Before and After

What do you think of Josephine's (9 years old) new do?

She can't lose, right?  With long curly locks or short spunky whisps - she's a beautiful girl.

Seussical, the Musical

Rachel's high school drama department produced Seussical, the Musical this fall.  It was a huge hit.  JMichael and Josephine's classes had field trips to go watch the show and they both loved it.  I went with Charlotte and my friend Anissa to see the show on Saturday.  It was wonderful -colorful, bright, busy and a little on the weird side - just like I think Dr. Seuss would have wanted it.  The high school has so many talented vocalists and actors.  Rachel is in a great program to feed her need for the stage.  She is pictured below with her friend Natalie, who played a bird.  Rachel was a Who.  If you remember last year she was in Seussical, and she played JoJo, the Mayor's son.  That's a big role and she had a duet with Horton the Elephant.  But, that was junior high.  Now that she's in high school she has quickly learned that she is the low man on the totem pole and she is looking forward to the day - which is coming SO quickly - when she is the junior or senior and she can get the big roles.

The spring show is Beauty and the Beast - Rachel tried out for Mrs. Potts, but, it went to a senior.  Rachel will play the entrantress, a villager (which means she has solo lines in a song) and a piece of silverware (more solo lines).  That show will be in March.

A Christmas Carol

So Rachel likes the theater.  If you really know our family, you already know that.  She sings show tunes in the shower.  The community theater had a sign up for Christmas auditions, and so I said sure, I'll take you down there.  Charlotte thought it would be fun, too, so she came along.  Never wanting to miss out on anything, Josephine decided to tag along.  All I did was drive and sit politely and sign the parent's consent form for underage participation in a Charles Dickens production.  The director had each of the ladies read some lines and he asked me to help.  Sure, I said, I can read for you.  Well, don't you know it, I am now in my first ever stage production.  I tried to tell him that I had NEVER been in a play in my life, but, he was insistent, and desperate.  I play Mrs. Dilber - the theif that picks over Scrooge's dead body in the ghost of Christmas future.  I'm a little nervous but the ladies are all about it.  Mom gets to be on stage!  Their enthusiasm is much more pronounced than mine.  Rachel has two parts - Belinda Cratchit in the ghost of Christmas Present scenes and a minor character on the street.  Charlotte is Fan, Scrooge's little sister (in the ghost of Christmas Past scenes) and Josephine plays a caroller, who gets yelled at by Scrooge because she shares the Christmas spirit.  Bah Humbug!  I couldn't get Samantha to go anywhere near a stage, and they already had a little guy to play Tiny Tim, or I would have offered up J. Michael.  Stay tuned for more details.  Our shows are the the second week of December!  God bless us, every one!

A Beautiful Day - For a Kite

James has many hobbies - he plays guitar, he plays video games, he loves sports.  Since his injury, he can't do most of anything he enjoys anymore.  But, some days the weather is just so amazingly beautiful that it just calls your name.  Today was just that day.  Blue skies, perfect gusty wind, kids to play with - and his kite.  James has a stunt kite we bought years ago and when the conditions are just right, he loves to take it out to play. 

We set up his chair so he can be comfortable while he flies - 'cause believe me; he will pay for all this activity tomorrow with a sore back and tight muscles all over.  Isn't this picture cool?  The clound behind the kite makes it look like the kite is a jet with a wake in the sky.  The kite has two strings which allow James to steer it and do tricks.  It's fun to watch.

 

This is literally how we spent our days on our honeymoon.  We bought him a kite (we were in Ocean City, Maryland, staying at a beach condo....) and I laid in the infield of a local ball field reading a book, while James flew his kite for hours.  He lost control of it at one point one day and it landed in some trees out side of right field.  We had to chase it down, untangle it all and get it back up in the air again.  All was well and I went back to my book.  I remember falling asleep in the sun and he was zipping all around the outfield with his kite.  Ahh, carefree days....

On the playground that you see in the background of the kite picture, we have Joey and J. Michael, climbing the rock wall.  Josephine is demonstating with her hair just how windy it was outside.

Balloween 2013

Boo.  It's Halloween.  Not my favorite holiday.  Dressing up as something you are not for one night of selfish candy gathering.  But, hey, the kids think it's fun, and so did I once upon a time, long, long ago....  So this year, the big ladies went to a church dance all dressed up as Alice, from the book by Lewis Carroll (Rachel) and Waldo, from the book by Martin Handford (Samantha).

The little three went door to door treat or treating AND we went car to car trunk or treating. We have a poodle skirt 50's girl (Charlotte), a gymnast (Josephine) and a Sooners football star quarterback (J. Michael).

Lunch dates

 

Josephine (3rd grade) and J.Michael (kindergarten),

then me with Charlotte (5th grade)

I have been a substitute teacher now for about three months and while the cut in pay has been a huge hurdle, one of the big benefits is that I am so much more available for my ladies and JMichael.  I have been able to eat lunch with them at school and I am humbled and delighted that they still want to be seen with dear old Mom.  Dag, I look grey in that picture with Charlotte....



Josephine is 9!

Josephine Lisette Ball was born on a warm October day in 2004.  I specifically remember telling our surgeon that our newest daughter's name would be Josephine Lisette and she was thrilled.  Her name was also French -Simone - and she was excited to welcome another Francophile into the world.

For Joey's birthday, we invited two of her friends over to paint her name, which will hang on her wall once we get them painted - long term project.  Pitured below we have Keira, J. Michael, Korell, and the birthday girl. 

At nine, Josephine is still quite the gymnast (self taught, 100%, we have to get this girl on a team) and she loves to create her monster high house - a whole house of furniture for her monster high dolls, which she has made herself from stuff she finds around the house.  Literally, finds.  For example, the bunk beds for the warewolf twin sisters are made out of a stepstool.  It's pretty amazing.

Josephine likes school; she's a great reader; she's a K-Kid (service organization at school for kids who demonstrate leadership qualities).  She hates to fix her own food and will do your chores if you make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She has an imagination a mile wide, but, no desire to cook.  Josephine's stand out quality is curiosity.  She asks questions constantly.  Con.  Stant.  Ly.  She can't get enough.  Never stop Josephine - we love you.