Let the Nutcrackering Begin

With the exception of Thanksgiving Day, last week was taken over by the Nutcracker.  The boys rehearsed downtown on Monday and Tuesday evenings and then ALL day up in Ogden on Wednesday.  Friday and Saturday were each double performances in Ogden. 

Abe and I took turns getting our volunteering duty out of the way by riding the bus up with the kids each day and chaperoning and helping in the dressing rooms.

Here are the Ballet West A cast (Cannon) and B cast Fritzs.

Some of the days we rode Trax downtown before getting on the bus up to Ogden.   Three days of grand adventure for awesome boys.

We got to go out to eat in between shows.

It was all a little too much for George on one of the rides home.  But the boys loved it and loved hanging out with the cast in the dressing room and backstage so much.

We hadn't planned to watch the show up in Ogden, because Abe and I were going to go in Salt Lake later in December.  But then I checked and realized the girls and I could get rather inexpensive seats and so we planned a Foxy Ladies outing.
I mean, how many chances will they get to see both their brothers in such a production?!

We met up with Abe (who'd been chaperoning) and the boys afterwards.  I can't say enough good things about the show, the evening, the whole experience.  Cannon as Fritz was magnificent!  I absolutely loved watching him.  Spot on! Top ten proud mom moments of my whole life.  This was George's first time on such a big stage and he's probably the youngest cast member, and he was right where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing.  GEORGE FOR THE WIN!

And in between all this Nutcrackering, we, well, mostly just Abe & Faith, got Christmas up at home.

How cute are they?  Long live the Santa hats!

And check it out!  We got this picture from a member in Texas-- Clark is sporting his Santa hat as well!  He's so wonderful!  Hey!  We've passed the 11 month mark!  We're almost to the halfway point of his mission.  Amazing.

Thanksgiving 2018

When we are all together there is far too much quoting of movies, books, comedy sketches and stupid you tube videos.  It is obnoxious and hilarious (to us anyway)  and we have way too much fun cracking ourselves up with this cryptic language we speak.
But there is another game we play as well.  It's called, "Is This 80's Star Alive or Dead?"  Thanks to Abe, our children know waaay too much about the tragic deaths of 80's rockstars.  Here's how it works.  A song comes on the radio, or Abe puts on a 80's playlist.  He shouts out, "ALIVE or DEAD?"  Then the children yell out the answer and I must say, they are remarkably accurate.
Extra points if they can name how they died.  We are all concerned about the number of deaths involving drugs and bathtubs.
So anyway, this was us on the way to Thanksgiving dinner at Andrea and Jame's home downtown.  We don't join them for Thanksgiving every year, but often enough that it has become a treasured tradition of sorts.

Our contribution to the feast was mashed potatoes and rolls.  We take our roll making responsibilities very seriously.  And I don't want to brag or anything (read: I totally want to brag), but I make killer good rolls.

This is me in the act of making rolls.  It is a happy place for me because it makes me think of my mom-- who was the queen of amazing roll making.

I dare say I'm looking rather queenly myself!

The adults table.

The teens and young adults and Shan:)

The kids table.

Dinner was just what Thanksgiving dinner ought to be-- delicious and filling and satisfying.  It would appear that George "winning" the breaking of the wishbone was the greatest thing that has ever happened to him.  He is easily pleased with life.  It's a good thing.

It was so nice to see Raven and Bethany-- childhood friends-- reunited again.  Raven has been away at college.

Our Thanksgiving activity was making gingerbread houses.  I think this one won the award for "Most Stuff on the Roof".

Bethany and Raven

George and Michael-- DEAD!!! He's a dead 80's rockstar!

Elinor and Peter

Nathan, Korryn, London, and Abe

Our finished products.

We watched Incredibles 2.  

And then pie with this view.  It was a very good Thanksgiving, indeed.

November Has Been Good To Us

I think I'll begin this blogging session with Cannon's rendering of yours truly.  In case you can't make out the words-- "Do your school or I'll beat you!"
For the record, I have said those words, but there have been no beatings.  I particularly appreciate the squiggly lines on my chin, which Cannon "assures" me are not hairs, rather they are creases/wrinkles.  Oh thank goodness.  He had me worried.
I also enjoy the crazy different sized eyes and the angry eyebrows.  To say nothing of my attractive, full head of hair.  In all seriousness though, look at my full, luscious lip!  Ooh, la la!  I am hot!
Ha ha ha!  We all had a good laugh over this.

Elinor and friends recently decorated one of their friends room for his sixteenth birthday.  Since they all have recently turned, or are close to turning 16, none of them can drive themselves and/or friends around yet.  Consequently, I got to be chauffeur and the price of my services was that I get to be in on the fun and get to take pictures.  Perks of the job:)

They are fabulous and I love them and I never want them to leave.
Well, I don't want them to live at home forever.  A simple pause button on life will suffice.

She's there for moral support when George practices the piano. 

'Tis the season to beg for money to buy a gift for yourself.  So proud.

When I come home from a date with Abe to find the D&D gang hanging in the basement it makes me so happy!  I mean, I knew they were coming, but still-- it is the happiest thing to come home to.  I swear, these people have no idea how much they have helped me cope with Clark being gone on the mish.  

Peter and Greta and me playing a game of memory.  Peter always wins.  Is anyone surprised?  I mean, I have my pride, but I'm not taking that bullet.

There was a warmish November day a couple weeks back and we played at a park.  The older kids got a lot more "park time" than these younger ones do.  That's okay, because younger kids life is much better in other ways.  Even still, it was a delight and I must remember how much they love it.

Perfection.

Intensity.

Creativity.

Excitement.

A really bad toddler mullet.

Mr. Money Eyes.  It's kind of like when a cartoon character gets money signs on their eyes.  

She sings.  She dances.  We are smitten.

Mostly they scream, wrestle, dog pile, tease, and jump on and off furniture all day long.  So you will allow me this moment to enjoy them sitting still and quietly looking at a book together.    

Greta snacked on a box of spinach this week... because, as we've already covered... she is perfect.

Then she played with it on the counter for 45 minutes.  And I didn't stop her, because-- HELLO!--she was happy and adorable and she is the eighth child.  Don't judge.

The Brothers Fox sharing a Christmas story.  Cannon really is a most excellent reader of stories-- so animated.  

Elinor loves swimming SO MUCH that if she goes more than 36 hours without getting in the water, she gets rather salty-- it's like she's a mermaid or something and has to be in the water to live!  After practice(s) each day she is on cloud nine and loves everything and everyone.  Just stay away from her on a Sunday evening after a weekend of no practice.

Last week Elinor went to the hospital to have an upper GI scan due to some severe reflux she has been dealing with for several months.  They were checking for a hiatal hernia-- which thankfully she doesn't have.  But it was her first experience with a hospital gown and she was having too much fun.

You work that hospital gown, girlfriend!

Oh, she has been working hard!  Senior year is full of pressures and choices and enduring to the end!  Bethany is a week away from her senior recital, performing a concerto she's worked on for well over a year.  She is getting important auditions ready and working teaching swim lessons every day and school and we are pretty darn proud of her efforts.  She makes it look easy, but it's not my hat is off to her.