what have we been up to lately?

• Baby Sitting: I watched my cousins kids 3 days a week in January while she started her new nursing job. Awesome Kari. They now no longer need me to watch them but it was good for a month. I do however watch sweet little 5 month old baby Olivia for 2.5 hours on Wed and Thursday. It's perfect! I've loved having a baby in our home. Derek has too...he's also glad she doesn't live here though :( Jordan's not so sure what he thinks about the whole thing. He finds her fascinating but doesn't like that he has to share me.

• Looking for a house to buy: It's not going as I thought it would. We've actually found some great houses. Then we either don't feel good about them or they fall through. Today my dad suggested that they actally want us to buy their house. My husband loves the idea..me? not so much. We'll see though.

• Conny stuff: doctor appoinments, developmental therapy clesses and appoinments, programs, and book work, discovering things she likes to do - sticker books, painting cermamics and such.

• Basketball Games: Derek got his own city league team together again this year. The kids and I are regulars at their games. I've decided to take stats and 'help' with the roster. No Derek didn't ask me to, and no I dodn't think he really appreciates it hehe. Am I still going to do it? Yes :) Nah, we agreed he'd let me know if I was getting obsessive or obnoxious. I could NEVER be any of those things though, right? ;)

• Jade's dance & Tumbling practices, recitals and competition preparing (including me figuring out how we're going to pay for all these competitions...cookies or pizzas anyone?)

• Play Stuff: I auditioned for Dillettants production of Beauty and the Beast (sweated bullets while I did so) then went home and felt great about it. Then I realized that Jadelyn might be able to be in it. She and I watched Beauty and the Beast that night and prepared a song for her. The next evening I took her to audition. I no longer felt good about my chances. There were SO many people there. There were also so many much younger, prettier, skinnier, and probably more practiced than I girls who would be great Belle's. Jade was so brave for her auditions. She wanted to be the dog. You know...the foot stool that barks. She said she would also be fine if she got to be a town girl. They called us the next night and asked for her. I was really nervous because I had no idea of knowing if they were casting any children. Her facial expressions were somber and I was afraid she'd burst into tears any moment. Then she smiled and said "yes I would". PHEW! They asked her to be in the chorus. She was ecstatic people! She turned to me and said, "mom, I hope I get to be in that one song they sing to Belle, and I really want to be a spoon" we danced around and celebrated her success and nervously waited for my call.

The woman on the phone apologized that they didn't realize we were mother and daughter in time to talk to me earlier. She said they were really busy having to call the 90 people who auditioned. 90 people, oh no. Then she said that they wanted me to be in the chorus as well. Now, I just got done celebrating the chorus roll with my daughter so if I burst into tears that 'all I got was chorus' she might be confused. :) I graciously accepted my roll, hung up the phone, gulped, reminded myself that chorus is really fun and being belle would have been really scary, AND there were 90 people. I pushed my self doubting thoughts aside for another time.

Anyway. It's been so fun being in this play with her. She's so stinking cute. When we went for the first rehearsal, which was a read through of the script and listening to the songs, she just ate it up. Honestly I was feeling so out of place an unimportant (stupid and petty, I know). Most of the people had scripts so they could follow along and sing the songs...Jade and I did not. That took a little bit of time for her to get used to but she loved watching and listening to the people reading their lines. When the songs came on she sang loudly with them, wrong words and all. I couldn't be in a sour mood with her there. I was suddenly very appreciative that I could just focus on her and that we were equals in the play.

Now, I'm so glad I'm not Belle...I'm not just saying that either :) I'm having alot of fun as a 'napkin' at the castle and a tavern girl in the town. Plus...I think Belle kisses Beast at then end. Glad I don't have to worry about that. Extra Plus, the Beast is a good, old friend of mine... his wife taught me piano lessons...that would have been awkward :)

If you're in town you should come see the play. It will be a good time. Oh, buy tickets from Jade and I, we have a surplus! The shows are March 11-14th with a matine and eveing showing on Saturday.

• Derek is still going full force in school he's covering several different degrees and certificates at one time and I think this is his last simmester for his current goals. One of the classes he's taking is a personal trainer type class. I don't remember the exact name. Something about designing workout routines and such. Anyway he's supposed to have someone to train for the class and guess who his guinea pig gets to be? Wish me luck, we start tomorrow.

Life is good. Life is hard. Life is rewarding.