Aladdin at Last

After a full recast, hours of rehearsal, many COVID accommodations and more than a year late, out middle school was finally able to bring “Aladdin” to the stage for a live audience. The necessary canceling of the show last year was one of Matthew’s big disappointments and while he didn’t get cast in the same role he did last year (he will be the first to tell you that his audition was trash this year), he was terribly excited to actually be able to perform and had a lot of fun in his new role as one of the castle guards. He is also a member of the stage crew, so he was heavily involved in designing the lighting for the show as well as helping build sets and having his fingers in the other technical aspects of the show. COVID protocol was still in play for the cast and audience, but that didn’t lessen the joy that being back at a live performance held. I think those live performances are one of the things I have taken for granted in the past, but a year with no concerts, plays, musicals, etc. has made me realize just how big a part they play in my family’s life. All my kids love to participate in live performances focused on their own talents and joys and I love supporting them in these experiences. As more normal activities resume, I look forward to more of these amazing live performances that bring all of us so much joy!

 

Guyliner

One of Matthew’s biggest disappointments last year was the cancellation of the school music, “Aladdin Jr.” After the switch to online school, they kept rehearsing the best they could in the virtual world. As the pandemic progressed, their plans for the play did as well. First, they were going to stream the performance. Then they were postponing until later in the school year. After that they planned to perform in the summer. And finally, with heavy hearts, they had to cancel the entire show. It was a moment of defeat for everyone, students and teachers alike.

With the return to school this year, the play was finally given a green light with a myriad of COVID precautions in place. Once auditions and recasting were done, the kids got to work and poured their hearts into making the musical the very best performance they could. Matthew, while not getting the same part he had last year, was one of the dedicated kids who has spent the past three months rehearsing. Dress rehearsals begin this week which means it was time to teach my youngest son about stage makeup.

Most moms of boys don’t really have the “how to apply makeup” workshops with their children. But all three of my sons have ventured into the world of theater at least once and therefore we have shopped and put on makeup. It has actually provided some moments of great hilarity. This evening added another moment to my memory laugh bank. In order to give you some necessary background info, let me explain that Matthew got the genetic lottery in terms of eyelashes. His lashes are very dark like mine, but where mine are short and straight, his are long, thick and curl up nicely just like Kev’s. Seriously, it is completely wasted on a boy. And I’m a little bit jealous. But I diverge. Let’s get back to the story.

While the boys aren’t required to wear as much makeup as the girls, they do need foundation, highlighter, and eye liner. Of the three, the eye liner is definitely the one that requires the most skill. I taught Matthew how to apply the eyeliner and he did a pretty good job for a first timer. Then we flipped it around and I taught him how to take it off. He used the eye makeup remover and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked in the mirror, rubbed some more and exclaimed, “It won’t come off!” And that’s when I started laughing. I tried to convince him that the eyeliner was in fact completely gone, but he wouldn’t believe me until I grabbed another cotton ball, applied the makeup remover, and gave his eyes a good rubdown. I held up the still pristine cotton ball for his inspection and then laughed some more. Because he is a boy and not a girl, he has never actually taken time to look at his lashes. He didn’t realize that they are so thick and dark that he naturally has that outlined eye look without any product. Let me reiterate, those lashes are completely wasted on a boy. 😂

A Win for the Family

Pre-COVID, my sister Rachael and I were in the habit of having lunch with my parents on Wednesdays. COVID interrupted our routine and while we were able to meet outside during the warmer months, winter has prevented our weekly picnics. But with vaccines administered and weeks for immunity to build passed, we reached a milestone today and were able to have lunch with my parents despite the rain. It just happens to be my mom’s birthday, so we had a tiny birthday celebration as well, complete with cake and presents. It is so good to be able to resume some of these family gatherings. This past year has helped me realize what a blessing it is to be able to spend time with my family and I hope I never forget and never take them for granted. Today’s score: Family-1, COVID-0.

 

Traditions

We have a variety of family traditions centered around Easter. We color eggs, of course, which is always fun. Our dying session was on Friday and things were so mellow that I didn’t even think to take any pictures. We do our egg hunt on Saturday, so yesterday we hid the eggs, let Malia find them and then ate egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs for lunch. That has also become a tradition since our kids are old enough now that they will all eat egg salad…Matthew excluded of course. While he is eating waffles with eggs every week with no reactions, he’s not quite ready for whole eggs. But he does enjoy helping peel the eggs. I’m not sure why, but that means fewer for me to peel so I can’t complain.

Today’s Easter baskets held a chocolate bunny for each kiddo and our traditional gift that reminds them of the Savior. This year Kev and I created some picture boards with clips that will allow the kids to swap pictures out their wallet size pictures of Christ whenever they desire. We’re thinking forward to the near future when both Daniel and Nathan will be living in places with limited space like dorm rooms and missionary apartments. We wanted something compact enough to travel with them wherever they go. One of our neighbors runs his own carpentry business and was happy to help us create some amazing looking boards. They look about a million times better than they would have if I had painted them.

Dinner this evening held more traditions. No matter what I suggest for Easter dinner, my family always wants ham and cheesy hash brown potatoes. In the name of simplifying, I did get them to forgo the rolls this year, but that was their only concession. Pretty much the only menu item I’m allowed to switch up is the veggies. But that’s ok. It is a delicious dinner that we don’t eat all that often. And if I want to try out other holiday related foods, I just do it in the week preceding the actual holiday. Kev’s parents usually join us for dinner on Easter but with COVID still rearing its head, we packed dinner up for them so they could enjoy it at home.

Our traditional Easter dessert is hot cross buns. This is a once a year treat and last summer’s binge watching of the Great British Baking Show gave me a couple of tips that made this year’s buns both look and taste just a little bit more amazing. I’m actually tempted to make them more than once a year. Or maybe I need to use those handy tips to expand into some other types of sweet rolls. Of course, if I do that too often, I might start to expand literally…

But back to the point. I love my family traditions. And I find I’m even more jealous of them than usual knowing that in the next year another of my children will be leaving home. It’s a strange thing to be contemplating the fact that in the fall only 50% of my children will still be living at home. So I cling to our traditions and I find that my family does as well. In coming years, I know some traditions may need to be modified, some new ones may be established, and some may no longer fit our needs. But for now, we cling to our traditions and treasure our time together. After more than a year spent in closer proximity to each other for longer periods of time than usual, we all still value our time together and in fact, I think we love it all the more.

 

Ears First

Pancakes are an extraordinarily versatile canvas and as such, they have become a staple in my fun food arsenal. Plus, I love pancakes so it’s a win/win situation. This year’s Easter version was just as fun to create as it was to eat. I was never one to eat the ears of my chocolate bunnies first, but with bacon on the menu, the ears were the first to go. Yum!