Merry almost Christmas

Hay!!!

(I spelled that wrong on purpose.) Anyway, there are a few things to post, so I will commence with the picture stuff. . .

Here are pictures from Tacey's Basketball Season; they had a rough start, and even with NEVER managing to have a full week of practice, they won 5 of their 12 games. She is going to play co-ed ball with the city this year, and the boys have already started practice, so Basketball is by no means over in this house. At least this year the boys are close enough in age to be on the same team, so only one early morning game to go to on Saturdays. Tacey's games will be during the week, so all should be fun!

Tacey and Katelyn, waiting for the other team to come down and TRY to make a basket!

That's Mikayla shooting a foul shot and Tacey preventing the other team from getting the rebound.
This is the team and one of their managers after their very last game - which they won. There is (front row) Tacey, Indi Young, Cameron Welty (manager) , (back row) Kytana Baum, Abbey Higham, Mikayla Sobieski, Katelyn Cox, Cheyanne Driscoll, Jennifer Richards, Emily Goodworth, Ashlyn Yancey, and Taelyr Pettingil. We are missing Korrina Morgan in this picture, but hey, getting a bunch of hot, sweaty girls out of a locker room when there are boys present is a difficult task!

Also, I am activities commitee chariperson for the ward. THAT means that since I was put in 3 weeks ago, I had 3 weeks to put on the ward Christmas party. All of this concludes with a visit from Santa. Here are the pictures we took this year with Santa!

The kids with Santa!!

Mac and Santa

Dallin and Santa

Tacey and Santa

Shane and Santa!!!

(There are benefits to being the one holding the camera. . . you notice MY picture is not there!!!)

Also, I understand Andrea tagged me, while I usually think these things are dumb, I will do it - just for her!

1. Who's your favorite person (outside of family)? Umm, not to be a religious freak, but it would be Jesus. I talk to him quite frequently.

2. What's your favorite food?Duh, you know me, you know this answer: CHOCOLATE

3. What are some quirks about you? I find deep, personal, spiritual meaning in weird places - like Broadway Musical Soundtracks.

4. Do you have any regrets in your life?If I have any, they involve not being nice enough, or helping out enough. There are probably so many of those I wouldn't even want to remember them all.

5. What's your favorite charity/cause?I'm with Andrea on this one; Make A Wish. No, I haven't given them any money, although I would like to someday. HOWEVER, if they need a volunteer for a role-playing wish like that guy who plays the super-villian on that commercial - all they have to do is ask.

6. What is your favorite blog recently? Jenni's blog where Payton proposed. Too cute.

7. What is something you can't get enough of? Chocolate

8. What's the worst job you've ever had?Easy, stocking shoes at Payless when I was in college.

9. What job would you pay not to have? After school drama instructor at Shelley High School - LONG STORY, don't ask.

10. Do you have a guilty pleasure?Chocolate - I see a theme here.

11. Do you have any confessions?Nope, my mouth runneth over, you all know it anyway.

12. If you had $1000 dollars to spend on yourself, how would you spend it? Another trip to NYC.

13. What's your favorite thing about your house?It is still worth pretty close to what I (we) paid for it, even with the economy

14. What's your least favorite thing about your house?The debris left by my children that makes me trip and fall on my bad foot.

15. What is one thing you are bad at?"Saving money. Most of my pants have burn holes in the pockets..." This was Andrea's answer, but I couldn't say it better myself, so I figured why try.

16. What is one thing you are good at?Easy; teaching Theatre - I wish someone would pay me mediocre money at a College or University so I could do it.

17. If you could change one thing about your circumstances, what would it be?That I could teach at a College or University.

18. Who would you like to meet someday?ummm, right now it would be Lyn-Manuel Miranda. He wrote the most amazing latin based musical that won the Tony Award for Best Musical last year. I saw it on my most recent trip - I still cry EVERYTIME I listen to the soundtrack. It also doesn't help that my kids have completely memorized it and sing it all the time.

19. What makes you feel sexy? My husband.

20. Who is your real life hero?My Mom.

21. What is the hardest part of your job? Which one? I have three. I guess getting out of bed before 8:00 am.

23. What can you not live without? My family.

24. Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists?I can't answer that right now, I am too busy looking in the mirror. (just kidding)

25. Why do you blog?Because my family does not live in the arctic tundra as I do and my parents need to see their grandkids. So, the rest of you getting to be vicariously involved is just a bonus.

26. Who are you tagging? I tag Laura - she can do it when she's not helping at Jefferson Montessori!!

On a last note, friday was a pretty, fall-like day. It was about 42 degrees, but then Saturday it was WINTER with vengence - 2 feet in the front yard. BRRRRRRRR!

-Danielle

How long has this been going on. . .

Here it is, almost Thanksgiving and I have posted no new pictures or updates; shame on me. So Lets see. . . what has been consuming our time. . .
Shane is working very hard - he had to go back to New York, we were both sad I couldn't go with him.
Dallin has his days consumed with 4th grade, tap dance lessons, GT (Gifted and Talented Education), Weblos and Apangea. Apangea is an online computer math program that lets kids work and go as fast and as far in math as they want. He can work at school as well as home. There were only a handful of kids NOT in Junior High School that were allowed to participate.
McCade is consumed with 3rd grade, tap dance lessons, Wolves and the IFYAC fall show titled "A Night on Broadway".
Tacey has the 7th grade (and all of those inherent problems), 5 dance classes (which she hasn't actually had time to go to in the last 1 1/2 months), the 7th grade girls Basketball team (which WON!!!!! on Tuesday), the IFYAC show and the constant function of her fingers as she has a obscene texting habit.
I have been up to my ears in my three jobs, not to mention actually taking care of my family!!!!

The IFYAC show was something I got myself involved in; me and my opinionated, big mouth. Anyway, I had 6 rehearsals to put together a musical revue that actually made sense and was of a quality people would actually pay to come to see, using the membership of the Idaho Falls Youth Arts Council. I have to say, all things considered, it did come together. The individual numbers went off pretty much exactly as I had expected them to, the only UNFORESEEN glitch in the process was a mass case of stage fright that gripped about half of the people who had been assigned Narrations. Regardless, the organization sold substantially more tickets than they had planned on. In addition, it made them a nice amount of money to help fill up the checkbook.
This little event also involved Tacey who played Chava in the section that was an 'Ode to Fiddler on the Roof' (which means she and two other girls did the song 'Matchmaker' and the scene around that.) McCade was just his cute little completely reserved and full of stage presence self and sang his 'Gary, Indiana' in the Music Man section. He was a big hit.

Now we are looking forward to Jazz Basketball, and I will be auditioning people for and getting ready to direct the show out at Jefferson Montessori. It should be fun.

I think the biggest victim in all our craziness is Koda, who thinks his family has abandoned him . . .

Halloween 2008

Well, lets see. . .

The kids had NO SCHOOL today. They called it a teacher workday; it is the end of the quarter and they needed time to put in grades and what not. *WHATEVER!* I think they just didn't want to deal with a bunch of very excited children!

Anyway. . .

We had our traditional pizza dinner, the headed to the Trunk-or-Treat sponsored by the PTA. It was there that I remembered that I forgot to take their pictures at home! So this year everyone gets to see them in their costumes with a beautiful parking lot background!

Tacey decided to adopt my favorite college costume this year and went as Roadkill.

Tacey's injuries up close.

Tacey as roadkill. Didn't know that motorized vehicles ran in her Grandmother's front room, but there you go!

I think the cell phone hanging out of her pocket is a nice effect.

Dallin as Commander Rex from Star Wars Clone Wars

We noticed after the fact that the mask/helmet had no allowance for anyone to have a nose. His nose left a big print on the mask and was a red and squished at the end of the night. He totally didn't care. Ah, to be that young again. . .

(Actually it brings back a memory of crying while in my Raggedy Ann costume when I was little as my Dad wrapped Red electrical tape around my socks so they would be appropriately striped. I think Dallin handled the pain of an awesome costume better than I did.)

McCade as a Race car driver. We aren't into racing, so I don't know which one he is - I think he is Dale Earnhardt Jr. but I could be mistaken.

As I was saying (or typing) we did the Trunk-or-Treat then hit the most 'kid' populated neighborhoods; we also took along Wyatt their cousin.

Tacey and I had a favorite costume(s) that night. There was a little girl, possibly kindergarten or first grade who was Little Red Ridinghood. She had a sister that wasn't a whole lot older who went as Granny, complete with metal walker, and then their Dad was the Big Bad Wolf. It was SO cute!

As usual I overbought in the Candy department. I don't know why I bother; we are never home so we never give any out! But then we all know I would stop eating chocolate, but I am NOT A QUITTER!

This is a final funny for you - this is McCade putting on his helmet. This is a second replay. He did it once, but of course I didn't have the camera running, so we made him do it again.

What would we do without him in our family?

Happy Halloween!

Danielle

My Wonderful Husband

Okay. . .

so a few years ago I made a random off hand comment about things I would never have or be able to do. Among those things were completing my China Dinnerware that I began getting pieces for at our wedding. One Christmas not too much later, Shane completed the set. Since then he has systematically tried to check each one of these things off my list. Now, I have to admit that I don't remember the list; but he does. THAT is because he is a wonderful husband. One major thing on the list was that I had never been to Manhattan to see shows. Yep, me the person who lives, breathes and eats theatre had never been to Manhattan - although I did have it lined up to go live with a friend of mine there before I met this wonderful man. Anyway, back to the story. . .

Shane had a portable floor to put in in Staten Island, and asked if I wanted to tag along. I have to admit, it was HORRIBLE timing as far as my new job, and the show I am writing/directing and the kid's schedules are concerned, but I moved heaven and earth, farmed out the kids, did whatever it took to go. I am EXTREMELY grateful to the WONDERFUL people who took the kids and the dog, so that I could go have the most AMAZING weekend.

We left after we got the kids to school on Thursday, drove to SLC and flew to Long Island with a layover in Chicago. I have been to Midway Airport before, but since it was dinner time and we had been living on only airline peanuts and chips for awhile, we had dinner. I decided to embrace the 'Chicagoness' and eat a hot dog! (yep, those are cheesy fries too. No diet this weekend!)

Shane ate a Philly Cheesesteak. I don't know why - we weren't in Philadelphia! We got to Long Island very late, and got a few hours sleep. The next morning we got up and went to go meet the client. The first route from Long Island to Staten Island took us through part of NYC. It was SO fun to drive there! (Actually Shane did the driving and that was a good thing.) It reminded me of when my Grandfather used to drive in Tijuana; all lines and lights are negotiable as long as you don't kill anyone or get killed yourself! We passed where they had the World's Fair in Queens. Can anyone say 'Men In Black'?The end of our drive brought us to a hotel at the Newark Airport. So we actually slept in New Jersey. Then to the College of Staten Island to meet the client. We were there for several hours getting things arranged and organized, but then we went to the dock and got on the Staten Island Ferry. We got off, and jumped on the Subway. THAT WAS FUN! We rode it and came out on 42nd street and took the short stroll to Times Square. I think I found my true home-away-from -home.Don't I look like a 'New Yorker'?

Shane asked me what I wanted to do in New York before we came. I just looked at him. He asked "Do you want to spend a day in Central Park? Ride the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty? What would you like to do?" I just looked at him. He said "You just want to see shows, don't you?". YES!!!!!! What else is a trip for New York for? The other stuff is nice, but the whole point of Manhattan is theatre - as far as I am concerned. (This story is important so you understand everything else. . .). We walked around taking notes of where all the theatres were, then had dinner. This is me in front of 'Legally Blonde'; Tacey's favorite musical.

Okay, the coolest part about this particular client (to me), was that his brother-in-law manages/runs the Neil Simon Theatre. The David Letterman Show tapes just down the street from the Neil Simon Theatre.

The Neil Simon Theatre would be where 'Hairspray' is currently playing.

He got us not only complimentary tickets, but complimentary tickets in the SIXTH ROW! The role of the mother, Edna, is always played by a large man, and we were privileged to see George Wendt play her. For those of you who aren't completely familiar with actors by just their names, George Wendt is most well known for the years he spent playing 'Norm' on the NBC television show 'Cheers'. We were so close we got his sweat on us!

The next day we rode the ferry again back to Manhattan; it was a cloudy, overcast, rainy day - but a bad weather day in Manhattan is better than a lot of days anywhere else! I got a first-hand look at the Statue of Liberty. (See? I didn't need to take that other ferry!)

There it is - Manhattan - it has got to be at the tip top of my list of coolest places on the planet!The famous subway station. When we got off the subway, we walked right into the amazing street performers. I felt like I had just walked into a scene from 'August Rush'. I stood in the tkts line; for those of you who are not theatre maniacs (and there probably are some), the tkts booth is a part of the Theatre Development Alliance. On the day of the show, if the seats are not as full as they would like, the theatres send their tickets to the tkts booth where they are sold for a discount. this discount is usually 35%-50% off original price. I got both Shane and I great seats to 'Young Frankenstein'. I crossed that off my 'Things-to-d0-so-I-am-a-truly-knowledgeable-theatre-person' list. Then we wandered.

George M. Cohan - the Father of Broadway! He lives in the middle of Times Square. I found my sister's (Andrea's) true home-away-from-home; a World of Disney store in Manhattan. I can still hear it calling her name. Then we went to the show.

I have to say - it was WAY better then the movie. (Although the movie will ALWAYS be a classic). As I can't really walk well long distances yet AND we had Jet Lag AND Shane had to be at work at 7:00 am, we called it a night after some Famous Ray's Pizza.

The next day, I took off on a solo mission - it was a nice quiet Sunday on the Ferry. I got off, went to get on the subway, but a bunch of the rails were closed for repairs. SO, I had to find alternate routes. I began with a trip to Ground Zero. These pictures really don't need words.

After a good long visit to Ground Zero, I started to walk to the subway. There was this really old church with a graveyard. It obviously had lots of people milling about, so I went in. The gravestones were so old the names had cracked and fallen off. But I found a sign that talked about since it was right next to the World Trade Center, it had been used as a triage center. Then I found another sign that said it was the building in the United States that had the longest continual usage since it was built. That was cool - but as I read on I learned that this was the church where George Washington had gone to church and where he had taken his oath of office to be the first President of the United States. Okay, that was wicked-freakin'-awesome! I was standing where George Washington had stood! That lifted my spirits. I then got on the WRONG Subway. It was blue, I was looking for Yellow or Red. I got out at the next stop not wanting to make a bad mistake worse by ending up in the Bronx or something and found myself in SoHo. I pulled out my map, took a cute little 2 block walk and got on what I hoped was the Red #1 train.

UNFORTUNATELY, they were doing repairs on the Subway this weekend. (Might have had something to do with the NYC Marathon the following weekend.) So, the Red #1 train was REALLY a Yellow #2 train that kept telling me it was going one place when it was really going another. BUT, I didn't get lost and I got to Times Square.

I did some souvenir shopping, laughed at the naked cowboy, (don't know who these women are, but I wasn't going to pay $2.00 for some mostly naked man to grab my backside. So I watch other weird people do it!) and enjoyed the feel of the city.

Then I got ready to go to the Matinee of 'In The Heights'. As I stood in line to go in the theatre I realized I was right by the stage door. I have radar for such things - ask my sister Laura.

Oh, I now have a new favorite musical. I started crying half way through the first act, and cried for the next two days. IT WAS AMAZING! I am get lynched for this - but I like it better than 'Wicked'.Unfortunately, I had a VERY early flight in the morning, so I had to take the Subway back to the Ferry, the ferry back to the Island, get back to the car, drive in the car back to the hotel to get back to the airport to get back on a plane VERY EARLY in the morning. Good bye Manhattan.At least I got an amazing view of the Statue of Liberty at sunset.We stopped for dinner in Brooklyn. And then I was at the airport at 6:30 in the morning. After 15 1/2 hours that involved a plane ride, a layover in Vegas where the slot machines don't like quarters, another flight, a shuttle ride to Idaho Falls and a drive in a borrowed car I ended up at home.

I don't think the kids missed me at all, at least the dog did!

Danielle

What I have learned from Flag Football and other mind warp moments

Well, the boys played Flag Football this year. McCade wanted to play LAST year but with Grad School and Shane traveling, it just wasn't logistically feasible, so I promised him I wouldn't do a show this fall so I could get him to, and attend his football games. As always, the other kids were given the option of playing as well. Actually, we didn't offer that to Tacey, she was too busy running cross country. Dallin did decide to play however! I decided that I should take them to an actual game before they played, so I took them to the Shelley High School game when they played Firth (their bitter rivals!). Before long, Dallin had the game down; being the logical mind that he is. McCade ran around and played with his friends, and I didn't see Tacey all night except for when she needed money. It is sometimes really nice to live in a town that is still safe enough to let your kids run with their friends in a public place and worry about what will happen to them. Anyway, what I have learned from Flag Football;

1. The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

By this I mean that even though it is FLAG football, you still get your hiney slammed into the grass if you aren't aggressive.

2. Almost Only Counts In Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and Atom Bombs

McCade was very good at ALMOST getting the flags off of people, but it only counts if you actually manage to grab the flag.

3. The Simplest Advice Is Usually The Best

The final words from the coach before the start of every game; "Have fun, if you get the ball - run THAT WAY!"

Other exciting news. . .
Tacey made the Basketball team!

This is their first official team meeting. I swear, I was more nervous when she went into the coach's office to get her 'yes' or 'no' than I have EVER been for an audition. (And I get majorly freaked out before an audition. . . it isn't pretty.)

This is Tacey, Katelyn and Jennifer. You probably recognize Katelyn from Tacey's city basketball team last year.

This is Tacey and Mikayla.

Gotta love that Russet Pride!

Other news. . .

I had hinted in an earlier blog that I had a new job! Well this one brings my 'Official Job Total', to three. I began my new job as the music specialist for Stuart Elementary the Monday we got back from Spud Harvest. We had kept it a secret from the boys, so on the day I taught THEIR classes I told them. It was fun to get all the classes I had visited before to 'keep the secret', until I had the chance to tell them myself. They were reserved at school, but admitted they thought it was cool later in the day. I now have a lunch date with one or the other of my boys every Wednesday at the deluxe, top quality cafeteria! That is two of Dallin's best friends Willson and John sitting behind him, and that is cute little Brie with the broken arm. She has been one of McCade's best friends since first grade.

So, being the person I am, I am writing a grant to get their equipment updated. Seriously, who uses a stereo anymore? (With the exception of my Mom who still uses a tape deck, but that is another thing altogether). In the meantime, I am downloading stuff onto my iPod and taking my dock. On the upside, my obvious knowledge of technology gives me instant 'street cred' with the kids.

Danielle