modelling

We have been staying in Armidale for a few days - celebrating the festival of forty.  My husband's school friends have all met up for a a reunion to mark the fact they are all turning forty this year or the next year.  I have had a wonderful time - even though they are not my school friends I know so many of the stories I almost feel I am part of the group.  I collected forty memories from them all, and will do something creative with a photo and words.

Anyway, while Chris and I have been reconnecting with everyone the girls have been producing and directing productions at Granny's house.  I probably have been modeling writing scripts and doing performances over the last few weeks.  I insist on several dress rehearsals before we come to view the performance.  We have had two productions already - the scooter show and the puppet show.

The scooter show had tickets with seat numbers, and said 'may involve some chair moving'  We were instructed go outside - at 6.30 pm in Armidale (we complained loudly for most of the performance how cold it was).  I had to purchase tickets using money made by Gab.  We watched her do some scooter tricks and ride the scooter into the darkness. I think more effort went into the promotion and set up then the actual performance.

The second show - performance 4.30 pm this afternoon - was a puppet show with full stage set, script by Annika and puppet performance by Gab.  It took them hours - at least long enough for me to go through several levels of Angry Birds on the ipad.

It struck home to me this afternoon how much we model and how much our children pick up.  So if i want kind considerate helpful children who use their gifts and welcome others I need to model this.

And if I want puppeteers I will model being a puppeteer.

ticketing - 5 pretend dollars each

set with performers

dancing concert - tick

It feels great to get things done early.  I am one of those people who never asked for an assignment extension, and mostly always have materials prepared a good week before they are due.  Some would say I am a girly swot.

So when our dancing teacher decided to have the dancing concert this year 6 months earlier than normal - it appealed greatly to my sense of organisation.  She decided to do this so as to not conflict with the ballet exams at the end of the year.  Hence a ballet concert in June!

We were at a new venue - Gateway Baptist - and it was great.  Lighting and everything!  The girls looked beautiful and danced wonderfully.  Many proud mummy moments.  Even when I could tell Gab was a bit nervous she pushed through and remembered her steps.  And Annika lights up like a spotlight on stage.  She loves it.  Each year they get better and better.  It is wonderful to watch them blossom and grow into who they are.

My little baboushka doll

when baboushka dolls go gangster

check out that bun! curls hairsprayed down

Gab is third from the left

'I'm a bird I can fly!' - she loved this simple costume

Gab on stage in the middle

she's so shy....

play the game of capture the sister

hmmmm...what are my steps

dancing in the middle somewhere

they really did not like this tap costume

we did it!

tap shoes ready?

on stage with tap dance - they are both in there somewhere

now for something completely random

Tonight, in the middle of winter, after dinner, abandoning homework, music practice and the dishes, we decided to go and play putt putt.

In a suburban caravan park near our house.

I think the lady at the caravan park thought we were crazy rocking up in beanies, ugg boots and jackets to play a quick 18 holes of putt putt.  But sometimes that's just what has to happen.

Enough of the nagging about homework and more of the random mini golf playing.  Gab held her putter like a hockey stick, Annika took it very seriously and I got a false sense of confidence by getting a hole in one on the first green.  We managed to finish all 18 holes before the putters were due back to the office.

Gab lost more and more concentration as the game went on, and she was yahooing around the place singing random songs and doing ninja moves in between each turn.  On the final hole we just said 'come on Gabby shoot it!.'  So she did.  Straight up the hill like a rocket into the hole.  Score = 1.  Very very funny.  She now believes she is a legend at putt putt.  Well, when you are 8 years old and playing putt putt outside in winter in a caravan park you've go to take all the confidence and happiness you can get!

I hope we can always be this random with our children.

mickey stories: chapter twelve

I have a small friend called Mickey.  Well, he is getting taller all the time.  He has an inventive and curious mind that cannot leave something well enough alone, like a terrier with a rat or a mother wanting to find out what happened at school.

Mickey was outside for a while one day, long enough for his mother to wonder what he was doing.  When he walked past the window with a hammer she felt the need for investigation.

Mickey had discovered the terracotta pipe that lead across the footpath into the storm water drain.  Parts of it were exposed.  He decided he needed to smash the pipe with a hammer to SMITHEREENS.

"Why? Why?" his mother asked as she was wrestling the hammer off him.

Eyes gleaming with the promise of excitement he exclaimed:
"To see the fountain!'

Mickey is right.  Under all of us, lurking beneath the surface of the earth, are fountains just waiting and hoping to be released.

Maybe Mickey is the first fountain freedom fighter I have met.

Fountains - for too long you have been repressed in pipes

unreasonably excited

We have decided to get a new puppy.  I have felt the loss of a dog in our lives since Amy died last September. 

She was a good good dog.

I did a lot of looking around and researching (some would say over researching - well I like to get everyone's opinion before making up my own mind) and was checking out different breeds.  But then we met another border collie owned by our mechanic.  And I loved it and wanted another border collie.  I am familiar with the breed.  And love them.  A well trained border collie is a joy of an animal.

Our puppy is coming from this lady.  We went and met all the adult dogs, and my dog barometer Gabby was not scared by any of them (she is normally very skittish around dogs).  They were beautiful calm dogs.

I am getting very excited about the puppy.  I keep looking at the puppy pictures on the website and dreaming about it.  In a fit of rashness I said Chris could name the dog. 

So our puppy will be called Wolverine Deathspawn.  And be very cute.

new show

Tomorrow we are doing a new wide eyed stories show at a local primary school.  This afternoon we had a final run through before a critical audience made up of our progeny (6 between Juliet and I).  The new show involves three of my favourite puppets - Dizzy, Frankincense and Margaret - a ukelele (since I learnt four chords a month ago the world is my ukelele oyster) - excellent overacting by both Juliet and myself - a helium balloon trick that could go terribly wrong - and enough props to fill the back of the Prado.  And a very funny script (Lisa you may need to learn this one - it is sticking around for a while!).

Comments from the test audience this afternoon at the pre show screening included:
'we liked it when the balloons flew up'
'mummy you are funny and embarassing'
'that song is awesome'
'woo woo' (from the one year old)
'can I have a drink of water?' (three year old)
'can I have one of the balloons?' (three year old)
'can I touch Dizzy?' (three year old)
'can I have a balloon?' (eight year old)

We will see how it all goes tomorrow.  Three shows.  150 kids.

We may need bags of lollies and giant cups of tea.

The cast:

Princess Dizzy herself - it is very hard to get a good photo of her eyes....

Margaret. She will be playing the role of a magpie.  I don't want to type cast but...

Frankincense.  Making his premiere wide eyed stories appearance.

Overactors squashing a kid between them.  Lookout.