Christmas Eve 2008

So here it is! Can't believe another Christmas Eve has arrived. I made this little tag for my husband and thought I would share. This tree is a collage of photos and other hand made papers. I created it this Am in between baking two pies and finishing off some Christmas present wrapping. And oh yes, my Claire and I put together my husbands present too. Whew!


And I did survive the Nutcracker. I attended 8 of the 10 performances. I never ever get tired of watching my children perform. They are artists for sure. Colin and his sister Kaitie (who is two years older than him) received standing ovations for their Russian solos. They were awesome. I had more parents of dancers (many of whom I only know by sight) came up to me to say how wonderful they were. Colin was also Fritz and I was blown away by that performance as well. And then there was his performance as a Spun Candy Cavalier. My Little boy was the talk of the town! I am so proud of him and his sisters. I might also say that he is now on a full dance scholarship. I guess they like him!

May your Christmas be blessed and your New Year prosperous. Till 2009...

k

Nutcracker Push 12-1-08

I am having serious withdrawal...I can't stand that feeling of not being able to find the time to escape into my studio. I have a work I am just dying to finish. I need to feel the paint between my fingers. Poor Clara will have to wait as well as the rest of my life. I have not even had the time to check in regularly with my usual life lines on-line. Kelly Rae, Rosa, Misty, to name a few. My own blog is also suffering. Those that follow, please forgive me.

So where have these two months gone? I have been so wrapped up with my children's performances. The extra rehearsals and trying to juggle the home work agenda (theirs of course), is trying to say the least. We are at the studio or in the car going to and from the studio most of our free time. My son Colin has perhaps the the heaviest load. He has two solo parts: Fritz and the Russian and a rather large core role in a newer addition to this particular choreography. He is also understudy to the male solo role for Chinese. This means a lot of extra rehearsal time. All three of the kids have been plagued by injuries as well. Colin has had a pulled groin muscle and shin splints. Trying to get a 13 yr old boy to sit with ice packs on his

injuries is next to impossible. The girls have had similar injuries and Kaitie has been plagued by hip problems. We have been nursing them each evening trying to keep them together. Then there have been all the colds. Serious sniffles have been passed around between kids and adults for the past 8 weeks. No wonder I can't think straight. And now we are headed for the home stretch. The rehearsals will only intensify. Tech week (a term they use for rehearsing on stage at the venue and checking all the sound and lighting, begins next week. Right after school the kids will be brought to the Woodstock Opera House where they will practice until around 10 each night. Hopefully they will get their homework done. It is going to be a long couple of weeks leading up to their performances. Hopefully I will be able to post again before those performances! But I know any art will be out of the question...

Here are a few pictures of Colin and his partner Sara, doing their Chinese number.

K