More Pictures!

Don't know what that white car is in the first picture, or how it snuck in there! The pictures go in reverse order, due to my amazing organizational skills.  Yes, time is actually flowing backwards.  You'll see Cinderella's outfit today, followed by the Sandcastle competition at the Neptune Festival this past weekend, then Cinderella's birthday, Fourth of July, Visiting Grandma and Grandpa's, Scooby's birthday and Tarzan's birthday.  Grab yourself a beverage and settle in for awhile.

Some old pictures

I'm trying to get some pictures up...these are from the summer - beach days, Scooby's birthday party in Sewickley, Tarzan's cubscout camping trip.  More to come, soon!

The Hugging Incident

So Tarzan and Cinderella are having their after-school snack the other day (we have almost an hour before Scooby gets home from school - it's ridiculously quiet) and Tarzan says, out of the blue, "Your teacher is mean."
Cinderella - "Well, a little."
Me - "Why is she mean?"
Tarzan - "She said, 'You better not do that, or else -' and I didn't hear what else she said."
Me - "Do what?"
Cinderella - "Hug him."
Me - "Wait a minute. She told you not to hug each other?"
Tarzan - "Yeah."
Me - "Did she know you were brother and sister?"
Cinderella - "Yes, she knew."
Me - "What exactly did she say?"
Cinderella - "I don't remember."
Tarzan - "She said, 'You better not do that, or else -' something."
Me - "Huh."

Later: I write an email..."Ms. ______, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you at the Open House, I was at the middle school with my older son. Perhaps there's a morning I could come in and help out for an hour or so before school sometime. I was concerned to hear about an incident the other day. E. said she got in trouble for hugging her brother in the hallway. T. was kind of upset about it. He's a pretty sensitive kid and was worried that he'd gotten her in trouble. He's also been missing his big brother since he went to middle school, and was probably happy to see E. I'm confused as to why they were not allowed to hug each other hello? Please advise me on this when you get a chance."

The next morning, I get an email in return. (I'm paraphrasing) "E. did not get in trouble for hugging her brother. She lifted him up off the floor and I asked her not to do that in case she dropped him or another child in line ran in to her if they weren't looking. I told her my preference would be a silent wave. I'm sorry if this caused (crap, I can't remember the word she used...friction, maybe?EDIT: It was "ill feelings.") I don't need any help in the mornings at this time. Thank you for letting me know."

I posted something on Facebook and got a huge response of outrage and indignation over the kids not being allowed to hug.

Now, part of me understands somewhat. Cinderella can give rather...exuberant...hugs. I can see how that might be disruptive in the middle of a crowded hallway. On the other hand, why shouldn't siblings who actually care about each other and are happy to see each other be allowed to express that? Isn't it better than the alternative? I don't really want to make a big deal out of it, and I probably won't say anything else to the teacher about it. But I have to say, this has raised some warning flags with me. I don't want a repeat of last year, where I waited too long to intervene it what was not a great classroom situation for Cinderella. I was hoping she'd have a better year. And she seems pretty happy with her classroom and her teacher. I'm just...frustrated that this is even an issue.

People commented on FB that this is why our schools are so bad, this is why I homeschool my kids, etc. Well, homeschooling is not an option. Even if I weren't in school and working, I don't have the temperment to homeschool, and besides, they're smarter than me. I have to work within this imperfect system. And I'm trying to make it a positive lesson for them. I said, "Those are the rules in school. You're not allowed to hug each other. I think it's a dumb rule. But, it's the rule, and you need to follow it. However, please give each other extra hugs right before school and right afterwards to make up for it."

Sometimes there are rules we don't agree with. Even for grownups. And sometimes it's good to have to discipline yourself to follow a rule that you don't agree with.

But really, it's a dumb rule. Talk about legislating affection! There's a difference between high schoolers making out in the halls, and a second and third grade sibling giving each other a hug. Somewhere in the tangled system of burocracy, human reason should play a part and make some distinctions.

When you see your loved ones today, give them a hug.

Rules be damned.

Well, the kids started school on Tuesday, and so far so good! I promise to post pictures as soon as I find a working card reader. Scooby catches the bus at 7:15 and gets home around 4:15. It's a LONG day. But so far, he hasn't complained about any of it...the waking up at 6:15, the longer walk to the bus stop, any of it. I am very aware that it's only just begun, and I'm sure there will be more complaining as the weather gets colder and he starts carrying his violin back and forth every day. On the plus side, they actually have music stands at school and he won't have to carry that. On the minus side, he needs two new music books, a better chin rest, and a metronome is highly recommended. Anyone have an extra metronome laying around? So far his favorite subject is Latin - he thinks discovering the etomology of words is cool. Tarzan misses Scooby on the bus, and there have been a few moments of tears and some organizational frustration, but he's learning to cope with it much better. However, the binder I bought is not up to snuff, and he needs a new zippered one instead. I tried passing down Scooby's from last year, but it's falling apart too much, so I guess he'll get a new one. He'll have to wait until Monday, though. Cinderella likes her teacher, and has a couple of friends in her class from last year, although none of the ones that came to the sleepover. She's enjoying wearing all her new outfits. This morning she wore the sparkly black one from Grandma with the sparkly pink scarf and matching ponytails. She spent some time before the bus dancing in front of the mirror and singing, "You! Yeah, You! You are a rock star!" and then she informed me her rockstar name is Madame Medusa.
I've been super busy myself. I'm working at my Theatre Administration GA job 13 hours per week, mostly from 10 - 1. It's kept me busy up until right now, when I have to wait for a professor to get out of class and approve something before I can send it along. Hence, the blogging. At least I look like I'm still working! I have lots of reading to catch up on, but if I do that, it's a little more obvious that I'm doing school work instead of work work. Rehearsals started for Our Town on Monday, and I have to work on stamina! I never leave the stage, and I rarely sit down. By the end of the rehearsal, my back is killing me. I'm trying to apply the "spine" work we've been doing in Vocal Production class and release extra tension so I'm not so stiff, but I'm not succeeding so far. I really like the director they've brought in for the show, and I think I'm going to learn a lot from her. She's doing the rest of the characters in the show as they're written (1901 - 1915 period) but I am a modern character (and I'm female) dressed in sort of Eddie Bauer with a feminine twist. Let's see...my other classes. Playwriting is very time intensive and I'm pretty behind right now on all the required reading/discussion board participation. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up some on Saturday. Broadsword is...heavy. But actually a lot easier than Rapier and Dagger, particularly because most of the footwork is the same, and many of the attacks and parries are very similar. Screen Acting is kind of lame so far. We're working with one-liners and short scenes from 90210 and Babylon 5, because those are shows that the professor worked on and cast. He knows what he's talking about, and I'm learning a lot, but the material is dreadful. Today we are Telepaths being destroyed by Aliens. The line is "Help! Somebody please help me!" I preferred the dialogue in Macbeth.
So I'm busy. My day looks like this: 6:15 - wake up, get Scooby ready for school, walk him to the bus stop. 7:30 - get Tarzan and Cinderella ready for school, walk them to the bus stop. 8:15 - 9:00 - Run 9:45 - go to work. 10 - 1, work in my chilly cubicle. 1:00 to either 3:00 or 5:00 - class. either 3:00 or 5:00 until 6:30 - kid homework, reconnect, and dinner time. 7:00 - 11:00pm - rehearsal for Our Town. 11:00 - 1:00, homework. Except sometimes I fall asleep before 1:00.
Good thing I love what I'm doing.

Happy Labor Day Weekend

Our exciting plans? NOTHING! I have nowhere to be today, tomorrow, or most of Monday. I do start rehearsals for Our Town on Monday night, and we took Granny to the airport at 4:30 this morning, but apart from that, the weekend is free, free, free!
In case anybody's interested, here's some of what I do for my job at school. The two most recent articles are mine.
http://www.regentbackstage.blogspot.com/

Home again, home again

It's been a whirlwind of traveling, first week of classes, auditioning, preparing for Cinderella's 7th birthday party, traveling again, traveling some more. Good, but super tiring. Tomorrow starts week two of classes, and Tuesday night is a sleepover party for at least 5 girls. Next week starts rehearsals for Our Town, and school for the kids. It's going to be a good semester, as soon as I can blink without feeling like my eyes won't open again for eight hours. I catch up when I can, but for now...we are here! we are here! we are here!

The Wiz is over

And I'm going home.

For an upcoming audition workshop

If you were to cast me in a TV or movie part, what would it be? (ie: Patricia Heaton in Everybody Loves Raymond, or Kathy Bates in Misery) What "type" do you see me as?

Wednesday

Monday, while on the phone with Mom and Dad, the kids told me they smelled something burning. After about 5 minutes and a gradual intensification of the smell, I discovered a plastic water bottle had flipped out of the dishwasher rack onto the bottom of the dishwasher and lodged itself under the heater coil. It was proceeding to melt at a rapid rate, and filling the kitchen with the smell of burning plastic. Mmmm. I retrieved it with a pair of tongs and tossed it in the sink. When we came home from rehearsal hours later, the house still reeked. Two days later, everything that was washed in that load, even though we ran them through again, still smells like melted plastic. Tasty.

MacBeth opens in two days. We're doing a condensed version, with 6 actors. I play Lady MacBeth, a Witch, a murderer, and a soldier. I die twice, once onstage and once off. I fight with quarterstaff, make sound effects with a wet finger on a wine glass, and scream bloody murder at least twice. We're performing in the library auditorium, which is tiny, and has no lights and a miniscule stage. So, we're seating audience in the last three rows, and in folding chairs set up in front of the stage, and using the middle part of the room, seats and all, as our performance space. Scenes are lit with camping lanterns, garage worklights, flashlights, and electric candles. It's got a very low-tech but creepy, Blair-witch kind of feeling to it. It's been challenging, exciting, and lots of fun to work on, and I'm really, really glad I agreed to do it. I'll miss it when we're done on Saturday.

Kids are doing fine, although Scooby came down with a little cold last night. Hopefully it will stay little! They've been troopers about coming to rehearsals with me, and a kind member of my cohort has invited them over to use their apartment complex's pool a couple times per week. Cinderella's water bravery is improving by leaps and bounds, and I guess that she'll be swimming by the end of our visit to MA in August.

Even quicker update

Survived week one of Wiz camp. Teaching dance four hours per night is tiring!! I don't remember it being this hard...
I want to run, but the only time I have now is 6:00am so I'm back before Don has to go to work...and when I get home from teaching at 11:00pm, that's very difficult. The sweat equity I'm putting in is about the same as running, but I miss the training schedule I had going. Maybe next week I'll try to get back to it.
School before school still primarily a success, although Cinderella rebells against the writing assignments. The reading is going full speed though - they've all almost completed their first log-sheet for the library program - 15 hours!
Two more weeks of MacBeth rehearsals, and no sitters lined up as of now. Should be interesting...

Quick update

My wonderfully geeky children have started "school before school" this week. This is where Scooby puts together a lesson plan for several different subjects (spelling, science, social studies, math, and "specials" (art, music, etc.) for each day of the week, and Tarzan and Cinderella actually sit down and do the lessons! They're on day one of a full three week plan. We'll see how long it lasts! So far they actually all sound like they're having fun, and learning something!
Last night was closing night and strike for Mulan, Jr., so I've actually survived phase one of my stupidly busy summer. The show was quite good for jr. high, and I think all the kids had fun. Today, we start the five week camp for the Wiz. I don't really feel prepared, but I'm praying that it all comes together. We've had a week of rehearsals for MacBeth, and all has gone well...I have lots of memorizing still to do, though, and not much time to do it. It should be a really interesting production when all's said and done. The kids signed up for the summer reading program at the library. Scooby's reading the "39 clues" series of books, Tarzan just started the "Series of Unfortunate Events" and Cinderella's re-reading all the Junie B. Jones books. My reading level has dropped significantly, but I found a copy of Noel Streatfield's "Skating Shoes" which was out-of-print for a long time, and I'd never read it before. "Ballet Shoes" "Dancing Shoes" "Theater Shoes" and "Movie Shoes" are all favorites of mine, so it was great to add another to the list! Frankly, it's not as good as the others, but still, it's fun to round out the series. I think there's still "Party Shoes" out there somewhere, but I'm not breaking my neck to try to find it.

Happy July

Sorry I haven't been posting more. I have been ridiculously busy with summer theater camp at Regent, choreographing and teaching dance classes. It's going well, but I am WIPED OUT at the end of the day. My time of solitude, quiet house and not doing laundry every day is coming to an end, as I'm off to Pittsburgh tomorrow to pick up the kids from Super-Granny's house. I'm planning on driving straight through on Sunday to come back, as I start rehearsals for MacBeth and have tech week for summer camp starting Monday night. At least Don doesn't have to work, so I have one more day kid-free to get my bearings. Also getting a cold, so driving all day should be fun. Happy fourth, wishing we could be in Norwood!

Scooby's birthday

Happy birthday, Scooby!
(Celebrated two days early, since he'll be in transit on the actual day)

First, we went to the beach...

Then pizza and presents at Doughboys

Miniature Golf at Jungle Golf

Scooby got a hole-in-one!


Lion tamers!

Fun day with Daddy

And Mom

Tarzan's Birthday

Happy 8th birthday, Tarzan!!!

Tarzan's reaction to Grandma's IOU of Wii Lego Harry Potter

Cinderella explains her homemade present to Tarzan

My homemade cake - Hogwarts Castle


And the cupcakes - Golden Snitches

Poster I drew for "Pin the Scar on Harry"

Tarzan and his new "Silly bands" (If you have to ask, you don't have elementary aged kids)

The poster Scooby made for the front door

Tarzan and his newest Webkinz

NYC pictures

Steve and Sue's Brooklyn Apt.

Steve and Sue in their Brooklyn Apt.

Melissa and Taylor getting coffee


Walking in the park

Melissa and J

Cubscout pictures

Cubscout Camping Trip pictures...birthday party pictures to follow soon!

Timmy as a Wolf - receiving his latest beltloops

Emily and David at the campfire

Cubscout Campsite...looks serene doesn't it? That's because the JETS HAVEN'T STARTED FLYING OVER YET!!!!

This is David's "I got into Kemps Landing!" face

Crossing over to Bear

Timmy as a Bear

Apparently, I beat hard enough that the wall caved

We got a phone call today offering Scooby a spot at the gifted school! No mention of whether my letters had anything to do with it...possibly they didn't even get it yet. Scooby's over the moon about it, and so am I. More details to follow. In other good news, Tarzan crossed over from "Wolf" to "Bear" in cubscouts this weekend, and I was cast as Lady MacBeth in the summer six-person version of MacBeth at Regent. Yippee!

Beating my head against the wall is so much fun

Dear (Unnamed Gifted School) Staff;
I am once again writing on behalf of my son, Scooby Dunlap, who is currently placed on the waiting list for Unnamed Gifted School. As the school year draws to a close, I felt the need to contact you once again and ask you to keep Scooby’s application fresh in your minds, should an opening be found for next year’s sixth grade class.
Scooby has continued to excel academically, achieving Principal’s List for the second and third quarters of the school year. He is on track to reach this level again for the end of the year, and he is very proud of his accomplishments. He has recently begun taking Tae Kwon Do lessons, which are giving him an excellent opportunity to strengthen his confidence, self-discipline, and physical coordination.
I remain convinced that a placement at Unnamed Gifted School would absolutely be in Scooby’s best interest. After speaking further with the Gifted Program coordinator at Current Elementary School, Mrs. So and So, we are both in agreement that Scooby’s social and emotional developmental needs, as well as his academic needs, will be better met at Unnamed Gifted School than at Regular Middle. In the event that a spot does not open, I would ask that you make an exception and create a new spot for a student who will ultimately be an asset to your school, as much as your school will be a benefit to him. I have never before been so persistent in the pursuit of a placement for my child, but such is the strength of my conviction in this matter that I felt it necessary to contact you again. I have sent a copy both of this letter and my previous letter to Dr. Head of all Gifted Programs in VA Beach as well.
Once again, I thank you for your patience and consideration in this matter.



It's on days when I do stuff like this that he drives me completely up the wall with his behavior. Grrr....

I thought about going to the beach, but instead...

Finally finished the seasonal clothing switch today...summmer clothes in the drawers, winter clothes folded, boxed, and moved into the garage. Vacuumed the house. Straightened out my new prescription with my new insurance. Returned some stuff to Walmart, and bought two lemons. (Why? Keep reading!)Read some of Wally Lamb's "The Hour I First Believed." Read more of it. Read so much I ran out of time to work out. Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and ate dinner outside for the first time this year. Went to the cubscout Talent Show. Tarzan was great...juggled lemons (see?), did a magic trick, and told a joke. He had a wig, two different hats, a crazy coat and a blue tutu. He was a big hit. Second best was the kid who played "Row Your Boat" on the electric ukelele. Tomorrow I need to pack Cinderella a lunch for her field trip, get my run in, go to a planning meeting for "The Wiz" (the second theater camp I'm teaching at this summer) then come home and pack for the weekend. My plane to NYC leaves at 5:45pm. I have no idea what to pack! But I'm looking forward to it!

Summer plans

Scooby's had two Tae Kwon Do lessons so far, and I think it's a hit! He seems to be really enjoying himself, and he looks really cute in his little outfit! (Sorry, that probably wasn't very respectful to the outfit...I'm sure it has a special name and everything.) There are two female masters that teach the class, and they seem to be really good with the kids. I have a feeling he'll want to continue when the free trial is over...perhaps an idea for a birthday present? Thought I'd fill everyone in on our travel plans, in case anyone cares. Friday night I'll be flying in to LGA (and hey, do I get to get picked up in the cute new convertible, or am I still stuck with the smelly, puke-inducing taxi?) Sometime Sunday afternoon, I'm planning on driving our shiny new (to us) Saturn to DC and maybe getting there in time for dinner with Mom, Dad, and Lisa. Monday I'll drive the rest of the way home. The weekend of June 4th and 5th, we'll be camping out with the cubscouts here in VA beach. Timmy's birthday party will be either on Friday the 11th or Saturday the 12th. David's will probably be Thursday the 17th. Don and the kids will be driving to Pittsburgh either right after school on the 18th, and stopping in DC (if you're home, Lisa)or driving straight through on the 19th. (Happy Anniversary to us!) The four of them will be in Pittsburgh that whole week, and Don will fly back to VA on Sun. the 27th. I'll be flying in to Pittsburgh on Saturday, July 3rd, and driving the kids back on Sunday, the 4th. Possibly staying at Lisa's, even though she's not home? And coming back early enough on Monday that I can go to work at 6:00pm. Then we're here through Aug. 15th, since I'm working camps. Then, hopefully, we'll be driving up to MA. I'll fly back here for the first week of classes, starting the 23rd, then fly back, pick up the kids and drive back here. Sounds fun for everyone except me! While in Pittsburgh, I'm hoping to have a little get-together for David and some of his friends at Pizza Hut, to celebrate his birthday again, hopefully making up for the fact that he has to sit in a car all day on his birthday. Don and I will have a whole week here without kids to celebrate our anniversary! I'm tired just looking at all of this.