Merry Christmas . . .

. . . from OUR home, to YOURS! Lots of love!

Fun with Friends . . .

We had an unexpected, but enjoyable, chance to break the monotony of the chaotic Christmas preparations today . . . Who could ask for anything better than Fun with Friends (except for me to maybe not look so homeless, sorry, it's been a terribly long week)?

Because I promised . . .

I promised to post some holiday pictures tonight, so here we go . . . I have been feeling under the weather lately, so I don't have many holiday pictures YET. I made CC put up the Christmas tree with her Dad because I was too sick to get out of bed and she wouldn't be quiet about putting the tree up . . . so, man and child put up a Christmas Tree . . . you can imagine how many pictures I got of that event - A big fat ZERO!! Why is it that I am the only one in the entire house that seems to think pictures are important? Does anyone else have this problem? Even if you don't, just tell me yes so I can feel better.

Oh, by the way, what exactly does the phrase "Feeling under the weather" even mean? Just wondering . . . Speaking of weather, it is so cold here! I know that many of you live where it is much colder than where I am, and for that I am very sorry, from the bottom of my heart - unless you like cold weather, and if that's the case, then, more power to you. Seriously, I have been freezing for days! It could have something to do with my fever, but I'm not sure. I can't even get comfortable at night to sleep because I have to stay in one position all night long, because if I move and touch a cold spot on the bed, I have to instantly go pee!! Does anyone else have this problem? Even if you don't, just tell me yes so I can feel better.

Alrighty, it has become obvious to me, as I read through this post so far, that the Nyquil has begun to work it's magic, so without further adieu, on with the pictures . . .

Before her Winter (because we dare not say Christmas) Performance

(That sign in the Christmas Tree says "Santa Stop Here" just in case he gets confused about where to leave the presents!)

Rudolph??

You pick the caption for this one . . . I'm fresh out of ideas!

The teachers performing with their cheat sheets because I think they forgot to learn the words to their song!

C.C.'s teacher, Mrs. R, front row in the white (not looking at her cheat sheet!)

I don't know any of these First Graders, but aren't they cute in their little reindeer hats and shirts?

Guess which child thinks her second home is the stage?

Some of the Fifth Graders rockin' out to Jingle Bell Rock

CC informed me that the performance this year would not be as boring as last year because they had choreography this time! I think she was talking about this . . .

CC, Mrs. R, and Best Friend

CC and Mrs. H (her Fourth Grade teacher)

CC and Friend

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! Stay warm!!

Oh, if everyday was a writng assignment . . .

I received a very thoughtful card from my friend Jennie earlier this week which read, " I thought this might brighten your day! Take care of yourself! I am thinking about you guys." Enclosed was CC's writing assignment for the day. I'll just fix all of the spelling and grammar as I type, because this one's a doozy!

I am most thankful for my Mom. I am thankful for her because she takes care of me more than anyone else. I am also thankful for her because she does everything she can to make sure I get what I need, and that I am happy. She loves me a lot and encourages my dreams to become an actress and a singer. She takes care of me when I am sick and helps me to do better in school. I am very, very thankful for her because she pays for my musicals and drives me really far everyday for rehearsal. She gets me everything I need because it makes me happy. I owe a lot to my Mom and I am very thankful for her.

Much Sappiness Below . . .

I probably don't have any readers anymore, after my entirely too long blog hiatus and all, but here goes anyway . . .

Life has been anything but swell lately . . . well, that isn't entirely true . . . oh where to begin . . .

Little Miss Charming Child just closed her musical Aladdin with EDMT last Sunday. The experience was fabulous, as I expected it would be. It was so hard to tear her away from the theatre last Sunday night . . . she was looking for any excuse to stay. After she cleaned her assigned area, the lead girls dressing room, she asks, "Umm, do the boys need help cleaning their dressing room?" I responded, "I don't think so, but you can go home and clean the bathroom." That wasn't what she wanted to hear, oh well, I fail again.

Well, more Aladdin details and many, many, many pictures to follow . . .

. . . so, with the ending of Aladdin, came the realization that I could no longer ignore the troubles that had been brewing on the home front any longer . . . My first clue that things had become unrepairable (is that even a word?) should have been when all of my jewelry started breaking . . . the heart charm came off of my anklet, my XOXOXOXOXOXO bracelet broke, and one of the prongs on the very first ring he ever gave me broke . . . you know (actually, you probably don't) the ring with the emerald, because when we first met he asked what color my birthstone was and I said green, he bought the emerald, and my birthstone is actually the peridot. Apparently I should have been more specific! Oh well, it made for fun memories! Soooo, I just don't know, sometimes I think, in the words of the Genie, "But, oh to be free . . ."

. . . praying for answers, slowly receiving them, will keep you informed . . .

Okay, seriously, one of these days I am going to come back here and read this and think, "Quit your whining, strap on your party shoes, and let loose!" But until then . .

Alrighty, on with the update . . . First and foremost, I have a very important, and extremely overdue, letter to write, so grab your horses and hold'em for just a minute while I do so . . .

Dear Heavenly Father Above,

You know better than anyone that I am not very good about sending out 'Thank You's ' (or anything for that matter) in a timely fashion. Though I have verbally expressed my gratitude numerous times the past few weeks, I wanted to formally thank you as well.

Though there are not enough words to describe how grateful I am, I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and to Heaven and back, for wrapping your arms around my vehicle and guiding me safely to my destination on that fateful afternoon of November 8, 2007.

I will forever be indebted to you, as if I am not already.

Love,

Me

. . . Okay, I can now breath a sigh of relief, I have been putting that off, though I don't know why, for almost a month now. . .

So, the day was November 8, 2007, the destination was an Elementary School in El Dorado Hills where theatre rehearsal was being held. CC and I hopped into the car after school , cranked up the radio, because that is the only way to travel, and began our hour long trek to rehearsal, just like we had done so many days before . . . only this time, we were headed to a destination that I had only been to twice before, over the river and through the woods, halfway to Grandma's house, on a two-lane road . . . We pulled into the parking lot, and it was there that it dawned on me and hit me like a ton of bricks, " I have no idea how we got here!"

"During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

I remember in high school watching the movie Red Asphalt in Drivers Ed. You know the movie with all of the blood and the road, and . . . oh, nevermind! (Is nevermind one word or two? Why does this dumb blogger always tell me it's spelled wrong? AAHHHH!) Then, after the movie, my teacher talked about Road Hypnosis as if it was right up there with driving drunk . . . I remember thinking, "How dumb! Why would someone focus on a dotted line on the road?"

Well, I am living proof, Thank you, God, that Road Hypnosis does exist. It's real, it's terrifying!!

And, I'm moving on . . .

This is by far the most scattered post ever . . . is anyone still reading??

Now, I want to apologize to all of my friends whom I have not had any time for while I was completely consumed by Aladdin (the show, not the character, besides he's too young for me!)Ibeebarbie, we are definitely catching up soon, I've missed you terribly! Teachbroeck, thank you so much for your email. Though composed of few words, it meant the world to me! My friend Jennie (CC's teacher) the words "Let me know if there is anything I can do," mean more to me than you'll ever know, thank you! And Diane, thanks for letting me call you and be a raving maniac without being judged! Amy, my Spyquest sidekick, this was a busy time for both of us, but dinner at BJ's, though short, was just what I needed. Oh, and how can I forget our short jaunt to Alicia's house . . . Remember this conversation?

Amy: Are you going to Alicia's tonight

Me: I want to, but I can't stay long, CC has a lot of homework and we have a long drive home.

Amy: Okay, let's go together. I can't stay long either because I have to feed the baby.

Me: Sounds great, we'll leave her house by 7:30

Amy: Perfect!

(drive to Alicia's house)

Amy: Let's get our story straight. You have homework and a long drive, I have a baby to feed. We're leaving no later than 7:30.

Me: Yep

(At Alicia's house)

Me: Umm, Amy, it's 8:17, maybe we should go.

Amy: Oh no, the baby!! (frantically searching for cell phone to call husband!)

Amy and I , and Ingrid at Alicia's house.

Good times, definitely!!

AAAAHHHHHH, Aladdin . . . absolutely spectacular, everything about it! The director/choreographer, the kids, the teenagers, the parents, the set, everything . . . Speaking of teenagers, this was the first show we did with the infamous EDMT Teenagers, and let me say they surpassed their reputation of being the best teenagers in the world, by far! I am seriously telling you, I have never met nicer teenagers in my life . . . nice, helpful, caring, compassionate, funny, friendly, respectful, all around great role models. They had such a positive impact on CC, which is great because all of those qualities are exactly what I would wish for her to have as a teenager . . . Oh Genie, please grant me this wish!! She was just a completely different person in the presence of them . . . so much so, that one would never be able to guess that on any given day, before rehearsal, she was just throwing a fit because, oh, I don't know, the weather didn't meet her freakin' sky-high expectations!! Unfortunately, I couldn't take the teenagers home with me at night, so usually things were back to status quo once rehearsal commenced . . . but, hey, "Stick with what you know!"

Hey, maybe I should start a business . . .I'll call it, Rent an EDMT Teenager for a Night. Well, actually that wouldn't be a very good business venture for me because I would be the one spending all of the money . . . Okay, on to my next brilliant idea . . .markers that only write on special paper . . . Umm, okay, out of ideas!!

I am such a space cadet tonight! I need to focus on the task at hand . . . Oh goodness, what IS the task at hand?

During Aladdin, CC and I got to catch up with friends we don't see very often, and make new friends . . . like my new friend, Teri, whom I love so much!! My partner in crime, Mean Mom #2 (take a guess at who was coined #1) . . . Thanks for all of the laughs, thanks for keeping me sane when I just knew certain children (who shall remain nameless) were going to be the death of me during rehearsal ("back row" hahaha), thanks for helping me when I discovered I could strangle myself with my Rehearsal Monitor "necklace"!! Come to think of it, you didn't help me at all, you laughed until tears streamed down your face if I remember correctly, which I do!! It was funny though, I loved that day!!! Memories . . .

Okay guys, if there are any of you left STILL reading . . . I have so much more to say, and so little brain power, so I will leave you with pictures, lots and lots of pictures . . . Enjoy!!

Aladdin Poster Blitz Team

We blitzed like no other (except the team that won!)

Yep, we parked there, and we weren't even there for the food!!

Rehearsal Pictures (Sorry, I love them!)

Also, sorry for the out of order-ness!

Uh oh, the Princess is in the marketplace

"Sometimes I just feel so . . . trapped."

"It's the only marketplace we have."

"Oops."

"Look what we have here boys, a street mouse!"

"Unhand him, by order of the Princess!"

"He's a Prince, at least he was to Me."

(By the way, you should hear her voice . . . Amazing.)

"Does anyone out there speak carpet?"

"The ever impressive, often imitated, but never duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, Genie of the Lamp!"

and he wants to know

"Did O.J. take my stuff too?"

"I'm dying to know . . . did they, or did they not find Nemo?"

"Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherazade had a thousand tales . . . "

"C'mon, whisper what it is you want. You ain't never had a friend like me."

"Some ol' powerful Genie you are. Can't do this, can't do that, probably can't even get us out of this cave."

Turbulent Carpet Ride

(No lines here, sorry!)

"Will I ever see you again, Aladdin?"
"Aladdin, is that you?"

Jasmine and Aladdin just hangin' out, seeing the world!

Safe landing . . . it's about to get mushy!

Now begins the out of order-ness!

CC as the Egyptian Queen

The evil (but only in character) Jafar and his feathered side-kick, Iago.

Genie and CC

"Oh Genie, why the blue face?"

Bunch of genies . . . CC is the one in blue!

Sultan happy, Jasmine, not so much!

Genie and Jasmine

He's going to Disneyland!

"Don't you dare close your eyes. Hold your breath it gets better."

What can I say? She's Egyptian, she always walks this way.

Merchant costume

Genie, Jasmine and part of the birthday crew

P.S. CC celebrated her 11th birthday during the run of the show.

CC and friends

Prince Ali is not who he says he is . . .

Phenomenal leads . . . original photo courtesy of Darla Wells Photography