It’s a little short and squatty, but I’m still super happy with my Christmas tree made from books. I built it and tore it down and re-built it and tore it down and re-built it one more time. In the end, I could have kept at it because I think I know what I really want to do to get it to look the way I want it to, but I decided to let it go. And the more I see it the more I like it. Ah, December, you no longer scare me. Come on in, we’re waiting for you.
The 5th graders are presenting on various chapters of The Hobbit this week and also having a Durin’s Day Festival. Katie was given first pick and chose another chapter, but upon seeing the disappointment in another kid, she gave it up and ended up with last pick. She got Barrels Out of Bond. In the end, she was pretty happy with the new pick. And I’m pretty happy with her selflessness in giving up her first choice, though she does stuff like that so often that other kids now sort of expect her to and I’m afraid she’s setting herself up to get taken advantage of in the future.
Ah, that fine line between serving and being manipulated. It’s a tricky one, no? At any rate, her board looks great. We popped over to the school today and set it up so I wouldn’t have to help her with it tomorrow morning. Because I’m all selfless like that. *wink*
I got talked into the 9:40pm showing of Oz, the Great and Powerful at the $2 theater tonight. As it turned out, it was actually in 3D which made it the $4 theater, but all in all, it was a pretty good movie to see in 3D and we all liked it. Now we’re just super tired.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
I say, “Oooooo, Snuggle Puppy of mine, everything about you is especially fine! I love what you are, I love what you do, fuzzy little snuggle puppy, my little Shih Tzu, I LOVE YOU!”
I will always think of E3 when I think of this book because he just loved it so stinking much. I tried to track down copies of it when he was with us and couldn’t find it in stock anywhere, so I bought him a used copy and I resigned myself to not finding this one again. But apparently I was wrong and didn’t look very hard because tonight I found four brand new copies at Walmart (and bought all of them) and when I looked it up again on Amazon, behold: there it was. I’m looking forward to starting this one with the boys tomorrow and, of course, sending one with them in their bag when the time comes for them to move on.
Loves me some Sandra Boynton. For sure.
So many good shots from today. It was hard to whittle them down to just one, but in the end, I decided on this one of Maddie and Chloe just before the start of tonight’s Oklahoma City MASS production. I have some thoughts on the show, but I’ll have to save them for another post. I’m *that* tired right now. So glad they both got to be part of this. So glad that it’s now over and we can resume a regular schedule for a while.
Night.
Dress rehearsal tonight. Tomorrow is IT – the only performance of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS by this group of people in Oklahoma City. So much work, but so much worth. I am volunteering back stage tomorrow night, so I sat in on the dress rehearsal tonight and it was great. Really really great. Super proud of Maddie and Chloe for their perseverance and performance. Looking forward to tomorrow night!
Today is the day the latest release from Dave and JJ Heller comes out: Loved.
Loved is the Heller’s sixth studio release and is gearing up to be just as powerful as their previous works. I discovered JJ Heller sometime last year when a friend of mine posted one of their videos on Facebook and I was so moved I bought three albums on the spot. And now there’s this:
*Tears*
There is just something so deep, so rich, so authentic about their music I can’t help but enter in with my full heart and attention. It was because of this I decided to haul my crew all the way to Woodward, Oklahoma a few days ago to hear her live and in person. The Hellers weren’t the only act of the evening, but they were the only reason we went. Everything else was just fluff.
They played a couple of new songs off Loved and, of course, some of their well recognized songs. They brought their sweet girls out onto the stage for a bit which I really loved. I particularly love their commitment to keeping their family intact in the midst of growing popularity on the road. LOVE that. After their set there was a little break and we took advantage of the photo opp. I snapped this one of JJ Heller and my oldest daughter, Maddie, first. Maddie is actually the reason I bought all of the albums when I did. Maddie loves to sing and we all have styles and role models we kind of lean toward, particularly during these formative years. I loaded up the music on Maddie’s iPod and told her I thought she could do that someday. She’s taking guitar, she’s got a great voice, and she’s becoming a really good writer too. I think there’s strong potential for Maddie to move in that direction as she continues to grow and I want to instill some meaningful musical influences in her life. JJ Heller is definitely one of them.
During my little photo opp, I decided to whip out my copy of the CD for them to sign. They had just told the whole crowd it was coming out in two days, so I was all smug with my pre-release copy. *grin* They seemed pleasantly surprised to see it and said I now had the first official autographed copy. So there you have it.
The songs on this album are:
I’ve only listened to this album a handful of time so far, but my immediate favorites are Who You Are and If You Fall and I’m certain the others will become favorites as I continue to get to know this album.
3rd graders in front of the set for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Millie was a “guide” and so dressed as a woodland animal. Katie’s class did a scene from The Magician’s Nephew and she was Jadis, the White Witch, but I didn’t get a very good photo of that one. Boo!
Kids did a great job and we’re glad it happened and glad it’s now over. *grin*
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon – I think I have a new favorite author! And I LOVE being at the front end of a very long, very good book because it means it won’t end any time super soon for me. Perfection.
More from the December Photo Project here.
Yep. I just got back from seeing Les Mis for the second time. I’m a junkie.
More from the December Photo Project here.
Half-Pint House 