Nutcracker!

 What a week. My mornings were all actually pretty calm so I got some reading done and tried to prep as much as possible knowing that the crazy is coming. I went to the grocery store and the gym twice and finished shopping and did a lot of wrapping. But by afternoon, things always got crazy. Brandon had play practice and Curtis had track and a long band rehearsal one night. Then he had a meet Wednesday and didn't get home until 11pm. Wednesday was Emma's concert and it was nice. There were a lot of conflicts this week and I'm so grateful for my friends who helped. Michelle got Lily for me at dance and brought her to Emma's concert and then Thursday when Josh was out of town and I had to take Brandon to basketball, Sarah C brought my girls home from dance for me and then Saturday night my neighbor brought my boys home from Curtis's concert so we could head straight to Nutcracker. We couldn't have done it without the help and I was so grateful.

 

It was Nutcracker weekend and it was so wonderful and exhausting and I loved it and I'm glad it is over. Friday Josh was out of town so I picked up Curtis from track and the five of us went right down to the show since the girls needed to be there early. He changed and I chatted with Michelle and then we "ushered" a bit. I had signed up to scan tickets but they ran out of scanners so I stood with Michelle on the quiet side of the auditorium and mostly we just talked while helping a few people; it was so nice. The show was wonderful! Lily was on stage almost the entire first act since she was the mother in the party scene and then a rat in the battle scene and then in snow. In the second act she was in Russian and Spanish but she was also on stage for a while while the sugar plum fairy and the candy cane fairy danced. After a pretty challenging month for her between being so sick and school being hard and dance drama, it made me so happy to see her on stage all lit up. She was so beautiful and danced so well and my heart was so full of gratitude and love. She is just a lovely girl all around and I was so proud of her for her hard work and dedication even when things were tough. Emma danced really well too; she woke up super stuffed up so I could tell she was having a hard time breathing and dancing but she smiled through it and did a good job. She was only in one dance even though she could have tried out to be in others. Later she told me she regretted not trying out so I think she learned a good lesson that sometimes good and fun things take work and it is worth the effort.

 

 

(it was so cold! I wanted pics with the boys but they were in the car)

Friday night I was so tired because I had stayed up too late reading on Thursday (always hard to go to bed when Josh isn't around) but he was getting home late that night so I tried to stay up and be productive. I decided to cover my bon bons in chocolate and somehow ended up with a pot of water basically exploding all over my kitchen. It was so startling and so I decided to wait and finish in the morning when I wasn't so tired. 

Saturday was crazy crazy but I suppose that is what happens when you have hard-working, talented children. :) Josh and Curtis went to clean the church, I took the girls and Brandon to see A Caliente Christmas which was a recital of Christmas dances. Lily did a contemporary, jazz and tap number and Emma did a jazz dance. It was all to Christmas music and it was fun. Then we went straight to Brandon's basketball game (Josh met us there but Curtis was home working on his science fair project) which they lost but it was a close, good game. Ethan is on the same team so it is fun to hang out with the Howells each week. Steve and I are good cheerleaders. 

Then we went to Dairy Queen for some lunch and then the plan was for us all to go home and pick up Curtis and be in the same car for the rest of the evening but I got stuck on route 4. An accident had the road totally shut down and even though I waited for 25 min, it didn't open up. So at that point I turned around and just went to Great Mills where Curtis had to be for his band concert and met Josh and Lily there. I ran the girls down to the performing arts center and then made it back in time for the concert. Some families from the other ward were there too and it was nice to chat with them. Curtis played well and I liked three of his four songs. His band director seems a bit serious and stern and I know Curtis doesn't love him like he loved Mr. G in middle school but it seems he is having a decent enough experience. The concert got done just before 6 and Thelma took the boys home while Josh and I went back to Nutcracker. We met up with Michelle and enjoyed another great show! Two girls got injured and couldn't dance so there was so major adjustments made during the show, which stressed Emma out for some reason, but the show was great and it all worked out. I just couldn't get over how beautifully my girls danced and how Lily was just so happy on stage. She was just so bright and smiley and so beautiful. Next year will be her last one; I can't believe it! 

 

 

After the show studio company went to IHOP for dinner and to celebrate but we came home and got everyone else in bed and then I was supposed to go get her but a friend's dad brought Lily home, which I so appreciated. I do SO much driving that I think right now giving my kid a ride is just the nicest thing someone could do for me. Although I do love being with them and that is how we get a lot of our time together but still, a break now and then is awesome. 

Sunday was nice. Josh was gone almost all day with stake council and presidency meeting and training and then he made it home for about an hour and half for dinner before going back to do temple recommend interviews. Next week he has nothing though so that will be great. I played in church and one number was fine but needed more practice and the other was great. I have one more special number I'm playing next week and then I'm done. It is a bit more fun to be able to choose the special numbers and make sure I like the accompaniment rather than be asked to play for people and not love the song or the accompaniment. But it has been fun to participate; I do love Christmas music! After church Emma had her meeting with the bishop because she is going into YW in January and I can't believe it. She really is getting so grown up and it makes me so sad that Brandon is left alone in primary and in elementary school. I am excited to take her to the temple though; that is going to be wonderful. We came home and put up our downstairs tree and I helped everyone with their piano songs and made dinner and then we made cookies for my recital tonight.