New Girl

Who is this gorgeous girl with new braces and a cute new haircut?  Don't those freckles make her green eyes pop?  I didn't think Araceli's eyes were green until today.  Maybe they change colors!  She sure is a creative, wonderful soul.  And don't forget about the new laugh.  Nortorious, this is for you...enjoy!

Our friends Stefania, Juan, (my students) Samuel, Sofia (Golda's flute student), Ana and Araceli

The G-parents

Fiddling class

 Thanks for the Yogo, Bill and Coco!

We can't let summer go by without sitting outside and listening to music.  It's part of what summer is, along with crickets, lemonade and swimming.  Last night was our favorite concert, the Summer Strings performance, because we knew one of the cellists!  Aside from the blistering heat, the concert was a lot of fun.  Ari participated in the fiddling class, the intermediate orchestra and the intermediate-advanced collaboration.  Fiddling was definitely the most fun.  In fact, Ari said she just suffered through orchestra so she could take the fiddling class.  But the two orchestras joined for a really exciting piece, one that was written by a grad student.  The composer conducted the piece in the concert.  Wow!  Ari probably doesn't care, but it's pretty exciting to play new music, especially when the composer is there.  When I was in college, we had orchestra every day, and part of it was to play new music, mostly written by grad students working on composition degrees.  Some of it was amazing, some didn't really work, but it is exciting to be part of something brand new that is nevertheless a continuation of a very old tradition.

I don't think Ari got all that.  She just had fun hanging out with her crazy orchestra friends.  I like that she has friends who also have to practice every day, and who share in her orchestra experience.  It's dangerous, though, because music people, even little ones, can be weird.  Ari and her little friend Sara developed a chuckle/giggle/hysterical choking sound that they thought was perfect for use in daily life.  At Yogo Togo, we ran into some friends and Ari decided to try out her new chuckle.  HEEEHHEEEEHHHHEEEGGRRLLLHHEEHE.  A couple of people were ready to perform the Heimlich on her until I slapped her on the back and she stopped.  In the car on the way home, Golda said, "Ari, let's not use that laugh unless you're at orchestra, OK?"

Not to worry, the next orchestra has already started rehearsals.  Concert July 28 at 11:00 at Cherry hill if you're around!  You might get to hear The Laugh. And you'll get to see Freestone struggle to move his bow like everyone else's in order to earn a Hex Bug.  But that's another story...

Do I Look Enough Like Felshaw King?

On Fathers Day,  I got to spotlight my dad in a church (Primary) singing activity.  We have different shirts for the kids to see, we give clues, and the kids guess which dad or grandpa the shirt belongs to.  Last year, Scott offered a pink and yellow paisley button-down.  Nobody had any trouble guessing that it was Brother Dopp's shirt.  Very few men are macho enough to pull off paisley.

This year, I went with my dad to his closet to look for the perfect shirt.  He went straight past the idea of dress shirts and casual wear to his shelf labeled "Running."  I spotted one of my favorite shirts, a race shirt from the Baer Gutsman (here are pictures), a grueling race that goes straight up, then straight down a local mountain.  My dad ran that race every year.  When we pulled out the faded blue shirt, it was clean and washed, but it still had a race number pinned to it, from a different race years later.  I could not have chosen a more perfect shirt to represent my dad, and he has a lot of good shirts.  He is known as an impeccable dresser.  Just last night at a wedding, a neighbor was wearing a linen shirt and dress pants.  He told me that he asked his wife as he dressed, "Do I look enough like Felshaw King?"  My dad shines his shoes every day, but he looks equally good in his old running shirts.

My brothers and I used to sleep in Dad's running shirts.  It was part of our ritual, after our baths, to go to Dad's armoire and select "one of Dad's running shirts" to wear to bed.  He had dozens of them, and we each had our favorites.  My favorites were definitely the Baer Gutsman shirts because  I knew it was a hard race.

In church as I gave the kids the clues about my dad, I painted a picture of a man any child would do well to emulate.  I said his favorite things are his family and his profession.  He is proud of and devoted to both.  he likes to run, exercise and read.  He loves to crack open a book or look something up online to get an answer to a discussion question.  He will sometimes bring pages of information that he has printed up to one of the kids, regarding a conversation they may have had days earlier.  Just being around my dad makes you smarter.  I wish being around him made me more athletic, but - alas! - his running gene skipped me.  I did learn from Dad's love of running the discipline he has for it, and I try to apply that in other areas of my life.  I observed Dad putting in the hours, logging his miles in his running book, watching his diet, never missing a day, and I learned that only then, after giving his best, did he reap the benefits of his efforts.

Thanks, Dad, for teaching me through example.  I bet you didn't even realize I was watching.  Or maybe you did.  In any case, I was watching, I am watching, and like our neighbor, I ask myself, "Do I look enough like Felshaw King?"  Not only in dress, but in character. 

 All the eight-year-old girls in our family have had their birthday party at the Lion House.  It's a pioneer-style tea party with pioneer games, taffy pulling and a special Lion Cake.  I didn't think Freestone would have any interest, but when I asked him what he wanted to do for his eighth birthday, he immediately replied, "Lion House," like it was a foregone conclusion that that's what he would do. 

Freestone was so excited to get the invitations in the mail and start filling them out.  I have some cute pictures of him slaving away with a Sharpie, but I can't find the camera.  I borrowed my mom's for the party.  That's how serious it is.  The camera is nowhere to be found.  I'm starting to get anxious.  I've already missed documenting a party we had Wednesday where the cops showed up and a fun dinner with Scott and Golda at the Cheesecake Factory Thursday for Golda's birthday.  Exciting things happen when the camera is missing, I tell you!

It's a good thing we captured some of these Lion House moments, though.  Freestone's eight-year-old smile, all the boys in their coonskin caps, the special cake, the games...The party was every bit as fun for boys as it was for girls.  they loved playing Button Button and touring the Lion House.  They were polite during tea time and held it together during present time.  Guests were Scott and me, the three older sisters, Collin, Jackson, Henry, Jake, Tanner, Chase and of course, the birthday boy, who got to be the leader everywhere we went. 

I just love my little Freestone Boy.  He is my clever, imaginative dreamer, my favorite violinist, my storyteller, the tender-hearted big brother and sweet little man.  It is such a ride watching him grow up.  I'm glad Freestone chose the Lion House.  It was a special way to celebrate.  We love you, Free Free!

Happy Birthday, Golda!

It's June 23rd again, and that means our oldest daughter is another year older.  Fourteen!  How did this happen?  On June 22, 1997, it was a Sunday and I was scheduled to be induced the following Thursday.  I didn't feel well, but couldn't describe why.  Turns out, I was in labor, because I woke up in the night and it was definitely time to go to the hospital!  I think Scott and I were both crying in the car as we sped to Salt Lake.  We had no idea what to expect, and we were scared.  And it hurt!  Once we got there, everything went fine and Golda was born at 11:34 am.  Big Golda was there to meet Little Golda, as well as both sets of grandparents, Trajan, Aunt Tricia, Nikki and eventually, every family member and lots of friends.  It might have been the last time Golda got everybody's undivided attention!

Now, fourteen years later, Golda is a strong example to her brothers and sisters and a wonderful daughter.  I could tell you all the reasons I'm proud of her, but it would just be a long, braggy list of Golda's great qualities.  We love you, Golda!

So far, Golda's fourteenth birthday has included teaching a dance class to 15 three-year-olds and getting her practicing done.  At least the little dancers sang happy birthday and got a little donut to celebrate.  We had to do something!  More celebrating is coming right up...

Scott

Scott had to share Fathers Day with Freestone's birthday, poor guy!  It seems like life is never really about the dad.  He's not in the spotlight, he misses out when he's at work, and he has a lot of responsibility when he gets home.  He loves the responsibility of raising kids, of course, but he wouldn't mind sitting alone in a cool basement theater, sipping a mint julep (OK, maybe that's just Scott) and watching sports.  More often, he's folding laundry, motivating kids, picking someone up from ballet or taking one or two of them on a special date.  If he IS in the basement theater, Ptolemy is probably right there enjoying the game with him.  Spilling the mint juleps.  Crushing the chips into the rug and trying to drink the salsa.  Every man's dream, huh?

Scott wanted to get a big, metal tub for get-togethers, to put ice-cold drinks in.  Sarah and I were laughing about what is is about guys that they have this image of ice-cold drinks in big tubs that equals relaxation?  We decided they have been conditioned by thousands of sporting-event-broadcast beer commercials.  "Grab an ice-cold beer and relax!"  Even if Scott had a big tub full of ice, the drinks in it would most likely be sippy cups and milk jugs.  

Scott's not a typical guy in any way.  He's a different sort than your average Monday-night-football kind of guy.  He's better-dressed than most guys, for one thing, and he never puts his interests first.  If there is something involving his kids, he'd rather be doing that than anything else.  He took Freestone to his last few baseball games even though he would have preferred to gouge his own eyes out, because it was important to him that Free learn about commitment.  He called today to say that the NBA draft is Thursday, and wondered what we were doing for Golda's birthday that day.  I told him we could plan around the draft, but he said Golda's birthday was more important.

I'm so glad Scott is such a loving dad.  Everyone adores him, and for good reason.  One of these days, he'll get his big tub full of ice-cold soda pop and his quiet time.  But not yet.  And he's OK with that.

The Dragon Is Dead

 As the final curtain closed on Once Upon a Time, Sarah Robinette, the creative genius behind it, raised her arms in the air and gave a cheer.  It was a wonderful recital, and I'm sad to see it end, but it was time.  All the teachers were getting a little emotional by the end.  I had a mom come to me about a loose flower on her daughter's crown.  I grabbed the crown, ripped off the flower and said, "There.  Nobody can see the flowers anyway."  It was a mom I worked with on Peter Pan, so she knew I wasn't a hostile sociopath.  I just play one backstage.

And that was before one of my little dancers had a panic attack right before she went onstage.  This is the darling little girl who forgot to take her big, red Crocs off before she went on during dress rehearsal.  Plowing around the stage in big, rubber shoes had probably stressed her out.  I hugged and encouraged her, saying we would call her mom right after the dance, but she couldn't breathe!  Kenzie, Lisa and Danielle rushed over and surrounded her, wrapping her in their arms, calming her and even saying a prayer with her.  It worked, and she was able to do her part, but she still felt miserable afterwards. Ruby ran to get her a Sprite, Sarah helped me locate a cell number for her mom, and Mom came running.  Brave little girl!  The teachers were awesome to jump in and encourage this one girl among hundreds.  I appreciate their help.

By the time I had helped Golda, Ruby and Lexie through three costume changes each, some with only seconds to complete, I was delirious.  Lexie rolled onto the stage at the very last second for Seaweed, while I was still arranging her flowing leaves.  Phew!  Golda, Ruby and Lexie dancing together in Seaweed was one of my favorite parts of the recital.  All that emotion is probably why I started crying when the Little Match Girl died and was led away by the stars.  It was a beautiful moment among many.

There were so many funny quotes, it kept us all in stitches all the way home every night.  Our favorite was:  "Dry Ice?"  "GASP!"  "Okaaaay."  The fact that it was so funny shows how tired everyone was!  On the last night, as we were roaring with laughter in the car, flashing red lights appeared right behind me.  When the cop came up to the window, he asked how many people I had in the car.  I was tempted to say, "Well, there are three Seaweeds, a cute little Mouse, a Village Girl, a dragon's liver and a kid who just wanted to see the magician."  But then I would have been asked to say the alphabet backwards, and I can't do that, or walk a straight line, and I'm not sure I could have done that either, as loopy as I was.  Finally, we got a warning for a broken headlight and went on our way to Yogo Togo, where all good things end deliciously.  Until next year, here's to happy ever after...

For a birthday treat, I parked Freestone with my class where he could watch the magician with the dancers.  He saw both magicians.  He loved it!  I told him not to let anyone put him in a tutu and push him onstage.  Free thought that was hilarious.

Shall We Dance?

We're more than halfway through recital week and there have been moments of hilarity, moments of anxiety and moments of happiness. Lots of them. The teachers do a little dance in the show. We're all part of a giant dragon who is vanquished by a prince in Sleeping Beauty. I'm in the middle, so I'm probably the liver of the dragon. It is so much fun to be a dancer/puppeteer and to create a moment with the other teachers that the audience likes. At the end, I always feel sorry for the dragon. After all, I AM his liver. And he's such a cute and brave dragon, and he made such funny fighting and dying noises in rehearsal. Last night, as we writhed and fell and the dragon put his big, crepe-paper head down to die, I huddled with the teachers under the dragon body, made of sheer fabric. One teacher's feet were right in my face, and the bottoms of them were covered in glitter. Somebody had their head on my derriere, poor woman! I thought to myself, even in that cramped and unglamorous state, "How did I get so lucky?" I am lucky to teach with such remarkable women, such beautiful dancers, so many of whom have had a profound and positive influence on my daughters. There will be more moments of sublime clarity, craziness and beauty before this week is over. So let's dance.

Backstage right before Leopardfish.  I got a smile out of Xanthe, who was worried sick.

I had to capture Xanthe's nervous little face before she went onstage.  Because she is the shortest one, she is the leader and has to go onstage first, leading everyone around the silk sheers that hang from the ceiling in a configuration that is new to her.  She has been terrified.  She takes a new route every time, and they're all good, but her teacher and her chaperones keep giving her instructions!  She gets more and more panicked every time it's explained to her and starts forgetting what "in front of" and "around" mean.  She is a basketcase!  I tell her to do whatever she wants, and she is darling every time.  Love you, Xanth!

Araceli was in Village Girls for ballet and Straw for modern.

Allison and Kara, the best chaperones in the whole world!

Sara, Golda and Alexis, some of the RATS!

Emma and Ari, some of our favorite Village Girls

I think I smell a rat!

Ari also had orchestra and fiddling class at Weber this week (it goes for three weeks).  One day, she went to orchestra in her Village costume and fiddling in her straw costume, with staging in between.  The timing was perfect!