First Performance

The energy and the excitement back stage for the first performance is really hard to capture.

Abigail and Rafiki



Young Nala and Abigail (the lion cub)





I am so busy back stage with costume changes that I can run in for scenes that I know Abigail is in. Like these...

The 'give you chills' Circle of Life





I Just Can't Wait to be King!



















The beautiful dance that is called the Lioness Hunt











It was such a fun first performance. But better yet is coming tomorrow... their main performance

Lion King... Dress Rehearsal

The bright costumes, the music, the scenery, the story of courage, love, and finding yourself... what's not to love about Lion King, the musical?



Please excuse my blog for the next few posts as I download so many photos of this week.



A bit about summer musical theatre that you really need to know for this all to make sense... my dad does extravagant musicals with middle school kids throughout the school year. His shows are amazing, like no children's theatre you've seen. He has a talent for bringing out the best in each child and he teaches them how to dazzle on stage. Now, a school year musical takes 6 or 7 months to work on daily for the kind of shows he creates. But he also (for 42 years now) has produced and directed children's musical theatre in the summer. The summer shows are only 4 weeks to produce. Not including weekends of course or that longer 4th of July weekend, he puts on a show in 19 days. But really it's more like 15 because you have to take off the actual days of performances and the earlier audition days. 15 days to create a full length extraordinary musical of Lion King. It blows my mind each and every year.



These are just some shots from the (no tribal makeup) but full dress rehearsal.



Abigail was a Lion cub and she was amazing.



She sang and she danced and she loved it!



More to come!

Tonight

Abigail is in Lion King, the musical tomorrow night.  She is the cutest lion cub in the pride land!

Swimming Lessons

Well, Abigail finished four straight weeks of swimming lessons this summer (after fall and winter lessons this past school year)  I loved the summer lessons best of all.  They were Monday through Thursday, and I think the being in the pool with a teacher daily really made a big difference.

Right now I'd consider Abigail a swimmer!!!  But still in the category of not taking my eyes off of her.  Her back stroke is amazing.  She does that with ease the entire length of the college pool.  Her front stroke is coming along nicely but boy that side breathing is something tricky to learn!

I am so happy that she's swimming and can now enjoy being in the pool with her sister.  And I'm happy that when the water is too cool for this mama I can sit on the side and watch her.

Last week she passed the '4 ft swim test' at our outdoor pool (not swim lessons pool)

And she was quite proud of herself!



On the last day of swim lessons each week they have the kids jump off the diving board if they want to. I love this part. She's gone from this to this... (yup, that diving board into that deep deep water is so scary!)

You Are Beautiful

I heard the tail end of this song like a year ago on Kids Place Live (XM Radio) in the car.  I didn't catch the name of it that day but waited and waited and waited for it to come on again.  I was driving Abigail this morning and it came on.  I screamed and then I cranked it up.



Remember who you are
Remember who you were before 
Look into your heart
Slip on through the open door
Sit under the sun
Be still for a little while
For You are the one
You are that sacred smile
Because
You were born with endless love inside you
The whole world was calling your name
Everyone singing Hallelujah
Powerful beyond imagination
You were born with indelible light
Who is gonna change this world for the better
You just might
When you give you begin to live
When you love you become love
I a here to remind you here to remind you
You are beautiful.

This song is makes me smile and tear up all at once.  Behold the one who knows you well.  And I am here to remind you... you are beautiful.

These Things I Know for Sure

Big & Little Things ~ Everyone doing their part,
Living the life that God has Given us ~

I got my contract today for teaching (tutoring) in the upcoming school year. It's a whopping 10 hours which pretty much keeps me in the category of "stay at home" mom. Or now of course that both of my girls are in school it puts me in the category of classroom volunteer, home cleaner, cook, laundress, home decorating, holiday planning, happy house making category.

I find this time in my life (sometimes) to be a bit restless. One foot as a stay at home, one foot back into the classroom. Some days my heart leaps in happiness at being the in classroom again.  Some days I can't imagine more than the small teaching I am doing right now.  As restless as this time feels there are more than a few things I know for sure.

My children still need to be parented, taught, loved, encouraged, guided, and filled with faith.

My home is still a place to nurture and love the ones I love best. And making my home comfortable, pretty, functional, organized, and clean will make it feel relaxed and a place to learn, grow, rest, and love.

I also know that the secret to a happy life is in the little things.

"It was true, she thought, that the big things awe us, but little things touch us" Bess Streeter Aldrich

a walk
twinkle lights all year-round
tiny bouquets of flowers for my kitchen windowsill
the 'Little House' books
listening to the birds sing
baking an apple pie
praying and reading my bible at sunrise
surprising my girls with something little that will make their eyes sparkle
tea in a pretty cup
finding a magazine in the mailbox
decorating for the seasons
rolling out homemade pie crust
preparing a hot bubble bath for my youngest
being silly with my oldest
dinner in the oven
pretty things in my house like teapots, and cute vases, antique flowered dish towels, and quilts
vintage books on my mantle



Abigail snapped this of me. I like it because it's how she sees me. I'm always in the kitchen and I always have an apron on (I do right now as I type)

"The ordinary arts we practice everyday at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest" Thomas Moore

And one more things I know for sure... I'm the luckiest mama in the world! 

After the Pool

and a visit to our favorite farm for fresh vegetables is always a treat.