The New Girl Reflects on the Nutcracker

Yesterday when I opened my car door, the wind grabbed a paper plate from the floor of the back seat.  I chased after the plate as it rolled across the parking lot.  When it became airborne, I stopped running and stood watching.  Two thoughts immediately crossed my mind.  First, I was thankful that the plate was biodegradable and I wouldn't have to feel guilty about polluting the environment.  Next, I was hit with the reality that the Nutcracker was really over and I would no longer be serving meals in the car!

This was Cassie's first time dancing in the Nutcracker.  And, because it consumed the last six months of our lives, a few moments of reflection are called for.  What did I learn from the experience?  What can I do better next time?

Look closely at the Nutcracker in this photo.  He kind of says it all!

Finding our Zen with the Nutcracker!

One note of explanation is necessary here.  The "New Girl" in the title of this entry actually refers to me, not Cassie.  This nickname was given to me by a seasoned Dance Mom who, caught up in the fury of costume sewing, didn't have time to learn names.  When I didn't respond to "Wendy," she thought "New Girl," was a good fit.  I didn't object.  In fact, I loved the nickname.  It gave me an excuse for making mistakes and asking too many questions.

The first thing I learned was that "Mother G" is not a euphemism for "the f word."  Back in June, when I heard "Mother G!" I thought that adults were just being careful in front of the kids.   Then I learned that "Mother G" is a reference to the role children play in "Mother Gigone."  Check out these photos.

Here is the wonderful Andrew, starring as "Mother G,"

with some of the dancers who played the children.

Cassie in her "Mother G" costume

The next thing I learned is that the experience of supporting the Nutcracker production rivals that of completing Army Basic Training.  Fixing hair and makeup, tying pointe shoes, quick changes with "Rat Heads," making children march quietly in lines, all while being sleep deprived and on a tight timetable......brings to mind fixing hair and applying camouflage, lacing combat boots, wearing helmets, marching in formation. . . .

Cassie showing a dancer how to tie a shoe

The Rat Heads/Combat Helmets

Cassie preparing for the Battle Scene

All right.  The next lesson was about food.  Once they are in costume, the kids can't eat.  It made sense for Cassie to eat at the last possible minute so that she wouldn't get too hungry.  On the way to the first performance, we stopped at a nearby sandwich shop.  Their computer was down and they could only take cash which, of course, I didn't have.  The next day, armed with cash, we headed toward the sandwich shop.  Ooops!  It had closed early that day.  On the third day, I phoned the nearby Thai restaurant early so that Cassie could eat during intermission.  It was a good plan; but they lost my order.   This is all a big explanation for why there was a paper plate on the floor of my car.  I decided that the most efficient way for Cassie to eat was in the car on the way to the theater. 

Eating Thai food backstage

Another important lesson for "The New Girl," was that anything can be mended.  What can be done with a needle and thread is simply amazing.  That's why I wasn't concerned when the kids found a football backstage.  If they ripped anything, it could be mended.  

Some of the kids play football while waiting for their curtain call

Another thing I learned was that I should stop trying to convince Lacey to be in the Nutcracker next time.  She enjoyed her sister role and was amazingly supportive, wrapping gifts and helping with decorations at home.  Although she had reservations about sitting through something that didn't have any talking, she watched and enjoyed the Nutcracker twice.  During intermission Lacey pulled $40 from her purse, explaining that she had brought money along just to buy me a glass of wine. In her words, this would be, "well money spent."   I was glad that she was absorbing my lectures about saving money, even though she had a little trouble with word order.  And, I was touched that she was willing to forfeit $40 to buy me a drink.  I thanked her and reminded her that she needed the money for Christmas shopping.  

The Nutcracker is very cool, even without talking!

Dancing in the Nutcracker was a wonderful experience for Cassie.  It was performed with a live orchestra.  The kids danced side by side with the professional dancers, who were wonderfully supportive.  Cassie will treasure this experience for the rest of her life.

Here are a couple final pictures.

The Rats wait backstage - the tall one is Cassie.

Photo Bomb

Giving Thanks for Doors

We have been planning the big remodel of our basement for the past couple years.  The girls and I have studied color schemes, shopped bargain basements, and drawn plans.  We settled on a retro theme, with a black and white checkerboard floor.  I salvaged a piano lid that hopefully could become a bar.  We envisioned a soda fountain.  We found a huge chalkboard globe to sit on an end table and I bought a large chalkboard map of the U.S.  Finally, we decided to turn the exterior side of the bathroom door into a chalkboard.  Plans were really shaping up.

I was sure that I would be able to complete most of this during my summer break.  As I began buying boxes to pack up the basement, and visiting flooring shops, I decided that Halloween might be a more realistic target for completion.  Today is Thanksgiving and we are not ready to throw that inaugural party.   Why is it taking so long to get this done?

Back in July, everyone pitched in to pack boxes and carry them upstairs.  Les and I  purchased the tile and hired someone to lay it.  We had a plumber come in and disconnect the sink. Les and Bob cut up the old countertop that had been serving as a makeshift bar.  This was quite a feat as it was caulked to the wall.  Julio painted the walls and ceiling.  Les removed the baseboard and took it to the garage to repaint. 

It was time to begin working on the door.  The existing door was paneled and wouldn't serve as a good surface for a chalkboard.  So,  I bought a new, smooth door.  This was in mid-July and it was warm enough for us to work outdoors.  Les decided to cut the notches for the hinges before we painted.  I'm not sure what went wrong.  But, suddenly Les and Bob were hatching a plan to reinvent the door.  Bob offered a piece of 1/8 inch plywood from his garage and he and Les decided to nail this to the front of the old door.

Cassie took me aside and reminded me that the new door was only 29.99.  Couldn't I please go and get another?  I assured her that Les and Bob had a good plan.  No need to worry.  Bob brought over the plywood and it was cut, glued and tacked to the existing door.  The girls and I enthusiastically sanded and applied three coats of primer.  That plywood was really dry.

Upon inspection, Les decided that the nail holes should have been caulked.  After caulk was applied, the girls and I again sanded and applied more primer.  The chalkboard paint was difficult to apply.  So, this became my solo task.  I told the girls not to worry that the caulking still showed.  The door would hang in a poorly lit corner of the basement.  Nobody would notice.

The weather was getting cooler and the door was moved into the garage to rest on sawhorses.  The old baseboard was placed on top of the door.  At about that point, the contractor began laying the tile.  This took several weekends to complete and we didn't think much about the door.  The floor looked incredible, better than I could ever have imagined.  The next step was to complete the baseboard.  We decided to move the sawhorses inside so that we could work in the evenings.  Sadly, someone had placed the baseboards on top of the door before the paint was dry.  They were stuck fast and the black paint on the door peeled away when we picked up the boards.

Les patiently purchased more chalkboard paint and, while I was driving to and from ballet rehearsals, he and Lacey repainted the door.  Finally, the day arrived to hang the door.  I sent the girls down to help, while I made dinner.  Within a few minutes, the girls were both upstairs again, explaining that now would not be a good time to go downstairs.  It seemed that not only had we painted the wrong side of the door, but the new transom in the bathroom was too high.  The door wouldn't close.

We decided to pay the 29.99 for another door and start over.  The next afternoon, Les went to all major hardware stores in the community.  They were all sold out of smooth doors.  I assured him not to worry.  The basement was far from finished.  We didn't need the bathroom. 

A couple days later, two tiles fell off the shower wall in our master bath.  This couldn't be happening.  I couldn't handle a bathroom renovation while the contents of the basement were in my living and family rooms!  I suggested the basement shower for the interim.  No problem.  Les decided to get out his power saw and cut off the bottom of the door so that it would fit.  I was upstairs grading papers when the fire alarm went off.  The saw blade had gotten stuck in the door and was smoking like crazy.  My siblings and I have experience clearing smoke from a basement.  But, this was something I've never done with my spouse before!

A couple days later, Bob and Les decided to move the hinges to the other side of the door.  Great idea.  The door could be hung, chalkboard side out!



The bathroom door!

Les then decided to wall off part of the basement.  I was skeptical because I was reluctant to add more time.  However, his plan sounded great - a room with double doors that could serve as a storage room for toys.  Les took the week off, and he and Bob started.  They framed the walls on Sunday and planned to put up the dry wall on Monday. 
 
On Monday I got home just in time to hear Les remark that he might be able to find a screwdriver flat enough to slide under the door.  Okay.  I had to go downstairs.  Both the dry wall and the doors were hung.  And, Bob was trapped in the new room.  They had somehow missed the big red and white tag on the door that said to remove the screws before hanging door.  These screws were holding the tops of the doors into the frame and the doors couldn't open.  I knew the guys would figure it out so I went upstairs and left Lacey in charge.  Bob eventually emerged, no worse for the wear, and the next morning he came back to help again.

Doors are kind of a strange topic for Thanksgiving.  But, I realized that I should stop and be grateful for all the time with friends and family that these doors have given us.  If I had paid to have all the work done, or if everything had gone without a hitch, we wouldn't be making all these memories.  Every time that we use these doors, we will chuckle.  And, we will have stories to tell for years.  Stay tuned because tomorrow we start building the bar.

And the doors are open!

A Year Without Crayons

For the past few years I've blogged about the annual adventure we take buying school supplies.  This fall I didn't think that I was going to have anything to write.  Cassie wanted only a black binder and some spirals.  And, when Lacey downloaded her supply list, I was astounded to realize that she didn't need crayons for fifth grade.  I felt saddened and somehow cheated to realize that for the first time in 10 years I wouldn't be out shopping for crayons.

But, it seems that fifth graders have moved on to colored pencils.  So, we had the most boring shopping trip imaginable, shopping only for binders, notebook paper, spirals, composition books and colored pencils.  Regular pencils were also on the list.  But, during my summer house cleaning I had discovered a stockpile of about 300 pencils.

We deposited the supplies in the girls' bedrooms, absent the usual fanfare of, "Daddy, look at my pretty pencil case!" and "Mommy went to three different stores so we could find the cheapest crayons!"

Yes, I was feeling pretty blue.

Then, as I was cleaning house, I made a discovery.  I found a journal that Lacey was keeping.  The fact that she was keeping a journal was remarkable enough because I had been pestering her all summer to do some writing.  But, the contents of the journal were truly thrilling.  Take a peek.

In case you had any trouble with Lacey's handwriting, here's a translation:

"Clothes

tips:
-follow trends
(but only if you actually like them)
-try to dress like girl around you
-splurge on good quality staple items"

Well, my mind was really reeling.  Not only was Lacey writing and using words that I didn't think she understood.  But, she was writing about clothes!!!  I soon realized that these fashion ideas had to have come from the member of the family who can quote Coco Chanel.  Nonetheless, it seemed that Lacey was finally taking an interest in her appearance.

A couple evenings later, Les mentioned that since I had done the school supply shopping, he could help the girls shop for school clothes.   I explained that they both needed sneakers and Lacey could use a new hoodie.  That wasn't really all they needed.  But, I figured those were items that he could handle.  As the girls and I did the dishes,  we could hear Les pecking away at his computer.

"What size jacket does Lacey wear?" he called.

"O. . . M. .. . G. . ." Lacey mouthed at me, a look of panic on her face.

 "Quick," I advised, "Run and see what he's found!  Remember, he's color blind!!"

 I don't know what was funnier - the notion of Les shopping online for the girls' clothing or Lacey's reaction.  But, I did know that life as I knew it would never be the same.  

This year, instead of shopping for crayons we shopped for clothes.  And, what fun we had.  Check out these pictures of our mall action.

 

 

 

 

 

Lacey's 5th Anniversary

Lacey turned 11 on June 24th.  Because we were up in the mountains with no Wifi, I wasn't able to publish a birthday blog for her.  Five years ago today, Lacey became part of our family.  So, I decided to combine her birthday blog with a celebration of her fifth anniversary as a member of our family.

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that five years have passed since we first met Lacey.  But, while it's easy to remember life without Lacey, it's hard to imagine life without her.  Lacey used to frequently refer to Les, Cassie and myself as "you guys."  She would ask a lot of questions about our previous lives such as, "Did you guys ever spend Christmas in Colorado?"  I've noticed she seldom asks those questions now because she has become so much a part of the memories.

To celebrate her five years, I've chosen five words to describe Lacey.  The first is "happy."  Lacey has got to be the happiest kid I know.  She gets up with a smile on her face each day and, regardless of how the day plays out, she continues smiling.  Here are some pictures of Happy Lacey.

Happy

Lacey with a birthday cake.  We were staying in a cabin at Orkney Springs.

Lacey in the car, claiming ownership of Cassie's old phone.

Lacey at violin camp

Lacey at dance class.

We stopped at Starbucks on our way to school.  It was the coldest day of the year.

Resilient

Lacey is so resilient.  No matter what happens, she keeps on trying.  Maybe she just hasn't reached the age of being a "drama queen" yet.  But, I suspect that she won't change.  She approaches each task head on, without considering how difficult it might be.

Lacey's shortcut through the woods didn't work so well.  She ended up in ankle-deep mud.  So, she washed off her shoes and looked for a better shortcut.

Honest

Lacey is very honest and takes things very literally.   I don't know if this is cultural, if it's related to her being a second language learner, or if it's just her personality.  Implied questions can never serve as directives.  I would never say, "Do you think it's time for bed?"  Lacey would always say "no."

Les recently commented that he was going to clean the garage on Saturday.  On Saturday morning I went outside and found that Lacey had emptied most of the garage.  I asked what she was doing and she replied, "Daddy said that he was going to clean the garage today.  I'm helping."  That sure surprised Les.



Here are some other funny and honest "Lacey" quotes:

"I don't understand 99 percent of what Daddy says!"

While watching Cassie listen to the car radio, Lacey said, "I'll never understand the music that Cassie likes."

Last week I took the girls to a movie.  During the saddest part, when all the other kids in the audience were sobbing, Lacey spoke up.  "I think this part is supposed to be emotional," she declared.

During dinner one night Lacey exclaimed, "We won the war!"  Les, Cassie and I exchanged glances, shrugged and continued eating.

One day, as Lacey was wiggling her fingers, she asked, "Who invented hands?  They're so cool!"

Eager

No matter what she is doing, Lacey wants to get done as quickly as possible.  We talk to her a lot about slowing down and enjoying the process of doing something and not just rushing through.  No matter where we are, she has to be the first.  She wants to be the first one in the house, the first one on and then off the escalator, the first one in the car, the first one to the table and the first one to finish eating.

Here is Lacey, eating a snack as she runs down a mountain path with her violin.



Why finish with the music if she can finish first?

Lacey is never afraid to try anything, even if she has little to no idea what she's getting into. 

At the museum, Lacey leapt onto an antique bicycle.

I must ask Lacey to slow down at least a dozen times every day.  I have to constantly remind her to slow down with her school work.  I have wondered if maybe there is some special privilege, such as extra computer time or drawing time, awarded to the students who finish early.  But, according to Lacey, there are no prizes.  She just wants to be done.

In June, Lacey brought home some of her fourth grade workbooks.   One composition book was titled, "Word of the Day."  Lacey explained that every morning the teacher had put a word on the board.  The students were to write a definition and then use the word in a sentence.  The assignment was designed to keep the students busy at the start of the day and wasn't graded.  Now, we are very sensitive to the fact that Lacey is still acquiring English and that she still lacks a lot of relevant background information.  So, we waited until she was in bed to examine this notebook.    I don't know when I've laughed so hard.  This book really captures the essence of Lacey.  It is full of sloppy handwriting, misspellings and incorrect definitions.  My first reaction was to wish that she had tried harder and done a better job.  But, she was allowed to get away with it.  So, why not?  Here are some examples from the notebook.  I know that someday Lacey will look back and understand why this made me laugh so hard.

Word:  ally
Lacey's definition:  fight something
Lacey's sentence:  When my Mom coke she lite me like spoon.  (My translation:  When my Mom cooks she lets me lick the spoon.)  Does anyone see any relationship between Lacey's sentence and the word "ally?"

Word:  aspire
Lacey's definition:  a copen that can be used agin.
Lacey's sentence:  James aspires to become a champion tennis player.  (Good job copying, Lacey.)

Word:  corridor
Lacey's definition:  to do something
Lacey's sentence:  Acid rain corrdes railroad tracks.  (Okay, if you're going to copy, copy something that's correct.)

Word:  hasty
Lacey's definition:  bad desin
Lacey's sentence:  I make a lot a hasty desion.

Word:  majoy
Lacey's definition:  ?
Lacey's sentence:  My majoy is to fockas on my skills.

Word:  bewilder
Lacey's definition: To live in the wilder.
Lacey's sentence:  I am bewilder all the time.

Sisterly

I will let the pictures do the talking here.



Happy Gotcha Day, Lacey!