Playing and Partying

Bella and Wyatt just finished their last debut in iStage's, Shrek Jr.  Bella participated in this her third year and finally was successful in talking Wyatt into doing it.  Turns out...he loved it, plans to return next year.  I may have even been recruited to help with the music next year.  Hmmm.

After four great shows, Wyatt's parts were the same for all four: Baby Ogre and Little Dwarf and Bella alternating Young Fiona and deer, they had a cast party.  I help chaperoned and it was quite the learning experience into the teen brain/world, but mostly fun.

Man I can't believe how these kids keep growing, even if it isn't so much vertically.

Theater Program

So the school district we live in is well known for their sports program.  Every year we have some team ranked in state competitions.  Many district decisions are made with the athletic programs in mind.  Some people complain that it is all that is ever considered.  They worry about the lack of arts or other such nonsense. 

For me I don't always know what they are complaining about.  Because I see that our elementary school's PTO sponsors the "theater program" every other year, by sending every student to see a show in the local theaters from Lancaster to Harrisburg to Reading.  Then our first grade teachers put on a little musical for the first graders every year.  It used to be a play by a fourth grade teacher but when she retired they took over with this.  Last our community has a volunteer led theater program called iStage for students from 4th-12th grade. 

These programs show me that people care about the arts and that since the school lets all of these programs use their buildings for practices and performances I'd say they're doing okay.  And all of this doesn't even speak to the actual musicals and plays that the high school puts on.

Here are the pictures of my little kiddos in their performances.  I love watching them!

The Little Sea Creature/Lagoon Animal

Bella's newest (as of the beginning of this year) endeavor was theater. 

She auditioned for our community theater, iStage.  They did The Little Mermaid Jr. 

She was a Sea Creature/Lagoon Animal -read Chorus. 

It was interesting for me to see. 

Parts were amazing and there were parts were I wanted to offer my help,

luckily I know enough to just keep my mouth shut.

In the end it was very cute. 

Bella is the girl in the blue long skirt and pink leggings.

When asked if she will do it again next year, she hmms and haas. 

She is the girl who loves to do it all at least once.

End of Year Madness - Oh My!

If you had doubts about my sanity before, well then let me assure you I am for sure insane currently.  Every mother feels a little frazzled at the end of the school year.  I am exactly one week away from the last half day of school; it's so close, but still unreachable or at least it feels that way.  So I just keep breaking it down to smaller chunks of time so I don't get overwhelmed.  Each morning, I repeat the mantra: "I just gotta survive today."  And it's been that way the whole month of May.  Here's what we've been up to:

Women's Club of Manheim Adopted a Block
Softball and Play practice galore
Softball games every Tuesday and Thursday
Math Night at Doe Run
Temple Trip to Washington DC
Graduation Parties (x3)
Cinco De Mayo Party
Celebrity Scoop Fundraiser
Board Meetings, Monthly Meetings and Presidency Meetings (WCM, PTO, Primary, Library, etc...)
- that's a whole lot of meetings if you get my drift
Weekly volunteering in the boys' classrooms
Spring Cleaning
Foster Care Training
Foster Care Recertification
Choir Concerts, Orchestra Concerts
First Grade Musical
Day Camp planning
Taxes finalized - ugghhh
Teacher Appreciation Week
Thank you gifts for officers (Order, prep, deliver)
Working at the School Store
4 Newspaper articles and photo shoots to Promo different events
Parental Visits galore
Lots of end-of-year Field Trips
Special Auxiliary Training
Middle School Book Fair
End of Year Carnival at the Elementary School
Dental visits
Many abandoned Book Clubs "Ain't nobody got time for that"
Relief Society Socials
End of Year Banquet
Order, Sort and Deliver Yearbooks (add a final sale for those who forgot to order originally)
Field Day Instruction
Scholarship Banquet
Activity Day and Scouts
Sporting Tournaments
Barnstormer Baseball Game
Memorial Day Picnic
Hiking
BBQ's
Planning, helping, and/or running fundraisers (Manheim Rock n' Glow 5K and RAINN em in)
Buying, making, sewing costumes for RAINN
Regular and Skype Assembly at the Middle School
Breakfast with Friends (a girl has to take a break every now and again)
Attend Bella's musical 3 out of 4 Show times
Run a mile fun run with younger kids, turn around and run a 5K with Bella
Clean Up Race starting at 11pm
Bake for a bake sale
Bake for end of year parties
Race a human powered horse for hours while eating and playing with friends

So that covers May through the end of the weekend June 2nd.  And next week...well I'll let you know how it went if I survive.  (Pictures to come)