Middle School Drama

Hailey loves to sing and dance.  

She prefers to do it in the privacy of our home, but with a bit (or maybe more than a bit) of encouragement from me, her dad and even her brothers, she got up the courage to audition for her middle school musical.  She wanted to be in the chorus - the thought of a leading role for this girl was terrifying.  Even to be in the chorus you have to audition and that means you have to sing BY YOURSELF in front of the directing team.   She was not excited about that at all.  

She practiced a lot with her dad at the piano and he found out for himself as I told him many times in the past (which of course he didn't believe or maybe didn't listen) that our girl can sing.  I mean really sing.  She doesn't sing loud but she hits all the notes and is very pleasing to listen to.  He was impressed.  He has seen many kids in his theater days that can sing or not sing.  He knows a singer when he sees one. 

On the day the cast list was posted Hailey, Daddy and I went to the good luck log overlooking Lake Michigan and found out that she had made it in the show.   Then she admitted to us that she already knew because she found out on the bus.  Dang middle school kids.  We were so proud of her!

As is the case with most things, during the months of rehearsal it tended to get tedious at times but as the show got closer it became much more fun for her.

The bouquet and gift we brought to her on opening night.  She was cast as a jock so the tiny basketball was perfection. 

I worked in the girls dressing room one night during the show.  It was a new experience for me because I obviously was never able to hang out in the boys dressing rooms.  It was fun to see the excitement from the backstage perspective.  I got to meet all the new friends Hailey made and watch her interact with them. 

She was excited to perform this song and dance with the basketball choreography.  She was also terrified that she would drop her basketball.  She never did.

Stick to the Status Quo was another one of her favorite songs.

She was thrilled that she got to change costumes and be part of the opposing team during this scene. 

She had lots of fans come and watch her perform. 

My baby girl looks so old in her stage makeup.  Also these pictures scream to me that mama might need some lip fillers.  Where do my lips go when I smile?

The whole show ended up being a positive experience for her.  She got support from old friends and  made many new friends.  I think it helped her a bit with some of her shyness.  She was sad to see it end.  When I mentioned she could do it again next year she was all for it.  Maybe we have another theatre kid in our house after all.

So long January

When I first typed the title of the post I meant it to say "So long January" as in see ya later January.  In rereading it I guess it could also mean "So long January" as in never ending.  Either way kind of fits the situation for us.  

Our January started off with the Norovirus which made it's way through every member of our family. Thankfully it was a quick moving bug so you only felt really bad for a day or so.  But that day you felt REALLY bad.  I did lots of laundry to start our month.  One Saturday as the virus was waging war on the final two - Spencer and Trent - Hailey and I decided we needed to air out our bodies of germs and went for a walk to the beach. 

It was gorgeous at the beach.  Hardly any wind and temps near forty made it seem like summer was just around the bend.  Hailey shed her coat at one point.

This girl could play in the ice all day long.

The one good thing about January is celebrating the birth of this girl.  How can she be twelve already?

She invited a few friends over to go to an Escape Room and then spend the night over here.  She was so excited about it.

They made it out!   With a little birthday help and hints from the game runner.

She picked out a unicorn cake that was exactly the same as the cake she picked out last year. 

Another sunny day walk to the beach.  It was colder this day, but the ice formations on the rocks were  cool to see.

Then it started to get colder and  snow.  I guess we knew that we had to have winter at some point.

We spent MLK day with the boys getting haircuts.  Evan is more particular about his hair than Spencer.

The wind chills were below zero but Hailey and I were tired of being cooped up so we went for a ride in the sunshine.  We ended up down by the lake and she begged to get out and walk by the ice.

We were not out long.  We could only handle about twenty minutes.  We had no idea that a week later would be so much worse.

Spencer got his scheduling information for his SENIOR year!  How is that even possible?

So not only did we have Monday off for MLK Day we also had a snow day that Friday for ice and wind chills.   The boys decided to brave the temps and meet their buddies for some sledding.  They rocked some vintage knit masks that we kept from Grampa Dan's thing.

The weekend we cold but not very snowy.  Then the polar vortex came.  Snow and blizzard conditions and below zero temperatures.  We had snow days for a whole week!   Including the Friday before it was snow days for six days in a row.  Unheard of! 

Our puzzle was finished earlier in the month we just hadn't packed it up yer.  We needed to do so to clear the table for snowweek 2019 games and activities. 

I never mind a week off of school but it was hard with it being so nasty and cold.  I don't like to be "trapped" inside.  We spent the week playing games, watching Netflix and shoveling in small bits.

That is our "so long January"  - whichever way you want to think of it.  I hope to be better about posting stuff this year.  Last weekend I finally sat down at the computer and ordered the past five years in blog books.  I still can't believe I was that far behind.  Anyway - I loved looking through the old posts and pictures.  I want to keep doing this so I will continue to try.  Whatever I can get on here is so worth it.