Last week was filled with rehearsals, in addition to our regularly scheduled activities. Below are Payton and Jack on Wed evening after tumbling at the HAC. Hilly and Ben and Hannie were hanging w Tiffany at the hotel room that has substituted for their house for the passed 4 months since their neighbor's house burned down and caused smoke damage to their home. The kids are going to miss playing in that hotel and I see why. Tons of space. A lot of running and screaming.
On Thursday Lisa and I tried to work out in her basement while Ben, Hilly and Drew watched a movie upstairs and her baby slept. First we fluffed out her new Xmas tree and then we did Jillian Michaels. It was fun, yet stressful and I was reminded why I prefer a gym with childcare. Mid-plank and hearing your kids call you is the WORST.
Thursday evening: full dress rehearsal. These 3 were pumped. Benny was hanging with Betsy and Kyle and baby Kate while Em came with us. Jack has some older sister/control and jealousy issues- so she wasn't happy sitting in the 3rd row alone while Em and Hill sat together in the middle. By the show on Friday night, Jackie was doing much better. I'm glad it was Hilly that had a friend with us for once- Jack needed to learn a lesson and also have a taste of her own medicine.
These 2. Insanity. They feed off each other and do skits from movies nonstop. Inside Out. Elf. And I'm not sure anyone gets their humor but them.
My first born.
Jack and her buddy Em (I should add that Jack and Em are also friends).
My gals.
Meanwhile, back at Betsy's. This crew was making pizza. Ben cried when I picked him up every time. He felt so cool hanging w Kyle. I asked him if he wanted a little brother and he told me he wants a big brother. Sorry, bud.
Hilly and Em during the dress rehearsal. It's the only time that the dancers get to watch the show and they were all enthralled, which I think is really cool. I was also surprised. At one point a new song came on and I saw Hilly start dancing in her seat with Em and then they giggled and then quietly watched the entire dance. I danced for 2 or 3 years and I didn't have a buddy when I did it so I felt very shy during the entire class. I do remember loving dressing up for the recitals, though. I don't remember being very interested in the other dances- especially the older girl dances. My girls are having a very different experience, though. I think it's because they have each other and also friends with them.
Hilly after the show.
Payton and Jackie left a bit earlier with Tiffany. Here Em and Hill are getting snacks. I put money in Hill's bag for all the girls to get snacks backstage. I was bringing Jack her dance bag and saw Hilly and Em giving money to the snack lady and buying themselves waters like it was no big deal. It cracked me up because I put money in Jackie's bag and she never even used it because she was too shy (when she was younger). And these 2 are spending every last dollar on snacks. The lady asked me if they are twins.
Kyle and Ben playing construction games. Pays to have an elementary school teacher as a friend.
We ran into Em when we got home!
The next morning. Em gave Hilly that dress "to keep for life." So Hilly slept in it and then wore it to school the next day.
Friday night show: This was the finale. I love watching the girls in the finale. They get so excited. At one point Jackie and Payton just started hugging.
Jax with her roses.
Saturday morning Jack woke up in the worst mood ever. So when Tiffany texted and asked if I wanted to drop Jack off to get ready at her place, it took no time for me to say yes. I chucked the kids in the tub and drove Jack in sweats to Tiffany's and they had a blast. See below:
Below are Hill and Em on stage.
Em was able to make it to the Saturday show. The girls were surprised and sooooo excited.
She brought them peppermint cake pops.
The recital was awesome- my heart burst watching them dance. They had a fun time. The dancers were awesome. The girls felt apart of something bigger than themselves, and that is an important feeling. I could have watched 100 more shows.
That night- Ben in his big boy bed. He loves it.
The girls in their beds. Hilly was in a toddler bed until Saturday. She loves her new twin.
Sunday was my big 3-5 and I took my kids and Payton and Hannah to the HAC to play on the maze for a million hours until Jackie and Payton had yoga at 1. We left at 2:15 and picked up Em at her grandma's house in the neighborhood that we hope to move to this spring. As we were driving to take Payton and Hannah home, I saw a sign for an open house from 1-3 at a house I had wanted to see. It was 2:52 so we turned the car around and all of us went in. It was a zoo! Soooo fun, though.
Then we dropped off Payton and Hannie and went to Betsy's to do Christmas card pictures for the kids. Betsy uses my camera and I used her lights set up. Also a zoo.
The reward for a good pic was nerds. Nobody earned any nerds but they ate a ton anyway.
Watching the McConnells get their pic. Eating random pieces of pizza Betsy had on the counter.
Then we went to Grammy and Pops for dinner and a cake. The kids blew out my candles and shared their wishes with me (since it was my birthday, afterall). Jackie's wish was that we would both die at the same time. It made me burst into tears. I told Emily about this later and she told me that was always her wish when she was young as well because she wouldn't know what to do without her mom. And I can definitely relate to that. I am a real mama's girl at heart.
I automatically think back on certain birthdays and some stand out more than others. In 3rd grade I was sick from school on my birthday and so bored by 1pm that day. At 19, it was 70 degrees at college and I wore capri pants and a Ralph Lauren short sleeved shirt and my friends threw me an enormous surprise birthday bash. At 21 I was in Oxford and we partied in my dorm. At 23 I was finishing up one last class at NYU and living in an apartment with 100 people. I received 25 happy birthday voicemails that day and my artist roommate Tara recorded them and used them for her senior project. I digress. My birthdays keep getting better. I've had good ones and bad ones. I've been in good states of mind and bad ones. I've been surrounded by loved ones and completely alone. But for now I am so lucky. I love my kids so much. I am SO LUCKY to be able to be home with them, even though the majority of our days are insane and filled with ref'ing fights and chauffeuring. I am SO LUCKY to have a husband who lets me be home for this time and works hard at a job that allows me to do so. I am so lucky I married the very best person for me- he compensates for my deficiencies and we have the same sense of humor and love the same movies/shows/books/ conversation topics/podcasts. I am so lucky to have met likeminded mothers with good kids who I now also love. I am so lucky I wasn't born in the Middle East. I am so lucky to have Smoddy and Nina and Jess and Ang and to be in occasional touch with Michelle Ross and Brooke- my childhood best friends I am still friends with today. I am so lucky family and extended family remain in touch and we see each other often. In moments of paranoia I think "I better not voice my gratitude because that might jinx it and it will all go away." But everyday I try to impose on my children a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness- I try to help them see the silver linings of every situation and to look on the bright side and remain optimistic and hopeful. How hypocritical for me to come onto a blog I am writing for them and remain mum about how blessed I currently am. I want to acknowledge the hardships and the blessings. And at the moment, I am feeling blessed.
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