Bus weirdness and growing up

Addie didn't want to ride the bus this morning, Lily did.  I said that it was fine for Lily to ride the bus and I could drive Addie to school.  Lily would NOT accept this, she NEEDED Addie to ride the bus too.  Finally, FINALLY I got the reason Lily wanted Addie on the bus.  It was for me walking the girls to the bus stop, standing and waiting, I told her I'd still walk down with her before driving Addie, but she needed her friends to think I only come down for Addie and not there for her.

Awww...

wordless wednesday - sticky love notes from lily

she leaves them around and they are just a shadow of her beautiful little heart.

The first day...again

Addie - First Day of Kindergarten - 2012

Lily - First day of Second grade - 2012

I took the first day of school off.  I decided last year to do that every year.  Every person in our family's birthday off and the first and last day of school.  It was a good idea.  

After Kindergarten I brought Addie home so we could bake.  We made some yummy Paleo chocolate chip cookies.  It was my first attempt at baking grain, sugar, and dairy free, and it turned out awesome.  The kids loved them too.  Addie and I had lunch together, played a game, baked and hung out together before it was time for to get Lily.  We did out first day of school interview.  

What's your name? Addie

How old are you? Five
What was special about today? about Kindergarten? No.  I was wondering what you were talking about.  Even stuff that aren't in my kindergarten?  I don't know what you are asking me.  Stop typing.  KINDERGARTEN!!!!!

How did you get to school?  By the car
How did you get home? By the car 
What is your teachers name? Um, I always get them mixed up about two things.  I forgot.

What's your favorite color? Blue

What's your favorite book? Cars
What's your favorite song? Everyone was kung fo fighting
What's your favorite movie? Cars
Television Show? Is it, can it be? Word World
Who's your best friend? I don't really know.  Can you pick one?  Can you list a few?  Um.  Carter, Rachel, that's it

Favorite Smell? flowers

What's your favorite kind of candy? chocolate chip cookies that we just made

Favorite Sound? I don't wheely know. 

Is there any sound you can think of that you really like to hear? The sound of an airplane like I hear right now - or something (it is a motorcycle)

What's your favorite instrument? ukulele

Favorite thing to do at school? Do cwafts. 
What do you hope to learn this year at school? To learn about bears Anything else? uh-uh.
Don't you know about bears already? But I wanna learn more

What's your favorite game? The bear game you got me
Favorite Food? Chicken nuggets
Favorite thing to drink? pink lemonade

What's your favorite animal? Bear
What's your favorite thing to do? cuddle with bear-bear and mommy
Outside? um, the parade in Joseph
Front Yard? play in the sprinkler

Back Yard? Look for butterflies with our net

What about on the swing set?  I wike to do Ninja Warrior and get acwoss without touching the bottom. the. ground.
Where's your favorite place to go? Sauvie Island
What's your favorite Toy? Bear Bear
What's your favorite thing about Lily? Um, I like to play with her

What's your favorite about Bryson?  I like to rub his face and his body because it's so soft. (LOL)
Okay, What color are Lily's eyes? Bwown

Brysons?  Blue Yours? Blue 
Anything else about Lily that you want to share? nothing else, I wanna be done
Anything else about Bryson that you want to share? I wike to cuddo with him when he doesn't kiss me in the eye
How old is Daddy? I don't know Guess.  33 Did I guess white?
How old is Mommy? I don't know. Guess. 15 (smile)

What makes you happy? To cuddle with bear bear
What do you want to be when you grow up? A wace car dwiver

What is your favorite word that Bryson says: I like him say wheel things that we don't even know what he says
What is your favorite word?um, cars
What is your favorite time of day? I like it when it's not too sunny but it is sunny
What is your favorite way to have your hair? I like it just one clippy he-o and one clippy he-o (here)
What is your favorite Holiday? 4th of July
Why? Because it's my bday and I like my bday
What other holiday do you like? I like Christmas holiday

Whose your favorite character? Lightning McQueen
What is your favorite day of the week? Fwiday

What's your favorite room in the house? my woom
What's your favorite thing about daddy?That he's my buds
What's your favorite thing about mommy? That you cuddle with me at night night
What was your favorite trip this summer? Jenny's beach house because Bryson was in the room (with her and Lily) and I like 2 people with me, and I like myself with me.  Haha.  (she said haha)
What do you like about Uncle Matt? Um.  Um. That he's nice
What about Grandma Lanie? Um. I don't weally....Um. That she's nice.
What about Grandma Carol and Grandpa Steve? They're cause they're nice
Who do you sleep with?Lily, cause we share a room.  Anyone else? only at Jenny's beach house, Bwyson slept with us.  Bear-bear
Anything else you want to share : Um, no.  What is it sharing with?  Is is sharing with my teacher.  No just with my blog.  Block.  Oh, so it's for a blog.  

I picked up Lily and thought about how at only 2pm, it was my 3rd and not last time at their school that day.  I rolled my eyes and then secretly felt like a really cool soccer mom since my next time would be for soccer practice.  We went to our favorite little local coffee shop, and I brought one of Lily's American Girl Kaya chapter books for us to read.  We finished the 4th book in the series then did her interview, all while Lily sucked down a vanilla smoothie.  

Lily: 

What's your name? Lily

How old are you? Seven n a half - do you just write what I say?
What was special about today? Uh the first day of school

How did you get to school? You took me 

How did you get home? You drove me to Metro Perc in the car
What is your teachers name? Mrs. LB 

What's your favorite color? Turquoise

What's your favorite book? The Bible, The Kaya (American Girl) books, Junie B books, and Junie B puzzle book
What's your favorite song? The sun will come out tomorrow

What's your favorite movie? Annie
Television Show? Mickey Mouse
Who's your best friend? Rachel

Who are some good friends at school? Emma, Lucy, Brady, Gavin 

Favorite Smell? The smell of mondel bread getting cooked

What's your favorite kind of candy? Um, tootsie rolls

Favorite Sound? Um, listening to songs

What's your favorite instrument? accordion

Favorite thing to do at school? Math
What do you hope to learn this year at school? Harder Math Anything else? How to type

What's your favorite game? Monopoly
Favorite Food? Ice cream and pancakes
Favorite thing to drink? chocolate milk

What's your favorite animal? Penguin
What's your favorite thing to do? Spend time with you
Outside? I think it's going to new parks that I never been there before
Front Yard? Play in the sprinkler

Back Yard? Play on the swing set

What on the swing set?  Do Ninja Warrior and do my flip on the ropes
Where's your favorite place to go? Bullwinkles and to see Grandma and Grandpa
What's your favorite Toy? My stuffed animals in my bed
What's your favorite thing about Addie? When she laughs and when she is in a happy attitude and she wants to be a big girl with me. 

What's your favorite about Bryson? When he plays with me and hugs and kisses me
Okay, What color are her eyes? Blue

Brysons?   Blue Yours? Brown Anything else about Addie that you want to share? no that's it for Addie
Anything else about Bryson that you want to share? I like putting him to bed and when he cries when I leave because he loves me, I mean, I don't like that he cries but I like that he loves me a lot.
How old is Daddy? 39
How old is Mommy? 35

What makes you happy? You and Daddy and my family
What do you want to be when you grow up? An acrobat and a teacher.  I kind of want to be be an acrobat and a teacher and a guy who cuts hair

What is your favorite word that Bryson says: he-a, he-a (here)
What is your favorite word? that I say? I don't know I like a lot of words.  So list one.  I don't know.
What is your favorite time of day? Right when I wake up so it is a long time to go to bed
What is your favorite way to have your hair? a pony in the back
What is your favorite Holiday? I think it's Christmas
Why? Because it's Jesus's birthday
What other holiday do you like? Is my birthday a holiday? no.   

Halloween and Easter and Yeah
What is your favorite day of the week? I think it's Friday, so we have the weekend and it's movie night

What's your favorite room in the house? The playroom
What's your favorite thing about daddy? When he gets me ice cream at Joseph and when he's nice to me
What's your favorite thing about mama? When she hugs and kisses me and puts me nigh night and gives me love
What was your favorite trip this summer?   The trip to Joseph, both of them, and the trip to the beaches
What do you like about Uncle Matt? I like it when he does fun things and gives me piggy back rides and let's me climb on him
What about Grandma Lanie?  When we go there, and when she reads to me, and does crafts with me and when she does fun stuff like that with me.
What about Grandma Carol and Grandpa Steve? When Gma Carol gives me chocolate milk, when she gives me ice cream for snack, and when we make Mondel Bread together.  And for Gpa Steve?When he reads me books
Who do you sleep with? I sleep with Addie and my guys.  What guys? Mickey, Penguin, Socky, Monk-Monk, Elephant, Kaya, Polar Bear, Piggie and Ducky, and turtle that Rachel likes, let me think if there is anything else.  Did we put Monkey?  Green monkey is monKEY and brown monkey is monk MONK.  And that's who I sleep with.  Wow full house.  Yeah, I pretend in my bed is my house, I pretend the foot of my house is outside in the backyard.  YUP  (nod nod nod)
Anything else  you want to share: I pretend that the blankies folded at the foot of my bed are benches outside, and their my outside furniture, and some of my stuffed animals like sockie usually sleep out there.  

Twas a wonderful full day of school.  I didn't feel as sad as the last two years.  But I did get a little teary eyed during Mrs. O's "see ya later alligator" song when she said "give a hug to your partner, Kindergartner"...that got me.  I love her, and my Addie is in Kindergarten.  Then I got choked up while reading about Kaya thinking of her sister who had been kidnapped 3 books ago and the stray dog that was leaving Kaya.  My sentimental came out in strange places on my first day of school this year, that's for sure.  I'm a blessed mama, a happy mama, a tired mama.  Good night.  

Little Land Cafe

Today I went to the most darling little cafe for coffee and I just had to blog about it, lest I forget the little moments in the midst of the big ones.  I told the owner I'd be taking a few pictures and doing an article to help promote her up and coming little business.  

 I was the first one in the cafe, it had just opened yesterday.  The owner had some "one tops" available but thought I might rather not sit on the floor, so I got a "two top".

 The menu consisted of apple joos, crusxint roll, pizza, cophey, ornge, musterd, coocees, green bens, ice creem, hot dog, cake, green pepers, plum slise, carits, apple, bred, bnana

 I sat at table #1 as you can see above.  I ordered a plum slice, green beans, coffee, and musturd.  It turned out they didn't have green beans, but I found the replacement package of frozen peas and a nice little dish to put them in more than acceptable. Also, I preferred the eggplant I got to the plum slice I ordered.  

 The owner, Lily Herman, really took her job seriously.  She was organized, efficient, and pleasant to be around.  She made small talk while whizzing around her kitchen.  It is cozy, but she seems to have it all.  I should know, she offered it to me and explained it all in detail.  She is patriotic with a flag hung for Memorial Day and whatnot.  

 There is a nice little take out window where you go to get seated, and that H stands for Happy Hour.  That means it is 50% off and kids toys are available.  You can even take them back to your table.  I was sorry I didn't bring the kids.  

After my meal, she brought me in the back to show me her system.    She is going to do tours for people who want them as she gets up and running.  She keeps things fair by bringing the food out to people in the order that they came in to the cafe.  So if you order first, you get your food first, plain as that.  She has a system of writing the table number down on the sticky notes so that she knows who is first, who is second, and so on.

 I was in during happy hour, so I got 50% off of my meal.  $2.50 >> $1.50.  I was going to say that math was this little lady's strong suit, rather than her spelling.  Clearly it is both. The little box is where I leave my money or credit card.  She dots her 'i's" with a heart.  Nice. Touch.  

 She talked extensively of a brother and sister that worked with her at the cafe.  They don't own it with her, they just work there, helping her out.  The sister, Addie Herman, showed up just as I was about to finish, and performed some nature magic.  Green helicopters stick to your nose if you peel the base apart just right.

See?  Side view of the helicopter trick.  Incredible, so much talent.  I never saw the brother, but I'm sure he'd add even more value to this family operation.  

These sisters are going to have some serious success in the restaurant biz, or in whatever they do.  No one has this much heart, planning, and sheer bossiness organized re-creation of things they've seen.  They are desperate for more customers, so please, I encourage you, stop by and check them out.  


Here is a short video I took of the owner explaining her Happy Hour idea as well as the music, mood, and how she got the idea for the name.  She really speaks from the heart.  Enjoy:

Lost tooth furniture

Lily lost her second tooth today.


It was the top right if you are looking at her.  It was hanging there by a thread for a while.  Finally today, I pulled it.  It wasn't too hard.  But once it was out, you could see the one spot in the tooth where the root was a little longer, thus the "thread" it was hanging on by.


I'll admit that I'm going to miss this smile - from two short months ago when no teeth were loose.

photo by www.christinagilchrist.com

Those perfect little chicklets, all evenly spaced.


People, we have entered...dun dun dun...the awkward stage.


No, we haven't entered it yet, but we sure as heck on on the front entrance to the hallway that leads to awkward land.  I'm not happy about it.


She happens to be thrilled. She was the last person to lose a tooth in her class.  And she is nearly the oldest kid in her class (she informed me that she has the first bday, but she is not THE oldest, because one boy has his bday in August, so I stand corrected if I've ever told you that she was OLDEST, it is not true).


She lost her first tooth on Jan 3, and then her second today, Jan 15.  I pulled both of them, but barely. I just did the final tug so she didn't lose one during school lunch and come home devastated.


She got $3 from the tooth fairy last time, and the tooth fairy even left her tooth for her to keep/show her grandparents (and take for show n tell).  She left a note tonight thanking the tooth fairy for the three bucks and asking her to leave this tooth too.


Addie's take on things: It bleeds because, well, God makes blood because he makes it and it is down here in the gums and it is like blood when the tooth comes out and that is how the tooth stays in.


Genius.


Lily: What will happen if we leave the blood in there (some inside the tooth).
Me: Well it will just stay in there and dry out, and it turns kind of a dark red/blackish color.
Lily: My WHOLE TOOTH!!!???
Me: No, just where there is blood.
Lily: Oh, well, then, I guess the tooth fairy won't mind that.
Me: No, I'm sure she has seen a lot grosser things
Lily: Yeah, like yellow teeth, and cavities, and fillings and stuff.
Me: Yep, she won't mind a drop of blood
Lily: Well, some people probably scrub it and stuff, should I scrub it?  I could scrub it.  
Me: Naw, she really won't mind (imagining her dropping it down the drain and seeing my future evening of digging in a disgusting drain pipe).  Lily, this isn't even gross to her at all.
Lily: Yeah, and she probably just has like some people who clean their teeth, and those are the ones that she uses for furniture and stuff like that.
Me: ?????  Yeah, probably.


Furniture and stuff?  I mean, what goes on in kids' minds often boggles mine.  Kids that are mine, and that I think I know all of their nuances.  This bright young girl has somehow come to the conclusion that people scrub their teeth so the tooth fairy can make FURNITURE out of it.  Sigh. Giggle.  


Well, it inspired me to write a little blog to remember, and now I have first tooth last documented as well.  So that's a good thing.  Here are pictures of that first tooth.  The one that went tonight was a top middle, and she does look adorable.  That is until BIGGIE BIG comes through.  You can see toppie is loose in this picture.  

You are going to think I'm a terrible person, but I didn't get a chance to take a picture the one from today (I know, right?!).  But these are the picture from when she lost the first one.


Can you feel the awkward coming on???  :)


*********************
Updated to add:

Now she has lost tooth number 3 on Jan 20th, no picture of that yet.  She is proud that that one is the first tooth that came out all on it's own, no "help" from mom.  The tooth fairy knew we were in Mt Hood and came there! 

3 teeth in one month.  Whew. 

Just a few funnies I wrote down from a "few" months back (ha. July.)

Lawrence (on the phone with me while I was at the store/bank giving him specific instructions about something):  "I don't know, I'll just call Julia and ask her" 

Me: "Why can't you just let me tell you right now?" 

Lawrence: "Because you are kind of panicking for some reason and I really want to get off the phone with you"

After we hung up, I laughed and laughed and laughed.  Because he was TOTALLY right.  I was late, had to pee, unload groceries, wearing a jacket when it was way too hot to wear a jacket, I was giving him specific instructions and I could tell he wasn't listening to them, so the agitation in my voice was MORE than a little bit obvious.  He was so right.  I did sound like I was in a shear panic.  And I think it's funny that he wanted to get off the phone with me and was candid about it.  This probably won't even sound funny to anyone else, but it reminds me about something intangible that is great about us.

Me: Addie, please don't be so rough with Bryson's hand while you show him how to do that, be gentle 

Addie: I have to, mama. I'm rough, I'm a rougher, that's what roughers do.  They say rough, rough, rough.  So if you tell me not to do that, I will say I am a rougher. 

(Covering my mouth to hide laughter)

Addie: Lily, you are really smart 

Lily: I know.  I'm really smart for a six year old, but I'm not really smart for an adult.  You are really smart too. 

Addie: I know. 

Photos by Holly Kae

Out of the Past : 40 weeks

As I reflect on the birth week of my middle child, and think back to the days leading up to bringing her into the world, I've been pretty nostalgic.  Today was my due date with Addie.  Four years ago.  I went back to my babysite that I kept as a journal back then, and it was fun to re-read.  Without further ado, here it is. 

40 Weeks Date: 06/27/2007 Today is officially my due date. Here it is at 12:37am and I'm having contractions, strong enough to keep me awake, but not regular enough to get too excited yet. But I figure I will write a little bit and then track the time of the contractions at the same time, then try and go get some sleep by 1 or 1:30. (12:33, 12:37) We have promised Lily a trip to the Library tomorrow (today) for story hour and to check out some books for the first time. She is really excited about it. I'm going to keep her home with me and I keep thinking that if I go into labor tonight, she will be really disappointed (12:40). By the way the times in the parenthesis are the contraction start times, and it is easier to just put it in (plus a great way of saving documentation rather than saving scraps of paper or excel schedules later!). Today Lily asked me about a minivan in the parking lot as we were leaving school, I told her it was Candace's (a little girl in her class). She wanted to know if it was new or old. I told her I thought that it was pretty new, they got it when Candace's mom had Candace's baby (12:43). She said that Candace's baby was already out, but Lily's baby was not out yet. I think Candace's brother is around 7 mths or so. Anyway, she said, "I want Addie to come out, but Addie keeps staying in, she doesn't come out." I thought that was so cute. So my thinking is that Lily will be okay with not going to the library if she gets to see her new sister. Of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves yet. This is just wishful thinking. Today I nested like crazy, all the laundry is done and put away, dishes done, kitchen clean. I went to home depot, office depot, payless, walgreens, safeway, & out to lunch at Sweet Tomato with my mom. I downloaded photos and charged batteries, made a pot roast, walked my fanny off, took Lily to the park, and got everything I wanted crossed off my list. My mom did some weeding in the back yard since it is (12:47) driving me crazy and my husband won't let me hire someone, nor does he have the time or energy to do it. It looks much better. My face looks like a cartoon snowman head today, very round and rosy cheeks. It was hot and I'm feeling quite swollen. I also feel extra weight in my chin and jowls, quite attractive I must say! Since I have some new ones, I will upload a few more pictures, so check out the new album, make sure and leave us a comment, and I will definitely update this with more tomorrow morning when I wake up, assuming I don't go to the hospital tonight. Like I said, I'm not too hopeful for that. We'll see what happens at the dr appt on Friday, but at this point I'm leaning toward not being induced on Monday. It is only 5 days late, and I will decide on Sunday or Friday, but I know I can wait it out a few more days. Again, not putting the pressure on myself, but I think that it will happen naturally if I give my body a chance. Today after all that walking, I can barely walk because the pressure is so heavy on my pubic bone. It has been great having my mom here, I'm getting more done, and she has been such a help with Lily. I can't imagine how hard this week would have been without her, even though I know she would like to get to meet her 2nd granddaughter, she is also so helpful and supportive and really only cares about making me comfortable, and doing anything and everything she can to help with what I need (obviously, since she was out pulling weeds in 80 degrees today!) It also has been nice to just have someone around, rather than being alone all day. I do get very snappy at her, but if (12:55) she could survive my teenage years she can definitely survive my 40 week pregnant bitchiness. It is hard to explain, but it is like the slightest irritation turns to complete rage in about 3 seconds. She was whistling (and she can't whistle) to Lily today trying to get her attention while I was on the phone and Lily was running circles around my legs trying to get my attention. I barely noticed Lily because I am so used to it, but the sound of my mom attempting to whistle at my daughter (not my dog) OUTRAGED me and I went through the roof at her. Jeanine was at the other end of the phone call and said, "WOW, you ARE pregnant!"...Of course my mom and I laughed about it an hour later as I described how annoyance changed to anger so quickly. But I told her I still don't want her to whistle at Lily again, or anyone for that matter, she is a really shitty whistler. :) Addie is kicking around so hard it is hard to tell the start of a contraction pain vs the pain and pressure she is putting on my belly. I wonder how big she is now. My guess is 7.5 lbs. That is a pound bigger than Lily, ouch, I don't want to think about that. My labor hasn't even started yet, and so many factors are different, I keep wondering what birth will be like this time. I pray that it is as easy and as ideal as it was with Lily (minus one small hiccup with a cathader several hours after she was born), but with a bigger baby and possibly faster birth, possible induction, (1:01)so many other things, it is hard to imagine that it will be. It is now 1:03, my last two contractions were about 6 minutes apart, and they were 4 minutes when I started writing. So I'm going to go lay down and see what happens. I'll post it if we are headed to the hospital. And yes Carol of course we will call you, no matter the time. No news from us means no news... ************************************* 7:30pm, getting ready to go on a walk with my friend and doula Robin to talk about natural induction stuff. We went to the library today and had a great time. Pretty exhausting day as Lily didn't nap great, but there is nothing else to share. I might have a glass of wine tonight, Robin said now that I am officially past due it's okay to have one, and it might kick start things. Cheers to hoping it does. ************************************** 11:37pm Went on a long walk & Had the glass of wine. Didn't feel tipsy like I was hoping... :) But I did have a great walk and talk with Robin. Since she is a doula we talked a lot about inducing and birthing and bodies, etc. I think that I'm leaning toward changing the induction date on Tuesday the 3rd or Thursday the 5th (I assume they won't want to do the 4th). Monday will be too stressful, and it is the only day that we don't have a grandparent staying with us. And 5am is so early, I would rather see if another day we could get a reasonable time. My mom is coming down with a cold today. Not good. Of course she feels terrible, and nothing she can do about it. I gave her some Activate immune system booster, hand sanitizer, and have been spraying down everything she's touched. I hope the Activate helps. Because if she has a cold she won't be able to come to the hospital (IF I deliver before she leaves) and I really don't want her near Lily or I...it's the last thing we need right now. She can't help it though, so hopefully we will just make sure we don't get it. My brother came today to help with Lily and hang out for a few days, it has been great having all the extra playmates for Lily. He has to leave Friday morning for a physical for his new firefighting job. My due date is over in 21 minutes. And I'm still pregnant. That feels weird. I really never imagined that would happen, but it time for me to go get some sleep. I'm going to bed. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night.

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						So for the record.  I did get induced on that Monday, even though I thought I wouldn't. And once I held my 6lb 2oz baby in my arms, I never regretted it for one second!

The Lily Craft Making Christmas Show

I could seriously watch this video 100 times over. It makes me laugh SO hard.

Lily got a new camera for her birthday. It has a video mode. She is so taken with the video feature. I guess it reminds me of what I did laying around on my tummy propped by my elbows, with a tape recorder, pressing play and record at the same time and making commercials, talk shows, learning that if you clap in a circle around the recorder, then it sounds like audience applause. Singing and playing it back to myself. Putting it up next to the tv to get Saturday morning cartoon theme songs. JOY.

So kids these days can do it with VIDEO. I can't imagine what I would have done with this technology, but it definitely would probably be similar to what Lily does in her one hour of quiet time per day. She is in there crafting up gifts to clutter under the tree, comes down daily with a new handful wrapped and ready. When she was three, she did this too. She'd wrap up post it notes or old business cards for any and everyone to open. And you tried not to laugh when you opened yours. But now, at 6, she's getting better. Her gifts (although always 3D and impossible to store in a useful fashion) are well thought-out and orchestrated.

The night before Bryson's birthday party she asked me to charge the batteries and empty her card so that she would be all set to record him destroying his cake. WELL. Let me tell you, I was in for a treat. I laughed until I cried watching the videos that she had made on there.

As you will see she has adopted a theme much like a cooking show (which is one of her favorite things to watch on TV), where she shows you what she'll be using and talks to her camera like she has an audience of faithful viewers. Had to make that happen for her. So thanks Blogosphere.

Disclaimer: I got Lily's full permission to post these videos to my blog. However, she asked me to wait until after Christmas to do that, because she doesn't want the people who she is making the gifts FOR to see the video of her making said gifts. So Julia, please don't watch these videos, lest you spoil the Christmas surprise for yourself! :)

Hear that Julia, if you are reading STOP now. Come back on Dec 26!

I love how she fills in the dead air, and how she KNOWS exactly where she is with the camera, and how she says she is getting it "focused" (she is getting a little mini tripod for Christmas which she will LOVE).

There are so MANY things to love, I could add an add.



Okay, I was only going to post this first video, but she she refers to this second one so I HAD to include it. It's more of the same, but it makes me laugh so hard.

"Sorry it was quiet at the beginning, I was getting the video set up"

"Snippity Snip"



What is your favorite part?

MCT - Take one

Me and Lily - Oct 2010

A month ago you VOTED for me writing this blog, I started on November 7 and am finally posting now - backlog unload - SCORE one for me!

If you follow my facebook feed, you would know that a few weeks ago, Lily was cast in the Missoula Children's Theater's local production of Alice in Wonderland at her school. Since MCT was a real life changing organization for me as a kid and a young adult, I was both excited and nervous for her to audition. I didn't want to be a bossy stage mom, but at the same time, I REALLY wanted her to get a part, and I knew how the audition process would go. What if I got her all excited about this show that I so wanted her to be a part of and then she didn't get a part? What if she never got to experience the wonderfulness that is the MCT tour? I had butterflies the entire day at work and then held my breath the entire audition, as they lined up tallest to smallest, in true Jim Caron fashion and said their names with loud and clear voices, big and expressive bodies, all the while - and most importantly - following directions and paying attention. She was the second smallest.Lily is 3rd from the right

Before I get ahead of myself I should probably go back a little and talk a little about my own MCT experiences. This could probably be a whole series of blogs on it's own, and maybe over the years it will be. Memories flooded me the last few weeks. FLOODED me. My love and admiration for Jim, Michael, and Melanie - three important people in the organization - as well as for my little community growing up and the Wallowa Valley Arts Counsel for bringing tour actors to my little home county year after year.

I was seven years old, it was March and I was in the second grade. I had big glasses and short awkward choppy hair. I'd started to experience the rejection that comes with looking the way I did and dressing the way I did and ACTING the way I did from some of the kids at school. I was nearly a year younger than many of the kids in my class, in those early years it made a big difference in maturity- but I was more advanced than most academically, plus what with the big glasses (the next year I'd get tri-focals-to call them coke bottles would be an understatement), the lack of any sort of fashion or style, the non stop talking, and the pestering of those who pestered me...I was quite lonely. I had a few good friends, but I definitely knew at that young age that I was different from most of the kids at school. I was aware that there were birthday parties I wasn't invited to, I got left out of 4 square games, didn't get to jump rope with the "cool" girls, and the year before some of the kids had been in a play that I knew nothing about. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The auditions for this year's play, were today. But my (very pregnant) mom had to work, deadline day at her newspaper was tomorrow and she couldn't come get me after school to take me to the audition in our neighboring town - 6 miles away. So after school I called her at work and pleaded one more time. She finally agreed (enter mom guilt) but it would take her 15 minutes to get to Joseph and back to Enterprise where the auditions were being held, so I'd be a half an hour late. That sounded okay to me. She came and got me, I was SO happy. I still remember pacing circles in the small road by out house as I waited for her car to appear. It was a chilly March or April in Wallowa County - but it wasn't freezing as it sometimes was that time of year. It's it funny the specifics you remember when things really matter to you.

When we got to the audition, I was more than a half an hour late, Val M, the local person in charge of setting the whole thing up, putting me in a line of kids who were already chosen for a part, so they took down my name and got in, I didn't really have to do anything to audition. I LOVED it. I was a Pleasure Isle Kid in Pinocchio. I can never thank my mom enough for getting me to that audition. Late even, so that I didn't even have to chance the rejection there.

Growing up in Wallowa County, there wasn't much as far as extra curricular activities other than sports, and I wasn't very good at those. So MCT showed me that I had talent and there was a place for a hard working, memorization expert, loud talking, kid like me. The louder the better? AWESOME. Big expressive bodies? Loud and clear voices? Following dir....well, two out of three weren't bad. And as it turns out, I COULD listen and sit still when my most important one week a year depended on it! At that young age, acting gave me value.

Me in my first "lead" as a brat in Johnny Appleseed, I'm the one sitting with glasses

Years later, I would be invited to go to an exclusive camp outside of Missoula, Montana on Flathead lake that I could audition for after the recommendation of the tour actors only. 1-2 kids per town were referred, if any, and then there was a lengthy audition process. I will NEVER EVER forget the day that I got the phone call to let me know I got in. In fact, I'm friends on FaceBook now with the camp director and I emailed her the story recently. What I wouldn't do to get my hands on that audition tape. I sang "That's what friends are for", sitting on the floor of my bedroom with a tape deck. (Okay must remember to copy and paste that email for another blog for sure!) I went to that camp for six years for two weeks every summer. Some of my dearest friends to this day I met at MCT camp.Me in MCT PAC show 'Growing Pains; Rockin' a Hard Place' circa summer 1990 (front & center)

Ultimately I ended up going to college at University of Montana in Missoula because the place held such amazing memories from my youth. And then Missoula was filled with college memories and friends, and many of my camp friends who I reconnected with there, became my college friends instead of my camp friends. And, well, I sort of forgot the deep impact that Missoula Children's Theater had. Or I hadn't stopped to think about it for a while.

Until this year when the flier camp home for volunteers needed at Lily's school in the fall with MCT on the list for the last week of October. Until Lily's audition. Until she was cast. Until I watched her run out on stage during dress rehearsal and I burst into tears at the sight of it. She was a little Lobster who teaches Alice a Lobster Quadrille. I was so excited and PROUD of her and so was she.

She's center among the five on the first row, silly faces

During the week of auditions, the tour actors were selling copies of The Little Red Truck, and I bought one, not believing that I hadn't watched it yet after wanting to for so long. The next day I mentioned to Kaitlyn, our tour actor, that I cried as I watched it, thinking how lucky I am to have been directed by Jim Caron (founder of MCT) and Michael McGill. The other actor, stopped what he was doing and said, "You've been directed by Jim and Michael?!". It's a pretty big honor that's for sure, though it's hard to explain (to people who don't know them) that such a big theatrical mecca could really be located in unlikely Montana. Unless you've been to Missoula, then you probably get it.

We found our Little Red Truck in the parking lot upon leaving the audition and I had Lily get a picture next to it.

 

If you aren't familiar with what MCT does, you MUST click here. But the jist of it is 2 tour actors come to a school on a Monday, cast a show in 2 hrs, and then start rehearsals on Monday night, and have 6 days to put on a full scale production with 60 or so kids. They do a 2 shows on Saturday, then pack up their Little Red Truck and head on to the next town and change more lives of more little kids.

Lily will never understand how and why MCT meant so much to me. She lives in a city filled with opportunities and arts (plus she seems to be pretty good at sports and her vision is 20/20!) But that doesn't matter, it matters to me that I got to see her take part in something so special to me. I wouldn't say I'm living vicariously, just seeing her have fun doing something that I loved so much, means more to me that I can describe. The flood of memories that came back to me that week over a month ago, they mean so very much to me, as do all of my valuable experience with Missoula and it's Children's Theatre. Thanks Jim, Michael, and Melanie. You changed little Jenny and gave big Jenny the gift of watching her daughter sing "Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"Lily has on the brown shoes and is 4th from the right...

Dress rehearsal


Performance one


Performance two


I'll close with this quote from Jim just says so much:

JIM CARON: To this day, I don't exactly understand how it works. But, I mean, Mom and Dad are cheering for them, and so are all the friends, and, you know, the kid that made fun of them on the playground last week, they're all cheering for them. And you can see the light bulbs going over their heads. And they relate this experience and the elements of this experience to other things in their lives.

Sister, don't come looking to me for all the answers...

On the way to her 6 year check up last [edited to add TWO WEEKS AGO] Tuesday (side note: she is 45 lbs/45 inches, that puts her in to percentile 50 & 50. Here eyesight for both eyes is 20/20, yes she is a squared child.) Lily told me a funny story about a conversation she and Addie had the night before at bedtime.

We could hear them giggling up there for almost a half hour, they were both excited about an upcoming trip to Grandma Lanie's house. The talked about all the pillows and guys they would pack. I'd limited them both to only 2 guys, a blanket, and a pillow. Lily chose her penguin (no brainer) and after much consideration decided on her Uncle Matt doll. Addie took a LOOOOOOONG time to mull it over and decided on 2 bear - bears. This was a huge shocker to us all, since she needs her 2 bear-bears to do nearly everything. haha. Lily has skirted the system by sleeping on her Sammy the Pup stuffed animal as a pillow, thus that is her pillow. Since Lily isn't bringing a regular pillow, Addie wants to be aloud another guy. Instead she settled on a pillow that Bean-Bean's parents sent her for her birthday. So it's all set. Or you'd think. But actually AFTER this discussion, there was a long bout of giggling and talking. I love the sisterhood. I'll admit I have moments of hating it, the arguing, the whining, the comparing. But mostly, I LOVE it. Each time I think one of them is getting cheated out of their own room, I think how special it is to go to sleep with a friend each night...

Okay so back to the conversation:

Me: Lily, can you take your hands out of your mouth, we are about to go in to the doctors office and there are a lot of germs there, you are finally not sick, so let's keep it that way.

Lily: Mom, last night in bed I was coughing in bed. But it only lasted for a minute, so it must have been allergies.

(perfect logic since we spend much of the spring time figuring out if daddy is getting sick or if it's just allergies).

Lily continued: I was coughing really hard and Addie said, "Lily I hope you don't throw up. If you throw up, I promise you, I won't know what to do."

(Insert me laughing which caused Lily to laugh - so the next part was through escalating giggles).

But I said, "Addie, if I throw up, I don't expect you to know what to do, I would run to the bathroom and go to the toliet, I WOULD NOT ask you what I should do!!

Addie said, "Okay, that's a good idea, because I do NOT know what to do"

If you know Addie you can hear her cute squeaky voice, pronouncing in ALL seriousness and importance to Lily who is barely coughing, that if she barfs, do no look to her 3-year-old self for all the answers, because she'll tell you right upfront, she doesn't have them.

I laughed until I cried. My cutie. Cuties. Plural. Lily LOVES it when she makes me laugh. She can't get enough. She laughs when she says anything that makes anyone laugh and then she spends the next two days asking why so many times you'd think she was 2 years old again. "Why did you laugh when I said...." "Why did Addie say...." trailing off into a fit of hysterics as she lavishes at the memory of your and her laughter.

Sometimes it drives me crazy, and I'm like, "Okay, Lil, I don't know why so and so said this or that," or "Because it was FUNNY!" (Now that you've tried to get me to describe it 100x and three days later, not quite SO funny, but still...funny and now a little bit annoying.)

But other times I think of how good it makes you feel to make someone else laugh. That belly laugh that makes your cheeks beam when someone really gets you. Or thinks your story is funny. Or thinks YOU are funny, in a great way. That does feel good, and you do want to relive the moment. So I get that when you are six, you just want to remember how it feels and why you want to get your mom to keep recreating it.

Just so we are clear, though. If you do have to vomit, do not go to Addie, she simply does not know what to do in such a predicament.

Wordless Wednesday - Through Lily's Camera's Eyes

This is what you get when you put a brand new six year old in her quiet time alone for an hour with her brand new camera from her Grandma.

You can see the future facebook profile pics now

Everyone knows the best ones are self portraits, right?

You should SEE the videos!