WICKED!

Alex and I went to see the opening night performance of Wicked at the Auditorium Theater on Wednesday night. And it was FANTASTIC! We had a really nice time. First we went to eat at Biaggi's.... Alex's choice. We got to the theater in what I thought was plenty of time (30 minutes till showtime) and already the parking lot we usually use was completely full. But, that's OK. After parking across the street we walked through the other parking lot, and past the trailers. It is a tradition of Alex's to touch the trailer of whatever show we are seeing. This time she posed too. After the show we were treated to invitations to the Private Cast Party!!! (Thanks Papa!!) There were not many "regular" people there...maybe 20. Maggie Brooks was there too. At first we were both nervous to approach the actors (and honestly it was hard to tell who was who without their costumes!) but we finally worked up the nerve to go talk to people....

This is Tom Flynn (Doctor Dillamond) and Lee Wilkof (The Wizard of Oz). The Wizard we could recognize, but Doctor Dillamond wears a goat mask, so it was hard to pick him out.

This is Deedee Magno Hall who plays Nessa, the Wicked Witch of the East (the one the house falls on). She was so sweet and told Alex that she had a "beautiful face". She is married to the actor who plays Fiyero and they travel around together with their 3 year old son. I asked who stays with their son when they are performing. Normally her sister, she told us, but right now it was her mom. That's a lot of support! What a different life style.

This is Clifton Hall, who plays Fiyero. I think Alex was pretty excited to meet him!! He was pretty impressed that Alex was only 10, (he looked at her, looked at his wife and said, "You're really only in 5th grade?") had read Wicked, and had seen as many Broadway shows as she has seen (we counted around 11).

This is Katie Rose Clarke who is Glinda the Good Witch. She was actually the first person we approached. She was very gracious and sweet...and short! It's so funny how short they all are (except Dr. Dillamond) because they all see so much larger than life when they are up on stage.

And finally, this is Donna Vivino who played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. If you look closely you can see the green tinge of her makeup near her hairline and on her hand. She flipped her hair over to show us how it was still quite green back there... she was going home ("Well, back to the hotel") to take a nice long shower. We told her that it is Alex's dream to be Elphaba on stage someday, and she said, "Well, that was my dream too!" Donna is the standby actress for Carmen Cusack who is normally cast as Elphaba on this tour. I'm not sure why there was a change in the casting, but Donna did say that when we see it on June 14th Carmen will be there... it will be neat to see the difference in the two.

Everyone was so nice. It was quite the experience! And now Alex is chomping at the bit to go to the RBTL Summer Stars camp. We also got to meet, and speak to at length, Bob Sagan who runs the RBTL camp..... so that was really cool.

Curriculum Fair

Tuesday night was the Curriculum Fair at school. It was nice to see all the cool projects and art work. Ethan's teacher is sick so she wasn't there, but we did go to the art room and see his self portrait.

I love this picture of Hudson. I can just hear him saying, "Oh God." This is just prior to the start of his recorder concert. I am happy to report that the concert was really good! I have to admit I was dreading it just a bit- squeaky, loud plastic instruments playing "Hot Cross Buns". But it was great. The music teacher had some great, original selections of music. The kids sang and danced too. I'll get a clip up on you tube soon. (I just put it up.)

New Look

I kind of like this black background... what do you think? I think it makes the pictures pop. If it's too annoying let me know. But look how great this picture of Gabby looks!

Yes, we blow lots of dandelion seeds around here

I have added a link to our youtube videos as well. (Right over there on the right.) Stop in over there... Megan and Papa are singing too!

Justin is gone travelin' again.... to Colorado Springs this time. Unfortunately I don't think he has a window of time to go see Maura and "the fam". Speaking of Maura and "the fam", congratulations on new baby Griffin!!

When Justin was home this weekend he actually showed me what it is that he is doing now.... he is a Maintenance Specialist (I think... and no, that does not mean he is a janitor!). He will teach the yahoos how to maintain the fancy, expensive thermal imaging machine. I'm sure that there is a lot more to it than that, but at least now I have a rudimentary understanding of what exactly it is that he is doing!

Today, Alex's house project was due. The 5th grade had to study different architecture and then build a model house based on what they learned. Alex chose an Italianate and based her house sort of on the house Grandma Patty grew up in.Yes, I did help, but she did a lot of the work on it and has the hot glue gun burns and the exacto-knife cuts to prove it! Tomorrow is the Curriculum Fair at school... fancy name for Open House. Hudson also has his recorder concert!

This is a funny picture from this weekend.... it is Ethan watching golf. It was his choice to do this. Obviously he was switched at birth because he is clearly not my child.

And Alex won't eat a hamburger but she'll eat this!!!!! GROSS! This is a tofu dog after it has been microwaved. Yummy.

Almost There...

We are starting Day 5 of Daddy's first week away with his new job. He comes home Friday afternoon. We're doing pretty good. I know, all of you who have Daddies that travel probably are thinking Geez Sarah, its not that big a deal! But this is new for us. Alex phrased it best when she said, "I miss Dad. I know it's not a whole lot different than when he was at Lowes.... but then I knew that if I needed him he could come right home."

Justin's first week is going well. (And for Hewie and everyone else who is wondering, here's a link to CACI because honestly I'm not really sure what it is that he is doing.) He was in the DC area for a few days and last night when he called he was in Detroit. He's getting along well with his new co-workers, figuring out what to pack next time around, playing with his new laptop, etc.

We are just doing our thing.... going to dance class mostly (as usual). Mom and the Miltons have helped out with this so I haven't had to bring Ethan there every night. He hates going there. Monday he literally cried for an hour while we were there because he ripped a Pokemon card. Between him and his brother we have about 400 stupid cards laying around, but I guess he reeeeaaallly like that particular card. Good grief! My guess is that he was just tired.... and emotional.

So that's what we're dealing with.... oh and things like this....

....mouse in the dog food. Fun stuff.

Wishes....

Wishing you ALL a very Happy, albeit Be-Lated, Mother's Day! Isn't this a great "wishing" picture? Look at that one little seed floating away..... I hope that J & A are ok with me using a picture of their little cutie!

Alex's Performance

Last Couple of Days...

We start most days with some Celia lovin'.

I watched Hudson's tap and jazz class on Wednesday. They have really cute music for these two dances... Mika's "Lollipop" for jazz and "Sugar" for tap...as in sugar, uh uh uh uh uh uh, oh honey honey, you are my candy girl..... Mrs. Sciarratta gave Hudson a lot of solo parts - one of the perks of being the only boy in class! Hudson and Bethany do a really fun thing during the jazz dance, but maybe I'll let that be a surprise at the performance. Isn't that a cute picture of Hudson and his gaggle of lady friends watching the group before them??

I take Gabby to her dance class.... and so I stayed to watch her class this week too. Look at that goofy face!! She did a great job though and is front and center in her dance.

Last night was Alex's chorus and band concert. She's such a little stinker and doesn't tell me anything because she wants it to be a surprise (sound like Maureen to anyone?). Anyway, she conducted a piece for the band. She did a nice job. Mr. G said she had the most "natural movement" for it. Caroline did an awesome drum solo... it was so cool. They dimmed the lights and had colored lights flashing around the stage. Very rock and roll. I got a little teary watching her!

Here are Alex and Caroline about to start banging on the drums in one of the chorus numbers. They were so cute together! "Little natives," Patty said. And to top off the evening the Hudson girls swept the honors... Alex won Greatest Achievement in Chorus and Caroline was honored with it in band. Great job ladies!!

(Alex with her choral instructor Mrs. Warren and posing with Mr. G who is retiring this year.)

Hello there...

it's been awhile, I know. I started a post a while back about our road trip to Howe Caverns but I only got as far as uploading one picture. Does that even count as starting a post? I think not. It's still there in my drafts file...one lonely picture. Maybe someday I'll get the rest of them up there for you to see.

As you all know Justin is through with Lowes and starting with CACI. He starts traveling on Sunday. I think he'll be gone until Saturday. It has been very nice having him around this week- not only to free me up a little with "kid duties" but so that I can actually have a conversation with him and the kids can get in some good Dad time. He's been in "project mode"- replacing the sink faucet, putting in the garden, installing the new washer. Yes, he spent his final day as a Lowes employee buying us a new washing machine. As Nancy said, the Lowes Gods must have know he was leaving and had our washer crap out just in time for him to get a new one with a discount. Although of course he wasn't able to get a super awesome deal like he did for Megan... o-well. Our home has become FedEx central (well, comparatively speaking)... they stopped by yesterday and today, and UPS dropped off a package today too. Most of it is work "stuff" for Justin.... thick packets of papers he takes to the FLCC library to read over in quiet...but I think the UPS package is his "uniform"- which is actually khaki pants and long sleeve button downs (no Mom, not a bullet-proof vest!).

It is observation week at the dance studio. Unfortunately Hudson had the dreaded stomach bug AGAIN and didn't go to class on Monday. I'll get a chance to watch his tap and jazz class tonight. I did see Alex's ballet and tap classes, but she'll have to miss her jazz class because of her 5th grade chorus and band concert. She's also taking a hip hop class on Fridays, and I'll be able to check that out this week too. And I'm going to take a peek at Gabby's class too!!

Other stuff...Broadway Beware is this weekend. Alex, Megan and Papa are all singing in it. I am a "prop" for Alex's number. Hudson proudly showed off the 7.5 out of 8 he got on his Italy project. Ethan is Student of the Week this week. I am knee deep in dance recital costuming... level 6 dresses, level 4 head bands and hats, making a tux jacket, etc. etc. Hope all is well with everyone! Have a good week!