The Cabbage Patch

The True Jewel

My oldest daughter played Princess Nadia.  She opens the box which releases evil and kills Queen Adalia, her mother.  The box beckons to her and she takes it and runs away.  

 

Princess Nadia right before she opens the box

 

Sister is very good at playing a naughty girl.  It's a bit disturbing.  

The ballet had canaries, butterflies, and villagers.

 

My butterfly

 

 

My canary

 

 

My villager

 

I made the princess bodices and tutus.  The M.O.B. (Mothers Of Ballerinas) helped quite a bit with the decorations.  

 

The princesses

 

The Queen Who Lives aka Queen Gemma

 

I made this one as well.  

We are all still recovering from the spring performance.  The girls should've been tired except they've been playing "ballet school" since yesterday.  To Nutcracker music of all things.  I guess they're ready to move on to the next thing.  I have a house to clean for the summer.  A very late spring cleaning.

What Have I Been Up To?

 

Making the above costumes plus fittings and other additions to costumes.  

And, finding a replacement for below.  On top of Christmas preparations.  This year I was a complete Advent flunky.  

What I've Been Doing

Making 11 Court Lady Costumes:

I had help with these.

One Clockmaker Robe, Tunic and Pant.  She ended up not wearing the pants but I didn't discover that until later.  

And one Nightingale.  I made the tutu and the bodices (there's one underneath the feather one).

Lots going on here.  Ben's off for 3 weeks before he gets ready for deployment.  We have lots of fun stuff planned.

What You Have...

...when you have two ballerinas in five performances and many friends and family who love them.

Most of these were from yesterday's matinee performance.  We are now finished and we are tired.  Now to gear up for the Birth of Christ.

What's Been Keeping Me Busy

The mom skirt and blouse.

The nanny skirt and apron.

Fifteen pantaloons for the party girls (I had help on these and probably did only 60% of the work).

Spanish Chocolate bodice.

Dewdrop bodice and overskirt.

Shuttling my Francesca and Bunny to and from.

 

Second and Third Order Effects

My children are learning first hand and the hard way about first, second and third order effects of actions.  We went this morning to purchase tickets for the Nutcracker.  The children asked if they could go wander into the theater.  I said no.  They ignored me (why bother asking?).  Honey tripped and twisted her ankle and strained it.  So, she is unable to walk.  She will be resting for the foreseeable future until she can put weight on it.  

That means we will not be able to go to the Christmas tree farm as we had planned on Friday with our homeschool group.  We don't have any other time to go.  So, unless something happens to free up some time for us, we will not have a tree except for the small fake one we have in the play room.  

Not a fun lesson to learn, but hopefully one that will stick.

Please pray for quick healing for Honey.  Our performances are coming up rapidly.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Ballerina Edition

 

Pumpkin in Ballet

Big sister helps out in the class.  Aren't they cute together? 

Status

There are too many things to report.

1. My nephew has been hospitalized since Saturday.  He had been having breathing problems for a week brought on by a viral infection.  It came to a head on Saturday.  The Children's Hospital admitted him.  He couldn't get enough oxygen even with an oxygen mask.  He was able to graduate to a cannula on Sunday and then today, he went off oxygen.  This evening he went back on the oxygen.  I guess he's not quite ready to come home.  Please pray for my little nephew.  His name is Ryan and he is 4.  I really hope he doesn't have to spend Christmas in the hospital.  
2. Nutcracker is over.  It's always sad and a relief when this happens.  Sister would dance in a 100 shows if she could.  Honey did very well despite her cough.  The bodices looked wonderful as did the waltz overskirts.  
3. Ben has finally arrived at his destination.  Hopefully, we'll be able to set up some regular correspondence.
4. My mother was helping out this weekend.  She did mounds of laundry, cooked, cleaned and babysat.  I learned some humility this weekend when she cleaned my bathroom (very embarrassingly icky).
5. My Christmas cards are going out late.  No surprise there.  Same with Christmas gifts I have to mail.  I have officially run out of time.

There are probably more.  My mind is full of things to do.  Hopefully, I'll be able to slowly chip away at my to-do list.

7 Quick Takes Friday (volume 62)

~1~

This is our second and final weekend of Nutcracker.  There was a dress rehearsal tonight.  It was very fun.  I think everyone is feeling a bit froggy.  At the end, during the finale, Sister and 4 others come out as reindeer pulling the sleigh.  They take Clara across the stage.  Two other reindeer moms and I took their places.  It was fun and we had everyone just cracking up.

~2~

Honey has had the worst cough these last 18 hours.  We had to use Xopenex several times consecutively last night.  I tried to make an appointment.  No go.  I left a message for the on-call doctor at almost 8.  No call back.  (You gotta love government run healthcare)  Luckily, I have a dear friend whose husband is a doctor (he is a good friend as well).  He came over and checked her out.  She's got an upper respiratory infection.  He gave Brother some antibiotics too since he's not been himself for about 4 days.  Hopefully, this will take care of it all and no one else will go down.

Oh, and her first thought was she would dance tonight.  She couldn't leave her partner hanging.

~3~

Ben has arrived in Kuwait and is awaiting the planes to take him to his final destination.

~4~

I'm not ready for Christmas.

~5~

Every year I say I need to get Christmas shopping/gift making done before Nutcracker season starts.  Each year, I fail.  Now, I plan on starting gifts in January.  I need to make out my plan.

~6~

I also have lesson plans to work on.

~7~

But, the week from Christmas to New Year's will be to-do list free.  Besides the basics, there will be absolutely think I HAVE to do.  Actually, I refuse.

 

Check out more 7 Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.