Newsies: Moab Broadway Review

Video: Liesel speaks first, Hannah is second and their friend Bri (a daughter of another mom in the group) is third. I had to shrink the recording down in order to upload it, but you get the general idea. This is the only night I have recorded, but it happened to be the night where my ponytail holder breaks at the beginning and I'm trying to do my hair. I'm in the middle with the rope belt and suspenders.

Moab has done a community Broadway Review night for the past 3 years as a fundraiser for the arts programs in the high school. I've wanted to join in the group but I've either been nursing or with a newborn (last year) so I couldn't participate. This year, despite the fact that Brian was going to be gone (the week of the performance there were 5 nights of dress rehearsal or performance in a row), I decided to go for it anyway. I was glad I did. All of us have kids so we met and practiced at the church to practice while the kids ran around.

Liesel expressed an interest in being in the performance and so we decided to add that little part at the beginning for them. I think it was the perfect segue into a life of performing arts as she now acts out dramatic solos for me to watch that are absolutely hilarious and totally full of 5-year-old emotion. Both kids were singing "Carrying the Banner" all the time. One time I found Hannah on the toilet saying, "When did you become me mudda?" Liesel seriously thrived in the limelight and got to wear makeup for the first time (scroll down below for a photo). She spent a lot of time admiring her reflection and took her job very seriously.

Hannah only did one night and while she enjoyed it, she seemed to enjoy flirting with 6-year-old Max in the band room as he chased her around and kept picking her up. Even the teenagers were joking about taking notes from giggling flirty Hannah.

It was stressful and I came home every night but one to work on more photography editing until late, but I was still very glad I did it. Sometimes life as a mom feels so monotonous or similar day after day. It felt good to do something for me that is so completely different from my norm. I've missed the arts and it was great to be a part of it.

So many of the numbers were entertaining in the show that Liesel walks around singing them all the time. Especially "Food Glorious Food" and "Agony" (a duet that Clay did that was hilarious).

Liesel admiring her beautiful makeup. :)

Want some cheese with that whine?

I have about 10 minutes until the photos I'm exporting are finished. 

I've been working every single night since my first wedding in March with the exception of Sundays and one night last week when I stayed for the whole Broadway production. Without him around to help me catch up on days off or after work, I have to sit at this screen every second I can steal. I put the kids down and walk straight into the office to work until 10:30 or 11:00pm. Answering emails, editing, blogging etc. I'm not trying to whine, but I guess I am. I thought babysitters would be easier to come by but I've realized two things: 1) younger babysitters don't have the confidence or ability to watch 3 kids and 2) They can't take the kids anywhere so with me trying to work in the office, I really don't get anything done if there is a sitter here. I still have to do everything I normally would and I'm interrupted constantly. 

Took the kids hiking up Millcreek this afternoon. 

Then we got ice cream for cones after dinner. I bought meatballs for the first time in my life so I could make spaghetti without doing anything but boiling and warming. 

Felicity has been throwing hilarious fits all day. Arching her back, and rolling around fussing. Hannah is jealous of Felicity and isn't very nice to her. I will hear Felicity start screaming, but Hannah won't own up to anything. Ugh. 

I miss weekends. There's no such thing as a weekend without Brian. 

Well, times up. 

that's crazy.

It's bedtime. My bedtime. The kids are all sleeping in their beds and the night air feels cool blowing in from window.

Last night was family night. I tried to talk about speaking kindly. Got this idea from the internet to squeeze toothpaste in a bowl and then ask the kids to get the toothpaste back in but obviously they can't. It's supposed to teach about how we can't take unkind words back when we say them. Well, I left the bowl on the sofa. Felicity (who normally loves sucking on the top of the toothpaste tube) found the bowl. Most likely while I was begging the kids to listen to my super-awesome lesson. She started screaming after scooping up a giant handful and eating it. Toothpaste= not so pleasant in large doses. I quickly tried to rinse her mouth/hands/face off while the kids and I laughed about Felicity eating all of our bad and unkind words. Then I noticed the sofa covered in toothpaste...

Lots of semi-failed attempts lately. I take a lot of comfort in what was said last conference about getting the credit for just trying. Speaking of which, the soup I made for dinner was so gross after two meals of me choking it down too, I finally dumped it in the chicken coop. Note to self: don't put green beans, stewed tomatoes and orzo pasta in the same soup. With a bunch of random spices. I had to hold back laughter as the kids literally forced it down.

I feel stressed about Hannah. She eats a lot. Like, way more than a three-year-old should. She doesn't seem to have much of an off-button. I don't know what to do. I don't want to give her eating issues for the rest of her life, but I don't want her to overeat either. Childhood obesity is real. I feel like it's my fault. I don't know what to do, but my kids have weird eating issues. Like, kind of obsessed with food and will do anything to get treats. I know that I shouldn't use food as a motivator, but I often do because it's the only thing that works. And now I'm messing my kids up for life.

Shot a wedding today at Delicate. I always come home happy that it's over and kind of worn out. I like doing it, but there is always a release when I get back home again. This one was particularly difficult because I had to wake the kids at 5:45am and get them all ready to take to the sitter. I had the pack-n-play, the high chair, the whole milk, the pacifier, the blankets, shoes, changes of clothes for everyone, the diapers, the wipes.... but I forgot to take the carseat out with Felicity. The sitter (who is a mother of 7) had no way to take her kids to school and kept her 12-year-old home from school with my kids so she could take hers to school. She was (as usual) so nice and cheerful about the situation, but I felt awful. The only consolation was seeing the photos of her family I took line her living room walls.

Felicity seems to have an ear infection about every week. She is constantly pulling and tugging at her ears. I need to take her in!

I overbooked myself next week and had no idea until tonight. I didn't even remember I have a wedding next week and agreed to watch a friend's kids from 8:30-2:30pm the same day I need to leave for Arches at 3:30pm. Oh man. And I don't want to say no because I really need to swap sitting.

Broadway Review is this week. It's been tons of fun practicing and I love the group of women doing it. I'm glad I did, even with the added stress. I miss the arts. I miss just doing something because it's fun and I like it that's not exercise. We are singing "Carrying the Banner" from Newsies. I wanted something entertaining and fun without the pressure to sound technically beautiful, but I think next year it would be fun to vary it up year to year.

In other news I won 1st place in the strider bike calendar contest for this photo of Hannah. It's not even a very good photo. There was a freezing wind and I didn't really stage the photo. I told her to ride about 10 feet, she did and I snapped it. So now I have $250 to buy two new Strider bikes.

I miss Brian. I miss him so much. I see other couples hug and I feel so empty. I see them talk to one another or laugh and I feel lonely. I miss his companionship and our friendship. He's the one person who gets filled in on everything and who is on my team cheering me on. I can't wait for our Charleston Rendezvous. I miss his presence. He's doing great at FLETC, though.

I'm so glad no one is staying from Airbnb tonight. I need the break and the slow non-stressful morning.

Maybe I'll make french toast. And let Liesel sleep in and take her to school. 

I really love my girls.