Is It Naptime Yet

While I participated in the play Jon was wonderful and supportive of me and my craziness. There were times he had to remind me that when I volunteer myself, I volunteer our whole family, and I tried hard to keep a balance, but towards opening night and crunch time I greatly neglected our home and him.

Jon took the two weeks off for the run of the play. Mostly he did this because he needed to use leave time, but it helped me, even if it wasn’t ideal for him, to get things accomplished. For his first week he spent much of his time taking care of house and kids while I stayed up way to late working on projects and slept in too late catching up on sleep. He did take one or two hiking days for himself, but was also wonderful with helping me. After the first week was over he asked if he could start his real vacation, AKA not have to do dishes, laundry or be neglected by his wife everyday. The second week we had more time together, but much of if was spent with the girls and me sleeping in and me trying to get a little more order to the chaos that had become our home. I had sewing machines, sergers, make-up, curlers and other things I was using for the play around the house in specific areas so I wouldn’t forget them if I needed to take them or because I had no where else to put them. (AKA right in the middle of my living room.)

Our schedule was pretty crazy. Wake up around 9:30 am, hopefully have breakfast by 10:30 am. Then we’d do stuff, like put curlers in hair or dishes, Eat lunch sometime around 1. I would take a shower at 3:30pm and be occupied doing face stuff an putting curlers in till we left at 4:45pm to 5 pm. Come home from play around 10:15pm and get girls into bed by 10:45- 11 pm. Even though I had a few hours each day to do things, it seemed to get taken up with trips to the store or other miscellaneous things that seemed important.

Poor Jon is also an early bird, so he was usually up for 3 or more hours before us, and went to bed right as we got home. With sewing for weeks and staying up till 2 or 3 am, my sleep schedule changed, and so I now sleep from 2 am till 9 or 10 am. It’s not good, I’m hoping to change it back to a more acceptable schedule, even though I love watching 30 Rock on my TV via the Wii and Netflix till the wee hours of the morning.

We did see Toy Story 3 in 3D as a family one morning. We all loved it, and Eden loved it, though there was one scary part that she had to be held for. I think the suspense of the situation was just too much for her, though she was alright once the scene was over.

I also didn’t cook for two weeks because we had potluck meals each night as a cast. Last year I think I was more considerate and tried to cook things that Jon could reheat and have a couple nights, especially since he had to feed himself and Eden, but this year I was not so thoughtful. He never once complained though and I really appreciate his patience with me as I did the play and enjoyed myself immensely each night for two weeks. (More if you count rehearsals.)

It’s nice to be back to the normal housewife, and not the crazy housewife/ seamstress/ actor. I am so very thankful for Jon and his support.

I’ll try harder next year not to volunteer our whole family for so much, but I truly appreciate the support you give me in allowing me to be a part of something I consider very special and enjoy tremendously.

I love you Babe and I’m back. Just in time to take care of the ant problem we’re having. 😉

Disclaimer: Due to several things I don’t have any pictures in this post. I hope to remedy that once I remedy the situations around not being able to use my computer. Life.

Earlier this month we celebrated Lilah’s SEVENTH birthday. That’s SEVENTH in case you missed that. I really can’t believe how fast they grow.

This year was Lilah’s turn for a big party, but with the play going on, finding a weekend to give a big party was a problem, so we talked and discussed and decided a real party at Chuck E’ Cheese is what we would do this year. Real as in we pay for the special treatment and have an official party there, rather then just going there on her birthday and playing games. With the real party, Chuck E’ Cheese came out and made a visit. Lilah was sung to and danced with Chuck E’. She also got to go in the ticket blaster and won 760 tickets! (Really we both went into the ticket blaster, she thought it would be really loud inside and was nervous. She was literally shaking before it was turned on, then it wasn’t that loud and she was fine. ) We invited some family and friends and I think she had lots of fun with the attention being on her. Then the cast of kids for Cinderella sang to her before our opening night performance. It was a little low key, but we still tried to make it special for her and help enjoy her day.

Lilah is growing so much and definitely showing her independence. I’m amazed at how giving and kind Lilah can be and I know she loves her family. Sunday afternoon I was cuddling and playing with the girls in my bed and Eden asked me to tell a story. I told a very short one and then asked Eden to tell one, but she was saying she couldn’t think of anything. I then suggested we get something for her to tell a story with, since she takes nearly anything and will start thinking and making a story up with that object. Lilah really liked this idea, even as Eden seemed skeptical, so Lilah brought Eden our bin of small toys of fish and bugs so Eden could tell a story. Eden told a couple and then Lilah took a turn telling a story with the different toys. I loved being a part of this genuine and kind moment between the girls. Sometimes it’s easy to remember all the arguments and disagreements the girls have, but really Lilah is a wonderful big sister. Throughout the whole play Eden stayed by Lilah’s side while I was performing and practicing for the play. Lilah helped Eden with very little complaint and the togetherness they shared was priceless.

As Lilah grows she tests her growing independence and it can be difficult, but I try to remind myself that she’s getting older and is trying to figure who she is and I’m just here to guide her, not control her. It’s interesting to see Lilah grow and rewarding to watch and be a part of it.

She was my first baby and who made me a mother. I wish I could pause time and have more time with her in these precious years.

I love you Lilah and I am so happy to be your mother.

Well I haven’t posted in a while and I thought I’d do one final plug for the play, since I’m plugging it all the time on Facebook.

I took a few pictures of some of the cast and me last week. It’s not everyone just a few of who I could find in the halls at the time. I’ve edited them so I could put them on Facebook in hopes of generating some interest. Not sure if it worked, but I also like play make-up and hair so it was fun to post me in it. I love to play dress-up for the play. It’s so much fun.

Cinderella has gone pretty smoothly overall. It’s lots of fun each night and I’m actually remembering most of the dance steps! ( Knock on wood.) It helps to have a partner though, because when I forget I just look at them and figure it out, or follow their lead, especially since they’re the guy and the one leading. There are many times I forget because I’m so focused on counting, which is helpful unless you’re counting and thinking of the wrong step, or I get lost in something else since your mind sometimes gets bored of counting.

Some fun moments of the play or practise. One week Chuck was just throwing me around for our lift and it irritated my foot. I was getting so high in the air though. Now he’s a little more gentler, but we’re not as high. 🙁

Once Ken became my second dance partner, just a week before opening, I kept calling him Chuck, because I just could not remember two names. He was a really good sport about it and I now remember his name, most of the time.

I put one of my fake eyelashes on crooked on Saturday and it was really bothering me. Dena and Kerri started joking about not if I would fix the eyelash, but when I would. They seem to know I’m a perfectionist for some things. ( I ran out of time to fix it and just left it. I decided it wasn’t that noticeable and I didn’t want to have to re-due my make-up. )

Tonight I forgot my make-up, so some of the cast let me use theirs. I used MAC make-up for part of it and now I want some of my own. The fairy god mother also supplied me mascara, eye-liner and some fake eyelashes. She really has all you need in her magical bag.

So if you haven’t come out and seen the play, please do. It’s lots of fun and you never know what’s going to happen in live theater.

Go to www.lvfamilytheater.org to purchase tickets. We have just 5 more performances!

Me and the girls.
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Diana and me. She’s a The Bad Girl.
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Heidi and me. She’s first girl and I’m Second Girl. We joke that I’m Snow White and she’s Rose Red. (Many cast members have called me Snow White with my make-up and hair done.)

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Dena, our wicked step mother and me. She was Glinda last year.
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Ken, The Herald, and Chuck, The Clumsy man. I made the jacket and gold pants for Ken and the vest for Chuck.
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Me with Ken and Chuck. They’re my dance partners in the play, minus the Prince whom I also dance with. I dance with Chuck most of the time and then I finish the waltz with Ken.
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Kerri and me. She’s one of the choreographers and on the Seastrand Theater Committee with me.

For Memorial Day weekend we went up to Pine Valley with Sam, Britta, Matilda, and Grandpa Gary. We decide Memorial Day weekend because I’ll be traveling a lot in the month of July, Jon will be staying home sadly, and June is off limits with the play. So August would have been the soonest we could go unless we went this past weekend. We didn’t have play practise due to the holiday, so we seized the weekend and went on a trip.

(It might be noted that I almost stayed home to sew, but Jon didn’t think that would be very nice since the girls were looking forward to our weekend in Pine Valley for weeks. So instead I sewed while up there, though I also sat around and chatted with Sam a lot, but I proved her wrong that I would only sit around and talk to her, and not sew.)

We went up Saturday Morning and mostly hung out and let the girls play. We had smores Saturday night, and I totally want smores again. Jon and I perfected how to make smores over an electric stove. I roasted the marshmallows on a fork over the hot coil, he melted the chocolate by placing the graham crackers and chocolate on a metal spatula and holding it over the hot coil. It was fun and they were delicious.

Sunday we attended church in Pine Valley, kinda. We all went to Sacrament meeting, but Grandpa Gary took the girls back to the house for Sunday School, and Sam and I came home after Sunday School because we didn’t want to strand Grandpa Gary for too long with three little girls and one baby.

Jon took a long hike Sunday so I dropped him off on his hike around 9:00, before we went to church, and then I picked him up a little after 3, though he was finished at 2:30, he read to occupy his time. Gary gave him a pistol to take with him on the hike in case he saw any cougars, just to shot in the air to scare them away. He showed me this before the hike and it did not make me any more easy to let him go off by himself. He was prepared with his GPS and a map, but I didn’t want him being attacked by come some crazy cougar! Luckily, it was a well traveled trail and Jon saw no cougars. Gary often goes off the beaten path for his hikes or less known ones, and so I think he runs into cougars a lot more often.

We enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon and Sam baked up a storm in the kitchen while I sewed. She also entertained the girls a lot by playing games with them, or supervising games, and I sewed. We had birthday cake to celebrate my birthday, which I had last week, and we watched Ponyo that evening.

Sunday afternoon Gary also brought out some little kid bikes, that were around 35 years old, and gave them to Jon and I. I wasn’t too hot on this, but they were free. The bigger bike is still a little too small for Lilah, more Eden’s size, and the small bike is more a 3 year old size, but they work. The small one has training wells and the bigger one does not, so Lilah pushes herself along and tries to find her balance. Maybe we’ll get Lilah a bike that fits her better later this year if she learns. The one problem being we won’t let the girls ride them anywhere but the backyard or a park, and it’s getting them to the park so the have a wide open space that is my dilemma and why I didn’t want the bikes…. Jon packed them in the trunk to see how long it would take me to notice them, very quickly since I put something in the trunk before we left. I hadn’t decided to take them, but he wanted them.

Monday morning we went on a hike with Britta and the girls. It was a perfect day for the hike and the girls seemed to have fun. Our destination was a creek Jon had passed by on his hike the day before. They were tired before we got to the creek, but then wanted to go farther once there. I’m not sure how far we traveled, but the girls had fun following the creek and Lilah loved to get muddy, something I wasn’t too hot about.

We left Monday afternoon to come back home, then the girls and I went to a BBQ at my parents. Andrea, Brien, and Zarina were in town so it was nice to see them briefly Monday night. Jon stayed home since he had driven the whole way and was tired of being in the car.

Hopefully we can plan another trip for the Fall to lovely Pine Valley. The blackberries should be in season then and Gary said we could come pick some, that is if he hasn’t picked them all himself and the weather stabilizes so they can grow. I must say with the triple digits finally coming, I envy Sam and the time her and her family will be able to spend in the cooler mountain air this summer.

Yay for small weekend get-a-ways!