Raspberries

We have this fantastic U-Pick Farm with in a thirty minute drive from our house.  Every year I think about getting the kids out in the fields to pick, but by the time I am thinking about it the fields are closed.  You have to time it correctly, otherwise you will miss it.

This year I was finally on top of it.  I called yesterday to confirm what was available and they had just opened the Raspberry fields that day.  That was it; we were headed out this morning by 9am to get there when they opened. I am so glad we did, because the parking area was pretty full just after an hour of our arriving.

At first my daughter was not enthused about going.  I got the first glimpse of a real Tweener last night and this morning when I told her that yes, in fact, we were still planning to go. Any age-appropriate, but not encouraged, attitude that she might have had before we left quickly disappeared after she 1) saw the beautiful fields and ambiance of the country, and 2) picked her first few raspberries.  Yes, she was hooked.  And she doesn't even really care to eat them.

I was very proud of both children. We were a good team with laughter and humor trying to pull each other away from the picking when we knew we had to stop.  The farm provides the flats, and I asked before we left for the field approximately the cost of one flat.  The worker said even if we were to pile it to over flow status, I wouldn't be looking at more than $22.  Good, because I only brought $26 and they only take cash in the field.

We knew we could fill the flat, but we could not fill more than one.  Next time, we will plan to go with friends and family so that we can all help pick several flats and then divide the flats and cost.  Picking was really fun. The comfortable temperature with sunshine made it so we didn't want to leave.

Now, what to do with the 9 pounds of raspberries sitting on my counter?  I know that they will only keep for a few days in the fridge, so I need to portion them out ... pie, jam, freezer, or a combo of all three.  Hmm.

The best quote of the day from my Tween ... "Mom, we have to do this every year!"  Deal ~ let's seal that with a hug and a kiss!

Growing up nicely

Recently we had an enjoyable night watching our niece dance in her studio's dance recital.  What fun it was to see this beauty dance in a white, sparkling costume as a "big girl" full of grace. She will be going to Junior High (8th grade) in the fall and it is always a pinch-me moment when any of my nieces or nephew do something of their interest; makes me realize that they are growing up so fast.

These Cousins have similar mannerisms when you see them together, or apart.  My girl looks up to her oldest cousin and loves, loves, love spending time with her; and loves wearing her hand me down clothes too (such as in this photo!).  Two dancers, one family. Growing up nicely.

Cousin Love

We received a surprise visit from cousins today; and one would think that my kiddos had just been told they'd be going to Disneyland when they showed up, they were so excited. The kids played Capture the Flag with the neighborhood gang and enjoyed some morning time together before it was time for them to leave.

I like how our families are close in proximity to one another.  My mom had plans to have the girls today while their mother (my sister in law) had an appointment to attend to.  All was going well for the pick-up until my mom's car died just as she was going to turn onto the freeway entrance ramp. Thank goodness she had not entered, as the car just died, no warning prior.

Sitting in the middle of the turn lane with semi-trucks honking at her to move (yes, she's learned now to turn on her hazard lights) she called my dad for backup.  But it would take him awhile to unhook the trailer from the back of their second car to get to my mom, so she could drive that one, so my dad could figure out the broken one, etc. etc. etc.

In comes the proximity bonus.  My SIL dropped her cuties off at my house (which was on the way to where she was meeting my mom) and it didn't mess up her schedule.  The kids played, my SIL made it to her appointment, and my mom and dad got the car working "enough" to get it back to their driveway (inch by inch and with a few unexpected shut downs along the way).

As my mom was leaving the house to come to mine, she walked by my dad's laptop which was already on car dealership websites.  My parents bought this van twelve years ago ... how do I know?  Because when they bought the van, their first grandchild was about to be born and they had visions of needing space to help transport and accommodate play dates.  That was the best thing they could have done.  That van has seen infant seats, car seats, booster seats, and just seat belts used for the last twelve years of four grandchildren.

Perhaps it is time for a newer one. After all, this isn't the first break down or unfortunate scenario in recent months. But we'll see ...

In the meantime, we get to have Cousin Love at the spur of the moment which is perfectly fine for us!

Slugs, Snails, and ...

How does that poem go?  Slugs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails?

You know it has rained in your neck of the woods when your husband comes across THIS in your yard and decides to photograph.  We have been socked in rain this Spring, but found sun as soon as Summer had a complete 24 hours to settle in. Warmer temps and sunshine all week makes for a great kick off to vacation!

Luckily these yuck-o-slug-o's do not harm people, but they do harm plants and gardens.  I know that God designed them for a purpose, but I am sure that I don't have to cuddle with them and make them my personal friend.  They just creep me out!

Not to mention this snail found on our front porch.  Equally eww.

Puppy Dog Tails?  I can live with those just fine. Love me some puppy dogs; tails and all!

42nd Street

Da-da-da-da-da    Da-da-daaaa      Da-da-da-da-da-Broadddddwaaaaaay!

My mom, my girl, and I went to see 42nd Street this afternoon at our neighborhood theater (that is small in size, but big on talent).  It was so amazing and it had all of us dancing on the way out.

I kept thinking about my girl and how she has been in small musical productions, and how she's been in bigger productions through her dance studio.  I liked looking over, and down at her, because half the time she spent curled in next to me to see around the adult man in front of her (even though we told her repeatedly to switch spots, I think she just didn't want to loose the snuggle time too), to see her laughing at all the right cues and smiling throughout.  She is such a joy to watch enjoy what is before her.

I also enjoyed spending the summer day with my mom, because my first memory of going to Broadway plays was with her.  I remember seeing Annie on 5th Avenue with my grandmother (her mother), who traveled from across the state, at a time when she never traveled to come see the production with us.  I remember coming home on that summer evening and changing out of my fancy clothes and "practicing" my own actress routine and dance flair.  Oh, to be an actress, dancer and singer!

My girl changed her clothes when she got home today, but unlike me, she has the taste of being an actress and dancer and singer and doesn't seem to have the same electric energy of wanting it; lucky girl already has it.  She pilled her belongings into my mom's car and is off for a Grandaughter-only night with my parents.

We came home to my husband chopping down just about every limb of our front yard trees and we knew instantly that while we were away that the outcome of the World Soccer Cup game for the U.S.A was not good.  Aggressions were taken out on our trees (not really, just a good pruning, but it made for a funny laugh as we came up our drive to see piles and piles of limbs).

We will be headed out to one of our favorite golf courses to sit outside on the patio at the 18th green for dinner with our son.  A good day ... theater, sports, sun, and family fun.

Dreams Happen

So, for the first time ever in my children's lives, I swam with them today.  I swam with them!!  I am so proud, excited, happy, and yes, tired.

We jumped in the pool at noon and we were off.  I lead the pack down the lane to begin with and it didn't hit me.  It felt like my (now regular) swim routine because I couldn't see them behind me in the lane.  I got to the other side and turned around to see them chasing after me. It made me smile. My daughter has stamina and got to the wall quick.  My son was veering away from the wall, but kept his own and eventually made it with out stopping.

From there we took turns taking off from the wall and waiting for the person in front to reach a certain distance before heading out.  At one time all I could see in front of me were my son's yellow and orange flippers, like duck feet, in front of my goggles as I caught up to him.  It was fantastic.

I swam next to them a few times too and that was when I got my pinch me moments.  Seeing my accomplished swimmers next to me while I was swimming along side of them; was very rewarding; the fear of water that used to stop me in my tracks had disappeared and the three of us were having summer fun together in the pool.

Our best buddies joined us at the pool too and were playing on the other side of the catwalk.  My son eventually tuckered out in the lap swim and opted to go play with the boys.  But my daughter was an Energizer Bunny and just kept doing laps for the entire hour with me.  I am so proud of her stamina and personal drive.

Dreams Happen ... whether it is me accomplishing a goal to learn how to swim and enjoy my children in the pool ... or my friend who is aboard a plane with her mom and sister to Ethiopia to bring home her fourth child, a boy named Isaac, through adoption. Dreams Happen!!  Yay for a great Friday world wide!!

Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce

My son received the Williams-Sonoma Cooking Together cookbook as his end of third grade gift last week.  I told him that he could prepare something for this week's dinner.  He decided on Homemade Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce.

I wish our second camera was better than it is because I would have liked to get a picture of the finished product (our primary camera was not available).  You'll have to trust me until we make it again that it looked fabulous and tasted good too.  We all agreed that the Tartar Sauce was the best that we have ever tasted, so no more purchases of that.  It is homemade from now on!

Here are the two recipes.  ENJOY!!

Frozen Filo Dough - 4 sheets, thawed
Butter - 5 tablespoons
Halibut or Cod fillets - 1/2 pound, cut into 8 equal pieces
Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup
Celery - 1/4 stalk, minced
Pickle Relish - 2 tablespoons
Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay 1 filo sheet on a clean work surface (we put parchment paper on the counter and worked on top of that).  Brush lightly with a little melted butter.  Fold the filo in half lengthwise, and then cut in half crosswise.  Cover the 2 filo pieces with a damp paper towel (so they do not stick together).  Repeat with the remaining filo sheets.

Working with 1 filo piece at a time, place it with a short end facing you, and brush it lightly with butter.  Put a piece of fish on the bottom third of the filo, positioning it parallel to the bottom edge.  Fold in the long sides and then roll up the filo to enclose the fish.  Brush the seam lightly with butter to secure.  Repeat to make all 8 packets total.

Arrange the fish sticks, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes (we actually cooked it 27 minutes).

Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce.  In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, celery, relish, lemon juice, and salt.  Serve the tartar sauce alongside the fish sticks.

While we were away ....

While my husband and I were enjoying some celebrating with our friends on Saturday, and my brother and his wife were participating in the Great Urban Race, my parents kept watchful eye on our two darlings and my brother's two sweeties.

There is history between my children and my dad when it comes to tea parties.  Growing up my young ones enjoyed tea parties at the little green and yellow table with matching chairs my parents had purchased from Ikea. Set up in their family room, the kids would put together the tea with cookies they had previously made that day with my mom. Gathering attire from the dress up box, the kids would deck themselves out in formal wear and enjoy a good party.

My dad would be asked to join them.  My dad is a character and quick witted and one day decided to shake things up a bit and come as an ill-mannered guest. Complete with bad manners, my dad pulled off a giggle fest for the kids who "could not believe" who showed up to the tea party.  They. loved. it!!

So when the date was planned months ago that they would be spending the day prior to Father's Day with my parents, the kids created a plan to honor their Grandad.  They solicited my mom's help to create a Tea Party that would go array, but would leave out that detail for their Grandad to figure out.

Scheming all morning and assembling their outfits, while my dad worked in their trailer parked on their driveway (for their upcoming camping excursion), the kids could not wait to pull off this particular tea party. They first made cookies before getting ready.

Eventually, my dad was instructed to get ready for the tea party.  He dressed so nicely and they decorated his place at the table with fine linen, tea cup, and gorgeous chocolate covered strawberries.  The picture is a little fuzzy, my mom could not stop laughing all afternoon.

 But who should arrive at his formal tea but these four!!!

Oh yes, the kids got back Grandad in an all-out-sloppy-attire-and-bad-manners-to-go-with. The rest of the table was set inappropriately for a formal tea with Sesame Street napkins and a checkered table cloth. Apparently the six of them were laughing so hard at each other's improperness, compared to Grandad's polite nature, that it was the perfect plan carried forth.

My husband and I had no idea to what extent their day was going to take hold, until the pictures appeared on my email account. I am so grateful for the silliness and memories of the grandchildren with their grandparents. Keeping it simple, enjoying the little funnies in life, make for great memories.

Surprise 40th

After a short night on Friday, after getting home late and waiting for my girl to shower and unwind for bed, we woke early Saturday to head out to catch a boat to travel to an island to be a guest at a 40th surprise birthday party. We wouldn't have missed it! My parents met us at our house early while the kids were still asleep to watch them for the day (thank you, Mom and Dad!!).

My best friend had turned 40 this past week and her husband did a super job planning her special birthday celebration. Their family has a vacation home and property on this amazingly-relaxed island that has many unique towns.  It is so nice to visit and enjoy.  And, the sun actually came out in that part of the state; whereas the rest of the cities were socked in with low clouds, mist and rain.

Arriving early, we enjoyed a mini date at a locally owned coffee shop.  Watching the locals mingle in and out and know every one but us.  It was really neat to be in this sleepy town early on a Saturday morning.  Then one of our friends strolled by the patio and joined us.  Now we felt like we belonged in the town.  A chance meeting like every one else.  We haven't seen this friend from college for, wow-perhaps not since the birthday girls wedding day thirteen years prior.  It was fun to catch up while we waited for the party to assemble next door.

 (I never want to forget how my husband makes me laugh ~ I really am cracking up behind the hand).

To kickoff the party, my friend's hubby rented out a glass blowing studio and we were able to "make" something for ourselves.  What fun!  And the best part, my friend was completely surprised.  Yay to a hubby for making great plans, and for her eldest child not telling the younger sibling.  It worked!

While the owner of the studio was very hands on and walked you through the steps, you did get to participate directly in the decision making of the piece while working along side him.  You got the feeling of urgency in timing from one step to the next, the strict don't walk backwards, get too close, watch what you are doing reminders, and the overall focus of what it takes to create a glass product.

 The products had to set in an oven for 24 hrs, so I will take photos and announce what we made when the kids and I go back to spend time with my friend and her children in late July.

There were a handful of students at the party that lived together in the same dormitory while at college.  Close friends at the time, staying connected during the years, all coming out to celebrate the person we hold dear in our life on her 40th birthday.

We completed our day back at their vacation house with a relaxed patio gathering of friends and family over a barbecued catered dinner.  It was so yum and so fun.  What a perfect celebration for my friend and for her guests too.  A day we will never forget.

Happy 40th Birthday, J.H.!!!  I am thankful for our friendship, for the hallway meeting when I was a newbie and you were a Sophomore which sparked the time we spent getting to know each other to create our lasting friendship.  I hope you have a wonderful 40th and the next 40+ are equally as good to you. Hugs.    

Peter Pan Finale

What a fabulous weekend!  We kicked it off and completed it with two performances of Peter Pan where my daughter danced as a Lobster, Tropical Bird, and Teddy Bear helper.  It was fabulous.

Besides the obvious that I feel this studio does great work in creating great dancers, there are many other things that impress me about this group of students and teachers.  For example, the kids can handle backstage prep, organization, and discipline with out their own mother's telling them what to do, the costumes do not get torn, tattered, or spilled upon by girls sitting anywhere and eating anything in all sorts of carelessness (as observed during rehearsals), the preschoolers do not show stage fright, the soloists make it look so easy, the teachers are confident and in control, while still being a friend to the dancers, the owner is extremely involved and has respect and authority like none other .... and my girl loves it beyond anything else.

Here are some pictures that I have yet to post.  A nice perk to being a helper is that the helper costume is provided to you from the studio for the show.  The studio purchases extra costumes from years past to use for future performances. I am not sure what this costume was originally planned for, but it worked great as a Teddy Bear helper in the nursery with Wendy, Michael, and John in Peter Pan.  I think it is stunning on my girl. Too bad she can't keep it for formal photographs.

She enjoyed helping the kindergarten class.  A real leadership role that the little ones will remember.  My daughter's kindergarten helper (when she danced as a Sugar Cube at the Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland) is now a Senior graduating from the studio this year. In fact, she is the character Wendy in these photographs!!  One day ... could be my girl and one of her Teddy Bears.

An entourage of nine special people watched my daughter perform and gave her beautiful bouquets of flowers.  They smell so good and look so pretty in our kitchen.  A festive flair of pink.


2009/2010 school year of dance was fantastic!!

Show Time!!

It's Show Time!!!  I will be taking the weekend to enjoy my daughter's performances of Peter Pan, celebrate Father's Day for the Father's in my life, and enjoy the sunshine. I'll be back on Monday with pictures and stories.

Love you, sweet daughter of mine.  I am so proud of you for all your dedication to class time, practice time at home, and your focus on fun throughout the year of dance.  You are my favorite Lobster, Tropical Bird, and Teddy Bear Helper. xoxo

Proverbs and Wiphan

One of my favorite passages in the Bible:

Proverbs 3:1-6

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.  Store my commands in your heart.  If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you.  Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your hearts.  Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. 

I believe in and support Wiphan Care Ministries.  In the next week I will be writing my first letter to my sponsored child. I will be praying for words of wisdom and encouragement as I write to this special girl who I have pictured on my fridge and who I pray for daily. What to say, how to express it ... a journey of faith and hope. 

Here is a sweet, sweet video posted on Wiphan Care Ministries website. 

Wiphan - Kid Version - Toby the Dog goes to Africa from Wiphan Care Ministries on Vimeo.

HAPPY SUMMER!

We are officially on Summer Break! I was happy to pick up my Middle School Daughter and my 4th Grade Son today at 12:30pm to start vacation.

My daughter played a great flute solo, Crater Lake Overture, during the 5th Grade Talent Show this morning.  Dressed in the dress that she wore the first day of fifth grade, my girl got a roaring applause, hoops and hollers from the audience before and after her performance.  She giggled all the way up to the microphone, and all the way back to her seat.  She is just so festive!  I am so proud of her for learning the Flute during band this year all. on. her. own. and for taking a confident chance at playing a solo at the Talent Show. She had great control and tone of that Flute.  It was super!

Close friends were part of the show too.

Beautiful soloist who sang The Climb by Miley Cyrus ~ perfect for graduation!  The crowd was speechless; she did fantastic!

Dancing solo to Hoe Down Throw Down also by Miley Cyrus. She got the crowd pumped up for graduation and summer!

This friend is in my daughter's class and he made up a song to sing to their teacher.  He had her come up on stage.  It was so fun.  The perfect finale to the Talent Show and to 5th Grade!!!

As an end of the school year gift, my girl got a great sweatshirt from the University in which she wishes to attend.  However, it is a rival school from the college that my son longs to attend.  Here is HIS reaction when my girl unwrapped the sweatshirt gift from my parents, and then a reaction of my girl as she reads her new American Girl book: A Smart Girls Guide to Starting Middle School: 

I am so proud of you kiddos for working so hard this entire school year, for bringing your best to school every day, for taking your academics seriously every year.  PROUD OF YOU.  Now ... let Summer Begin!!!

Tales of Tuesday

My husband and I enjoyed our last lunch together before the summer begins with the kids at home.  The benefit of having my husband work from home is that we have lunch together every day while the kids are at school.  We either catch up with life in conversation, or we laugh together over a television show that we have dvr'd.  I like our school time lunch dates.

While we were eating our lunch today and watching a rerun of Modern Family, we heard this little trickle of water coming from behind us.  In slow motion we both turned our heads to find the water dispenser on our refrigerator spewing forth. The trickle noise was actually more than a trickle. Jumping up at once, we ran over to the fridge and started pushing buttons.  The water kept spewing.  My husband stopped it with his finger while I ran to find a pitcher to hold under the spout.  Once the pitcher was in place, he let go and pulled the fridge out to turn off the water that connects through the hose in the fridge.

The rest of our lunch break was spent cleaning the floor behind, the side of, and in front of the fridge.  It became a large puddle rather quickly.  Thankfully we were both home.  Had I been home alone, I would have really had to put my exercised muscles to work to get the large fridge from out of the wall and shut off the water.  In fact, I wonder if I would have even thought about doing that?

All is good now.  Water is cleaned up, the floor behind the fridge is back to being gorgeous (amazing how much dust collects behind those things), and well, our lunch hour was over and we scurried back to work. We'll deal with the correct workings of the fridge another day.

In other news, my son got MOVED UP to fourth grade today. Our district is rather great in that they have all the lower grades Move Up to their next grade on the last full day of the school year.  They get to meet their new teacher and see all the fellow classmates that were placed in the same room.  The entire school spends thirty minutes in their new classroom; and what they do depends on the grade and the teacher.

My son got a different teacher than from the story I shared yesterday.  We are both very happy with his placement; he got the same teacher that his sister had in third grade and looped with to fourth grade.  It is a good fit and it will be an exciting year.  His favorite part of Move Up day is finding out that she might get a class pet. However, I am not sure if considering his multiple comments that there are 18 girls in class is a sign of happiness or dread.

The fifth graders, since they do not move up to sixth grade because it is on a different campus (they have their own orientation just before school begins again in September), get to help the lower grades Move Up.  Specific Fifth Graders are assigned a classroom, for example my daughter had a Kindergarten classroom, and she went to that classroom to take all the kids to their First Grade classrooms. Equipped with all the student names and their first grade placements, she walks the kids in single file from one first grade class to the next, dropping off the correct children in each room.  She has been looking forward to being a Fifth Grade Move Up helper since she was in Kindergarten (I know, she is so easy to please!).  The rest of the fifth graders that are not chosen to help with Move Up Day are sent to an extra fun fifth grade only recess.

And finally, we have completed our dress rehearsals for my daughter's dance.  We spent last night back at the stage and got home late.  Although the show is the same, for the most part there are different dancers in the lead roles and in the classrooms performing.  The studio is rather large, so Cast A has different students assigned to dance than Cast E (except for some that are constant such as my daughter's Tropical Birds).  It never gets old.  We will be attending two of the six final performances over the weekend.

No title for this one

Every day I pick up my children at the school benches.  Some days they are out on time, and other days it takes awhile before we meet.  Last Friday was one of those days where I was the last mom standing.  The kids' took forever to get out of school.

When I eventually spotted them, the four arms they have between the two of them were full of stuff; flute case, folders, lunch box, books, heavy backpacks ... you name it and they were carrying it.  I grabbed a chunk from my son as it was about to spill.  He was laughing.  Apparently, he had already dropped all of his things in the hallway.

My son was feeling pretty confident and excited on Friday.  They had cleaned out their desks, school ends in a matter of days, he was going to hurry home to get ready for his sleepover at my parent's house ... he was one excited boy.

So when he was walking through the 4th grade hallway, he passed this teacher that he really wants next year.  The confidence over came him and he smiled at this teacher and said proudly, "I want you next year!" and apparently the teacher half smirked and half smiled back at my son, but didn't say anything.

Just as my son passed her, he lost his arm load of desk paraphernalia. Whoosh, onto the floor and his foot and it was a mess.  He scrambled to pick it up, all the while thinking, "Yeah, that was smooth.  Now she won't want this clumsy, messy guy in her classroom!"  

The way he told it was classic.  His thoughts funny.  I love his sense of humor and quick whit.  He of course was laughing by the time he got to the car, with hand on his forehead and shaking his brain, he added, "Oh why did I have to say that to her?!"  

So cute.  He'll know his fate tomorrow as Move Up Day is at 9:30am.

Recoup Sunday

Between her busy end of school projects and commitments, a growth spurt, and her dance schedule, my girl has been asleep on the couch for a little while now. The weather is warm, but the sun is playing a constant game of peek-a-book in the clouds so the haze makes it more of a lazy day than a rambunctious time with neighbor friends.

Today has been recoup day. Both kids cleaned their room from top to bottom, and my girl even cleaned out her desk and papers (and papers and papers and papers). My son helped me wash the family car, and rate by number the thousands of pictures taken by my husband yesterday (a catalog system of sorts so that the bads get separated from the goods, which then get separated to the bests), after he had some quality playtime out on the street with friends.  My girl rode her bike and brushed (and spoiled) our dog before falling asleep.  My husband did his favorite veg-out with yard maintenance while listening to a sports game through the outdoor speakers, while I have been picking up this and that in the house, laundry, and setting out 4th of July decor.

Productive. Recouping from the chaos of the last few weeks and prepping for one final crazy week before our lives come to a stretching halt of rest!

Now, I am going to kick up my feet.  Among other books I bought this at Barnes and Noble this week and have been enjoying it.  Since I already have a NIV Bible, I thought I'd buy a NLT version. I like how this provides an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, Psalms, and Proverbs passage for each day.

Recoup Sunday.  Enjoying our day.

Peter Pan ... rehearsal on stage

Up and out the door by 8am we spent the day with our girl's ballet company's production of Peter Pan. My chaperon role was a piece of cake this year. Now that my girl and her friends are older, the chaperon's role was to make sure that the girls obeyed the rules of sticking together and telling me (and partner chaperons) where they were headed if they needed to leave the theater seats.  Their only options were 1) lobby to eat their sack lunch or 2) bathroom.  But they could go in pairs this year and didn't have to be joined at the hip by an adult.  Yay for fifth grade.

If they were not eating or using the restroom the girls were sitting in their assigned rows and backstage helpers came to get them when it was time to go back stage, or to the photography "studio" to get their class pictures taken. The dancers were mesmerized to see the entire show on stage.  It is much more fascinating with the backdrops and special lighting in place.  The stage and the story of Peter Pan came to life.  It was fantastic!

With out further waiting ... here are some sneak peak pictures of my girl dancing Ballet to a great Flamenco style of dance as Lobsters in the Lagoon ... and then a quick change with two dances separating her performances to Tropical Birds, which is a very quick paced Amazon style of dance for her Modern class.

Both dances were very effective.

 Thank you to my husband who rented some great lens and spent his day taking pictures for our family, and our friends in the cast.  He is truly talented.  So grateful he is ours.