"The King and I"

We are very proud of JT. He just finished 3 days of auditions and was given the part of the "King" in the his schools musical "The King and I." He was very nervous over the past few days as he felt it was going to be between his friend Kerry and himself. He was more convinced that he was going to be given the part of the young boy because of his personal, small stature.

JT now has a lot of work to tackle but he says he is up for the challenge. We have asked him if he was willing to shave his head, his response was "negative."

Time management

Ok! I need to focus, focus, focus... Now that the kids are back in school, I actually have some time to get stuff done. However, I would prefer just sitting here and reading some nice light hearted blogs and surf the internet and live vicarously through others as they share their adventures.

Mama Mia

Yesterday was a nice day, I actually got to spend time doing some things that I wanted to do. Unfortunately I did work for a while in the morning, at least it didn't consume my whole day as it has over the past week. After Jill's railhawk rehearsal, I tortured my family and dragged them along to Cary's Lazy Daze event. I could have spent all day and alot of money... There were many beautiful things that taunted me. Afterwards we went out for a family dinner, it felt like the first one in a long time, as well as, it was probably the last for quite awhile. My evening was topped off with a girls night out to finally catch Mama Mia in the theater. Jillian and I joined our friends Paula and Carley. After the movie we cranked the music and began dancing in the parking lot. (Carley was a little mortified, however she did join in). We kept the music loud all the way home. It was so nice to laugh and let loose, and I only had a small glass of wine to top it off. Definitely scheduling more of those days into my calendar.

Time for Change...is just over the horizon

This time of the year brings about change, more so than the "New Year." Kids getting ready to head back to school means so much in their social lives. New classes, new teachers, new friends and obstacles. It also is the same for us adults. I see it as... new schedules, new priorities and the dreaded thought of "what about me?" I saw this on Jen's site http://cheaperthantherapyjen.blogspot.com/. She always is a fun read. I have to admit I couldn't change a few of her responses.


I am...
struggling with turning 40 next year.
I think... that sometimes we go through the motions of life and really dont enjoy the little things.
I know...
I love my family.
I want... something deeper.
I have... a great huband.
I wish... for my children to have a long, healthy and happy life.
I hate...
inconsiderate and rude people.
I miss... dates with my husband.
I fear...
something happening to my husband or children.
I feel... happy, right now...I have an hour to just sit by myself.
I hear... CNN news on the TV in the other room.
I smell... Coffee with vanilla/caramel cream.
I search...who I am within the world around me.
I wonder... what I should do with my life.
I regret...losing contact with a few people that came in and out of my life.
I love... too much to list here.
I care...
about many things.
I always...am never able to say no.
I am not...
a girly girl.
I believe... in religion, but not organized religion.
I dance... not enough,as I would embarrass my kids. I admit I live vicarously throught them.
I sing...
all the time in the car.
I don't always...
say "I love you" as much as I should.
I write...sporadically.
I win... when I hear a nice comment regarding my children.
I lose... every time I play the Lotto.
I never... seem to finish the crafts that I start.
I listen... to music when ever I am in the car.
I can usually be found... at work or at my childs dance rehearsal.
I'm scared of... losing someone close.
I read...
a paragraph of two before I fall asleep.
I am happy about... the prospect of this new time of year to set some goals for myself to improve who I am as a wife, mother and friend.

Girls trip to NYC

I just returned from a well needed, and well enjoyed girls weekend in NYC, to celebrate Jillian's "Sweet Sixteen." Yes, I feel old. It is Jillian's favorite city to visit, so where else could we have considered. We drove up on Thursday with Jillian's friends Carley & Samantha along with their mothers, Paula and Noreen, and with my niece Arianna. We crammed as much as we could into three days as possible. We began by meeting up with her dance teacher and some additional friends at the Broadway Dance Center to take classes on Friday morning. The first one was a jazz class with the dance captain from the Broadway Musical Hairspray. Can you say awesome!! They took a couple of other hip hop classes throughout the day.






In the evening we were off to see the show, Hairspray, and the girls began to dance in their seats right along with them. It was a great show. To top it off, they were invited back stage to meet Marissa, who played the lead. What a great opportunity to stand on the stage and look out into the audience.










Saturday morning began with another class, this one with a rockette. After class we hit the pavement and shopped and took the girls around the city. We hit Central Park, Ground Zero, Chinatown, Little Italy to name a few.





We finally landed at Ellen's Stardust Diner for dinner. For those that have never had the opportunity to visit the diner, it is a blast. The employees are actors and actresses waiting to land their first big roles on Broadway. They sing and dance in between serving your meals.
Jillian was seranaded by a young man for her birthday. He sang "Sandy" from Grease and fed her whipped cream:) It truly is a birthday she will never forget.

It's been awhile...

I feel like it has been forever since I have posted everything. It has been a nice, yet busy summer. I don't even know where to begin. I guess from most recent activities on back. We have been home for a week and JT is back in school as of last Thursday. So far so good. Friday we celebrated his 13th birthday which actually was on July 19th. It was a fairly low key party which we held at our clubhouse and pool.



Our mini vacation took us to Washington DC, Hershey Park and then to Wellsville, NY to see Tom's family. I think my kids feel like they can say "they have been there, did that" in regards to DC. My husband and I felt more of an appreciation now that we are older. (I have completely different type of memories from my last trip there which was when I was a senior in high school... Oh my!!)





While in Hershey park we met up with my brother Shawn and his family. We had fun. It was a little bit of a challenge having 2 different age groups of children. We made it work. I was happy as a clam in the chocolate store.



Our final destination at the family homestead in Wellsville was relaxing. We squeezed in some golf, a little open mic night, a pool party, birthday cake, and a street fair that was part of the Balloon Festival. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate for all of the schedule lifts so they only wen't up a couple of times. This year I only was able to see from a distance or while they were only half inflated.

"Me Time"

I am yearning for "me" time. I have been so consumed with everyone and everything else that I am wanting time to do all the things I enjoy doing. I am sitting here daydreaming of cooking a nice fanciful meal, tending to my flowers that look pitiful, sitting and beading or scrapbooking for hours without looking at a clock to hop into the truck to run an errand, work or run someone to practice. To all you other mom's out there......how do you find the time to be you, or should I say figure out you?..

The temperature here in NC has finally dropped out of the 90's and 100's. It is so peaceful sitting out on the porch with a cup of coffee and watching the birds fluttering around and singing their graces. Once I relax, my mind turns back to the thought of work looming at 9:30.

I wish I were a hot air balloon!! Floating up above the craziness of the earth. Maybe in July when we head to NY I can hop aboard one again and float away. It literally takes your breath away. The pictures are from the Wellsville, NY Balloon Festival that I took last year.