Ballet and All That Jazz

Another year of dance is over.  Well kind of.  Except for the weeks of summer intensive. But we finished up with a recital yesterday and a Mid-Columbia Ballet company picnic today.  Great weather, great dancing, great friends and great fun!


First was the Contemporary dance, 21 Guns.  Four classes combined to do this and it was really cool.  You can see the whole thing here.  But here's Alyssa and friends getting started.  

Next was Jazz 2.  

Sort of like new gangsta meets old West Side Story.  It was cool.


Intermediate Jade Ballet was next.  Gotta love the classical ballet.  

I got a peak at Alyssa through the door before she came on stage.  

Lovely!  Alyssa's front row, all the way to the right.  






Natalie did an awesome job in Jazz 1!  Hey, Soul Sister...

Of course, part of the fun of recital is just being at the park with friends to celebrate the end of the year. 

Monica and her pet Alyssa.  

A real dancer can find a barre anywhere.  

Dancers don't seem to run out of energy quickly either.  Good thing.  They need lots of it.


The next day we had the Mid Columbia Ballet Company picnic, because Alyssa was in the Junior Company of MCB last year.  These kids have danced together for years, and have great friendships, but they don't always get many chances to cut loose together.  Ballet class is quiet, except for the music and the teacher.  So it was fun to see them all enjoy each other so much.  


They invented this "slide train"......

They got someone in the front, like Rob, who could hold everyone back.  Then they all started to get on, being careful not to slide away.  When they knew everyone was on....   down they'd go.

Then they'd all come shooting out like marbles down a chute.  Then they'd run right back around and repeat.  They had a blast!


And when Monday afternoon comes, and I realize I don't have to drive to the ballet studio...   I'll have a blast!  

Hair Design

What is it with girls and hair?  Cutting it I mean.  I don't remember any of my boys cutting their own hair.  But the girls.....  How many times I've found a pair of little scissors and some hair lying in a garbage can.  Or on the floor.  Or wherever it felt right to leave it and run.  I'm pretty sure all the girls cut their own hair at least twice each.  Well, not true.  Alyssa cut hers once, and her brother did it for her once.  You know, cause "she asked me to".  Brotherly love I guess.


Chloe has done it three times now I think.  This last time was about a week ago.  Natalie came to tell me I ought to go see what Chloe had done.  I hear that a lot.  So I was a little apprehensive, but I thought I would find her with a new layer of magic marker body art (is that what makes them so "magical"?).  Or maybe slathered with some of my favorite lotion.  But no. 

I walked in the other room to see a pair of little kids' scissors and the biggest pile of hair I've ever seen. From any daughter.  All I could think was that there was NO WAY this was going to blend in and be unnoticeable.  No way.  I was scared.  Really scared.


I had it cut a little while ago in to a really cute A-line cut with the cute stacked layers in back. 

 Simple and adorable and not easily tangled, which Chloe and I both liked.  There were no bangs.  The sort of style doesn't really require, or look good with bangs.  But bangs we have. For months and months to come.  She seems to have started on one side and cut up and over to the other.  Some people want a little off the top, and she apparently wanted a little of the front. And sides.   

Yesterday I took her in to see what could be done to blend the damage in.  

Not bad.  I didn't expect miracles.  Some places were cut right down to the hairline.  We'll survive.  She's promised to never ever cut her hair again.  We can only hope, right?

Guess where I am?

I haven't had a vacation in WAY too long.  You know, a real vacation.  Not staying in a hotel because you're traveling on business, or attending a seminar, or a wedding, or on your way to Grandma's house.... but a real vacation, where someplace sunny and tropical is involved, and maybe a private bungalow on a private island. Like this one. 

(with permission from anoldent, because I've never been there to take a photo myself..sigh)

But no.  I'm in Salmon, ID.  It's nearly 50F today.  But hey, the one inch of wet snow they predicted didn't happen yet.  Whoo hoo!  I'm not here on vacation really. Caitlin is going through a 4 day long workshop to become certified as a horse therapy instructor. 

I am having a big break from mommyville (except for the phone calls, texts, Facebook messages, etc...). I'm enjoying the peace, quiet, maid service, not cooking,  and not driving anywhere daily.  I'm getting a LOT of planning done (cause I'm a planner), and downtime..... big time.  


Salmon has about 3500 people.  It's far removed from any big town.  Because of the mountains we had to drive from Washington, to Idaho, to Montana, and into Idaho again to get here.

This is highway 93 in Montana. Beautiful.

Just minutes down the road we see this dusting of new snow up high.

This is like one mile later. At road level.   

About the time we crossed into Idaho and were headed down the pass..  with 20 mph hairpin turns..  this is what it looked like at road level.  Snowplows were plowing the snow and ice on the road and it was slick.  It's APRIL.


Salmon is the kind of town I'd have given anything to live in a few years ago. Part of me still wishes I lived on some ranch somewhere living a homesteader's life.  Now that I have children who are older and highly involved in their passions, which require lessons and almost daily commitments away from home, I wish I lived closer to town, not farther away. 

Quaint little town, isn't it?  The courthouse is right up that hill.

This is a shot of main street.  Lots of little restaurants and a few little shops.   It's a pretty town.  Great place for a vacation if you love outdoorsy activities like white water rafting, hunting, and packing trips.  




We're staying at the Stagecoach Inn.  It's packed.  Because it's the annual Salmon Select horse and mule sale.  There are cowboys and cowgirls everywhere.  Even little tiny ones.  We're really happy with the hotel.  Free breakfast and excellent service.  The room is big and comfortable.  Walking distance to downtown and the Salmon River.

This is the "backyard" of the hotel.  Lovely area to sit out at the right time of year.  A little cool and rainy this time.  

 I'm not sure what these trees or bushes are, but they look like flames.  They're all along the rivers here.  Love it!




So that's my travel log of Salmon, ID.  Tomorrow afternoon, it's back to Montana, then Idaho (again), then Washington.  We're praying there's no snow on the passes. Because they're predicting more.  It's APRIL for Pete's sake.  

You know you want to look...

Spring has sprung at our place.  New life is popping up everywhere.  And it's not in the garden I haven't planted yet.  


I thought of calling this post, "Your kids should see this."  But then I started to feel a little guilty.  (But only a little.)  Because I know how kids and baby animals go together like peanut butter and jelly!  (And we're not keeping all 8 puppies....  that's right, 8.)  And I knew if your kids had just a peek, they'd never let you rest until you realized what I already know. You know you want one! (Or at least they do.)


Just look....  (and by all means, invite your kids to look with you!)

Awwwww........    see?  

  


The cute factor on this one is just off the charts.  

Here's a little black one.  

She's so happy just to not be in labor anymore (I know how she feels).  She looks like she's smiling, doesn't she?  She's taken to motherhood like a pro.  Caitlin says she's naming them all after Shakespearean characters.  Feel free to rename them whatever you like when you come to pick yours up in about 6 weeks.  


Not a dog person?  That's okay. 

You can take home one of these.  Awwwwwww.......  we aim to please.  We offer one stop shopping.  These will be ready in about 4 weeks.  My kids are hoping that we'll change our minds and let them keep ALL the puppies and kittens.  Silly children.   So go ahead and call in your order today!  We're even offering a 2 for 1 special.  Get one for free...   and get an extra one for FREE!  Isn't that great?  

Bermuda Grass, You Ain't No Friend of Mine

I'm weeks behind our gardening schedule.  But with Spring break upon us, we're going to get 'er done!  I found Square Foot Gardening a few years ago and I love it!  Overall it's much easier, neater, simpler, and child friendly than typical row gardens.  It does cost some money to get going, but once started requires less upkeep and maintenance. Unless you have Bermuda grass.  

You can see it here, right up against my poor little wooden box.  The box doesn't stand a chance. Living in a rural area, with more weeds in general near us than where more pavement is the rule, weeding is always a big job.  Most weeds that make it into a square foot box are easily removed and fewer in number than in traditional rows in my experience.  Unless you have Bermuda grass.

This is a raised bed box of strawberry plants.  What?  You say you can't see the box?  Or the strawberries?  I KNOW!  Bermuda grass...  I curse you.  

I understand in some parts of the country Bermuda is the grass of choice because of it's drought and pest resistance and it grows heartily.  Oh, don't I know it!  It's also nearly impossible to kill off.  Well, over the decades, Bermuda grass has taken over a LOT of our 5 acres.  Including the area of lawn (and I use that term loosely) where we put our boxes.  Oh, we put the best quality weed fabric under the boxes (twice), but that's no match for Bermuda grass.  It grows by more than one mode, including deep tap rooting, rhizomes, as well as above ground propagation.  Well, isn't that nice?  


I set about finding a solution this year.  So gardening can indeed be simple and enjoyable.  One solution I found was to add a layer of old carpet to the weed fabric under the boxes as very little can stay alive or penetrate the carpet.  I certainly hope so, and so does Michael, who had the job of emptying all the boxes of dirt to do this!  

Jim, a very nice man from Franklin County Horticultural Pest and Disease Board, suggested hitting up the boxes now with a strong weed killer, including about 6 inches of grass surrounding the boxes.  Even this does not get rid of Bermuda grass quickly or easily.  But if you keep hitting it, you'll eventually win, or so I'm told.  If we treated all of our 5 acres for Bermuda grass, we'd have no lawn left!  (which someday will have to happen and be replanted, but not this year).  

Bermuda grass, you ain't no friend of mine.  I also am not a big fan of chemical means of maintenance.  Have you ever heard the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?  Well, meet my new friend.  Generic brand weed control and I have just become allies in a war.  I'll have to be careful on future treatments near the boxes to make sure we don't get a couple of drops of weed killer on our vegetable plants.  Defeat is not an option.  


We have our supplies ready.  

Square foot gardening uses a special soil mix, rather than just dirt.  Peat moss helps maintain good soil quality and moisture. 

A nice mix of different composts is essential too.  But I've found, unlike what they tell you, my boxes still need some fertilizer added.   We do have our own compost pile, but neglected to water it enough to produce nicely broken down hummus, or mature compost.  But that'll get done this year also so next year it'll be ready to go.  


We also add vermiculite, which I don't have a picture of.  It's the little silvery things you sometimes see in potting soil mix, which holds on to moisture.  


Seeds on hand.  Somewhat willing children.  Hopefully beautiful weather.  Gardening has begun.  

What I've Been Up To

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while!  Things have been crazy busy...  aren't they for everyone?  So here's what I've been up to.  Prepare yourself..   it's a little boring.  But then no one ever accused me of having an audacious life!  Yet. (I can still hope!)


1.  Exercising.  Hate doing it, like how I feel afterwards.  This is the most consistent I've been in a long while, and it took over my early morning blogging time.


2.  Making bread.  After years of not doing it regularly...  I started again.  I love homemade bread (though with the exercise efforts, I shouldn't be eating much of it).  


3.  Trying to find a hotel room in Salmon, ID. (or something to do while I'm there).  Finding a hotel room.  Easy.  In Salmon, ID.  Well now, that's a whole other story.  


4.  Planning my garden.  Square foot gardening is wonderful!  Bermuda grass bites though.  It's my mission to conquer it once and for all this spring.  And I'm already behind.  Story of my life.


5.  Choosing a new cell phone.  This should also be easy.  But I get stuck deciding between what I want, what I need, and how much one plan will cost compared to another and researching coverage maps, and reading reviews of various phones, and....    well no one can beat an issue to death like I can.  (I envy people who just DECIDE.  Fast).  I've finally decided.  I think.


6.  Washing laundry.  


7.  Reading a great book.  "Eat, Pray, Love".  I don't love the couple of "choice" words in there...   but I bleeped them out and am really enjoying her self discovery through 3 countries.  It's a soul feeding book.


8.  Getting serious about stepping up to the plate, building my business, and finding myself in the process.  The self that I think was voted "most likely to succeed" in high school, then spent the next 25 years not having the self confidence to even start a conversation or the self esteem to think I mattered, isn't the real me.  Somewhere in there, I'm confident, fearless, and successful.  And I'm getting closer to her every day.  


9.  Of course, running kids everywhere.  It's hard to imagine that will ever end.  


10.  Staring blankly at a wall for the few minutes in the day that I do have a break...  because my brain is fried by then and I feel catatonic.  

Let Them Bloom

I don't believe in the empty vessel theory.  You know, that children are just empty vessels and it's our job to fill them up and make them into somebody.  They come here as somebody.   Those personalities show up early on too.  Temperaments, preferences, and attitudes show almost immediately after birth.  So why is it some parents believe they can dictate who they are and what they should become?

True, it's our job to teach, train, mentor, inspire, impart, bond, encourage and a host of other things.  But not dictate who they are.  I feel strongly about this because I have personal experience.  My father loved us I know.  He was difficult to please though.  It seemed that before we were born he knew who we should be....what we should like or dislike, be afraid of or not, excel at, spend time on, etc...  So I grew up feeling that I wasn't entirely right.  Not the way I was.  To be truly loved and approved, I'd need to mold to his image.  For me that meant being thinner, less shy, more aggressive, athletic, smarter...  less me and more like his idea of me.  Overcoming this has taken energy and time that could've been spent more joyfully. 

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We hope that our children will share our values and beliefs and be good people, with all the skills necessary to live a long and happy life. We naturally want to share our passions and interests with our children. It's expecting our children to feel as passionately about it as we do that becomes a problem.  I've seen parents push their kids to major in a certain field in college and follow a particular career path, even if they have no interest, but in fact a deep passion elsewhere.  Why?  True success comes where passion and ability meet, finding those things you both excel at and love.  Why insist that they do something else because you judge it will make them happier and more successful?  I've never understood this.  

We give our children all we can.  We impart all the wisdom and experience we possibly can.  Then we have to give them wings, let them go, and see where it takes them.  It may hurt to see them make wrong choices or suffer failure.  But we're there to catch them when they fall.  Sometimes, they need encouragement to continue a hard road.  We have to feel that line between letting them quit something too easily, or walk away because it isn't right for them.  

My son Taylor is 15.  He started public school this year and joined the Freshman football team, never having played in his life.  Not even in our yard. Ever.  In fact, he was quite a couch potato.  It was HARD.  I know he literally thought he'd die at times.  He knew he was the least experienced guy on the team.  He didn't quit, nor did he mention it.  If he had, I would've encouraged him to see it through the season.  Dig deep, suck it up, hang in there, and persevere.  Because that forms character and strength.  Insisting he play football all four years of high school because I want him too is another story.  He played the whole season, saw his self esteem grow and his body weight shrink, and really enjoyed it. But he's not sure he wants to play again.  He's not really built for football.  He has other, competing interests.  I admit, I liked saying I had a boy on the team, you know?  It was fun going to the games and cheering for him.  I will miss it if he doesn't play next year. Really. But this is HIS life.  And his decision not to play again, wouldn't be the same as quitting.  


I admit, I've had those dreams of what I hoped a particular child would do and be.  I'm only human!  I know them better than they know themselves sometimes, or at least have a more experienced perspective.  I see what I think they'd be good at.  Or not good at.  But imposing that on them is something I will not do.  I might mention it.  Suggest it. Give them food for thought.  I will never give ultimatums.  This is their life.  Only they know where they feel truly gifted and happy.  If we do our jobs well, or even mostly well, they'll know which road to follow.  And they'll bloom splendidly.

most photos courtesy of Alyssa, beautiful children courtesy of me