!
wren made a mini apple pie at school! it was adorable! and delicious...each of us got a good-sized bite (i made a blueberry/peach/graham cracker dessert thing to "supplement" for dessert that night, too!)...wren was very proud that she made a pie "just like her grams does!!"...


the girls spent the day at the clay county fair with the daddy and gram & grandpa. this dragon or alligator roller coaster (depending on who you ask) was among their favorite ride!! wren told me that she screamed the entire time and linnea told me that she laughed the entire time...



enjoying some cookies with gram at the fair...
the annual "photo by the giant pumpkins" photo...
sitting in the wheel well of a huge tractor tire!

by an airplane...
that's about it. oh? did i mention that the daddy and i went to the TRACE ADKINS concert at the fair?! yep, it was AWESOME! we were about 4 people from the FRONT OF THE STAGE!! trace was amazing...we had such a good time!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

forty-five things...

there is a rumor that in the blog-world that when you reach your "100th post" you are supposed to write some amazing list of "100 things you do not know about me" dealiemabob. i, myself, am not into dealiemabobs. besides, i totally did that "101 things i'd rather do than take an accounting test tomorrow" list in 1987 and so i am so over that. and besides, i did some football game post for my 100th...that's so non-conformist, huh?!
but this little forty-fiver is different. and it is good. i wish i would've written it. instead i will just give proper props, kudos, and atta-girls to the woman who did:
Regina Brett, age 53
writer
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio)

LIFE IS NOT HOW YOU SURVIVE THE STORM, BUT HOW YOU DANCE IN THE RAIN....
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.


2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.


3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone


.4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.


5. Pay off your credit cards every month.


6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.


7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.


8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.


9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.


10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.


11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.


12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.


13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.


14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.


15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.


16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.


17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.


18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.


19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else


20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.


21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.


22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.


23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.


24. The most important sex organ is the brain.


25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.


26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?


27. Always choose life.


28. Forgive everyone for everything.


29. What other people think of you is none of your business.


30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.


31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.


32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.


33. Believe in miracles.


34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.


35. Don't audit life.. Show up and make the most of it now.


36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.


37. Your children get only one childhood.


38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.


39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.


40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.


41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.


42. The best is yet to come....


43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.


44. Yield.


45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

a great day for some football!

on saturday 3 of us got up before the crack of dawn, schlepped on our football attire, yawned and got in the vue. we left about 6am. the 4th one of us was happily snoozing, nestled under a tinkerbell blanket at an auntie's house. it was still dark. very dark. here are 2 of us before we began our trek.
here is wren. all ready for her very 1st college football game ever! and her new lil bun-bun.
this is the sunrise that we got to watch as we drove east across iowa.
destination: jack trice stadium, ames! wren made it over 3/4 of the way on the walk to the stadium.
here is the daddy and his newest cyclone fan!
expanse of the field at jack trice stadium during pre-game warm-ups.

here are the 3 of us! ready for the kick-off! enjoying a soda and a warm, soft pretzel!
the daddy and his lil cyclone!
although it was overcast & rainy to begin the day, it cleared off and got h-o-t! luckily we had sunscreen and hats.
wren had to bring a couple of her faves with her: bun-bun and her favorite rock in her collection. this is the rock that daddy got her last week when we visited the grotto in west bend, iowa.
the game did not go as cyclone fans would've liked. the hawkeyes won this year. but wren said that she did not really care that the hawkeyes won, she just loved being there (now, that attitude should be adopted by some of the older fans in the stadium. ahem.).
and then the long walk back to the truck began.
and then it ended for wren. she enjoyed the view the rest of the way on the daddy's shoulders.
i love these trees. and those 2 red-clad people.
ahhhh, ready for some ac in the vue! but one last photo. i added some flair to the daddy's truck...just a little uppercase living!
not sure what karl's favorite part of the day was. it certainly wasn't starting and ending the drive in the dark. nor the score.
some of wren's favorites were ordering and paying for her apples all by herself at a mcdonald's en route. having a lady give her 3 bead necklaces at the convenience store to wear to the game: red, gold and black - so each team was represented. seeing cy and the hawkeye's mascot. listening and watching the band from our seats. watching the band march by us in the concourse - right in front of us! (which i had never seen, because i rarely leave our seats during the game...but with wren, we were outta our seats numerous times...good thing we are on the aisle!). getting to pay for her ice cold bottle of refreshing water. ordering a "cookie monster" for dessert at wallaby's and cracking up when the oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie was "as big as daddy's head!". and, enjoying skittles for the first time.
my favorites? listening to wren cheer "go cy-ca-lones". not having to remind her to keep her ballcap on - she just did. watching her eyes light up at the sights, sounds, and tastes that are what make for the stadium atmosphere. but, by far, the best part of the day was this: wren and i went to refill her water bottle and buy a soda for me and the daddy during the 3rd quarter. it was about 1pm. it was hot. the cyclones were not doing well. there were huge lines at all the concession stands. but we got in line and i explained to wren about waiting our turn and being patient. she was so good. we counted people. we talked about the game. we talked about he cute the mascots are. we talked about what we would order. she wanted some candy. so i gave her the choice of peanut m&m's or skittles. after explaining what skittles are, that is what she wanted to try. then i told her the cost of each item: $4.50 for the soda and $3 for the skittles. i showed her the amount of money we needed to pay and she asked if she could hand the money. i told her she could as long as she ordered. she agreed. we had more money than we needed, so i let wren have the dollar and coins for her pocket - she thought the money would enjoy keeping her rock company. as we progressed, wren would count how many people were ahead of us. she was very patient and good. finally, there was just one lady in front of us and before she ordered she turned around and told wren that she would be very fast. she placed her order, paid, and melted back into the sea of fans. it was finally our turn. i ordered the soda for karl & i to share and then told wren to order.
"can i have some skittles, please?" she asked.
"certainly, " the lady helping us said. she got me the soda and handed wren her skittles. "that'll be $4.50, please."
"we had a soda AND the candy, " i reminded her.
"i know. but the lady right before you paid for your daughter's candy," she replied.
"are you serious?!" i asked as i looked around for her. knowing full well that i would not see her, nor would i even recognize her if she were right there...i just had not paid close enough attention to her. but apparently she had paid attention to those behind her.
"she told me that your daughter was so patient and sweet while in line and that it was adorable that you were teaching her about money and skittles. oh! and she said your daughter was wearing the right color!" the lady told me.
"thank you. how very kind," was all i could manage to say.
"you are welcome. have a great day!" she said.
and we did.

Friday, September 11, 2009

super hero, the old school kind

last week while husband & i took a a couple days to ourselves (the girls got to hang out with grandpa and grandma...) husband bought the "school house rock" dvd. for the girls. certainly not for himself. and it was certainly not him who was able to sing nearly every single word of every single song. nope. but, to his credit, the girls really do love it! it has been fun hearing them try to sing "lolly lolly lolly get your adverbs here" while i am driving.

while the girls got to spend time alone with grandpa and grandma, they had such fun! riding on the 4-wheeler to go and check the cow-cows and bully-boys. they got to help feed the 2 pudgy kittens that nea-nea kitty had (yes, there is a farm cat named after my daughter...). they got to get dirty, run wild on the farm, picked apples and made some delicious (!) applesauce. and they got to hear some great stories from grandma. here is wren's recollection of one such story:

wren asks, "momma? did you know that our daddy is a super hero?"

"no, i did not," i reply.

"he is. because when he was little, like maybe my age, which is four, he started his bed on fire. a real fire, momma! he had an electric blanket and his bed got really, really, really hot and so he went downstairs. and his bed was on fire, real fire, momma, and then grandma and grandpa had to throw his bed out the window! can you believe that he had a really hot bed? yeah, there was just one furnace and it was really, really cold in daddy's room so he had an electric blanket and a fire. a real fire. so, no more electric blankets for daddy! i think he got his little sister out, too. i cannot believe it. but, my daddy is a superhero for doing that! and i love him!" wren tells me(without as much as a breath in between words. seriously). "have you heard that story, momma?"

"yes, i have. it is a good one! your daddy is very, very smart!" i tell her.

"lup! he is!" linnea yells.

"yeah, he's funny, too," wren adds.


Wednesday, September 2, 2009

plucky

last night was orientation night for wren's preschool.
here she is with the daddy.
here she is with her celebratory ice cream.
her she is with her sister this morning before going in to preschool.
here are the girls all ready to go this a.m.
wren.
linnea.
wren's back. and backpack.
linnea's back. and backpack.
wren writing her name with mrs. p's help.
linnea painting at her preschool with mrs. jackie & mrs. suzette.
yep. both girls are felling pretty plucky about their schools. they love it. both cannot wait for their next day at school. me? yeah, i'm okay. i was feeling plucky too.
but only after plucking my eyebrows. sigh...